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墨書 Inktalez
The sky was overcast, with light rain falling, creating a damp and chilly atmosphere in the air.
In the evening, Qi Luoling drove to her parents' house for dinner, as usual.
Upon entering, she stomped her shoes to shake off the mud. There were tiny raindrops in her hair, glistening under the dim light of the hallway lamp, as if enveloped in a layer of hazy golden glow.
The house was very quiet, with no sounds. She wondered if her parents were not home.
As she turned the corner of the hallway, she was startled.
In the living room, her parents sat upright on the sofa, silent and staring at her with serious expressions. The oppressive atmosphere felt just like the dark sky outside.
"Why aren't you speaking? What happened?" Qi Luoling asked, puzzled, as she walked to the bathroom to wash her hands and peeked out.
"Ling'er, come here. We have something very important to tell you," Liu Siling said, her tone calm but tinged with tension.
A sense of unease crept over Qi Luoling. After washing her hands, she sat down across from her parents on the sofa.
They fell silent again, and the air felt long and dead silent, only interrupted by the ticking of the clock in the living room.
Finally, Qi Father broke the silence first. "Ling'er, we need to tell you something very important."
"Very important?"
Qi Luoling looked at her father in confusion.
"Yes, this matter is extremely important for you. It’s a secret we have kept from you for twenty-four years."
Twenty-four years? Qi Luoling felt a surge of anxiety as she could clearly hear her own heartbeat.
"Secrets can never be kept forever. Moreover, you have the right to know the secrets about yourself. But once it is revealed, you may find it emotionally difficult to accept in a short time. However, we must tell you, because a lot has happened to you during this time, and we don't know if it is related to that secret. We thought about it for a long time and decided to tell you."
"You are not our biological child. You are adopted," Liu Siling said softly.
Her mind went blank.
Although she had vaguely guessed that this secret was about her origins, hearing her mother articulate it so clearly made the entire world freeze; she couldn't speak and didn't know what to say.
Seeing her helpless expression, Liu Siling got up and walked over, hugging her tightly, tears welling in her eyes as she said, "In our hearts, you are our beloved biological daughter."
After a long while, she asked, "Then who are my biological parents?"
"I only met your Birth Mother in the hospital; I never saw your biological father," Liu Siling told her with some regret.
"Why did they abandon me?"
"Because... because your Birth Mother had you out of wedlock," Liu Siling stammered.
In an instant, her heart felt as if it were filled with lead, slowly sinking.
"Also, and most importantly, your Birth Mother might be of Korean descent. We think this is related to that Korean man who deliberately tried to hit you with his car."
One shocking secret after another came pouring out.
Then Liu Siling calmly recounted the events that had transpired.
1992 was a memorable year for China.
China has entered a vigorous era of reform and opening up. That year, an important southern tour speech was delivered, and with the advancement of reform and opening up, the liberation of thoughts and economic growth made the entire society exceptionally vibrant.
On August 24 of that year, China officially established ambassador-level diplomatic relations with the Republic of Korea.
Similarly, this year was also memorable for Liu Siling.
October 25, 1992, Shanghai, China
The weather began to transition into autumn, while the summer warmth had not yet completely faded.
Liu Siling walked along Fangxie Road, a path leading to Shanghai Red House Hospital. It was one o'clock in the afternoon, and the streets were nearly deserted. The road was quiet, with tall French Sycamore trees lining both sides.
However, her mood was anything but calm because starting today, she would finally fulfill her dream of becoming a mother.
Liu Siling had been married to Qi Qiang for over three years, but she had not been able to conceive, which left them both frustrated. Every time they saw others walking by with their children, they felt a pang of envy. Eventually, Liu Siling and Qi Qiang decided to adopt a child.
At that time, Liu Siling had a female classmate named Wei Hong who worked as an obstetrician at Shanghai Red House Hospital. So she confided in Wei Hong about her desire to adopt a child and hoped that Wei Hong could help keep an eye out. Wei Hong readily agreed.
Just two days ago, Wei Hong called Liu Siling to say that a young woman who had become pregnant out of wedlock was preparing to give her baby up for adoption. Remembering Liu Siling's earlier mention of wanting to adopt, Wei Hong saw this as a golden opportunity and immediately informed her to come to the hospital.
Upon hearing this news, Liu Siling was thrilled and discussed with Qi Qiang the decision to take the train to Shanghai right away. Unfortunately, Qi Qiang's workplace suddenly had an urgent matter arise, so he couldn't go with her. Thus, Liu Siling set off for Shanghai alone.
Despite the long journey and fatigue from travel, the thought of the adorable child filled Liu Siling with excitement as if she had taken a stimulant; she felt an abundance of energy.
After getting off the train, she disregarded her exhaustion and hurriedly made her way to Shanghai Red House Hospital...
Along the road were several old buildings behind the sycamore trees, their roofs painted red. The architectural style seemed to be from the French Concession period. These old buildings stood like wise elders, calmly observing the changes and historical shifts over half a century.
Liu Siling walked around the hospital's walls and finally arrived at the main entrance.
Suddenly, she heard someone calling her name. Looking closely, it was indeed her old classmate Wei Hong standing at the left entrance of the hospital. Wei Hong waved vigorously at her. Fortunately, there was only one entrance to the hospital, and Liu Siling let out a slight sigh of relief.
After entering the main door, Wei Hong walked alongside her, introducing the situation of the child. Wei Hong told her that the child was a healthy and beautiful girl. The child's mother, who was 20 years old, was eager to give birth and put the child up for adoption since she was unmarried. The woman hoped to find a cultured family without children to adopt her baby, which perfectly matched Liu Siling and Qi Qiang's situation.
Wei Hong led her to the second floor, through the corridor, and arrived at a room at the end of the hallway on the left.
Before entering, Liu Siling heard a series of clear baby cries. Unable to contain her excitement, she pushed the door open and entered.
Inside the room were four hospital beds, but only two were occupied by postpartum patients.
Liu Siling turned to look at Wei Hong, who smiled and pointed to the bed on the right.
On the right bed sat a disheveled Young Girl holding a baby in her arms; the loud cries came from this infant. The girl hummed a little tune while gently rocking the baby.
Next to the Young Girl was a woman about thirty years old, frantically pulling a stack of cotton diapers from a large bag while muttering, "If you can't calm her down, it must be because she just ate and needs changing. Hurry up and change her diaper; that loud voice is unbearable."
Their footsteps made the Young Girl lift her head.
The girl was indeed very young; her round face had a youthful innocence, with a high nose bridge and fair skin, looking quite delicate.
Wei Hong smiled at her and said, "This is Sister Liu; I told you about that family yesterday."
The girl glanced at Liu Siling and then said, "Wasn't it supposed to be a couple? Why is it just one person?" Her voice was melodious and soft.
Liu Siling stepped forward with a smile and said, "My husband couldn't come with me because he had an urgent matter at work."
The girl remained silent, still tightly holding the child.
Seeing this, the woman beside her became a bit anxious. "Wasn't it agreed upon? This child needs to be given away."
The girl still did not speak, tears streaming down her face.
When the woman saw her crying, her heart softened. She sat down beside the girl and said, "Sister, even if you are reluctant, there is no other way. You are an unmarried mother; how can you take good care of her? The future is long, and it would be better to find a good family to adopt her. It would be good for both you and her."
After saying this, she took the baby from the girl's arms and handed it to Liu Siling.
Liu Siling reached out her hands and carefully cradled the baby.
The baby was delicate and beautiful, with a high nose, big eyes, and a small mouth, very adorable. The baby wore a cute little outfit, wrapped in a colorful cloak.
Liu Siling couldn't help but kiss the child's tender little face.
At that moment, a middle-aged man walked in from outside. He had a high nose bridge, wore black-rimmed glasses, and had a large forehead with thinning hair combed to the sides.
He walked heavily straight to the woman's hospital bed and began speaking to them in a foreign language.
"They seem to be Korean descendants who stayed in Shanghai after World War II, so they usually communicate in Korean," Gu Hong explained when he noticed Liu Siling's puzzled expression.
"Let me see the child one last time; I want to remember her face," the girl said painfully and desperately.
Liu Siling nodded at her and walked over to the girl's bedside with the baby.
The girl stared at the child for a long time without blinking. Finally, she pleaded, "I have two requests: first, I hope you will treat her with as much care as your own daughter; second, I ask that you tell her the truth about her origins when she turns 24."
After speaking, she looked at Liu Siling with pleading eyes.
Liu Siling nodded solemnly and said, "I will treat her like my own daughter, raise her until she is grown, and I will definitely tell her about her origins when she turns 24."
A day later, Liu Siling left Shanghai with the child and returned to her own city, beginning the hard and earnest task of raising the child.
After finishing her story, Liu Siling wiped away a tear with her hand.
"You have grown up now. If you want to meet your biological parents, you can go find them. We cannot take away your right to search for your biological parents; on the contrary, we will support you," Qi Father said seriously.
"Thank you for raising me, someone with no blood relation to you, and giving me a complete family bond, Mom and Dad," Qi Luoling said as she stood up from the sofa and deeply bowed to the elderly couple.
"Then what is my Birth Mother's name? Where did she live at that time?"
"We truly do not know that. Your Birth Mother's name should have been known by your Aunt Wei, but unfortunately, she passed away two years ago from breast cancer."
After speaking, Liu Siling suddenly remembered something. She walked into the bedroom, crouched down, and dragged out a package from a corner under the bed with great effort.
It turned out to be a large yellowed bag. Liu Siling rummaged through the bottom of the bag and handed something to Qi Luoling. "This is the only keepsake your Birth Mother left for you—this small cloak."
The color of the cloak was exactly the same as that of the swaddling cloth in which she had once dreamed of a baby being wrapped. Although over twenty years had passed, it was still vibrant in color.
What surprised her even more was that on the left side of the hem of the cloak, two characters "Dun Clan" were stitched in black thread. In that dream, hadn't she walked into the Dun Clan Ancestral Hall? Could this be a hint from fate?
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