The family quickly began their reunion dinner, and it was during the meal that Wang Xiangxiang and Chu Lian noticed that Yang Ming and Xiaoxiao were not present.
Wang Xiangxiang asked, "Dad, why aren’t the third brother and Xiaoxiao here?"
"They went to Lin County. They said there was still some business unfinished at the grand theater there, and after that, they planned to go to Beijing," the elderly Mr. Yang replied.
Chu Lian was even more surprised and voiced his question, "What are they going to Beijing for?"
"The third son has set up an escort agency. He wants to explore opportunities there."
"An escort agency?" Wang Xiangxiang and Chu Lian said in unison, unaware of this development. Could it be the escort agency Yang Ming had found in Lin County? He never said it was his.
Mr. Yang then sighed, "Ah, these are the sins of our Yang Family. In order to find his sister Yang Xia, the third son established an escort agency to search for her."
"So that’s it, Dad, but you needn’t get so worked up. We’re sure to find Sister Yang Xia. I’ll have my husband help look for her too," Wang Xiangxiang said, quickly comforting her distressed father.
Although he was clueless about Yang Xia, it seemed Xiangxiang knew something and, giving him a meaningful look, Chu Lian hastened to add, "Yes, father-in-law, I’m experienced in people-searching. Don’t worry too much. I’ll start sending people to look as soon as I get back."
"Right, Dad won’t lose his temper. This kind of thing can’t be rushed. It’s been almost eighteen years, a little longer won’t hurt." Mr. Yang knew his children were just trying to comfort him, aware how hard it was to find someone in this vast world. They had been searching for months with no news yet.
"Today is a day of great joy, let’s not speak of it anymore. Let’s all hurry up and eat," he concluded.
Wang Xiangxiang then remembered something else and said, "They’ve both gone, then who is taking care of the child? Should I take care of him for a while?"
"You are pregnant yourself, why would you take care of the child?" Yang Ming’s mother spoke up.
"It’s fine; I have maid servants to help, it won’t be physically taxing," Wang Xiangxiang said with a smile. "Besides, I’ve looked after Fufu, and I have more experience than Xiaoxiao."
"Even if you have experience, you don’t need to take care of him. Just look after yourself; the child went with the couple," Yang Ming’s mother said with a smile.
"They took him?" Wang Xiangxiang asked, surprised. "How long do they plan to be gone that they even took the child with them, and left so hurriedly without a word?"
"What child?" Hearing their conversation, Chu Lian felt utterly lost, as if he had missed many events over the past month. He had no knowledge of what they mentioned about Yang Xia and now this child popped up unexpectedly.
"Recently the couple fostered a child from relatives. Now, not sure how long will they be gone, they insisted on bringing the child with them because they’ll miss him too much," Mr. Yang explained about the child’s origin, while simultaneously complaining about them taking the child with them.
Upon hearing Mr. Yang’s words, a look of surprise flashed across Wang Xiangxiang’s eyes, but she quickly realized, "Xiaoxiao and her partner truly love that child, constantly calling him ’son’. They said last time that when the child is older, Xiaoxiao would take him everywhere. I didn’t expect that even at this young age, they couldn’t bear to leave him behind."
As the family continued talking, they ate their meal. Chu Lian joined several elderly men of the Yang family in drinking quite a bit, and it wasn’t until later in the afternoon that the two of them hurried back to Shibao Town.