Chapter 353 - 168: Stirring Sorrow, Unstoppable Tears

Chapter 353: Chapter 168: Stirring Sorrow, Unstoppable Tears

"My name is Qin Liheng, and my wife’s name is Luo Shumin. Can you help me find her?" Qin Liheng clutched his phone tightly, hoping the ’friend of Su Ran’ on the line could do him this favor—find his wife, Luo Shumin, and fulfill his last wish.

The world is full of different kinds of people: the promiscuous, the heartless, the infatuated, the devoted, and those who believe in one true love for a lifetime.

After Qin Liheng stated his plea to find his wife now that he had "woken up," the other end of the line went silent for two seconds. A breath could be heard, a long exhale, followed by a commanding tone. "You want me to find your wife with just this little bit of information? How am I supposed to help you? Continue. Tell me the story of how you abandoned your wife and child! Don’t leave out a single word! Miss one, and it’ll serve you right if you never find her!"

In a café in Shanghai, the afternoon sun streamed through the window, warming Aunt Luo’s face. She wore headphones, listening to the man on the phone—Qin Liheng, who was looking for his wife, Luo Shumin. He spoke of their first meeting at the embassy in London, of their budding love, of the sweet moment he knelt beneath the great locust tree at Demon Dance to propose, promising a lifetime together. He even talked about when Luo Shumin gave birth to their son, Qin Ping’an, named with the hope that he would live a life of peace and safety, free from worry...

Hearing this, Aunt Luo closed her eyes. A tear rolled down her cheek, born from a heart-wrenching pain.

On the phone, an unknowing Qin Liheng continued, recalling the year his son had just learned to say "daddy." He had gone to Vietnam. Luo Shumin, knowing his sense of duty to his country, didn’t stop him. She only gave him a pocket watch with hands that didn’t move...

Later, Qin Liheng became Madman Qin, the Village Guardian of Linxi Village, barely surviving until now. In this moment, he remembered everything. He was desperate to find Luo Shumin and make up for a lifetime of regret...

Of all the words in the world, none cuts deeper than "love."

"...Can you do me this favor?"

It was his only obsession after ’waking up’ half a century later. He was desperate for any news of her. His tone was pleading yet firm, laced with a sliver of fear—the fear that when the dream ended, his beloved would be gone.

The line was silent for a long time before a sob, which turned into something like a choked laugh, could be heard.

"Uncle Qin, what did she say?" Su Ran asked in a low voice from beside him.

Qin Liheng was completely thrown. Covering the phone’s receiver, he said to Su Ran, "Your friend... when she heard I was looking for my wife, she actually laughed. Just a ’Hah!’ sound, like she was mocking me."

"Huh? Mocking you?" Su Ran scratched his head. ’Aunt Luo isn’t that classless, is she? Mocking someone over something like this?’

"She did it again, and she said it serves me right."

"That old hag is going too far... Uncle Qin, just bear with it for now. She’s a strange one. Maybe she’s just jealous. Hearing you’re looking for your wife when her own husband is dead must have made her bitter. Don’t argue with her. Just humor the old woman. As long as she’s willing to help, you’ll definitely find your wife."

Qin Liheng took Su Ran’s advice. Putting up with it was a small price to pay to find his wife. He raised the phone to his ear again. "Can you please stop laughing?"

"What’s wrong with me laughing? Are you going to stop me?"

’Okay, it’s confirmed,’ he thought. ’The old woman on the phone is completely willful.’

"Fine. You go ahead and laugh."

"Alright, I’m done laughing. Beg me. If you beg me, I’ll help you find your wife."

"Beg?"

"If you don’t, I’m hanging up."

"Wait! I’ll beg... HUFF... I’m begging you."

"Who are you?"

Su Ran couldn’t take it anymore. ’She’s messing with Uncle Qin for fun, isn’t she?’ "Hey, Aunt Luo! Don’t bully Uncle Qin just because he’s an honest man..."

"Shut up and go play somewhere else. Say one more word and I’ll post about that time you dislocated Reba’s hand online. Let’s see if her fans don’t tear you to shreds."

Ah...

"Sigh..." Su Ran patted Qin Liheng’s shoulder. "Uncle Qin, you’re on your own with this one. I’m powerless." ’If I say anything else, I won’t be able to save myself,’ he thought, and walked to the side, unable to stand the demanding old woman any longer. ’What bad karma do I have? All the women in my life are the same. The young ones are demanding and capricious, the adults are demanding and capricious, the married ones are demanding and capricious, and even the old ones are like this. My life is just too damn hard.’

"If you don’t say anything, I’m hanging up."

"No, no, no! I’ll beg! I’m begging you! I, Qin Liheng, am begging you to help me find my wife. Her name is Luo Shumin. Luo Shumin, did you hear me clearly?"

"You’re asking me for a favor, yet you’re yelling at me? If you’re so tough, go find her yourself."

"I... sigh... I lost control of my emotions. I apologize. I’m begging you. Xiaoran said you know a lot of people in the Imperial Capital. Please, help me."

"Luo Shumin, was it?"

"Yes, yes, yes."

"I’ve heard of her. Died of a heart attack many years ago."

As soon as she said it, Aunt Luo’s ears started ringing, but the sound was actually the grief-stricken cry of ’Shumin...’ coming from the other end of the line.

Aunt Luo decisively hung up the phone.

People are often like this. When you miss someone, you see their shadow everywhere. But when you finally find them, you’re angry, full of resentment. This was exactly how Aunt Luo felt. Qin Liheng had made her search for him her entire life, and by some coincidence, he had been in Su Ran’s village all along. All her longing had turned into resentment, so she deliberately provoked him to make him suffer a little.

After letting him suffer for a minute, Aunt Luo’s anger subsided, and she dialed the number again. This time, Su Ran answered.

Su Ran: "Sigh. Aunt Luo, could you be a little more tactful? Even if his wife kicked the bucket, you don’t have to be so direct, you know?"

Aunt Luo: "You’re the one who’s going to kick the bucket! What, did the old man get so angry he died?"

Su Ran: "He just fainted from anger."

Aunt Luo: "Su Ran, is there something wrong with you?! You’re doing this on purpose, aren’t you?"