"It's fake! It's all fake!" Zheng Jianlin recovered from his shock and pointed at Jing Yang, roaring, "You took out some fake thing to harm me, you're simply deranged!"
"Whether or not it's fake, we'll give it to the police to judge well. I've already reported it to the police, if you have anything to say, you can go explain to the police ba." Before Jing Yang had showed the recording, he had already let someone report to the police, and now the police had already arrived.
Jing Yang gave the VCR to the police, the police brought Zheng Jianlin and the VCR away together. Now technology is so developed, the police naturally had their own ways to determine whether the recording was real or fake. They only need to wait for the result to come out.
Zheng Junming's expression became very complicated, when he looked at Jing Yang he still carried resentment. He quickly followed the Zheng Jianlin who was being taken away, and left together with the police car.
The farce had finished, the reporters also left one after another. They were rushing to return to report all of the content that they had gotten today, no matter what the result of the police evaluation would be, it would still not delay their reporting of this matter. As for the police evaluation outcome, that would be the follow-up.
Jing Yang apologized to the guests and invited them to return to their own seats. They continued the birthday feast, and the kitchen started to serve the food.
Zheng Jianlin chose to cause trouble today, even though it wasn't under Jing Yang's control, but he had already anticipated it. He still felt very apologetic to Zhang lao in his heart, so afterwards he went over to apologize to Zhang lao again.
Instead Zhang lao consoled Jing Yang. "This was not your fault, it was themselves who thought it would be more convenient to provoke trouble at the occasion of my birthday feast, so they would choose to come today. Zheng Jianlin is full of rapacious designs, he actually dared to cause the death of your grandfather, I will definitely be involved in this matter, I will not let him easily escape."
"In the end it was because of my family's matters that ruined your birthday feast, in my heart I am really apologetic. After these matters are all completely resolved, I will go live in your home for a while and only make food for you for a month. That could be considered as my apology."
"I saw that everyone was eating quite happily, and when they left they were all fully satisfied. As far as the eye can see, there actually wasn't a single table with leftovers, all of these people really could eat. But you coming to make me food for a month, I will still accept."
The police's efficiency was quite fast, not long afterwards they announced the evaluation results. All of the content in the video was real, and Zheng Jianlin was prosecuted and imprisoned for murder.
Jing Yang again convened a press conference and expressed that he also didn't want to personally send his father to prison, so in the past he didn't publish the video. He had always given Zheng Jianlin opportunities, hoping that he could actively come out to speak the truth, but not only did he completely lack remorse, but also pressured him step by step, forcing him without a choice, so he could only choose to publish everything.
In his heart he felt very guilty for his grandfather and mother because of his own incompetence and cowardly behavior, letting Zheng Jianlin slander them for so many years. All the way until today, he finally would publish the facts and truth.
Jing Yang made public the final video that Lu Xuexian left behind, and magnified the glass behind Lu Xuexian to let the reporters see. Even though the glass only reflected half of a body, but the clothes could be seen very clearly. He found a picture of Zheng Junming wearing the same clothing to compare, and very obviously this was the same person. Being able to wear these clothes and show up in the Lu family, that could only be Zheng Junming.
Jing Yang said, this was also the reason why in the past he always gone against Zheng Junming everywhere. It was only because of Zheng Jianlin's betrayal and Zheng Junming's mother's appearance that she had suffered from depression.
At that time Zheng Junming had been in that lounge, and personally heard his mother recording a farewell video for him. He had personally seen his mother jump down. Even if he didn't want to personally stop her, if he had randomly found a servant to come over, his mother would not have died.
Ever since he was 5 years old, Zheng Junming had been growing up in the Lu family, everything had been provided by the Lu family, but in his heart he did not have the least bit of gratitude. Instead his heart only had resentment toward the Lu family and his mother.
For the illegitimate child that her husband had had with another woman, his mother chose the approach of ignoring him, which was already the greatest kindness to Zheng Junming. Could it be that for an illegitimate child that had suddenly appeared, she needed to care for him just like for her own flesh and blood, and only then would she be considered a good and kind person? Then the Zheng Junming who had personally seen his mother commit suicide, yet didn't make a sound to prevent it, could he be considered to be a good person?
The sounds of those who had supported Zheng Jianlin and Zheng Junming disappeared in one night. Zheng Jianlin, Zheng Junming, and Sun Qiurong, were universally condemned, becoming the object of the entire country's attacks.
Zheng De Ji restaurants were all completely empty, no one went in to eat, and netizens even threatened to smash the restaurant. Not too long after, the Zheng De Ji restaurants that were located in every district's prime locations were all closed.
Zheng Jianlin was sentenced guilty, Zheng Junming and Sun Qiurong the mother and son both hid and didn't dare to see anyone. Now as long as they went into the street they would be recognized and would be pointed at and accused. Even stores weren't willing to sell them things.
Zheng Junming could only bring his mother to hide into some small remote place. After hiding for 2 to 3 years, Sun Qiurong was found to have a terminal illness, so they finally returned to the capital and found a hospital for treatment.
After three years, Zheng Junming went to visit Zheng Jianlin in prison for the first time. Zheng Jianlin seemed like he had changed into a different person, even though he looked neat and tidy, but his aged and dispirited appearance seemed like he had aged 20-30 years. Zheng Junming almost couldn't recognize him at first glance.
"Junming, Junming!" Zheng Jianlin looked at Zheng Junming across the glass, and the originally muddy and spiritless eyes showed a little light. "You finally came to see me, these several years where did you and your mother go? Why didn't you come to see me?"
"In the previous two years we couldn't stay here anymore, so we went somewhere else to live, we only came back recently. Dad, are you okay in there?" Zheng Junming also no longer had that bright and neat appearance from three years ago, when he returned he was still afraid of being recognized by people, so he wore a hat and mask, only taking them off when he came in. His complexion was also not good, like he was enveloped by a layer of shadow.
"Not good! I haven't been doing well, wu wu…" Zheng Jianlin suddenly started crying, tears and mucus dripping down. "The life in here really isn't for humans, you quickly send some money in here for me, or else I won't be able to survive…"
"Where would I have money, dad." Zheng Junming's face was bitter. "My mom is sick now, it's a terminal illness, she's in the hospital for treatment, the money is already almost all spent, very quickly even surviving will become a problem."
"Since it's a terminal illness, then what are you treating it for? In any case she's already going to die, it's better for you to give me the money and let me live a few days more comfortably ah!" Zheng Jianlin dried his tears.
"Dad!" Zheng Junming widened his eyes in disbelief. "How could you say these kinds of words, that's my mother, that's your wife ah! If we don't give her treatment, could it be that you want to let me watch her wait for death?"
Zheng Jianlin's mood also became agitated. "She's your mother, I am your father, you're unwilling to watch her wait for death, could it be that you're willing to watch me suffer?"
"That would also need me to be able to take out the money ah!" Zheng Junming felt extremely wronged.
"If there's no money you can go earn money ah, I've taught you cooking for so many years, don't say that it was all in vain?"
"You think I don't want to? But you did all of those matters, other people all put it on my own head, no one is willing to hire me to cook, even the small shops on the street don't want me."
"I did those matters?" Zheng Jianlin glared at him. "Didn't I do all of those things for you? If I didn't go scheme for the Lu family assets, would you and your mother be able to live well? Right now you're falling out and hostile to me, when you were young how did I treat you? Seems like you're even more cruel and unscrupulous than Lu Jingyu, if I had known earlier that it would have been like this, I originally should have nurtured him well, at least I wouldn't have fallen to this end."
Zheng Junming's eyes reddened from anger. "You think that only you regret ma? If it weren't for you, I also wouldn't have had to carry the infamy of being an illegitimate son. If I had been born in a normal household, at least I would be living better than now."
"Now you're complaining about your mother and I giving birth to you? You, you this…" Zheng Jianlin pointed at him with a trembling finger, angered to the point of not being able to speak.
"Zheng Jianlin, your time is up." The prison guard came over to bring away Zheng Jianlin. When he was leaving, he still ruthlessly glared at Zheng Junming.
Zheng Junming covered his face and waited until his mood calmed a little, and then stood up to leave.
Sun Qiurong had been tormented by the serious illness to lose her body shape, she had lost weight to the extent of basically only leaving behind a skeleton. She sat up on the bed and saw Zheng Junming open the door to come in, asking, "You returned, how is your dad?"
Zheng Junming said with no expression, "He's doing much better than us, at least he doesn't need to worry about starving to death."
Sun Qiurong said weakly, "Then, then does he have any way to help us get some money?"
"He even wants to let me give him money ne, where would he have a way to get us money." Zheng Junming only had a bit of savings left, there wasn't even enough for hospital ward expenses, so she could only live at home and eat medicine, if they could drag on for a day then they would drag for a day.
"Didn't you say that he's living pretty well in there?" Sun Qiurong asked.
Zheng Junming didn't say anything, he lay down on his own single bed to look at his cell phone. The rent in the capital was really expensive, they couldn't even afford to live in a slightly bigger house, so they could only rent a tiny room. Even the bathroom was on the outside, it was shared by several households. The Zheng Junming who had grown up in the Lu family had never experienced these kinds of hardships before, and now that he thought about it, his life in the Lu family, was really like living in paradise.
Zheng Junming went online on his phone to see if there was any suitable work, at least he couldn't really wait for all the money to be completely spent and then starve to death. Besides knowing how to cook, he had no other skills, so he could only find some work related to cooking, and pray that when he went to go interview that he wouldn't be recognized.
He searched for jobs related to restaurants and chefs and inevitably saw news about Lu Jingyu. Now Lu Jingyu this name was basically renowned in the entire country, he had already taken the overall champion of the China Cup Culinary Competition twice. Lu De Ji was also still the gourmet world's outstanding trademark, there were already over ten branches, and still many people complained about not being able to reserve a seat.
Seeing the news that Lu Jingyu had been pursued by fans, Zheng Junming held his phone tightly. In his heart he had hate, he hated everyone, he hated his father and mother, and hated Lu Jingyu even more. For what reason was Lu Jingyu the Lu family heir once he was born, yet once he was born he was just the shameful bastard, why was fate so unfair to him…
Translator Notes:
[1] recovered from his shock – 回过神来, literally means he returned his spirit
[2] deranged – 丧心病狂, idiom, also means demented, berserk
[3] rapacious designs – 狼子野心, idiom, literally meaning ambition of wild wolves
[4] universally condemned – 千夫所指, literally means to be pointed at by thousands of people
[5] completely empty – 空空如也, idiom, means as empty as anything
[6] falling out and hostile – 翻脸不认人, means falling out with and then not willing to recognize somebody
[7] cruel and unscrupulous – 狼心狗肺, idiom, literally means heart of wolf and lungs of dog
[8] weakly – 有气无力, idiom, weakly and without strength, dispirited
Random Notes:
I have been spurred on my enthusiasm for the end of this arc so I translated this right after the previous chapter: 1.5 hours, 2 pm – 3:30 pm, 3.1k characters to 2.4k words. We're so close to the end that I can almost taste it. The next one is the last chapter, so we'll be seeing more of the MC and ML, finally.