Siheyuan came through and sent Jia Zhang to prison

Sure enough, Yi Zhonghai's expression changed drastically after hearing this. His calm expression was instantly replaced by shock, as if someone had poured a basin of ice water over him, chilling him from head to toe. He was startled and anxious. He suddenly reached over and grabbed Jia Dongxu's aunt's wrist with such force that he almost crushed her bones. His voice trembled uncontrollably: "You...what did you say? This happened back then? Why didn't you tell me? That child...where is that child now? Is he still alive?"

Jia Dongxu's aunt's wrist was so painful from being grabbed by him that her brow furrowed fiercely, but a glint of satisfaction flashed in her eyes, which actually made her feel more excited. Her eyes reddened, and she quickly pulled a wrinkled blue handkerchief from her pocket, covered her eyes with it, and began to wipe away the non-existent tears, sobbing: "Do you think I wanted to keep it a secret? At that time, I was an unmarried girl, and I got pregnant before marriage. If this got out, the neighbors would have spitted at me and I would have drowned in the spit. How could I live my life? I would never be able to hold my head up in shame!"

She paused and cried even more "sadly", her shoulders twitching: "Besides, you were already married at that time, and you were living a good life with Aunt Tan. If I tell you this, wouldn't it be just adding to your frustration? Making you feel so embarrassed? I really have no choice... I can only bear it myself..." She spoke with tears in her eyes, as if there really was such a past full of grievances and helplessness, and anyone who heard it would feel a little soft-hearted.

In reality, Jia Dongxu's aunt had long understood Yi Zhonghai's thoughts—his greatest regret in life was not having a child of his own. Wasn't it that he had been helping Qin Huairu, both openly and covertly, all these years, hoping to have a child to look after in his old age? But after all, that child was a child of the Jia family, and how could he accept that? So, she deliberately slowed her speech, slowly recounting the "past" incident, anticipating that he would be utterly distraught.

Yi Zhonghai was so anxious that he kept rubbing his hands together in the room, his face full of regret and self-blame. He kept saying, "You, you silly girl! No matter how difficult it was at the time, you should have told me! We can always find a way! Even if we find a distant relative to foster you, it's better than you carrying it all on your own!"

Seeing that he had been completely tricked, Jia Dongxu's aunt secretly curled up the corners of her mouth into an imperceptible smile. She wiped her "tears" again and said tentatively: "It's not too late to say this now, is it?"

Yi Zhonghai hadn't expected her to say that. He was stunned for a moment, then a glimmer of light flashed in his eyes. He was calculating rapidly: He had been thinking about having children for years. Although Qin Huairu had given birth to Banggeng and his siblings, they were registered under Jia Dongxu's name. Even if Jia Dongxu was gone, the children would still be Jia's, not related to him, Yi Zhonghai. His support over the years had been, at best, secretly helping to raise the children, not legitimately, and it was unclear whether he could be counted on in the future.

But if Jia Dongxu's aunt really got pregnant with his child, that would be a different story! He could find a remote place in the countryside to live, give birth to the child safely, and then say he adopted the child from a distant relative. Who would say anything? That way, he'd have a child that truly belonged to him, and when he got old, he'd have someone close to him to show his filial piety. Just thinking about it made him feel warm.

Yi Zhonghai wanted to ask more details, such as the child's current situation and how they were placed back then, but Jia Dongxu's aunt suddenly stood up, looked at him and said, "Yi Zhonghai, I've said everything I need to say. Just keep it in mind. I'm going back now. Think about it carefully."

Yi Zhonghai wanted to keep her and ask for a few more details, but Jia Dongxu's aunt walked towards the door without looking back, her steps were very brisk, and she didn't look sad at all.

Yi Zhonghai watched her disappear out the door, his heart aching with mixed emotions. Honestly, Jia Dongxu's aunt wasn't particularly good-looking, with fine lines around her eyes, looking older than her actual age. He hadn't usually paid much attention to her. But when he thought about the possibility that she might bear him a child, this flaw didn't matter. Besides, he was now an eighth-level fitter at the steel mill, earning a decent salary and with no financial burden at home, so raising a child was more than enough for him.

But how could he tell his wife, Aunt Tan, about this? Although Aunt Tan was gentle, she was very strict about this kind of thing. If she knew, who knows what would happen, maybe even bring it to the factory, and then he would lose face. Yi Zhonghai frowned and sighed heavily. He could only go home and take things one step at a time before making any plans.

At the dinner table, the dim light illuminated Yi Zhonghai's silent profile. He held the wine glass in his hand, but didn't bring it to his lips for a long time. His eyes drifted out the window, and he was obviously a little absent-minded. Aunt Tan pushed a plate of pickled radish towards him and couldn't help asking, "What's wrong with you? You've been absent-minded since you came back from the factory. Did something happen?"

Yi Zhonghai finally came to his senses and looked at Aunt Tan, wondering how to put it. He knew that if he spoke his mind, it might upset his wife, but he had to bring it up sooner or later. He forced a smile and put down his glass. "It's nothing serious. I just want to discuss something with you. What do you think... should we adopt a child?"

Aunt Tan's chopsticks fell to the table with a "clack". She looked at Yi Zhonghai with wide eyes, her face full of surprise: "Old Yi, what nonsense are you talking about? Didn't we agree a while ago to help the Jia family more? After all, the Jia family's children are pitiful, and Dongxu is paralyzed, so it's only right that we take care of them more. Why are you suddenly talking about adopting a child again?"

In fact, some time ago, Aunt Tan had talked to Yi Zhonghai about adopting a child, thinking that as they grew older, it would be lonely without a child. But Yi Zhonghai had refused outright, saying that his mind was focused on helping the Jia family. How could he change his mind after so long?

Aunt Tan picked up the chopsticks, wiped them, and asked again, her tone confirming, "You mean, the two of us should go and adopt a child right now?"

Yi Zhonghai nodded, his tone becoming graver: "The Jia family is in such a bad state right now. Dongxu is paralyzed on the kang, Jia Zhangshi is a mess, and the children are not behaving properly. We can't put all our hopes on the Jia family. We still have to have our own plans. When we get old, we need someone who understands us, right?"

Aunt Tan's heart moved, and she pressed the issue, "So what are your specific ideas? Do you already have a child in mind?"

Yi Zhonghai smiled, picked up his wine glass and took a sip: "There's no need to rush this matter, let's wait and see. There are always suitable children in the neighborhood, and we will find the one we like sooner or later."