That evening, midway through a romantic Western dinner, Yu Gang suddenly turned serious. He told Cao Ma he had prepared a surprise for her. At that moment, Cao Ma felt very nervous. She guessed what Yu Gang was about to do? Just as Yu Gang knew her well, Cao Ma actually knew Yu Gang's usual tricks very well. Her heart pounded, unsure how to refuse him.
However, Yu Gang fumbled in his pockets a few times, his brow furrowing. Where was the ring he had prepared?
Seeing Yu Gang's embarrassed expression, Cao Qian didn't show the slightest hint of amusement. This was her doing, yet she didn't find it funny. This was the terrifying part about her; she had always been so detached.
"Uncle, what surprise did you prepare?"
"I... my company is opening."
Yu Gang finally found a suitable excuse to mask his embarrassment, and Cao Ma's heart settled in her chest. She had genuinely feared Yu Gang would propose.
During these days, Cao Ma's emotions gradually stabilized. She even considered looking for Cao Ba and apologizing to him.
Watching their expressions, each lost in their own thoughts, Cao Qian quietly slipped her hand into her pocket and felt the ring box she had just stolen.
...
A few days later, Cao Qian caused trouble at school. Some children from another class were bullying someone, and Cao Qian, with a sense of justice, struck the bully in the face with a brick. The person, bleeding from the nose, cried and reported her to the teacher.
The teacher asked Cao Qian to have her parents come to school. Cao Qian gave the teacher Cao Ba's phone number.
About an hour later, Cao Ba arrived, his heart filled with mixed emotions as he looked at Cao Qian. Cao Ba took Cao Qian to apologize to the classmate and their parents. Cao Qian stared coldly at the classmate, making them tremble all over.
After the apologies, the matter was resolved simply, and Cao Qian earned herself a lunch with Cao Ba. Cao Ba didn't scold Cao Qian excessively. He was happy that Cao Qian had called him and took her to a restaurant, buying her plenty of delicious food.
"Qianqian, how is your mother doing?"
"Old Cao, how are you doing?" Cao Qian asked back.
"Haha, I have more free time now, more time to drink. It's pretty good."
"Does your stomach hurt?"
Cao Qian asked with adult-like concern.
"It's okay."
Cao Ba fumbled for an answer.
"Old Cao, your stomach isn't good, yet you still drink. Mother used to insist that no matter what, you had to come home for dinner. For this wish, she would cook dinner at home no matter what."
"Your mother has been through a lot. Is she eating normally now?"
"She's doing very well. She cooks a lot every evening, four dishes and one soup."
Cao Ba's eyes welled up with tears as he thought of the scene a year ago. When Cao Qian first came to their home, he and Cao Qian sat at the dinner table. Cao Ma, wearing thick gloves, brought over a steaming hot pot and said with a smile, "Four dishes and one soup, cadre returns home."
Thinking of this, Cao Ba touched the stomach medicine in his pocket. He had been drowning his sorrows in alcohol recently, even organizing drinking sessions when there were no social obligations. It seemed like life was unbearable without drinking.
"I intentionally hit that classmate today."
"You... what did you say?"
"If I don't make a mistake, I won't see you. Once, I secretly went to your workplace, wanting to talk to you, but I saw you buying stomach medicine at the pharmacy. I wanted to ask you to come home for dinner, but I was afraid of upsetting Mother. So, I ran home as fast as I could, but I was still a little late, and Mother still worried. That's why I thought of today's plan."
Cao Ba's heart was touched. "You did it to see me?"
"Yes, and to exchange something with you."
"What?"
Cao Qian took out the ring box and pushed it towards Cao Ba. "Old Cao, I'll trade this for the stomach medicine in your pocket."
"Where did this come from?"
"I stole it."
Upon hearing Cao Qian say this, Cao Ba was startled and quickly advised her, "Qianqian, stealing is wrong."
"Let's leave it at that. I have to go to school."
With that, Cao Qian left the ring box with Cao Ba.
...
The next day, Cao Qian got into trouble. When school ended that evening, Cao Ma waited at home for Cao Qian but she never returned. She called the school office. The teacher said no students should be at school at this hour.
Cao Qian was missing. No one noticed where Cao Qian went after school. The teachers and classmates hadn't observed anything unusual about Cao Qian during class either.
Because Cao Qian had a history of going missing, Cao Ma chose to report it to the police.
The teacher then mentioned that Cao Qian had gotten into a fight yesterday and her father had been called to school. Cao Ma, who hadn't been in contact with Cao Ba, immediately called him. Hearing that Cao Qian was missing, Cao Ba was shocked and rushed over immediately.
...
The police investigated for a long time but found no leads. They even visited the home of the classmate Cao Qian had fought with. That classmate's parents were terrified. They admitted they were angry yesterday but denied seeking revenge on a child.
The police helplessly asked if Cao Qian had any other enemies. Cao Ma cried, saying she didn't know. At this critical moment, Cao Ba suddenly remembered something. Yesterday, Cao Qian had given him a ring box, and she had said it was stolen.
"Stolen from whom?"
Cao Ba shook his head. He didn't know. There was no information at all. He regretted not asking more questions yesterday, which might have prevented this incident. Thinking of this, Cao Ba glanced at Cao Ma, afraid she would blame him impulsively as she had before. Truthfully, he loved his wife deeply and had not contacted other women since their divorce. However, he truly feared her frantic outbursts, which made him feel volatile and irrational.
But this time, Cao Ma did not lose control as before.
She remembered her conversation with her daughter in bed the previous night.
"I miss Daddy."
Cao Qian lay on her side. Cao Ma, looking up at the ceiling, turned her head upon hearing this. She missed her husband too. Even without financial worries, living alone was very lonely.
In recent days, Yu Gang's attentiveness had made Cao Ma realize she still had some appeal. However, she had no intention of dating. Regardless of her situation with her husband, she was accustomed to living with him. Cao Ba's poor appetite meant Cao Ma had always been strict with him, even excessively controlling his meal times. Consequently, after their divorce, Cao Ma always insisted on cooking meals punctually.
"I miss your father too," Cao Ma replied to Cao Qian with a smile, stroking her daughter's face. "Children don't understand adult relationships. Your father and I can't live like we used to."
"As long as Mom apologizes, isn't that enough? Didn't you tell me that it's not scary to make mistakes, but scary not to apologize after making them?"
"Why should I apologize?"
"During that time I was lost, Mom was upset, wanting to find me, and she kept blaming Dad. Dad must have been in a very bad mood then, which is why you argued and said hurtful things to each other."
Hearing Cao Qian say this, Cao Ma was stunned. She couldn't believe these words were coming from her daughter. She looked at Cao Qian, wanting to tell her that children shouldn't interfere in adult matters. But the words didn't come out. Instead, she gently told Cao Qian, "Sleep now."
"Mom, promise me, if you encounter an urgent situation, don't blame Dad first, okay? Think about it calmly, and perhaps the problem can be solved?"
"Okay, okay, my sweet little angel. Can you sleep now?"
Cao Qian nodded and closed her eyes.
...
Cao Qian's words had an effect. This time, she didn't get angry with her husband. Instead, she asked seriously, "A ring, what ring? Why would Qianqian steal a ring?"
"I... I really don't know. Qianqian used a ring box to exchange for my stomach medicine yesterday."
Upon hearing Cao Ba say this, Cao Ma instantly understood. Tears began to stream down her face. That day, she had gone to dinner with Yu Gang. From his demeanor, he had intended to propose after the meal. However, after the meal, Yu Gang had seemed extremely embarrassed, as if he had lost the ring he had prepared. At this moment, Cao Ma realized that Cao Qian had stolen the ring.
With this realization, Cao Ma's mind cleared. Why would the usually well-behaved Cao Qian fight? Fighting aside, getting called to the school and then calling Cao Ba?
The child's little plan was now obvious. She was trying to get her parents back together.
"Whose ring did the child steal?" the police asked.
Cao Ba awkwardly scratched his head. "I don't know."
"It's Yu Gang's. No, you should go check Yu Gang's house."
Cao Ma said this. Cao Ba was taken aback. "Who is Yu Gang?"
"A friend I grew up with. I'll explain later. Let's find the child first."
"How could the child's disappearance be related to your friend?"
However, this time, Cao Ma was surprisingly calm. She shook her head and said, "Not necessarily. I know Yu Gang. He's a person who stops at nothing. Where is that ring?"
"It should be in my pocket. I haven't touched it."
Cao Ba took out the ring box and handed it to the police. The police opened the ring box. It contained something like an instruction manual. The policeman who found this calmly separated the ring box. In a hidden compartment, there was a letter, or rather, a map.
The map had simple markings. Although the place names were incomplete, some standard buildings were clearly written, and the directions were correct. The police compared the map and determined it pointed to a house in a bungalow area.
When the police said this might be where the child was hidden, Cao Ba was filled with regret. He said to Cao Ma, "It's my fault. The child came to us for help, and I didn't even look at the ring."
"It's not your fault. Who would have thought the child had such a thoughtful plan? Officers, can we save the child first?"
"Alright!"
The police accurately found the house according to the address. In the cellar, they discovered a dog leash and traces of human waste. Someone had lived there.
The lead detective on the missing person case was an experienced veteran. He quickly ordered the scene to be cordoned off.
While searching for evidence, the police found unclear writing on the ground in a corner: "This is the 128th day he has held me captive. I don't know who he is. But if I escape, I will surely take this person's life."
Signed: Cao Qian!