Yuan Yuejin was gone, and Yuan Yuelong was in prison.
Yuan Yongguo and Li Fen were devastated but still forced themselves to run around, visiting the police station every day for news.
As long as it wasn't a death sentence, even a few more years in prison would be acceptable.
But Yuan Yuelong had the lives of several members of the Xu family on his hands. The incident was a major public concern, and the severity of the crime meant the sentence would be heavy.
A bullet was inevitable.
Yuan Yongguo could still hold on, but Li Fen, after the double blow of losing both sons, had turned more than half white-haired and had to be on an IV drip for a full week in the hospital before she felt somewhat better.
She was now like a madwoman, focusing all her attention on Zhenzhen.
"Yes, we still have our granddaughter! Old Yuan, let's bring our granddaughter back. Otherwise, how will I live in the future!"
Yuan Yongguo supported her weakened body, repeatedly agreeing, "Okay! We'll bring our granddaughter back. I will definitely bring Zhenzhen back!"
Yes, he wasn't without descendants; he still had a granddaughter!
As long as they raised their granddaughter well, and later arranged for her to marry into the family, her children would bear the Yuan surname. His old Yuan family would have an heir!
With this thought, the gloom in Yuan Yongguo's heart finally lifted a bit. He immediately took Li Fen to the courtyard house.
Coincidentally, Cheng You was also there when they arrived.
Upon seeing the two of them, Aunt Jin quickly closed and locked the door, a seamless action.
Li Fen stared intently at the closed door, a deep, unyielding hatred surfacing in her eyes.
"Sister Jin, for the sake of us being fellow townsfolk, please let me in. I want to have a good talk with Cheng You."
Aunt Jin’s face was stern as she shouted through the door, "Cheng You doesn't want to talk to you. You should leave."
"I won't leave! If Cheng You doesn't come out, then I won't leave this spot!"
Li Fen simply sat down by the door.
This time, she wouldn't leave without taking Zhenzhen with her.
Aunt Jin glanced at her through the crack in the door, looking at Cheng You with difficulty.
"What should we do? They're sitting right at the door."
Zhenzhen hid behind Uncle Li, not wanting to see those two at all.
Especially her grandmother, whose gaze was terrifying, as if she wanted to eat her.
Cheng You patted her head and said, "Don't worry, Zhenzhen. Sister won't let anyone take you away."
"I'm not their granddaughter!" Zhenzhen pouted.
Cheng You's eyes turned cold. Yuan Yongguo and Li Fen were now acting like lunatics. Even if Zhenzhen wasn't their biological granddaughter, they would probably still try to claim her.
"Uncle Li, why don't I take Zhenzhen to stay at the compound for a few days?"
Uncle Li nodded, "That's fine. They can't get into the compound. It's safer there than here."
Aunt Jin chimed in, "That's true. They wouldn't dare snatch someone at the military base."
Everyone agreed, and Aunt Jin went inside to pack Zhenzhen's things.
When the door opened, Li Fen and Yuan Yongguo eagerly got up.
Cheng You looked at them coldly. "If you want a child, there are plenty of children waiting to be adopted at the welfare home."
Zhenzhen peeked out from behind her, tightly clutching Cheng You's clothes.
"Before my mother passed away, I asked her. Yuan Yuejin isn't my father! I can't possibly be your granddaughter!"
Li Fen looked at her disapprovingly, "How can you say such a thing! Your father is Yuan Yuejin. He was the only man your mother had. You are definitely our granddaughter, no mistake!"
Zhenzhen, unable to contain herself any longer, spat at her forcefully.
"You're saying nice things now, but where were you before! If you say I'm your granddaughter, why didn't you come when my mother was giving birth to me? And where were you when my mother was dying?"
If they were her biological grandparents, it would be one thing, but they weren't, and they were making such a fuss, which only made Zhenzhen feel more disgusted.
Li Fen covered her face and wept uncontrollably. The recent blows had pushed her to the brink of collapse.
If she had agreed to Yuan Yuejin and Wen Yan's marriage back then, would her son still be alive?
"Grandmother was wrong, Grandmother knows she was wrong! As long as you're willing to come home with us, Grandmother promises to compensate you well!"
"I don't want to!" Zhenzhen screamed, her small face filled with disgust for them.
Cheng You took the bag from Aunt Jin and sneered.
"To save you the trouble of looking, I'll tell you now: I'm taking Zhenzhen to live at the military compound. If you have the guts, come in, or stay here like today, waiting by the door."
Li Fen and Yuan Yongguo looked at each other. That was the military compound; they wouldn't dare.
Seeing Cheng You about to leave with Zhenzhen, Li Fen knelt before her.
"Cheng You, I beg you! I beg you, please take pity on us two lonely old people!"
Cheng You, holding Zhenzhen's hand, moved away from her and said coldly, "How can I pity you? I've told you countless times that Zhenzhen has no relation to your Yuan family, but you refuse to listen! Since a child with no blood relation to you is acceptable, why can't you adopt from a welfare home instead of snatching someone else's child!"
Zhenzhen tightly grasped Cheng You's hand. "Sister, let's go quickly!"
As they watched them board the bus, Li Fen tried to follow, but Yuan Yongguo stopped her.
"Old Yuan, let me go! Don't you even want your granddaughter!"
Yuan Yongguo looked at her wearily. "Even if we follow, what good will it do? That's the military compound; can you get in? We've been in Yancheng long enough, and our savings are almost gone. If we don't go back soon, we'll be on the streets!"
What was more important than survival?
Only by living could they find a way to bring their granddaughter back.
Li Fen slid to the ground, sobbing uncontrollably.
"I'm not going back!"
Aunt Jin shook her head, sighed, and closed the door.
The crying of the old couple at the door soon attracted the attention of others.
Aunt Jin, watching from inside, saw a woman with a good figure and a ponytail walk over to them.
"Elderly people, what's wrong?"
Aunt Jin squinted and recognized the woman as Ruan Jiqiu, a star from the cultural troupe.
Known for her beauty, kindness, and talent, she was a rare outstanding young woman in the military.
Li Fen could no longer speak, only repeating the word "granddaughter."
Yuan Yongguo held her, his face full of melancholy.
"Daughter, we're fine. We're just looking for our granddaughter. Both our sons are gone, and we only have one granddaughter left, and she's been taken away by someone else."
Ruan Jiqiu frowned. "Was your granddaughter kidnapped? Then you should report it to the police! Come on, I'll take you!"
Yuan Yongguo didn't move, saying dejectedly, "If reporting to the police worked, I would have done it long ago."
The police couldn't do anything, as Zhenzhen was already registered with the Li family and had changed her surname.
Her name was Li Zhen, from Wujing Village; everyone knew her.
Ruan Jiqiu smiled and comforted them, "Don't worry. My brother is the editor-in-chief of a newspaper. I'll take you to place a missing person advertisement."