Chapter 118 Aji My name is Aji, which means good fortune and auspiciousness. ...
"Sister, why aren't we going home yet? Mother will be worried if she can't find us."
Aji held a naan bread several times larger than his face in both hands, sitting obediently on a bench in the corridor, gently swinging his legs.
He was wearing a bright red cotton-padded jacket with long sleeves, rolled-up trouser cuffs, and patched shoes.
Her brown hair was slightly curly, and her round eyes blinked constantly. The young girl in the police station looked at her from afar, and her heart melted.
Palida was also holding a naan bread, which she had already bitten open.
Seeing that her younger brother didn't move, she tore off a piece and handed it to him, saying, "You can have mine, Aji. Keep yours for Mom."
"Thank you, sister." Aji nodded obediently and took the food. He was actually hungry too, but he couldn't bear to eat it.
“We’re waiting for an auntie. Once she comes, you can go home,” Palida answered her brother’s question.
Their family used to live a decent life. The father worked on construction sites, and the mother sold breakfast at a stall.
Later, she gave birth to two younger sisters, and her mother had to stay home to take care of them, so she couldn't go to set up a stall anymore.
With less income at home, my parents smiled less often.
One day, Palida overheard her parents saying "What to change?" A few days later, her father took her younger sister out, and when they returned, the sister was gone, and there was a new brother in the family.
The mother said that her third child was originally a boy, and she named him "Aji".
Their family moved from the city to the southern suburbs, where the father contracted a small farm to grow crops, and they lived a relatively comfortable life.
Aji's parents were very good to him, and although Palida would occasionally think of her third sister, she obediently kept the secret.
Until this year, when my mother gave birth to another baby boy. Everything changed.
Aji's room and bed were taken by her new brother, so she had to squeeze into a room with her two older sisters.
A few days ago, when Palida came home from school, she found that Aji was still wearing only a thin shirt, his little face was red from the cold, and his hands were covered in sores.
She had a big fight with her mother, and then dug out her second sister's old clothes and dressed Aji in them.
Parida gradually realized that Aji and her newborn brother were different because of her mother's attitude.
She kept wondering why?
Why did the parents send their third sister away? Why did they bring Aji back, but now they're treating Aji badly?
It wasn't until a few days ago that the school held a legal education lecture, and police officers from the local police station came to promote "anti-trafficking" efforts.
Palida then realized that Aji should never have been in their house in the first place.
Aji has his own father and mother.
Palida grew increasingly frightened. She didn't know whether Aji had been stolen by her parents, bought, or traded for her third sister.
But no matter which one it is, she has to return Aji to him.
After school on Friday, Palida went to the police station near the school alone.
…
"We're here, let's go down."
After sitting in the car for several tens of minutes, watching the trees and fields pass by outside the window and feeling the wind, Zhijia's emotions gradually stabilized.
She silently told herself that even if she didn't succeed this time, there would be a next time, and the time after that.
As long as she works hard to earn money, Aji will be found sooner or later.
"Wait a minute." Chen Mian reached out and stopped Zhijiayi.
She took off her oatmeal-colored wool coat and draped it over Zigai.
She pulled out a handkerchief from her bag, wet it with water, and said, "Wipe your face. I'm going to see my child. As a mother, I can't embarrass my child."
"Make yourself look nice. Look, put on some lipstick later."
"Yes." Zhijia nodded, her eyes reddening again.
Chen Mian reached out and straightened her collar: "You can't cry anymore, cheer up."
Let's go.
The two got out of the car, and Chen Mianmian led Zhijiayi inside with familiarity.
Passing through the lobby on the first floor and stepping onto the second floor, at the end of the corridor hangs a calligraphy scroll that reads "Enforcing the law for the people."
They spotted the beautiful child immediately.
"It's so similar, it's really too similar."
Ziga was still stunned; she felt that her portrait differed somewhat from Sadiq's.
Chen Mian was already shaking Zhijia's body excitedly, "This must be your child, Zhijia, he looks almost exactly like you!"
"Really?" Zhijia hadn't expected happiness to come so suddenly, and she could hardly believe it.
"Really! You can ask other people later if you don't believe me."
As the two were talking, Manlikanmu came out of the room next to the stairwell, carrying a stack of documents.
She was stunned when she saw Zhijiayi, because the resemblance was too striking.
"You...you've come to see Aji, haven't you?"
“He’s sitting over there. I’ll take you there.”
Manlikanmu led them into a small room, and after a while, he brought Aji in.
Palida, worried about her younger brother, came in with him.
Aji didn't understand what was happening, still holding the huge naan bread in his hands.
He stared blankly at the two pretty women in front of him, one sobbing uncontrollably, and the other looking at him with red eyes.
"Auntie, are you hungry too? Here, have this." Aji handed over the naan bread in his hand.
"I stopped crying after I was full. My sister said that girls shouldn't cry all the time, or they'll become ugly."
Looking at the well-behaved Aji, whose clothes didn't fit properly, Zhijia's tears flowed even more.
Afraid of frightening the child, she didn't dare approach, but instead squatted down and asked, choking back tears, "What's your name, little friend? How old are you?"
"My name is Aji, which means good fortune and happiness. I am two years old."
Parida stood at the doorway, looking at the beautiful aunt who looked a lot like Aji, and quietly added a comment.
“Aji is two and a half years old now. He was almost a year old when he first came to our home.”
“Auntie, did you also trade Aji for other children?” Palida asked.
Ziga was taken aback; she didn't understand Palida's question.
“My mother would take my third sister out, and when she came back, my third sister had turned into Aji.”
Parida said seriously, "If you also have many children at home and treat Aji badly, I will not return him to you."
Zhijia stood up and hugged the equally frail little girl: "Thank you for bringing Aji back, good girl."
"Don't worry, I only have one child, Aji."
Seeing that none of the people in the room were behaving aggressively, Manlikanmu turned around and went out to invite Sadiq, who was in charge of drawing portraits at the bureau.
Ji Yu also returned with them.
He was the one who took the statement in the Chiga case, and now that he heard there had been a major breakthrough, he naturally wanted to come and see for himself.
"Honey, what are you doing here?"
Chen Mian explained, "I happened to run into them, so I drove them to Chikayi."
Seeing that Chen Mianmian was dressed in thin clothes, Ji Yu quickly took off his police uniform and draped it over her.
They then arranged for her to sit on a chair to the side before starting to take her statement.
There were four chairs in the room. Chen Mianmian sat on one, Aji and Palida each sat on one, and the remaining chair was pushed and shoved by the group, none of them wanting to sit on it.
In the end, Ji Yu ordered that Manlikanmu sit down to take notes while he asked questions.
The details of how Aji arrived at Palida's house have been recorded in previous notes.
This time, Ji Yu compared the records from back then and asked, "Parida, does your brother have a red birthmark on his thigh?"
"have."
Which leg?
“Right leg,” Palida said.
She had changed her brother's pants and had seen that mole before.
"Besides you, does anyone else know that Aji was adopted from your family?"
Palida thought carefully for a moment, "It seems... an old lady who used to live next door to our house also knew."
“At that time, my third sister had just been born not long ago when she asked us if we wanted to give her away. She said that her family had a niece who couldn’t have children and she wanted to adopt one.”
Palida continued, "When Aji first brought her home, she even came to our house and brought a lot of things for my mother."
Ji Yu: "Did your family know that you secretly brought Aji out by yourself?"
“I know, Aji is sick. I said I would take him to see a doctor.”
"What's wrong with Aji?" Zhijia asked anxiously, reaching out to touch his head; it was indeed a little hot.
Palida: "He's almost recovered now. He caught a cold because he wasn't dressed warmly enough when I wasn't home."
"Okay, I understand. Since the child is still sick, let's complete the procedures as soon as possible."
Ji Yu then asked Sadiq to carefully examine Aji's appearance.
The first paternity testing center in China was established just two years ago. Xinjiang has not yet introduced this technology and can only continue to rely on the ability of professionals to distinguish between different types of paternity.
Sadiq crossed his arms and stared intently at Zhijia: "Do I need to see this? Can't you see it yourself? Mother and daughter look so alike."
"If I had known that Aji could look so much like Zhijia, I wouldn't have had to force myself to look at that trashy photo."
Zhijia said apologetically, "It's my fault, I've been causing you so much trouble."
Sadiq's face flushed instantly, and he stammered, "I didn't mean to blame you."
Ji Yu seemed to sense something was off and asked cryptically, "Sadiq, why are you talking so much today?"
“Can’t I… can’t I care about the people?” Sadiq retorted.
"Alright, I won't waste everyone's time any longer," Ji Yu said, closing her notebook.
“Since the time, characteristics, and appearance all match, Aji is most likely the child who went missing in Zhijia back then.”
Ji Yu continued, "Manlikanmu, you'll come with me later..."
"Never mind, go and call Xia Yang over. I'll take Palida home with him and also take a statement from her parents."
"Sadiq, after you finish the formalities, take the children to the hospital for a check-up first, and then escort them home."
"Received, mission accomplished."
Sadiq couldn't suppress the smile on his face; he truly was his good brother.
"Sister, can we go home now?"
Aji sat in the chair, rubbed his eyes, and yawned; he was a little sleepy.
"Yes, you can live with this aunt from now on."
Palida pointed at Ziga and said, "She is your real mother."
Aji stared blankly at Zhijiayi. He liked this pretty auntie; she smelled wonderful.
But, "Doesn't Mom want me anymore?"
“My mother said that if I don’t behave, she will give me away to someone else.”
"Did Aji do something wrong again?"
Palida looked at her younger brother and said, "You did nothing wrong. You've been very obedient."
"You must continue to listen to this aunt from now on, okay?"
"Okay, Aji will be good."
Goodbye, Aji.
I hope you can be happy.
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Author's note: Waaaaah, our poor little Aji is finally going to have a good life from now on.
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