Chapter 104: Went Missing

Chapter 104: Chapter 104: Went Missing

Su Wan was a little surprised. Not only had Aunt Zhao washed the clothes, but she had also made such an elaborate breakfast.

After washing up, she walked over and sat down at the table in the courtyard. She picked up a spoon and tasted the soft tofu pudding. It was very tender.

"There’s white sugar here, Wanwan. Add it yourself. I don’t know how sweet you like it."

Su Wan added half a spoonful of sugar. A rich soy fragrance filled the air, and the silky, tender texture melted in her mouth. There wasn’t even a hint of a beany taste.

Then she tried the buns. To her surprise, there were buns filled with chives and vermicelli, tofu, fresh meat, and green beans with minced pork.

There was one of each. Su Wan’s favorite was the fresh meat bun. The meat inside was minced into small bits and wasn’t greasy at all. With the addition of scallions, all she could taste was the fragrance of onion and meat. The entire filling was savory and bright. Taking a bite of the bun’s skin, soaked through with juices, filled her mouth with flavor.

"Wanwan, you like these soup dumplings?" Aunt Zhao saw her lick her lips after finishing one, her expression more animated than when she was eating the other buns. She couldn’t help but smile. "My daughter and that little rascal of a son used to love soup dumplings too. It’s just that we weren’t well-off, so it was a rare treat."

Su Wan praised her, "Aunt Zhao, you’re such a good cook. It’s been so long since I’ve had soup dumplings this delicious."

"But, don’t you only have one son?"

Aunt Zhao’s expression turned bitter. She shook her head and said, "My daughter... she went missing when she was eight. She was with me on a trip to the Capital to visit family."

’I didn’t realize that was the story behind it.’

She said instinctively, "Aunt Zhao, do you have a photo of your daughter, or any information from when she went missing? I can help you draw a portrait. Then you can ask around wherever you go. What if you find some news?"

"Wanwan, can you really?" Aunt Zhao grabbed her hand excitedly. This usually strong woman couldn’t stop her eyes from turning red.

"Yes, I can, Aunt Zhao."

Su Wan gently patted her shoulder to comfort her. ’After all, even though Aunt Zhao is being paid, she’s taking care of me so conscientiously. I’m really grateful.’

’I never would have guessed Aunt Zhao was carrying such a painful story.’

"Actually, the reason I came to the Capital to work was also to earn money to hire people to find that child, Yunxiang. I can’t bear to think about what hardships she might be suffering somewhere. I have to find her. It’s all my fault for not taking good care of her back then," Aunt Zhao said, her eyes red as she beat her chest and stomped her foot in regret.

"Aunt Zhao, don’t worry. As long as you keep trying, you’ll definitely find her."

’Su Wan couldn’t find any more words of comfort. She preferred taking practical action.’

After finishing breakfast, she immediately went back to her room, took out a blank sheet of paper, and began to draw with a pencil.

Aunt Zhao stood beside her, describing her daughter.

As Aunt Zhao watched the portrait Su Wan was drawing become more and more familiar, tears suddenly started streaming down her face.

Su Wan handed her the portrait.

Aunt Zhao clutched the portrait, her whole body trembling. "It’s Yunxiang, my eight-year-old Yunxiang... I wonder what she looks like now."

"Wanwan, can I have this portrait?" Aunt Zhao asked nervously. Fearing a misunderstanding, she wiped her tears and hastily explained, "I’ll pay you!"

"I’ve been trying to find Yunxiang for years, but I don’t have a photo. People in the city have no idea what she looked like, so even kind people who wanted to help couldn’t do anything."

"Wanwan, I really..."

Su Wan took her hand. "Aunt Zhao, you keep it. You don’t need to pay me. I also hope Yunxiang is found soon."

"I’m like an older sister to her, in a way. It puts my mind at ease to be able to do something to help."

Aunt Zhao rubbed her eyes. "Wanwan, I won’t be modest, then. Once Yunxiang is found, I’ll come and thank you personally."

Su Wan shook her head. She too hoped that Aunt Zhao would find her daughter.

Aunt Zhao washed the dishes, then finished the laundry. It was only ten in the morning when she went out to buy groceries, taking the portrait with her.

Su Wan knew she was going to look for her.

Su Wan went back to reading at home.

Aunt Zhao returned a little before eleven in the morning.

Su Wan could see she was dejected but trying to stay strong, so she knew she hadn’t found anyone.

’Of course, after so much time had passed, it was obviously impossible to find someone in just an hour.’

Aunt Zhao knew this as well. She hadn’t given up, nor did she feel despair just because she hadn’t found her. After all, she had been searching for so many years.

She wasn’t afraid of it taking longer. At least now she finally had a drawing of her child from when she was young. As long as someone who had watched the child grow up saw it, they would surely recognize her.

For lunch, Aunt Zhao made steamed fish, scrambled eggs with luffa, and a cold eggplant salad, all to Su Wan’s taste.

Su Wan discovered that Aunt Zhao was indeed a very good cook, just a bit sparing with the cooking oil. However, at Su Wan’s request, she had changed her ways.

When Lu Zhengchuan came home that evening, Su Wan quietly told him about Aunt Zhao’s situation.

Lu Zhengchuan nodded. "Yes, that’s true."

"Actually, when my comrade was still alive, he was always doing everything he could to find her. The family spent a lot of money on it too."

"No wonder," Su Wan said, suddenly understanding. "I was thinking that there was no way Aunt Zhao could be that poor, especially with the survivor’s pension."

’Besides, Aunt Zhao isn’t the extravagant type; she’s actually very frugal and hardworking.’

"I thought Aunt Zhao had given up the search after my comrade passed away. I didn’t expect her to still be trying," Lu Zhengchuan remarked with some emotion.

Then, he said something that shocked Su Wan.

"Actually, my father is missing too."

"...What?" Su Wan looked at him in astonishment.

Lu Zhengchuan’s tone was relatively calm. He reached out and stroked her long hair, as if to show it didn’t bother him much.

"My dad and mom met at their work unit in the fifties. They got pregnant with me six months after they married. My mom went back to her hometown to visit my grandmother, who was gravely ill. My dad was busy with work at the time and had just gone abroad, so he couldn’t come back. My mom returned to the village by herself."

"My grandmother passed away that year. After seeing to her affairs, my mom was supposed to return to the Capital for work. But right up until the day I was born, the higher-ups told my mom the news: my dad was missing."

"My mom had a difficult birth with me, and in the end, only I survived."

"In the end, someone from my mother’s work unit contacted my aunt and uncle, and they brought me back."

Su Wan had only known that Lu Zhengchuan’s parents had passed away long ago—that was the story in the village. ’So Father Lu didn’t pass away; he went missing.’

’But since Father Lu hasn’t returned after all these years, it’s highly likely he has passed away.’

"I’m sorry, I didn’t know," Su Wan said, hugging him comfortingly.

Lu Zhengchuan’s expression was still calm. "I never met my father, but I know my parents must have loved me very much."

"Because when my mom was having a difficult birth, she insisted on saving the baby. I am the continuation of her life, and I will live well, living for her as well."

"If she knew she was about to have grandchildren, she would be very happy."

Lu Zhengchuan gazed at her pregnant belly, his eyes full of anticipation and warmth.

Su Wan met his gaze, so full of fatherly love, and her heart felt as if it had been struck by a small stone—a dull, aching feeling. For the first time, she had the profound realization that Lu Zhengchuan was her family.

’He’s the father of her child, the person who will be with her for the rest of her life.’

"Do you have a photo of your father? Let me see it. If there’s a chance in the future, we could try to look for him. What if we can find him?"