Before today, although Yin Xiaoman had always been curious about what was in the box, he had never tried to take it out by force. Because she always felt that the original owner's parents had protected it well until they died, and it didn't make sense for her to destroy it now that it came into her hands.
But now, she suddenly had the urge to pry off the copper lock.
She pulled hard with her hands, but the lock didn't budge.
She opened the box where she kept her jewelry, took out a silver hairpin, and poked at the keyhole, but even after she had bent the tip of the hairpin, the lock showed no signs of loosening.
Yin Xiaoman tried to pry the lock nose again, and then found that the box should have been designed to prevent this trick. The lock nose was obviously welded to a steel plate embedded in the wood. There is simply no place to start.
She studied it for a long time and was frustrated to find that there were only two ways to open the box. One was to find the right key, and the other was to resort to violence and completely destroy the wooden box.
Even now, she still didn't want to take the second approach.
She began to wonder whether she could ask Lichun for help and find a skilled craftsman in the palace to remove the lock?
After thinking about it, I decided to give up.
Not to mention that she was just a maid in the imperial kitchen, she had to go through inspection before leaving the palace, and not just anything could be smuggled out of the palace.
Even if she really took the risk and took this thing out - the craftsmanship was obviously not from that world. Any experienced craftsman would not fail to notice something unusual.
Moreover, she was afraid that the box might contain something that was very different from that world. If it was opened and seen by others, even if Lichun grew a hundred mouths, it would be inexplicable.
From any angle, no one would harm his own apprentice like this.
Yin Xiaoman just had a flash of thought in his mind and immediately dismissed the idea.
The apprentice cannot be relied upon. Master Hua has seen this box before, but he couldn't find a way to open it.
Well, after thinking about it, the only one I can rely on is myself.
Yin Xiaoman stared at the box and pondered. The more he thought about it, the more confused he felt.
Feeling upset, his hands unconsciously rubbed the wooden sign back and forth, and he rubbed it harder and harder.
Suddenly, her fingers paused, and she held the wooden sign in front of her eyes in disbelief.
Strangely enough, the speed of time flowing in other rooms in the imperial kitchen is exactly the same as in reality.
That is to say, when she was eating lunch outside, the imperial kitchen must have been the busiest.
But it seemed as if time in her little house had stopped. Not only would the food not spoil if put in there, but no matter when she came in, it would be daytime here, when the sun was at its brightest at noon.
There are no seasons, no change of time.
As a result, she often stayed too long and forgot to go back.
At this moment, Yin Xiaoman placed the wooden sign in the sunniest spot in the room and squinted his eyes to look at it carefully. Then I discovered for the first time that there was a very thin and inconspicuous dent on one side of the wooden sign, like a thin crack.
She faced the light on purpose and let it hit the crack. Through the refraction of light, she discovered that there seemed to be traces of pasting there.
Take it back and rub it. This time, she touched it slowly and carefully as usual, fearing to damage it, but it was very smooth and she could not feel anything.
She increased her strength and touched him very hard, just like when she was in an impatient state just now. Then I felt the gap again.
A burst of surprise suddenly surged in her heart.
She understood that this wooden sign must have a layer in between. It’s just that when it was first made, the maker put a lot of thought into it and glued it together very tightly.
After gluing it together it was carefully sanded and then painted on the outside.
Because the paint film is very thick, no trace of glue can be seen with the naked eye, and it feels smooth even to the touch. Only by pressing hard can you feel a little bit of the gap left when sticking.
But this wooden plaque was left as a family heirloom, and the original owner treasured it very much. Not to mention the original owner, wasn't she also afraid that it would be bumped or lost, so she even put it in a space for safekeeping?
In this situation, who would be willing to touch or scratch this piece of wood hard?
After thinking things through, Yin Xiaoman put down the box, put the wooden sign in his pocket, and went straight to the imperial kitchen without saying a word.
She first went to the cupboard and drank the medicine that Lichun had prepared for her in one breath. She didn't even touch the food that her apprentice had carefully prepared for her. Instead, she went straight to the imperial kitchen and found a thin and sharp knife.
Back in the ward, Yin Xiaoman looked around. I found that except for a small light on at the nurses' station, the entire corridor was pitch black.
When she came in the morning, the doctor had already told her that she was the only patient in the obstetrics and gynecology department and the entire first floor was empty.
Now she finally believed it.
Although it was past the ward rounds time, the nurses had already told her to get some sleep, as no one would come to her ward at night.
But just in case, Yin Xiaoman walked over and locked the door from the inside.
After finishing all this, she entered Lichun's small room again.
Because he didn't know what other tools he would need, Yin Xiaoman decided to stay here and dismantle the piece of wood.
She first used a knife to slowly scrape off the paint film on the side of the wood block where there was a gap, and then slowly inserted the blade along the gap.
Because he didn't control the strength well at the beginning, a small crack appeared on the wooden sign as soon as he inserted it. Yin Xiaoman was so scared that his hands shook and he almost dropped the knife.
Although she was mentally prepared, she still felt a little sad when she saw the wooden sign that she had treasured for so long being damaged.
What's more, Mr. Hua said at the time that these were made and polished by my aunt's father himself, one for each of the four children.
Therefore, her subsequent movements were more meticulous and she was doubly serious as when she kneaded pastries for her master.
With a click, she finally broke the wooden sign into two. Apart from the initial crack, everything else remains basically intact.
Just as Yin Xiaoman had thought, a small groove was dug out inside, and in the groove was a very delicate brass key.
The material of the key is exactly the same as the lock on the box.
Yin Xiaoman suppressed his inner surprise and picked up the wooden sign to look at it again. Only then did she realize that the wooden plaque used as a key box was extremely exquisitely made.
The grooves inside it are carved in the shape of keys. Although the key doesn't fit perfectly, it is stuck tightly and cannot move at all.
It is probably because of this that even though the original owner wore it for such a long time and she and Old Hua also pondered over it for so long, they did not realize that it was actually hollow inside.
After returning the knife to the kitchen and cleaning the table, Yin Xiaoman took the food her apprentice had prepared for her and went back to her room.
The first thing she did after entering the house was naturally to open the brass lock with the key she found.
The moment she opened the box, Yin Xiaoman was so nervous that she held her breath. She even felt her heart shrink into a ball for a moment. She really couldn't figure out what was in the box.
But when he opened the box, Yin Xiaoman was stunned.
She couldn't believe it, blinked hard, and reached into the box.
But no matter what she thought, there were still only three things in the box——
A piece of paper folded in half with words written on it, a piece of cardboard cut into squares that was not even as big as her palm, and another brass key.
Apart from that, there is nothing.
Yin Xiaoman picked up the box unwillingly and shook it, then touched the inside and outside of the box hard along the edges, and then had to admit that there was really nothing inside.
There is no mechanism, no interlayer, it is just an ordinary wooden box with things in it.
She had no choice but to pick up the two pieces of paper and look at them.
There was only a set of numbers written in pen on the folded paper, and it was obvious that the paper had been there for quite some time.
The paper has turned yellow and the ink has become a little lighter.
Yin Xiaoman stared at the set of numbers for a long time, but couldn't see any mystery, so he had to put it aside.
She returned her gaze to the small piece of cardboard.
This sight made her even more confused.
Because the paper was printed in foreign languages on both sides.
Yin Xiaoman has never learned foreign languages. The original owner did learn some when she was in school, but she studied Russian.
Yin Xiaoman looked carefully at these earthworm-like characters for a long time but could not distinguish any of them. So she knew that it was definitely not written in Russian.
But she couldn't tell what it was.
She put the piece of paper aside in frustration and had to take out the key to look at it.
The key now looked ordinary, and looked similar to the one she had taken out of the wooden sign before. It's just a little bigger than that one, and it's obvious that it's meant to open a bigger lock.
But where is the lock to be opened?
Yin Xiaoman stared at the three things on the table for a long time, becoming more and more depressed. I feel a little unhappy.
That feeling is like - you are finally about to solve the mystery, and then you find out that you have solved another mystery!
But unfortunately, she couldn't even understand what the riddle said.
She silently put everything back into the wooden box, including the broken wooden sign and the key. Then he placed the wooden box in the small cabinet at the head of her bed where valuables were kept.
After taking a few bites of the snacks her apprentice left for her, she left the space again.
She knew that the only way to solve the mystery was to wait until she returned to the island and find Mr. Hua. He had just returned from abroad, and even though he didn't know the word "earthworm", it didn't stump him.
And now, until I can go back, this matter will have to be put on hold.
Fortunately, those who came to cause trouble have now been arrested, and there will be no danger in the old house for a while.
In fact, Yin Xiaoman is no longer afraid that they will turn the old house upside down again. She firmly believed that what those people were looking for was the box in her space.
Even if they demolished the house, they would not be able to find it.
Because she had solved the biggest mystery in her heart, Yin Xiaoman slept very well that night, so much so that she didn't wake up until the nurse knocked on the door in the morning.
"Don't lock the door when you go to bed at night. Don't worry, our nurses' station is staffed 24 hours a day, so there won't be any danger. On the contrary, if you lock the door like this, if something happens, we may not be able to help in time."
The nurse came in and put a thermometer under her armpit, then reminded her in a gentle voice.
"Okay, I'll remember that." Yin Xiaoman replied a little embarrassedly.
At the same time, I made up my mind that I would never be lazy again and would open the door the first time I came back.
After recording her temperature and asking a few more questions, the nurse cast her eyes on the table beside her bed and asked, "Comrade Yin, where is your lunch box? Can I get you some food? Comrade Qiao from the Internal Medicine Department has to undergo an examination this morning and must fast, so she can't eat. She just asked us to get you some food from the canteen."
Hearing her say that, Yin Xiaoman felt even more embarrassed: "No, no, I'm not hungry right now, I'll go get it myself later."
As soon as these words came out, the nurse was delighted.
"Hey, Comrade Yin, please don't scare me. If the director knew that you were asked to go get food, she would teach us a lesson.
Have you forgotten what your situation is now? I tell you, you can’t even get out of bed without the director’s consent. You need to ring the bell when going to the toilet and someone from our nurse station will come to accompany you.
You must never act on your own initiative or do anything casually. ”
The nurse looked about the same age as Yin Xiaoman, and was obviously also a serious and responsible person. The more she spoke, the more nervous she became. She kept muttering to herself that she wished she wouldn't even have to hand in her shift and just stay in this ward, staring at her intently.
It was only at this time that Yin Xiaoman found out that because she was hospitalized, the group not only equipped her with the best doctors and nurses in advance, but also held a meeting for these people in advance.
That means that her safety must be guaranteed at all costs.
The young nurse didn't know the inside story. She didn't know the purpose of the group's arrangement. In fact, a big part of it was because of Yin Xiaoman's identity, and it was to prevent leaks.
The young nurse felt that she was a very important patient and must be taken good care of.
But no matter what the reason was, she cared very much about it, and Yin Xiaoman naturally couldn't refuse such kindness. Just when she had decided to take out the money and ask the nurse to help buy food, the door of the ward was suddenly pushed open again from the outside.
Then squad leader Zhou, who hadn't been seen for a long time, ran in, sweating, holding two lunch boxes, one large and one small, in his hands.
"It's late, it's late, sister-in-law, are you hungry?"
He walked straight up to Yin Xiaoman without any hesitation, put the lunch box on the bedside table, and spoke in a familiar voice.
After saying that, he reached out and wiped the sweat from his forehead.
Yin Xiaoman was very surprised to see him.
She knew that Squad Leader Zhou worked in the regiment's cafeteria, but she didn't know why he came here at this time?
Seeing her doubt, squad leader Zhou quickly smiled and explained to her: "Our regiment commander asked me to come here. From now on, I will deliver meals to you and Comrade Qiao upstairs every day.
Normally I should have come yesterday, but I went to the city to buy food and came back in the evening. That's why I came here just now, sister-in-law. I hope it won't be too late to delay your injection? ”
"No, no, the doctor hasn't started his rounds yet. It will take a while." Yin Xiaoman said quickly.
After saying that, he felt uneasy again: "Actually, squad leader Zhou, there's no need to go to such trouble. We can go to the canteen to get food ourselves. You must be the busiest at this time of day, so how can we ask you to deliver food to us?"
Hearing her say this, squad leader Zhou waved his hand nonchalantly: "It's okay, those people in the kitchen squad have already practiced it. I'm gone for a while, they won't make any mistakes. Sister-in-law, you don't have to worry."
At this point, he couldn't help but chuckle, "Sister-in-law, I'm willing to bring you food. When I was on the island, I always wanted to talk to you, but in the end I didn't have the chance. Now I finally wait for you to come down from the island, please give me a chance."
Yin Xiaoman also agreed deeply with this statement.
At the beginning, not to mention Team Leader Zhou, even she was actually curious about his cooking skills and had always wanted to find an opportunity to have a good chat about it.
As a result, before I found the right time, I found out that I was pregnant, and then I went straight into the morning sickness stage.
She was so dizzy from vomiting that she definitely couldn't talk about cooking, so not to mention that Squad Leader Zhou felt regretful, she also often felt sorry when she thought about the missed opportunity.
And now, when Squad Leader Zhou mentioned this, Yin Xiaoman certainly no longer said anything about not letting him deliver meals.
Seeing the squad leader of the kitchen team personally delivering meals to Comrade Yin, the young nurse became more convinced that this patient was extraordinary.
She quickly and tactfully left the ward.
After seeing her leave, Squad Leader Zhou opened the large lunch box he had brought with him, and immediately a mouth-watering aroma hit him in the face, and the taste was a bit familiar.
Yin Xiaoman couldn't help but sit up and look into the lunch box.
Then the first thing you see is the sea cucumbers dotted in the millet porridge. She closed her eyes depressedly and then lay back down.
Without asking, she knew that this must have been asked by the family to Lupin to bring it over and to have Squad Leader Zhou help make it. Those sea cucumbers are the result of Rice's frequent visits to the rocks these days and soaking them.
It's not that she's being pretentious, but - anyone who eats the same thing every day for almost a month wouldn't be in a much better state of mind than she is now.
It was true. The moment she saw the sea cucumber millet porridge, the only bit of hunger she had was gone in an instant.
"It was your little apprentice who asked you to help with this, right? He remembered every word you said." She asked weakly.
Squad Leader Zhou couldn't help but laugh after hearing this.
He clicked his tongue and said, "Come on, that boy is not my disciple. I won't accept such an untalented disciple. His hands are as clumsy as his toes."
"Hey!" Yin Xiaoman immediately stopped working.
She smiled and pointed at Squad Leader Zhou.
Of course she knew he was joking, but in her opinion, Da Mi was a family member.
It's your own child, so it's fine for you to say something about it yourself, but it's not okay to let others speak ill of him like that.
Squad Leader Zhou obviously also realized this.
When Da Mi lived with Captain Lu, he had been in the regiment for a long time and was very familiar with them.
In his heart, they are his own family and he can insult them however he wants.
He had forgotten that Da Mi was now living in Sister Yin's house, and it was obvious that they had a very close relationship.
Thinking of this, he smiled embarrassedly and quickly interrupted: "Sister-in-law, try what I cook. It definitely tastes different from what that kid cooks. Don't blame me for scolding him. That kid's talent for cooking is really lacking."
As he spoke, he opened the drawer, took out the bowl that Yin Xiaoman had brought, filled half a bowl for her and handed it to her.
Yin Xiaoman took it and took a bite, and his eyes immediately lit up.
She didn't say anything, but scooped another spoonful with the spoon and put it into her mouth, slowly savoured the taste before slowly swallowing it.
Afterwards, she nodded and praised squad leader Zhou sincerely: "Xiao Zhou, your craftsmanship is amazing! It's really exquisite."
Although it was just a simple bowl of millet porridge, I was tired of eating it before. But they were all experienced people, so after taking one bite, she could naturally taste the level of Monitor Zhou's cooking.
Although they are both porridge, the difference between them is as huge as heaven and earth.
Yin Xiaoman has always known that the rice cooking skills are not up to standard.
However, in the eyes of Team Leader Zhou, who had worked in the imperial kitchen for a long time and considered herself to be quite good, this bowl of porridge could be considered authentic.
There is almost no problem to be found.
If I have to point out faults, I would only say that the utensils used to cook the porridge are not good. It is not as soft and glutinous as the porridge cooked in old pottery. But she understood that this was not Squad Leader Zhou's problem, but that the existing conditions of the kitchen team were not up to the task.
Squad Leader Zhou put pumpkin in the millet porridge, so the color was yellower than the one made at home before.
At the same time, he also added chopped green bean paste and chopped carrots, which not only made the porridge more flavorful but also more beautiful in color.
It's not that this approach is wrong, but it looks too particular, and few people would adopt this approach in this day and age.
Just like when he first came into this world, Yin Xiaoman would make vegetable dumplings as exquisitely as possible without making any noise, but he can't do that now.
She now understands that more often than not, she should learn to not stand out.
Only by blending in with the crowd can you live better and longer.
Squad Leader Zhou should understand this principle better than her, but he does this now. That only means one thing, he is trying to be friendly.
We are all craftsmen, and we all understand that in order to improve our skills, in addition to studying on our own, we also need to communicate more.
Squad Leader Zhou must have inquired about her situation when he was on the island and regarded her as a fellow traveler, so he used this method to test her thoughts.
If Yin Xiaoman is willing to communicate, he will naturally be more than happy to do so. However, if she is indifferent to this bowl of porridge, or even questions it because it is extravagant, then squad leader Zhou can also explain it -
It makes sense that one would only make careful preparations if the leader gave specific instructions.
Thinking of this, Yin Xiaoman smacked his lips more carefully and said, "You used dried scallops as the base of the porridge. If I'm not mistaken, you also added the gravy from the steamed ham."
When she said this, her eyes almost lit up.
He could no longer care about anything else and stared at squad leader Zhou: "Where did you get the ham? Can you still find it? Is there anyone selling this in Ningcheng?"
Seeing her like this, Squad Leader Zhou's originally tense muscles relaxed imperceptibly. He stopped hiding it and started laughing.
"Sister-in-law has a really good mouth! I only put a little bit, and you can taste it. It's obvious that she has seen big scenes and eaten good food!"
At this point, he suddenly lowered his voice and asked curiously, "Sister-in-law, what did your family do before? You were also very famous in the local area, right?"
Everyone in the team knew about Squad Leader Zhou's resume. His ancestors ran a restaurant business in the capital, and it was said that the business was very big and quite famous.
However, after several wars, the family's ancestral properties were bombed and looted, and the remaining assets were decisively handed over to the government by his father after liberation.
It was precisely because of this that when the class status was finally divided, his family was classified as urban poor.
Otherwise, he would not have the opportunity to serve in the army.
Now, although the class status has begun to be redefined, his grandfather's generation was at least considered a wealthy family in the capital. Even though his family later became penniless, his identity was still a bit embarrassing.
It is absolutely impossible to get promoted.
But precisely because of this, Squad Leader Zhou has become a rather special figure in the regiment.
Although he has a lot of experience, he won't block anyone's way and he is not in competition with anyone. But he happened to be in charge of the kitchen, which was a rare lucrative position in everyone's eyes.
Generally speaking, no one would deliberately go against a person who has some power but does not cause any trouble.
As a result, his life in the group was much more comfortable than most people. I am not as cautious in what I say and do as others.
Hearing him ask this, Yin Xiaoman didn't know how to answer for a moment.
People have been asking this question since she started showing off her cooking skills.
The only difference is whether the question is asked implicitly or directly.
Usually, she would just mumble a few words and change the subject. But at this moment, Squad Leader Zhou's eyes were shining, and it was obvious from his expression that he would not give up until he got to the bottom of the matter.
Yin Xiaoman knew that he had no ill intentions, or rather, he just wanted to learn about her faction and her teacher.
As a chef, I always attach great importance to this aspect.
But where did she get her master from?
She blinked and said, "My family has always been farming."
"Impossible!" Squad Leader Zhou looked distrustful.
But after he finished speaking, he suddenly realized something and forced a smile: "Well, I asked too many questions, sister-in-law, please don't mind. I am a person who sometimes speaks without thinking."
Although he was explaining, the light in his eyes dimmed a little.
"My family has always been farming, ever since I can remember," Yin Xiaoman explained.
"I know you're wondering why I know all this, but I don't know myself."
At this point, Yin Xiaoman smiled and said, "Maybe it's because my family's ancestral home is in a mountain city, and I saw these seafood when I was young. Although I forgot everything later, I still have a little memory when I see them, and then I habitually know how to make them."
"Well, I was better at cooking when I was at home."
Although Squad Leader Zhou didn't quite believe what she said, he came from a wealthy family, so how could he believe such words that were learned without a teacher?
If there really are such people, then what does their hard work since childhood mean?
But since Yin Xiaoman was willing to explain, he naturally wouldn't embarrass others.
Come to think of it, there is indeed a sea on the other side of the mountain city. To be honest, it is possible that things that you have seen a lot since childhood will seem familiar when you see them again.
So he smiled again: "Sister-in-law, we are from the same hometown! Where is your hometown in Shancheng?"
These words made Yin Xiaoman stunned again.
Their family fled from the mountain city to escape famine, and the old branch secretary told her this.
She said that this is what her parents told everyone when they came to the village.
The original owner's memory did have some impression of having eaten fish and seen shrimp. But if you ask her which mountain city her hometown is in, how would she know?
She didn't even know there was a sea in Shancheng until she joined the army and met several soldiers who had joined the army from Shancheng.
“I don’t remember.”
She told the truth: "I fled with my parents when I was very young, so I don't remember much about my family. Later, my parents passed away, so I know even less."
Hearing her say this, Squad Leader Zhou was stunned for a moment, and a hint of apology flashed in his eyes.
He quickly explained: "Sister-in-law, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to ask about your origins. My ancestral home is also in Shancheng, but I grew up in Beijing and have never been back. When you said that we are from the same hometown, I felt very close. So I wanted to ask a few more questions. There is no other meaning."
As he said that, he quickly stood up and opened the small lunch box he had brought with him.
He said to Yin Xiaoman, "Sister-in-law, try this, the millet flour and date cake. This is also made with the millet you brought. I happened to have some red dates, so I put them in."
As he said that, he handed the lunch box to Yin Xiaoman: "Try it, it's still hot."
Yin Xiaoman looked into the lunch box and saw four fist-sized date cakes cut into squares.
The date cake was golden yellow, and the top was covered with a layer of thinly sliced red dates.
Red dates are very precious at this time, and these dates are definitely not just the few that Squad Leader Zhou mentioned.
Seeing this, she immediately became anxious: "Xiao Zhou, you can't do this. I can't accept your money if you pay for the food like this."
Squad Leader Zhou waved his hand and said, "Captain Shen asked the regiment commander to bring back a lot of money and tickets. He said that this month's salary will not be taken back by the supply ship, and all will be left for you to eat. Don't worry, sister-in-law, I didn't pay for it. It's just that the battalion commander didn't want you to suffer."
"Come, try it and give me some advice." As he said that, he picked up the chopsticks beside him and was about to give some to Yin Xiaoman.
Before, when he came, the nurse had not left yet, so Yin Xiaoman was lying on the bed. But she couldn't lie down anymore. How could she eat while half-lying down in front of strangers and have someone serve her?
What's more, she is not that familiar with Squad Leader Zhou.
She quickly sat up from the bed.
While putting on his shoes, he said, "Don't bother, just put it on the table and I can eat it myself."
Because she had to bend down to put on her shoes, she subconsciously rolled up her sleeves first, so a small part of her arm hidden in the sleeves was exposed.
That slender, porcelain-white wrist looked extremely eye-catching in this island city, where people usually have darker skin.
Even though Squad Leader Zhou wanted to avoid it, he still unconsciously looked at her a few more times.
Once he saw it, his eyes were glued to it and he couldn't take them away.
Yin Xiaoman put on his shoes and sat up straight, only to notice that there was something wrong with Squad Leader Zhou's expression.
He seemed to be stimulated by something, his lips were trembling, and his eyes were staring at himself blankly, looking a little scary.
She followed his gaze to her arm, and realized that he was staring at a small plum blossom-shaped tattoo on her upper forearm.
The tattoo is dark blue in color, consisting of five larger dots and one smaller dot, and looks like a small plum blossom.
But this plum blossom is not pretty at all, and looks very crudely made.
Yin Xiaoman was thankful more than once that the mark was on her forearm and could be covered with clothes at ordinary times. Otherwise, it would have been so ugly.
Seeing that squad leader Zhou was staring at it, Yin Xiaoman pulled his sleeves awkwardly to cover it, and then explained: "This was applied when I was a child. The adults said it was to cover the marks left by the smallpox vaccination."
At this point, she smiled and said self-deprecatingly: "Don't look at it, I know it's ugly."
Squad Leader Zhou did not respond to her, but put down his lunch box and silently unbuttoned the cuffs of his military uniform.
Without saying a word, he rolled up his sleeves to a position similar to Yin Xiaoman's. There was also a plum blossom mark at that position that was very similar to hers.
However, the mark on his arm should have been left by the skilled tattooist who did it for him, as it looked much neater than the one on Yin Xiaoman’s arm.
But no matter how neatly they are laid out, it can be seen that the patterns of the two people are exactly the same.
Yin Xiaoman opened his mouth in surprise.
Squad Leader Zhou had been staring at Yin Xiaoman without blinking since just now, and naturally would not miss any of her expressions.
At this moment, seeing that there was no falseness in her eyes when she looked at his arm, but genuine surprise, his expression became better.
He took a step forward, walked up to Yin Xiaoman, and aligned his arms with hers.
Yin Xiaoman quickly rolled up his sleeves and compared them carefully.
This comparison made her even more certain that the mark on her and Squad Leader Zhou's arms were the same in size and shape.
She looked at Squad Leader Zhou with a confused look on her face, wanting to ask what was going on. But after opening his mouth several times, he didn't even know where to start asking.
"Xiaoman, if I'm not mistaken, I should be your cousin." Squad Leader Zhou finally spoke.
He pointed to the patterns on the two people’s arms and said, “During the war, our house was bombed and we all ran to the air-raid shelter every day.
Many families will never be able to get together again after they run away.
The family members were afraid that they would never be found together if they were separated, so they tattooed this pattern on the children's arms.
It was also specifically stated that even if the child was lost or not yet born, as long as he or she was a child of our Zhou family, he or she would have such a pattern tattooed on the arm when he or she was born. This way, if we meet each other one day, we can recognize each other. ”
At this point, Squad Leader Zhou suddenly burst into tears.
"When my aunt ran away, my grandfather kept complaining about it for years. Even until he could barely walk, he still insisted that my father carry him to the edge of the city every day and sit there for the whole day.
I have to wait for my aunt to come home. He said that his aunt knew the way and would come back sooner or later.
But who would have thought that my aunt would actually return to her hometown!
Grandpa waited for her for so many years, why did she go back to her hometown? ! ”
Having said this, Squad Leader Zhou suddenly turned his back. But from his shaking shoulders, Yin Xiaoman could feel that he was crying.
Looking at him, Yin Xiaoman couldn't say a word.
She didn't know about the past of the original owner's parents, but she couldn't explain it for them.
But from the various information she has obtained over the years, it can be speculated that the original owner's mother must have met the original owner's father when she was fleeing.
She brought him back to her hometown in order to protect her man.
After living there for a few years, they couldn't make ends meet and had to flee again.
Now I can understand why Mr. Hua has never been able to find out his father’s identity, age, and hometown, as they don’t match his own.
It should be that after they arrived in the mountain city, they re-registered as citizens using fake identities.
If both of them are outsiders, this would definitely be more difficult. But the original owner's mother was a native of Shancheng.
It should not be difficult to get a permanent residence by returning to your hometown and using the excuse of war or loss of household registration.
Squad Leader Zhou adjusted his emotions for a while and finally calmed down.
He turned his head and sat down next to Yin Xiaoman again, picked up a date cake with chopsticks and put it next to her hand.
"Eat. I'll make more for you after you finish eating. Xiaoman, you've found me, so you've found home. Tell me what you want to eat next time! I may not be able to do other things, but I do have the ability to make sure my sister eats well."
At this point, he grinned again: "Xiao Man, I will go back and tell your sister-in-law to bring your little niece to see you. Haha, I never thought that I, Zhou Tiancheng, would find my biological sister in Ningcheng!
I will write a letter to my father when I go back today. I guarantee that he will come to see you as soon as he receives the letter. ”
Squad Leader Zhou finally came to his senses. He became happier and happier as he spoke. In the end, he only wished he could go home right now so he could tell his family the good news.
Seeing him like this, Yin Xiaoman really didn't want to pour cold water on him.
But seeing that he was so excited that he was about to dance, I finally couldn't help but asked in a low voice: "Squad Leader Zhou, do you want to
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