Beautiful mother and pretty daughter (56-62)

56.
The river of time flows ceaselessly in my endless longing for that mother and daughter.
That May, I accompanied Wen Hong to Dazhou, Sichuan. Before that, Ji Yalei's classmate at the Sichuan Provincial Public Security Bureau had found the whereabouts of Zang Xiaolan, the human trafficker who abducted Wen Hong's daughter years ago. She was currently serving her sentence in a prison in Dazhou.
So Wen Hong and I decided to go to the Dazhou prison ourselves to ask Zang Xiaolan for clues about our daughter.
On the day of departure, Wen Hong and I agreed to meet in the airport waiting hall. I arrived first, and after a while, Wen Hong arrived as well. She was wearing a smart and fashionable business suit, her dark chestnut medium-length hair with a side fringe hanging down her forehead and the ends tied back. She wore light makeup and looked like a high-level executive or even a female CEO of a large company, exuding a mature and sophisticated aura.
"Sister, didn't you get enough rest?" I asked with concern, noticing that her face was a little pale and her eyes were rather tired, probably due to staying up late.
For someone in her line of work, socializing until late at night or even the early hours is common. This is usually her sleeping time, but today, because of catching her flight, she probably only slept for two or three hours before rushing to the airport.
Wen Hong smiled slightly, "It's okay, I'll sleep on the plane."
Then we checked in, checked our luggage, went through security, and waited to board. Around noon, we were seated in the cabin.
"Sister, are you alright?" I asked, putting my arm around Wen Hong's shoulder, sensing her nervousness and unease.
I understood that the greater the hope, the greater the potential disappointment. After all, more than twenty years had passed. Even if Zang Xiaolan could remember the events of that year, if she had, and if she had sold the person to another trafficker, the trail would be difficult to follow .
Wen Hong forced a smile, "I'm fine!"
Afraid I would worry, she smiled and said, "It's alright. I didn't have high hopes anyway. Let's just treat it as a trip. My hometown is poor, but the scenery is beautiful. I'll show you around."
"Okay," I nodded with a smile.
After takeoff, Wenhong, exhausted, fell asleep in her seat. The cabin air conditioning was on full blast, and worried she might catch a cold, I asked a flight attendant for a light blanket.
As I covered Wenhong with the blanket, the flight attendant asked, "Sir, is your wife feeling a little airsick?"
She probably noticed Wenhong's pale complexion and asked this. Wenhong
was very beautiful and looked young; although she was forty-three, she looked only in her thirties, so the flight attendant mistook her for a couple. After
covering her with the blanket, I turned to the flight attendant and smiled, "No, she's just tired. Let her sleep for a while, thank you!"
"You're welcome. Please let us know if you need anything."
"Okay, thank you!"
After the flight attendant left, I looked at Wenhong's delicate and beautiful face and her bright red, sensual lips beside me, and couldn't help but pray in my heart that this trip to Dazhou would be fulfilling for Wenhong, or at least not too disappointing.
After more than two hours of flight, the plane arrived at Chongqing Jiangbei Airport. Wen Hong slept soundly on the plane, feeling much better, her complexion even becoming rosy.
We waited outside the terminal for a while, and then the car rental staff picked us up and took us to a rental shop near the airport. For convenience, I had booked a car online beforehand. After
completing the formalities at the rental shop, I drove Wen Hong towards Dazhou. Heading north, we arrived in Dazhou, a major city in northern Sichuan, around 6 PM.
We checked into the hotel Wen Hong had booked, rested briefly, and then went out for dinner. After dinner, we strolled along the streets under the night sky.
This was Wen Hong's first return to her hometown since leaving at the age of eighteen; her ancestral home was in a rural area a few dozen kilometers from downtown Dazhou.
Returning to her hometown after more than twenty years evoked complex emotions in Wen Hong. More than twenty years ago, she left her homeland in the grief of losing her child, never contacting her family again. Now, she had returned to search for clues about her daughter; how could she not be overwhelmed with mixed feelings?
She told me that the only city she had ever visited before she was eighteen was Dazhou, and now she couldn't recall any of those memories. Looking at the city lights twinkling in the night, I felt a deep empathy for the profound changes she had experienced over the past twenty years.
That night in the hotel room, we made love and then fell asleep in each other's arms. In the middle of the night, I was awakened by Wen Hong's nightmare. She cried out, "Don't take my child away!"
and sat up, covered in cold sweat. I sat up and hugged her, softly asking, "Sister, did you have another nightmare?"
She buried her face in my arms and sobbed. I held her and lay down, comforting her gently. She lifted her tear-streaked face from my arms and cried, "Junhao, do you think I can find my child?"
"Yes, you definitely can," I said, wiping away her tears.
Then we made love again, a passionate and intimate lovemaking. I stayed in one position with her until she climaxed, then I ejaculated into the condom.
Sex calmed her down, and she fell asleep in my arms.
The next morning, we drove to a prison on the outskirts of Dazhou. Beforehand, Ji Yalei's classmate had arranged everything for us, and we met Zang Xiaolan smoothly. But this meeting was a huge disappointment.
Although only around sixty years old, Zang Xiaolan's hair was almost completely white, and her eyes seemed rather dull. She didn't recognize Wen Hong at all, and didn't even remember her. This was understandable; when she took Wen Hong's child, Wen Hong was a seventeen-year-old rural girl, and now she was a middle-aged woman—the change was too great, and we had only met briefly.
No matter how much Wen Hong pleaded and prompted, Zang Xiaolan couldn't recall, or rather, refused to acknowledge, what happened twenty-six years ago. Wen Hong anxiously asked me if there might be a mistake, if this old woman wasn't the Zang Xiaolan from back then. I said absolutely not; judging from her household registration, age, and experiences, there couldn't possibly be another Zang Xiaolan so similar. Disappointed
, Wen Hong and I left the prison. The female prison guard accompanying us encouraged us not to lose heart or give up, and to come back in time; perhaps Zang Xiaolan would remember something. She often worked with Zang Xiaolan, helping us inquire about the child's whereabouts, and would notify us immediately if any clues were found.
Wen Hong and I thanked her repeatedly, said goodbye to the guard, and drove away from the prison. All the way, Wen Hong's brows were furrowed, and she remained silent. I could only comfort her, telling her that we would definitely find a clue. She then relaxed her brows, smiled, and said she was alright.
"Sister, where are we going now?" I glanced at her, then stared at the windshield.
After a long while, she said softly, "I want to go home. It's been over twenty years, and I haven't been back."
"Okay, then let's go back and see," I said, my heart filled with sympathy and affection for this woman who had endured so much hardship.
As Wen Hong's hometown drew closer, her mood grew heavier. Years ago, she resented her parents for abandoning her child. At eighteen, barely an adult, she left her hometown and home, and for over twenty years, she not only never returned but also severed all contact with her family.
But I know she often dreams of returning to the land that gave her birth and nurtured her. Her feelings for this place are complex; it holds both the painful memories of her youth and the mountains, rivers, and family she can't bear to part with.
Following a winding mountain road, crossing several mountains, we entered a place like a paradise. In the distance, nestled among green hills and clear waters, houses dotted the landscape—a truly idyllic scene far removed from the world.
"Sister, your hometown is so beautiful!" I exclaimed, captivated by the scenery, but received no response from Wen Hong.
I turned to look and saw that Wen Hong was in tears. I took her hand and asked, "Sister, what's wrong?"
She pressed her head against the passenger window, sobbing uncontrollably. I had to pull over and hold her close, comforting her for a while until she calmed down.
We continued on our way and soon arrived at a small town. After parking, Wen Hong and I walked with our luggage to the riverbank. On the other side of the river was the place where Wen Hong was born and raised; she hadn't set foot on that land for over twenty years.
While waiting for the ferry, I asked again, "Sister, are you alright?"
She turned and smiled at me, "I'm fine."
After crossing the river by ferry, we continued along a cobblestone path. On both sides were dilapidated, low houses, exuding a rustic charm, and it was clear that most of the people here were poor.
Reaching a three-way intersection, Wen Hong suddenly stopped, her gaze fixed on two people approaching from another road. Leading the way was a middle-aged man, about forty years old, with disheveled hair and a stubble beard, looking quite down on his luck, and walking with a limp.
Behind him followed a rural girl of about fourteen or fifteen, pretty with delicate features, but dressed in worn clothes, carrying a basket of pig feed on her back; the two looked like father and daughter.
Wen Hong's gaze remained fixed on the middle-aged man, her eyes brimming with tears, but the man seemed oblivious, continuing to walk past us with his head down. The girl, however, noticed us, looking at Wen Hong curiously, but remained silent.
Only after the two had passed did Wen Hong speak behind them, "Wen San'er..."

The
middle-aged man and the girl stopped, both looking at us. The middle-aged man looked at Wen Hong, clearly confused by this elegant city woman calling him by his childhood nickname.
"Are you San'er?" Wen Hong asked again, speaking in a northeastern Sichuan dialect.
People in northeastern Sichuan often use the "er" suffix in their speech. I guessed this disheveled man was the third child in his family, and hearing Wen Hong call him Wen San'er, I immediately understood—he was probably Wen Hong's younger brother.
I'd heard her mention before that she had an older brother and a younger brother, and that she often helped her parents take care of her younger brother when she was little, so they were very close.
Wen San'er stared at Wen Hong for a while, still not quite understanding. The girl looked at him, then curiously looked at Wen Hong.
"I'm Wen Hong!" Wen Hong's voice trembled slightly, and tears streamed down her face.
"Sister, you're my older sister?" Wen San'er finally recognized Wen Hong and said excitedly, grabbing her hands in his own. "You...you...you're really my older sister?"
"Yes! I'm your older sister," Wen Hong smiled. Wen
San'er suddenly realized something, quickly withdrew his hands, and chuckled. Perhaps he felt it was too abrupt of him to be so intimate with this beautiful, elegant woman, even though she was his own sister.
"Sister, where have you been all these years? We haven't heard a word from you. We thought...we thought..."
"Thought I was dead, right?" Wen Hong smiled slightly.
Wen San'er didn't know what to say, just grinned foolishly at his sister. Wen Hong looked at the girl standing next to Wen San'er, who had been staring at her, and asked, "Is this your daughter?"
"Yes! Yes! She's my family's good-for-nothing..." Wen San'er laughed, then said to the girl, "Xiuxiu, this is your aunt, quickly call her aunt."
"Aunt..." Wen Xiuxiu called out timidly.
Wen Hong smiled and gently patted her cheek. "How old are you?"
"Fifteen," Wen San'er answered for her daughter, then looked at me. "And this is...?"
"He's my assistant, and also my sworn brother. You can call him Junhao! Come back with me."
I quickly greeted Wen San'er. "Hello!"
"Hello, hello, hello..." Wen San'er smiled somewhat awkwardly, then said to Wen Hong, "Sister, shall we go home?"
He took the suitcase from Wen Hong and asked his daughter to help me with my luggage. I quickly declined, but Wen Xiuxiu took it anyway.
The four of us walked deeper into the town. Wen Hong and Wen San'er walked in front, while Wen Xiuxiu and I followed behind.
The siblings talked as they walked. I estimated Wen San'er was only around forty, but he looked much older than Sister Hong, indicating that his life was very difficult. He was lame; I wondered how he became lame.
Wen San'er intentionally kept his distance from his sister. The siblings hadn't seen each other for over twenty years. To this country man from the mountains, Wen Hong was nothing more than a beautiful, wealthy stranger, naturally making him feel inferior and shy, and unable to get close to his sister.
"Xiuxiu, you should be in your third year of junior high, right?" I asked the girl beside me.
I noticed that although Wen Xiuxiu was quite pretty, a melancholy was evident in her eyes despite her young age. Moreover, she was unusually quiet; from the beginning until now, apart from calling Wen Hong "Aunt," she hadn't uttered a single word.
"I'm not going to school anymore," Wen Xiuxiu said softly, her head lowered.
I was slightly startled. Wen Hong, who was ahead, had also heard this and asked Wen San'er, "Why isn't Xiuxiu in school anymore?"
Wen San'er laughed, "She's a money-loser, what's the point of her going to school? It's a waste of money, a waste of money..."
Wen Hong stopped, frowning at her younger brother, "How could you say that?"
Wen San'er chuckled, "Sister, let's go, let's go..."
Wen Hong then continued walking, saying as she went, "When did Xiuxiu drop out of school?" "
Last year, she stopped after finishing the first year of junior high."
"Why?"
"Sigh! No money! We couldn't afford it..."
I glanced at Wen Xiuxiu; the little girl's brows were furrowed, making her look even more melancholy and aggrieved.
A few steps up the stairs, Wen Xiuxiu accidentally dropped my suitcase on the ground. Wen San'er turned around, rushed over, and yelled, "You useless good-for-nothing! How could you drop Uncle's suitcase? What if it's broken?"
He was about to hit my daughter when I quickly stopped him, saying, "It's alright, it's alright, Third Brother, it's okay..."
Wen Hong said sternly, "Wen San'er, what are you doing?"
Wen San'er then stopped scolding his daughter. I picked up the suitcase from the ground, and Wen Xiuxiu tried to take it from me, but I said it was alright, I'd do it.
The four of us continued on our way. As we passed the entrance of an ancestral hall, several little boys playing there shouted "good-for-nothing!" at Wen Xiuxiu, laughing as they did so. Wen San'er snapped, "Go away, go away, go away..."
I saw Wen Xiuxiu lower her head even further, her eyes filled with tears. I felt a pang of sympathy for the little girl.
Leaving the town, we walked along a rough, uneven path between the fields until we arrived at a low, dilapidated bungalow with a small courtyard.
An elderly rural woman, about sixty years old, with gray hair, sat in the courtyard. A bamboo sieve full of beans rested on her lap, and she was intently picking through them.
"Mom, Mom..." Wen San'er called out, "Look who's here!"
Wen Hong stopped, looking at the old woman expressionlessly, tears glistening in her eyes.
The old woman looked up at Wen Hong, her failing eyesight failing to recognize the city woman her son had brought home.
“This is Wen Hong, my sister!” Wen San’er said again.
I patted Wen Hong’s shoulder. “Come on, sister, let’s go inside.”
I pushed Wen Hong into the courtyard. The old woman suddenly stood up, ignoring the overturned sieve and spilled beans, and walked over shakily, saying, “You…you…you are Xiao Hong?”
Wen San’er said from the side, “She really
is my sister!” “You…you, really Xiao Hong?” Wen’s mother was still somewhat incredulous.
After all, she hadn’t seen her for more than twenty years. After Wen Hong left home, there was no news of her, not even whether she was alive or dead. Now her daughter had suddenly appeared out of nowhere. How could the old woman not be extremely surprised and excited?
Wen Hong nodded expressionlessly. Wen’s mother burst into tears, hugging her daughter and crying, “Xiao Hong, my daughter! You’ve finally come back. Where have you been all these years? Waaah…”
Wen Hong wiped away her tears and said calmly, “Don’t cry.”
“Yes! Mom, don’t cry. Let’s go inside and talk,” Wen San’er said with a smile.
Mother Wen finally stopped crying, took her daughter's hand, and said while wiping away her tears, "Okay, okay, come inside..."
Upon entering the main room, my first impression was that this family was truly poor; they didn't even have a decent piece of furniture, their home was practically bare.
Wen San'er pulled over a chair, vigorously wiped it with his sleeve, and said to his sister, "Sister, please sit."
After Wen Hong sat down, he wiped another chair, gestured for me to sit, and then loudly called for Xiu Xiu. Earlier, when we arrived home, Wen Xiu Xiu had carried the basket of pig feed to the backyard, presumably to feed the pigs.
Wen Xiu Xiu responded and came to the main room. Wen San'er asked her to boil water for tea, but she didn't answer and went to the kitchen.
Sitting beside Wen Hong, Wen's mother still held her daughter's hand, tears streaming down her face. "Little Hong! I'm so sorry for you back then, and this family is sorry for you too. But we did it all for your own good. You were just a teenager, a young woman in your prime. If we hadn't done that, how would you have gotten married?"
Wen Hong pulled her hand away from her mother's and said softly, "Don't say anymore. What's the point of saying all this now?"
I'd always known that Wen Hong harbored deep resentment towards her parents. Besides that incident, her parents were extremely patriarchal, giving almost all their love to their two sons. These factors led to her never returning home after leaving, and never contacting her family again.
Wen's mother felt a little embarrassed and wiped away her tears, saying, "I know you have grievances against us, but you shouldn't have been gone for over twenty years without a single word. We didn't know if you were alive or dead. As your mother, I was truly heartbroken..."
She choked up, unable to continue. Wen San'er said from the side, "Mom, don't say that. Isn't my sister doing well?"
Wen Hong also wiped away her tears and asked, "Where is he?"
"Who?" Wen's mother looked at her daughter in confusion.
"I mean, Xiuxiu's grandfather."

Fifty-eight.
I realized that since Wen Hong entered this family, she had never called him "Mom" once. Now, when she mentioned her father, she didn't call him "Dad," but used "he" instead.
Wen's mother then understood and sighed, "He's gone. He passed away a few years ago. Before he died, your father really wanted to see you! He kept saying he was sorry to you..."
Wen Hong's tears flowed again. She quickly wiped them away and asked, "What about my brother?"
Wen San'er said, "Oh, my brother is in Chengdu. After his son got married there, he and his wife settled there. They only come back for holidays."
Wen Hong said "Oh" and didn't say anything more. At this moment, Wen Xiuxiu brought two cups of brewed tea into the main room and placed them on the eight-immortal table.
After she left, Wen Hong asked, "By the way, where is Xiuxiu's mother?"
Upon hearing this, Wen San'er lowered his head in embarrassment and shame. Wen's mother sighed and said, "Divorced, divorced a long time ago."
"How did they divorce?"
"It's all because of your good-for-nothing brother..." Wen's mother said, glaring at her son, "He's lazy and good-for-nothing all day long, either drinking or gambling, he's gambled away everything the family could afford. Xiuxiu's mother couldn't stand him anymore, so she ran off with another man, abandoning even her daughter."
Wen Hong then asked her brother, "Third son, how did you get a limp?"
Wen's mother answered for her son, "A few years ago, he was working at the quarry and had an accident, and he became lame."
"So it was a work injury, did the boss pay you compensation?"
"Sigh! He did pay a little, but not much, just a token amount..." Wen's mother sighed, "We're farmers, uneducated and don't know many people, we can't find a place to seek justice, so we just let it go..."
She paused, then added, "Ever since Third son became lame, he's become even more idle, so his wife ran off with someone else."
After a long silence, Wen Hong asked again, "Then... in all these years, has Xiuxiu's mother come back to see her?"
“What’s the point of her coming back? She’s never come back even once, sigh!” Mother Wen sighed deeply. “Speaking of which, Xiuxiu is such a pitiful girl. Her father is useless; every time he gets drunk or loses gambling, he takes it out on her, either beating or scolding her. Her mother doesn’t want her either, and there hasn’t been a word from her all these years. It’s a tragedy!”
Even I felt sorry for her after hearing this, and I imagine Wen Hong felt even worse, after all, she was her own niece.
Sure enough, she scolded her brother for treating their daughter like that, and said, “San’er, no matter what, Xiuxiu must go to school. How old is she? She hasn’t even graduated from junior high school. What will she be able to do in the future?”
Wen San’er scratched his head and chuckled awkwardly, “I wish I could, but I don’t have the money!”
“You have money to drink and gamble, but not money to pay for your daughter’s tuition?” Wen Hong stared at her brother, angry at his lack of ambition. “Okay, then, don’t worry about the tuition. I’ll pay for it. I absolutely cannot let my niece go without an education, do you hear me?”
Wen San’er nodded and chuckled. I noticed a stark difference between the siblings. The sister was beautiful and elegant, while the brother was rough and slovenly. If I hadn't seen it with my own eyes, I would have found it hard to believe they were siblings.
I couldn't help but marvel at how much different life experiences can shape a person!
"Junhao, come for a walk with me," Wen Hong said, standing up.
Wen's mother also stood up, asking anxiously, "Little... Little Hong, you've just returned, and you're already leaving?"
"Don't worry, I've finally come back, I should stay at least a night or two, right? I'm just going for a stroll."
Wen's mother was relieved and smiled, "Okay, a stroll is good, but it's almost dinner time, don't linger too long."
"I know," Wen Hong said expressionlessly, turning and walking outside without looking back.
"Auntie, Third Brother, we'll be back in a bit," I said, and walked with Wen Hong.
After searching around the back hill, we finally found Wen Hong's grandmother's grave. She knelt down before her grandmother's tombstone with a thud, called out "Grandma," and immediately burst into tears.
I had heard Wen Hong say before that her grandmother was the kindest and most loving person in the family, but sadly, she passed away before she left home.
"Grandma, I've come to see you. I'm Xiao Hong, your Hong Hong!" Wen Hong cried, tears streaming down her face. Seeing this, I couldn't help but tear up too, and I knelt down beside her and hugged her.
Wen Hong cried sadly at her grandmother's grave for a while before coming down the mountain with me.
Back home, dinner was already on the table. It was rather simple: a plate of stir-fried garlic sprouts with cured pork, a plate of stir-fried greens, a plate of stir-fried potato shreds, and a bowl of pea shoot and egg soup.
I guessed this family usually ate even more simply than today; even though their daughter, whom they hadn't seen for over twenty years, had returned, they couldn't come up with anything better to treat her.
"Xiao Hong! I didn't know you were coming back today. I didn't prepare anything. I'll ask San'er to kill a chicken tomorrow," Wen's mother said apologetically.
Wen Hong stuffed a small mouthful of rice into her mouth and said, "It's alright."
Wen San'er filled two small earthenware bowls with wine and said to me, "Junhao, let's have a drink, but the wine isn't very good. It's just country liquor, not as good as the wine in the city. You'll have to make do with it."
"It's fine," I laughed.
Wen Hong said to her brother, "Don't pour him too much; he can't drink much."
Wen San'er said, "Sister, would you like some too?"
"Sure! I'll drink Junhao's bowl." Compared to the afternoon, Wen Hong's mood was much better now.
After a few rounds of drinks, Wen's mother asked, "Xiao Hong, are you married?"
Wen Hong replied calmly, "No."
Wen's mother said "Oh," sounding somewhat disappointed. Wen Hong continued, "But I have a daughter, she's twenty-one years old."
"Your biological daughter?"
"Yes..." Wen Hong nodded.
"That's good, that's good..." Wen's mother chuckled.
Wen Hong asked her niece sitting next to her, "Xiuxiu, do you want to continue your studies?"
Wen Xiuxiu paused, looking at her aunt with food in her mouth, and nodded, saying, "Yes, I dream about it."
"You only finished junior high, right?" Wen Hong asked again.
Wen Xiuxiu nodded again and said, "But I've been self-studying."
"Really?" Wen Hong was somewhat surprised.
Wen Xiuxiu continued, "Xiao Hua from our village goes to middle school in town. I used to be in the same class as her. After dropping out, I've been self-studying using her textbooks. Every time she takes a test, I ask her to give me the questions."
"How are her grades?" Wen Hong suddenly became very interested.
“Hmm…” Wen Xiuxiu became interested and started talking more. “It’s alright! My scores in math, physics, and chemistry are higher than Xiaohua’s, but my scores in Chinese and English are a bit lower.”
“So, even though you’re not in school anymore, you can keep up with the learning pace of children your age?”
“Yes.” Wen Xiuxiu nodded at her aunt.
“That’s great!” Wen Hong said, then glared at her younger brother. “You don’t deserve to be someone’s father.”
Wen San’er lowered his head in shame. I quickly said, “Sister, don’t say that in front of the children.”
Wen Hong then asked her niece, “Xiuxiu, now that your aunt is paying for your schooling, are you willing?”
Wen Xiuxiu’s face lit up with surprise, but she didn’t speak. She looked timidly at her father, while Wen San’er held his wine bowl, head bowed and silent.
“It’s settled then. Nobody else can say anything more,” Wen Hong said firmly.
“But…” Wen Xiuxiu said hesitantly, “Auntie, how can I use your money?”
Wen Hong gently stroked her niece’s hair and said softly, “Xiuxiu, you’ve lost your mother, so from now on, treat me as your mother.”
Wen Xiuxiu burst into tears. Wen Hong then asked, “Do you have a cell phone?”
The little girl nodded and took out an old cell phone from her pocket. Wen Hong said, “This won’t do. Tomorrow, Auntie will take you to buy a new one and open a bank account for you. Auntie will transfer your tuition fees to your account.”
She then said to Wen San’er, “After I leave, you must immediately go and complete the procedures for Xiuxiu to return to school. I will also send you and…”
She almost said “Mom,” but quickly corrected herself, “…move money to the old lady regularly, understand?”
“Yes, I understand, Sister,” Wen San’er replied.
As she spoke, Wen Xiuxiu buried her head, tears streaming down her face. Wen Hong hugged her niece and wiped away her tears. "Okay! Don't cry..."
After dinner, people in the countryside go to bed early. Wen San'er said, "Sister, Junhao, no one's home at my brother's house. I'll go with you and help you get ready. Where will you sleep tonight, okay?"
Wen Hong said, "Junhao, why don't you sleep there? I'll sleep with Xiuxiu tonight..."
She looked at her niece again, "Is that alright?"
"Yes, yes..." Wen Xiuxiu nodded happily several times. She already liked this aunt who had suddenly appeared out of nowhere.

Fifty-nine,
the next day, I drove Wen Hong and Wen Xiuxiu to the nearby county town and bought Wen Xiuxiu some clothes, including some underwear. Last night, when Wen Hong slept with Wen Xiuxiu, she noticed that her niece's underwear was very worn and the size didn't fit. She learned that it was left by her mother from a few years ago.
I also bought two pairs of Adidas sneakers and a latest Apple phone, and some clothes for Wen's mother and Wen San'er.
Back home, Wen San'er had already brewed a pot of tea and was waiting in the courtyard, inviting us to drink. Wen Hong reached out to her niece, saying, "Xiuxiu, shall we go to your room to try on some new clothes?"
"Okay!" Wen Xiuxiu happily took her aunt's hand, and the two of them went into the house hand in hand.
Watching their backs, Wen San'er asked me, "Junhao, what does my sister do? She's so rich."
I took a sip of tea and smiled calmly, "She owns a company, she's a boss."
"Really? No wonder she's so rich..." Wen San'er chuckled, then lowered his voice and asked, "You and my sister, you two..."
I understood what he meant and deliberately asked, "What are you trying to say?"
"I mean, you and my sister..." Wen San'er said, raising both hands, making a fist with four fingers together, and pressing down with his two thumbs, "Is this it?"
I smiled, "She and I are siblings, siblings whose bones are still connected even if they're broken."
"Hehe, hehe..." Wen San'er laughed awkwardly twice.
In Wen Xiuxiu's room, Wen Xiuxiu was shirtless, her arms crossed over her chest, covering her small breasts. Wen Hong held a bra in her hand and laughed, "You brat, take your hands off me. I'm your aunt, what's there to be embarrassed about?"
Wen Xiuxiu blushed and lowered her hands, letting her aunt put the bra on for her. Wen Hong fastened the clasp for her bra and said, "This is the right size for you. A woman's bra is especially important, especially at your age. Too big or too small won't do; both will affect your development."
Wen Xiuxiu sighed, "Unfortunately, my cup size is too small. In internet terms, it's like an A cup—I can't afford it."
Wen Hong chuckled and playfully tapped her niece's shoulder. "You little rascal, you're quite humorous."
"That's true!"
"You're still young, still developing. It'll get bigger as you grow up."
"Auntie, what cup size do you wear? It must be very big, right?"
"How do you know?"
"I can tell even through your clothes!"
Wen Hong blushed slightly. "It's not that big! A D!"
"A D isn't big?" Wen Xiuxiu exclaimed, then playfully smiled at her aunt, "Auntie, can I see?"
"See what?"
"Look at your bra size!"
"What's so interesting, you brat?"
"Just look!"
Wen Hong sighed helplessly, blushing as she unbuttoned her shirt, revealing her high, firm breasts.
"Wow! They're really big," Wen Xiuxiu exclaimed.
"Have you seen enough, you brat?" Wen Hong said shyly.
Wen Xiuxiu pressed her finger on them. Wen Hong scolded playfully, "Hey, you little brat, what are you doing?"
"Trying to see if I've had any work done!"
"No way!" Wen Hong buttoned up her shirt and giggled with her niece.
Finally, she said, "Shall we go feed the pigs?"
"Auntie, you can feed pigs?" Wen Xiuxiu asked in surprise.
"Look at you, when I was your age, I fed all the pigs in the house."
The aunt and niece fed the pigs in the pigpen in the backyard for a while. Wen Hong sat on a stool, watching the pigs munching away, and thought of her daughter, whose whereabouts were still unknown, and fell into deep thought.
After a while, she noticed Wen Xiuxiu staring at her and laughed, "You little rascal, why are you staring at me like that?"
Wen Xiuxiu smiled and said, "Auntie, you're so beautiful and elegant. I used to dream of fairies coming to my side. You wouldn't happen to be the fairy in my dreams, would you?"
Wen Hong laughed and said, "What nonsense are you talking about? Are there fairies as old as your auntie?"
Wen Xiuxiu said, "That's not how you see it! Before, I always thought my mother was very beautiful, but actually you're more beautiful than her. Auntie, do you know that?"
The little girl paused and then said, "Yesterday when we met in town, you kept staring at my father. I was thinking, 'This auntie is so beautiful. I wish she were my mother.'"
Wen Hong felt a pang of sadness and put her arm around her niece's shoulder, asking, "Xiuxiu, do you miss your mother?"
Wen Xiuxiu lowered her head and said sadly, "Yes, how could I not miss her? But she won't want me anymore."
Wen Hong hugged her and said softly, "Whether your mother wants you or not, your auntie will want you. From now on, let me be your mother, okay?"
“Okay, Aunt,” Wen Xiuxiu said, her voice choked with emotion.
Just then, Wen San’er called from the front yard, “Sister, Uncle and Second Aunt are here!”
A group of relatives, elders and peers alike, had gathered in Wen Hong’s front yard. They had all come to visit her after hearing of her triumphant return home. Wen San’er and Wen’s mother busily offered cigarettes and tea to the guests.
“Oh! Xiao Hong! You’ve grown so beautiful! Hehe…”
“Xiao Hong, where have you been all these years? We haven’t heard from you at all!”
“Didn’t San’er just say that Xiao Hong is a big boss in the big city, doing very well!”
“Second Sister, you look much younger than Third Brother! You don’t look like his sister at all, more like his younger sister.”
“Second Sister, your outfit must cost several thousand, right?”
“What? Just that Longines watch on Second Sister’s wrist must be worth tens of thousands!”
Wen Hong smiled, socializing with her relatives. I sat quietly watching her, happy that she was immersed in the long-lost warmth of family.
Her appearance, clothing, and demeanor were so out of place among her relatives. If one didn't know the truth, who would imagine that such a beautiful, aloof, and sophisticated woman came from such a small mountain village?
The next morning, Wen's mother, Wen San'er, and Wen Xiuxiu reluctantly saw Wen Hong and me off at the ferry crossing by the river.
Wen Hong took two bank cards from her bag and handed them to her mother, saying, "One of these cards has 700,000 yuan, and the other has 500,000 yuan. It's for you and San'er..."
Wen San'er was so shocked she couldn't close her mouth. Wen's mother quickly declined, "No, no, Xiao Hong, this is too much. I can't accept it. You don't earn money easily."
Wen Hong said firmly, "Take it, just take it."
She hesitated for a moment, then called out, "Mom." That long-awaited "Mom" brought tears to Wen's mother's eyes. Wiping away her tears, she replied, "Yes!"
"Although I can't come back to see you often in the future, I will take care of you in your old age and see you off in your final days. Keep the money for San'er for him. Don't give it to him casually, lest he take it to gamble again..."
Wen Hong said, glaring at her younger brother, "And you shouldn't be idle either. Find a job. It doesn't matter how much you earn. Mom doesn't need your help. I'll take care of you! If I find out you've gone gambling again, don't even think about getting a penny from me."
Wen San'er scratched his head and chuckled, "Okay, sister, okay..."
"Xiuxiu..." Wen Hong called softly. If there was one person she was most reluctant to part with, it was this well-behaved and sensible niece. "Auntie...
" Wen Xiuxiu said, choking back tears. When she walked up to her aunt, tears were already streaming down her face. After spending these two days together, she felt that she could no longer live without this aunt who was as beautiful and gentle as a fairy in her dreams.
Wen Hong wiped away her niece's tears, tears streaming down her face. "Have you learned how to use the phone your aunt bought you, and all the apps on it?"
Wen Xiuxiu nodded repeatedly, tears streaming down her face, unable to speak. Wen Hong choked out, "From now on, your aunt will regularly send you tuition and living expenses. You can manage them on your phone. You must study hard, understand?"
"Yes, yes..." Wen Xiuxiu was already sobbing uncontrollably, and Wen Hong was also in tears.
"Sister, the ferry is here," I reminded her from the side.
Wen Hong waved goodbye to her relatives with tears in her eyes, "Mom, San'er, Xiuxiu, I'm leaving. Take care, and call me if you need anything."
Wen's mother wiped away her tears and said, "You take care too, and come back when you have time."
I also said goodbye to Wen's mother and Wen San'er. Both mother and son told me to take good care of Wen Hong over there, and said they would come home with Wen Hong to visit whenever they had time.
When we landed on the other side of the river, a light drizzle began to fall. We looked back, and the mother and son, father and daughter, and grandmother and grandson were still waving to us in the drizzle. The whole village looked exceptionally beautiful in the misty rain.
Wen Hong gazed at the opposite bank for a long time, as if she had returned to the past. Twenty-five years ago, that eighteen-year-old girl, filled with the grief of losing her daughter and the longing for the future, waited there for the ferry to venture out into the world. She certainly didn't expect then that the road ahead would be even more arduous.
Now, she was saying goodbye to her homeland once again, and in the drizzling rain, tears streamed down her slightly upturned face, which was covered with raindrops.
"Sister, let's go!" I said.
Just as we turned around, Wen Xiuxiu's crying came from the other side of the river, "Auntie..."
That cry of "Auntie" brought tears to my eyes instantly; I could imagine it piercing Wen Hong's heart like a sharp arrow.
Just then, the ferry was about to leave the shore when Wen Hong shouted "Wait!" and jumped onto the boat. I had no choice but to carry my two suitcases and board the boat as well.

60.
As soon as the boat docked, Wen Hong was the first to jump aboard, embracing Wen Xiuxiu who rushed towards her. The aunt and niece wept uncontrollably.
Wen's mother, Wen San'er, and I also wiped away tears. Wen Xiuxiu sobbed in Wen Hong's arms, "Aunt... Aunt, I... I... I can't bear to let you go..."
Wen Hong hugged her niece tightly and said, "Auntie can't bear to part with you either. Xiuxiu, would you like to come with Auntie and study at Auntie's? Auntie will support you through university in the future."
Wen Xiuxiu raised her tear-streaked face and cried blankly, "Auntie, is what you said true?"
Wen Hong lovingly wiped away her tears and said with tears in her eyes, "Of course it's true! Are you willing?"
Wen Xiuxiu's tears rolled down her cheeks again, and she nodded several times before turning to look at her father. Wen San'er stammered, "Sister, this...this..."
Wen Hong said coldly, "If you can't take care of your daughter, if you let her wear tattered clothes all the time, not go to school, and stay home feeding pigs all day, then hand her over to me and let me take care of her for you. My surname is Wen, and Xiuxiu is a girl from our Wen family. I absolutely will not allow her to live worse than other people's children."
Wen San'er chuckled a few times and said, "Alright! As long as Xiuxiu is willing to go with you, I have no objection. As long as she can come to see me and her grandmother during her holidays, that's fine."
Wen Hong smiled slightly and looked at her niece in her arms, "Okay, let's go back and pack your things. Take the clothes and shoes I bought for you. Don't take anything else. I'll buy you more when we get there."
Wen Xiuxiu looked up at her aunt, crying and laughing at the same time.
The group continued walking home. As they walked, Wen Hong said to her younger brother, "Xiuxiu's school registration is still at her old school, right? Go to the school in the next day or two to get her records and mail them to me. I'll send you an address later, and I'll find her a school there. Although she dropped out for a year, her foundation is very good; she should have no problem getting into high school next year."
Wen San'er nodded repeatedly, "Okay, okay, sister, I'll listen to you..."
He suddenly stopped, looked at his sister, and smiled, "Sister, I've dreamed of fairies before. You're not only Xiuxiu's fairy, but also mine! Why don't you take me with you?"
"Get lost!" Wen Hong giggled and playfully hit her brother. The whole family, including me, laughed...
That day, we arrived in Chongqing, returned the car, and took an afternoon flight back. After the plane had been flying for a while, Wen Xiuxiu fell asleep leaning against the window seat.
I whispered to Wen Hong, "Sister, don't be too disappointed. Like Officer Zhang from the prison said, give Zang Xiaolan some more time, and we'll find some clues."
Wen Hong smiled, "I'm not disappointed! This trip wasn't in vain..."
She looked at Wen Xiuxiu, who was fast asleep beside her, "She's my biggest gain from this trip. I really like her."
Wen Hong and I smiled at each other...
Not long after returning from Dazhou, Ji Yalei invited me to a hotel for a rendezvous.
For the past few months, my casual sex relationship with her had never ended. I once thought I could be with Suo Wanling forever and planned to break up with Ji Yalei, but Suo Wanling quickly disappeared from my life. And the other woman I loved, Su Fei, was already married, so my relationship with Ji Yalei has continued until now.
Arriving at the door of a room in that hotel, I pressed the doorbell. The door opened from the inside, and Ji Yalei stood inside, wrapped in a bath towel, revealing her fragrant shoulders and beautiful legs, probably having just finished showering.
As soon as the door closed, she eagerly wrapped her arms around my neck and offered her lips. Before and after my trip to Dazhou, I hadn't seen her, and we hadn't been intimate for quite some time, so she was naturally quite eager.
After a passionate kiss, I noticed a noticeable bruise near Ji Yalei's eye and asked, "Who hit you?"
She seemed flustered, covering the bruise with her hand and stammering, "N-no, no one hit me, I...I bumped into it myself."
"Tell me, who did it?" I demanded without room for argument. Although we were just friends with benefits, over time, feelings had developed, and she held a place in my heart.
"I already told you I bumped into it myself, why are you still asking?" Ji Yalei laughed casually, "I'm a police officer, who would dare assault a police officer?"
"Was it your ex-husband?" I asked in a deep voice.
Seeing she couldn't hide it any longer, she could only nod. I had heard her say before that during their marriage, her husband often beat and verbally abused her over trivial matters; I didn't expect it to continue even after the divorce.
I slammed my fist on the table and cursed, "Damn it, you bastard, I..."
but then stopped myself. If someone else had hit her, I might have stood up for her, but her ex-husband was a policeman, a powerful branch captain at that. For an ordinary citizen like me, let alone dealing with him, killing me would be as easy as crushing an ant for him. Besides anger and heartache, all I could do was sigh helplessly.
Ji Yalei hugged me from behind and said softly, "It's okay, I'm okay, it's all in the past."
I pried her hands off, turned around, and held her bare shoulders with both hands, asking, "Why did he hit you?"
She said sadly, "Ever since our divorce, he's been in a bad mood and often harasses me. That day he came to see me drunk again, we argued, and he hit me."
"You just let him hit you? Why didn't you fight back? You're a detective, aren't you?"
Ji Yalei smiled bitterly, "But I'm a woman, and he's a policeman too. How could I possibly beat him?"
She looked up at me and smiled, "It's okay, baby, it's all in the past. Don't let it affect our mood."
We kissed again, moved to the bedside, I untied the towel from her body, and we lay down on the bed in each other's arms...
With a soft moan from her, I lifted my head between her beautiful legs, ready to mount her and penetrate her, but she stopped me.
Just as I was wondering what was going on, she leaned down and took my penis into her mouth, sucking for a while before spreading her long legs and straddling me, bringing her penis to my face.
We comforted each other in a 69 position, her moans filling the room until I ejaculated in her mouth, and she also reached orgasm.
She washed herself in the bathroom, then returned to bed and snuggled up to me, chatting and asking about my trip to Dazhou. Because she had gotten in touch with Officer Zhang at Dazhou Prison through her connections, she was quite interested in this matter.
After listening to my account, Ji Yalei said to give the other person some time. In her experience, many prisoners, for various reasons, were unwilling to reveal the whole truth, or even feigned insanity, which was common, so I shouldn't lose heart. After chatting
for a while, Ji Yalei said, "I'll show you something."
She got off the bed naked, took a piece of paper from her bag, and handed it to me. I took it and saw it was a hospital pregnancy test result, which showed that Ji Yalei was pregnant.
I was startled and asked, "You're pregnant?"
She smiled and nodded. I blurted out, "Whose?"
This angered her, and she grabbed a pillow and threw it at me. "Chen Junhao, you bastard, how can you talk like that?"
She stopped and said angrily, "In all these years, I've only slept with you, from beginning to end. If it's not yours, whose is it?"
I was stunned for a moment and murmured, "How...how could that be?"
"Why not?" Ji Yalei put her hands on her hips, her beautiful eyes wide open, and thrust out her large breasts at me. "Your thing is so thick and long, it always goes in deep and ejaculates a lot. Is it hard for a woman to get pregnant?"
"But...but every time, we used contraception! Either we used condoms, or during your safe period..."
She hit me again, yelling, "Can't contraception fail? Even the safe period isn't always safe."
I thought about it. Last time we were together, she said it was her safe period, and I ejaculated inside her. I never expected she'd get pregnant.
"Chen Junhao, judging from your expression, are you trying to renege on your promise?" Ji Yalei's dissatisfied voice came from beside me.
"No, no, I just feel a little surprised." I smiled, trying to calm myself down, and asked, "What are you planning to do?"
"I want to hear your opinion," Ji Yalei said, looking at me.
I was speechless and lowered my head. She cupped my face in her hands and said earnestly, "Junhao, I'm a woman too. I've always wanted to have my own child, to be a mother. Now God has given me this opportunity, I can't refuse, can I?"
I looked up at her, "You...you really want to have this baby?"
A hopeful light shone in Ji Yalei's eyes, "I've thought it through. I want to be with you, openly and honestly. Whether you marry me or not, as long as we're together, I'll have this baby."
Hearing her words, my mind went blank.

Sixty-one.
Ji Yalei's next words shocked me even more. "Junhao, I love you. I want to have your child and be the mother of your child."
"You...you love me? This...how is this possible?"
"Why is it impossible? It's normal for men and women to develop feelings for each other after being together for a long time! I've loved you for a long time since we were together, can't you feel it?"
As she spoke, she suddenly hugged my neck and kissed me, saying between kisses, "I love you, Junhao, do you love me too? I think you love me too, don't you?"
I was extremely flustered and pulled her hands away. I was completely unprepared for this sudden turn of events. Before this, I had never thought about marrying a woman and having children. I thought I would spend my life taking care of my paralyzed sister, Xiaoqin. I never expected that a woman would want to have my child.
I don't know if I can be a good husband and a good father while doing my best to be a good brother who takes care of my paralyzed sister for the rest of my life. Because all along, my life has revolved around He Xiaoqin.
Moreover, Ji Yalei's ex-husband is still harassing her. What should I do if he wants revenge? That man is no ordinary person; he's a high-ranking criminal police officer with great power. That day in my senior colleague Mi Xuemei's office, I personally saw even Mi Xuemei, a powerful woman with connections in both the legal and illegal worlds, be extremely subservient to him.
Compared to ordinary people, he's far too powerful. Ji Yalei herself is a criminal police officer; she can be unafraid of her husband, but I can't. Even if I don't think about myself, I have to think about my sister Xiaoqin!
"What's wrong, Junhao…" Ji Yalei asked, my silence making her uneasy.
I turned my back to her. "I...I'm so confused."
Ji Yalei hugged me from behind, her ample breasts pressed against my back. "Baby, I know you're not ready yet, but it's okay. This isn't as difficult as you think."
I said, "I'm just an ordinary designer with limited income. Most of my income and energy will probably be spent taking care of my sister. I...I probably won't be able to take care of you and our child."
She buried her face in my shoulder and smiled. "I don't need you to take care of me, and you don't need to raise our child. I'm here! My income and savings are not only enough to support myself and the child, but also to help you and your sister. Besides, I can apply for a transfer from my criminal investigation position to a less busy and less dangerous job, so I can have more time to take care of the family and help you take care of your sister."
“But you’ve always loved your job. I remember you told me before that your bureau wanted to transfer you to a police station as a deputy instructor, which is half a rank higher than your current position, but you refused because you didn’t want to leave your post as a criminal investigator. Why do this now?”
Ji Yalei smiled calmly. “That’s what I was thinking back then, but there was another factor. I wanted to numb myself with the busy and dangerous work, to temporarily forget the pain that family life brought me. But it’s different now. I have someone I love, and I want a normal family. My career isn’t so important to me anymore. Besides, a woman’s youth is short. At most, I’ll work until my thirties before retiring from the criminal investigation post or being transferred away from the front line. I’m about at the right time.”
She moved in front of me, cupped my face in her hands, and gazed at me affectionately. “After I met you, I truly fell in love with a man, so deeply. I swear to you, your sister is my sister. I will take care of Xiaoqin for the rest of my life like I would my own sister.”
I kept apologizing to her in my heart and took her arms off my shoulders and neck.
Ji Yalei stared at me blankly, her eyes flickering with unease. She probably already knew what I was about to say.
"I'm sorry, Sister Lei, I can't do what you're saying," I said, bowing my head and avoiding her eyes.
"Why?" She wrapped her arms around my neck again, looking at me anxiously. "Don't you love me? Tell me, do you love me or not?"
I pulled her arms away. "It's not a question of love, it's a question of whether I can do it."
"Why can't you? Didn't I just say? I don't need you to support me, and we don't need you to support our child. On the contrary, I can even help you and your sister. In fact, if you want, you don't have to do anything; my income can support our family of four..."
"Enough!" I suddenly interrupted her. "Do you want me to be a kept man? I'm a man. Do you expect me, a woman, to support me, my child, and my sister? Even your so-called support is unacceptable."
"Fine, then we'll support and take care of our child together. Is that alright?" She stared at me, her eyes filled with tears. "Tell me, what else is wrong?"
I was silent for a moment, then said, "Sister Lei, I hope you understand that I have nothing. If you're with me, I can't give you anything."
“But you’ve given me so much. Ever since we met, you’ve given me what a woman wants most,” Ji Yalei said, tears streaming down her face.
I paused for a moment, then said, “Yale, is that really that important? Life isn’t always perfect.”
She wiped away her tears. “You think I was just talking about that little thing down there? Let me tell you, I love you not because you can give me pleasure, but more importantly, because of your kindness, loyalty, responsibility, and thoughtfulness.”
I was speechless, my head bowed low. Ji Yalei asked, “Junhao, do you look down on me because I’m a divorced woman?”
I shook my head, still bowing my head. She held my head in her arms and said softly, "Then tell me, what is it all for? Are you afraid he'll retaliate? If so, don't be afraid. I'm a police officer too. I can protect you and Xiaoqin. Besides, I have dirt on him. I believe he won't dare to do anything reckless."
Seeing that I was still silent with my head down, she cupped my face and said urgently, tears streaming down her face, "Junhao, look at me. I love you, I really love you. Do you love me? Tell me, do you love me?"
"I'm sorry, I have something to do. I have to go." I pushed her hand away, got up, and put on my clothes, not daring to lift my head.
Ji Yalei knelt naked on the bed, staring at me with tearful eyes. Only after I was dressed did she say, "Chen Junhao, I never thought you were a coward."
Without a word, I put on my socks and shoes and headed for the door. I just wanted to escape as soon as possible because I couldn't face her. She was right; I was a coward. But not for myself, but for my sister.
I couldn't spare the energy and love to care for another child who needed my care, and I couldn't afford to let anything happen to me. What would happen to my sister if something happened to me?
As I reached the door, Ji Yalei did something completely unexpected and insane. She suddenly jumped off the bed, naked, pulled a pistol from her bag, and clicked the safety off.
"Chen Junhao, try leaving this room," she said coldly.
I was shocked and turned around. I saw her standing naked on the floor, gun in her right hand, pointed at me, her tearful eyes mirroring her own.
I thought this woman was insane. What kind of woman holds a gun to a man's head and forces him to have her?
But I tried my best to calm myself down and said in a deep voice, "Go ahead and shoot! If you don't value your life and reputation at all, then shoot! But I need your help. After you kill me, kill my sister immediately, because if I die, she will suffer a fate worse than death."
Ji Yalei burst into tears and suddenly pointed the gun at her right temple. "Fine! Then I'll kill myself, and my child with you."
This terrified me. I raised my right hand towards her and approached her while saying, "You, you, calm down, calm down..."
"Don't come any closer, or I really will shoot." She stared at me coldly through her tears.
"Okay, okay, let's talk this out. Can you put the gun down?" I said, my voice trembling.
She smiled slightly, "Then promise me."
My legs went weak, and I knelt on the ground, head bowed, "I...I promise you..."
She put down the gun, knelt in front of me, cupped my face, and said with tears in her eyes, "Junhao, please believe me, I will give you everything a woman can give a man, be the best wife, the best sister-in-law, and the best mother in the world..."
I also shed tears and nodded.
"But I was just joking with you earlier, to see if you cared about me. I won't force you..."
I was startled and looked up at Ji Yalei. She held up three fingers on her right hand. "I'll give you three days to think it over. Remember, only three days. If I don't get your answer by the morning after three days, I'll go to the hospital and abort this child."
She paused here, then said resolutely, "Furthermore, if I abort this child, even if you change your mind later, I will absolutely not be with you, because you killed my child with your own hands. I will not forgive a murderer who killed my child. I mean what I say."
I stared at her blankly, my mind in turmoil…
The next three days felt like an eternity. I had never felt so confused and conflicted before, as if all the turmoil of my entire life had been concentrated in those three days.
I thought a lot during those three days. Putting everything else aside, Ji Yalei was indeed a very good woman. She was an excellent criminal investigator, beautiful, generous, and passionate. She could love someone and be devoted to them unconditionally. Such women are hard to find these days.
Although I wouldn't say I loved her deeply, the two women I loved were already gone, and we could never be together in this lifetime. Now there's a woman who loves me so much, willing to take care of my sister with me for the rest of her life without complaint, and more importantly, she's pregnant with my child. What man in this world wouldn't want to be a father?
But my previous worries still deeply entangle me, almost suffocating me.
Torn between these anxieties, on the night before the deadline Ji Yalei gave me, I went to Wen Hong's KTV.

Sixty-two.
I drank alone in a small private room for a while, feeling down. Wen Hong came to the room after her business dinner and, seeing my troubled expression, laughed, "What's wrong? You look so down, I rarely see you like this!"
She patted my hair a few times and sat down next to me. She was heavily made up, wearing a nightclub outfit—short on top and short on the bottom—revealing a deep cleavage between her high breasts. As she sat down, the view beneath her skirt was immediately apparent.
I shook my head and smiled bitterly, pouring her a drink. She picked it up and asked, "Tell me, what happened?"
"Is Xiu Xiu settling in well with you?" I asked.
Wen Hong took a sip of wine, put down her glass, and said, "It's fine."
"Does Tingting get along well with her little cousin whom she's never met?"
"Xiuxiu has only been here for half a month. The two girls have only met twice, when Tingting comes back on weekends. It's too early to tell. But..."
Wen Hong sighed, "Xiuxiu has been incredibly diligent since she came to my house. She insists on doing everything—cooking, washing clothes, tidying the room—she does whatever is available, even if there's no work. During the time she's been here, I haven't even washed a single pair of my own underwear. It's like she's a maid I hired, or even a minor child laborer..."
She lit a cigarette, took a puff, and said, "I told the little girl, 'Auntie brought you here to live and study, not to work. You're my child, not my servant. Don't always insist on doing everything.'"
"Did she listen?" I also lit a cigarette and asked with interest, temporarily putting aside my own worries.
“That girl, she agrees so readily, but she still does everything the same way. There’s just no way to deal with her.”
“Sister, do you know why she does this?” I asked.
Wen Hong exhaled a wisp of smoke and flicked the ash into the ashtray. “She feels like she’s living under someone else’s roof! Besides, kids from the countryside are naturally hardworking, unlike our Tingting, who’s spoiled and pampered,
expecting everything to be done for her.” “You only know one side of the story.”
“Oh? Tell me about it…” Wen Hong said, looking at me.
“She is indeed trying to please you, but not because she’s dependent on you. It’s because she’s afraid…”
Wen Hong asked, “What is she afraid of?”
I said, “She’s afraid that one day you won’t like her anymore, that you won’t want her anymore, and she’ll have to go back to that poor, remote place, losing not only the opportunity to live in a big city, but also the chance to go to school. More importantly, she will lose you…”
I stubbed out my cigarette in the ashtray and continued under Wen Hong’s gaze, “Have you noticed? Xiu Xiu has completely come to regard you as her mother.”
Wen Hong took a sip of her drink and said, “Well, I’ve noticed that.”
“That’s right,” I said. “This girl lost her mother’s love at a young age. When you appeared in front of her, it was truly like a fairy entering her dream, fulfilling all her fantasies about the perfect mother. So she fell in love with you instantly, loves you very much, and is terrified of losing you, the mother who is perfect to her.”
Wen Hong sighed and said, “I love her very much too! I treat her like another daughter…”
She pondered for a moment, then looked at me and said, “Then what should I do? Junhao, how can I dispel her worries and fears?”
I smiled slightly, “It’s simple. You need to make her truly feel that you are mother and daughter, that you love her like a mother, not that you pity her, sympathize with her, or take her in, understand?”
Wen Hong seemed to have suddenly understood, “That’s right! The concern I showed her before, in order not to make her feel inferior, only reinforced the feeling that I was pitying her.”
I smiled and said, "Sister, you're a woman, a mother, you should know what to do next, right?"
"Of course!" She nodded, then looked at me and smiled, "Junhao, I'm so lucky to have met you, my brother."
I raised my glass to her, "You, my sister, are just as good to me."
She clinked glasses with me, took a sip of wine, and said, "I've finished talking about my business, now it's your turn. Tell me, what happened?"
I was suddenly dragged into a quagmire of troubles again, my elbows on my knees, my hands running through my hair, "I...I got a woman pregnant."
"What?" Wen Hong was quite surprised, "You got a woman pregnant? Is she...is she your customer? Junhao, I'm not trying to be mean, but how could you let your customer get pregnant?"
There had been many cases of male prostitutes getting female customers pregnant, and some female customers had even developed feelings for male prostitutes and wanted to have their children. These things were very tricky and troublesome, so Wen Hong repeatedly emphasized to her male prostitutes that they must never impregnate their customers.
I lifted my head from my hands and laughed, "What are you thinking? Sis, I've been away from this business for so long, where would I get a female customer?"
She finally breathed a sigh of relief and laughed, "Right! Right! You haven't been a gigolo for at least half a year, right?"
"But she was indeed my customer in the past..." I told Wen Hong everything about Ji Yalei.
She was quite surprised that she knew about Ji Yalei; this story of a female detective falling in love with a gigolo was like a fairy tale, but she never expected it to happen in reality.
"Do you love her?" Wen Hong asked.
I was silent for a moment and said, "I don't know, but I have to admit, I quite like her because of her beauty, enthusiasm, and her passionate nature. More importantly, she's willing to take care of Xiaoqin with me."
"Then what are you still hesitating about?"
Wen Hong's words startled me, and I looked up at her. She continued, “Junhao, are you really going to stay single for the rest of your life because of Xiaoqin? Do you think Xiaoqin wants you to do this for her? You two siblings have a deep bond, but by doing this, you're essentially telling her that she's a burden to you. How can you bear that? You love her and care for her, so you should make her happy! Not let her feel guilty and live with the thought of owing you for the rest of her life.”
I felt a sudden clarity. Recalling the past, the days I spent with Su Fei were indeed Xiaoqin's happiest time. Besides liking Su Fei, there was also the joy of her brother finally having a girlfriend.
Wen Hong's words continued, “Besides, she's carrying your child. Her ex-husband couldn't give her that. I'm a woman, I know how much women yearn to be mothers. And you, as a man, don't you really want to be a father?”
She paused, then said, “Junhao, every child is a gift from God. You have no reason to refuse.”
Wen Hong's words were like sunshine sweeping away all the gloom. If I had to choose one woman to be with in this life, Ji Yalei would undoubtedly be the best choice. Aside from Su Wanling, who has gone abroad, and Su Fei, who is now married, no one loves me more or treats me better than her.
I was so excited that I was momentarily at a loss for words. Wen Hong said, "Call her quickly! She's waiting for your answer!"
I snapped out of my daze, picked up my phone, and dialed Ji Yalei's number, but her phone was off. Wen Hong glanced at her watch and laughed, "Hey! It's two in the morning, she's already asleep."
"But they're detectives, on call 24/7, they never turn off their phones," I said uneasily.
"Maybe she's on vacation? Detectives are people too, not machines, how could they not rest? You can leave her a message, she'll see it as soon as she turns her phone on."
So I sent Ji Yalei a message on WeChat, telling her I would come to see her first thing tomorrow morning.
After sending the message, I picked up my glass and downed it in one gulp. I cupped Wen Hong's face and kissed her on both cheeks. "Thank you, sis, I love you so much."
I turned and walked out of the private room. She called after me, "Where are you going?"
"Home first, I'll see her first thing tomorrow morning." I left the room
without looking back. "You brat..." Wen Hong laughed and scolded, and soon, two lines of tears slid down her face.
I returned to my studio, but couldn't sleep. I dialed Ji Yalei's number several times, but couldn't get through. I could only send her a message, telling her that I had thought it through, that I wanted her, and that I wanted our child.
I hoped she would call me or reply to my message, but my phone remained silent, without making a sound.
Time passed by, the night faded, and the dawn broke, but there was still no word from Ji Yalei. The thought of her going to the hospital for an abortion this morning filled me with anxiety. I kept reassuring myself that she would turn on her phone eventually, and once she did, she would see my missed calls and the messages I had sent.
As the first rays of sunlight streamed into the room, I decided not to wait any longer. I grabbed my car keys and headed out the door. I was going to the hospital to find her, to intercept her before she entered the operating room.
But this city was so big, with countless hospitals. Where could I possibly find her? I remembered a hospital; I had seen its name on Ji Yalei's pregnancy test results that day. Yes, that's the hospital. Since she had her check-up there, she must have gone there for her abortion, right?
But what if she didn't go to that hospital? Then we would have completely missed each other. I would have missed a woman who loved me unconditionally, and I would have missed my child.
I could only leave everything to fate. For the first time in my life, I truly understood what it meant to do one's best and leave the rest to destiny.
As I drove, I dialed Ji Yalei's number, a number that seemed perpetually unreachable, silently praying that God wouldn't lead me astray.

(To be continued)

URL 1:https://www.sexlove5.com/htmlBlog/110669.html

URL 2:/Blog.aspx?id=110669&aspx=1

Previous Page : My wife's entire experience at a spa with a man [Repost]

Next Page : Sister Min is here (repost)

增加

comment Open a new window to view comments

Contact Information

Beautiful mother and pretty daughter (56-62)

comment Open a new window to view comments