Song Yao had seen instant noodles in town before. A fifty-cent food ticket could buy a box of instant noodles. There were more than thirty packets in each box.
However, the young man was selling one pack for 50 cents.
âIâm sorry, I donât need it.â Song Yao refused.
The young man retracted his hand awkwardly and said, âThereâs still a long way to go. Are you sure you donât want a packet to fill your stomach?â
Song Yao shook her head.
The young man laughed a few more times. âAlright.â Then, he left in disappointment.
Song Yao looked at his dejected back and felt inexplicably uneasy. She wondered if it was not good for her to reject the young man like this.
At this moment, she saw the young man pass the instant noodles that he wanted to sell to another passenger and successfully get a crumpled 50 cents.
During the next three days of the journey, Song Yaoâs chest felt stuffy because of the milk secretion. When she went to the toilet, she secretly caught a few glimpses of the young man selling instant noodles. The bag that had bulged when he got on the train had already flattened.
When they arrived at Sangqiu County, the young man had already gotten off the train. When Song Yao heard the radio broadcast, she hurriedly got off the train.
After a few days of sitting and sleeping, her legs were a little numb.
Although Song Yao staggered, she still caught up with the crowd. Along the way, she asked for directions and arrived at Sangqiu Cityâs production team smoothly.
However, when she reached the door, she started to feel troubled again.
In this big county, who would believe her if she said that the captain of the production team here took away his child?
Song Yao was nervous. She tugged at the corner of her clothes and went to the guardhouse. She said to the staff inside, âMay I ask if the leader of the production team, Mei Zhao, is here today? Iâm his relative. I have something to tell him. Can you help me contact him?â
The guard here was an old man with white hair. When he heard Song Yaoâs words, he couldnât help but size her up.
Her cotton-padded jacket was covered in snow, and her originally red face had turned purple from the cold.
âAre you from out of town?â The old man pulled a long face and opened the door. âCome in and take a seat first. Iâll go get someone for you.â n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om
Song Yao was still hesitating when the old man glared at her, scaring her into rushing in.
She reached out to the top of the small fire pit. The long-awaited warmth made her slowly exhale. She turned around and looked at the back of the old man outside the door in a green cotton-padded jacket.
Song Yao felt that it was unreal.
The people here might not be as unreasonable as she thought.
Song Yao rubbed her hands when she suddenly heard an elegant female voice coming from behind her. âIs Uncle Liu here?â
The female voice sounded like a nightmare, making her heart tremble.
Song Yao turned around in shock.
A fair-skinned and beautiful woman appeared at the window outside the door. She wore a plain coat with a warm scarf and a feathered painterâs hat.
She was dressed very brightly.
It gradually overlapped with the appearance of the woman in her dream.
In her dream, this woman would be the mistress who snatched her husband from her in the future, Pang Jiao.
âAre you Uncle Liuâs daughter?â Pang Jiao looked at Song Yao with curved eyes.
Although she was smiling, Song Yao could see the disdain in her eyes.
âPang Jiao!â
Just as Song Yao was about to deny it, someone came from outside and stopped Pang Jiao.
âWhy are you here? Itâs so cold. Why are you still wearing so little?â After Mei Zhao came out of the production team, she hurriedly held Pang Jiaoâs hand that was wearing leather cotton gloves.
âThis isnât called wearing too little, itâs fashion. And donât worry, Iâm not cold.â Pang Jiaoâs smile immediately became lively, like a completely different person from before.
âItâs good that youâre not cold. Why are you here?â Mei Zhao chuckled.
Pang Jiaoâs expression darkened. She wanted to say something but hesitated. âItâs a childâ¦â
âWhat happened to the child?â Song Yao and Mei Zhao asked in unison.
Song Yaoâs tone was filled with anxiety and worry, while Mei Zhao was slightly calm.
Hearing Song Yaoâs words, Pang Jiao glanced at her strangely, as if blaming Song Yao for being a busybody.
Song Yao held the bag on her shoulder and said nervously, âYouâre Captain Mei, right?â
âYes, you are?â Mei Zhao turned around.
Song Yao said right on the heels of that, âIâm Yu Yongâs wife and the childâs mother. Yu Yong said that he didnât ask for my opinion when he brought the child to you. Can you return my child to me?!â