Chapter 60: Who Did The Child Go To?
Lu Qiaoge really wanted to say this was child neglect, but then she thought that some regulations were not yet complete now, and the child neglect law was only formally promulgated four years later.
Now, husbands beating wives, parents beating children, even abusing the elderly, the only consequence was moral condemnation.
“And then?” Lu Qiaoge really wanted to know what the Neighborhood Committee people did next.
Director Hu’s personality seemed slick, but that man couldn’t tolerate sand in his eyes.
Director Hu got angry right then.
After untying the rope on Liu Yu and removing the thing stuffed in his mouth, Liu Yu knelt in front of Director Hu, hugged his thigh, and cried shouting that he dreamed of it, it was Li Ying who pushed his mother into the mud pond to drown her, his mother tried to climb up, but then Li Ying pressed her down not letting her come up.
Speaking to here, Shao Le hugged his arms and rubbed them, not only did his back feel a cold wind, but goosebumps suddenly appeared.
Lu Qiaoge glanced at Shao Le, signaling him to continue.
“Liu Yu was only three years old at the time, he said he saw it in a dream, how could Li Ying admit it, she went crazy and pounced to hit Liu Yu, because we didn’t hit him, she sat on the ground wailing that from when Liu Yu was three she raised him with her own shit and urine, she didn’t expect Liu Yu to be grateful or support her in old age, but he couldn’t dig at her heart and tear at her lungs like this, truly an ungrateful brat she raised.”
Lu Qiaoge frowned tightly, would a three-year-old child have such a memory?
But if this scene was real, then this picture might have always stayed in Liu Yu’s mind or deep in his memory, suddenly triggered one day.
But this couldn’t serve as evidence.
“So what now? Director Hu hasn’t come, I still want to report work to him.”
“Director Hu took Liu Yu to the factory nursery, Director Hu didn’t come yesterday afternoon either but I heard even the police station was alarmed.”
Military factories of this era were a complete system, it could be said that once you lived there you didn’t need to go out to meet all life’s demands.
The nursery was also built early, there were quite a few orphans there.
Shao Le thought of something, then lowered his voice and said, “Master Liu also has a daughter, it’s said they couldn’t afford her then so they gave her away, she was only five when given away.”
“Did they say where she was sent?”
“Master Liu said this matter was handled by Li Ying at the time, she found a good family, the other side were military people, that couple had no child, they promised to definitely take good care of Liu Xia.”
“So Master Liu also doesn’t know where his daughter is?” Lu Qiaoge asked somewhat puzzled.
Shao Le nodded: “Not only Master Liu doesn’t know, Li Ying also said that person only left a name then left, because their military unit was confidential.”
Just then, Sister Qiao coming from the corridor shouted: “Lu Qiaoge, Shao Le, you two go to the archive room. Just now Director Hu called asking you two to check information on Liu Yu’s mother Chai Xiaoyan.”
Lu Qiaoge and Shao Le walked out of the Neighborhood Committee, but Lu Qiaoge headed toward the canteen.
Shao Le was puzzled, Lu Qiaoge said to him: “Going to the archive room isn’t urgent, let’s first go to the canteen to find Li Ying.”
Shao Le didn’t ask what Lu Qiaoge wanted with Li Ying, he looked at Lu Qiaoge very expectantly, always feeling like she could ask out something.
Li Ying worked at the canteen, but she wasn’t at the stove, she was a warehouse keeper at No. 1 warehouse.
This was a very cushy job, it’s said after her husband died that year, after she took over his job she was directly transferred here.
But warehouse keeper wasn’t just her, just No. 1 warehouse alone had six or seven keepers.
Lu Qiaoge carried a shoulder bag, inside the bag was her ever-present diary and fountain pen, and also her work permit.
After showing the work permit, they smoothly found Li Ying.
Li Ying’s complexion wasn’t good, knowing they were from the Neighborhood Committee, her face immediately became worse: “What do you two want with me? You two young comrades are too unprofessional, whatever that little brat says you believe?”
Lu Qiaoge immediately waved her hand and said: “Comrade Li, you’ve misunderstood, everything needs evidence, it’s not just talk.”
While Lu Qiaoge spoke she carefully observed Li Ying’s expression.
This person was quite steady.
Or did she really have a clear conscience?
Li Ying then vented her grievances to these two: “Look at me, I worked so hard to raise him, and I raised an ungrateful brat who bit me, I feel truly stifled inside.”
Lu Qiaoge and Shao Le didn’t stop her complaining, after Li Ying had spoken for a long time, Lu Qiaoge then mildly said: “Comrade Li, both of us can understand your mood, look at you still going to work now, the work unit has no gossip either, doesn’t this prove everyone isn’t suspecting randomly?”
Li Ying breathed a sigh of relief, then looked these two young people up and down, frowning: “Then what do you two want with me?”
Lu Qiaoge said: “We just want to understand a bit about Liu Xia.”
Li Ying was stunned, after a few breaths, she frowned very impatiently but very fluently: “I already told Director Hu and the police station yesterday, eleven years ago you know, at that time even our military factory was especially short of food, couldn’t eat enough, Master Liu had a serious illness because of his wife’s matter, four children relied on me alone to raise, truly couldn’t even drink northwest wind.
Just then someone came to me wanting to adopt Liu Xia, said the other side were military, but because the couple was transferring away they wanted to adopt a child locally, that way the child growing up wouldn’t only not know their background but also wouldn’t miss their biological parents. I discussed with Master Liu, he also agreed.”
Lu Qiaoge gazed steadily at Li Ying.
Why did Li Ying give her the feeling this was a prepared speech?
“Then do you remember if the other side mentioned which military unit or where they were going?”
Li Ying’s face darkened: “You little girl ask such strange questions, how could we ask so clearly, since the child was already adopted, don’t miss things later, besides even if you ask, they wouldn’t tell the truth.”
Lu Qiaoge didn’t argue with her, just nodded: “You’re right, indeed that’s the reason. Then can you now recall what the other side looked like? What accent? Who was the go-between?”
Evidently, this matter had already been asked by not only Director Hu and Cadre Liu, but the police station too.
Li Ying’s glance flickered, seeming even more impatient: “Anyway I have a clear conscience, over ten years, how could I remember so much? Go ask Old Liu, the child was taken from his hands at the time, after all I had just married Old Liu, I couldn’t be the head of his family.”
So Chai Xiaoyan died, her good neighbor married her husband, then her good husband gave Liu Xia away?
As for why not give away Liu Yu, perhaps because Liu Yu was a boy?
This matter might really be that simple.
But if not simple, then it must be very complicated!
