That year, Cao Qian was eight years old when her mother passed away from illness. Her father suffered from mental health issues and was unable to fulfill his responsibilities in raising Cao Qian. Later, Cao Qian was adopted by a family.
This couple was among the first ambitious individuals to venture into business during the reform and opening-up period, and they were quite wealthy.
However, the couple had never had children. By then, the man was forty-two and the woman was also forty. They eventually decided to give up on having children of their own and adopt one.
After making their decision, the couple visited the orphanage. They didn't take a liking to any of the children there until they saw Cao Qian, who had just been brought to the orphanage, standing by the entrance.
At that time, Cao Qian's surname was still Huang. After being adopted, she took her father's surname, Cao, and her given name was Qian.
...
Time flew by quickly, and Cao Qian had been living with her adoptive family for over half a year. During these six months, Cao Qian lived a pampered life, enjoying piano and art lessons.
Every teacher praised Cao Qian as a bright child, which made her adoptive parents very happy. They felt they had found a gem. One day, Cao Ma took Cao Qian shopping. They intended to buy two dresses, one for Cao Qian and another for Cao Ma.
They had a delightful time shopping, eating ice cream, and watching monkey shows. Cao Ma even gave Cao Qian two mao to interact with the monkeys. It wasn't until it was almost time for dinner that Cao Ma realized she had only bought a dress for herself, not for Cao Qian.
"Look at my head, I was so caught up in playing. Let's go, Qianqian, we'll buy your dress now."
"Mom, how about we don't buy it today? Dad will be back from the company soon, and he hasn't eaten yet?"
The more sensible Cao Qian behaved, the more Cao Ma felt she owed her. So, Cao Ma pointed to a children's clothing store on the street corner and said, "We'll buy it here, and then we'll go home."
"Okay!"
The clothing store had many items, but Cao Ma couldn't find anything she liked. She felt the clothes were too common and didn't suit her little fairy.
"Qianqian, how about I call Dad's company? We'll be a little late, but we can buy a beautiful dress."
Cao Ma said this as she placed the dress she was holding back on the hanger. However, she didn't receive a reply from Cao Qian. Perplexed, Cao Ma looked behind her. She remembered Cao Qian standing nearby, but the spot was empty. Cao Qian was nowhere to be seen.
The smile vanished from Cao Ma's face. She grabbed a nearby sales associate and asked earnestly, "Where is my child?"
The sales associate looked around, her face panicked, "She was just here."
Cao Ma became anxious and shouted, "Then where is she now?"
The sales associate flinched at Cao Ma's outburst and looked down, not daring to speak. Cao Ma pushed the sales associate aside and looked around frantically, "Qianqian, Cao Qian!"
No response!
"Qianqian, this isn't the time to play hide-and-seek with Mom."
Still no response.
Cao Ma grew increasingly anxious, shouting, "Cao Qian, Cao Qian! Where are you?"
Cao Ma continued to shout and search everywhere. As every hidden corner was checked, Cao Ma became more and more distraught. At this point, mall staff, alerted by the commotion, arrived. They asked the store to call the police and began a search for Cao Qian within the mall. The mall was quite large, and occasional incidents of parents and children getting separated occurred. They divided their tasks and fanned out.
Ultimately, Cao Qian was not found. Later, the police arrived, and during their investigation, a security guard recalled seeing something similar. Cao Qian had left with a man, but the man was wearing a mask, so his appearance was not clear. Furthermore, the security guard's descriptive abilities were poor; he couldn't even estimate the man's height.
The police concluded that Cao Qian had been abducted by human traffickers.
...
After more than six months of living together, Cao Ma had come to consider the bright and intelligent Cao Qian as an integral part of the family. Cao Qian being abducted by traffickers while shopping with Cao Ma filled Cao Ma with immense guilt.
For the next half a month, Cao Ma was plagued by nightmares, replaying the scene at the mall, tormenting her with regret.
Because of this, Cao Ba also abandoned his normal life, putting aside everything at his company to search for Cao Qian. Their long search yielded only despair.
In their despair, Cao Ba and Cao Ma, who had always been loving, began to change. They blamed and resented each other, eventually reaching a point of mutual hurt.
Divorce!
Because of an adopted child, the marriage of Cao Ba and Cao Ma came to an end.
...
This process lasted 132 days. Cao Qian survived for 132 days in the cellar of a house. It was dark and lightless. Cao Qian had no idea how long she had been there. She was in an unbearable state, listless and on the brink of death.
After 132 days, a man dragged Cao Qian out of the cellar and dumped her on the street.
It was raining sleet that day. She wore thin clothes and shivered as she walked down the unfamiliar street. Ignoring the stares of passersby, she rushed into a bakery and began eating bread. The bakery owner called the police.
...
Not yet nine years old, Cao Qian sat alone on the long bench at the police station. She was wrapped in a police officer's cotton-padded jacket, which was warm. The hard bench at the police station was not a comfortable place to sleep, but even so, it was more comfortable than the cellar.
Cao Qian wanted to sleep but was afraid to. She feared that if she fell asleep, she would wake up from her dream only to find herself back in that dark and lightless cellar.
As Cao Qian drifted in and out of sleep, Cao Ma rushed into the police station and held Cao Qian tightly in her arms.
...
Here, Cao Qian felt Cao Ma's warmth. This was the first time she had cried from the heart since being adopted.
Later, Cao Qian learned that Cao Ma and Cao Ba had divorced because of her. At the time, Cao Qian was too young to change the world of adults and could only passively accept her fate.
Cao Ma was a woman of great charm. After losing Cao Qian, she had a period of emotional breakdown, but she gradually returned to her former self. After the divorce, she received half of the assets. In those days, the income from her wealth alone could sustain her for a lifetime.
Consequently, Cao Ma devoted all her energy to taking care of Cao Qian.
...
Months later, a man entered their mother-daughter lives.
This man was Cao Ma's childhood friend, named Yu Gang. Yu Gang had been a talented student since he was young and secured a stable job after graduation.
For the past decade or so, Yu Gang had been the kind of "good child" and capable person that the elders spoke of.
However, last year, enticed by the open economic climate, Yu Gang couldn't resist. He quit his stable job and ventured into business. Perhaps he started his business too late, perhaps he lacked Cao Ba's business acumen, or perhaps he was simply unlucky.
In any case, Yu Gang did not succeed.
After divorcing Cao Ba, Cao Ma moved out of Cao Ba's house and returned to her mother's home. In this neighborhood, Cao Ma encountered a down-on-his-luck Yu Gang. Now, the "good child" the elders spoke of was also changing. The admiring glances that Yu Gang's family once received were now replaced by disdain. This was likely the coldness of human relationships.
However, Cao Ma was a kind person. She believed that Yu Gang's misfortunes were due to bad luck. Therefore, she was willing to talk to Yu Gang.
Perhaps because both of them were divorced, they gradually developed a subtle intimacy.
One day, Yu Gang asked Cao Ma for a loan, and Cao Ma agreed. Yu Gang was overjoyed and invited Cao Ma out to dinner.
...
Cao Ma knew very well that her divorce from Cao Ba was not his fault. It was during the period when Cao Qian was lost that Cao Ma had 'gone mad.' Her mental breakdown had led Cao Ba to make that heartbreaking decision.
Ultimately, they still had feelings for each other.
Furthermore, Cao Ma's help to Yu Gang stemmed from their childhood friendship, or perhaps neighborly concern. There was no element of romance in this care and assistance.
Therefore, when they went out to dinner that day, Cao Ma did not go alone but brought Cao Qian with her.
...
They had Western food that day. After this romantic dinner, Yu Gang planned a romantic proposal. He had even bought a ring for this purpose.
However, during the meal, Yu Gang saw Cao Qian, whom Cao Ma had brought along. He felt a pang of annoyance, but his outward expression was excellent, full of smiles. "This must be Princess Cao Qian. Uncle has wanted to meet you for a long time."
Cao Qian nodded and sat opposite Yu Gang with Cao Ma. Yu Gang busied himself serving them with great attentiveness. Cao Qian's eyes, however, were fixed on Yu Gang's hands. She recognized them.
Yu Gang's fingers had distinct large knuckles, and the person who had deceived Cao Qian and kept her locked in the cellar for 132 days also had large knuckles. The perpetrator had worn a mask, but Cao Qian, solely based on the knuckle deformities, recognized Yu Gang.
This was not something a nine-year-old child should have been capable of, but from a young age, Cao Qian had been no ordinary child.
...
Her memories dragged Cao Qian back to that painful ordeal.
That day, Cao Ma was helping Cao Qian choose a dress. A man wearing a mask quietly approached Cao Qian and said, "Your dad is waiting for you outside. He wants to surprise Mom with you."
Cao Qian didn't think much of it and nodded, following the man out. The man led Cao Qian towards a corner. Cao Qian stopped and looked at the man intently. "Where is my dad, really?"
"He's..."
The man hesitated. Cao Qian turned to leave. "I'm not going."
But as Cao Qian turned, the man rushed forward and clamped a hand firmly over her mouth.
Then followed 132 days of dark and lightless existence.
...
Looking at the man with his eager expression, Cao Qian pondered the events of those 132 days. In over four months, much had changed. Most importantly, Cao Ma and Cao Ba had divorced.
Cao Qian was a clever girl. She had consistently played the role of a kind and sensible child for Cao Ma. In reality, Cao Qian was not like that. In her former impoverished home, she had been the girl that all the children in the neighborhood dared not provoke.
Scheming had always been Cao Qian's forte.
After a moment of thought, Cao Qian arrived at an answer. The man before her had kidnapped her for her mother's money and then released her after Cao Ma and Cao Ba divorced.
This man was meticulous but timid; he didn't dare to commit murder. He knew Cao Ma and Cao Ba well, and he understood how important the adopted Cao Qian was to Cao Ma.
If one does not offend me, I shall not offend them.
If you strike me first, then I apologize, Uncle.
Cao Qian ate the steak at the Western restaurant, a cruel smile playing on her lips.