Return to the 1982 Staff Compound

Chapter 362 Looking for Clues

"Then let's go. I won't persuade you. You've been skipping classes for a long time anyway." Qiu Huoming joked.

"You guys accompany me back to the dormitory first, I have to put these books away." Gu Xiaoran said with a smile.

Tang Xiaotang put away her jewelry, reached out to take the two thick books on top for her, turned around and walked towards the exit, "Let's go, don't waste time..."

Gu Xiaoran put his things away, and several people walked towards the school gate in a dignified manner.

Some of the slogans along the way have faded, creating a strange sense of harmony on the walls of the old buildings.

Arriving at the school gate, Qiu Huoming took out his camera and said, "Let me take a picture of both of you."

"Wow, where did you buy it? Friendship Store or abroad?" Gu Xiaoran looked at the camera curiously.

"It's second-hand, bought from a foreign university. It's not valuable, but very useful." This camera is Qiu Huoming's favorite and he always brings it with him when he goes out.

The two girls stood at the school gate, holding hands, looking at the camera, and smiling brightly.

"Click" Qiu Huoming pressed the shutter.

"I'll print it out and send it to you later." Qiu Huoming said.

"Okay, Huozi, I'll give you a separate one?" Gu Xiaoran stretched out his hand.

"Okay." Qiu Huoming excitedly rolled up the film in the camera and handed it to her, "Just press the shutter."

He walked to the center of the gate and extended the standard scissor hand gesture.

"Click" the boy's figure was frozen.

"Let's go, it's so early in the morning, come to my bookstore and sit down, I'll make you some hand-rolled noodles..." Tang Xiaotang suggested: "Qiu Huoming, you're smart, go to the scene and help me check, are there any other clues?"

"Okay, since we have nothing to do anyway, let's go." Qiu Huoming responded.

Gu Xiaoran naturally had no objection, and the three of them walked towards the platform.

We got on the bus. At this time, there were many empty seats on the bus, so the three of us sat in the back row.

Tang Xiaotang laughed and said, "I wonder what happened to those little hooligans last time?"

Qiu Huoming glanced inside the car a few times. "It depends on this. If the problem is not serious, he will be released in a few days. If there is a severe crackdown, it may take several years..."

Tang Xiaotang stuck out her tongue, "How scary."

The car swayed and soon arrived at the station. Tang Xiaotang rushed to the back door without waiting for the car to stop, "Get off."

Her relaxed and lively look was very contagious, and Qiu Huoming quickly pulled Gu Xiaoran and followed her.

As soon as I got off the car, I saw Tang Xiaotang greeting a middle-aged man who was coming towards them, "Village Chief, are you going out?"

"Go out and write a note. What's the matter? When are you going to take the college entrance examination?" the village chief said with a smile.

Then he turned his gaze to Gu Xiaoran and Qiu Huoming who were following behind Tang Xiaotang and immediately stopped talking, "Your friend? Come to our house and get some bacon. Go pick any vegetables in the vegetable garden yourself..."

Tang Xiaotang kept walking, "Got it, Second Uncle."

The village chief hurriedly got into the car, muttering, "This kid..."

Qiu Huoming smiled and took a few quick steps, walking side by side with Tang Xiaotang, "Your second uncle treats you very well."

Tang Xiaotang nodded, "Otherwise, how can an orphan like me open a bookstore?"

Gu Xiaoran squeezed over and held Tang Xiaotang's arm, "I'm dying. You're walking so fast and you didn't even wait for me."

"I'm giving you a chance to talk more with Comrade Qiu!"

"I don't care. There's nothing to talk to him about." Gu Xiaoran said, holding Tang Xiaotang's arm tightly.

Qiu Huoming fell and followed them, "Hey, that's not what you said when you received the gift just now!"

"Grown man, don't be so stingy..." Gu Xiaoran turned his head and made a face at him.

Qiu Huoming laughed. Gu Xiaoran became more lively in the capital. It seemed that this place really suited her.

When they arrived at the bookstore, the door was empty. Perhaps it was too early and no one had come yet. Tang Xiaotang took down the sign hanging at the door saying the owner was out for business and pushed the door open and walked in.

When they reached the inner room, she pointed to the door and said, "The note was found right here."

Qiu Huoming turned around and moved his gaze to the bookshelf next to him, which was the bookshelf closest to the door.

"Tang Xiaotang, did you organize the books yesterday?"

Tang Xiaotang nodded, "I often organize my books, and I did it yesterday as well."

Qiu Huoming put his hand on the bookshelf next to him, "What about the books here? Have you sorted them out too?"

Tang Xiaotang came over, "Yes, the books here are from..." She was stunned for a moment, then raised her head...

"The books here were bought from a family." She reached out and picked up a book at random, and began to flip through it quickly.

Qiu Huoming and Gu Xiaoran, one on the left and one on the right, also joined in.

The floor was full of books, and everyone was busy searching...

After a while, another piece of paper fell from a book...

Qiu Huoming stretched out his hand and said, "Tang Xiaotang, can you compare the note from yesterday?"

Tang Xiaotang's hands trembled slightly as she took out the note.

Qiu Huoming put the two pieces of paper together. "They are both made of envelope material, with clear edges. They were cut with scissors, not torn by hand..."

"It's very likely that the scraps of paper were blown into the book by the wind, and coincidentally, this family was selling books, and you bought them..."

Gu Xiaoran was surprised when he heard this, "Oh my god, this is such a coincidence!"

"It's really a coincidence, but this might be uncle's clue..." Qiu Huoming said excitedly.

Tang Xiaotang sat on the ground and raised her head. Her hands were shaking. "Could it be that my dad is at his house?"

Qiu Huoming shook his head. "I don't know about that. Why don't we go and take a look?"

Gu Xiaoran reached out and pulled Tang Xiaotang up from the ground, "Let's go, Xiaotang, don't be afraid, Huozi and I will accompany you."

Tang Xiaotang stood up straight and nodded.

"I'm sorry. You want to go out with me again just after arriving." She apologized.

"Tsk, we are all family." Gu Xiaoran said.

"Let's go. Don't be polite." Qiu Huoming said as he put the book back on the bookshelf.

The three people came and left in a hurry.

Walk quickly towards the platform.

"Xiaotang, do you remember where you got the book from?" Gu Xiaoran asked.

"It's an alley. The family found it themselves. I don't know which family it was, but I remember the entrance to the alley. It's near the Academy of Drama..."

Tang Xiaotang said without hesitation.

Several people arrived at the platform. The sun was already very hot at this moment, shining brightly on the simple platform.

Fine, tiny dust particles dance and spin in the sunlight.

Tang Xiaotang's eyes were filled with confusion.

Gu Xiaoran was holding her hand as if he was holding a lost child.

Qiu Huoming sighed. There are many households at the entrance of an alley. This clue can be said to be useful or useless.

But at least the scope has been narrowed, which can be considered a breakthrough.

After waiting for a while, the bus swayed and stopped at a distance. The noises around suddenly increased, and dust was raised and did not settle for a long time.

Qiu Huoming and his group got on the bus. In the narrow aisle, three of them held the handles and swayed back and forth as the bus started.

Without the lively Tang Xiaotang's words, the three of them fell silent.

Outside the window are farmlands, factories, and barren land...

After this station, it suddenly became prosperous and there were more slogans.

"There are three more stops." Tang Xiaotang suddenly said.

"Well, I'm counting." Gu Xiaoran responded. She touched her good friend's hair with some heartache, "Xiaotang, don't be afraid."

Tang Xiaotang turned her head and looked at her, "I don't know, I feel like I'm in a dream. I haven't found him for so many years, how come there are suddenly clues..."

She murmured, "I'm afraid this is a dream..."

"Even if it's a dream, it's a good dream." Qiu Huoming said loudly: "Even God is helping you."

As soon as he finished speaking, there was a sudden rumble of thunder in the sky.

An old man nearby exclaimed: "How could there be a thunder explosion on such a sunny day?"

Qiu Huoming was startled, but Tang Xiaotang seemed to have regained her spirit and woke up all of a sudden. The corners of her mouth curled up, "Don't talk nonsense, don't worry, no matter where he is, I will meet him sooner or later, just like..."

She looked out the window, "Same as he found me before."

The three of them looked out the window and fell silent at the same time.

Finally arrived.

The three of them got out of the car. Tang Xiaotang identified the intersection and pointed in a direction, "I remember it was that alley."

She walked over leisurely, and Qiu Huoming and Gu Xiaoran followed quickly.

Gu Xiaoran asked in a low voice: "Huozi, do you think we can find that family?"

Qiu Huoming looked up at the sky.

It seems like I am lucky in my life. I always encounter some small happiness, and even the people around me are blessed with some lucky elements.

"I think there is a probability." Qiu Huoming said.

Gu Xiaoran smiled with eyes curved, "Xiaotang's wish is about to come true..."

"I hope so." Qiu Huoming said.

After entering the alley, Tang Xiaotang's memory was incredible. After going around in circles, she actually found the right way.

After a while she pointed to a telephone pole in the alley and said, "Right there! I'm the one collecting books over there at the station!"

She quickened her pace. Just then, an old man with a red armband came over from the other end of the alley. "Who are you looking for?"

He looked at Qiu Huoming and his group vigilantly.

Tang Xiaotang smiled and said, "Uncle Ren, it's me, the one who collects the books!"

Grandpa Ren took a closer look at Tang Xiaotang and was immediately delighted. "Miss Tang, you're here. What are you doing? Are you collecting books today?"

Tang Xiaotang shook her head. "Uncle Ren, why am I here to look for someone today? Last time, an old couple came to sell books. Do you know who they are?"

Grandpa Ren shook his head. "That has nothing to do with it. There are many elderly couples. You have to talk about their characteristics..."

Tang Xiaotang frowned and racked her brains to think carefully, but her mind was indeed blank. There were a lot of books to be collected at that time, and she was busy sorting them out, so she had no time to take care of the large number of them. She only took a few glances when paying, and the impression she had was just an old couple in shabby clothes. She had no idea what they looked like.

"They have a lot of books at home. Uncle Ren, who are the people around here who have a lot of books at home?" Qiu Huoming walked over and interjected.

"Not a few. There is a university nearby and many teachers live near us." Uncle Ren asked curiously, "Are they your relatives?"

Tang Xiaotang came back to her senses, "Yes, it's my father's relative who has been lost for many years. I saw him in a book..." she explained.

"The more I listen, the more confused I become. How can you say you saw it in a book?" Uncle Ren's eyes lit up and he looked at everyone with a hint of scrutiny.

Qiu Huoming interrupted again, "My uncle used a book when he was a child. It has a mark inside..."

Mr. Ren's expression eased a little, "What's your name?"

Tang Xiaotang directly reported her father's name.

Master Ren turned around and said, "If that couple has a lot of books, I remember there is such a person. You come with me..."

Tang Xiaotang was overjoyed, "Thank you, Mr. Ren."

"You're welcome. Both of them are teachers. They have so many books at home that they can't put them all away. It's not far from here..."

Uncle Ren is still in good health, walking with a breeze and leading the way.

Tang Xiaotang had to jog a bit to barely catch up.

After passing through the narrow alley, we soon arrived at the gate of an ordinary courtyard. The outer wall was already mottled, and a faded portrait of a great man was painted on the wall near the outside.

"We're here." Grandpa Ren walked in, found the door of the third house, and knocked on the door with his hand. "Teacher Zhang, are you home?"

After a while, the door opened.

A man in his sixties with gray hair on his temples came out. "Hey, Mr. Ren, you are on duty today? How come you have time to come and see me?"

Uncle Ren laughed loudly and said, "That's right, I'm not the one looking for you today."

He turned around and pointed at Tang Xiaotang and his group, "Did you sell a batch of books to this little girl?"

Teacher Zhang looked at Tang Xiaotang and recognized her. "Yes, yes, yes, I almost couldn't recognize her with her hair tied up!"

Uncle Ren breathed a sigh of relief. "Okay, that means I found the right person. I'll go on duty first. You two can have a good chat."

Tang Xiaotang thanked him profusely and saw him out the door.

Then he walked quickly to Teacher Zhang and said, "Teacher Zhang, I want to ask you about someone..."

With trembling hands, she took out a notebook from her schoolbag, and then took out two slips of paper from the notebook...

"Teacher Zhang, this fell out of your book. Do you have any impression of it?"

Teacher Zhang took out a pair of chipped reading glasses from his coat pocket and put them on.

He looked for a long time, and suddenly called out, "Come in and sit down. I want to ask my lover."

"Thank you, I'm sorry to bother you." Tang Xiaotang hurriedly thanked him.

The three followed Teacher Zhang into the small two-bedroom apartment with several solid wooden bookcases, making the place look even smaller. There was a curtain drawn in the inner room.

"My wife is not feeling well. She is resting after breakfast. I will go and call her out. You can sit wherever you want." Teacher Zhang said politely.

Next to it was the dining table with two stools, a small bamboo chair on the floor, and a shabby little sofa near the window.

Teacher Zhang has already lifted the curtain and entered the inner room.

Qiu Huoming sat down on the small bamboo chair consciously. Tang Xiaotang stood there looking anxiously towards the inner room. Gu Xiaoran stayed with her.

After a while, the curtain was lifted, and Teacher Zhang came out with a white-haired woman. He led her directly to the sofa and asked her to sit down.

"This is my wife, Teacher Lin. We are both teachers." Teacher Zhang said with a smile.

Tang Xiaotang walked quickly to the sofa and handed the note to Teacher Lin, "Teacher Lin, please take a look. Do you have any impression of this?"

Teacher Lin took the note and studied it for a while. "Let me think about it."

Tang Xiaotang said softly: "This should be an envelope..."

Teacher Lin was startled. She looked down at the note in her hand and muttered, "Letter... envelope..."