Chapter 198 I finally found you

Zhou Shufen noticed his unease and frowned slightly.

She silently rummaged through her canvas bag for a moment and pulled out an apple.

"Have something to eat, something to fill your stomach. This trip isn't just about getting to our destination and then it's over. We still need to find people, ask around, and talk to people. How can we keep going without some strength?"

Zhou Yufan slowly took the apple.

“Little sister, if it really is her... really Hua Chen... how am I supposed to say it? I'm afraid I can’t even say ‘I’m sorry’ properly.”

His eyes were downcast, and his fingers trembled slightly uncontrollably.

"Over the years... I haven't accomplished anything, no promotions, no money, not even a decent home. Do you think... she'll feel ashamed of me? Will she feel that marrying me was the biggest mistake of her life?"

Upon hearing this, Zhou Shufen rolled her eyes with a "tsk".

"Do you think Sister Hua Chen is the kind of person who only cares about money? If she really cared about whether you had money or power, would she have been so devoted to you back then? Would she have risked gossip to have a child with you? Would she have gritted her teeth and raised the child alone after you disappeared without a word? Wake up! If she looked down on you, she wouldn't have waited until now."

Seeing that Zhou Yufan was still looking down, she softened her tone.

"Second brother, listen to me. The moment you meet her, don't immediately bow your head and admit your mistakes, and don't rush to pat your chest and say 'I will definitely do this or that in the future.' Sister Hua Chen is not a child; she is a living, breathing person who has endured life day by day."

"So, you have to let her vent first. Let her yell at you, let her cry, let her pour out all the things that have been bottled up in her heart for over a decade. Only when she has let go of her burdens will anyone listen when you say 'I'm sorry'."

Zhou Yufan did not respond, but listened silently, his eyes slightly red.

After a long while, he slowly nodded.

As the train finally slowly pulled into the station, it was just getting dark.

The two followed the crowd out of the train carriage.

Zhou Shufen looked around and her eyes quickly locked onto the dim yellow light on the bus stop sign.

Let's go.

She picked up the heavy suitcase at her feet and strode toward the bus stop without looking back.

"As the old man said, we'll take a bus to the textile factory. It gets dark early there, so we need to hurry."

The No. 3 bus slowly drove up.

The carriage was already packed to capacity.

Zhou Yufan pursed his lips and shielded Zhou Shufen to his side.

Outside the car window, the street scenes of Guixi City flashed by one by one.

"This place is much more lively than Yuxin."

Zhou Shufen pressed herself against the bus window.

“Look, there are people coming and going in work clothes, carrying lunch boxes, riding bicycles, and some even pushing carts. This scene is much more impressive than our small factories in Yuxin. A textile factory that can support so many people must not be a small workshop, but a large state-owned factory.”

Zhou Yufan didn't respond.

He always felt that the face he dreamed of day and night would appear in the crowd at any moment.

The bus slowly arrived at the station, and the doors opened.

The two got off the bus with the flow of people and turned south along the cement road.

Just as the old man said, there was a narrow alley 200 meters away, with an old wooden sign hanging at the entrance, blackened by wind and rain.

Upon closer inspection, three crooked characters could still be discerned: "Qishun Lane".

"This is it."

Zhou Shufen opened the notebook she always carried with her.

"Hua Chen's house is number 12. Let's go one by one and make sure we don't go to the wrong one."

Zhou Yufan suddenly stopped in the middle of the alley.

His gaze was fixed on a half-open wooden door in front of him.

The rusty metal sign hanging above the door was still clearly visible.

"Number 12".

He could barely breathe, and his chest ached with a tightness.

Zhou Shufen noticed his unusual behavior and gently patted his arm.

"Don't panic, I'll knock. Don't be nervous, let me speak first."

She took two steps forward, stood in front of the door, and took a deep breath.

"Excuse me... is this Sister Li Huachen's house? Is anyone home?"

Inside the room, all was silent.

Zhou Yufan's palms were soaked with sweat.

Did the old man remember it wrong?

Just as he was about to turn and leave, a soft creaking sound came from the doorway.

A figure slowly peeked out.

She was a woman wearing blue overalls, the collar of which was faded from washing, and patches were sewn onto the cuffs.

Her hair was neatly combed, and her temples were already streaked with white.

But those eyes were clear and bright.

In that instant, Zhou Yufan was shaken.

Those eyes are clearly etched into his very bones.

"You are..."

Li Huachen's voice was low and hoarse.

Zhou Yufan looked at her, his lips trembling slightly.

Zhou Shufen quickly spoke up.

"Sister Hua Chen, it's me, Zhou Shufen! I lived at No. 2 South Street when I was little. You really don't remember us? This is Yu Fan, he's here to see you!"

Li Huachen's pupils suddenly contracted.

She stared intently at Zhou Yufan, her gaze sweeping from his pale forehead to his thin cheeks.

"You...how did you get here? All these years...how did you...find this place?"

Zhou Yufan could no longer resist and stepped half an inch into the threshold.

“Hua Chen…I’m here to take you home. I’ve been looking for you for fifteen years, and finally…I’ve finally found you.”

Li Huachen suddenly stepped back, staggering.

"Don't come in! Get out! All of you, get out!"

Zhou Yufan stood rooted to the spot, unable to move.

Zhou Shufen quickly tried to smooth things over.

"Sister Huachen, please don't get agitated. We really didn't mean anything by it. We heard you were here, so we came to check on you. It's getting dark, could we come in and talk for a bit? It's windy outside, and standing here for too long will hurt your health."

Li Huachen bit her lip, her lips trembling slightly.

She glanced at Zhou Yufan, her gaze lingering on his face for a few seconds, then looked at Zhou Shufen.

"Come in."

The room was empty, the walls were mottled, and there was only an old wooden table in the middle.

A yellowed certificate of merit was pasted on the wall, its edges curled up.

"How have you been all these years...?"

Li Huachen didn't look up, only hummed in response.

Zhou Shufen quickly responded.

"Sister Huachen, you work in a textile factory? This certificate must mean your skills are top-notch, right? I heard that the factory is very strict in selecting advanced workers; you can't get it without real skills."

Her expression relaxed a little when work was mentioned.

"I was just a machine operator, tending to a few looms. I wasn't exactly a skilled worker. The factory was kind to me and gave me an easy job, otherwise... I probably wouldn't have been able to handle it."

"What about the child?"

Zhou Shufen asked again.

"The old man said you had a child with you, where is he? I haven't seen him."

Li Huachen paused.

"I'm having evening self-study. The school is far away, so I won't be back for a while."

Zhou Yufan stared at the few glaring white hairs at Li Huachen's temples.

He remembered that she used to love dressing up.

How did things turn out like this in the blink of an eye?

"Hua Chen... about that year..."

His throat tightened, but he finally spoke.

"I...I've always wanted to tell you..."

"Don't mention that year!"

Li Huachen suddenly looked up.

“You ran away without a word, without even a trace! Where were you when I was kicked out of my home? Where were you when I was pregnant and had nowhere to go? Where were you when I was holding my child, eating cold cornbread in the factory, unable to even get a hot bowl of soup?”

Zhou Yufan's lips trembled slightly.

"I……"