The alley was packed with people, and when they saw the third and fifth brothers riding back on their bikes, they all made way for them.
Two soldiers stood outside the Song family's house, their eyes red-rimmed, looking at the Song brothers with pity.
In the courtyard, Song Yangmin's direct superior, the deputy battalion commander, looked at Xu Guiying and her husband with a face full of pity and sympathy.
"The mission took place deep in the mountains of Yunnan Province. The situation was urgent at the time. One of our comrades saw Comrade Song Yangmin get shot..."
"After being shot, he fell into the river, where the water was turbulent..."
Song Xinfu had just rushed home. His lips trembled, his face was deathly pale, and his voice shook. "How could this happen? Have you been looking for someone? How long have you been looking? Could they have been washed away in the mud?"
Around 3 p.m., the community director rushed to the supply and marketing cooperative to find Xu Guiying, saying that someone from Song Yangmin's army had come. On the way back, Xu Guiying had a bad feeling.
The military said the mission was classified and didn't give any more details. They only said that Song Yangmin fell into the river after being shot, which happened five days ago. They had searched downstream and in nearby villages but hadn't found him.
Song Yangmin was shot in the chest and fell into the water with a rapid current, so his chances of survival were extremely slim.
Xu Guiying collapsed to the ground, tears streaming uncontrollably down her cheeks.
how so……
Just when things were looking up for the second child, this happened.
Xu Guiying felt guilty towards her second son and his wife in her past life, and she hadn't had a chance to make amends in this life. How could she be gone so suddenly...?
Xu Guiying sobbed, her voice hoarse and unpleasant like a worn-out old organ. How could this be...?
The second child is so sensible and has never done anything wrong, so why is God so unfair!
Even she got a chance to be reborn, so why was the second son taken away...?
A sharp pain shot through her chest, and Xu Guiying's vision went black; she fainted.
"mom!"
"Guiying!"
...
When Xu Guiying woke up again after wandering around, the lights were on everywhere in the Song family home. Song Xinfu was silently smoking in the main room, while the third and fifth sons and the Song Rongrong sisters were wiping away tears under the eaves outside.
The alley outside was still noisy, with everyone lamenting that Song Lao Er had died so young.
Xu Guiying came out of the house, her eyes were red and she was unsteady on her feet.
"Mom, how are you feeling?"
Song Rongrong, with her sharp eyes, spotted Xu Guiying first.
Xu Guiying closed her eyes. The shrewd and strong-willed old lady from before had vanished, replaced by an ordinary old woman who leaned on the table.
"Where is the second brother's boss?"
Song Rongrong sobbed, "He left an hour ago."
There was an envelope on the table containing the second son's pension.
Xu Guiying, her back hunched and her voice trembling, said, "Old Song, let's go look for it."
With tears streaming down his face, Song Xinfu said in a hoarse voice, "You're not allowed to go into the mountains, you're not allowed to go inside."
Even if we could find it, would we actually be able to?
The river split into three tributaries, all of which were extremely rapid. It would be alright if he wasn't injured, but how could he possibly survive being shot in the chest!
Xu Guiying took a deep breath and shouted sharply, "Then let's go downstream to look! Whether they're alive or dead, let's go look for them. The child will have to come home eventually!"
The third brother and the others all burst into tears.
Although Song Yangmin was the second oldest, his younger siblings respected him and treated him more like an older brother than Song Guomin.
Song Rongrong sobbed, "Mom and Dad, I want to go too. I want to go find my second brother."
Xu Guiying shook her head, "If you're not going, you can go about your business. Your father and I will go."
Song Xinfu took a deep breath. "I'll ask for leave tomorrow morning, and we'll go find someone."
All Xu Guiying could see were blurry images.
Scenes from my second life flashed through my mind.
The second son, full of youthful vigor, was gone before he even started a family...
The Song family was plunged into darkness and sorrow, and Song Yangmin's unexpected death bent Xu Guiying's straight spine.
She went to the three brothers' room, sat on the second brother's bed, and burst into tears.
Outside the Song family compound, Song Guomin rushed over after hearing the news upon returning home. Hearing the crying in the courtyard, his heart sank.
Song Guomin opened the door and entered the room. Seeing his siblings crying and looking disheveled, he asked in a trembling voice, "What happened to the second brother?"
Song Yingying was the youngest and couldn't hold back her emotions.
"Big brother, something's happened to second brother..."
Song Guomin had lost a lot of weight recently. He frowned and stepped forward, his legs almost giving way and he nearly fell. Seeing Song Xinfu, who looked more than ten years older in the main room, he struggled to speak, "Dad..."
Song Xinfu waved his hand, "Boss, you can go back now."
Song Guomin immediately knelt down, "Dad, I'm not going back. Something happened at home, I won't go back!"
Song Xinfu pulled Song Guomin up, dragged him out and threw him outside, then locked the Song family's gate from the inside.
Xu Guiying went back into the house, took out two cloth bags, and began preparing things for her trip the next day.
Money, ID cards, bankbooks, changes of clothes, and a photo of the second child...
Seeing her second child in the family photo, Xu Guiying's tears started flowing again.
Song Guomin sat outside the Song family's house for most of the night, but Liu Aimei didn't see him, so she came to the Song family's house to look for him.
Almost everyone in the alley had left.
Liu Aimei pulled Song Guomin up, "It's already midnight, you have to go to work tomorrow, hurry home!"
Song Guomin shoved Liu Aimei aside and roared, "My second son is gone, how am I supposed to go to work!"
Liu Aimei stomped her foot, "Why are you yelling! I'm only doing this for your own good. You've been so busy with work lately, what will you do if you don't go tomorrow!"
Since the new leader took over, Song Guomin's workload has increased day by day. As if it were being targeted, Song Guomin has never been home before eight o'clock.
In the end, Song Guomin was dragged away by Liu Aimei.
No one in the Song family slept that night.
Before dawn the next day, Xu Guiying and Song Xinfu were about to leave.
The fifth child also carried a cloth bag. "Mom and Dad, I'll go with you. I can ask for leave."
Song Xinfu waved his hand, "I told you all to stay home! Don't go out and cause trouble!"
Xu Guiying had a blank face and no emotion as she pushed out her bicycle.
Let's go.
Song Xinfu drove Xu Guiying out of Heping Lane.
The remaining siblings burst into tears again as they watched the two figures disappear.
"Second brother..."
Xu Guiying first went to get 500 yuan, and then went to the supply and marketing cooperative to ask for leave. Song Xinfu was already waiting for her at the cooperative.
The two went directly to the train station and bought train tickets to Yunnan Province.
They bought their tickets in a hurry, so they could only get hard sleeper berths. It took them almost two days to get to Yunnan Province. After arriving in Yunnan, they took a bus to Minxian County, where the incident occurred.
That mountain is called Guangxi Mountain, and it's a deep, dense forest; you're not allowed to go in.
The mountain river splits into three streams, which pass through the nearest counties of Minxian, Songhe, and Hengshan.
The elderly couple started their search in Minxian County, going from town to village...
Arrived in Songhe County...
Finally, they found a shoe by a river in a village at the foot of a mountain in Hengshan County.
If you continue downstream from this tributary, it will flow into the main river.
There were soldiers searching along the way, and the villagers advised that it was unlikely they would find the child, and that it was time to let the child rest in peace.
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