Chapter 26
I really didn't expect to meet Teng Zheng here today.
I watched him expressionlessly as he quickly approached me from far away, until he stopped in front of me, panting heavily.
"Why did you take the day off today?" He looked me up and down. "Are you sick? You look pretty good."
I ignored the second half of his sentence and was just wondering: How do you know I took a day off today? Did you come to see me today?
Although Teng Zheng didn't understand my sign language, he could still guess from my expression: "Are you asking why I know this? I came to see you this morning, and your colleague told me that you took the day off and won't be back until tomorrow."
I nodded and asked again: What do you want from me?
Teng Zheng expressed extreme incomprehension of what I said. He opened his mouth and tried to think for a while, but couldn't figure it out.
Whenever this happened, I'd feel deeply helpless about being mute, but I wouldn't blame myself; I'd just throw the question onto the person who didn't understand. But since Teng Zheng kept coming to me, there was clearly something going on. So, I patiently pointed at him, then at myself, finally drawing a question mark between us.
Teng Zheng was truly enlightened by this simple and easy-to-understand expression within two seconds. Speaking of this, he seemed to have a lot to say to me, but in the end, he frantically pulled out his phone.
He showed me a picture—
When I saw it clearly, my eyes widened!
I desperately reached out to grab the phone, enlarged the photo again and again, and finally confirmed that it was really Xiaoju!
In the photo, there are many dirty cats kept in countless tattered cages stacked together. The most obvious orange cat is maliciously grabbed by a person who is hiding his face in the corner.
In order to show it well to the people in front of the camera, he deliberately pushed Xiaoju forward and backward, and Xiaoju's frightened and helpless eyes were clearly visible.
I grabbed Teng Zheng's sleeve tightly, as he showed no sign of escaping, and looked up at him: Where did you get the photo?
"No," Teng Zheng muttered, looking a little annoyed. After much deliberation, he decided to lead me into the supermarket where I work. He found the cleaning lady standing in the corner, about to drink water, and said as we walked, "I have to find someone to translate what you said, otherwise my brain will explode!"
So, the aunt who was about to finish her work turned around and did this kind of hard work for us but didn't ask for any money. I even wanted Teng Zheng to give her some labor fees, even if it was only ten or eight yuan?
After hearing Auntie's description, Teng Zheng said, "You were asking me where I got these photos. Wen Liangxi gave them to me. He also learned from Sui Yusheng that we were looking for an orange cat with a uniquely shaped back, so he looked for it on various websites for us. You can tell he loves cats. He also has a rescue center at home. My brothers and I send the cats we find to him. We earn a hundred more than doing charity work. He often browses certain websites, working undercover there, to rescue various abused animals. It was through these websites that I was able to find the cat you were looking for."
Teng Zheng knew that Wen Liangxi and I knew each other, and he also knew some of the details. As for how he knew certain things, it was probably because Wen Liangxi told him.
I asked anxiously: Does he know the address now?
Teng Zheng shrugged helplessly. "You have to know that being an undercover agent is not easy. He's already helping you, but you just need time. Here, give it to him."
I hesitated for a moment, hoping in my heart that Wen Liangxi could find Xiaoju for me, but I nodded with a lost and stupid look on my face.
"Well," he thought for a moment, "I came to you just to tell you this, and you don't have to be too anxious."
But for me, how can I not be anxious?
I didn't say that.
Just as Teng Zheng was about to leave, my sadness vanished in an instant, as I suddenly thought of Sui Yusheng. Since Teng Zheng knew Sui Yusheng, he must know something about her, I thought.
I followed my aunt to stop Teng Zheng’s way, pointed at my wrist and continued to ask: Do you know about Sui Yusheng’s bracelet?
I'm not going to beat around the bush and get straight to the point.
Teng Zheng thought for a moment and confirmed with me, "Are you talking about the gold leaf bracelet he always wears on his wrist?"
I nodded in affirmation.
Afterwards, Teng Zheng made an expression as if he wanted to tell you the truth but couldn't. "I've seen him wearing that bracelet ever since I met him. I always thought it was a women's bracelet. I asked him about it, and he said it was something he had worn before he was adopted. I guess his biological mother left it to him."
"But why are you asking this?" Teng Zheng pretended to be surprised after a moment of confusion, "Did you find his mother?"
I didn't get any useful information from him, so I didn't want to say anything more. I just rolled my eyes and started to think.
Teng Zheng was a bit of a mouthy person, but he was also very perceptive and knew when to shut up. He was quite good at reading people's expressions, and when he saw that I was silent, he put away his playful smile and began to ask, "You're so interested in a bracelet. Did you run into a mother who lost her child wearing one on the street?"
I tilted my head and shook it sullenly.
"Then why do you care about other people's bracelets?" Teng Zheng's words were trailing with confusion. He stared at my profile intently, and suddenly remembered my past deeds. "Steal?"
I suddenly turned around, without even using any body language, and just cursed him verbally: You're crazy!
My insults brought a bright smile to his face. He did not feel angry at being scolded, but only felt joyful.
When I saw him return to his playful attitude, I felt like I was hitting someone but was licked. I endured this slippery and disgusting feeling and asked: How much do you know about Sui Yusheng's life experience?
Teng Zheng watched me perform twice with a smile on his face. Only when my face turned ugly again did he immediately raise his hand and say, "Auntie!"
The aunt who had just picked up the broom looked at him sadly but lovingly.
"You mentioned Sui Yusheng's background," Teng Zheng paused for a moment, as if thinking seriously. "Instead of asking me, you might as well go to Wen Liangxi and find out."
Teng Zheng told me that Sui Yusheng and Wen Liangxi have a much better relationship. Sui Yusheng has a bad face to everyone, as if he owes a lot of debts, but he is very different to Wen Liangxi.
Although he and Sui Yusheng could be considered friends, they were only superficial friends. The Sui Yusheng he knew was a child adopted from an orphanage. His adoptive mother gave birth to a younger brother for him a few years after his arrival, and he didn't like this younger brother. He didn't have the habit of gossiping about the families of people with bad tempers, so he didn't know the reason.
"Doesn't his mom work here? If you work the day shift, then today is probably her night shift. Why don't you go ask her later? After all, a foster mom is still a mom."
Moreover, among all those who knew this mother and son, they all agreed that Sui Yusheng's adoptive mother was no different from his biological mother.
I thought that if I went back I would get spanked by Li Ying'an, and even if I didn't go back I would just be wandering around aimlessly, so I might as well agree with Teng Zheng's words.
Obviously, Teng Zheng also wanted to stay and listen. He swept up the snacks from the supermarket and sat on the sofa next to the door with me, waiting quietly.
Slowly, the light in the room dimmed, the sky gradually darkened, and the lights in the crowded supermarket all lit up, swallowing up all the light sources outside and blurring the faces outside the window.
The soft curtain hanging at the door was lifted, and a lady in a wheelchair was pushed into the supermarket by a kind girl.
"Thank you for your help." Deng Yu turned around and thanked her.
The little girl was pretty and kind-hearted: "It's on my way, no trouble."
The two had a brief conversation and then separated. Deng Yu pushed his wheelchair to the cashier counter to meet with his colleagues.
Teng Zheng and I looked at each other and then both stood up.
"Auntie," Teng Zheng, who could speak, was the first to greet Deng Yu. He smiled and said, "Are you here to work on time again?"
Deng Yu seemed to have noticed who the visitor was when Teng Zheng started talking. She raised her eyes, and her gentle, smiling gaze touched Teng Zheng's face like a spring breeze. "I'm not as leisurely as you."
Then, she noticed me, and her wide smile dimmed a bit with surprise. "Isn't this Xiao Feng? I heard from Xiao Zhang that you took the day off today. Why are you here again?"
I forced a smile and said nothing. I turned to look at Teng Zheng and signaled with my eyes that he should help me say what I wanted to say.
Teng Zheng immediately understood what I meant at a glance.
"Auntie, we want to ask you about Sui Yusheng."
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