Chapter 155: “my Child”
Gu Chenghuai smiled and left the main house.
He returned to the room where the third branch lived.
Lin Zhao was smearing something on her face. Hearing footsteps, she turned to look.
“What did parents say?”
Gu Chenghuai sat on the stool next to his wife. His deep black eyes fell on her, with a smile in them. His low voice was unhurried, “They agreed. Don’t worry about fourth brother.”
Lin Zhao knew her parents-in-law were both thoughtful and careful people, so she felt very reassured about them.
Her brows relaxed, her dark and clear eyes overflowed with laughter, and she completely set her mind at ease.
“Parents must have been surprised, right?”
Gu Chenghuai thought of his parents’ calm demeanor and smiled, shaking his head.
“Not really surprised. Parents were very… calm, and neither felt that fourth brother was trouble. You know, Mr. Qiao had a favor owed to dad. Dad already took extra care of the people at the foot of the mountain. Now there’s one more who needs special attention, which isn’t a big deal for him.”
Lin Zhao noted her parents-in-law’s kindness, “As long as parents don’t think it’s trouble.”
“Where are Yu Bao and Heng Bao?” Gu Chenghuai didn’t see the twins on the bed and asked casually.
“They wanted little Jin on the bed. I didn’t allow it. They pulled hands, hugged the small pillow, and went to find Qingzhou.” Thinking of the two little brothers arguing their case, ultimately failing, and their downcast little faces, Lin Zhao couldn’t help laughing.
Gu Chenghuai didn’t mind, “Let them be.”
It was better if the two stinky boys didn’t cling to Zhaozhao.
Taking care of four children was very hard. With Qingzhou helping, his wife could save half her effort.
Next door room.
The twins blew a lot of rainbow farts, coaxing their little uncle so his mouth corners wouldn’t come down, successfully winning sleeping-on-the-bed rights for little Jin.
The little golden monkey nestled on Yu Bao’s head, tail draped over Heng Bao’s head. The three little ones slept very obediently.
Gu Qingzhou saw the two people and one monkey occupying his bed, helplessly shook his head, and lay down on the side.
He wanted to ask Yu Bao and Heng Bao about the provincial capital, but seeing them yawning nonstop, he didn’t speak again. He blew out the kerosene lamp on the nearby table and closed his eyes to prepare for sleep.
At the same time.
Capital, some staff dormitory.
Yuan Qin got home from overtime, hadn’t even sat down to rest, when Old Mrs. Yuan urged her to cook, “Qin, hurry and make dinner. My body isn’t comfortable. I lay down this afternoon, haven’t cooked yet. You’ll have to work hard.”
She rarely spoke nicely.
Yuan Qin hadn’t seen her two sons for three days and nights, worried in her heart. She originally planned to grab a bite and go out to find the children.
Hearing her old mother’s words, she immediately put Meng Jingmo and Meng Guangbai out of her mind.
“Mom uncomfortable? Nothing serious?” she asked worriedly, “If it’s really bad, I’ll take you to the hospital to check.”
Old Mrs. Yuan’s gaze flickered.
She guessed Yuan Qin had quite a bit of money.
She figured even if Meng Jiusi didn’t leave money for Yuan Qin, he wouldn’t not leave money for the two puppies.
Old Mrs. Yuan sighed, “No money at home. Won’t see doctor, just wait to die at home.”
“Mom, don’t say such angry words.” Yuan Qin was a filial daughter and hurriedly interrupted Old Mrs. Yuan, “I have money. Tomorrow I’ll take you to the hospital.”
Old Mrs. Yuan was satisfied inwardly, her harsh old face showing a moved expression.
She deliberately refused.
“The money your son-in-law left you for security, keep it for yourself. How could I spend it? This is my old ailment, from when I gave birth to you. I’m used to it, no problem, can take it to the coffin.”
Yuan Dimèi pursed her lips on the side.
Such words could only fool the pure silly elder sister-in-law, not even Jin Bao.
Everyone knew mother-in-law’s body was stronger than an ox!
Yuan Qin really believed it, full of shame.
“Mom, it’s all my fault. I’ll take you to the hospital. Maybe it can be cured. Can’t keep being sick like this.”
She looked nervously at her biological mother, as if afraid of refusal.
Old Mrs. Yuan stared fixedly at Yuan Qin for a good while, as if moved by her filial piety, and said contentedly: “Alright then, go see. Didn’t expect I’d enjoy my daughter’s filial piety too. Mom knew you were the most filial, more filial than your younger brother.”
Yuan Qin froze hard, heart trembling violently.
This was the first time.
She heard from Old Mrs. Yuan’s mouth that she was better than her younger brother.
“You’re my biological mother, of course I’ll be filial to you.” Yuan Qin’s face flushed with excitement, “Mom, wait a bit, I’ll go make dinner now.”
When leaving, she saw her younger brother’s wife’s figure.
Her face hardened, for the first time showing elder sister-in-law authority, dissatisfied: “Younger brother’s wife, why don’t you cook when you got back? What if mom starves!”
“In the future, if you get back first, don’t forget to cook. Mom is old, can’t go hungry.”
After speaking, she grabbed the apron and went out.
Yuan Dimèi: ?? I…
Yuan Dimèi laughed in anger, mumbling curses, calling her a fool, rolled her eyes, twisted her waist and went back to the room.
This elder sister-in-law was hopeless!
So stupid it was laughable.
Old Mrs. Yuan was very dissatisfied with Yuan Qin’s unnecessary meddling.
In her view, daughter-in-law who could bear grandsons was far more useful than this married-out outsider.
Son and daughter-in-law would provide her elder care later. What was Yuan Qin? Once this house was in her hands, get the money from Yuan Qin, marry her off again, and earn another betrothal gifts.
Clicking away on her abacus, Old Mrs. Yuan was in a great mood.
The door was suddenly pushed open.
Yuan Qin appeared at the door, hesitantly: “Mom, after I finish cooking, can I go find Jingmo and Guangbai? They’re so young, I’m afraid something happens to them.”
Old Mrs. Yuan sneered inwardly.
She recalled words from plays she’d seen… taking advantage of favor to be arrogant?
Wasn’t Yuan Qin just being arrogant on favor.
Just gave her a good face, and she dared make demands!
“…Go find if you want. For those two puppies to enter this door, they gotta kneel and apologize to Jin Bao.” Old Mrs. Yuan deliberately made it difficult.
She wished the Meng family’s two puppies dead outside.
If they died, this house would naturally become the Yuan family’s!
Yuan Qin didn’t think Old Mrs. Yuan was making things difficult. In her eyes, her mom was tough-mouthed but soft-hearted.
She smiled, “Okay! I’ll teach the two children well.”
After speaking, she happily went to cook.
The communal kitchen light was on, someone still cooking. It was the Meng family’s neighbor.
This family had received Meng Jiusi’s kindness. After Meng Jiusi had his incident, their attitude toward Meng Jingmo and Meng Guangbai didn’t change. Though they didn’t dare care openly, they secretly gave them pastries.
Seeing Yuan Qin now, taking advantage of no one around, the woman asked: “Why haven’t seen Jingmo and Guangbai?”
Yuan Qin was stunned, didn’t expect the neighbor still willing to talk to her.
Since her husband’s incident, previously close neighbors had distanced themselves.
She was flattered.
“Those two boys threw a tantrum, ran to the old factory building. I’ll go find them after cooking.”
“……?”
The female neighbor looked at Yuan Qin like a freak.
Her sons missing so long, and she still had mind to cook?!
For Doctor Meng’s sake, the female neighbor advised again: “Once a woman marries, her own small family is what she should protect. For maternal family… if you have spare energy, care a bit; if not, first live your own life well, right?”
Yuan Qin smiled, nodding in agreement.
“You’re right.”
Just as the female neighbor thought she got it, Yuan Qin continued on her own: “Women have it hard, orphaned mother and children even harder. My maternal family moved here to help me and Jingmo and Guangbai.”
“My mom and them just moved not long ago. The two children aren’t used to it yet. In a bit more time, they’ll accept it.”
Imagining future days no different from when husband was alive, she smiled.
“?”
A string of question marks rose over the female neighbor’s head, expression speechless and indescribable.
She gave Yuan Qin a complicated look, picked up the food, and left without many words.
So hard to advise this suicidal ghost, she tried her best!
Yuan Qin watched the neighbor leave, pursed her lips.
Husband turned bad element, she a woman with two sons living here, wasn’t she just bullied? Maternal family moved over, if those people came again, their mother and sons at least had backing.
She was right!
After cooking, Yuan Qin didn’t have time to eat, hurriedly went to find her two sons.
Not at the old factory building.
She thought the children went to buy food, so waited at the last place she found Meng Jingmo and Meng Guangbai.
She waited and waited.
Until the moon quietly climbed up, still no sight of her sons.
Yuan Qin’s engagement watch was “borrowed,” now on her younger brother’s wife’s wrist.
Didn’t know what time it was.
She felt panic in her heart.
Left the spot, searched everywhere.
“Jingmo!”
“Guangbai!”
Yuan Qin called while searching.
Ran through the old houses, not even a wild cat in sight.
She completely panicked, face drained white.
Panicked back home.
“Mom, have Jingmo and Guangbai come back?” Yuan Qin asked upon entering.
Yuan family members stunned.
What did that mean?
Were those two puppies dead?
Yuan Qin ran sweating profusely, didn’t wait for Old Mrs. Yuan and others to speak, pushed open the two room doors, searched one by one, didn’t find her two sons.
She stood dazed in place, like lost soul, legs gave out, sat butt on the ground, tears streaming.
“Mom, Jingmo and Guangbai are gone!” Yuan Qin cried desperately, “I couldn’t find them. What if… what if human traffickers took them?”
Voice very loud.
Apartment building not soundproof, Yuan Qin’s voice carried to left and right neighbors.
People who received Meng Jiusi’s help rushed out, banged on the door.
“Comrade Yuan, nothing happened?” someone asked for them.
Actually no one wanted to deal with Yuan family, extreme family: elderly not kind, that Jin Bao domineering, really not likable.
Thinking of benevolent Doctor Meng, everyone couldn’t bear it, endured impatience to knock.
Yuan Qin jumped up, ran to open the door.
Red eyes looking at several neighbors.
Tone urgent.
“Have you seen Jingmo and Guangbai?”
The speaking person thought, realized indeed long time no see Meng family’s two children, his face slightly changed, “Did Jingmo and Guangbai come back last night?”
Yuan family members hid, none showed head.
Only Yuan Qin faced the neighbors’ questioning.
She felt guilty and ashamed, eyes tearing, “…No.”
“Jingmo and Guangbai didn’t want to go home with me. I left the door open for them several nights, never saw them. They must have slept in the old factory building.”
Several neighbors dumbfounded.
This biological mother?
Fuck.
Idiot!
Yuan Qin’s words continued.
“I think Jingmo and Guangbai need time to think well. Didn’t dare go these two days, they don’t want to see me.” Full of grievance, feeling sons didn’t understand her, her face also showed some.
“…” Neighbors speechless to death.
What she said.
Gonna give you a “understanding” little red flower?!
Brain really kicked by production team’s donkey!
“Tonight I’ll go find them. Searched everywhere, couldn’t find them. My Jingmo, my Guangbai.” Yuan Qin only knew to cry, no clue at all.
“You not afraid they’ll starve.” Female neighbor who couldn’t stand it was furious.
Yuan Qin paused crying, didn’t forget to explain: “They have money.”
After speaking, wailed again.
Neighbors hearing those wails, heads about to explode.
Cry cry cry.
Old Mrs. Yuan not dead yet!
Everyone didn’t want to deal with Yuan Qin. The first speaking man spoke: “Jingmo and Guangbai are children we watched grow up. We can’t ignore if something happens to them. Those willing… come with me to search everywhere.”
Everyone present received great kindness from Doctor Meng, all remembered him, almost all mobilized.
—To find Meng brothers.
Some went to find Meng family.
Some to hospital where Meng Jiusi used to work.
Some to Yuan Qin’s factory.
Some to state-run restaurant, movie theater entrance, state-run store entrance…
Searched all possible places.
Until late into the night.
No one saw those two familiar figures.
The group met at the staff dormitory main entrance, all shook heads.
“Not at hospital.”
“No at factory.”
“Meng family said long time no see Jingmo and Guangbai, also said… Jingmo and Guangbai have no relation to them, don’t go disturb in future.”
Hearing this, people sighed.
What happened to the world!
Perfectly fine relatives, suddenly turned enemies.
Self-preservation not wrong, but no need to be so heartless.
Last person ran up, sweating all over. He wiped forehead, flung sweat from hand, panting roughly.
“No at state-run restaurant. Not at movie theater entrance, no one at state-run store either.”
“My children…!” Yuan Qin cried heartbroken, vision blackening, thudded to ground.
“…”
Two women who helped search lifted her, sent back to Meng house.
Men ignored.
No one likes brother-obsessed demon!
Doctor Meng so good, wasted on such wife!!
Searched all places to search, nowhere left to look.
People present looked at each other.
Atmosphere slightly tense.
“Jingmo and Guangbai won’t have gone… to find Doctor Meng?” someone boldly guessed.
“Hiss!” Person next to him inhaled sharply, “No way!”
A young man remembered something, “I recall, my grandma seemed to say she saw Jingmo and Guangbai leaving with a tattered cloth bag and a man a few days ago.”
“What?” The man who proposed helping shouted.
In a few short seconds, various guesses in his mind.
All bad.
“Go find your grandma!”
Young man: “My grandma’s asleep.”
“Sleep what sleep, handle important matter first.”
“Oh oh.”
The group arrived at young man’s home.
His words confirmed—
Jingmo and Guangbai indeed left with a man.
And.
They went willingly.
Even politely said goodbye to the elderly person.
“You think who that man was? Maybe someone Doctor Meng treated? He knew Jingmo and Guangbai had hard lives, took them away?”
Everyone present hoped so.
“Sigh, hope so. Disperse, back home. Gotta work tomorrow morning.”
“Go back, worked all day, exhausted!”
Crowd dispersed.
Once home, by families, another round of guesses, wished Meng brothers good luck, then cursed Yuan family, cursed Yuan Qin muddleheaded, stay far from unclear-headed people.
