"I saw her so young, all alone on the bus late at night, so I asked her what her name was..."
"She said her name was Lin Yunduo, that she was five years old, and she wanted to go home to find her mom and dad. Her mom had told her to take the number 6 bus, and after 6 stops, she would be home..."
Duoduo was grinning foolishly with her smile, but Lin Jianming and Song Qingwei had their hearts in their throats, struggling to breathe.
The words of Shen Siyuan seemed to transport them back to times past.
"As she spoke, she was always holding her head with both hands. I saw gory and crisscross wounds on her neck, with a huge gash. I was truly worried her head would fall off..."
"And then, because she was saddened and lowered her head, her little head did truly fall off..."
Upon hearing this, Song Qingwei looked again at Duoduo’s neck, while Lin Jianming’s face was full of confusion. His gaze fell upon her neck, and only then did he notice a faint blue line there.
However, Duoduo herself didn’t feel sad. She struggled down from her mother’s legs and with a strong pull upward with both hands, she once again popped her own head off.
"Hehe, I’m so awesome," she said with pride.
This action, although eerie and horrifying to watch, struck those present with a wave of sorrow, including Ruan Hongzhuang.
Lin Jianming, in particular, clutched at his chest, staring intently at the crisscrossed, ghastly wounds on Duoduo’s neck.
As a former policeman, he almost instantly understood what had caused them.
His eyes were on the brink of bursting, overwhelmed by immense grief, making him dizzy and weak, hardly able to breathe.
He cursed with intense hatred.
Seeing this, Song Qingwei hurried forward to comfort him and calm his emotions.
Seeing her parents’ reaction, Duoduo quickly placed her head back onto her neck and asked with concern, "Daddy, what’s wrong?"
Lin Jianming was panting and clutching at his chest, but he held back his tears from falling.
Upon seeing the wound, he knew far more clearly than Song Qingwei what Duoduo had been through.
He embraced Duoduo tightly in his arms, burying his head in her delicate shoulders.
"I’m sorry... I’m so sorry... Daddy’s sorry... forgive Daddy..."
Overwhelmed by the immense grief, he kept mechanically apologizing.
Ruan Hongzhuang was also secretly wiping away tears, but then she saw Shen Siyuan sipping tea with a calm demeanor, and she pouted in discontent.
Shen Siyuan reached out and took her hand, smiling slightly, then said, "Let me finish what I was saying first. There’s plenty of time for your family reunion."
Song Qingwei was the first to snap out of it, quickly pulling Lin Jianming back to reality.
"I’m sorry for our behavior," she said, dabbing at her tears.
"It’s understandable," responded Shen Siyuan.
"Duoduo was kidnapped by a criminal back then and what happened afterwards remains unknown. However, that criminal was indeed inhumane, killing Duoduo with an axe..."
"After her death, she was buried by a secluded riverbank. If you want to gather her remains, I’ll tell you the precise location..."
Lin Jianming had also regained some composure and was listening carefully to Shen Siyuan’s narrative.
Upon hearing this, he said anxiously, "Of course, how can we allow Duoduo’s remains to be left out there."
Shen Siyuan continued, "I felt sorry for her, she was so well-behaved and sensible, so I took her as my protector, and promised to help her find her mom and dad, which is why I made this trip to Xiajing..."
"Eh? Protector?" ɴᴇᴡ ɴᴏᴠᴇʟ ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀs ᴀʀᴇ ᴘᴜʙʟɪsʜᴇᴅ ᴏɴ 𝕟𝕠𝕧𝕖𝕝•𝖿𝗂𝗋𝖾•𝘯𝘦𝘵
The couple was surprised by this term.
Shen Siyuan smiled at Duoduo and said, "Duoduo, show your mom and dad what you can do."
Upon hearing this, Duoduo immediately struggled down from Lin Jianming’s arms.
She liked this, as if a child had gotten a new toy or a tasty treat, always wanting to show off in front of her parents, hoping the adults would share in her happiness.
But then, she walked a bit away and suddenly her whole body burst into eerie blue flames, turning her into a fire child, though her clothes were unaffected.
Then Netherworld Fire Fireflies flew out from her chest, like a sharp sword dancing up and down around her, emitting a series of whooshing sounds as they cut through the air, their presence being quite formidable.
Lin Jianming and his wife gaped in surprise, and Ruan Hongzhuang did the same, her eyes full of wonder.
But there was more to come. Without warning, Duoduo reached into the void and grabbed an oil paper umbrella that materialized in her hand.
The ghostly blue flames from Duoduo’s body crept up the umbrella handle and quickly spread to cover the entire surface of the umbrella.
At this moment, the pine and crane design on the umbrella seemed to come to life. The immortal crane danced up and down around the umbrella, and even the sound of its call could be heard.
Lin Jianming and his wife both gasped in astonishment.
Because they were all too familiar with that oil paper umbrella.
Shen Siyuan gestured for Duoduo to withdraw her Divine Skills, and then he continued, "This is another reason for my visit to Xiajing. I want to inquire about the origins of this oil paper umbrella."
"The origins of the umbrella?" Lin Jianming looked at Shen Siyuan in confusion.
Shen Siyuan nodded and said, "This umbrella is no ordinary item. It’s because of this umbrella that Duoduo has been protected from harm and has been able to exist until now, so I would like you to tell me about its history."
The husband and wife exchanged glances, and Song Qingwei slowly recounted, "This umbrella was given to us by an old Taoist from a Taoist temple we visited before we got married, when we were caught in a downpour."
"What Taoist temple, where is it located?" Shen Siyuan pressed for details.
Lin Jianming thought for a moment and said, "I believe it’s called Chaotian Temple, located in the West Suburb of Xiajing. We haven’t been there for many years, and we don’t know if it’s still there."
"Thank you. I’ll go take a look," Shen Siyuan said, putting down his cup and getting up to leave.
"Eh, you are leaving now? Please stay for a meal," Lin Jianming hurriedly said.
But Song Qingwei’s gaze was fixed on Duoduo, her eyes filled with anxious reluctance, thinking that Duoduo might be leaving too.
"There’s no need to bother now; Duoduo has finally found you. Take your time to reunite," Shen Siyuan said.
Hearing this, Lin Jianming and his wife were delighted.
Then they said, "Mr. Shen, please leave us your contact information."
Shen Siyuan shook his head and replied, "No need to trouble yourself, Duoduo knows how to find me."
Lin Jianming and his wife turned to look at Duoduo, who sported a smug smile.
Then, Duoduo suddenly pointed to a doll on the nearby table and asked, "Mom, can I have this doll?"
This was a Xiajing silk doll, a traditional folk art unique to Xiajing.
The "silk people" dolls had heads, faces, and hands made of silk, and their full attire, including clothing, ornaments, accessories, and props, was mostly crafted from fine silk and gauze.
The silk doll in front of them was dressed in vibrant Peking opera costume, wonderfully colorful and beautiful.
Song Qingwei was taken aback and quickly nodded. Lin Jianming promptly picked it up and placed it in her hands.
This silk doll was actually their grandson Taotao’s; he had lost interest in it after purchasing it and had left it here without taking it back.
Duoduo now held the silk doll, immediately passing it towards the empty space beside her.
"Potato, this is for you."
Then, to Lin Jianming and his wife’s astonishment, a little girl appeared out of nowhere, followed by a slightly older one.
"Thank you, sister," Potato said cheerfully as she accepted the doll.
It turned out that while they had been talking, Potato had been lying nearby, silently yearning for the doll.
Potato examined the doll carefully in her hands, then handed it to Shen Siyuan.
"Potato, you take care of it for me," she said.
Shen Siyuan did not refuse and reached out his hand. The silk doll vanished into his palm.
He then turned to the couple to explain, "They are also my protectors."
Then, to the two little ones, he said, "Let’s go."
Xiao Yue and Potato immediately disappeared from sight, summoning a swirl of Yin Wind in the room as they soared into the sky.
Duoduo chased to the doorway, tilting her head and waving her tiny hand towards the sky.
Lin Jianming and his wife exchanged glances, unable to hide their shock.
Finally, Lin Jianming was the first to recover, and respectfully saw the two out the door.