After the meal, I returned to Nan House together with second brother.
We sat in the backyard, facing each other in silence. Then second brother opened another bottle of wine.
Though not better than the one that Jiye Su had brought, the wine was a top-grade spirit.
Too much things had happened in the past few days. Leon had lost contact with us, and I was kidnapped to force the truth out of Jiye that I was Nan Su.
Actually, I had assumed that I was the twin sister of Nan Su long before. But it never occurred to me that I was Nan Su, who was officially dead. And while I was abandoned by Leon, I became the young lady of Su family of Yang City. The fate was such a joker, and the twist made me want to laugh and weep all at once.
“What are you thinking about, little sister?” second brother asked.
“I have a very important question for you, second brother. Are we…”
I paused at that point, since I was not sure how to ask about that. But I did want to know.
“Are you asking about our natural mother? You knew that we are stepchildren of Aunt Jiang, right?” Knowing me very well, second brother understood what I meant to ask in a flash.
I nodded.
Unexpectedly, second brother was silent for a moment, as if he was weighing his words carefully. “Mom is an unhappy woman, for as long as I could remember.”
I stared at second brother, dumbfounded. I had never expected second brother to describe my mother as an unhappy person. How unhappy she had to be to make second brother describe her in that way in his first sentence?
“Why is she unhappy? Where is she now?”
I dreaded that second brother would tell me that she’d passed away.
Fortunately, second brother didn’t told me so, “She’s in Canada.”
Then second brother took out his phone and call up an image to show me. The photo showed a beautiful middle-aged lady aged about 40 writing at the desk, with her hair coiled and in a simple dress.
She was a fine-looking woman. I didn’t expect that my mother should be so young and beautiful, and the only catch was her pale facial features and indifferent look.
“She has been there for a couple of years. Eating a vegetarian diet and chanting scriptures are her routines. This is a photo of her copying the scriptures.”
“She… she had divorced Chairman Su?” I still couldn’t speak out the word ‘dad’ after all. It was too hard for me.
“It’s been a long time. Aunt Jiang is not ‘ the other woman ‘. It was long after Mom and Dad’s divorce that Aunt Jiang married Dad. Dad had been single after their divorce, and afterwards he met Aunt Jiang. Actually, they divorced soon after your birth.”
“Why? Was that because of me?”
“I have no idea. That shouldn’t be. Adults’ divorce has nothing to do with their children.”
“Perhaps they were disappointed I was a girl, and that led to their divorce.” I felt somewhat upset.
“Just forget about it, it was not your fault. Mom is living a life that she likes, we should feel gald for her.” Second brother said.
“Then why do you describe her as an unhappy person?”
“She rarely smiled. She had hardly smiled ever since I remembered. For most of the time, she barricaded herself in her room copying the scriptures, seldom engaged in social intercourses, and even didn’t play with us that often. So, I felt like she was upset.”
What kind of bitterness should it be to make a woman no longer in the vein for playing with her children? What had she gone through on earth?
“On your ‘death’, her hair turned all white overnight. Then she stayed in a temple for six months before going abroad. She has been away for years, and never had she returned. Her black hair that you see now is indeed dyed hair, and her hair is actually all white.”
Tears welled up in my eyes suddenly, and I could not hold them from dropping. She had been so sad for my death, yet I had been living in a city not far from her for so many years.
The saddest part was that, I didn’t even remember her. I had forgot all of my families.
Seeing me in tears, second brother patted on my shoulder and consoled softly, “You don’t necessarily be too sad. Some things were meant to be. It’s good that you finally return to our family. She should be glad to know that you are still alive.”
“Haven’t you told her that?” I was somehow confused.
“She doesn’t use a cell phone in normal times, resisting communicating with the outside world. Only when we were both online could we exchange greetings and some latest news of each other. I have intended to see her, but was refused. She told me that she just wanted to stay alone.”
What second brother meant was that he had no chance to tell her that I was still alive.
“Second brother, I wish to pay her a good visit when the situation permits.”
“OK, I’ll arrange it for you, but not now. We’ve got too much trouble in recent, and we shall deal with Leon’s matters as a top priority. By the way, one of my friends has checked, and it turns out that there are no departure records of Leon in the nearby cities. We can tell from it that our surmise is correct, and that Leon is definitely in Hai City at present. Of course, he may not in Hai City, but in the nearby cities such as Yang City.”
What second brother said made me a bit excited but slightly worried. If it was true, as second brother had told me, that Leon had hid himself lying that he had gone abroad, then he must be in hot water at present. If there were just common troubles, he wouldn’t lie to me like that.
“Second brother, I’m leaving for Hai City early tomorrow morning. If Leon really hadn’t left the city, I’m sure to find him out. ”
“Then what will you do to search for him? Tell me your plan. ”
“I don’t have any plans either. But my sixth sense told me that I shall find him. In modern society, if one lives in a city, he will definitely leave behind some traces such as his consumption records.”
Second brother nodded, “You’ve got a point here. But little sister, Leon is one of those with the best brains. He can take whatever you could think of into account. If he means to elude you, he won’t leave you any clues.”
Good point! Leon was a calculating man, and how would he leave me a clue?
“Don’t try to find him out. Don’t even let him know that you are searching for him. Wait at least a week to make him less alert, and we shall manage to locate him then.” Second brother said.
That was just like a hunt, and we were making an attempt to let down our prey’s vigilance.
“Then I shall do nothing in the coming week?”
“Just sit tight and observe under the rose. Wait to see if something unusual will occur. Leon must be in a jam now, or he is carrying out his own plan. And that’s why he has been keeping you in the dark. If you calm down and observe carefully, there should be some clues.”
Finding what he said reasonable, I nodded in agreement.
“Don’t be in a hurry to leave tomorrow. Dad should call a family meeting to announce your identity as Nan Su. While others need not to have it, family members should be informed. In that case, we won’t be too awkward when we spend time together afterwards.”
I shook my head at once, “I disagree with publicizing that. Aunt Jiang as well as Xi Su won’t accept me, who died officially years ago. ”
“It’s up to them whether to accept you, but that’s exactly who you are. There is no need to keep it secret from them, and they will pick on you less after knowing your true identity. ”
I replied with a wry smile, “You might be wrong, second brother. I’m afraid that when my real identity is revealed, they’ll try even harder to make trouble with me.”