Chapter 21: Letting Go of My Brother for Mother's Sake

Hua Li had been talking for quite a while, but it was no match for Luo Yan, who had just woken up and threw herself into her arms, calling her "Mama."

Upon hearing Luo Yan call Hua Li "Mama," the little boy lowered his eyelashes, his expression darkening with melancholy.

"Yan Yan, who is he?" Hua Li asked Luo Yan, gesturing toward the boy.

"Brother," Luo Yan replied.

Luo Yan had originally intended to use a child’s tone to recount the process of finding the boy to Hua Li; she figured that even if her vocabulary were slightly complex, it shouldn’t be a major issue. However, to her horror, she realized that while she thought she was deliberately using a baby-talk cadence, she completely lost control the moment she tried to convey something more intricate. It came out as a jumbled, incoherent mess—not only could Hua Li not understand her, but even she herself didn’t know what she had just said.

How could this be?

Unable to understand a word, Hua Li rubbed Luo Yan’s small head and coaxed her gently, "Don’t be anxious, sweetheart. Tell me slowly."

Resigned to this infuriating reality, Luo Yan calmed down and used body language, supplemented by the occasional word that popped out, to explain how she had found the boy.

"Bang!"

Luo Yan put on a terrified expression, miming peeking out from a windowsill, then sat on the ground by the entrance of the vegetable cellar, shivering with her hands and feet while making whimpering noises. Next, she picked up the bottle of iodine from the floor, pointed to her knee, pursed her lips to blow on it, and furrowed her little brows while grimacing in mock pain. Finally, she put down the iodine, shouldered a mesh bag, and pointed to the little boy, saying, "Brother, eat."

Luo Yan exerted herself to express the story, and both Hua Li and the little boy were moved to bursts of laughter by her clever, spirited performance.

Luo Yan put down the mesh bag, wiped the sweat from her forehead, and stood with her hands on her hips, glaring angrily at the big and little person who were laughing hysterically, completely ignoring her efforts.

"Hmph!" Annoyed to the point of stamping her feet, Luo Yan turned and walked away. *You two are bad eggs. I’m not talking to you anymore.*

Hua Li chased after her, scooped Luo Yan up, picked up the mesh bag, and, holding the little boy’s hand, led them to the front yard. After putting the mesh bag back in the living room and applying some mosquito repellent to both children, Hua Li took them to the local police station.

When the police heard Hua Li explain that she had found the boy in her backyard, they noticed his disheveled, dirty state, but saw that his clothes were made of high-quality fabric, suggesting he was not a typical homeless child. They brought out the files on missing children to check one by one. Closing the file with a look of disappointment, the officer handed a pen and paper to Hua Li and said, "Please leave your home address and workplace."

As Hua Li took the paper and pen, she asked while writing, "Did you find his parents?"

The officer gave a firm answer: "No."

Hua Li began to worry. "Then what will happen to this child?"

The officer replied, "For the time being, he will be sent to an orphanage for foster care."

Hua Li frowned, looking at the little boy who was holding hands with Luo Yan. "What if his parents are never found?"

The officer noted that there was nothing else to be done; he would simply have to be raised in the orphanage.

Hua Li sighed and walked over to coax Luo Yan into letting go. Luo Yan could see the terror in the little boy’s eyes and felt his hand gripping hers tightly. However, Hua Li was about to divorce Luo Shicheng, and she couldn't allow Hua Li to take on a burden she wasn't meant to bear just out of sympathy.

When Hua Li asked her to let go, Luo Yan released her hand and was carried out of the police station by Hua Li.

Left behind, the little boy watched longingly as Hua Li walked away with Luo Yan, tears rolling down his cheeks. Hua Li felt a pang of guilt, but she knew her own limitations and truly didn't dare to take full responsibility for keeping the boy.

Back home, Hua Li took Luo Yan straight to the backyard. She inspected the area and found that while the coverings over the cellar were intact, the padlock had been pried open, and a piece of thin wire lay nearby. Hua Li surmised that the boy must have seen her put the lunchbox into the cellar, but that he had spent too much time prying the lock, and after finally opening it, he didn't have the strength to pull up the bamboo basket. He must have tried to climb down the ladder to retrieve the food and accidentally tumbled down.

She pulled up the bamboo basket hanging in the cellar, took out the lunchbox, and sniffed it; the food hadn't spoiled. After locking the cellar back up, she took the lunchbox and led Luo Yan back inside.

Once inside, Hua Li noticed the television set on the living room cabinet. She knew without asking that Luo Shicheng had bought it, specifically instructing Luo Yan not to touch it. She took the lunchbox to the kitchen, heated the food, and set it on the table to cool before calling Luo Yan to eat.

Luo Yan walked over obediently and sat at the table, but her mind was inexplicably filled with the pitiful image of the little boy devouring the sponge cake.

"Why aren't you eating, Yan Yan?" Hua Li asked softly, seeing Luo Yan staring blankly at her bowl.

Luo Yan picked up her spoon and began to eat, but even after finishing, she had no mood to watch television, instead leaning on the windowsill and staring out at the darkening sky.

Luo Shicheng didn't return until after eight that night, by which time Hua Li and Luo Yan were already asleep. Hearing the knock, Hua Li draped a coat over her shoulders, got out of bed, and asked who it was. Recognizing Luo Shicheng’s voice, she lifted the latch and let him in. After opening the door, Hua Li turned and headed straight back to the master bedroom, sliding the bolt shut behind her.

Luo Shicheng stood outside for a moment of hesitation before silently walking into the guest room where he usually slept.

The next day, Hua Li rose early to prepare breakfast. Just as she stepped out of the bedroom, Luo Shicheng walked in carrying breakfast he had bought. Hua Li acted as if she hadn't seen him and went into the kitchen to open the rice bag. Luo Shicheng followed her in and, seeing this, gave a dry cough.

"I bought breakfast. Also, I’ve asked for three days off for you at the supply and marketing cooperative; you should spend some time with Yan Yan..."

Hua Li’s movements paused; she tied up the rice bag and returned to the master bedroom. Luo Shicheng was busy setting bowls and chopsticks on the dining table when he saw Hua Li walk over and place twenty yuan in front of him.

"For the meals these past few days..." Hua Li said.

Luo Shicheng was so frustrated he nearly choked. "Take it back."

Hua Li ignored him and went about her morning wash.

A knock sounded at the door. Luo Shicheng went to open it and found two uniformed police officers. The older officer explained their purpose. Upon hearing that the little boy Hua Li had found yesterday—who had been placed in the duty room at the police station—had vanished overnight, Luo Shicheng hurriedly called Hua Li out.

*If I had known the child would run off, I should have just brought him home to look after him for a while,* Hua Li thought, filled with regret.

The police officer asked if the boy had come looking for her after she returned home last night. Hua Li shook her head, telling the officer he was welcome to come inside and check if he was worried. The officers were very diligent and searched the entire house.

Woken up by the commotion, Luo Yan ran to Hua Li’s side and was picked up by her. The officers checked the backyard as well, but the boy was nowhere to be found. After apologizing, they left.

Dazed and confused, Luo Yan asked, "Mama, what did the uncle come for?"

Hua Li looked troubled. "Brother is lost."

The little boy couldn't speak; what if he ran into bad people? Hearing this, Luo Yan also felt a wave of regret.

Sensing the gloomy mood of the mother and daughter, Luo Shicheng carried Luo Yan away to wash her face and brush her teeth.

After washing up, they sat at the dining table. Luo Yan wrinkled her little face, having no appetite, and Hua Li stared blankly at the steamed buns and fried dough sticks. Luo Shicheng assumed they were still angry with him and didn't want to eat with him, so he finished his meal in a rush and left.

"Mama..." Luo Yan didn't want Hua Li to blame herself too much. She comforted her, "Mama, Brother will come back."

It was meant only as a comfort to Hua Li, but before the words had even faded, the little boy, looking like a mud-caked monkey, timidly poked his head in from outside the door.