Chapter 114 Unresolved Family Ties 1 Among the boys I saved two years ago...
The old man sat cross-legged on the bed. Hearing his disciple's voice, he remained unmoved, still meditating with his eyes closed, like an old tree root.
The young man waited outside the door for a while, but received no response. He had no choice but to continue tentatively, saying, "Master, my junior sister has taken in a lot of cats and dogs, and many of them are sick or injured. Why don't you lend me your Mirage Beast so I can go and help those poor little creatures?"
The old man remained motionless, and it was unclear whether he was asleep or not. The young man waited for a few more minutes, but he lost patience. So he quietly pushed open the door, tiptoed over, and took the small animal coiled up like a mosquito coil from the futon next to the old man.
After he quietly closed the door and left, the old man silently opened his eyes and sighed.
That fool is really disobedient. Luckily, he had already tampered with the mirage beast, so his disciple will eventually find his way back.
Sure enough, less than half an hour later, the young man returned to the courtyard dejectedly, the cute little dragon coiled on his arm, blinking its watery eyes with an innocent look on its face.
The young man couldn't bear to get angry at such a small creature, so he sighed, gave up the idea, and obediently went back to his room to meditate.
It's all his fault for being so impatient. Next time, he should choose a time when his master isn't around and sneak out to see his junior sister.
*
To be honest, Qiu Xiaoman had no hope for this search for relatives. So many years had passed, even if Shen Yuehu was still alive, he probably would have changed his scent.
After all, a person's body odor is determined by their living environment, diet, and physiological age. It is unlikely to remain unchanged for many years unless the person stays in the same place and their habits remain the same. Even so, the relentless passage of time can be a trickster, causing a person's body odor to change.
Therefore, even if Shen Tenglong finds the shoes that Shen Yuehu once wore, and even if Qiu Xiaoman brings the dog over, it will probably be like finding a needle in a haystack.
But no matter what, she was determined to give it a try.
How many blood relatives can one have in a lifetime? If even they are abandoned, then Shen Yuehu is truly dead.
When Qiu Xiaoman arrived at their destination, she led Xiaohua and Xiaobai out of the car, ready to begin their long journey to find their relatives.
Little Flower sniffed the shoes and couldn't help but sneeze: "It stinks, Master."
Qiu Xiaoman bent down and patted the dog's head: "Lively and active kids are all like this, they sweat a lot. So, did you remember the smell?"
"I'll remember." Little Flower flicked its tail, eager to try. Since helping its master catch those bad guys from the Liu family last time, its master hadn't taken it out for a long time. This time, it really wanted to show off.
Xiao Bai, who was standing nearby, sniffed the smelly shoe and sneezed: "It is a bit smelly, but it's okay. I've seen much smellier ones, which almost suffocated me."
Xiaohua turned to look at Xiaobai: "Is there anything smellier than this?"
"Yes, the kind with body odor." Xiaobai was knowledgeable. She recalled seeing it when she was a stray. Dogs already have sensitive noses, and if they encounter someone with body odor, it can be fatal.
So much so that Little White didn't even have time to grab the bone it had just dug out of the trash can before it turned and ran away.
Incredibly, the man was a well-dressed man in a sharp suit, who looked like a successful person.
Xiaohua had never seen anything like it before and was surprised: "Is it as smelly as a fox?"
"It stinks way more than a fox." Little White shook its fur, puffed out its chest, and said, "Alright, enough talk, let's start looking for people."
So Shen Tenglong, holding Xiaobai's hand, and Qiu Xiaoman, holding Xiaohua's hand, began to survey the reservoir from its edge.
After circling twice, they found nothing. The hope was slim; it was springtime, with light rain and wind. Even if Shen Yuehu was still alive, even if he came to the vicinity, even if his scent hadn't changed, there wouldn't be any trace left by the reservoir.
The brother and sister had no choice but to try anything, so they went to a nearby village to take a look.
However, blindly wandering into strangers' homes and letting the dog sniff around everywhere is clearly very ill-mannered, so such a plan is out of the question. The brother and sister could only take the dog for a walk on the roads of the nearby village, hoping for the best, treating it as a spring outing.
By noon, having found nothing, the two ate some biscuits and sausages, while the dog ate a chicken breast that Qiu Xiaoman had cooked in advance and kept in a thermos. After eating and drinking their fill, the two people and the dog headed towards the next village, hoping to try anything.
They hadn't found anything by the time it got dark and they were ready to go back.
Fortunately, the two also asked the village party secretaries of each village if they had heard of any children drowning in the reservoir that year, and the answer was always no.
One of the village party secretaries said: "We are very strict here. Every summer, we arrange for village cadres to go door-to-door with loudspeakers to spread the word and prevent children from playing near the reservoir."
It is clear that many times, accidents involving children are due to a lack of safety awareness among adults. If we can truly take preventative measures, there is a great chance that such tragedies can be avoided.
Of course, it's also possible that some children are just born rebellious, and no amount of parental admonitions will help; in that case, they can only blame themselves.
In any case, we can only go home empty-handed today.
The brother and sister returned to the car and sighed silently.
Seeing its owner so dejected, Xiao Hua quickly barked and lay down on Qiu Xiaoman's lap, licking the back of her hand.
That was a dog's unique way of comforting people, and Xiaobai was not to be outdone, taking over the task of cleaning Qiu Xiaoman's other hand of drool.
Qiu Xiaoman came to her senses, looked at the two considerate dogs, and couldn't help but smile: "I'm fine, let's go, brother. We'll come again next time. If once isn't enough, we'll try twice, and if twice isn't enough, we'll try three times. Hard work pays off."
Shen Tenglong held a childhood photo of the three siblings, Long, Hu, and Feng, and nodded with red eyes: "Yes."
After driving back, the brother and sister found a roadside noodle shop for a quick meal. After eating, Shen Tenglong asked, "It's so late, aren't you going to practice driving?"
"Okay, I won't go." Qiu Xiaoman checked the time; it was almost nine o'clock. The coach also had a family and couldn't keep waiting for her, so she had said yesterday that she wouldn't go today.
However, it was still early for bed, so she asked Shen Tenglong to take her to the hospital to see her adoptive father, who had been fitted with a prosthetic leg.
They didn't need to be hospitalized for so long, but Shen Qinghuai arranged a full physical examination for the couple, and it was found that both of them had some health problems, which is why it took some time.
The adoptive father's appendiceal polyp has been removed and he is recovering well. The adoptive mother's uterine fibroids have also been removed. She can be discharged from the hospital after two more days of rest.
Qiu Xiaoman chatted with them for a while before returning home.
I had just washed my feet and was about to go to bed when the phone rang. Liu Kun's tired voice came through the phone: "Can you come over? The caregiver stole my wallet. I haven't eaten for two days."
What? Qiu Xiaoman quickly put on her clothes and took Xiaohua's hand to walk with her through the night.
Fortunately, the residential area was not far from the courtyard house, and she soon took the elevator to the place where Liu Kun was staying.
Upon opening the door, what came into view was an injured man in his most disheveled and haggard state, with a stubble beard and greasy hair, looking as if he hadn't washed it for several days.
Right now, he's slumped helplessly on the sofa, waiting for rescue.
Qiu Xiaoman frowned and walked in, pressing incredulously on his wounds: "Why does it still hurt after all this time?"
The guilty man looked away and said, "Well, it's probably because the wound is quite deep, and I can't lie still and keep moving around, so the recovery is slow."
Qiu Xiaoman sensed something was wrong and quickly picked up her mobile phone to call an ambulance: "No, I'll take you to the hospital to get checked out."
Liu Kun had no choice but to snatch the mobile phone and quickly hang up, saying awkwardly, "Can't you leave me some face? If others see me like this, how am I supposed to face them in the future?"
Qiu Xiaoman understood; it was all an act.
She scoffed, "What, are you so afraid of being laughed at? Don't you think I'll laugh at you too?"
"Can you?" Liu Kun turned around and looked at her with pleading eyes. His pitiful appearance was like that of a drowning stray dog, making it hard to say anything hurtful.
Qiu Xiaoman poked his forehead and shoved him onto the sofa: "Don't try to act cute in front of me, I don't fall for that."
Liu Kun laughed: "Then aren't you leaving?"
"Thanks for reminding me, I'll be going now." Qiu Xiaoman said, turning to leave.
Liu Kun panicked and grabbed her wrist: "Don't go, I'm bored by myself, talk to me. Also, my wallet really was stolen."
Qiu Xiaoman looked back at her wrist, her warning clear. Liu Kun had no choice but to obediently let go, lowering his head to continue feigning helplessness: "You didn't leave me a single penny. I had trouble getting dressed, so I could only wait until you remembered me. I didn't expect you to be so busy lately..."
Qiu Xiaoman is the kind of person who responds better to gentleness than force. Seeing how pitiful he was, she had no choice but to let it go.
She stood up and said, "Wait here, I'll go get you something to eat. Is there any rice or flour left in the kitchen?"
"There's nothing left, they even took the TV." Liu Kun pointed helplessly to the empty TV cabinet. "I've already called the police, and I'm waiting for news."
Qiu Xiaoman didn't understand: "How is that possible? I know the caregiver's ID number. Won't she tell me to call the police and have her arrested?"
“There’s no other way. When you’re truly at your wit’s end, who cares about anything else?” Liu Kun slumped onto the sofa helplessly, looking up at Qiu Xiaoman standing by the kitchen door. “I heard her husband owed gambling debts, and the debt collectors wanted to take her child away, so she…”
Qiu Xiaoman understood: "You stay put and go wash your hair and face yourself. I don't want you to still look like this when I come over."
Liu Kun stopped pretending and obediently got off the sofa. Although it still stung terribly when his injured ligaments were aggravated, washing his face was not a problem. Washing his hair was a bit more difficult, as he couldn't raise his arms that high. But... he would try his best. He really didn't look right in the face.
Soon, Qiu Xiaoman came over from the courtyard house carrying rice, flour, cooking oil, and a dozen eggs.
I made him a bowl of plain noodles and blanched some greens; that was all we had for him.
At this moment, Liu Kun finally finished washing his hair with great difficulty, but unfortunately there were still two clumps of foam left in his hair. Qiu Xiaoman looked at him with a headache, walked over, picked up the shower head, and pressed it against his head to rinse it.
After rinsing, she pulled off the towel and, just like when she rubbed the dog's fur, wrapped it around his hair and rubbed it.
Wrapped in a towel, Liu Kun silently closed his eyes, enjoying the rare feeling of being taken care of.
By the time Qiu Xiaoman lifted the towel and tossed it onto the clothesline, Liu Kun's face was completely flushed, a deep red like autumn maple leaves.
Qiu Xiaoman completely ignored him and turned around to urge him, "What are you standing there for? The noodles will clump together and won't taste good."
"Hmm." Liu Kun stood there, his hand pressed against his cheek, but he couldn't shake off the heat.
It wasn't until Qiu Xiaoman urged him five or six more times that he came to his senses, went out to sit down, and quickly finished a large bowl of plain noodles.
Qiu Xiaoman washed the dishes and returned to the living room, instructing, "Roll up your trouser legs and let me see your wound."
This is a more convenient part to view than the rest of his body, where it's easier to avoid physical contact.
Liu Kun obediently rolled up his trouser leg. The wound had indeed scabbed over, but it was densely covered and looked quite gruesome.
Qiu Xiaoman silently pulled down his trouser leg, feeling some pity, but unable to say it. She could only give him all the cash she had on her: "Over six hundred, take it first, I'll get you some more tomorrow. I'll arrange a new caregiver for you. Call me if anything happens, don't try to tough it out on your own."
"Is it really okay?" Liu Kun took the cash, instinctively gripping her hand tightly, unwilling to let go.
This time, Qiu Xiaoman didn't give him a hard time. She just said gently, "Okay, but I'm quite busy lately. I need to learn to drive and go to the reservoir to look for my second brother. But it's okay. If I'm not around, I can ask President Chen to make arrangements for you. Just let me know if you need anything."
Liu Kun felt much better and consciously let go of her hand: "Are you angry?"
"It's alright." Qiu Xiaoman could almost see the various scars on his body through his pajamas, and even though she was dissatisfied, she couldn't bear to say it.
After all, she suffered because she was helping her, and she's not heartless.
Liu Kun breathed a sigh of relief, blushing as he looked away: "I'll try my best to restrain myself in the future."
"Okay. I'm going back." Qiu Xiaoman got up and closed the door. She probably knew what Liu Kun thought of her.
However, she had already said that she couldn't be in a relationship right now, and Liu Kun had quite a few problems. She was still annoyed by him, but she was only letting it go because he was injured.
The caregiver arrived the next day. Qiu Xiaoman came to see Liu Kun after finishing her driving lessons and gave him two thousand yuan for spending money. Seeing that his place was tidy and organized, she was finally relieved.
The police station also reported that the caregiver was unable to pay compensation and had to go to jail to atone for his sins.
Qiu Xiaoman had nothing to say; everything would be done according to the law.
For the next two weeks, she accompanied Shen Tenglong to the vicinity of the reservoir to look for people every Sunday, but unfortunately, they still came up empty-handed, leaving them feeling lost.
That day, the brother and sister returned empty-handed again. When Qiu Xiaoman returned to the courtyard, she saw Liu Kun standing at the door with a cake in his hand, waiting for her.
She was a little surprised: "Why are you here?"
"I estimate that Mango's due date is approaching, so I came over early to celebrate." Although Liu Kun's injury has not fully healed, he can already walk around.
He guessed that Qiu Xiaoman would be busy for nothing again today, so he simply came over to talk to her and distract her.
Qiu Xiaoman opened the door: "Come in."
Liu Kun intended to follow them in, but was stopped the moment he lifted his leg. Two dogs suddenly rushed out and startled him. He had no choice but to turn back, looking at Qiu Xiaoman with a pale face: "Could you ask them to move away a bit?"
Qiu Xiaoman couldn't help but laugh: "Are you really afraid of dogs?"
"I've been bitten..." Liu Kun lost face in front of Qiu Xiaoman again, feeling utterly hopeless.
Qiu Xiaoman whistled, and Xiaohua and Xiaobai ran back to their room to keep Mango company.
Liu Kun finally breathed a sigh of relief, closed the door, and took the cake to the main hall.
He had just sat down when he saw the group photo on the table and exclaimed in surprise.
Qiu Xiaoman made him a cup of malted milk powder and brought it over, asking curiously, "Huh? You know him?"
“I’ve seen him before.” Liu Kun picked up the photo and pointed to Shen Yuehu, one of the three siblings. “Didn’t I tell you? The Liu family has always been involved in those kinds of shady dealings. One of the boys I rescued a couple of years ago looked just like him.”
What? Qiu Xiaoman quickly put down her cup and grabbed Liu Kun's shoulder in shock: "Are you serious?"
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