Old Mr. Feng comforted him, "What's done is done. We can only look forward. Fortunately, it's not too late. We'll make it up to them properly from now on."
The old lady wiped her tears, "She's in prison, how can we possibly make it up to her?"
Since it was murder, she would likely never get out in this lifetime.
The old gentleman's heart sank.
Some regrets, it seemed, could never be compensated.
"And there's Cheng Tao. This child must have picked up bad habits from her mother. We'll teach her slowly from now on, and surely we can guide her back to the right path."
Thinking this way, the old lady felt a little better.
How could she expect a child who didn't grow up with her biological parents to be outstanding?
A while later, Cheng Tao arrived, with Feng Yaojun's family following behind her.
This wasn't the first time the two parties had met. Cheng Tao had visited the compound many times during this period.
But today was the day the Feng elders decided to officially acknowledge their relative.
Feng Yaojun nudged the stunned Cheng Tao, "Hurry in, these are your maternal grandparents."
Cheng Tao felt a little anxious and took a few steps inside.
"Grandpa, Grandma."
She didn't know what Feng Yaojun had done to make the Feng elders believe her identity.
The old lady smiled gently, "From today on, you are our granddaughter. We'll go to Yongcheng another day to see your mother."
The mention of Song Yulian brought a deep-seated disgust to Cheng Tao's heart.
But she couldn't show it.
Feng Yaojun had told her that no matter what Song Yulian had done, she was now the old lady's long-lost daughter.
When a child goes astray, they would only feel heartache and self-reproach.
Cheng Tao gathered her emotions, knelt at the doorway, and burst into tears.
"If my mother had grown up by your side, she definitely wouldn't have ended up like this! Grandma, don't blame my mother, she had a hard life too."
"Her parents traded her for a bride price, and her husband was an alcoholic who beat her. She lived half her life without ever enjoying any happiness!"
"My mother suffered so much, why didn't she meet you sooner!"
The old lady, who had been emotionally stable, felt as if a piece of her heart had been gouged out at her words.
Her daughter, whom she should have cherished and doted on, how had she been pushed to this point by the hardships of life?
She hugged Cheng Tao, crying, "I don't blame her! How could I blame her! If I hadn't abandoned her, neither you nor your mother would have had to suffer so much."
Feng Xue secretly exchanged a look with Zhu Yan. At this point, things had already been a success.
Feng Yaojun quickly said, "Dad, Mom, let's go inside."
The old gentleman nodded quickly, "Yes, let's go in and talk."
Today was the first day of their official reunion, and they had a lot to discuss.
They had only investigated Song Yulian and didn't know much about Cheng Tao's basic situation.
For example, her husband and daughter.
And for instance, Cheng Tao was also a student at the Traditional Chinese Medicine University, and in the same class as Cheng You.
Cheng Tao smiled and agreed, "I think it's a coincidence too."
Out of vanity, she didn't want others to know she was a transfer student.
The old lady hugged her and said with a smile, "Our family has a university student too!"
Zhu Yan's face darkened, and she reminded him, "Mom, Feng Xue is also a university student."
The old lady smiled without speaking.
Even though Cheng Tao had been found, it didn't change the fact that she didn't like Feng Xue.
As the family was chatting, Song Qinglan walked over.
She often came to talk to the old lady, so her arrival at this time wasn't unusual.
"I heard your granddaughter is back, so I came especially to see her."
As she spoke, her gaze swept around the room and landed on Cheng Tao.
The old lady was known as a beauty in her youth. Although her two sons were not capable, they were also handsome.
As for Cheng Tao, she was a bit disappointing.
"Qinglan, this is my granddaughter, Cheng Tao."
Song Qinglan already had a rough idea, but she still deliberately asked, "Cheng Tao, what's your relationship with my daughter-in-law, Cheng You?"
Cheng Tao's smile froze. So, this was Qi Chengyan's mother.
She suddenly remembered.
But she remembered that Song Qinglan and Cheng You didn't have a good relationship.
Cheng Tao was fundamentally flawed, and none of the grudges she had with Cheng You could be resolved.
Seizing any opportunity, she started plotting in her mind how to trip up Cheng You.
"Auntie, I am Cheng You's sister."
Song Qinglan knew their relationship very well, as she had inquired about Cheng Tao's identity from Cheng You early on.
"Sister?"
"I sincerely regard Cheng You as a sister, but she might not feel the same way. Because my mother was her stepmother, she never liked me very much."
Song Qinglan curled her lips, "She dislikes you just because of that?"
Cheng Tao feigned a sigh, "Yes, but I still hope she can reconcile with me."
Her self-talk made the old lady frown.
She had heard some rumors about what Song Yulian and Cheng Tao had done at the old Cheng family.
"Cheng Tao, that's enough."
No matter how much was said, her past actions were more convincing than any words.
The old lady and Old Mr. Feng exchanged a look, and both saw disappointment in each other's eyes.
"Old sister, your family has welcomed back your granddaughter, shouldn't you host a few banquets to celebrate?"
Song Qinglan, unwilling to talk to Cheng Tao anymore, sat down and chatted with the old lady.
Feng Yaojun quickly chimed in, "This is great news, of course we should! Mom, let's invite people from the compound to liven things up. We're finally reunited as a family."
The old gentleman pondered for a moment. The Feng family had always been low-key, but it wouldn't hurt to be a bit high-profile occasionally.
"Alright, we'll set up a few tables at home and invite everyone to come and eat together."
With a decisive word, he settled the matter.
Among the invited guests was Cheng You.
Cheng You was reluctant to go, given her poor relationship with Cheng Tao.
Song Qinglan, however, advised her, "Why shouldn't you go? If anyone should be accommodating, it should be Cheng Tao yielding to you."
It was just a meal, after all, not a time-consuming affair.
Cheng You thought for a moment and then went with Qi Chengyan.
The moment Cheng Tao saw Qi Chengyan, she looked at Cheng You with a look of pity, as if she were crazy.
"So Qi Chengyan is back in the military. Then he and Feng Xue will see each other frequently, haven't you noticed anything?"
Cheng You looked at her inexplicably, "What should I have noticed?"
Cheng Tao blinked, "Haven't you noticed anything different between them?"
Feng Xue was Qi Chengyan's unattainable first love!
With them so close, there must be some development, right?
Cheng You smiled coldly, "I don't quite understand, can you explain it in detail?"
Cheng Tao tutted, with schadenfreude in her eyes.
"Why don't you understand? Qi Chengyan and Feng Xue are having an affair. Qi Chengyan will definitely dump you in the future, so you should make plans early."