Su Chong, Su Hua, and Zhou Heng nodded.
They all knew that Madam Zhao was concerned about them.
Su Hua looked at Madam Zhao and thought of the young man he had met these two days. What the young man said was not unreasonable. He thought for two days and finally decided to ask.
1
Su Hua asked Madam Zhao, “Mother, do you know anyone with the surname Yan?”
Su Hua suddenly asked. Madam Zhao smiled and said, “No, why?”
None of the people around Madam Zhao had the surname Yan. She could not remember anyone with the surname Yan.
However, Madam Zhao was also concerned when her son asked. She turned to ask Su Sanlang, “Sanlang, do you know anyone with the surname Yan?”
Su Sanlang shook his head. He didn’t know anyone surnamed Yan.
Su Sanlang and Madam Zhao looked at Su Hua in confusion.
Su Hua pondered for a moment before saying, “Mother, I’m not talking about these 23 years. I’m talking about 23 years ago. Can you still remember a little?”
Madam Zhao did not know how to answer Su Hua’s sudden question.
Her heart was a mess. She understood what Su Hua meant by asking this question. What Su Hua wanted to ask was before she went to the Southern Mountain Village and was bought by Madam Wang to be Su Sanlang’s wife.
Where did she come from?
Madam Zhao lowered her head and said calmly, “I don’t remember.”
She could not recall that when she was being tortured by Madam Wang, she had even fantasized about whether her family would come looking for her one day to support her.
However, as the 12 years passed, she was satisfied with the current situation. She no longer thought about this matter.
“Hua, why are you suddenly asking this? Did you meet… someone?”
Su Sanlang asked worriedly.
Su Hua didn’t know if he should say it.
Su Chong asked in confusion, “Brother Hua, is someone asking if our mother’s surname is Yan again?”
When did this happen? The two brothers had been out together for the past few days. Why didn’t he know about this?
Zhou Heng was also puzzled.
He didn’t know about this matter either, but from the looks of it, it couldn’t be a coincidence that it happened twice.
“What’s going on? What do you mean again?”
Su Sanlang was anxious when he heard this. For a moment, his mind was in a mess. He looked at Su Chong and Su Hua and said with a serious expression, “Chong, Hua, I have to make you understand that your mother was once bought by that family. She lost all her memories at that time. All her memories came from our family. You don’t know how much your mother has suffered. If there’s a chance to find her family, we want and must send your mother home.”
“Your mother is already 41 years old. If her parents are still alive, they will be in their twilight years. They have been separated for more than 20 years. They might still miss their daughter and are waiting to see her again. If they are no longer around, they will definitely be able to rest in peace after receiving a cup of wine from their daughter. Hence, if there is any news, even if it’s only a possibility, don’t hide it. Your mother and I will judge for ourselves.”
Su Sanlang was agitated. He was afraid the children would hide it, even if it was only a possibility.
He had gone from having no feelings to loving Madam Zhao. Madam Zhao had accompanied him for more than twenty years, so how could he not know the knot in her heart?
In the past, he was only in Goathorn Town and no one had ever come to ask, so he buried this matter in his heart.
But now, with this matter, Su Sanlang couldn’t pretend it didn’t exist. He had to know everything.
Madam Zhao also looked at Su Hua anxiously.
Because she could not remember, she did not know where she came from or if she had ever been loved by her parents. This matter had been buried in her heart.
Now that there seemed to be news, although she was anxious, she still wanted to know.
Everyone looked at Su Hua.
Su Hua said, “In the past few days, we have attended a few student exchange banquets together. At the banquet, a weak scholar asked me a few questions secretly.”
“Is that scholar Qi Xingzhi?”
Su Chong asked. As soon as Su Hua said that, he thought of someone.
Su Hua nodded. “It’s him.”
Su Chong and Zhou Heng had met Qi Xingzhi before. They only had nodding acquaintances at the banquet. There were so many people at the banquet, and they also made friends. Qi Xingzhi was weak, so he had an impression of him.
However, Su Chong and Zhou Heng did not know when Qi Xingzhi secretly interacted with Su Hua.
Su Sanlang was a little confused. He asked anxiously, “Why is his surname Qi? What’s with the surname Yan?”
Su Hua looked at Madam Zhao and said slowly, “Qi Xingzhi told me that his great-grandfather had an only daughter, Qi Xingzhi’s great-aunt. Her name was Qi Xinyu. After she became an adult, she got married to a family with the surname Yan. When she gave birth, she passed away. Qi Xinyu left behind an only daughter and named her Yan Mian. When Yan Mian was about to get married at the age of 17, she went out and met a mountain bandit. She had been missing ever since, for 24 years.”
“Qi Xingzhi said that my eldest brother and I are a little similar to Yan Mian, but only a little. He said that it was his great-grandfather’s wish to find his lost granddaughter. He saw us and wanted to ask. If Mother is willing, I can talk to Qi Xingzhi and see if we can meet the Qi family in private.”
Su Hua told him the truth. Qi Xingzhi wanted to find out about Madam Zhao, and Su Hua was also wary that he had ulterior motives. Therefore, when Qi Xingzhi asked, he held back.
But just like what Qi Xingzhi said, if their mother didn’t know where she came from, she might really be Yan Mian.
After hearing Su Hua’s words, Madam Zhao looked melancholic.
Su Sanlang held Madam Zhao’s hand and said, “Darling, let’s meet them.”
Su Sanlang didn’t want to miss this opportunity. Putting aside whether it was true or not, at least this was an opportunity.
1
In the 23 years he had been with Madam Zhao, this was the first and only chance. He should not miss it.
Madam Zhao said hesitantly, “I don’t know. I…”
She should meet them, but she was afraid.
Su Hua said softly, “Mother, take your time to consider. This matter is too sudden. We have to stay in the capital for a while. There’s no need to be in a hurry.”
Madam Zhao nodded.
“Mother, I have something to say too.”
Su Xiaoling suddenly spoke with a serious expression. After hearing Su Hua’s words, she pondered for a moment and decided to tell them about what happened a few days ago.
Su Xiaoling looked at Madam Zhao and said, “Mother, actually, a few days ago, I also met a strange person. He followed me and I thought he was a bad person. Later, he caught up to me and stopped me. He said that I looked like an old friend of his and asked me where my ancestral hometown was. if my mother’s surname is Yan, or do I know someone with the surname Yan?”
“At that time, I only felt that it was strange. I was afraid that he was a bad person. After I answered him, he stopped following me. I saw that he really wasn’t following me. I thought that he had just recognized the wrong person. When I heard what Second Brother said just now, I felt that this didn’t seem to be a coincidence, so I decided to say this too.” After Su Xiaoling finished speaking, she looked at Madam Zhao seriously and said, “Mother, let’s meet them.”