Chapter 270: Chapter 262: News
After returning to the inn, He Xuewen didn’t say a word, and his face didn’t carry the usual cheerful smile. Sisi had never seen He Xuewen like this and was extremely worried, afraid that He Xuewen was bottling up too much and might hurt himself.
"Daddy, don’t worry, Mama is now able to send a portrait to find me, which means she must be doing well."
"Ah Nan, Daddy is a useless man, unable to protect his wife and daughter. I really hate myself!" He Xuewen painfully slapped his own face.
"Daddy, how can you blame yourself for what happened? You almost lost your own life too, didn’t you? If there’s anyone to blame, it’s those bad people. Daddy, in my heart you are the strongest. Don’t think like this."
He Xuewen slapped himself too hard, immediately leaving five red marks on his face. Sisi, feeling distressed, blew on it and applied a wet towel to soothe his face.
With his daughter’s comfort, He Xuewen’s mood became much more peaceful. As long as Xiulian was alive and safe, that was what mattered most. Even if she really ended up with Boss Qiao, it wasn’t her fault. In those times, surviving is the most important thing!
"Daddy, if Mama and Boss Qiao are really together, would you be sad?" Sisi thought about it and decided to ask, believing it was better to address the problem sooner rather than later.
He Xuewen patted his daughter’s head and looked out of the window for a long time before saying, "Of course it would hurt, but your Mama must have been desperate at that time. Ah Nan, don’t hold it against your Mama!"
"Of course not. But what about you, Daddy?"
He Xuewen is so young and outstanding, has his whole life ahead of him. He can’t stay single forever, right? How pitiful that would be!
"With you, Ah Nan, by my side, Daddy is already very blessed. Besides, Daddy still wants to find your Mama. If your Mama is happy, Daddy will bless her. If your Mama is unhappy, Daddy will bring her back, and then the three of us can live happily together, okay?"
"Okay!"
Sisi sniffled, thinking that a man like her Daddy is truly a good man. She really hoped that Daddy could find his own happiness!
Late at night, He Xuewen uncharacteristically lit a cigarette and sat on the windowsill, smoking. The wisps of white smoke slowly rose, forming one ring after another, as one disappeared, another was exhaled.
Hong Kong
Mu Xiulian was not in a good mood after returning from the factory. It had been fifteen years, yet there was still no news of Tuantuan. No, she had to make a trip, she had to personally search for her daughter, and check on Xue Wen too. Was he still alive?
Qiao Ziqiang came home and saw his wife sulking on the sofa. He sat down next to Mu Xiulian and asked with a grin, "Who’s made my wife angry? Tell me, Xiulian, I’ll cut him immediately."
"All you know is chopping and killing. You’re the one who’s made me mad; go chop yourself." Mu Xiulian gave him a glance, sounding very displeased.
"How did I make you angry?"
Qiao Ziqiang shuddered inside. Could Xiulian have found out about his lunch with Hong Gu today? Damn, which bastard dared to snitch on him? But the priority was to mollify his wife.
"Xiulian, I’ve had nothing with Hong Gu for a long time. Today, it was just an official matter, and I had a meal with Hong Gu. I swear, I stayed far from her, at least a meter away. You believe me!"
"Oh, so now you’re still in touch with your old flame? Qiao Ziqiang, are you still not over her?" Mu Xiulian’s eyebrows knitted in disapproval.
Qiao Ziqiang’s face turned bitter. Damn it, wasn’t this just asking for trouble? He sweet-talked, swore oaths, and played the clown, finally managing to cheer Mu Xiulian up, with cold sweat on his forehead.
"Xiulian, why were you unhappy just now?" Qiao Ziqiang attentively massaged Mu Xiulan’s shoulders.
"Isn’t it because of you, saying you’d sent out portraits to the Mainland to find my daughter, but it’s already 1976 and there’s not a single piece of news. Tuantuan is already 14 years old, if we delay any further, I’m afraid Tuantuan will no longer recognize me as her Mama!"
As Mu Xiulan spoke, tears began to well up in her eyes, and Qiao Ziqiang hurriedly consoled her: "It won’t happen, mother and daughter have a natural bond, how could she fail to recognize you? I can’t do anything if there’s no news from over there. If it wasn’t for the utter chaos on the Mainland, I would have sent someone to search a long time ago."
"Sending someone is useless, your men are not familiar with the place. Ziqiang, what do you think about me going over there? I want to personally search for Tuantuan, and while I’m at it, look for my former husband. If he’s no longer alive, I want to arrange his burial."
"And what if he’s still alive?" asked Qiao Ziqiang with a sour tone.
"If he is alive, that would be even better. Of course, I hope he is alive."
Qiao Ziqiang pursed his lips, looking displeased, while Mu Xiulan said with a smile: "Ziqiang, why don’t you trust me? I’ve already married you, and I will of course spend my days wholeheartedly with you. As for Tuantuan’s daddy, after all, he was once my husband, naturally I hope he is alive!"
Mu Xiulan felt a bitter pain in her heart; she was no longer the pure Mu Xiulan, even if Xue Wen was still alive, she would have no face to be with him again.
Only then did Qiao Ziqiang cheer up and continued massaging Mu Xiulan’s shoulders, "Xiulian, you better not go there for now. Although the turmoil in the Mainland has subsided, it’s still somewhat chaotic, and who knows if those people would try to capture you again. I’m worried about you going there, let’s wait a bit more!"
"But I really miss Tuantuan so much, it hurts my heart. Ziqiang, in this lifetime, I won’t have any other children, Tuantuan is my only daughter. If I can’t find her, I..."
Mu Xiulan’s tears started flowing as she spoke, sobbing softly, pitiful as a pear blossom bathed in tears, to the point that Qiao Ziqiang’s face was creased with worry, "Xiulian, don’t cry, it pains me to see you cry. Alright, if you want to go, you can go, but you’ll have to bring more brothers with you."
"Husband, thank you! You’re so kind!" Mu Xiulan broke into a smile between sobs and kissed Qiao Ziqiang on the face.
"Just to think, even I, Boss Qiao, a heroic figure my whole life, have fallen because of a woman, hey, what a karma from a past life!"
Qiao Ziqiang shook his head and sighed. The somewhat artistic comment he made caused Mu Xiulan to burst into laughter.
"Boss, there’s news about those portraits."
A young man in his twenties with soft features walked in, Fei, who was fond of tattoos and over four years had become Qiao Ziqiang’s right-hand man.
"There’s news? Fei, speak up!" Mu Xiulan asked Fei excitedly.
"It was from a person on a boat that arrived yesterday from over there. They said they saw a girl in Guangzhou who looked very similar to the one in the portrait, about fourteen or fifteen years old, and she was with a man in his thirties, said to be father and daughter."
"Ziqiang, that must be my Tuantuan! Other than Tuantuan, no one else resembles me. Ziqiang, I want to go over there, please send someone to take me there. I want to see my daughter!" Mu Xiulan was extremely excited, crying and laughing as she grabbed Qiao Ziqiang’s hand.
"Xiulian, calm down a bit, it’s not confirmed yet. I’ll send someone over there to contact the father and daughter. If the girl really is your daughter, I will bring them over to meet you. Is that okay?"
"Good, then Ziqiang, hurry up!" Mu Xiulan urged incessantly.
"Fei, you personally take care of this matter!" Qiao Ziqiang truly valued Mu Xiulan’s concerns and dispatched his capable subordinate Fei.
"Yes, Boss!" Fei respectfully accepted the task and went on his way.