Chapter 68

Jiang Rou called Jin Dayou and told him about Li Xiao’s discovery and what Dong Mingming had said.

On the phone, Jin Dayou’s voice trembled slightly. “I’ll come right over.”

Five days later, Jin Dayou took a night flight to go to G Province. Li Xiao drove to pick him up, and they arrived around ten o’clock in the evening. They stayed for the night and planned to contact the Shen Family the next day.

Jin Dayou had made a special trip home in the meantime to fetch the only family photo from his childhood. The photo was taken when he was a month old—the photo was taken in front of his family’s old house.

Aunt Shi and her husband were seated on a bench; Aunt Shi was holding baby Jin Dayou in her arms, while her husband had four or five-year-old Jin Dapeng sitting on his lap.

The photo was not well-preserved and had become somewhat blurred over the years, but one could still vaguely see the resemblance between the four or five-year-old boy and Dong Mingming’s husband.

Jiang Rou hurriedly took out the wedding photos that Dong Mingming had given her a few days earlier. Jin Dayou examined each one carefully.

His hand that was holding the photos trembled slightly as he looked up at Li Xiao, asking with disbelief, “Brother, is it him?”

He was afraid he might be mistaken.

Li Xiao was also hesitant to be certain. “He looks like it. Let’s meet tomorrow and see. We’ll go directly to the hospital for a paternity test.”

The paternity test had become widely known after a local murder case revealed that a wealthy businessman had discovered that the two children he had raised for over a decade were not his. Because of this incident, many people in the high society circle went to the hospital for paternity tests, and indeed, several cases of cuckoldry were confirmed.

Jin Dayou stayed the night and, the next morning at breakfast, Jiang Rou called Dong Mingming to inform her of Jin Dayou’s arrival.

Dong Mingming said to wait a moment. About ten minutes later, she called back and said that Shen He had taken the day off and wanted to meet.

They agreed to meet at the entrance of a private hospital.

After breakfast, Jiang Rou and Li Xiao first dropped An An off at kindergarten before heading straight to the private hospital.

They thought they had arrived early enough, but to their surprise, Dong Mingming’s family was already there—waiting at the hospital entrance.

In addition to Dong Mingming and Shen He, Shen He’s adoptive parents were also present. When they saw them get out of the car, the family seemed a bit nervous.

Jin Dayou was nervous too. He hadn’t told his mother about this matter and hadn’t even visited her in the morning—fearing that it might turn out to be in vain.

After getting out of the car, the two families met and exchanged polite greetings. Shen He and his adoptive parents observed Jin Dayou, while Jin Dayou observed Shen He. Seeing the tall and imposing man, he felt an inexplicable pang in his nose.

He had never imagined that his abducted brother would have such a good life; he had always prepared himself for the worst.

Shen He looked at Jin Dayou with a complex expression.

Perhaps it was the blood connection; although it was their first meeting, Shen He felt a deep sense of sadness.

The two families were not very familiar with each other, especially given the current situation. No one was in the mood to talk, so it was Li Xiao who spoke up. “Let’s go in and do the paternity test first to see the results.”

Shen He’s adoptive father agreed, saying, “Yes, yes, let’s go in and see.”

The middle-aged woman standing next to Shen He’s adoptive father lowered her head, visibly distressed.

Everyone turned and walked into the hospital together. Li Xiao, Jin Dayou, and Shen He walked side by side in the back. Although the two brothers did not speak, both made attempts to get closer to each other.

Jiang Rou supported Dong Mingming as they walked in the middle. Dong Mingming was four months pregnant, but her belly was somewhat large. She had thought she had just gained weight. Jiang Rou had advised her to get checked at the hospital a few days ago and now asked, “Have you been to the hospital?”

Dong Mingming nodded, a smile on her face. “A few days ago, my mom went with me, and it turns out it’s twins.”

Jiang Rou smiled as well. “That’s great.”

Dong Mingming sighed, “Yes.”

She tightened her grip on Jiang Rou’s hand and whispered, “When my dad was still around, he used to say that the children born of me and of my husband were like my heart—as if my heart is connected to them. I didn’t take it to heart at the time, but now I understand a bit.”

Even though the two babies hadn’t been born yet, she already felt a deep maternal love for them. They were both treasures, and she liked each one.

So, she felt sorrowful for the mother-in-law she had never met. She had been searching for so many years, even losing her sanity but never giving up. Such love was profound.

Jiang Rou also clasped her hand in return.

Once at the hospital, Jin Dayou and Shen He followed the doctor to get the test done. The others were taken to a spacious office to wait. It wasn’t long before Jin Dayou and Shen He returned, and everyone remained.

Dong Mingming was a shareholder in this private hospital. The hospital said the results could be available as soon as three hours, so they decided to wait there.

The waiting was agonizing. Shen He’s adoptive parents sat side by side on chairs, not speaking a word.

Shen He glanced at Jin Dayou several times, then stood up anxiously, pacing around the office. Finally, he stood by the window, looking out at the scenery.

Jin Dayou sat next to Li Xiao, staring blankly at the floor.

After a while, the silence in the office seemed too heavy. Shen He’s adoptive father, sitting opposite them, finally spoke up, “I heard your name is Jin Dayou. Could you tell us about your family situation?”

Hearing the voice, Shen He, who had been standing by the window, turned around to look.

Jin Dayou seemed to sense something and also looked up briefly before quickly looking away. He answered Shen He’s adoptive father: “My brother went missing when he was seven. My parents had a disagreement when they went to my grandparents’ house. On their way back, they argued and didn’t notice until they got home—they didn’t realize that my brother hadn’t come back. After that, they kept searching for him…”

Jin Dayou recounted the events from that time. He didn’t know much, as he was less than three years old then. Much of what he knew was from his grandfather and neighbors, who had said that his brother was very smart and considerate even as a child, helping with chores and assisting neighbors with harvesting rice in the rain. He was described as a good child by neighbors and teachers.

But such a good child was never seen again. Jin Dayou’s parents searched for years without success, and almost everyone had lost hope.

After Jin Dayou finished speaking, there was a moment of silence in the office.

Shen He’s adoptive mother suddenly asked, “Does your brother look like Xiao He?”

Upon hearing this, Shen He’s adoptive father abruptly pulled her, signaling her not to say such things.

The adoptive mother pressed her lips together, her eyes filled with a hint of reluctance.

Jin Dayou, however, was not upset. He took out a photo from his pocket and said, “Take a look at this.”

He handed it to the couple opposite him.

The middle-aged couple took the photo and looked down at it, falling into silence.

Compared to Jin Dayou and Li Xiao, they were more familiar with Shen He’s appearance as a child. They had photos of Shen He taken after he was adopted, and the boy in the photo looked very similar to the seven or eight-year-old Shen He.

Dong Mingming, curious, came over to look. After seeing the person in the photo, she instinctively glanced at her husband standing by the window, then pulled Jiang Rou aside and whispered, “They look exactly the same.”

She had seen Shen He’s childhood photos before and had found a striking resemblance.

Seeing this, Shen He also came over to look. After seeing the photo, he clenched his fists tightly and then looked at Jin Dayou. They stood and sat, respectively, facing each other. Their gazes contained a multitude of unspoken emotions.

They were once the closest brothers in the world, but now they felt like strangers.

Shen He’s voice was hoarse as he asked, “Is she still well?”

He didn’t mention her name, perhaps unsure of what to call her, but Jin Dayou knew exactly who he was referring to. He paused and replied, “She’s alright. She now lives at Zhou Jian’s place. Her mind is sometimes clear and sometimes muddled.”

He didn’t go into too much detail, perhaps to avoid making Shen He feel too guilty.

But Shen He’s eyes still reddened. He wasn’t foolish; in their station, he had heard a couple of times that a woman had searched for her son for twenty years—even to the point of madness. She must have endured immense suffering.

Shen He’s adoptive parents’ eyes also became red. The adoptive father said, “I’m sorry.”

He felt regretful for having selfishly decided to stop searching for their son’s biological parents. If they had continued searching relentlessly back then, perhaps their family wouldn’t be in this situation now.

Jin Dayou shook his head, his expression calm. “It’s not your fault. I’m very grateful to you both. Thank you for adopting my brother and not letting him suffer.”

At that moment, Jin Dayou’s phone rang. He glanced at it, then stood up to answer, “Hello, Grandpa?”

The office fell silent again, with only Jin Dayou’s voice on the phone.

After waiting for over three hours, the paternity test results were out: they were indeed biological brothers.

Upon hearing the news, everyone seemed unsurprised. The resemblance had been clear when Jin Dayou showed the photo, and seeing the report only confirmed what they already suspected.

Neither Jin Dayou nor Shen He spoke. It was Shen He’s adoptive father who finally spoke, patting their shoulders. “It’s good news. Since we still have time today, how about Xiao He goes to see his biological mother?”

Shen He looked at Jin Dayou and nodded silently.

—o—o—o—

It was noon at that time. The group had first gone to a nearby restaurant for a meal, which had been planned beforehand. No matter the outcome of the test, they were determined to have a meal together.

However, the meal was as tasteless as chewing wax. Shen He’s adoptive mother was absent-minded, and both Shen He and Jin Dayou remained silent. Only Li Xiao and Shen He’s adoptive father were trying to lighten the mood.

Even Dong Mingming, who usually loved to laugh and chat, was hardly speaking, occasionally glancing at her mother-in-law.

After the meal, Dong Mingming had the driver take her in-laws home. She and Shen He then got into Li Xiao’s car and went to Zhou Jian’s house together.

—o—o—o—

At Zhou Jian’s house, Shen He saw Aunt Shi quietly sitting on the sofa, knitting.

There was no need for an introduction between mother and child. Upon seeing them, Aunt Shi immediately burst into tears.

The house was soon filled with the sound of wailing as if to release the bitterness of the twenty-year separation between mother and child.

Jiang Rou, unable to bear it any longer, turned around and went outside, her eyes also slightly red.

Seeing this, Li Xiao silently followed her out.

Standing at the doorway, Li Xiao reached into his pocket, but when he couldn’t find a handkerchief, he simply raised his sleeve to wipe Jiang Rou’s tears.

Jiang Rou, who was already feeling very sad, saw this and smiled, tilting her head, “No need.”

Li Xiao didn’t listen and continued to wipe her tears with his sleeve.

Jiang Rou lowered her head and let him do it. Hearing the cries from inside, her eyes reddened again, and she choked up quietly, “Li Xiao, I miss my parents.”

Li Xiao paused for a moment, then said, “Then let’s go back and visit them for the New Year.”

Jiang Rou shook her head. Only she knew that she would never see them again. Perhaps there were people in this world who looked exactly like her parents, but in her heart, her true parents were from her previous life.

They were different.

—o—o—o—

Jin Dayou stayed here for two days. After two days, Jin Dayou’s grandfather and Jin Dayou’s father and his family arrived.

His father had remarried and had a son and a daughter. The older child was five years old, and the younger one was three. They had all come along.

Jin Dayou looked very unhappy. He actually knew that his grandfather had always been in touch with his father, which was why he had never asked his family for money since he started high school. He had relied entirely on his scholarship and part-time work.

Aunt Shi had been in particularly good spirits these days, her mind much clearer, but she felt very insecure. She always wanted to find Shen He and insisted on seeing him before she could feel at ease.

Li Xiao had booked a large table at a restaurant. All four families came, including Zhou Jian’s family.

There were too many people, so they had to sit at two tables. Jiang Rou, Zhou Jian’s family, Jin Dayou’s stepmother, and the two children sat at one table. Li Xiao and Zhou Jian, being more sociable, sat at the table with Jin Dayou and his family.

Jiang Rou, holding An An, sat next to Wang Yan. They spoke quietly, and eventually, it wasn’t clear whether it was because there were too many people at the other table, but Dong Mingming and her mother came over to eat at this table as well.

Jiang Rou, smiling, served Dong Mingming some of her favorite dishes. Dong Mingming leaned close to Jiang Rou’s ear and said, “My husband has been having a hard time these days. My mother-in-law says she doesn’t care, but she’s been unwell and had to go to the hospital. My brother-in-law has been coming over daily to bring vegetables and check her pulse. He didn’t dare come after hearing about this. He’s stuck in the middle, and it’s hard to watch.”

Her husband, in particular, was a very responsible person, wanting to take good care of both sides, but in the end, he hurt both.

Jiang Rou didn’t know how to respond and could only offer comfort. “It’s still fresh. It’ll get better after some time.”

“Let’s hope so. My in-laws plan to come with my husband to celebrate the New Year with you all.”

“Your in-laws are reasonable people.”

—o—o—o—

The meal lasted a long time, and it was already dark by the time they left. Since there weren’t enough cars, they had to hail a few more outside the restaurant. When sending his adoptive mother to the car, Shen He instinctively helped her put on a coat and handed her some tangerine peel water to prevent motion sickness.

Aunt Shi, standing nearby, saw this and looked somewhat forlorn.

Jiang Rou and Dong Mingming also saw this and exchanged a glance.

That night, back home, Jiang Rou lay in bed sighing repeatedly and tossing and turning.

Finally, Li Xiao, unable to stand it any longer, held her close and wouldn’t let her move. “What’s wrong?”

Jiang Rou, distressed, said, “You see, with all this happening, it’s like having the same flesh on both palms. It’s hard for Shen He to be fair to either side.”

Li Xiao thought she was just overthinking. “The person has been found; what’s the point in worrying about this? It’s Shen He’s issue if he favors one side over the other.”

Jiang Rou was serious. “It’s not that simple. I just feel sad. His biological family broke apart to find him, and his adoptive parents are also very good to him. He’s an only child. How can he balance this?”

Li Xiao scoffed. “I think you’re just idle. How’s your revision going? Don’t forget you have an interview coming up.”

“…”

He then added, “That kid always has good luck; he’s the one who benefits the most.”

Jiang Rou suspected he was envious but didn’t dare say it in front of him. She only replied, “If this were happening to you, you wouldn’t say that.”

Li Xiao’s expression was indifferent. “Maybe. But I’m sure my luck isn’t as good as his.”

Jiang Rou thought about his past life and agreed that his luck was indeed poor.

She hugged him sympathetically and comforted him, “Not necessarily. I think you’re smarter than Shen He. Although your luck may not be as good, you’re intelligent. Heaven is fair.”

Li Xiao smiled when he heard this. He looked down at her and met her gentle, smiling eyes. He decided to retract his earlier words; his luck wasn’t bad at all because, in this life, he had met Jiang Rou.

—o—o—o—

In the following period, Jiang Rou devoted herself to preparing for the interview.

It was unclear if Jin Dayou’s family situation had affected Li Xiao, but this year, Li Xiao planned to return to his hometown for the New Year with them.

They had been here for three or four years without going back even once. Jiang Rou understood that Li Xiao was somewhat avoiding his hometown, perhaps because it brings back unpleasant memories.

This year, the plan to go back might have been a step towards reconciling with the past.

Dong Mingming, who was pregnant with a large belly, found it inconvenient to travel far, so only Shen He and his adoptive parents went.

Along with Zhou Jian’s family, Jin Dayou and his mother, and Jiang Rou’s family of four, there were more than ten people in total. They had booked the nearby sleeping berths, making the journey lively.

During this time, everyone became more familiar with each other, especially Li Xiao and Shen He. Since meeting Aunt Shi, Shen He had recalled some childhood memories, including the scar on his forehead.

This scar had been caused by Li Xiao throwing a brick when they were young. At that time, Li Xiao’s grandfather had compensated Shen He’s family with five eggs.

Li Xiao, known for his domineering nature from childhood, had then come to fight Shen He again over those five eggs.

Unexpectedly, because of this scar, Shen He had found his biological family. Touching his forehead, Shen He felt quite emotional.

Since becoming acquainted, Jin Dayou had also returned to his lively self. Now a graduate student at Beijing University, he was well-read and had broad perspectives. He could converse with anyone, and Shen He’s adoptive mother liked him very much, often laughing at his jokes.

Aunt Shi was also happy. With both of her sons by her side, she felt that her life was complete, and she didn’t wish for much more.

Both sets of parents were willing to make compromises for their children and get along well, not wanting to put the children in a difficult position.

Among all the passengers on the train, the happiest one was An An.

When they first arrived in G Province, she had been in her mother’s arms and remembered nothing. Now she could run and jump, and from the moment she boarded the train, she excitedly asked Jiang Rou what her hometown was like and what delicious food there was.

Annoyed by her constant questions, Jiang Rou finally pretended to sleep on the bed. Seeing this, An An immediately kicked off her shoes and climbed onto the bed, saying, “I want to sleep with Mommy.”

Jiang Rou’s bed was on the middle level, with Li Xiao’s below and Li Xin’s above.

An An was now sleeping in Li Xiao’s bed. The mother and daughter had made a mess of it, with An An pulling out marbles and candies from her pockets.

When Li Xiao returned after speaking with Shen He, he saw that his blanket had fallen to the floor and there was a small black shoe print at the foot of the bed.

It was clear whose it was.

He walked over with an annoyed expression, pulled the blanket back onto the bed, and tugged at An An’s braid. “Come out.”

An An hid under the blanket and continued to play with Jiang Rou, leaving only her little braid sticking out.

When her father pulled at her braid, she popped her head out with a giggle and said, “Daddy look at me!”

Then she buried herself back under the blanket.

Li Xiao didn’t continue looking for her but instead picked her up and placed her in the middle bed, patting her lightly. “Alright, time to sleep.”

He then took the blanket from the middle bed and covered Jiang Rou with it.

An An pouted and pulled the blanket off her head. “No.”

She still wanted to resist a bit.

Li Xin, who was lying on the top bed and hadn’t fallen asleep yet, heard the noise and stretched her head out to look below. She quickly said, “What are you playing? Auntie will play with you.”

An An immediately brightened up. “Auntie, come down.”

Li Xiao took off his shoes and squeezed onto Jiang Rou’s bed. As soon as he lay down, Jiang Rou was pushed up against the wall. She gave him a shove. “There’s no room.”

Li Xiao ignored her, lay on his side, and pulled her into his arms. He was tall, and his feet hung off the edge of the bed.

There was no choice, so Jiang Rou turned to face him.

Li Xiao seemed to be in a good mood. He lowered his head and planted a few kisses on her lips.

Jiang Rou smiled and scratched his chest, and whispered, “This afternoon, I’ll call Aunt Wang to air out our house. We haven’t been back in so long; it’s probably gotten moldy.”

“Sure, if it’s really bad, we can stay at a hotel.”

Jiang Rou disagreed. “Staying at a hotel during the New Year doesn’t feel right. It should still be livable after cleaning, and it’s our home.”

She and Li Xiao had left many beautiful memories there.

Li Xiao seemed to remember something and chuckled softly. He suddenly leaned close to Jiang Rou’s ear and said, “Do you remember that bed? It made a noise whenever it moved. The sound was actually quite pleasant.”

Jiang Rou pinched his waist and scolded with a smile, “You’re being inappropriate.”

Li Xiao curved his lips into a smile.