"Auntie, this is my sister's home on the island."
Wu Huaiqing walked ahead, introducing Wu Wanying, then noticed she hadn't followed and turned around to look at her. "What's wrong?"
Wu Wanying brushed her hair aside to cover her left cheek and then straightened her clothes.
After she finished, she was still worried and asked Wu Huaiqing, "Huaiqing, can you take a look at me? Is there anything wrong with my clothes? Do I look tired and worn out?"
Wu Huaiqing went over to comfort her.
"Auntie, don't be nervous, you look great today. Your little sister will definitely like you."
"Really?" Wu Wanying's eyebrows curved into a smile, then she seemed to remember something and looked a little dejected: "It's okay if she doesn't like me. It's my fault for losing her."
She perked up and pursed her red lips.
"Let's not talk about that. Do you think Yu Yao will like the clothes I made for her? You didn't even ask about her size when you came last time. I wonder if these clothes will fit her."
Wu Huaiqing put his arm around her shoulder, taking all the blame upon himself, "It's all my fault. I forgot to ask, and I delayed Aunt's important matter. If the clothes don't fit later, I'll apologize to my sister!"
Wu Wanying was amused by his playful antics and became less nervous. "Let's go in first."
Just as the two entered the courtyard, Yu Yao stepped out of the main room.
She was in such a hurry when she came out that she accidentally kicked the threshold with her toe, which made her gasp in pain.
Wu Wanying ran over, helped her up, and asked anxiously, "Are you alright?"
Yu Yao waved her hand, "It's okay, don't worry, I'll be fine after moving around a bit."
After she finished speaking, her gaze fell on Wu Wanying in front of her.
She looked to be in her forties, with graying temples, and wore a brand-new blue cotton jacket with Chinese knot buttons, exuding gentleness and elegance.
The left side of her face was covered by her hair, but some scars could be seen when she moved.
At this moment, the peach blossom eyes that were exactly the same as hers were filled with tears. The look in her eyes was extremely complicated, with trepidation, unease, and a vague expectation and closeness.
Seeing Yu Yao looking over, Wu Wanying covered her face with her hair, "Don't look, it will scare you."
Yu Yao didn't care and said gently, "You've saved so many children, this scar is a badge of honor. I'm not afraid."
In fact, the scars on her face have healed a lot after so many years of treatment, but Wu Wanying has gotten used to covering them up.
Upon hearing Yu Yao's words, Wu Wanying slowly lowered her hand that was covering her hair.
In the courtyard were tables, chairs, and benches borrowed from the wives of soldiers. On the tables were enamel mugs, bamboo thermos flasks, and tea leaves.
Yu Yao brought over two chairs. "Please sit down and rest for a while. I'll make you some tea."
Wu Wanying wanted to say that there was no need to trouble herself, as Yu Yao had already soaked in the water.
She seemed to notice Wu Wanying's nervousness, and while making tea, she smiled and introduced them to her.
"This is a partridge tea with a unique island flavor. I added some vanilla orchids, which gives it a distinctive aroma and rich taste. You should try it!"
As the words fell, a fragrant aroma of tea wafted over, truly unique and wonderfully aromatic.
Wu Huaiqing picked up the enamel mug, blew on it, took a sip, and his eyes lit up.
After drinking it, he couldn't help but praise it: "The leaves are round and sweet, the tea soup is clear and bright, and it has a unique aroma. It's really delicious!"
Wu Wanying nodded gently, "It really tastes very good, and it smells very good."
Yu Yao smiled and said, "I think it tastes good too. I'll make more next time and share some with you all."
The three women smiled and exchanged a few simple words, as if they were close friends and relatives who saw each other often. This unconsciously eliminated any sense of unfamiliarity between them and brought them closer together.
Looking at Yu Yao's face, which resembled her own, and her pale golden eyes in the sunlight, Wu Wanying was certain.
This is the daughter she has been searching for for twenty years.
The little girl who used to lie softly in her swaddling clothes, only frowning when hungry, unlike other babies who cried loudly, has grown into a beautiful, clever, and generous young lady.
Thinking of this, Wu Wanying could no longer hold back, and tears welled up in her eyes.
"I...I'm sorry, it's my fault...I shouldn't have lost you!" Wu Wanying cried so hard she could barely breathe, her words coming out in broken sentences.
Seeing his aunt so heartbroken, Wu Huaiqing, a young man, also had tears welling up in his eyes.
Seeing that Wu Wanying was crying so hard, Yu Yao hesitated for a moment, but still went forward and tried to hug Wu Wanying to comfort her.
"What happened back then was an accident, not your fault! You don't need to blame yourselves!"
Yu Yao patted her shoulder and continued, "Besides, look at me now, I'm perfectly fine. I won't get lost again."
Lu Ze had told her about what happened back then.
Wu Wanying suffered severe bleeding during childbirth and was recuperating at home after giving birth. At that time, Cui Zhizhou, as a researcher, was participating in an important national defense research project in Lop Nur that would benefit the country and its people, and he was unable to leave.
Wu Huaiqing was only a few years old and had to go to school every day, so he couldn't help much. Besides, his grandmother was in a bad situation.
She has to take care of herself, as well as an elderly person and two young children in her family, which inevitably leaves her overwhelmed.
If the original owner were still alive, she probably wouldn't want to see Wu Wanying and the other person blaming themselves too much.
Wu Wanying felt her embrace and hugged her even tighter, as if she were snatching her back from someone's grasp.
Yu Yao felt a pang of sadness as she listened to her sobs.
This is for the mother and daughter who were separated by twenty years, and also for the original body who spent her whole life searching for her parents' approval.
If it weren't for what happened back then, the original owner of this body might still be alive, and their family would probably be a harmonious and warm one.
Wu Huaiqing looked at the mother and daughter embracing each other and also shed tears.
Over the years, he has witnessed how difficult things have been for his aunt, uncle, and grandmother.
When Grandma was lucid, she was constantly blaming herself. Even on her deathbed, she was still worried about not finding her younger sister, and she died with her eyes wide open in disbelief.
My aunt and uncle had bright futures ahead of them, but they gave them all up to stay in Qin Province to search for my sister. They searched for seven years in Qin Province, but still had no news of her.
If it weren't for my uncle noticing that my aunt's mental state was off, and thinking that if the child was lost, the adults couldn't be in danger too, he would have accepted the invitation from the island's military unit, and they might still be in Qin Province, still in that old tenement building.
Over the years, they have never given up searching, but news of their sister has vanished without a trace, like a stone sinking into the sea.
Thankfully, the younger sister is still alive. Thankfully, they recognized each other!
Once Wu Wanying calmed down, Yu Yao asked about what happened back then.
"How exactly did I get lost in the first place?"
Upon hearing her words, Wu Wanying wiped away her tears and slowly said, "I remember that day was the second day of the fifth lunar month, three days before the Dragon Boat Festival. I was lying in bed sewing clothes for you, but I fell asleep while sewing."
"When I woke up, you were gone. I rushed out of bed to look for you. Luckily, I ran into your Aunt Xu's daughter when I went out. If it weren't for her, I wouldn't have known that your grandmother had taken you out."
But it was too late. By the time Wu Wanying found Yu Yao's maternal grandmother, she no longer had the child.
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