In the private room of the cafe, Su Yun took out the tablet in the document bag and said to the boy sitting opposite:
"Not many people knew about this at the time. After all, it took Song Xin some time to find an insider who knew about it for more than ten years. It was an old man in the village who used to be a midwife."
Song Xin is a private detective with strong business ability. Since Lin Qinhe asked her about this matter some time ago, she hired Song Xin and let Song Xin go to Taoxi Bay in Qingshui County.
"The old man was very vigilant at first, but Song Xin took some time to get the old man to tell the truth, and it was all recorded in this video." Su Yun opened the video on the tablet and handed it to Lin Qinhe.
Lin Qinhe watched the video silently and did not take it quickly.
He had never found himself so cowardly, so cowardly that he didn't seem to have the courage to confirm the guesses that made him painful every time he thought about it.
Even if it is already obvious.
He finally took a deep breath, put on his headphones, and turned on the video on the tablet.
The video was recorded by Song Xin in Taoxi Bay. A gray-haired old man sat in the main room and used a strong dialect accent to tell an old story that happened to a farmhouse in Taoxi Bay on a winter night seventeen years ago.
"The girl who painted has lived in our village for more than half a year, and has been living with the Tao family's daughter-in-law. The two of them have a good relationship. Coincidentally, both of them were pregnant with children and were born on the same day. Xue, the mother-in-law of the Tao family asked me and the mother-in-law from the village to help deliver the birth."
"The daughter-in-law of the Tao family gave birth to a boy who was less than a month old. Madam Liu said at the time that the child might not be easy to support. I remember clearly that there is a large red spot on the right wrist of the doll. The daughter-in-law of the Tao family and the mother-in-law will definitely not be mistaken. "
"Alas, it's a pity that the girl who painted was bleeding profusely not long after she gave birth. We sent her to the town's clinic, and she lost her anger before we got there. I also later heard that the girl and the child were taken back by the family. ."
"But then I found out that the Tao family's child had no erythema on the right hand. I thought it was wrong at the time. I was afraid that I remembered wrongly, so I asked Mrs. Liu specifically, and she said that she also remembered that the Tao family's child had a birthmark on the hand, and we only found out. The Tao family quietly replaced the two children."
"Before Mrs. Liu left a few years ago, she told me about this several times. She said that she was not at ease, and I was not at ease either."
"It's really a sin. The child who should have grown up in the city grew up in our mountain, how sad his mother must be watching from the sky."
…
Lin Qinhe turned off the video, closed his dry and red eyes, his fingers trembled and clenched tightly, his nails carved into his palms so hard that his joints hurt.
He has already prepared himself mentally, imagined countless possibilities, and speculated about human nature with the greatest malice, but at this moment when he learned the absurd truth, he still felt unstoppable, and the intense hatred and anger were like a prairie fire, almost burning his internal organs. .
He was unforgivable to that family, unforgivable to their clumsy selfishness and meanness.
He couldn't forgive the two old people who had witnessed everything. Since his conscience was disturbed, why did he choose to remain silent
He couldn't even forgive the people around him. Why, for so many years, the two elders of the Fang family, Yang Zhengming, his mother Luo Zhengyin, who seemed to be obsessed with Fang Sui, never returned to the place where Fang Sui lived. Look, look at that abandoned child
But the rage was followed by endless pain and remorse, and memories swept over him like a snowstorm, each snowflake like a sharp knife, grinding on his heart.
"Student Lin, can I borrow your notebook to copy it?"
"cannot."
"… I, I just wanted to find a chance to talk to you, to be… friends with you."
"Don't use this boring way, let alone use Yang Duole."
"This is a gift from Yang Duole's father. He didn't come today. Bring it back to him."
"If I told you that I wanted to cry right now, but there was nowhere to cry, would you be satisfied?"
"My birthday is also Christmas."
"If one day I get sick too, and it hurts a lot, will you come to see me?"
"Remember the eighteen-year-old letter your mother gave you? I think she would have preferred you to have grown into a strong and optimistic adult when you opened the letter."
"Lin Qinhe, I will also try my best to be a strong and optimistic adult."
"If I grew up with you, would you still like me?"
…
Those details that I have paid attention to and ignored, those hidden behind the smile, the pain that I tried to suppress is unwilling.
Obviously there are traces to follow, and the foreshadowing has already been laid, but he does not know.
he does not know.
He couldn't forgive himself either.
"Qinhe?" Su Yun called softly, her eyes worried, she almost had the illusion that the young man in front of her was about to cry.
Lin Qinhe wanted to say something, but found that his throat was stagnant, as if it was blocked by hot coals, as if every breath he took in would cause pain to his numb heart.
He forced himself to calm down and used a lot of strength before asking in a hoarse voice:
"Didn't she say how he grew up?"
Su Yun looked at this young man who was almost grown up by herself, how could she still not understand his feelings for that child, and sighed softly:
"How can you grow up in a place like that?"
Fate is inherently unfair, some people are born with a golden spoon, some people are born like grass, but a star that should be shining is buried in the mud bottom of the well by absurd fate, maybe it can only be silent when exhausted , buried in the dust for life.
Lin Qinhe didn't know, but he still didn't dare to think about whether Tao Xi had been doing well in that house over the years.
Those adults who knew that he was not their biological child, did they treat him kindly out of guilt? Is there anyone to take care of him when he is sick? Will someone pick him up from school when it rains? He likes sweets so much, will anyone buy him candy
Every Christmas in the past, will someone buy a birthday cake for his Tao Xi
People may be parents a second, third, or even more times, but they can only be children once, and some things are missed in this life and never come back.
Cheerful Christmas songs can be heard faintly outside the door. Every year, there are a few familiar tunes, but people never seem to get tired of listening to them, and they listen to them year after year.
Lin Qinhe closed her eyes gently, suddenly stood up from her seat, turned to leave, but was stopped by Su Yun, she took out an old wallet from her bag, and quickly said another thing:
"Tao Jian resigned a few days ago. I made a special trip to the property company to inquire about it. I heard from his colleague that Tao Jian often went out some time ago, saying that he was gambling and lost a lot of money, but he didn't find it. Colleagues borrow money."
Tao Jian's work was arranged by her. Lin Qinhe was investigating this matter recently, so she also paid attention to Tao Jian's side.
"His colleague gave me a wallet he dropped in the staff dormitory. I thought Tao Jian might come back to find it, but he never came, and his colleague didn't know where he went."
Lin Qinhe was almost certain who gave Tao Jian the money, and he silently took the wallet from Su Yun.
The wallet had obviously been used for many years, and the rough and inferior leather had been worn a lot, and there was not much money in it, but at a glance he saw a group photo in the transparent layer of the wallet.
The photo may have been taken in a photo studio in the township, with a hanging curtain in the background. In the center of the curtain sits a couple in their thirties, and beside the woman on the right stands a seven-eighth year old girl.
Lin Qinhe quickly recognized that the girl was the younger sister that Tao Xi had painted, and the couple was self-evident.
In order to fit into the interlayer, the photo seemed to be randomly folded around the edges, he paused his fingers, pulled the photo out, and unfolded the folded part.
In the complete photo, a boy of about ten years old is standing beside Tao Jian.
The boy stood up straight and raised his chin slightly towards the camera. He was wearing an old yellow school uniform with a red scarf neatly around his neck. He stretched out his right hand in a salute gesture.
The corners of his mouth were wide open, his curved eyes were as bright as stars, and his smile was brighter than the sun.
As if he was the happiest kid in the world.
Lin Qinhe looked at the boy who was folded up in the family portrait, his Adam's apple rolled violently, he thanked Su Yun solemnly in a hoarse voice, turned and walked out.
The first snow fell on Christmas Eve. Snowflakes drifted silently to the earth amid the Christmas songs all over the street. The colorful umbrellas on the streets rose and fell, and there were glowing neon lights everywhere.
Su Yun anxiously ran to the door of the cafe, handed her umbrella to Lin Qinhe, and comforted softly:
"Everything is still lucky, fortunately you came to him, isn't it?"
Lin Qinhe's shoulders were covered with crystal and fine snowflakes, and he shook his head: "He came to me."
Holding an umbrella, he hurried into the blizzard.
The author says:
it's for tomorrow