He Xiaolei took a deep breath, gently placed the teacup on the coffee table, and spoke in a more steady voice than before, "She's not a classmate. She's a year ahead of me and has already graduated. She works at the tax bureau, working on the computer field."
"The tax bureau?" Her father raised an eyebrow. "That job is quite stable, it's pretty good."
Her mother pressed on, "What about home? Are his parents from the countryside or the city?"
These words were like a thorn in He Xiaolei's heart. She bit her lower lip and slowly said what she had thought of beforehand, "He's from the countryside. His father helps out at his aunt's shop. His mother, because of a traumatic experience when she was young, here," He Xiaolei pointed to her head, "he can't be compared to a normal person, but he's a very good person."
Her father almost dropped the oranges in his hand, and her mother's hand, which was supporting He Xiaolei's shoulder, tightened suddenly and then immediately let go.
He Xiaolei's parents exchanged a glance. He Xiaolei's mother's hand was trembling slightly as she took her off He Xiaolei's shoulder. "His home...where is his home located?"
Fangjia Village.
As soon as He Xiaolei finished speaking, the air in the living room seemed to freeze. Her mother's eyes changed instantly, and her voice trembled slightly, "Fangjia Village? You said he's from Fangjia Village?"
He Xiaolei was stunned, not expecting her mother to react so strongly. "Yes, what's wrong? Mom, do you know this village?"
Her mother didn't respond, but the worry in He Xiaolei's parents' eyes was almost overflowing, weighing heavily on the air.
“Xiaolei, Mom isn’t trying to find fault with him. Think about it, in a rural family, your parents don’t have retirement pensions or insurance. When we get old, what if we get sick or something? You two will have to bear it all. You’ve never experienced hardship since you were little. Mom is worried that you’ll have a tough life in the future.”
"Mom, you haven't even met him! He's a very nice person. Are you prejudiced against him just because his family is from the countryside?" He Xiaolei said anxiously.
“Xiaolei, you’re still young. Once you’ve truly experienced life, you’ll realize it’s not as simple as just the two of you being together. It involves both families. That’s why I’ve always told you to find someone from the city, someone whose parents have jobs. The difference between having to support you and having to support them is huge.” It’s as if He Xiaolei’s mother is advising her right now against going to such a family.
"Mom, I know! But I really like him, I've made up my mind about him." He Xiaolei said firmly, her neck stiff.
"Xiaolei, what's his name?" He Xiaolei's father asked.
"Fang Dongqiang."
"Okay, Xiaolei, your parents are a little surprised that you told us this all at once. Let us calm down a bit."
"Then I'll go to my room." He Xiaolei took a sip of water.
"Okay." He Xiaolei's father brought He Xiaolei's suitcase to the room.
He Xiaolei's mother held her hand and followed behind, all three of them remaining silent.
The blankets on the bed had long been aired out until they were fluffy and soft, and were neatly made. Every time He Xiaolei came home, her mother would tidy up her room and bed. This was a warmth she had long been accustomed to.
"Xiaolei, you've been traveling all day, get some rest."
He Xiaolei nodded.
He Xiaolei's parents went into the room and closed the door. One sat on the edge of the bed, and the other sat on a chair next to it.
"Old He, it's just like what I feared most has come true. Why is it such a coincidence that we're both from Fangjia Village? What's even more frightening is that Xiaolei said that the boy's mother also has problems here. Could they have the same mother? There are such things on TV, and they even say that siblings are more attractive to each other. I wonder how far Xiaolei and he have progressed? If it's really like that, oh my god, I don't even want to think about it!" Xiaolei's mother's eyes were filled with panic.
He Xiaolei's father sighed and patted his wife's hand. "You're so panicked you've lost your composure! They gave her away because they wanted a son. Even if they had another boy, he'd be a younger brother, and that boy is already working; he's definitely older than Xiaolei. They can't have the same mother."
“But I’m still afraid…” Her mother wiped her eyes. “What if there’s something we don’t know? Xiaolei has always been very stubborn. Now that she’s made up her mind about someone, if we don’t find out the truth and something really happens later, it won’t just be a simple matter of her blaming us. We can’t bear that kind of consequence!”
He Xiaolei's father was silent for a while, then stood up and walked to the window, looking at the dim streetlights outside. "Tomorrow, I'll go to the old cadre's house and ask where that forest ranger's family lives, and whether his family still knows anything about the situation."
"Didn't you say that the forest ranger died in a car accident?"
“Yes, we don’t know the names of Xiaolei’s biological parents, and the forest ranger didn’t know our situation either. Back then, we were afraid that if we raised her, her family would want her back, so we specifically told Lao Gan not to say who she was going to be with. We thought he was always on the mountain and we were in the county town, so we wouldn’t run into each other. I never expected that year, I ran into him at work, whether it was a meeting or something. He recognized me, and I told him that this girl was doing very well now and asked him not to say where she was. I never expected that he would have an accident on his way back.”
"What if his family doesn't know the situation?"
"Let's go ask first. If we don't know, we'll think of another way."
"Okay! Ask now!" He Xiaolei's mother went to find the phone book.
"Okay, I'll ask and go to their house first thing tomorrow morning."
I called the old man's house and found out the forest ranger's name and address.
"I'll go to his house first thing tomorrow morning," He Xiaolei's father said after hanging up the phone.
"Sigh!" He Xiaolei's mother sighed. "I was so afraid that Xiaolei would find someone related to her biological parents. I taught her from a young age to find someone from the city whose parents have jobs. But she still did, and he's from the same village. Even if they're not blood relatives, cousins or distant relatives, it still won't work!"
“It’s all fate,” He Xiaolei’s father said with a complicated tone. “We asked about their family situation beforehand, and they said that their family conditions were not very good, they had no relatives in the city, and her mother’s brain was damaged later, so it wouldn’t affect the child, which is why we dared to take her.”
As night deepened, the lights in the room finally went out, leaving only the moonlight streaming quietly onto the windowsill, illuminating the heavy thoughts in my heart.
The next morning, He Xiaolei's father braved the winter chill and went to the countryside to inquire about the hometown of Ren Lutong, the forest ranger. He met his son and asked him directly about the events of that year, asking if her father had mentioned a girl.
“Before my father passed away, he asked me to go to Fang Shugen’s house in Fangjia Village. He just told me that the girl was doing well and that they shouldn’t worry or look for her. He didn’t say anything else. At that time, he didn’t have the strength to say much. He just gave a few instructions about things at home and then passed away.”
"The family we told them about is called Fang Shugen, right?" He Xiaolei's father confirmed the name again.
"Yes, his name is quite unique; it means tree root. I won't forget it."
"So, do you know anything about his family situation?"
Ren Lutong's son recalled, "His family had two children, a son and a daughter. The daughter was a little older and should still be in elementary school at the time. There was also his mother. Fang Shugen worked in a factory. Fang Shugen's wife seemed to be a little abnormal."
Upon hearing this, He Xiaolei's father was certain that He Xiaolei had been adopted from their home. "You didn't say where that daughter is, did you?"
“I don’t even know who the girl they’re talking about is. I just relayed my father’s dying words to their family verbatim.”
"Okay!" He Xiaolei's father nodded.
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