Chapter 157: Chapter 157: Your maternal grandparents are not blood-related to you? Chapter 157: Chapter 157: Your maternal grandparents are not blood-related to you? Xichuan Tenghai Research Base Family Residence—Director Lin was accompanied by two people as they knocked on Qiao Qingyu’s front door.
Qiao Qingyu had stayed in today.
She was washing tomatoes and chili peppers.
Her small vegetable garden had a short growing period, so the vegetables ripened quickly; hence, apart from the lack of at, there was a continuous supply of vegetables every day.
Qiao Qingyu regretted not planting peanuts and soybeans.
At the very least, sunflowers would have been good too.
All three could be used to produce oil for eating.
Fortunately, the cucumbers and tomatoes were delicious—with the cucumbers being crisp and sweet, and the tomatoes a balance of sour and sweet, bursting with juicy freshness unlike the tough, thick-skinned ones she’d buy from the supermarket, not even comparable to the organic ones.
Her tomatoes could even be eaten as fruit.
Shen Fen, Director Shen, who grew up in the city and mainly focused on teaching workshops, had no ti to tend to a garden, so Qiao Qingyu would occasionally bring over so vegetables for them.
Director Xie’s family garden, on the other hand, was doing very well. His daughter-in-law, unemployed and looking after both elderly family mbers at ho, managed a garden almost as good as Qiao Qingyu’s both at the front and back of their ho.
Then gradually, many families ca to ask Qiao Qingyu if she could share so vegetable seeds with them for the next year, and she agreed without hesitation.
Now, her vegetable garden was thriving. With just the three mbers in her family, and given that He Xiuyu and Rongrong were frequently away from ho, there was an abundance.
Qiao Qingyu planned to make tomato and chili sauce.
When He Xiuyu wasn’t ho, she could send a jar with him to the cafeteria, where it could be deliciously mixed with rice or spread on stead buns.
Qiao Qingyu was bustling about in the kitchen when she heard soone knocking at the front door.
She wiped her hands, peered out the slightly ajar door, and saw two unfamiliar faces, but Director Lin was standing beside them.
Qiao Qingyu quickly walked to the door and opened it with a warm smile, “Director Lin, please co in,” and then she cast an inquiring glance at the two strangers.
Director Lin hastily introduced them, “These two comrades are from Xichuan’s Foreign Relations Departnt.”
Foreign Relations Departnt?
Qiao Qingyu wasn’t aware of this departnt, but she nonetheless warmly welcod the two visitors inside.
After all, it was July, and the weather had turned hot.
There happened to be so freshly washed cucumbers and tomatoes, which she placed in a large bowl and set on the living room table.
“These are cucumbers and tomatoes I’ve grown myself. They’ve just ripened recently; you both are welco to try so.”
Director Lin quickly added, “You’re in luck, these cucumbers, and tomatoes from Comrade Qiao Qingyu are even better than fruit. Please, have so, have so.”
Saying so, he took a cucumber and bit into it with a crunch, savoring the crispness, sweetness, and unique refreshing flavor—absolutely delicious.
The two, having official business to attend to, didn’t feel comfortable indulging and instead pulled out notebooks and pens.
One spoke gently, “Comrade Qiao Qingyu, our main purpose in coming here is to inquire about a certain matter from you.”
A flicker of surprise passed through Qiao Qingyu’s eyes, but she still smiled and said, “What would you like to know?”
The one speaking just now was Old Zheng, who first introduced himself and then pointed to the young man beside him, saying, “This is Comrade Xiao Xu, an official.”
Qiao Qingyu smiled again. She really couldn’t fathom what these two were up to; her mind had already spun several circles.
What does the Departnt of External Relations have to do with her?
Moreover, what was strange was that they hadn’t looked for He Xiuyu but ca directly to her. So, the matter must be related to her and not He Xiuyu. Qiao Qingyu’s mind was marked with big question marks, yet her face showed nothing.
“Comrade Qiao Qingyu, do you rember the last inspection team from M country that ca to Xichuan?”
Qiao Qingyu was taken aback for a mont, then nodded her head, “Yes, I know. I was there at the ti.”
“The head of the inspection team, President Wu Tai, suddenly fainted, didn’t he? After he ca to, he left the work here to Secretary Chang and went back to his country. But the factory here continued construction. There was a month when Secretary Chang couldn’t contact Wu Tai and even asked us to help inquire about what happened in M country. Before we found out anything, Wu Tai reestablished contact, and Secretary Chang had once inquired about your family, particularly about your mother, Han Xianglan’s family relations.”
Qiao Qingyu was truly stunned.
While Old Zheng said this, she wondered if her thousand silk hemp seeds had attracted so special attention from foreign forces and if sothing happened in between that she didn’t know about.
But she didn’t expect it to involve her mother.
Qiao Qingyu’s face sank imdiately, “Why was he inquiring about my mother?”
Old Zheng opened his briefcase, handed a photograph to Qiao Qingyu, and then told her about Wu Tai’s entrustnt with the local governnt to look for his missing cousin.
“Secretary Chang explained during our investigation that President Wu suspected your mother, Han Xianglan, was his lost cousin, Wu Qianyun.”
Suddenly, the room fell into a quiet.
Director Lin gaped at Qiao Qingyu, could it be?
In an instant, Qiao Qingyu’s heartbeat thundered like drums.
She quickly picked up the black and white photo, and at first glance, she jumped, goosebumps rising, a cold sweat breaking out on her back.
She almost blurted out, but she choked back the words.
The girl in the photo looked too much like her when she was little.
The only difference was the clothes and hairstyle, as well as the background decor. The girl about four or five years old wore bracelets on her hands and a longevity lock around her neck.
Even though it was black and white, the environnt suggested it was from a wealthy or noble family.
“Comrade Qiao Qingyu, Secretary Chang has entrusted to ask you a few questions.”
“What does he want to ask?” Qiao Qingyu’s voice was sowhat hoarse, still holding the photo.
“Secretary Chang said President Wu wants to know the real relation between your maternal grandparents and your family?”
Qiao Qingyu frowned slightly. This couldn’t be hidden, after all, everyone knew about it, but this was a matter of decades ago, which young people nowadays didn’t know about.
She tried to calm herself and said, “My maternal grandparents were sworn kin recognized by Granny He from Hejia Village for my mother.”
Old Zheng clearly looked startled. He turned to Qiao Qingyu and asked seriously, “So you’re saying your maternal grandparents have no blood relation to you?”
Qiao Qingyu nodded.
But at that mont, Old Zheng showed a troubled expression. He began, “Comrade Qiao Qingyu, this matter has beco very complicated now. It could very well be a trap set by enemy spies, with their ultimate target being He Xiuyu as well as the Tenghai Research behind him. But we can’t rule out that they have been frad. Mr. Wu and Wu Tai are indeed looking for their family mbers who went missing years ago, and there is indeed evidence of this…”
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