Chapter 0002: Memories of Parents

Zhao Lirong, who did not understand politics very well, could not comprehend her father's difficulties. She mistakenly thought that her family was not supportive, and in a fit of anger, she returned to the countryside, delivering meals to her husband every day while waiting to give birth to the child in her womb

It was unexpected that Zhao Lirong was a woman with strong opinions. She liked Feng Kangseng and believed that happiness must also be fought for by oneself. To this end, she secretly took the household registration book from home and went to the civil affairs bureau with Feng Kangseng to handle the procedures privately. By the time Zhao Mingyuan learned of this matter, his daughter was already living with Feng Kangseng, and he was immediately furious, shouting that he had given birth to an unfilial daughter

As the situation became increasingly tense, Feng Kangseng not only showed no remorse, but on the contrary, during the process of labor reform, he spread his ideology to everyone, advocating for a pragmatic approach rather than mere boasting and exaggeration. Consequently, he inevitably offended many in power, and ultimately, under the scheming of those with ulterior motives, the young Feng Kangseng, barely in his twenties, departed from this world with regret.

Zhao Mingyuan's temper is extremely fierce; if he wants to go, then let him go, it's no big deal. If it weren't for his son and daughters pulling him back at that moment, he might have even been able to utter words to sever the father-daughter relationship.

Feng Kangsheng and Zhao Lirong, who had moved to the countryside for work, were living a relatively decent life, as they were educated individuals and were respected wherever they went. However, unforeseen circumstances arose, and the Cultural Revolution, an event that the Republic could never forget, finally reached the rural areas. Feng Kangsheng, known for his straightforward personality, could not tolerate some of the ostentatious elements and boldly published articles that were unfavorable to the current situation. Consequently, he was taken away by the Red Guards for re-education and criticism.

Feng Zhe's father, Feng Kangsheng, was a young man with great ambition and aspirations, and he was also very handsome. At a young age, he became a university lecturer, which led him to meet his equally studious and ambitious mother, Zhao Lirong. Subsequently, the two naturally came together.

However, things did not go as planned. One day, Zhao Lirong received a call from her mother, He Jiayu. Upon hearing her mother say that because of her stubbornness in not allowing Feng Sizhe to return to the country to see her grandfather, Zhao Mingyuan's health had been deteriorating, Zhao Lirong finally felt a twinge of concern.

As a prominent family like the Zhao family, how could Zhao Mingyuan, a military general, tolerate the absence of a third generation to inherit the family legacy? This led him to think of his eldest daughter, Zhao Lirong. Although Feng Sizhe does not bear the Zhao surname but the Feng surname, he nonetheless possesses the bloodline of the Zhao family and is indeed a legitimate member of the Zhao clan

Not long ago, Zhao Lirong received a call from home, where her brother, younger brothers, and sisters all hoped she could return to her homeland and come back home. As the eldest daughter of Zhao Mingyuan and the second child of the Zhao family, she was certainly aware of the reasons behind this. Interestingly, Zhao Mingyuan had a total of five children, consisting of two sons and three daughters, with Zhao Lirong being the eldest, having only one older brother, Zhao Wanyong, above her. However, despite the seemingly flourishing Zhao family, there were no male descendants in the third generation. The eldest, Zhao Wanyong (the elder uncle of Feng Sizhe), had three daughters; the third, Zhao Wangan (the younger uncle of Feng Sizhe), also had two daughters; and the fourth, Zhao Lishu (the second aunt of Feng Sizhe), had two daughters as well. The fifth, Zhao Lizhu (the younger aunt of Feng Sizhe), lost her husband shortly after their marriage due to an accident and currently had no intention of starting a family. At over thirty years old, she was considered an absolute late bloomer in the capital at that time. Even if she were divorced, she could still remarry, but regardless of how General Zhao Mingyuan pressured her, she always used her bad mood from the divorce as an excuse to delay.

However, during that time, the Cultural Revolution was particularly prevalent in Kyoto. Zhao Mingyuan, as the De Gong (later the leader of the Southern Tour and the chief architect of socialism with Chinese characteristics), had once been a bodyguard who was also affected by the turmoil. If he could not ensure his own safety, how could he possibly protect others

Regardless of the circumstances, a father is still one's own father; without a father, there would be no life of one's own. Moreover, she later came to understand that it was not that her father did not go to save his loved one, but rather that the situation did not permit it. It can be said that after understanding the political situation at that time, Zhao Lirong's mindset improved significantly

Watching her beloved man being taken away, and seeing her belly grow day by day, for the sake of her lover and the unborn child, Zhao Lirong had no choice but to return to Beijing to seek her father's help, hoping he could intervene and save her husband

Feng Kangsheng is an orphan with no significant background, having grown up on the kindness of others, which instilled in him a strong desire for knowledge and self-improvement. In the 1960s, while the concept of free love was not widespread, it was certainly not absent. However, it was still difficult for an orphan to aspire to marry the daughter of a general; despite the diminishing emphasis on social status, societal norms still prevailed. Consequently, Feng Sizhe's maternal grandfather, Zhao Mingyuan, took the most basic steps to obstruct the marriage of his eldest daughter.

Feng Sizhe did not heed his aunt's thoughts. Indeed, at this time in his previous life, Feng Sizhe did not speak much with his grandfather, which was also influenced by his mother. It is quite a tragic story, to be honest

Originally, Zhao Lirong thought that her father was merely concerned about maintaining face, believing that once the rice was cooked, the family would have nothing more to say. However, to her surprise, when she brought her partner, Feng Kangseng, home, she was met with her father's reprimand. Unable to bear it, Zhao Lirong left the Zhao family with her husband and voluntarily applied to work in the countryside

Zhao Lirong, who deeply understood this point, knew that her father wanted her to return home simply because he was pleased that she had given birth to a son. For this reason, she remained noncommittal to the calls from her siblings. She was even determined to provide Feng Sizhe with a different educational environment, allowing him to develop in the UK and to continue writing a different life story. It must be said that she was somewhat fearful of the situation in her home country, worried that another movement might ensnare her son, and if that happened, she would truly lack the courage to continue living.

There is such a son, and Zhao Lirong feels very gratified. She feels that she has lived up to the late Feng Kangsheng and to her beloved husband

Having already forgiven her father in her heart, Zhao Lirong received a call from her mother and decided to take her son back to their homeland for a visit. After all, half of the child's lineage is from the Zhao family, and it is only right to meet his grandparents. Thus, Feng Sizhe returned to his homeland with his mother, leaving behind the life he had grown accustomed to in the United Kingdom.

After returning to the country, Feng Sizhe naturally lived with his mother in Zhao Mingyuan's old siheyuan. As soon as Zhao Lirong returned to the siheyuan, Zhao Mingyuan, as the father, personally spoke with her, and the content was singular: Feng Sizhe must stay to promote and enhance the future of the Zhao family.

In the blink of an eye, over twenty years have passed, and Zhao Lirong's unborn child, Feng Sizhe, has grown into a 22-year-old young man. After the Cultural Revolution, at the beginning of the reform and opening-up period, Zhao Lirong left her homeland with her only eleven-year-old son, Feng Zhe, for economically developed Britain. There, with Zhao Lirong's intelligence and knowledge, she managed to secure a teaching position at one of the world's top ten universities, the University of Cambridge. Feng Zhe also began his studies in that environment, embarking on a brand new life.

Feng Sizhe, this precious son, has indeed not disappointed her. At just 22 years old, he has obtained dual master's degrees in Financial Economics and Business Management from the University of Cambridge. This achievement is attributed not only to Feng Sizhe's innate talent but also to the special care and nightly tutoring provided by Zhao Lirong, who has already been promoted to associate professor in the Department of Finance at Cambridge.