"Thank you." Mrs. Lanting took the handkerchief and wiped the tears from her eyes. She did not hide anything - since he had come to her with the information, she thought he knew everything.
"How did you get this information?" He finally asked after calming down.
"Xingchen felt sorry for you missing your daughter, so she asked me to look for her for you. In fact, it was just a coincidence. My father mentioned that you and my uncle—" Bai Yeqing paused for a moment, looked at Madam Lanting, and got straight to the point, "You and my uncle were in love more than 20 years ago, right?"
“…” Madam Lanting did not answer, but her hand holding the handkerchief quietly clenched.
Bai Yeqing said, "My uncle spent the best years of his life in prison. Now he is finally out, but his later years are miserable. So... I really hope that your daughter is my uncle's daughter. At least, it will comfort him. Madam, I hope that you will tell me the truth for the sake of my father and uncle's friendship with you."
Mrs. Lanting did not speak for a long time, as if she was immersed in the sweet yet bitter love of the past.
After a long while, she nodded softly, "Yes, that child... is indeed your uncle's..."
Bai Yeqing's eyes lit up.
Madam Lanting continued, "At that time, your uncle's living environment was extremely bad. People all over the country were looking for him. If those people knew that I gave birth to his child, they would definitely not let the innocent child go... So, when the child was born, I only dared to take a look at him, and then left the child and ran away. But now I regret it."
As the lady spoke, she was extremely sad, and the tears in her eyes flowed again, and she couldn't stop them.
Bai Yeqing was not a person who could comfort others, especially women. So, he didn't say anything and just sat quietly opposite his wife.
Madam Lanting restrained her emotions and said after a while: "I'm sorry to make you laugh."
"I understand your feelings. Like you, I also want to meet my cousin. So, don't worry, there will be definite news within five days. Or maybe it won't take five days."
Madam Lanting felt much more relieved and nodded: "If that's the case, I will leave it to you."
"Then, about my uncle..." Bai Yeqing paused and changed his way of speaking, "My uncle has been thinking about you a lot in prison."
She was stunned for a moment, and said, "Let's wait until the poor child is found..."
She was somewhat afraid to see him again - the elegant man in her memory. After all, more than 20 years had passed. In these years, both he and herself had changed beyond recognition. She was afraid that after seeing him again, everything would no longer be the same as she remembered, adding to her disappointment and sadness.
Bai Yeqing naturally couldn't force her, so Madam Lanting stood up and left. Before she left, she put the document in her hand and took it away like a treasure. When Bai Yeqing sent her to the door, she still turned back and said a few more words: "Yeqing, I'll leave this matter to you!"
"do not worry."
… … … … … …
It is ten o'clock in the evening in Country M, but it is only ten o'clock in the morning in Country S.
Liangcheng is several degrees colder than the city, but the air is fresh and makes people feel comfortable.
Xia Xingchen was helping Shen Min prepare lunch. She squatted at the kitchen door picking vegetables, while Xia Dabai had already disappeared after playing with other children.
"Have you met his parents?" Shen Min looked up in surprise when she heard her say that she went to Bai's house.
"Yeah. Just a few days ago."
"Easy to talk to?"
Xia Xingchen thought for a moment, "The old lady is very enthusiastic, but the old man is not so easy to talk to. I didn't even get to talk to her for a few minutes."
Shen Min looked at her and said, "Don't let yourself be wronged. Understand? If they agree with you two, then you can get married. If they disagree and make things difficult for you, then forget it. After all, marriage is not just a matter between two people, it has to be a family matter."
Xia Xingchen didn't say anything. She remembered what she promised Bai Yeqing the night before he left. No matter what, she would not back down from this relationship.
actually…
If she were really asked to back off now, she probably wouldn't be able to do it! Some feelings grow deeper and deeper, first planted in the eyes, then in the heart, and gradually, quietly permeating into the bones, and when you don't even know it, it becomes one with you.
Can't help myself...
"What are you daydreaming about?" Shen Min glanced at her.
She came back to her senses, "Mom, don't worry, I know what's going on."
Shen Min didn't say anything more. As a mother, she was not qualified, and naturally she couldn't interfere in the relationship.
There was a delicious smell coming from the kitchen. Shen Min stood up and opened the steamer. The crabs were steamed red. Shen Min asked Xingchen to go to her room to prepare the tools for the crabs.
"It's at the back of the cupboard. It hasn't been used for years. I don't know if it's rusted."
"I'll go take a look." Xia Xingchen washed his hands, wiped them, and went into the house.
… … … … … …
Shen Min took chopsticks and picked out the crabs one by one, but after a long time, no one from Xingchen came out.
"Stars?"
She called out, but heard no sound, so she went towards the room.
When I opened the door, I saw her standing by the cupboard, holding a box and looking at it carefully. The box…
Shen Min's heart skipped a beat, her face changed, and she took a few steps over and held the box in her arms.
"I asked you to get something, but you came here and just sat there in a daze."
Shen Min wanted to put the box back.
"Mom, where did the cloth and the jade pendant in the box come from?" Xia Xingchen was curious to begin with, but she became even more curious after seeing her mother's reaction. "Why are you keeping them so preciously? What kind of treasures are they that you can't even let me see them?"
Shen Min was silent for a while, and no one knew what she was thinking.
"Mom?" Xia Xingchen called out inquiringly.
Shen Min sighed, "It doesn't matter whether it's precious or not."
As she spoke, she opened the box. Xia Xingchen had just looked at it. It was a piece of blue cloth with beautiful orchids embroidered on it. And the jade pendant...
The last time she saw the jade pendant on Mr. Bai Qingrang's neck, she felt that it was familiar. The jade pendant in the box might not be his, but it was very similar. At least in terms of shape, it was quite similar.
"You can keep this jade pendant." Shen Min took it out and handed it to her. "It's cold now, so don't wear it around your neck. I'll seal a small bag for you and you can put it in your pocket."
"Mom, where did this jade pendant come from?"
When she was brought to the baby, the jade pendant was inside the blue swaddling clothes. Shen Min naturally didn't say anything, but only said, "You are a premature baby, and your health is not very good. This jade pendant was obtained by Mom from a master to keep you healthy."