Translator: AlfredoPoutineSoup Editor: DesTheSloth
The rural town now was full of one or two-storey tile houses for the young villagers who worked and earned money outside.
On a sunny day in the summer of 2003, Shen Meihuan and Gu Feng came to this town.
The man of a two-storey tile house obviously didn’t want the two visitors to come in… He looked at them with loathing expression.
“Shen Meihuan, why did you come back? To put me down with your lover?”
“What are you saying?” Gu Feng now angrily frowned because he had married Shen Meihuan three months ago.
Shen Meihuan pulled his sleeve to indicate him not to be angry. And she lightly said to the man she divorced a year ago, “I’ve called you several times. Your mother answered the phone last time. It’s very clear that I come for Jiahui.”
“What are you saying?” The man suddenly shouted, “You bitch! You want Jiahui to go with you after you took Jiajie away from me? No way!”
Shen Meihuan took a deep breath, “I’ve heard you had tuberculosis when you worked in a factory. The factory fired you and didn’t give you compensation. So how can you give Jiahui a good life?”
Now Gu Feng reluctantly took a check out of his pocket, “Take the money to treat yourself. We’ll take care of Jiahui well. Please give up his custody.”
The man glared at Gu Feng and he tore up the check, “Get out! I don’t wanna see you again! ”
Gu Feng slightly changed his look. Shen Meihuan took a deep breath and said, “Liu Cheng, You need the money, and you really do not have the ability to raise Jiahui. Don’t be so stubborn. If he lives with me, you would see him at any time. Please think about it. I don’t want to go to court… You situation is not optimistic.”
“I’ll never let you take Jiahui away! He is my son!” Roared Liu Cheng.
“Jiahui! Jiahui, are you there? Mom is back. Come out, Jiahui!”
Shen Meihuan was so familiar with the house that she loudly shouted and directly came in.
Unexpectedly, Gu Feng’s anger reached its peak. He grabbed Shen Meihuan’s hand and pulled her out, “We’re not a family! Get out!!”
“Liu Cheng! He’s my child, too! I have the right to see him! Let me go!”
“You’ll never see him unless you die as well.” Liu Cheng now shouted. “But he may not recognize you!”
“What did you say?” Shen Meihuan’s face dramatically changed.
“He died!” Liu Cheng grunted and threw Shen Meihuan’s hand away.
“How…”
…
“This is his grave. You can check it.” Liu Cheng awkwardly drank wine on this nearby hill.
“Jiahui…” Shen Meihuan suddenly knelt down with pale face and touched the name on the tombstone with trembling fingers, kept calling the name.
“How did he die?” Gu Feng who was very calm now frowned and tightly held the collar of Liu Cheng.
“All because he was left by his cruelhearted mother!” Liu Cheng snorted, “Jiahui waited for her to come back every day, but she never came back. He drowned in a heavy rainy day after he left home. What a wicked woman you are! Don’t you feel ashamed being here!”
“Watch what come out of your mouth!” Gu Feng contradicted.
Seeing these two men were going to fight, Shen Meihuan went to Liu Cheng, “You liar. My son isn’t dead…I don’t believe it. You liar!”
“Give my son back to me!!!”
…
“Give my son back to me!”
This sudden mournful scream was suddenly heard in the ward.
Shen Meihuan finally woke up with heavy sweat. Ma Houde went to her and said, “Mrs. Gu, please calm down. You’re just dreaming.”
“Where… Where am I?” Shen Meihuan vacantly looked all around.
“We’re in a hospital. You fainted just now.” Officer Ma said, “The doctor said you are seriously ill and you should have a good rest.”
“My son, my son!” Shen Meihuan fiercely grasped the clothes of Ma Houde, “My son!”
“Relax, relax.” Ma Houde hurriedly placated, “We’ve found him in the No.3 Hospital.”
“He…is in No.3 Hospital?” Shen Meihuan was stunned.
Ma Houde nodded, “Yes. We don’t know what he does for a living. Liu Cheng died of illness six years ago. Liu Jiahui only lives with his grandmother. Is your mother-in-law…Oh sorry, is Liu Cheng’s mother called He Xiaomei?”
“Yes… Her name is He Xiaomei.”
“That’s it.” Ma Houde went on, “The record says she had received the gastric resection some time ago. Her relative is Liu Jiahui. So I’m sure he’s the one who followed you recently.”
“Jiahui…” Shen Meihuan was frozen.
She slowly lowered her head and called the name…
Jiajie was missing, and Jiahui was still alive?
She confusedly put her hands in her hair.
For a long time, she raised her head, “Officer Ma, can you take me to meet him? I want to know some things.”
“All right.” Ma Houde nodded, “I’ll talk to the doctor.”
Then they were on the way to the third hospital and nothing special happened.
Officer Ma and the young driver looked at Shen Meihuan from the rearview mirror and sighed.
They thought maybe this son could get her out of the pain of losing her other son.
Soon after they came to the No.3 Hospital.
“Officer, this is the room.” The nurse brought them here and said.
Shen Meihuan quickly grasped the handle, but hesitated for some time. After she took a deep breath, she pushed through the door.
Officer Ma and the young policeman just stayed outside to quietly wait and see.
Shen Meihuan was at a loss when she saw He Xiaomei, who was obviously much older than that she remembered. Maybe it’s just because of the surgery.
Her hair was gray and sparse, her eyes were deep, and her skin was dark and rough. She quietly leaned on the bed with the quilt covered, as if waiting for somebody.
Shen Meihuan came to her but she didn’t know what she should call her.
Suddenly, He Xiaomei turned to her. And Shen Meihuan subconsciously said, “Mom…”
But soon she realized something and stopped at once.
“Who are you?” He Xiaomei was somewhat puzzled. She shook her head with a kind smile, “I can’t clearly see who you are. Come here.”
“It’s me.” Shen Meihuan took a deep breath and sat down at the bedside, “I’m Meihuan. Do you remember me?”
He Xiaomei was so surprised that she suddenly moved her hand out of the quilt.
Her lips were moved, but she didn’t say anything. For a long time, she excitedly held Shen Meihuan’s hand, “Meihuan, is it you?”
She even gently touched Shen Meihuan’s face, “I never thought I could see you again.”
Shen Meihuan took a deep breath, “I heard that you had an operation in this hospital…”
Then she grasped He Xiaomei’s hand, “Can you tell me who sent you here?”
“Nothing can escape from your eyes…” He Xiaomei shook her head and suddenly levered herself up from the bed.
Seeing He Xiaomei attempting to kneel on the ground, Shen Meihuan nervously said, “Mom, what are you doing?”
“Sorry, Meihuan, I’m sorry! We’ve deceived you!”
He Xiaomei knelt on the ground and cried, “I told Liu Cheng that you wanted to take Jiahui away… so in order to make you give up, he showed you a fake grove…”
Shen Meihuan collapsed on the floor and weakly muttered, “Jiahui… Jiahui is not dead… Ah!!! Ah!!! Ah!!!”
Shen Meihuan screamed in front of He Xiaomei, seemingly to completely release her pain.
“You!… How can you treat me like this! Ah!!! Ah!!! How could you… deceive… me…”
She strongly coughed with tears, hands pressed the ground, “How…could you… ”
He Xiaomei could only guiltily hug her, wailing, “Sorry, Meihuan, I’m sorry…”
Ah!!!!! Ah!!!!
She was still screaming.
Perhaps this was the only way to let herself breathe.
…
“I want to smoke outside, you wait here and see what’s going on.” Officer Ma patted the young policeman’s shoulder and walked away.
The young policeman knew that Officer Ma who was emotional might feel this kind of pain as a father.
The room was quiet for a long time, and then Shen Meihuan’s chocked voice was heard, “How is Jiahui doing all these years?… Liu Cheng had died… Why didn’t you come to me?”
He Xiaomei sighed, “I don’t know how to connect you… And Jiahui was told that you were dead when he was young… I have no face to tell him the truth…”
“But now…”
“A few months ago, I felt that I wasn’t going to make it and told him the truth.” He Xiaomei sadly said, “I feared that he will live alone in the world… He’s unhappy. Liu Cheng hit him when he suffered relapses and I couldn’t protect him well…I have tried to find you, but I have no clues of your whereabouts.”
She deceived Shen Meihuan with Liu Cheng maybe just because she also didn’t want Jiahui to be taken away.
In this situation, Shen Meihuan understood her. However, whether she forgave her or not, that was another thing.
Knowing the other son of her was still alive, Shen Meihuan gradually calmed down. What a good news for her.
“Where…did the operation money come from?”
“Jiahui sold the house and borrowed some money.” He Xiaomei shook her head, “I didn’t want to take the surgery, but he threatened that he’d die in front of me… I had no choice.”
She sighed, “I’m old and this operation would not succeed… If I die, please take care of him.”
Then she grabbed Shen Meihuan’s arm, “Has Jiahui looked for you? Theses days he often went out. Oh, where’s Jiajie? Is he all right? Can you let me see him?”
Shen Meihuan didn’t know how to reply when facing this old woman whom she respected but also resented.
How could she tell her the truth about Jiajie?
“He’s… All right. ” Shen Meihuan quietly turned her face away, “We’ve send him abroad.”
She lied… And she’s perplexed in mind— She didn’t know where Jiajie was now.
“Really?… That’s good.”
This was probably the best news for He Xiaomei during this period—her another grandson had good prospects.
…
Officer Ma was irritably walking around and smoking out of the hospital.
At this moment, someone just came to him but then quickly ran away.
A hot bowl of porridge was dropped on the floor.
“Stop!” Ma Houde threw the cigarette, catching him up, “Liu Jiahui! Stop running!”
