Chen Zhe suffered extensive burns, but fortunately they weren't too serious. The medical expenses weren't nearly 1 million yuan as Su Liping claimed; that was just Su Liping trying to extort more money from Mu Wanzhi.
After undergoing a minor surgery, Su Liping sat by the hospital bed, peeling an apple while complaining.
“You weren’t clever when you were a child, and you’re still like this now. Why didn’t you take the money they offered you? It’s not like you were stealing or robbing. You saved her son, which means you’re giving her family a lineage. It’s such a big deal, what’s wrong with asking for some compensation?”
Chen Zhe simply smiled and didn't continue the topic. Instead, he changed the subject and asked, "Mom, have you and Dad found my sister?"
When this matter is mentioned...
The expressions of Chen Yishou and his wife darkened, and Su Liping shook her head.
"No, we finally found the family that adopted her back then, but the whole family is dead. The couple died mysteriously in the house, which was very frightening."
Chen Zhe was stunned for a moment.
She sat up slightly.
"How could this happen? Is it murder?"
"We don't know either."
Chen Yishou took over the conversation.
He instinctively reached into his pocket for a cigarette, but his wife, Su Liping, glared at him.
He coughed and said, "That happened a few days before we were attacked. The neighbors said they didn't hear any fighting. The person was found dead a few days later."
Su Liping's eyes reddened. After the apple was peeled, Chen Zhe reached out to take it, but his mother subconsciously took a bite herself.
While eating, he said, "My poor daughter, when we inquired about her, many people said they had never seen her. They only said that the couple had adopted many children over the years, but then they disappeared. The couple said that the adopted children were not healthy, so they sent them back to others, but we have never seen them send our daughter back to us."
Chen Yishou looked somewhat pained.
“We suspected that the couple were actually human traffickers. We went to the police station to verify this, and their investigation confirmed our suspicions.”
Su Liping burst into tears.
"She might have already been sold, maybe her hands and feet were cut off, she was left to beg on the roadside, and then she froze to death on some stormy night..."
Su Liping became more and more upset as she spoke, and large tears kept falling from her eyes.
Chen Zhe could only comfort his mother.
"Mom, don't always think the worst. Maybe things aren't as bad as you think."
"I'm not just imagining things. We've seen so many cases at the police station, they're truly horrific, sob sob..."
Su Liping had lost control of her emotions.
Chen Zhe hesitated for a moment, then said, "Mom, I believe my sister is still alive."
"You don't need to comfort me. I know it's all my fault. We shouldn't have abandoned her in the first place."
Chen Yishou's lips moved slightly, as if he wanted to say something, but he sighed instead. He also regretted his decision to abandon his daughter.
"Mom, actually I asked Master Xie. He told me before that my sister is still alive. You know, he's very accurate at divination, so I believe my sister will be alright."
Upon hearing this, Su Liping's eyes lit up, and she tightly grasped Chen Zhe's hand, which was still wrapped in bandages.
Are you telling the truth?
Chen Zhe was in pain from being grabbed; "Ouch, Mom, be careful."
"Then hurry up and tell me!"
Su Liping let go of her hand.
Chen Zhe took a deep breath; "I didn't lie to you. Didn't I call you to ask about my birthday back then?"
Su Liping nodded.
"Yes, I was quite curious at the time. Why did you ask that?"
"Back then, Master Xie predicted that I had an older sister. She said she was still alive, so you can rest assured that we will meet again someday."
Hearing Chen Zhe say this, the couple's guilt finally lessened.
"It would be great if we had a chance to meet, it would be great if we had a chance to meet. By the way, did Master Xie say where she is?"
"This... Master Xie didn't say."
Xie Laodao did not tell him where his sister was back then.
"Huh? Then why didn't you ask?"
Su Liping asked reproachfully.
"Mom, I was just worried you'd overthink things."
"Why would we overthink it? Never mind, let's go find Master Xie now."
After Su Liping finished speaking, she stood up, grabbed Chen Yi's hand, and prepared to leave.
As they approached the door, Chen Yishou turned around and said, "Your mother and I will go over first. Call us if anything happens, and if you feel unwell, just call the doctor or nurse."
"Mom, where are you going?"
"Of course we're going to Qingyun Mountain!"
Su Liping replied.
"Master Xie isn't on Qingyun Mountain; he's in the next ward, and Xiaoyu is there too."
When he woke up, he called Xie Yuhan, but Xie Laodao answered the phone; he had already arrived at the hospital.
"Oh, that's perfect! Old Chen, let's go!"
Seeing his parents leave, Chen Zhe shook his head with a wry smile.
He didn't blame his parents for not staying here to take care of him. He hoped his parents could find his sister and that he could understand his mother's guilt over the years—giving birth but not raising her is perhaps a regret for many parents.
The next room is Xie Yuhan's ward.
Xie Yuhan was still very weak lying in the hospital bed. Although she was not burned by the fire, the thick smoke had damaged her body. The doctor had just given her medication, and she had fallen asleep again.
Old Master Xie sat to the side, looking at his granddaughter's weak face, and sighed softly.
He had long anticipated this calamity for his granddaughter, but he couldn't say it outright. Although he knew she wouldn't die, seeing his lively granddaughter in this state still pained him deeply.
Chen Yishou and his wife knocked on the door and came in.
Old Master Xie was not surprised to see them.
They even figured out why they came here.
"Have you seen Chen Zhe?" Xie Laodao asked.
The couple nodded.
Su Liping glanced at Xie Yuhan on the bed and asked with concern, "Is Xiaoyu alright?"
"It's nothing serious, he'll be fine after a few days of rest. We owe this to your son. I haven't been to see him yet, is he alright?"
"Chen Zhe is a tough guy, he's thick-skinned and can save a few more people without any problem."
Su Liping laughed, hesitating about how to begin.
His granddaughter is still unconscious. Is it inappropriate to ask him about this now?
"Is Xiaoyu feeling better?"
Su Liping didn't realize that she had just asked that question.
Master Xie smiled.
They directly stated their purpose for being there: "You've come to ask about your daughter, haven't you?"
The couple's eyes lit up.
"Master Xie is truly a genius; you guessed it right away. We searched for a long time, but we only found the family that adopted her. Moreover, the family that adopted her died mysteriously. When we went to the police station, we learned that the family was actually human traffickers. Master Xie, I am very worried that something might happen to my daughter."
Master Xie nodded.
Then I did some calculations.
One minute later.
He stroked his beard and shook his head slightly.
Seeing the other person shake their head, the couple's hearts jumped. Su Liping asked anxiously, "Taoist Master, has something happened to her?"
Master Xie nodded.
"Something has happened..."
Su Liping's eyes reddened again, and tears streamed down her face. "Taoist Master, what happened to her? Is she still alive?"
"Don't worry, her life isn't over yet, she's not in any danger."
They breathed a sigh of relief upon hearing this.
Chen Yishou quickly asked, "Where is she now? How can we see her?"
"It depends on fate; there's no use in you being anxious now."
"fate?"
Su Liping became agitated again.
"Master, can't you just point out where she is so we can go find her? I want to make up for what I've done to her all these years."
"Your daughter has a weak bond with her parents. Forcing them to meet might backfire. It would be better for you to wait patiently."
"Master, I have endured for so long. I finally mustered up the courage to find her. Now, every time I close my eyes or dream, I see her. I dream that her legs and feet have been cut off. It feels like my heart has been ripped open with a knife. Master, can you understand my pain?"
“I understand, but I advise you to accept your fate.”
"Master, when will we be able to meet again?"
"That's hard to say. It could be a week, a month, a year, or even longer, maybe 10 years. It all depends on your fate."
Seeing that it might take 10 years, Su Liping couldn't control herself.
"Master, it's very difficult for me to endure for another 10 years. I don't want to endure it for even a second longer. Please show me a way. Please help my husband and me for the sake of my son saving your granddaughter!"
Faced with Su Liping's desperate pleas, Xie Laodao hesitated.
After a moment of silence, he said, "Do you really want to meet her?"
Su Liping nodded very seriously.
"Yes!"
"No regrets?"
“I have no regrets! If her hands and feet were really cut off, then we will take care of her for the rest of our lives.”
Chen held his wife's hand tightly and said to Master Xie, "Master, please help us. No matter what she becomes, she is still our daughter, and we really want to find her."
Master Xie looked at the couple and nodded slightly.
"Actually, you've met her before."
"Huh? When? Where?"
Su Liping asked in surprise.
Chen Yishou was also very curious; "Daoist Master, when did we meet her?"
"Judging from your appearances, it seems you have already met recently. Think back, haven't you met a girl around your daughter's age recently?"
"No! We've been looking for it, but we haven't found it..."
Before Su Liping could finish her sentence, she suddenly felt a sharp pang in her heart.
The image of Ye Lihong's cold yet story-filled eyes flashed through her mind.
She was so scared that her body was trembling, and she opened her mouth but couldn't speak.
Chen patted his wife on the shoulder.
"Ah Ping, what's wrong?"
Su Liping gripped Chen Yishou's hand tightly, her chest heaving.
"Old Chen, I...I...we might have really met her."
"Huh? When? Where?"
Chen Yishou has made no progress.
"Old Chen, do you still remember her?"
Su Liping looked at her husband with tears in her eyes, while Chen Yishou was puzzled by her question.
"Who is it? What exactly do you want to say?"
Seeing that Su Liping had understood, Xie Laodao said calmly, "Do you still want to see her now?"
Su Liping hesitated.
When she woke up, she heard her husband and mother-in-law talking about how dangerous the girl was; she was no ordinary person.
She now suspects that the human traffickers were likely killed by her own daughter. Judging from the look in her eyes, it seemed like she was even willing to kill her. She was a little scared.
"Master, thank you. We'll think about it some more!"
After thanking Master Xie, Su Liping left with her husband.
...
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com