Volume 10 – Chapter 39: The Past (Part 1)
Song Haoran expected to see something from Luo Qiu’s gaze.
He hadn’t thought that Luo Qiu would have such an idea. At first, he even planned to take the opportunity to find out the information he wanted based on Luo Qiu’s expression. With that, he could deduce Luo Qiu’s origin too.
He had a strange feeling of intimacy with this young guy. It was an intimacy that he couldn’t explain clearly. It seemingly resulted from the “Sun God Emblem,” having strengthened his faculties, intuition, etc.
Simply put, it was the sixth sense.
Song Haoran noticed certain features which Luo Qiu shared similarities with his father, especially the eyebrows. But, the world has a large population. It was plausible to find two similarly looking people even without the same genetics.
Song Haoran was a little disappointed with this. His father Song Tianyou’s lifelong wish was to find his brother. But this wish seemed so far away.
“Please wait a minute.”
When Luo Qiu came back again, he also held a phone in his hand. Just like how Song Haoran showed him the old photo, he did the same.
“He is my father, Luo Qi.” Then, Luo Qiu said slowly, “Mr. Song, would you mind hearing me tell a story?”
Immediately, Song Haoran’s heart twitched slightly as if he had realized something. His expression turned serious, and he disregarded the playful tune.
He even sat up straight, swallowed his saliva, and said solemnly, “I’m all ears.”
“However, my grandparents passed away a long time ago.” Luo Qiu shook his head. “The people who knew the inside story are no longer there, so I have no way to know the truth through any normal means.”
Song Haoran couldn’t help but interject, “Could it be that your father, Mr. Luo Qi, doesn’t know it himself?”
Luo Qiu whispered, “My father died in the line of duty four years ago.”
Song Haoran was shocked by the news. He crouched slightly. Then, he took a deep breath and seemed to be more focused. He then said expectantly, “Can you tell me about your father’s story?”
“My grandparents told me when I was young that my father was a naughty child.” A smile appeared on the corner of Luo Qiu’s mouth. He recalled, “Since he was a child, he has been the leader of the children in the village. He is the only one who bullies others. The other children can’t even snatch a piece of fruit candy from him.”
“Later, he quietly went up the mountain and chopped a lot of bananas and came back. My grandmother said the bananas weren’t ripe yet, but he ate a lot of them by himself and bulged his stomach. Later, he went to measure his weight again, and he barely qualified.”
“I heard that life in the army is difficult. One winter, my grandma and grandpa saved money and took a train to visit him. It was before the New Year. Grandpa said that it was snowing while he was standing on guard. He was wearing a dark green military coat, carrying a gun, his lips were white, and his eyebrows were a layer of frost. Grandma said that the first sentence he said during the meeting was: This coat is the same as a quilt, and it isn’t too cold. But, my grandfather told me that his legs were trembling.”
“Because it was in a bitter cold place, he learned to eat spicy food. This habit continued until he left the army. I used to have some spicy sauce chicken at home, which he made himself. When I was a child, I didn’t understand. Looking at the red sauce, my mother told me that it was ketchup. When I said I wanted to eat it, he smirked and stuffed a spoon of it directly into my mouth.” At this point, Luo Qiu suddenly paused and said slowly, “Huh, my father is special.”
Song Haoran couldn’t help but smile.
“At that time, he had just started his career. He was poor and rode a second-hand motorcycle to work every day.”
“In fact, he offended a lot of people. I remember when I was in the fourth grade of elementary school, I was caught by some guys at the school gate one day after school.”
“My father said that he gradually started to like his profession. He said that he felt great in his heart to receive others’ gratitude.”
“My mother passed away earlier. After that, he started to come back home lesser. I don’t know when it happens, but I have a stepmother. Strictly speaking, she is probably my only relative now.”
“I remember that the day when the high school was preparing for a school celebration, I was inexplicably voted by a group of people to perform. I didn’t feel so happy, but I thought I should tell my father. When school was over, my stepmother suddenly appeared in front of me. She told me that he died an hour ago, and the rescue efforts were in vain.”
…
“Your father. What happened?” Song Haoran hesitated for a moment but still broke the silence.
“I heard that a criminal gang from another province came to commit crimes. They were armed with weapons, and they robbed the banknote transport vehicle. Later, on the highway, he was shot in the heart while trying to cover a colleague.” Luo Qiu’s voice returned to calm.
“Really.” Song Haoran nodded without expressing much.
He put his phone and Luo Qiu’s phone together. Two different old photos were like two people from different time and space, meeting at this time.
Luo Qiu said suddenly, “I haven’t met Mr. Song Tianyin before.”
Song Haoran took a deep breath and said, “Perhaps, we can try running a test for it? The result will be quite soon. Don’t worry. I will pay for it.”
He took a deep breath again and said thoughtfully, “Perhaps, this is a miracle.”
