hotmtlnovel Chapter 698 Finding the Child
Chapter 698 Finding the Child
Qin Huairu's mind went blank, as if a taut string had suddenly snapped, leaving her ears ringing. Was there even a question? She hadn't taken the child out at all! She'd specifically checked before leaving; the child was sleeping soundly, his little face rosy. How could he have run off on his own? That meant… the child was gone? A chill ran from the soles of her feet to the top of her head, all her strength draining away instantly. Her knees buckled, and she nearly collapsed to the ground, barely managing to stay upright by gripping her aunt's arm tightly, her fingertips trembling slightly from the force.
She stared intently at Jia Dongxu's aunt. Normally, she was always polite, calling her "Auntie" constantly, and even giving her a piece of cloth during holidays. But now, with Jia Cai's safety at stake, those formalities were long forgotten. Her eyes were like ice, cold and hard, as she said, word by word, "Auntie, I'm telling you this: if anything happens to the child, I... I'll never forgive you!" The fierceness in her tone, the resolute determination to go all out, was something Jia Dongxu's aunt had never seen before. Startled, she shrank back, her arm instinctively trying to pull away.
Jia Dongxu's aunt wanted to explain something, but before she could speak, Qin Huairu suddenly released her arm and rushed out like a gust of wind. The news of her child's disappearance hit her like a huge boulder, a devastating blow—Bang Geng was already like that, and if Jia Cai was gone too, what hope was there for life? What was the point of living? She stumbled out of the house, losing one shoe in the process, her bare feet crunching on the cold ground, calling out incoherently, "Jia Cai! Jia Cai! My son...where are you..." Her voice was as shrill as a cat being strangled, echoing through the silent courtyard, hitting the doors and windows of each house, making hearts tighten and chills run through the body.
Qin Huairu had initially managed to grit her teeth and force herself to stay awake, her fingertips digging deep into her palms to keep herself awake through the pain. But the thought of Jia Cai's exquisitely beautiful face, his ever-blinking black grape-like eyes, and his two tiny teeth that peeked out when he smiled, felt as if an invisible hand had ripped a piece out of her heart, leaving her in excruciating pain. She could no longer hold back. She abruptly shook off the hand that Jia Dongxu's aunt was trying to pull her away, letting out a piercing scream that could shatter the roof tiles and echoed far and wide in the courtyard, startling the sparrows in the locust tree into fluttering and flying all over the yard—after all, Jia Cai was her lifeline, her only hope in these chaotic days, and the one she depended on for the rest of her life.
At this moment, He Yuzhu was helping Qin Jingru walk home. Qin Jingru, heavily pregnant, walked with difficulty, her hand gently protecting her waist. From afar, they could hear Qin Huairu's cries; the despair in her sobs could be felt even across half the alley. Although she didn't know what trouble her cousin was causing this time, they were family, blood was thicker than water, and she couldn't help but worry. She tugged at He Yuzhu's sleeve, her voice filled with concern: "Brother Zhu, let's go check on her. My cousin is crying so hard, something terrible must have happened. Could it be that Bang Geng is in trouble again…?"
He Yuzhu didn't want to get involved in the Jia family's affairs, always feeling that they were constantly in trouble, arguing and making a scene, making life unbearable. But Qin Jingru was pregnant, and she was the precious darling of the He family, so naturally he had to listen to her. He sighed, took Qin Jingru's arm, and quickened his pace: "Alright, let's take a look, but slow down, don't get too close, be careful not to bump into you and the baby."
As soon as Qin Jingru reached Qin Huairu, she was horrified by her tear-streaked face and contorted expression; the despair on her face seemed about to overflow. She quickly stepped forward, her voice trembling, "Cousin, what's wrong? Why are you crying? Did someone bully you? Tell me!"
Qin Huairu cried her heart out, her chest heaving violently, her voice cracking. The commotion was like a stone thrown into the quiet courtyard, attracting half the crowd. Aunt Zhang from the front yard came running over with her unwashed vegetable basket, and Uncle Li from the back yard joined in with his pipe. Everyone was eager to see what was going on, their whispers buzzing like flies swarming around sugar crumbs.
Yi Zhonghai was also alarmed. He strode over, leaning on his jujube wood cane, the tip of which tapped against the bluestone slab. Looking at Qin Huairu slumped on the ground, his brows furrowed, and his tone carried the authority of an elder: "Huairu, what happened? Let's talk this out. Crying won't solve anything. What kind of behavior is this!"
Seeing her neighbors gather around, Qin Huairu, as if grasping at a last straw, knelt down with a thud, her knees hitting the hard ground with a dull thud that made one's teeth ache. She kowtowed repeatedly to the onlookers, her forehead quickly turning red and covered in dust: "Old and young men of the courtyard, I beg you! Does anyone know where my child, Jia Cai, is? He's only three years old, such a small child, he can't just disappear like this! Please help me find him!"
He Yuzhu stood to the side, arms crossed, his face expressionless—he truly didn't want to get involved in the Jia family's affairs; he always felt they were a bottomless pit. But Qin Jingru was tugging at his sleeve, her eyes filled with worry, her hands clenched tightly. Qin Jingru couldn't help but speak up: "Cousin, what are you saying? Wasn't Jia Cai always with you? How come he's missing? Did he run off somewhere to play?"
Qin Huairu sobbed as she recounted the incident—she had only gone to the supply and marketing cooperative to buy soy sauce, a trip that should have taken only the time it takes to smoke a cigarette, and when she returned, she found the house empty. The child's tiger-head shoes were lying on the threshold, the building blocks on the table were scattered all over the floor, and the child was nowhere to be seen. As she spoke, she began to wail again, beating her chest and stamping her feet in a pitiful display, so much so that even the most critical of Aunt Zhang couldn't help but sigh.
Yi Zhonghai's face turned pale instantly, and his heart skipped a beat—in his heart, Jia Cai had long been his intended retirement support, his only hope for the rest of his life, how could he abandon him? He paced anxiously in circles, his cane thumping on the ground as if striking someone's heart: "What on earth happened? Why didn't you lock the door when you left? Jia Cai is so young, how could you leave him home alone? You're such a careless mother!"
Qin Huairu looked up at him, her eyes full of pleading, tears mixed with dust leaving two streaks on her face: "Uncle Yi, I really didn't know it would be like this! He usually stays in the house playing with building blocks obediently and never runs around... You must help me, after all..." She didn't dare to say the rest of her words, but her eyes glanced at Yi Zhonghai with an ambiguous meaning—a tacit understanding between the two of them.