The physical characteristics listed in the notice on the Internet to find Uncle Xiu are only height, weight, facial features and birthmarks under the right ear, there is no specific age, and it is not said where the person is from, but it is written that he lived in Jinfu Village, Huaqiao Town, Qianzhou City from 1993 to 2000, and his whereabouts are unknown.

There is a mobile phone number starting with 138 left behind.

I subconsciously took out my mobile phone and wanted to dial that number, but immediately controlled my emotions, first carefully studied this missing person notice, it is a post in the livelihood forum of a small website with poor content and clicks, probably made by individuals, in order to expand the content, reprint articles everywhere, but very public, not only indicate the reprint word, but also post the original post link.

It's a pity that the original post link is empty, there is nothing, a blank page that can't find the content, it may be that the owner who posted the missing person notice deleted it himself, or it may be that the original domain name of the web page expired without renewal and expired. Therefore, there are no other clues other than the fact that the missing person notice was reprinted in December 2001 from the page just now.

The photo attached to the back of the notice is worth looking at carefully, it is a very old black and white bust photo, Uncle Xiu's face is very clear, with a Chinese face, double eyelids, lush hair, a kind demeanor, the corners of the mouth are slightly raised, it is a restrained smile, and he is wearing a very old cotton jacket, which shows that the photo is some years old. As for the birthmark on the inside of the neck, it is basically not clear because of the light and shadow.

After looking at the photo and looking back at the text, I couldn't understand how the description of the birthmark in this notice could be so general and vague, only saying that there was a birthmark under the left ear, but not the size, shape and color. Could it be that the person who posted the notice himself did not see it with his own eyes, so it is not clear?

Or is it deliberately written so vaguely for some special reason?

My brain was so messy that I found out the other missing person notice with a sickle-shaped birthmark and the dead body recognition notice that I found earlier, and then studied it carefully, and found that the text description of the birthmark in those two places was quite clear, but only the notice of looking for Uncle Xiu was vague, and it didn't feel right, as if the person who sent the notice was deliberately avoiding it.

I leaned back in my chair and looked at the ceiling, in a long daze, wondering what the intricacies were all about.

After sitting for nearly half an hour, I came back to my senses, and I wanted to dial the mobile phone number on the web page, I thought about it, held back, and then, slowly, lightly, walked to the door of Xiaohai's bedroom upstairs, raised my hand, wanted to knock on the door but couldn't knock, and froze for a while, very hesitant.

I was wondering how I would ask after knocking on this door so as not to scare Xiaohai or make her too sad.

As a result, before I could think about it, the door suddenly opened, which startled me, and I was not mentally prepared to adjust the expression on my face.

Xiao Hai stood in the warm yellow light with dark eyes, looking at me quietly. I didn't hear footsteps inside just now, which means that when I was hesitating to knock on the door, she was also standing in the door hesitating to open it, very synchronously.

She opened her mouth and stopped talking, but immediately opened her mouth again and asked me, "Are you looking into my father's business?" ”

I was shocked, I didn't expect her to be so sensitive, but that's fine, don't hesitate, just nodded and asked her: "Have you ever posted a missing person notice on the Internet?" ”

She is also a smart person, and immediately understood what I had found, her face was a little heavy, but she deliberately covered it up, and only asked very coldly: "Do you think I look like the kind of person who can use a computer?" ”

As she spoke, she had already hurried downstairs, and I quickly followed, walked into the study together, pulled a chair for her to sit on, and opened the web page to show her.

When Meng saw the photo of his father on the computer screen, Xiaohai was very shocked and almost shed tears, but he endured it so hard that he forcibly held back the tears, and restrained his emotions well, and asked me after carefully reading the content: "Can you find out who sent it?" ”

I shook my head: "It's a reprinted notice, the original text is gone, and I can't find it." ”

She asked again: "Have you ever called this contact, Mr. Zhou?" ”

I said, "Not yet, I just want to tell you and we'll fight together." ”

She took a deep breath and bit her lip out the window before turning her face to me and nodding to me, meaning she was ready to fight.

I cautiously added, "Don't get your hopes up, many years have passed, and even if you can get through, it may not be this Mr. Zhou." ”

She nodded again, in understanding.

I turned on the amplification and started dialing the number, although I knew that there was little hope of contacting me, but my heart was still pounding, after all, this was the most direct clue at present.

Fate is really cruel, there is a numb mechanical tone on the other end of the phone, sorry, the number you dialed is empty.

Empty number.

This time, Xiaohai couldn't hold back, and two big tears fell on the table, smashing my heart and my hands trembled.

I was too unwilling, so I dialed it again, and it was indeed an empty number, and there was no room for anything. I held back my sadness and disappointment, patted Xiaohai lightly on the shoulder, and comforted her and said that I would find an opportunity to ask someone in the bureau to help check and see who was using this mobile phone number during the time period when this post was posted.

After speaking, I felt that it was inappropriate, and I was afraid that I would give her empty hope, and it would be even more sad if I couldn't find it out at that time, so I had to add a sentence desperately, in fact, it probably wouldn't be of any use, and most of the mobile phone numbers that bought at that time didn't need to be registered with an ID card.

She was silent, staring at the picture of her father on the web for a long time, and suddenly said, "I haven't seen this picture." ”

I took a step closer and looked at the picture with her.

Xiao Hai stared at the photo and said: "There are a few photos of my dad at home, either with my mother, or with me, and then there are family photos of the three of them, and they are all in color, this photo, I have never seen it." Look at this photo, it's black and white, it's very old, and there are traces of folding, how many years ago did this have to be? But my dad looks like ...... in the photo."

As she spoke, she suddenly stopped, and her tongue accidentally touched a place that shouldn't be touched, and she was panicked, so she had to shut up quickly.

She was frightened by the doubts in her head.

Because it is obvious that this photo on the Internet is a black and white photo taken a long time ago, it looks at least thirty or forty years ago, and then it was swept into the computer with a scanner, and some technical repairs were made on the appearance, and the creases, curled edges, and yellowing on the original photo were very serious.

But the appearance of her father in the photo is exactly the same as in her memory, not the slightest difference, as if many years have passed after taking this photo, and he has not aged half a minute, as if he is completely out of the track of time.

My heart was in turmoil, originally because of sadness, my hands trembled slightly, but now with the reason of nervousness, I trembled even more, and I wanted to say something, but I couldn't open my mouth.

But soon, Xiaohai returned to normal, the hurt and confused look on her face was gone, and I thought to myself, she must have found a reason for herself to explain this unscientific phenomenon, maybe she thought that the photo looked so old because it was damp or not properly kept, maybe she thought that she was too young when her father disappeared, and her memory was skewed, and so on, in short, I don't think she would have considered the possibility that her father might be an old man.

But the situation she doesn't want to believe is the true truth.

I was thinking maybe I could tell her everything now.

But I don't know where to start.

Xiao Hai suddenly looked outside the balcony and said slowly, "It's raining again." ”

Suddenly from her father's matter to the weather situation, I couldn't react a little, my eyes were dumbfounded, and my tone was dumbfounded: "Yes, it's raining again." ”

Then they were silent with each other.

Today is destined to be a sleepless night, I went downstairs to make tea for myself, and then made a cup of coffee for Xiaohai, a few days ago in the public security bureau when Hu Hailian drank coffee, she sniffed it, felt fragrant, so I bought a few cans back and put them at home for her to drink.

After brewing, stirring slowly, listening to the crisp sound of the metal spoon hitting the ceramic cup, the whole person was immersed in the warm and bitter aroma, and the brain gradually became clearer.

and told her that I knew her father; Tell her that I had seen her through the car window many years ago; Tell her that I saw the birthmark on her neck at the door of the Public Security Bureau that day, and I recognized her; I told her that her father and my grandfather seemed to be subordinate to superior, and I didn't know the specifics. I also told her that there was an uncle surnamed Chen who had a good relationship with his father, was from Chenjiawu, and used to come to see me often, but he died of illness a few years ago; Tell her......

Tell her again, as her eyes see, that her father will not grow old.

Also, it's not just her father who doesn't get old.

I just don't know if she can accept such an absurd reality.

I walked back to the study with tea and coffee in my heart, handed her the coffee, and put on a shallow, cautious, apologetic smile, thinking that she would be angry if she had been hiding it from her for so many days, and suddenly she would be angry if she poured it all out of her regardless of whether she could accept it all.

But there was no other way.

Xiao Hai was still staring at the photos on the webpage, and he was so engrossed that his eyes were round.

I pretended to cough and cleared my throat to open my mouth, when I saw her face suddenly change and her mouth opened wide, and she held her breath for a while before she gasped.

I was startled when I saw that she reacted so much, and quickly rushed to her side and asked what was going on.

She pointed to the right side of the photo, behind Uncle Xiu, an old tree with a crooked neck.

"I've seen this picture," she said. ”

Ask her where she has seen it.

She brushed the ground and turned her face, her eyes were wide open, and she said word by word: "At your house." ”

Her look sent chills down my spine.

I don't understand what she means.