Before Dad said anything, Zi Teng had a vague feeling that what he said must be related to his life experience.
In the words of other girls in the house, "Your father is too old. It would be more believable to say that he is your father. Look at his appearance. His eyes are not like eyes and nose. I guess he was good-looking when he was young." How could I have given birth to such a handsome sister like you?"
Someone else joked, "I only heard your father say that your mother passed away early, and no one else has heard or seen her. Just based on what his family said, it's really hard to believe. I wonder if he picked you up somewhere." daughter?"
It was okay when she was young, with a simple mind and a shallow understanding, and never thought about the relationship. Recently, as she became more involved in the world, her thoughts became more and more careful, and she naturally noticed some abnormalities. After listening to Zi Fuyang's words, I had a vague guess in my heart. I sat up straight without realizing it, lowered my head and raised my ears.
"Nier, actually I am not your father." Zi Fuyang said softly, then paused and said, "I am your grandfather."
After listening to the first half of the sentence, there was no surprise on Ziteng's face. However, when the old man finished the second half of the sentence, she slowly raised her head, her eyes trembling, as if she heard thunder in the sky.
Zi Fuyang pursed her lips and continued: "Your father's family name is Hu, and your mother is my only daughter. Her name is Zi Lingyu, Zhong Lingyuxiu's 'Lingyu'."
The light was dim and the room was dim, but his eyes were clearly bright and shining.
For a moment, neither the old nor the young spoke. Zi Fuyang was completely immersed in the memories of the past. Thinking of all the past, she couldn't extricate herself at this time. As for Ziteng, she really didn’t know how to answer the question. Many questions flashed through her mind, and she suddenly didn't know which one to ask first.
"You and Yu'er look very similar...it seems like you are a little taller." Zi Fuyang murmured, "When she left me and your grandmother, she was a little older than you now. .”
The old man shook his head gently, with a sad look in his eyes.
"Ah...Grandpa!" Ziteng asked, "Why did my mother leave you? What happened?"
The word "father" almost blurted out, but fortunately, he finally called out the unfamiliar title of "grandpa". Although the person in front of him is not his biological father, he is also his grandfather. He is not someone "picked up from nowhere" as others say.
Zi Fuyang looked at her granddaughter, smiled bitterly, and explained the reason.
"Nier, your grandmother and mother and I are both from Ziyang, and you were also born in Ziyang Lianzhou City."
Ziyang County is located in the northeast of Dahua. It is named after Ziyang Zhenren, the great disciple of the Taoist Quanzhen Sect. Two hundred and twenty-six years ago, Ziyang Zhenren passed away the throne behind Zixiao Zhenren, and the surname "Zi" became the surname of the direct descendants of the Quanzhen sect.
"Now 'Zhenren Ziyun' on Yueyun Mountain is my junior brother. You can go and recognize him when you have time in the future."
It turned out that Zi Fuyang was the direct disciple of the sect back then and had a high reputation among the brothers. He did not want his master to pass the position of headmaster to his junior brother Zi Yunyang before his death. He was young and arrogant at that time, so he left the Quanzhen Sect in anger, married a wife and had children in Lianzhou City at the foot of the mountain, and made a living by hunting and chopping firewood. With good martial arts skills and a hard-working person, he gradually settled down outside the city, and his life became more and more prosperous.
Although he did not inherit the position of head teacher, he could gain something from the loss. The more than ten years in Lianzhou were the most unforgettable time in Zi Fuyang's life.
Unfortunately, an encounter nineteen years ago changed everything.
"That day I went hunting in the mountains as usual and found an injured young man in a notch halfway up the mountain. He had suffered severe internal injuries and was leaning on the slope, feeling dazed. Alas, my Shi was kind-hearted and couldn't bear for him to die in the wilderness, so he took him back." Zi Fuyang narrated in a low voice, with regret on his face, "Knowing what happened later, I really should have let him die there! "
Ziteng asked: "Is that man my father? Is he a bad person?"
She could feel that "that person" in her grandfather's words should be her father, whom she had never met.
"Yes, the injured young man is your father. His name is Hu Xiwei, and he comes from the Hu family in the capital. I later found out that the queen at that time, who is the grandmother of the current emperor, was his aunt. I don't know why. Yes, their family had left the Hu clan at that time and was working for King Jaw." Zi Fuyang added, "As for whether he is a bad person or not, I can't tell."
By this time, Ziteng finally knew his origin.
His father's family, the Hu family in the capital city, was a powerful eunuch for hundreds of years, and his mother's family, the Ziyang Quanzhen sect, was a giant in the sect. With such a background, he was considered to be one of the best in the whole country.
Although the Hu family was widely implicated due to their involvement in the "King Yun Case", the only people killed were those of the Hu Fengju family. The Hu family has been around for hundreds of years and is rich in talents. After all, the majority of people are not involved in party disputes. After the new throne was cleared, a large number of members of the clan regained power and entered the palace.
As for the Quanzhen Sect in Ziyang County, it is a leader sect that has been passed down for hundreds of years and is as famous as the Zhenwu Temple in Guoshan, the capital. The Quanzhen sect specializes in the art of Huang Lao and is good at the study of elixirs. It has always had strict rules and strict discipline, so its reputation is mainly reflected in the four northeastern counties.
"If you want to say that he is good, my daughter died because of her. I don't think he is good." Zi Fuyang sighed, "If you want to say that he is bad, in my conscience, he is not a bad person. Otherwise, we would not allow him to Your mother will marry him."
The old man talked a lot.
After recovering from his injury, Hu Xiwei did not leave immediately, but took advantage of the situation to stay. In order to repay the kindness of saving his life, he treated Zi Fuyang and his wife as his biological parents, and Zi Lingyun as his own sister. He rushed to do all the daily work at home, and soon bought a house for the family.
After spending time together day and night, Zi Lingyu developed feelings for this "brother".
Zi Fuyang and his wife loved their only daughter very much, and Hu Xiwei's performance in the past year convinced them that she was a person worthy of their trust, so they agreed to the marriage.
When the parents are here, the marriage of their children must be reported. Hu's mother died young, but Hu's father was still alive. He should inform his family about the matter both emotionally and rationally, so Hu Xi returned to the capital.
Hu Fengnian broke up with his brother and his clan at an early age, and the only one he had close relatives was his son. When he heard that he was getting married, he was naturally filled with joy and even traveled thousands of miles to Lianzhou to attend the wedding ceremony.
"The year after they got married, Yu'er became pregnant with you. The whole family is so happy!" Zi Fuyang said with a smile, "In those days, your father was always by his side and took great care of your mother. We see that He obviously knows it in his eyes. If you ask me, is he a bad person, I think he can't be considered a bad person anyway."
He smacked his lips and looked confused.
"But the good times didn't last long. On New Year's Day that year, a stranger came to the door and said a few words to your father." Zi Fuyang sighed, and then said, "I don't know what the two of them talked about. , Hu Xi turned his head slightly and hurriedly came to say goodbye to us. At that time, Yu'er was already eight months pregnant with you, and was about to give birth soon. When he heard that he was leaving, he burst into tears. We gave chase. He then revealed the reason: King Jaw summoned him to the capital for important matters."
Hu Xiwei said that the Xia Mu Dynasty would be grateful to him for rebuilding, and he could not refuse this call.
"Your father swore that he would come back to Lianzhou after helping King Jaw run his errands, and never go on a long trip again. We really had no choice but to let him go." Zi Fuyang sighed softly, "In the days after he left, Yu'er I was worried all day long and my health got worse. I gave birth to you early in my ninth month of pregnancy."
Ziteng listened with mixed feelings in her heart.
Without waiting for her to ask, Zi Fuyang continued: "With you, Yu'er finally has someone to rely on, and her health is gradually improving. I thought that your father would go back to the capital for business, and it would be half a year at most. But he has been waiting for more than nine months. Still no news, not even a letter came.”
"Did something happen to my father?" Ziteng asked anxiously.
From her grandfather's mouth, she knew that her mother had died young. Now that she knew that Hu Xiwei was her father, of course she wanted to know about him.
Zi Fuyang shook his head and replied: "I found him later and he explained. At that time, he was helping King Jaw to build a secret store called 'Baiweitang'. During this period, he was not allowed to interact with the outside world."
Thinking of what happened to Bai Weitang and Hu Xiwei later, the old man's eyelids trembled slightly and his heart felt cold.
"Later, your mother couldn't wait any longer. She took the opportunity to buy things for you and left a letter before leaving home." Zi Fuyang said sadly, "Your grandmother and I were so focused on you that we didn't expect that Yu I left home at that time and didn’t see her come back until late at night, then I saw the letter she left under the pillow and hurriedly looked for it.”
"What happened next?" Ziteng asked anxiously, "Did my mother go to find my father? What happened next?"
The past has happened and cannot be undone, but as a son of man, we always want to think about things for the better.
Hearing her granddaughter's questioning, Zi Fuyang shed two lines of tears and sobbed: "After your mother left... Yu'er never came back after she left that day."
