The Hope You Gave Me: 05-Mr. Han

If seeing Xin Qi was Su Tian's last wish, Min Hui felt that she couldn't let her spirit in heaven have this regret.

Especially this death trip happened on the way she was about to meet Xin Qi——

If it wasn't to save her own life, the two people after a long absence have reunited, Xin Qi will fulfill her promise, Su Tian's fate will change, what awaits her is no longer poverty, hardship and displacement, and everything will be all right. ...

The happiness in hand just flew like this.

Min Hui pondered over and over again, which link was the problem?

First, I shouldn't be soft-hearted and agree to have the same room with Su Tian.

Second, if you want to die, you have to choose a good day. The sound of thunder was so loud that it woke him up, and naturally also woke Su Tian. Couldn't the movement be smaller when going out?

Third, since everyone saw Su Tian following him to the bridge, he should give up the action immediately instead of turning around and jumping into the river. Even if you really don't want to live, it's not bad for a day or two, right?

Fourth, when they got into the water, they soon separated. At this time, she could still die and give up the precious lifebuoy instead of monopolizing it all the time...

After thinking about it, a more terrifying truth surfaced:

The reason why Su Tian died was because he suddenly didn't want to die at that time.

The more she thought about it, the more she could not calm down and forgive herself: what she took away was not only an innocent life, but also a beautiful love, a happy life, and the expectations of another person.

Time has passed, and Min Hui has no clue here, so she has to take a car to Haiyuan City the next day.

She found the No. 2 Welfare Home in Longhui District on a secluded street corner, and a secretary received her. After checking it on the computer, I said that the two welfare homes were indeed merged, but the main ones were orphans and disabled children, not teachers.

"Why?" Min Hui asked disappointedly.

"Because it was a very small orphanage, there were only thirteen official staff, and the rest were contract workers or temporary workers. Although Yongquan and Haiyuan were next to each other, they were two cities after all. When they merged, most The employees expressed their unwillingness to leave the city, those who were transferred were transferred, and those who resigned were resigned. Only three teachers came with the children, and only one teacher, Han, is still working in the welfare home.”

Su Tian mentioned several teachers in his diary, but none was named Han. Even so, the visit could not be in vain, so the two met in a reception room.

Mr. Han looks in his fifties, with short hair, tall, wearing black-rimmed glasses, and has a very gentle attitude. After Min Hui explained her intention, she immediately nodded: "I have an impression, I have an impression. I worked in the rehabilitation room and was mainly responsible for the rehabilitation training of physically handicapped children. Su Tian and Xin Qi were not disabled. When they reached school age, they went to their counterparts. Primary school. I was in charge of picking them up for a while, and I often took them to do extracurricular activities, so I was quite familiar with them. The welfare home is so big and there are so many children. Everyone sees each other every day and knows the basic situation.”

"Mr. Han," Min Hui asked the most basic question, "How did Su Tian come to the orphanage?"

"The people rescued by the anti-abduction operation were over three years old when they came. The operation rescued a group of abducted girls, and only two children found their biological parents. The rest were left in the Yongquan Welfare Institute. Su Tian When we first came, we didn't say a word for more than a year. We thought he was deaf and dumb. We sent him to the hospital for examination. The doctor said that the child's hearing was normal, so he was probably frightened. Later, she gradually began to speak and told us She was kidnapped with her younger brother, but she was soon separated from her. When I asked her what her brother's name was, she didn't know her parents' names... I remember that the orphanage went to the criminal police officer who participated in the abduction. Let's see if I can check the whereabouts of my younger brother. The police said that all the rescued girls were girls, not boys. Maybe they had been sold before. I called and asked the main criminal who was serving his sentence, but he refused to admit that there was such a thing."

"Where's Xin Qi? Also a kidnapped child?" Min Hui asked.

"He wasn't. He was abandoned. Not long after he was born, he was placed on a chair in the waiting hall of the train station, wrapped in a piece of cloth with a note that read 'Please adopt a kind person'. A few words of class."

"But..." Min Hui couldn't help but interrupt, "Who gave the name Xin Qi?"

"The policeman who was responsible for sending him to the orphanage at that time was surnamed Xin. The train station was on Qipan Street, so he named him Xin Qi. That's how Su Tian's name came from. The policeman who rescued her was named Su. Why is it called Su Tian, ​​probably because the teachers turned to the dictionary to get it."

So it was.

Mr. Han went on to say: "When Xin Qi was first delivered, everyone thought it was very strange. He was a very beautiful baby, and he didn't have any problems with his body. He was a boy, why not? Then the child started I cried, my god, when I cried, my whole body turned blue and my lips were purple. I rushed to the hospital for a medical examination. It turned out to be a congenital heart disease. A few were sent to Beijing, and there happened to be a foreign expert who did it. I heard that it is particularly dangerous, a few months old baby, a thoracic sawbone... The doctor said that the child was too young and could only be repaired temporarily. , you will need to continue surgery when you grow up, otherwise you won't live to be fifteen years old."

Su Tian's account of Xin Qi's condition is very sketchy, only mentioning that he was hospitalized several times. Obviously, the teachers didn't tell him too much about the condition for fear of worrying the child.

Min Hui remembered the details one by one and continued to ask: "Su Tian mentioned in his diary that Xin Qi's eyesight is not good?"

"Well, a high degree of myopia is also congenital. I don't remember how many degrees. In short, the glasses are as thick as the bottom of a bottle, heavy and expensive, and he is naughty. The classmates also like to tease him, and the glasses keep falling. Bad... He also said that there is no distinction between men and women at a distance of three meters, and no distinction between people and animals at a distance of five meters." Teacher Han laughed as he spoke, "But he was lucky, when he was thirteen years old. He was adopted by an American couple and went to the United States. Medicine is developed there, so his illness should be cured by now, right?"

"It's possible." Min Hui couldn't help feeling that the fates of the two children were so different, "Where is Su Tian? How did she get back to her hometown?"

"It was said that there was a relative in my hometown who was working in another place, and somehow I heard about the anti-trafficking operation. When I calculated the time, it was just right. When I looked at the pictures of the child at the time, I thought it was very similar. They also called the police. I took the child's mother and came over with the documents and photos. When I came here to compare, let alone face, even the clothes were exactly the same. Su Tian was very happy at the time, so he went back with his mother. At that time We're pretty worried about—"

"Huh?"

"Her home is in a particularly remote mountainous area, and living conditions are very poor. She and her brother were abducted in the market. The poor mother was drugged by the traffickers, fell asleep after eating a bowl of noodles, and woke up The last two children were gone. The couple called the whole village to look everywhere but couldn't find it. After calling the police, they searched for several months without any results. Her mother's mood collapsed and her spirit began to become abnormal. It became more and more serious, and there was no money for treatment. Her father entrusted his wife to relatives to take care of him, and decided to go out to work and find a child by the way. How could he know that he died in an accident on the construction site within a year of working.”

"Was she in good spirits when her mother came to pick her up?"

"How can I say it, it's not normal, but I can communicate. I can't talk a little bit. I'm very excited when I see my daughter, and my mind is much clearer. The mother and daughter hug each other and cry. , there is no one to take care of her at home, and she looks like a beggar all day long. When Su Tian heard this, she was very anxious to go home and take care of her mother. We originally wanted to persuade her to stay here for a while and spend the rest of the semester. After class, leave after class. After all, there is a remote area there, and there is no way to go to school when she goes back. But she insisted on leaving, and there are still some relatives in her hometown who can take care of it, so we agreed.”

"So Xin Qi left first, and then Su Tian also left?"

"The difference between the two is less than three months. The relationship between the two children is very good. They always play together on weekdays. They are like a young couple. They are not far apart. One year old, Xin Qi is older. Because of illness, he went to school one year later, and happened to be in the same class as Su Tian. Su Tian was a warmhearted person since he was a child. The teachers said, Su Tian, ​​take care of Xin Qi. He has poor eyesight. If he can't see the blackboard clearly, you can help him take a note. Su Tian took the teacher's words as the imperial decree, and he became Xin Qi's little follower."

"So they've been good friends since childhood?"

"Also quarrel. This Xin Qi doesn't know if it's because of heart disease, quick temper, bad temper, and poor patience. Because of his bad eyes, he is often teased by his classmates. Don't dare to mess with him too much. In case of a heart attack, wouldn't it be impossible to eat and walk around? As for Su Tian, ​​on the contrary, he is more obedient. Regardless of his young age, he has a lot of energy. No matter how anxious Xin Qi is with her, Don't care about him, at best ignore him. If Xin Qi gets angry, Su Tian can persuade him, even the teachers can't."

Min Hui imagined Xin Qi as a child, must be a little bully. So he said: "Then his academic performance is not very good?"

"So-so. People are very smart, and they have an amazing memory when they learn it. In particular, he knows how to play chess. That year, he represented his elementary school to the provincial capital to participate in the provincial primary and secondary school chess tournament. He signed up for him because he liked it, and his original intention was to let him play. I didn't expect him to come back with a provincial championship, which shocked everyone. In my opinion, this kid is just a **** and doesn't do well in class. Listen, otherwise, there will definitely be great prospects in the future."

"Where's Su Tian? What hobbies does she have?"

"I like sports, swimming, running, long jump...everything. I like to stay on the playground when I have nothing to do. For a while, I especially liked to play table tennis, and I always wanted to enter the Olympic Games. Xin Qi had to play with her, My eyesight is not good. After a ball comes down, I can see Su Tian looking for the ball all over the place——"

"Pfft——" Min Hui couldn't help laughing, imagining all the interesting things about the childhood sweethearts back then, "Is there any way to contact Xin Qi from the welfare home?"

"No way. It all happened more than ten years ago." Teacher Han shook his head, "Xin Qi never came back after he left. Think about it, a boy with heart disease, highly myopic, and went to a strange country. , the language barrier, the cultural difference is so big... His life must be very difficult, right? It takes a long time to get used to it?

"But," Min Hui said, "the adopter should leave his address and phone number when he goes through the formalities."

"At that time, there were few people and too many tasks, and the management was chaotic. There was no professional file organization. After several relocations, many materials were lost. Before, there were people who wanted to check the files, but they couldn't find them at all. Besides, this address and phone number are private and need to be kept secret, and even if there is, it will not be given to you easily."

The bell rang for class. Teacher Han looked at her watch: "Any questions? I have a class below."

Min Hui hurriedly said: "The last question, Mr. Han, do you know where Xin Qi and Su Tian ate ice cream for the first time? I only know it's by a bridge. Children in the welfare home usually go there Where to eat ice cream?"

Mr. Han frowned and thought for a while, then said, "Although these children are all orphans, there are still many opportunities to eat ice cream. As long as there are major events, watching movies, spring outings, condolence performances, and festivals , are likely to eat ice cream.”

"It should have been when they were very young."

"Ten or twenty years ago, the chances might be less, but there are always a few times a year. Who knows where they ate for the first time? Who would remember these things?"

Min Hui tore a piece of paper from her notebook, wrote her cell phone number and handed it to her: "Thank you for telling me this, and if you remember anything, especially about ice cream, call me."

***

Although the visit to Haiyuan City did not obtain key information, from another aspect, Min Hui learned more about Su Tian and Xin Qi. The narrators' perspectives are different, but they complement each other. The past of Su Tian and Xin Qi is like an ink painting in the hands of a master. After a few strokes, it gradually becomes clear.

Min Hui began to imagine the boy with thick glasses, pale face and purple lips in anger.

There are too many reasons why he can't perform:

——Unable to live the agreed meeting time.

—Other love.

——You don't get along well and you don't have a face.

——Or, it was just a bragging in my youth, I can't remember it...

***

Min Hui returned to Yongquan City and wanted to find more employees who used to work in the orphanage, and inquired about more information about Su Tian. They found a few, but with little success. No one knows more than Teacher Han, and everyone has no impression of Su Tian, ​​except that she follows Xin Qi all day long. Everyone was impressed by Xin Qi, because he was the champion of the chess competition, and he was a big news in the welfare institute and even his primary school.

The descriptions of the two men were also mixed. Some say Su Tian is cheerful, some say Su Tian is dull, some say Xin Qi is naughty, and some say Xin Qi is arrogant...

She's the inconspicuous, obscure girl anyway; he's the talkative, difficult boy.

Everyone knows that they are together every day, go to school, eat together, play together, and are as close as a couple.

Min Hui visited Yongquan for three days, and suddenly fell ill on the fourth day.

Cold, fever, cough... Coupled with the days of depression, she lay in bed in a homestay for three days, and the high fever persisted, so she had to go to the hospital to hang water. It didn't start to improve until the fourth day, so she returned to the homestay to pack her luggage Going to leave by train the next day. When I was about to leave, I suddenly received a voice message from Zhao Yingmei:

"Darling, a staff member of a family tracing website called Rankinge to find Chunmiao, and it happened to be me who picked it up. They said they found a suspicious message, which may be Chunmiao's younger brother. I gave the address and Call, let Chunmiao contact me quickly."

Min Hui called her quickly: "Did you say that Chunmiao has disappeared?"

"No. Didn't you say that you want to help Chunmiao find relatives? I'm afraid that if you say that, people will not be active." Zhao Yingmei explained on the phone, "Besides, we can't be 100% sure that Chunmiao is dead now. , right?"

"Yes. By the way, how can the staff contact him? Do you have his phone number?"

"Yes, I'll send it to you right away. Chunmiao's user name on the family-hunting website is Su Tian, ​​he will know if you mention Su Tian."

Min Hui was stunned for a moment. In the previous conversation, Zhao Yingmei had neither mentioned the welfare home nor the relative tracing website. Apparently, Chunmiao had not told her that she had lived in the welfare home and was currently looking for her younger brother. So he asked, "How do you know her username is Su Tian?"

"Her WeChat account is called Su Tian, ​​and so is her QQ nickname, so when someone on the search site asks Su Tian, ​​I know it's Chunmiao."

As soon as Min Hui finished talking to Yingmei, less than three minutes later, the phone rang again.

It was Mr. Han who called.

"Xiaomin, didn't you ask me to think about the place where Su Tian and Xin Qi ate ice cream for the first time? I remembered something. There used to be a 'Love Volunteer Association' in Yongquan City, who often went to welfare Organizing condolence activities in homes and nursing homes. They also take children out for outings, and they have a lot of fun every time. Many children have been there more than once. The person in charge of the association is named Yang Qiong, who is very capable. You ask Ask her, maybe there are clues."

Min Hui hung up the phone, turned on the computer, and found the website of the Love Volunteer Association in just one minute on the Internet. She called to find Yang Qiong, who happened to be there.

“…Ice cream? It’s a top priority for outings. As long as we take the kids out to play, we always buy them ice cream. Everyone loves it,” said Joan Yang.

"Then do you remember the location of the outing?"

"Of course I remember. Taking the kids out can't be sloppy. We usually choose a particularly safe place and only go to three places."

"Which location has a bridge nearby?"

"That is the Wild Flower Lake Scenic Area. There is Yong'an Bridge there, there is a playground beside the bridge, and there is an ice cream shop inside. It is the first choice for the nearby elementary school's spring outing activities."

Min Hui took a deep breath: "Is this bridge still there?"

"Yes, that is the stone arch bridge of the Ming Dynasty, a national key cultural relic protection unit, how could it not be there? The playground is also there, and the ice cream shop is also there. I went there last month."

Hang up the phone, Min Hui sighed in her heart: This Xin Qi is really smart. Wouldn't you be dumbfounded if you chose the meeting place in an orphanage?

***

It was already one o'clock in the afternoon when Min Hui put on a white T-shirt and arrived at Yong'an Bridge with an enamel water bottle.

Wildflower Lake is located in the mountainous area north of Yongquan City, and it takes two hours by taxi. No wonder she didn't find her that day, because she wasn't in the city at all.

At this moment, nine days have passed since Xin Qi's agreed meeting time.

Min Hui felt that Xin Qi was unlikely to appear here. She hesitated for a long time between going and not going, and finally decided to come and have a look, at least buy an ice cream to eat.

Although I arrived late, I finally found it, and I have no regrets.

It is midsummer and the climate in the mountains is cool. Although it is not a weekend, there are still many tourists. The parking lot near Yong'an Bridge is full of various tourist buses.

The playground is located on an open space next to the bridge. It is a large area, with slides, swings, trampolines, bumper cars, carousels... everything. There is a row of snack bars next to it, and the one closest to the arch bridge is an ice cream shop.

The smell of cream and caramel wafts in the air.

Inadvertently, Min Hui looked down and found herself standing on a circular drain cover. The black cast iron was etched with a strange spiderweb pattern, with the word "rain" in it.

She felt that the pattern was familiar, and suddenly realized that the pattern on the T-shirt on her body was extended from the manhole cover, only half of it, so it was a semi-circle.

Interesting.

Guess correctly, the other half should be on another t-shirt.

What a clever idea.

Su Tian, ​​Xin Qi, what game are you playing?

Min Hui walked into the ice cream shop and asked for a one-ball sundae, mango-flavored, topped with chocolate and chopped nuts, and walked to the stone bridge.

The sun is very strong, and there are only three or five pedestrians on it. She stands by the bridge and observes it carefully.

There are only two boys, both of whom do not match in terms of age.

According to Teacher Han, Xin Qi should be twenty-six years old this year.

Also, Min Hui is not sure what kind of clothes he will be wearing. Is it the same as himself, wearing a white T, holding a water cup, like a spy waiting for a connection, looking around and sneaking around the bridge?

The only certainty is that he must be wearing thick glasses, who is severely short-sighted. So Min Hui turned her attention to young tourists with glasses.

She was amused by her own absurdity as she watched, and she felt a little bit like leaving after less than ten minutes of waiting.

It was so cold on the mountain that she shivered.

At this moment, a pair of cold hands suddenly stretched out from behind and covered her eyes.

She was startled and almost screamed, but a very pleasant voice sounded in her ear: "Tian Tian, ​​I've finally waited for you."