Licheng, Ximen.
Going out from the west gate is the direction of Wuyang City. There are many caravans coming in and out, and there is an endless stream from the opening of the city to the closing of the city.
At a corner half a street away from Ximen, a couple opened a breakfast stall, selling steamed buns with soy milk, porridge and meatloaf. Behind the stall is a half-residential, half-shop facade, and the couple lives inside.
There was a child who was about three years old. He was babbling and talking, and he was walking around in a jerky manner. There was a little drool hanging from the corner of his chubby face. The strange thing is that there is a rope tied around the child's waist. The other end of the rope is about one and a half feet tied to the waist of the mother who is busy outside the door.
It's almost noon now, and the couple is getting ready to close up shop.
"Two bowls of soy milk and five meatloaf."
"Hey, are you having breakfast now?"
"Eat it for lunch. What? The stall is closed?"
"Yes, yes, the pancake is a bit cold. I'll heat it up for you. I'll come right away."
When a business suddenly comes to the door, the man immediately greets him with a smile, regardless of whether it is time to close the stall, even though they have been busy since dawn and have never had a breath.
Because it was the last bit of soy milk, I poured two bowls of bean dregs that were a little heavy on the bottom. The meatloaf was okay, but it didn’t look very good, but the portion was very generous, at least two ounces each.
"Hey, is that your child? How old is it?"
The child swayed and hugged the man who was idle, and called daddy with his little mouth.
"Yes, just three years old."
"Second child or third child?"
"Just, just a baby."
"A baby? You and your wife are almost thirty, right? Did you get married late?"
"No...hehe."
"If you don't get married late, why do you have a baby? Still so young? Ha, don't mind, I'm just curious, just ask."
The baby was taken away by the woman, and she put away the rest of the stall except the customer table. Now that the man is free, he sits on the edge with a stool and chats with the guests.
"How do you tie a rope to a child? What if he is accidentally dragged down?"
"Hey, aren't you afraid of losing the baby?"
"Tsk, what you said is right. What are you throwing away in broad daylight? You are just too careful."
"..."
For three days in a row, this curious customer came to this breakfast stall in Ximen just before lunch time. He also had two bowls of soy milk and five meat patties.
I came more often and happened to have free time, so the man who owned the stall started chatting with the customers again. Sometimes I talk about what should be the best pairing with soy milk; sometimes I whisper something about Hualou’s sister behind the proprietress’ back.
That guest was still very eloquent. Although he didn't sit down for long each time, his few words always made people enjoy the conversation.
"By the way, why is your baby still tied up with a rope? Humans are not dogs. Don't you feel bad about it?"
"this......"
"What's wrong? Last time I talked about your baby, you looked sad. It's not like you don't want someone else, right? There are so many smart babies!"
"No, no, hey, brother, let me tell you the truth, the reason why we tied the rope to the baby is because we lost a baby before, a girl, she was nine years old, but she couldn't be found in the blink of an eye... ..."
You say that once bitten by a snake, you will be afraid of ropes for ten years, and only after you lose a baby will you start to look at everyone like a trafficker. Is it difficult to understand how to tie a rope to a baby? If conditions didn't allow it, both the couple would have wanted to keep the baby at home and not let him out.
"You can throw it away at the age of nine? What's going on?"
Perhaps he was holding back the pain in his heart and was willing to find someone to talk to. In the past few days, this customer did not seem to be unreliable. The stall owner was silent for a moment and told the story in a slightly gloomy voice.
The thing is actually very simple, so simple that it's like a wandering child can't be found, and he can't even remember exactly when he got lost.
"I definitely didn't get lost by myself! Your child is nine years old, let alone on this street. It's not a problem to go back and forth to the east gate."
She's not the eldest daughter of a rich family. It's impossible for a nine-year-old girl to be so pampered that she doesn't even know her way around, and it's even more impossible for someone to coax her away without anyone noticing.
"Yes!" The stall owner's eyes widened. The originally amiable person suddenly became ferocious. He clenched his fists tightly and said from between his teeth: "I think so too! My little girl. I have always been quick and efficient, and my errands have been as far away as caravans in the suburbs of the city. I can't get lost anywhere! It must have been some bastard who was stabbed a thousand times and kidnapped my baby girl!"
"Have you reported to the official?"
"I reported it right then, but it was useless."
"how could be?"
"I visited all the shops on the street one by one, and no one saw my baby girl at all. But for such an old person and an acquaintance, how could I not see anyone while walking on the street?"
"No one looked at your little girl? Who was she walking with? Didn't you see anyone walking in either direction?"
"No. Every one of them is as blind as opening their eyes, hey."
He was probably angry enough. He gritted his teeth and cursed a few words in a low voice and did not continue to let his emotions control him. He had a wry smile on his face and his eyes were slightly red. It was obvious that the matter would not fade away in his heart over time.
"My mother-in-law almost cried stupidly. I originally thought about taking her back to my hometown, but she said what if, what if the baby is found and we leave. How pitiful is the baby? Huh... So she has been suffering until now. Fortunately, she gave birth to a second child the year before last, which took away some of her energy, otherwise she would have been troubled sooner or later."
"The Yamen didn't give any explanation?"
"What explanation can you give me? No one has seen my girl, and there are no clues at all. I'm thankful that those poor men can help me find her for two or three days. Besides, it's been a few years now."
"Don't be discouraged. Everything has a chance. Even though it has been many years, what if the truth comes out? You have to recall it carefully. What if there is something that you overlooked before?"
The stall owner shook his head, but didn't say anything else. Over the years, he has never recalled the situation of that day over and over again. What's disappointing is that he can't remember anything useful at all.
"Do you still remember what shops were on this street at that time? Has there been any change in the past few years?"
"Of course I remember these. I remember clearly which faces are still the same and which ones have changed owners. I also asked for some information about the people who left, and I probably know where they are now."
"Yo! It looks like you put in a lot of effort."
"Hey, what can I do? I don't want to give in!"
"The copper cabinets set up by Xuanqing Guards in the city are said to help people investigate cases. Would you like to try them?"
"Hey, to be honest, I gave it a try, but I just want peace of mind. I'm worried that the greater my hopes, the greater my disappointment."
"Not this time."
After the guest drank the last sip of soy milk and stood up to leave, he patted a ten-tael piece of broken silver on the table.
"Hey, big brother, there are so many that I can't find!"
"No, just leave it here and I'll eat it tomorrow."
"Okay, then you have to tell me your name and I will keep the accounts for you."
"My name is Shen Hao."
