During her postpartum confinement, Xing Zhaozhao kept thinking about that door. Now that her confinement is finally over, she plans to go there again to check on the situation.
"Dafei, Mom is going into the mountains in a little while to see if we can bring back some more game. You stay home and take good care of your younger brother and sister, especially your sister. Be careful not to let her fall off the kang (heated brick bed) or cover her face while sleeping. Mom will be back before lunchtime as soon as possible."
Before leaving, Xing Zhaozhao gave special instructions to her eldest son, Hongfei.
In the past, she would not have dared to leave her newborn daughter, who was only a month old, in the care of her two sons.
However, after experiencing the ups and downs of human relationships recently, the two mischievous boys who used to have no burdens and only knew how to play wildly have now become sensible and mature.
Especially the eldest son, Hongfei, seemed to have grown up overnight after moving out of the Gao family. Before, when she was in confinement, he not only helped Aunt Hao with chores, but also learned to take care of his younger siblings and his mother who was still in confinement. He even had time to ask Aunt Hao to help him catch two chickens to raise.
“With Dad gone, I’m the oldest man in the family, the pillar of the family, so of course I have to take good care of my younger siblings and Mom,” he once said to Xing Zhaozhao in a serious tone.
Therefore, Xing Zhaozhao is now at ease, believing that even if she is not around, her eldest son can take good care of his younger siblings.
"Okay, Mom, don't worry, I'll take good care of my sister." Hongfei looked at Xing Zhaozhao, nodded seriously, and said.
Not to mention just watching over his little sister to prevent her from falling and getting suffocated, he has learned from Grandma Hao several times how to feed her water and change her diapers, and he guarantees that he will take good care of her.
Xing Zhaozhao smiled and patted her son's head, preparing to leave. She looked around and, not seeing her youngest son, asked, "Why don't I see Xiao Yumo?"
“He went out to catch earthworms to feed the chickens. I didn’t let him go too far. He should be outside. Mom can see him as soon as she goes out,” Hongfei said.
Xing Zhaozhao went out to take a look and sure enough, she saw the little guy digging in the mud next to the house, by their newly opened vegetable garden. Without disturbing him, she closed the door and quietly went to the cellar in the backyard.
To Xing Zhaozhao's surprise, Hong Yu, who had been digging in the mud for a long time but hadn't found many earthworms, returned with his jar of earthworms, just as she left, and saw Xing Zhaozhao heading towards the backyard.
Although he didn't know what his mother was going to do, he wanted to help her just like his older brother did. He immediately grabbed his jar of earthworms and chased after her, calling out, "Mom..."
But his mother seemed not to hear him and continued walking quickly. By the time he caught up with her in the backyard, she was gone. He then saw that the cellar door, which had always been closed, was open.
Curious, he walked over and went down the stairs to the cellar. But before he had even gone down two steps, he saw his mother "whoosh" through the wall and disappear in a corner of the cellar!
Hongyu: "??!!"
Little Hongyu was completely terrified. The jar of earthworms she was holding fell to the ground with a "crack," shattering inside. The earthworms spilled out and tumbled all over the ground.
Hongyu couldn't care less about anything else at this moment. She burst into tears and ran to find her brother: "Brother, brother, Mom is gone..."
Inside the house, Xiao Hongling was sleeping soundly on the kang (a heated brick bed).
Suddenly, a sobbing sound came from outside.
She frowned slightly, looking uneasy.
Seeing this, Hongfei frowned and turned to look at Hongyu, who was running in crying. He scolded her in a low voice, "Keep your voice down, don't wake your sister up."
Hongyu suddenly stopped crying, a breath caught in her throat, and she couldn't help but burp.
Hongfei quickly went over and patted his back, poured him a glass of water to drink, and helped him catch his breath. Then he asked, "Why are you crying?"
Hongyu held her brother's hand tightly, tears streaming down her red eyes, but afraid of waking her sister, she held back her sobs, saying, "Brother, Mom... Mom is gone..."
Hongfei tugged at his sleeve to wipe away his tears: "What nonsense are you talking about? Mom went hunting in the mountains. She's just not home, not missing."
Hongyu shook his head vigorously: "She didn't go hunting, she really is missing. I just saw my mother go to the cellar in the backyard, so I followed her and watched her disappear through the wall in a flash."
Hongfei's face paled upon hearing this, and he couldn't help but squeeze his younger brother's hand tightly: "Really? You saw it with your own eyes?"
“Mm.” Hongyu nodded.
"Take me to see it." Hongfei said, pulling Hongyu along and running to the cellar.
“This is it.” Hongyu pointed to the spot where Xing Zhaozhao had just disappeared.
Hongfei frowned, walked over and patted the wall. It was solid, a wall.
"Are you sure this is the place?" he asked Hongyu, turning to him.
Hongyu nodded vigorously: "Yes, yes."
"Brother, has Mom been kidnapped by a monster?" he asked Hongfei.
Hongfei shook his head: "There are no monsters in this world."
"Then how could Mom suddenly disappear?" Hongyu asked.
"..." Hongfei couldn't answer either.
"Mom must have been kidnapped by a monster," Hongyu insisted on his belief.
"No, I have to go find Grandma Hao and save Mom." With that, he turned and ran to find Aunt Hao for help.
Hongfei quickly grabbed the person and said, "No, you can't go."
Hongyu glared at Hongfei angrily: "Why? Don't you want Mom to come back?"
“You just said that Mom came here on her own. Although I don’t know how she disappeared, she was definitely not taken away by a monster. What if you bring Granny Hao here, and Mom suddenly appears when she comes back, is seen by people, is mistaken for a monster, and is taken away and paraded through the streets wearing a tall hat?” Hongfei said.
Hongyu had seen those who were paraded through the streets wearing dunce caps, and his little body trembled with fright. He shook his head vigorously and said, "I don't want my mother to be paraded through the streets wearing dunce caps."
"Then just stay here and wait for Mommy to come back." Hongfei patted his little head to comfort him.
Hongyu's expression softened slightly: "Will Mom come back?"
Hongfei nodded vigorously: "She definitely will. Mom said she'll be back before lunch."
As he spoke, Hongfei looked at the solid wall, but he was terrified: Mom will come back... right?
Xing Zhaozhao was unaware that her sons had discovered her secret so quickly. She went through the gate, followed the reservoir, and found another path down the mountain.
When she reached the foot of the mountain and saw the scene before her, she was completely stunned.
Look at that smooth, wide, and straight main road, and all kinds of cars, big and small, running back and forth on it.
Is this really still their China?
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