Chapter 39: The Outcome

In the 1980s, finding a missing person wasn’t easy. There were no surveillance cameras, no internet to post missing person notices and household registration records weren’t networked. Everything relied on asking around.

The two police officers initially wanted one of the couple to ride with them to gather information on the way. Seeing Lin Qiao driving a jeep, they decided to have Lin Shouyi ride the motorcycle while one officer joined Lin Qiao in the jeep so they could ask questions on both sides.

Facing the police, Sun Xiuzhi was very cooperative, quickly recalling many details with their guidance. She provided the exact time Lin Wei left, his appearance and clothing at the time, his relationships, and the places he frequented. The information was scattered, but she and Lin Shouyi had already searched all the places they could think of.

The remaining places they hadn’t searched were the mountains, riversides, and reservoirs—places they didn’t dare to think about.

Seeing Sun Xiuzhi struggling to describe his appearance, the police stopped at the Lin family home and took a recent photo of Lin Wei to ask around the village. Progress was slow because several days had passed, and many people couldn’t remember if they last saw Lin Wei before or after he left.

In the afternoon, one of the police officers finally got a lead from an old shepherd. Lin Wei seemed to have headed towards the town. “He didn’t look well. He used to greet me from afar, but this time he didn’t even look at me. He had injuries on his face.”

Seeing the police, the old man grew concerned. “Is he still missing? Could he have been upset and done something rash?”

“You’re the one who’s rash!” Sun Xiuzhi almost spat in his face.

The old man knew his words were harsh but was genuinely worried. “It’s been several days. Even if he’s angry, he should have come back by now.”

Yes, it’s been four days. Even if Lin Wei was angry, he should have returned by now…

Sun Xiuzhi, still hopeful, asked Lin Qiao again, her eyes pleading, “Are you sure Dawei didn’t go to find you?”

“I never gave him my address, and neither did my mom,” Lin Qiao said, equally worried.

The last glimmer of hope in Sun Xiuzhi’s eyes faded, but the experienced police officers weren’t affected by her emotions. “Not coming back for so many days doesn’t necessarily mean something bad happened. Didn’t you say he left after a fight over his girlfriend? Let’s ask her if she knows anything.”

“Yes, let’s ask Yan Zi from the Guo family,” Sun Xiuzhi said, revitalized, and led the way to the Guo family.

Seeing her, Guo Yan’s mother tried to shut the door, even lifting the latch to keep her out. “How dare you come here? Get out!”

Sun Xiuzhi, in a hurry, didn’t expect this and got hit on the shoulder.

Guo Yan’s mother was about to hit her again when the two police officers intervened. “Hello, we’re from the town police station, here to investigate.”

Seeing the police, Guo Yan’s mother put down the latch but still looked cold. “We don’t know anything. Ask someone else.”

“He left with your daughter…” Sun Xiuzhi, holding her shoulder, tried to say more but was stopped by the police.

At that moment, a young woman walked out of the Guo house. She was tall, with big eyes and slightly tanned skin, probably from working outside. Her pants were rolled up, and she unrolled them as she walked. “Ask whatever you need. I was just dating him, not committing a crime.”

Straightforward, decisive, and without self-pity, Lin Qiao immediately felt a good impression of her.

Seeing Guo Yan’s attitude, the police stepped forward. “When was the last time you saw Lin Wei?”

“When she slapped me,” Guo Yan pointed at Sun Xiuzhi.

Sun Xiuzhi’s face turned pale, and the police glanced at her before asking Guo Yan, “Did he come to see you after he left?”

“No, my mom was home, and she wouldn’t let him in.”

The police asked several more questions, and Guo Yan consistently answered the same. It was clear they hadn’t seen each other since the incident.

Sun Xiuzhi, who had been hopeful, gradually became unsteady and finally fainted.

Lin Qiao hadn’t planned to intervene, but seeing Lin Shouyi standing there motionless, she had to step forward to help. Only then did Lin Shouyi react and take over.

Guo Yan glanced at Lin Qiao and told the police, “Lin Wei wouldn’t do anything rash. He’s not that kind of person. But I don’t know where he went. He told me he didn’t want to stay with his family anymore after they sold his sister.”

Lin Qiao hadn’t expected Lin Wei to say that. “What exactly did he say?”

“He said he felt useless, couldn’t make decisions, and didn’t need a job. His parents didn’t listen. He also said the family would be better off without him, and they wouldn’t have had to sell his sister if he wasn’t there. He didn’t know how she was doing outside.”

Lin Wei had never mentioned this to Lin Qiao, nor had he sought out Liu Yulan to ask about her.

Guo Yan finally told the police, “If you need me to help find him, I have no problem with that.”

Her mother clearly disapproved but sighed, seeing her determination.

At this point, the next step was to investigate in the town. With so many people and four days having passed, it would be even harder to find clues than in the village. Everyone worked for another half day, and as night fell, it became clear that no new leads would be found today. Lin Qiao took Liu Yulan back home.

The small village was especially quiet on a summer night, with only the sounds of cicadas and frogs. Most households had already turned off their lights, except for the Yang family, who left a light on for Liu Yulan.

In the open courtyard, the man Lin Qiao had seen earlier was holding a four or five-year-old girl, patting her as he walked, though he seemed a bit clumsy and flustered. Hearing the car engine, he quickly walked out of the courtyard, and Liu Yulan eagerly went to open the car door.

Seeing her struggle with the door, Lin Qiao helped her open it. As soon as Liu Yulan got out, the little girl in the man’s arms pouted and reached out for her.

“Mommy, hold me, mommy,” the little girl said. Liu Yulan took her and patted her gently, and the girl soon calmed down, burying her head in Liu Yulan’s neck. Liu Yulan then asked her husband softly, “Where are the older two?”

“They went to bed early. Only the youngest was fussing and kept asking for you.”

Hearing this, Liu Yulan’s heart ached, and she kissed the child’s cheek. “Mommy’s here, mommy’s back now.”

Watching the happy family of three, Lin Qiao suddenly understood why the original Lin Qiao didn’t want to see Liu Yulan.

Sometimes, without comparison, one doesn’t feel pitiful. Realizing that the happiness one should have had is being enjoyed by someone else is truly painful.

She didn’t rush to speak. After the couple finished talking, she got out of the car and greeted them. “We’ll be going now. You should rest early.”

“It’s so late, why not stay the night?” The man, though a bit uneasy, offered.

Liu Yulan looked at Lin Qiao, who politely declined. “I booked a room at the town inn when I arrived. The money’s already paid, and they won’t refund it.”

In reality, she and Xiao Fang had stayed overnight on the road, still several hours’ drive from Songshu Town. They had come directly to Shahe Village upon arriving in town.

Since they hadn’t had much interaction before and wouldn’t have much in the future, it was best not to get involved in each other’s lives. Each should live well on their own.

The next morning, Lin Qiao arrived at Shahe Village to find Liu Yulan waiting at the village entrance.

Mother and daughter went to the Lin family home together just as the village’s only barefoot doctor, Dr. Ma, came out with his medical kit. It was clear that Sun Xiuzhi was ill and had just received an injection.

Dr. Ma walked away, advising Lin Shouyi, “Be careful and try not to let her get too agitated. It’s only been three months, and two people in your family have already needed heart-strengthening injections.”

Lin Shouyi’s face didn’t look good, but Sun Xiuzhi, lying on the kang, struggled to get up when she heard Lin Qiao had arrived. Unable to rise, she reached out her hand with difficulty. “Qiao girl, I beg you! Please help me find your cousin Dawei! The Ji family has influence; they can surely find him, right?”

In the original owner’s memory, she had never seen Sun Xiuzhi so humble and tearful, begging for help.

Lin Shouyi had clearly never seen it either, especially with Dr. Ma still there. His face flushed, and he immediately shouted at her, “What are you doing?”

Sun Xiuzhi ignored him, clinging to the edge of the kang and crying. “I was wrong before. You can take it out on me however you want, just please help me find Dawei! He’s my only son. If something happens to him, how can I live as his mother?” She had lost a child before, burying a black-haired person as a white-haired one. Lin Wei’s disappearance had completely broken her.

In contrast, Lin Shouyi, though his face didn’t look good, was too calm, even cold, compared to her.

Lin Qiao thought for a moment and stopped a meter away from the kang. “Do you know if Dawei had any money with him?”

Sun Xiuzhi was clearly taken aback by the question. “He should have. He’s always been good with money.”

“No news is good news. If he had money, could he have intentionally hidden or gone back to your hometown?”

Sun Xiuzhi wasn’t a local; her hometown was thousands of miles away. In the original owner’s memory, she had taken the children back there once. Sun Xiuzhi’s eyes lit up at the suggestion but quickly dimmed again. She shook her head. “I only took him back once when he was thirteen.”

“Then send a telegram to ask. It’s at least a lead. I’ll continue searching in the town and county.”

Sun Xiuzhi nodded repeatedly and brought up her earlier point. “I was wrong before. The Ji family has influence. Even if the police can’t find him, they surely can, right?”

“Parents’ hearts are always with their children,” Liu Yulan sighed softly as they left the Lin family home.

Sun Xiuzhi seemed more sincere about her child than Lin Shouyi. To get Lin Qiao’s help, she was even willing to apologize and beg. But she was somewhat naive, thinking a few apologies could erase past grievances. And if Lin Wei were found, who knows if she would revert to her old ways.

I won’t do that again. Many people say this, but it’s hard to change one’s nature. How many truly change?

Lin Qiao didn’t say much. She first went to the town to send a telegram and then met with the two police officers from the previous day.

“Can we check the bus stations in the town and county?” She had been pondering this question before going to sleep last night.

Shahe Village only had one elementary school, which only taught up to the third grade. Lin Wei had attended school in the town from the fourth grade onward, so quite a few people knew him. If he had been in the town for so many days, needing food and shelter, he would have left some traces. How could there be no news at all?

Could it be that, as he told Guo Yan, he really didn’t want to stay with his family anymore?

The railway near their hometown had only started construction in the past two years and wasn’t yet operational. People mainly traveled by bus. The police remembered this but had to check the river and reservoir for any recent incidents today. They could only spare one officer to go to the bus station with Lin Qiao.

“Your family reported the case too late. It will be hard to find him now. So many people take the bus every day, and the ticket sellers might not remember,” the police officer told Lin Qiao on the way.

Lin Qiao knew this too. In those days, bus tickets weren’t sold with real names; you just paid and got on. But they couldn’t not try.

They asked at several bus stops but found nothing. As the sun rose higher, everyone was sweating, and the back of the police officer’s uniform shirt was soaked. Lin Qiao was about to buy some popsicles when she suddenly paused. “Did we ask at the new newsstand by the road?”

The police and Liu Yulan were both taken aback.

Considering people needed to eat, they had already asked at the town’s restaurants and shops the previous afternoon, but no one had seen Lin Wei. No one had thought of the newsstand.

The newsstand was a new addition after the reform and opening up. It sold newspapers and offered phone services. Previously, newspapers were only subscribed to by units through the post office and not sold to individuals. Due to its special location, the one by the bus station also sold some bread and biscuits, and someone nearby had set up a small stove to sell tea eggs. But when they passed by yesterday, it was late, and both the newsstand and the tea egg vendor had closed.

The group exchanged glances and quickened their pace. When they showed the photo and asked, someone finally recognized Lin Wei.

“I remember this young man. He bought tea eggs from me before. He looked like he hadn’t eaten in a long time and almost choked. He cried while eating,” the tea egg vendor said, pointing to the newsstand. “He also bought some letter paper there, saying he needed to write something.”

They hurried to the newsstand and asked. The person in charge handed them an unsent letter. The handwriting on the letter was familiar, with two wet spots that had blurred the ink, indicating the writer had cried. Not wanting to spend money to rewrite it, the writer had wiped the wet spots, but the letter paper hadn’t been changed, and there were visible corrections.

“Dad, Mom, I’m going to the city to find a job. Don’t worry about me.”

The letter began with this sentence. Sun Xiuzhi’s hands trembled as she read it, struggling with her limited literacy.

As the only clue, the police immediately opened the letter and read it before returning it to the Lin family in Shahe Village. Lin Qiao had already learned its contents on the way, feeling inevitably complicated.

The hardest thing for Lin Wei to bear in his life was probably his parents’ ‘It’s all for your own good.’

For his own good, they disregarded his wishes and his relationship with Lin Qiao, insisting on selling Lin Qiao.

For his own good, they thought Guo Yan was unworthy of him and slapped her twice without a word, humiliating her.

Even as a child, it was normal for boys to get into fights, but Sun Xiuzhi would go to the other child’s house and beat them up, leaving no one willing to play with him.

It seemed that ever since Lin Shouyi and Sun Xiuzhi lost their younger son, they had tightly grasped onto Lin Wei, suffocating him more each day.

“In the end, it’s my fault. If I could find a job and earn money, the family wouldn’t have had to sell Qiao Qiao. If I could support the family, we wouldn’t have to sneak around in this new era, afraid of our parents’ opposition…”

Lin Wei’s letter didn’t explicitly blame them, but every sentence seemed like a silent accusation.

“Now that the reform and opening up have begun, people are starting to do business. I’m a grown man with hands and strength; I won’t starve. Once I’m settled, I’ll find a way to write to the family. If I don’t make something of myself, I won’t come back…”

“That foolish boy, without a household registration, he’s just a black household. How can he find a job?” Sun Xiuzhi cried, gasping for breath.

Lin Shouyi’s face didn’t look good either. He didn’t say anything but glanced at Lin Qiao. At least he knew how to ask for help, but his pride meant he needed her to offer first.

Lin Qiao pretended not to see. She couldn’t help much anyway. In those days, information wasn’t widespread. Even catching a fugitive could take years, let alone finding an ordinary person.

She stood up from her chair. “When Dawei left, he told the newsstand that if no one came to find him within three days, they should mail the letter. He had already put a stamp on it. The person at the newsstand had some personal matters yesterday and didn’t come, so it was delayed until today.”

During those three days, his parents were busy asking Liu Yulan for her address and didn’t look for him. Who knows how he would feel if he knew…

Lin Qiao didn’t stay any longer. “Since there’s news, I’ll be going back.” Without waiting for a response, she left.

Outside, the bright summer sun gradually dispelled the gloom and oppression she felt inside the house.

Lin Qiao took a deep breath and decided to visit Guo Yan’s house next door, sharing Lin Wei’s news and the letter with her.

Guo Yan listened silently for a while, her emotions unreadable. After a moment, she blinked and said, “Well, at least he’s acting like a man.”

If Lin Wei hadn’t left, his life would have remained the same. Only by leaving did he have a chance for something different.

Seeing Lin Qiao looking at her, Guo Yan snorted, “Do you think I’d be interested in him if he were really a coward? If he hadn’t stood up for me and held his mother back, I would have…”

“You would have hit back?”

“Forget it. Let’s not talk about that. You’ve changed a lot in the past few months.”

Guo Yan was tough and capable, often outdoing many men in farm work, the complete opposite of the original Lin Qiao.

Lin Qiao, who had been gone for three months, raised an eyebrow confidently. “If I didn’t change, I’d be waiting to be sold. But you and Dawei, how come I never noticed before?”

“Do you expect to notice everything?” Guo Yan gave her a sideways glance, but seeing Lin Qiao wasn’t as silent as before, she liked her more. “I always said you were too honest. You should have stood up to them. You don’t owe them anything. Why let them take your dad’s pension and bully you?”

It wasn’t that Lin Qiao didn’t want to, but she had arrived at an unfortunate time, already forced into a corner with no other options. But with Guo Yan’s fiery nature, even if she couldn’t gain the upper hand, she’d rather hurt herself than endure the humiliation.

“Now that Dawei has left, let’s see what they do,” Guo Yan couldn’t help but bring it up again.

The only child they had tightly held onto suddenly flew away, whereabouts unknown. As long as he didn’t return, the couple would remain anxious and uneasy.

After her cold snort, Guo Yan fell silent for a moment before asking softly, “Qiao Qiao, tell me the truth, is it really easy to find work outside now?”

Ultimately, she was worried, so Lin Qiao didn’t hide the truth. “Without a household registration, finding a formal job is impossible. But the same effort will earn more outside than farming in the village. And now, private factories are starting up. In the future, you might be able to work in a factory.”

“So, going outside offers more opportunities than staying in the village?”

Guo Yan’s words made Lin Qiao look at her more closely. “If you want to go out, it’s best to wait a bit longer. It’s not necessarily safe right now.”

“Do you think I’m as foolish as your brother, running out to become an undocumented worker? If I go, I’ll check nearby first.”

Guo Yan’s response made Lin Qiao stop questioning her. Instead, Guo Yan asked Lin Qiao, “How are you doing in Yandu? I didn’t get to see you off last time.”

“I’m doing well. I found a job teaching at a military school.”

“Good thing you got married quickly. Otherwise, who knows what those two would have planned? I must have had poor judgment to fall for your brother.”

Leaving the Guo family, it was nearly noon. Lin Qiao and Xiao Fang decided not to stay longer and planned to head back to Yandu after lunch.

Neither the Lin family nor Liu Yulan’s home felt like a place for Lin Qiao, but the small two-story house she had lived in for just over two months gave her a sense of belonging. Even before entering, just seeing its familiar outline in the night made her feel at ease.

Ji Duo was clearly still awake. Soon, a tall figure appeared in the light from the second floor. “You’re back.”

“I’m back,” Lin Qiao replied, thanking Xiao Fang again and getting out of the car with her things.

Ji Duo took her things without asking much, sending Xiao Fang to rest.

Once they were upstairs, Lin Qiao changed clothes and collapsed onto the bed without saying a word.

Ji Duo tidied up the desk and quickly turned off the lights.

The next morning, when Lin Qiao woke up, the other side of the bed was empty. Ji Duo had already gone to the military camp, but he had left food for her in the kitchen downstairs.

After eating, Lin Qiao took her ticket and went to the bathhouse for a bath. When she returned, she threw all her clothes on the trip into the washing machine.

Fortunately, she had driven herself, with places to change clothes along the way. Otherwise, a long trip in the summer would have left her smelling bad.

At noon, Ji Duo returned, bringing lunch with him. This way, they wouldn’t have to go out in the scorching sun to eat.

Lin Qiao took the lunch box and placed it on the dining table. Just as she was about to get the bowls and chopsticks, she heard the man say out of the blue, “Don’t you have something to tell me?”

Why did that sound so familiar?

Lin Qiao paused, thinking she hadn’t done anything wrong. “Are you asking about my trip back?”

Ji Duo didn’t confirm or deny it.

Lin Qiao sat down and, while eating, explained the process and outcome of her trip to find her cousin. “I’ve asked my mom to keep an eye out. If my cousin sends a letter, she should let me know.”

Hearing Lin Wei leave home because of a relationship issue, Ji Duo frowned, clearly disapproving, but he didn’t say anything.

Lin Qiao knew that if it had been him, he would have handled it more maturely and would not have let things get to this point. However, everyone has different personalities and upbringings, so their ways of handling things naturally differ.

Just as Lin Qiao was about to wash the dishes, Ji Duo took them and quickly washed them himself.

“I have something to discuss with you.” He picked up the enamel mug from the coffee table in the living room, signaling her to follow him upstairs. Once in the second-floor bedroom, he gestured for her to sit opposite him at the desk.

His serious demeanor made Lin Qiao wonder what had happened in the two days she had been away. Then, with a stern expression, he placed the enamel mug down and said, “Comrade Lin Qiao, I believe we need to discuss the issue of trust between husband and wife.”