Dad took out a piece of paper, handed it to Bai Letian, straightened up, and said slowly:

"There is no way to earn money in the countryside, and in order to earn money, men go out to work. In the spring of '92, Wang Hongliang and I came to Chengdu to find a job on a construction site. ”

"Chengdu?"

"Well, we went by train for three days and three nights. At that time, there were not many high-rise buildings in Chengdu, and the road was not as wide as it is now, and the roadside was full of stalls selling Malatang, of course, there were many tea stalls, and there were craftsmen who plucked their ears, and vendors who carried burdens, and the sound of selling along the street was like singing songs. ”

Dad took a sip of water, and then said, "The construction site is near the third section of Renmin South Road, Wang Hongliang works as a mason, and I do carpenter work. I remember very well that it was April 18th, and it was drizzling and foggy throughout the day. At the end of the afternoon, when the light rain gradually stopped and the streets were wet, Wang Hongliang and I went to Xiaotianzhu Street, asked for a Sichuan-style noodle, drank a glass of white wine, and then wandered along the banks of the Jinjiang River, which was the best way for us to spend time. ”

Dad stopped, glanced at Bai Lotian, and then looked out the window.

"At about ten o'clock in the evening, we were walking and chatting, and when we were about to reach the position of the Nine Eyes Bridge, a man wearing a black shirt and a mask of the same color stumbled past behind us. Under the dim street lamp, he ran in a hurry, almost hit us, one staggered and ran diagonally, Wang Hongliang also whispered a scolding, "Hurry to die", the man ignored it and continued to run forward. ”

"Who is that person?" asked Bai Lotian in a low voice.

Dad didn't answer, and continued to preach:

"After less than two minutes, the man in black turned and ran back and stood in front of us. His eyes widened, he muttered loudly at us, gasping for air, gesturing with his hands, but we didn't understand a word. He speaks as if he were in the language of a minority, which is normal, and there are often many ethnic minority people on the streets of Chengdu. I took a closer look and was startled to see a stream of blood coming out of his sleeve, flowing to the back of his hand, dripping down his fingers and dripping on the ground, and in a moment it stained the ground red, apparently he was injured. He carried a baby in his arms, wrapped in a small quilt and tightly wrapped around his upper body with a gray cotton belt. While we were in the midst of our confusion, he suddenly untied the strap on his body, put the baby in my hand, and stumbled forward again. ”

"And that kid is me?"

"Yes. I held the baby in my arms and stood there dumbfounded. It was still Wang Hongliang who went out a lot and was well-informed, and he was busy pulling me to the river, away from that road. In just ten minutes, more than a dozen men in navy blue clothes hurriedly ran over, holding sharp knives in their hands, obviously chasing the man who had just run away. Fortunately, the child was asleep and was not noticed by these people. I waited for another half hour, but the man had not returned, so we had to follow the path by the river and return to the construction site. ”

"I'm a big man, I can't take children, there happens to be a sister-in-law cooking on the construction site, so I asked her to help take care of this child--- that is, you. ”

"What happened later?" asked Bai Letian.

"Later, Hong Liang and I hugged you and also went to the vicinity of Jiuyan Bridge, but no one came to look for the child, and we also paid attention to the newspapers and the small cards posted on the wall, but there was no news about this. ”

"Later, I took you home. Mom chimed in.

"Well, it's like your mom said. We are outsiders, and we are afraid that we can't say it clearly, so there is really no way, Wang Hongliang said that I have been married to your mother for five years and have no children, maybe you are a gift from God, so let's just take it home. I thought about it, quit my carpentry job, and take you back to Handong Province by train. ”

"Yes, an absolute lucky star! After you arrived at our house, you quickly added younger brothers and sisters, how rare your grandparents are, don't you. Mom said proudly.

"Am I not Han?" Bai Lotian said to himself, "the language of ethnic minorities." ”

"I don't know, that's where you come from. You'll figure it out when you grow up, we're not literate and can't help you, son. ”

"Is there any clue to help me figure out who I am?"

"It's nothing, the child's clothes are old, worn out, and we threw them away. Oh, by the way, there's also a cotton and linen cover, a child's toy. Mom replied.

"Where do you put it? I want to see it. Bai Lotian asked.

"The cabinet hidden in my wedding is the one painted crimson and placed in the corner. Mom continued.

"Can I take a look?" asked Bai Letian, looking at the two of them.

"Of course, it's all yours. Dad replied, "You can't forget us in the future." ”

"How come, you will always be my own father and mother, and I will give you a pension for the elderly. Bai Lotian nodded and said.

"When you're not busy with work, if you have the chance, you might as well go find your biological parents. Dad said with a sigh.

Speaking of work, Bai Lotian remembered Professor Feng's case again, and said: "I'm almost dizzy, let's talk about finding relatives later, there are indeed some tricky things to deal with at work." ”