"Xiao Qing, you want to ask me why I don’t recognize her, right?"
An Yiqing nodded. Given the relationship between the Gu and An Families, how could Kong Shi, the lady of the An Family, possibly not recognize Gu Tingting?
"Ah! Xiao Qing, there are things you don’t know." Kong Shi sighed with emotion, her gentle eyes slightly distant, "Nineteen years ago, something happened in my family. Since then, my health has deteriorated, and I have been inseparable from medication. Except for today, every year, I’ve never stepped out of the villa and have been resting at home. So even with Lao San Ye Lin, we’ve just met a few times when he visited my house, and as for Tingting, since her birth, I have not even seen her face."
Seeing that Kong Shi’s eyes were slightly red, An Zisheng put his arm around her shoulders and patted gently as a comfort.
An Yiqing’s clear eyes flickered; nineteen years ago was when the An family’s daughter disappeared.
After some reflection, she still decided to speak her mind.
"Aunt An, please forgive my bluntness. I learned a bit about the incident nineteen years ago from Big Brother An and understand the sorrow of your yearning for your daughter. I am an orphan, without father or mother since childhood, and I have also questioned my master why my parents abandoned me. But if I knew my parents were enduring such immense grief all these years, I would definitely be very worried and saddened." An Yiqing held Kong Shi’s hand, her eyes full of warmth and comfort, "Aunt An, please take care of yourself. You still have a son, a husband, parents. If something were to happen to you, they would be as grief-stricken as you were when you lost your daughter."
The living room was extremely quiet, with Old Lady An’s eyes gradually reddening and even Old Master An’s eyes shimmering. Over the years, the pain and suffering brought to the An family by Niuniu’s disappearance were unimaginable, especially for Niuniu’s mother, Kong Shi, who was truly heartbroken. Although she already had two sons, An Zhihang and An Zhiyan, a daughter is a mother’s little cotton-padded jacket, flesh of her own flesh, how could it not hurt!
The words An Yiqing spoke were words that no one had ever said to them. Over the years, everyone just kept comforting them, maintaining a strand of unrealistic hope. Perhaps it was precisely because An Yiqing was an orphan that she could speak such heartwarming words from the perspective of a child.
"Xiao Qing," Kong Shi wiped the tears from the corner of her eyes, her face bearing a gentle smile, "Thank you, Xiao Qing. In all these years, no one has ever said such words to me. Honestly, I don’t dare hope to find Niuniu back. I just wish that she is healthy and alive somewhere in the world; that would be enough for me. Nineteen years ago today, I gave birth to Niuniu. She was so soft, so small, so adorable. But she was with me for less than four months before she disappeared. I really don’t dare to think about how such a small child managed to survive that winter, whether someone harmed her, if she was cold or hungry. I... woo woo..." As she spoke, Kong Shi eventually couldn’t contain the deep sorrow in her heart and began to cry with her mouth covered.
"Wife, don’t cry. I’m here, I’m right here." An Zisheng, with tears in his eyes, held Kong Shi tightly and looked apologetically at An Yiqing, "Xiao Qing, I’m really sorry. Xiao Shi always becomes overwhelmed whenever she mentions Niuniu. Don’t take it to heart."
An Yiqing shook her head with a comforting smile. How could she mind? The love Kong Shi had for her daughter was so deep and warm; she was too envious to even think of blaming her for being overwhelmed by her emotions.
"Aunt An, I’m sure your Niuniu is living a very happy life somewhere in this world. With a mother like you, even if she didn’t grow up by your side, I think she must be fortunate." An Yiqing smiled, her clear eyes glistening slightly.