The couple took Rui Rui with them. Due to the impending separation, the air in the car became somewhat heavy.
When the family of three arrived, the other party had not yet appeared. They were led to a private office to wait.
Rui Rui sat close to Chen Lishu, his head bowed, while Chen Lishu's hand was held by Gu Xingdong.
As they waited, the door suddenly burst open, and a young man and woman rushed in, their expressions agitated and travel-worn.
"Qing Qing," the woman cried out as soon as she entered. Her gaze quickly fixed on Rui Rui, and she hurried forward, scooping him into a hug, sobbing, "Mommy looked for you so hard!"
A glint of moisture flashed in the man's eyes, and he quickly turned to wipe them.
Rui Rui was resistant to the woman's embrace and looked up at Chen Lishu, bewildered, "Mommy?"
Chen Lishu, suppressing the sting in her eyes, nodded encouragingly. Gu Xingdong squeezed her hand even tighter.
"Yes, yes, Mommy's here," the woman responded, thinking Rui Rui was calling her, her voice choked with sobs. She looked up, her heart yearning for her child to call her "Mommy" again, a wish she had harbored through many sleepless nights. Today, she had finally heard it.
But then...
As the woman looked up, she clearly saw Rui Rui's face and froze as if struck by a spell, forgetting even to cry.
The man also noticed something was amiss and quickly walked over. Upon seeing Rui Rui's appearance, his expression mirrored the woman's.
"Comrade Public Security, this..." Before the man could speak, the woman reached out to lift Rui Rui's clothes. Seeing that Rui Rui's lower back lacked the familiar mole, she seemed to have all her strength drained away. She collapsed onto the floor, murmuring, "This isn't my Qing Qing..."
Chen Lishu and Gu Xingdong's expressions changed upon hearing the woman's words, and they looked at Yang Shuang with questioning eyes.
"Comrade Public Security, this isn't our son," the man said, unable to hide the disappointment in his eyes, yet his tone was anxious. "Where is our child now?"
Even though their child was only three years old when abducted, two years was too short a time to completely erase any resemblance to his younger self. These were entirely different children.
Yang Shuang was also taken aback by the turn of events. He tried to placate the man, saying, "Comrade, please don't be anxious."
"How can I not be anxious? Didn't you say you'd found our child?" The woman finally regained her composure, and the man went to help her up.
"Based on our understanding and the confessions of the criminals, the couple took two children from S Province that year. One was handed off along the way. We have already contacted the local police, and they are handling the matter. We should have news soon."
If Rui Rui wasn't their child, then the other child most likely was. The couple, who had been filled with joy and hadn't slept much on the train due to excitement, could only imagine their disappointment.
However, disappointment did not equate to despair. After two years of no news, there was finally some progress, and they were willing to wait a little longer.
The moment Chen Lishu learned that Rui Rui wasn't the other couple's child, she found herself at a loss for words to describe her feelings. It was akin to a patient diagnosed with a serious illness, having prepared themselves mentally for the worst, only to be told by the doctor it was a misdiagnosis. The emotional rollercoaster left her with a sense of relief, but also a profound feeling of exhaustion.
It was past ten o'clock when they left the Public Security Bureau. The weather was pleasant, and in the cool air, the sunlight felt warm on their skin.
"Let's go," Gu Xingdong opened the car door. After the mother and son were seated, he went to the driver's seat.
After a moment of quiet reflection in his seat, Gu Xingdong reached up and ran a hand over his buzz cut. His shoulders, which had been tense, relaxed slightly. He turned to look at his wife and son in the back seat. "Do you two have anywhere you'd like to go?"
Chen Lishu turned her head. "Where does Rui Rui want to go?"
"Wherever Mommy wants to go, I want to go."
Rui Rui had not yet recovered from the emotional turmoil of the impending separation. Even after getting into the car, he stayed close to Chen Lishu.
Chen Lishu reached out and stroked his little head. "How about Mommy and Daddy take you to the children's amusement park?"
The children's amusement park was a place built by various enterprises in the provincial capital specifically for children to play. It had only opened to the public that summer, offering numerous attractions like slides, carousels, and paddle boats that children loved.
"Really?" Rui Rui's eyes lit up instantly. Some of his classmates had been there and had bragged about it in class for a long time.
Chen Lishu nodded. "Really."
Soon, the family of three headed to the amusement park.
Chen Lishu wasn't very familiar with the area around the park. She only knew that later, the amusement park would no longer charge admission and would be transformed into a public park.
After Gu Xingdong found a parking spot, the three of them got out of the car. As they reached the entrance of the amusement park, they spotted a small stall selling snacks.
"Fried cakes, fish-shaped dough fritters, cheap!"
Seeing that both mother and son were looking at the food stall, Gu Xingdong walked over. After inquiring about the price, he bought two fried cakes and two fish-shaped dough fritters, asking the vendor to wrap them separately in oil paper.
"Why did you buy so much?" Seeing him hand her a separate portion, Chen Lishu smiled. "I'm not a child anymore. Buying for Rui Rui is enough."
Gu Xingdong leaned closer. "To me, you're still a child. I cherish you just the same."
Chen Lishu smiled, took the food he handed her, and after buying tickets, the three of them entered the park.
Although the amusement park lacked the variety of attractions it would have later, it was a paradise for children at that time. Rui Rui had a wonderful time, experiencing almost every ride.
It was almost one o'clock when they came out of the park. Everyone was getting hungry, so they decided to find a restaurant nearby for lunch.
"Hey, did you hear? Not long ago, Old Zhou the cripple found a treasure in the antique market up ahead. They say it's genuine, and he made over two thousand yuan by reselling it. How can people be so lucky? A blind cat stumbling upon a dead mouse."
"These things are all about luck. We don't know anything, so we'd just be going in blind."
Antique stone gambling, while offering incredibly lucrative returns, always involved an element of chance. A single misstep could lead to ruin.
Seeing her engrossed in the conversation from the neighboring table, Gu Xingdong asked, "Want to go?"
Chen Lishu withdrew her gaze. "I'd like to take a look."
Gu Xingdong nodded. "Then after we eat, I'll take you there."
Soon, the noodles they ordered arrived. After the family of three finished their meal, they made their way to the antique market the two people had mentioned.
The market was only two streets away from the amusement park. With the reform and opening-up policies of the past two years, small vendors had increased, and the antique market had moved from underground to above ground.