On an early winter night, the clouds were light and the water was flowing, the street trees had lost all their leaves, and the branches rustled in the night wind, as if they were sobbing, adding a touch of solemnity for no reason.
The wind that sneaked into the bottom of the sleeves, wrapped in a thin layer of sweat, stained the clothes, and Yun Qiao shivered.
Xi Lanting held her hand.
There was no warmth in his palm, but it somehow warmed Yun Qiao's heart and gave her something to rely on.
Huang Qingshu and his wife were waiting at the entrance of the alley. A lonely street lamp at dusk made their shadows long and thin.
In less than a year, two changes occurred. Huang Qingshu suspected that the feng shui of this place was not suitable for his young daughter, so he considered returning to his hometown after the Chinese New Year.
The car stopped, but before Yun Qiao got out of the car, Huang Qingshu and his wife were already running towards her, their steps staggering slightly.
"Yun Qiao, is there any result?"
Huang Qingshu asked, his voice eager, and he looked at Yun Qiao eagerly.
The branches were blown by the wind, and the stretched tree shadow fell into Huang Qingshu's eyes. At that moment, his eyes seemed to be filled with thorns, almost breaking.
Yun Qiao's words were stuck in his throat and he couldn't spit out even a single word.
"Yun Qiao, tell me, we can bear it, but we just don't want Dongjun to suffer anymore."
Mrs. Huang also cried.
Yun Qiao: "I'm sorry, teacher, mistress, there may be something wrong with the divination this time, and I didn't figure it out.
It seems that we can only ask the National Security Agency for help."
"We reported the crime."
Huang Qing said, "It's cold outside. Let's talk to the family. Tell the family quickly."
Yun Qiao's steps were a little heavy.
Xi Lanting followed her, speechless.
Mrs. Huang's eyes were a little swollen and she hurriedly went to pour tea.
The water in the thermos has gone cold and the tea poured out has not been brewed, but no one cares.
Huang Qingshu told Yun Qiao and Xi Lanting that Huang Dongjun disappeared three days ago.
"... She recently wants to learn oil painting. There is a teacher at Huilan Middle School who offers classes, and she can learn it by paying money.
Two classes a week.”
Huang Qing recounted.
"Dongjun goes to study painting on Mondays, and she takes the tram there by herself on weekdays.
After class in the morning, she would occasionally go out to have dinner with her classmates to keep in touch.
She didn't reply at noon, so I didn't take it seriously, and I didn't see her until evening.
I went there to ask, but the studio was closed, so I had to report it to the police station immediately."
Mrs. Huang answered.
Speaking of this, Mrs. Huang suddenly burst into tears again.
Yun Qiao handed her the kerchief: "Master, please speak slowly."
Mrs. Huang was so choked that she could not speak completely.
Huang Qingshu's eyes were red, but he managed to calm down: "The people from the police department checked and said that the teacher of the studio received the government study abroad aid in May and had gone abroad and closed the door.
But during this period, Dongjun said he would go to learn painting every Monday and Thursday."
Huang Dongjun has not received formal education from the new school. She has been taught by her father. She is proficient in music, chess, calligraphy and painting, and is beautiful and talented.
Huang Qingshu wanted her to go to a girls' middle school.
But after the kidnapping incident at the beginning of the year, Huang Dongjun was a little stimulated, and he was inexplicably repelled by crowded places.
She wanted to learn oil painting, but Huang Qingshu felt that this painting was a rare thing and considered a fashionable thing, so he was happy to allow her to learn it.
But Huang Dongjun never mentioned the closing of the studio.
"...She has a few classmates, and she also goes out to play with them on weekdays, but she never comes to her home very often.
She said she was a classmate in the same studio.
But the studio has been closed for half a year, what happened to her classmates?
I had no idea, I didn't notice anything wrong with her at all."
Mrs. Huang cried.
Yun Qiao felt cold after hearing this.
Huang Dongjun was frustrated by the kidnapping, and she developed a rebellious mentality.
She lied, went out, and hung out with someone, and her parents didn't know anything about it.
And now...
"Teacher's wife, please don't cry just yet and look for me slowly.
I'm a little hungry, can you order me a bowl of noodles?"
Yun Qiao said.
As soon as Mrs. Huang saw Yun Qiao, she seemed to have hope.
He couldn't be found the night before yesterday and there was no news yesterday, so Mrs. Huang asked Huang Qingshu to find Yun Qiao quickly.
It's just that Huang Qingshu didn't want to trouble Yun Qiao, thinking that her daughter must have gone to a classmate's house and would come back.
The more she checked, the more something was wrong. Huang Qingshu felt unsure, so she quickly called Yun Qiao.
"Okay, wait a moment, I'll get some midnight snacks."
Mrs. Huang said.
As soon as she left, Yun Qiaocai said to Huang Qing, "Teacher, please be stronger. Dongjun may..."