In July, the countryside felt like it was in a steamer, with cicadas chirping and tearing at the sweltering air.
With Lao Li's help, Song Ning found her home.
She trudged along the cracked ridges of the field, her steps uneven, toward the crooked mud-brick house.
Strings of wilted chili peppers hung under the eaves, and the Spring Festival couplets on the door had long since faded to a pale white.
"Is Aunt Zhou here?"
Aunt Zhou was curled up in a bamboo chair, sunbathing, looking like a withered tree root. When she heard someone call her, she quickly sat up.
Her cloudy eyes narrowed sharply when she saw Song Ning, and she spoke in a voice filled with the vicissitudes of life: "Who are you?"
"Eighteen years ago, on the eighth day of the twelfth lunar month, at the Song family's house in the South City Textile Factory, do you still remember the time when you delivered the baby, Aunt Zhou?"
"Eighteen years ago, the Song family. The eighth day of the twelfth lunar month..."
Aunt Zhou's lips twitched suddenly as she began to recall.
"That happened so many years ago, I've long forgotten..." she said hoarsely, waving her hand, but her eyes were evasive.
Song Ning immediately took out a wad of banknotes from her bag and placed them on the stone table next to the rattan chair.
“Auntie, here is 500 yuan. If you tell me the truth, all this money is yours. To be honest, I am the girl you delivered back then.”
His pupils dilated suddenly, and he swallowed hard, his throat bobbing as he said, "You... are the daughter of the Song family..."
Her gaze fell on the banknotes, and she suddenly felt a little conflicted.
“Yes, ma’am, I’m here to find the truth. If you think it’s not enough, I’ll give you more.” She then took out another 500 yuan.
Seeing the thousand yuan, Aunt Zhou completely broke down.
She immediately grabbed Song Ning's hand with her withered, vine-like fingers and burst into tears: "Back then, your mother actually gave birth to twin sisters. Your father disliked that they were both girls, so he took one away and gave it to a client in Fujian Province. When your father took the baby away... that little girl cried so hard, like a kitten..."
While crying, Aunt Zhou sighed and said, "Later I heard that the customer encountered human traffickers on the way back to Fujian Province with the baby, and the child was lost... Over the years, I have always dreamed of bloody umbilical cords wrapped around my neck... It's retribution! I don't know if that little girl is still alive."
Upon hearing this news, Song Ning staggered back a few steps, almost losing her balance.
Sure enough, she knew the truth wasn't so simple...
I never imagined she actually had a younger sister who had been living away from home...
Where is my younger sister? Could it be Shen Zhixia...?
After returning from Aunt Zhou's house, Song Ning was completely distraught and dejected.
To find out if they are biological sisters, you would have to do a DNA test, but that technology doesn't even exist these days.
It's safe to say that finding his sister would be extremely difficult.
^
On the other side, Gu Tingzhou went to the supply and marketing cooperative that night to buy items for his marriage proposal the next morning.
But since he never paid much attention to these kinds of social interactions, he could only ask the salesperson.
"What are some things I should bring when I go to propose marriage?"
Even the sales clerks at the supply and marketing cooperative couldn't help but ask, "Director Gu, are you going to propose marriage?"
Upon hearing this, Gu Tingzhou couldn't help but give a soft "hmm".
The saleswoman laughed, "I wonder which lucky girl is. Everyone was saying you and Song Ning were together. The girl you were with that day probably wasn't Song Ning, right?"
"How could it be Song Ning? It's Shen Zhixia. Everyone was mistaken that day; they just look alike. We hope you can help dispel this rumor."
"Okay. Why don't you buy some cigarettes, alcohol, candy, and tea? I'll carry them for you."
“Okay.” Gu Tingzhou nodded.
He bought some wine, cigarettes, sugar, tea, and canned goods.
After purchasing the items and putting them at home, Gu Tingzhou sat in his yard and drank.
Looking at the pile of gifts, he was a little stunned. Was he really going to propose marriage tomorrow?
But actually, he felt quite guilty, unsure whether taking this step was the right or wrong decision.
As he drank glass after glass of wine, he began to feel numb.
Perhaps only alcohol can make him forget his troubles.
He wanted to confide in a friend, and couldn't help but think of Han Chae-young.
Without any hesitation, he grabbed two bottles of wine and headed towards the clinic where Han Caiying worked.
When Han Caiying went out to take out the trash, she happened to see Gu Tingzhou standing unsteadily at the entrance of the clinic.
"Gu Tingzhou, what are you doing here?"
Gu Tingzhou shook the bottle at her, "Come on, let's go out and have a drink."
Han Chae-young then locked the door temporarily and followed him to an empty park.
The two sat down, and Gu Tingzhou handed her a bottle of wine, then tilted his head back and drank it himself.
Why are you drinking so much?
Gu Tingzhou sighed, "I'm feeling down, so I can only drown my sorrows in alcohol. Song Ning is back, and I saw her, you know that?"
"I know." Han Chae-young nodded.
"Han Caiying, I'm going to propose to Shen Zhixia tomorrow. I thought I had let go of Song Ning, but seeing her again, I admit I still have feelings for her. I don't know if I should go to Shen Zhixia's house to propose." Gu Tingzhou sighed.
Hearing this, Han Caiying felt a mix of emotions. "Gu Tingzhou, if you truly love Shen Zhixia, then get along with her properly. If you just want to use her as a substitute, I suggest you don't propose marriage. If you really can't let go of Song Ning, it would be very unfair to Shen Zhixia to propose marriage so rashly. Nobody wants to be used as a substitute."
Gu Tingzhou tilted his head back and drank a glass of wine, his eyes filled with sorrow. "I know this isn't fair to Shen Zhixia. Actually, I do like Shen Zhixia, but we haven't known each other long enough to know each other, and it's nowhere near as meaningful to me as Song Ning. But if I'm not with Shen Zhixia, how can I let go of Song Ning?"
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