"Here's my phone number. If you remember anything else, give me a call." Di Mingjue instructed.
It had been a long time since the incident, and for now, he had no intention of sending Qin Hong to jail. After all, they would need her to recall information about Sibao to find him.
If he didn't leave her a way out, she might not bother trying to help them remember anything about Sibao.
Leaving the village overnight, Ye Ziyu was eager to return to Si Jiu City to find Sibao's whereabouts.
The car was still on its way. Villagers had been helping to repair it these past few days, but with little success. They had to hire people from the city, and based on the time, it should be fixed by now.
With Qin Hong's help, they boarded a villager's tractor to leave the village.
The rumbling engine in her ears, Ye Ziyu's mind kept returning to the red birthmark on her thigh.
She felt it was incredibly familiar, as if she had seen it somewhere before. But her mind was too muddled now; she couldn't recall.
"Mingjue," Ye Ziyu shouted loudly into his ear.
Di Mingjue nodded, his ear still by her lips.
"I think I've seen the red birthmark!" Ye Ziyu exclaimed, but her voice was still partially drowned out by the tractor's noise.
The two of them couldn't communicate at all. Di Mingjue patted the villager's shoulder in front, "Uncle, stop for a moment."
The uncle didn't hear clearly. Thinking they were impatient, the tractor lurched forward, nearly throwing them off the back.
Helpless, Ye Ziyu resorted to gesturing with her hands, signaling him to wait before speaking further.
Walking had taken over two hours, while the tractor ride would only take an hour. They reached the car's location, and the people from the city were still working on it.
Ye Ziyu quickly alighted from the tractor, rubbing her ears that had been battered by the noise. Another moment longer and she would have developed tinnitus.
Di Mingjue gave the villagers some money, and they eventually turned back the way they came.
Shen Lin joined the car repair crew, while Ye Ziyu pulled Di Mingjue aside to talk.
"I just said that I think I've seen Sibao's red birthmark on his thigh," Ye Ziyu said.
Sibao's red birthmark?
If she had seen it, didn't that mean she had seen Sibao before?
Di Mingjue pressed, "Can you remember where you saw it?"
Ye Ziyu shook her head.
If she could remember, wouldn't she have found Sibao already?
Seeing Ye Ziyu's frustrated expression, Di Mingjue rubbed her shoulder. "Don't think about it. We know Sibao is in Si Jiu City now, and we know he has a birthmark. We'll likely find him soon."
Ye Ziyu knew these words were just to comfort her.
Si Jiu City had so many people, and so many children. They only knew about the red birthmark, but hadn't seen the child's appearance. Trying to find him was like searching for a needle in a haystack.
"Mingjue, what if Sibao is being raised very well by others? If we find him, will he be unwilling to come back with us?" Ye Ziyu asked worriedly.
She had only given birth but hadn't raised him. There was only blood relation between them, not affection. Would Sibao still be her Sibao?
Seeing her thoughts spiral, Di Mingjue quickly comforted her, "Ziyu, you need to stay calm. Let's focus on finding Sibao first. Don't think about anything else. You need to take care of yourself. You can't afford to collapse after Sibao is found."
Collapse?
Would Sibao disdain her even more then?
No, she had to present herself in the best possible way to Sibao. Ye Ziyu pulled Di Mingjue and looked at the vehicles ahead. "When can we go back?"
Shen Lin ran over from the car. "Mr. Di, the car is repaired."
"We can go back now," Di Mingjue said, helping her into the car.
The people who came to fix the car also drove one vehicle. After some difficulty maneuvering their cars in reverse, the two vehicles headed towards the city center.