Evening. The sky is turning dark. Dong Xuebing drove Xie Jing and Xie Hao towards Beijing City Party Committee Family Quarters. 1 KM… 2 KM… 3 KM… the further they drove, the paler Xie Jing got. His father had arrived, and Han Jing should know the statue was stolen now. Xie Jing can’t imagine how Han Jing will react after finding out about this.
Ring… ring… ring… Xie Jing’s phone rang.
Xie Jing quickly answered. “Dad, what did my Aunt… What?! Why did this happen?!”
Xie Hao panicked as he senses something was wrong. “What happened?”
“Where is she now?” Xie Jing ignored Xie Hao and continued to ask over the phone. After that, she hung up and shouted. “Brother Dong! Go to 305 Military Hospital now! Quick! My Aunt… her high blood pressure acted again and is in an ambulance now!”
Dong Xuebing’s face changed, and they quickly make a U-turn, ignoring the traffic rules.
40 minutes later.
Military Hospital.
Han Jing’s condition had been stabilized and is now on a drip in a single person ward. Beijing City’s Party Secretary Xie Guobang, Finance Ministry Deputy Minister Xie Guoliang, Xie Ran, and Xie Hao’s mother, Ci Lifen, are there. Dong Xuebing, Xie Jing, and Xie Hao immediately ask about Han Jing’s condition when they arrived and are relieved to know she is no longer in danger. Xie Jing leaned against the wall and sobbed.
At this time, Xie Ran walks out from the ward. “Xiao Jing.”
“Brother…” Xie Jing sobbed. “It’s all my fault. I…”
Xie Ran sighed. “Don’t bring this up again. Aunt asked you all to go in.”
After Xie Jing and Xie Hao entered the ward, Dong Xuebing asked Xie Ran softly. “Does Huilan knows about this?”
Xie Ran shook his head. “We had wanted to call Big Sis, but my Aunt says she is busy with work and refused to let us inform her. Oh, Brother Dong, my Aunt wants to see you.”
Dong Xuebing nodded and greeted Xie Guobang, Xie Guoliang, and the rest before entering the ward.
In the ward, Xie Jing is standing beside the bed, crying.
Han Jing, who is very pale, had a smile on her face. She pulled Xie Jing closer and asked her to sit. “Foolish girl. How old are you? Why are you still crying? Do you think you are still a kid? Huh? Haha… I am fine and will be out of the hospital tomorrow after completing the drip. Stop crying.”
Xie Jing heard that and cried louder. “Aunt, the Buddha statue… I…”
Han Jing patted the back of Xie Jing’s hand. “Since it had happened, just let it go. This means I am not fated to own the Buddha statue. It’s not your fault.”
“Aunt…”
“Hehe… it’s a small matter. Stop crying over it.”
Xie Guoliang, who was standing near the door, said. “Sister-in-law, Xiao Jing…”
“It’s none of your business. Step aside.” Han Jing interrupted sternly and gave him a stare. After that, she smiled at Xie Jing and held her hands gently. “Stop crying, or I will be angry. Wipe your tears now. This is not your fault. If your parents scold you for this, let me know. I will not let them off. Haha…”
Dong Xuebing was surprised. Han Jing doesn’t mind about the Buddha statue? How is this possible? If she doesn’t mind about it, she will not be in the hospital after knowing the statue was smuggled to Japan. She is saying this to make Xie Jing feel better. People from reputable families are different. Not everyone can be as gracious as Han Jing, and Dong Xuebing knows he can never reach her level. The more he knows about Madam Han, the more he understands why she can get so much respect within the Xie Family. Xie Guoliang and the younger generation respect her. Even Senior Xie gave her the Xie Family’s heirloom. This is not only because Xie Guobang is the eldest son.
“Xiao Bing, you are here?” Han Jing looks at him.
Dong Xuebing stepped forward. “Aunty.”
Han Jing nodded. “I should not have let you all come and visit me. I am fine. Don’t worry about me. Oh, don’t let Huilan know about this.”
What else can Dong Xuebing say, other than nodding and agreeing to her request?
But the next moment, Xie Huilan called Dong Xuebing on his phone.
“My mother is sick? How is her condition?”
“She is on a drip, and the doctor says she is not in danger. How did you know about this?” Dong Xuebing asked and felt stupid to ask this question. Xie Huilan’s roots are in Beijing, and how can she not know about it? Someone would have told her.
Han Jing looks at Dong Xuebing. “Is it Huilan? Give me the phone. I will speak to her.”
Dong Xuebing passed the phone to Han Jing.
After speaking over the phone for a while, Han Jing hangs up. “Huilan insists on coming back and is already on her way. Sigh… I had said I am fine.”
Xie Jing stopped crying. “Aunt, I know how important the Buddha statue is to you. I will think of ways to get it back. I will get Xin Hua News Agency overseas branch to contact the Museum. If they refuse to return, we will report it on the newspaper!”
Han Jing gently replied. “Your Eldest Uncle had already contacted them, but the museum refused to cooperate.”
“Let me try. I will get it back no matter…”
Han Jing also wants to get it back. To her, this statue is not only a relic worth over 10 million RMB. It also symbolized Senior Xie’s recognition of her. It is the Xie Family’s heirloom, and she remembered what Senior Xie said when he handed the statue to her on her wedding day. Senior Xie had not given the statue to his eldest son or second son but instead gave it to her. From then onwards, Han Jing valued this statue higher than her life and prayed to it every day.
But now, it’s gone.
The statue is now in Japan.
When Han Jing heard what happened, her mind goes blank.
Senior Xie had joined the resistance force against the Japanese because of this Buddha statue and had protected it for decades. But now, Han Jing had lost it and even let the Japanese get it. She felt ashamed to face Senior Xie again!
Half an hour earlier, Han Jing had called Senior Xie after her condition stabilized and told him what happened.
Han Jing hoped Senior Xie will scold her.
But Senior Xie only replied, “I know,” and hangs up.
Han Jing knew Senior Xie is disappointed with her and almost cried. But her husband, Guoliang, Xie Ran, and the rest are around, and she held back her tears. She is the Eldest Sister-in-law of the family, and she cannot shed a tear even if the sky collapsed.
Dong Xuebing knew Madam Han was putting on a brave front and pulled Xie Ran and Xie Jing aside. “Let Madam Han rest.”
Xie Jing nodded and pulled up the Han Jing’s blanket before leaving the ward with Dong Xuebing.
Xie Guobang and Xie Guoliang are no longer outside. Xie Hao’s mother, Ci Lifeng, said they are calling the Museum again to negotiate with them.
Xie Jing also took out her phone to call her agency. She wants to exert pressure on the Museum through the newspaper agency.
Half an hour passed…
One hour passed…
The replies from all sides are the same. The National Museum refused to return the statue, and their reply made all of them mad. The Museum refuses to admit it is a stolen good and made it sound like the statue is from Japan. Their attitude is firm, and even Xin Hua Agency and the Embassy are useless!
That stupid burglar did not know about the statue’s value and sold a Second-Tier cultural relic for 100,000 RMB!
But the Japanese National Museum should know the value of it. They should know this statue has high historical and economic value, and that’s why they refuse to return it!
Damn!
Dong Xuebing is furious!
After negotiating for so long and exerting so much pressure, it is still useless. Everyone knows it is impossible to get it back.
Xie Guobang and Xie Guoliang did not say anything now.
Xie Jing hit her own arms angrily. Are we giving them the Buddha statue just like this?
When Xie Huilan arrived at the hospital, Xie Guobang and the rest had left.
In the ward, Han Jing forced a smile when facing Xie Huilan. She chided her for rushing back. But other than Han Jing, no one in the ward is smiling. The ward felt depressing, and Han Jing held Xie Huilan’s hand with a smile. “I am fine. All of you should go back too. Since the statue is gone, just let it be. Stop thinking about it.”
Xie Huilan narrowed her eyes. “Should I seek help?”
“It’s useless. Just forget about it.” Han Jing replied.
Xie Huilan sighed. She knew it is impossible to get back the statue after it was smuggled to Japan.
Dong Xuebing cannot stand seeing women suffer. When he saw Xie Huilan, Xiao Jing, and Madam Han’s facial expressions, he felt terrible. These Japanese bastards! How dare you all mess with me?! Damn! Since we cannot get it back legally, and they refused to return it… Fine! I will risk my everything to get it back!
Dong Xuebing suppressed his anger and left the hospital without telling anyone. He took out his phone in his car and called Western District State Security Bureau’s Deputy Chief Xu Yan. He skipped the pleasantries and said directly. “Chief Xu, I have an emergency now. Can you help me settle my passport? I need to fly to Japan urgently tonight.”
“Tonight? Is it that urgent?”
“Yes. I still need some Yen.”
Xu Yan paused for around five seconds and replied. “Alright. I will get someone to settle this for you. Wait for my call!”
