"Chen Yang, I'm so sorry."
"I'm sorry to our child, I'm so sorry to him..."
Shen Xue suddenly began to kowtow. Chen Yang, who was stunned by her words, heard the thudding sounds and quickly pulled Shen Xue into his arms.
"It's not your fault, it's not your fault."
"I was too much of an idiot back then. If I had been more considerate of you, if I had saved more for this family, and if we had money, you wouldn't have had the heart to give up our child."
"You fool, why didn't you tell me back then?"
Chen Yang held Shen Xue, tears streaming down his cheeks.
So, he had another child.
In his previous life, by the time he achieved fame and success, Shen Xue had already passed away. His father-in-law and mother-in-law were furious with him, and naturally, they wouldn't have told him this.
His poor child, born with a congenital weakness, and he, his father, didn't even know.
"Useless, so useless."
"Why didn't you, you useless bum, learn to take care of your wife and child sooner? Useless!"
Chen Yang fiercely slapped himself across the face. His cheek instantly turned red.
"No, it's not your fault. It's my fault. It's all my fault."
"I gave our son away to someone else. I'm sorry to you. If you want to hit someone, hit me. Don't hit yourself."
Shen Xue desperately held onto Chen Yang's arm. Watching him slap himself, she felt as if a knife was piercing her heart.
She had kept this secret for over two years.
Every time she thought of her poor youngest child, Shen Xue's heart felt like it was bleeding.
"It's my fault. I should have known earlier."
"When you were in confinement, you often cried. No matter how much Mother tried to comfort you, you wouldn't stop. Your health deteriorated, and it all started from then."
"Why didn't I pay more attention to you, ask you why you were crying?"
Chen Yang gritted his teeth. Now that he knew the reason, he recalled how Shen Xue had returned safely after giving birth, yet instead of joy, she often wept in secret. He quickly realized something was amiss.
"There's no point in talking about this now."
"What about the child? Was the child eventually cured?"
Chen Yang looked at Shen Xue, his heart pounding.
He was afraid, afraid that his child, whom he had never met, hadn't been saved.
That was his flesh and blood!
"Later, I really couldn't rest easy and secretly went back to the hospital. The doctor said the child was saved."
"But that family instructed the doctor not to disclose any information about their family. They were afraid we would renege on our promise later and try to get the child back."
Shen Xue held Chen Yang, sobbing hysterically.
If she had had money to save her child, how could she have had the heart to give him away?
The child had survived.
But she no longer had the right to find him.
"We'll go to the hospital tomorrow. I'll find a way."
"If we find that family, no matter how much money they ask for, even if they want all we have, I, Chen Yang, will not object!"
"They are our son's saviors. I, Chen Yang, am grateful to them."
"But our son is the flesh and blood you carried for ten months. If he's with someone else, he's not truly theirs. What if, after these two years, they have their own child? Will they bully our son? Will they treat him like dirt?"
The thought of his son possibly being mistreated in someone else's home made Chen Yang's heart ache as if it were being twisted.
"If that lady wants money, we'll give her all of ours. I don't want money; I only want our child."
Shen Xue's tears flowed uncontrollably. Although she didn't know how much money was spent to treat her son, it was probably not more than a few dozen yuan at most.
As long as that woman agreed to return the child to her, Shen Xue would happily give the woman all the over thirty thousand yuan they had saved.
Shen Xue knew that going back on her word might seem shameless to that woman, but he was her own flesh and blood.
She couldn't bear to watch him die!
Similarly, she couldn't stand the thought of her child suffering in someone else's home.
She was willing to give the woman all her money, as repayment for saving her son's life, just to have her child back.
Shen Xue knew that her words might seem shameless to others, that she was breaking her promise, but he was her own child, and she couldn't control herself.
"Don't cry, don't cry."
"I'm here. No matter the cost, I promise you, I will find our child."
Chen Yang also felt a deep pain in his heart. If he hadn't been reborn, he might never have known he had a son.
Perhaps their son was being bullied by the birth children of his adoptive parents. Would they treat him well? Would they scold or hit him?
Chen Yang dared not even think about it. The mere thought of his son possibly being mistreated in someone else's home made his heart bleed.
Chen Yang didn't know how he eventually fell asleep. When he woke up, it was already dawn.
He should have been up early to collect fish by now, but after learning about their child, Chen Yang had no intention of collecting fish.
Fortunately, there weren't many fish left. He decided to let Zheng Weiguo and the others collect the fish from Willow River Bay and have his father-in-law lead them to the aquatic product station to deliver the fish. Then, Chen Yang would take Shen Xue and their little one to the county town.
"Chen Yang, do you think Dr. Zhao will tell us that lady's address?"
All the way, Shen Xue was extremely nervous. This was the umpteenth time she had grabbed Chen Yang's hand to ask this question.
"Everything is under my control. Don't worry, we will find our child."
Chen Yang patted the woman's head. Shen Xue looked visibly worn out.
He felt sorry for her.
He couldn't blame Shen Xue for what happened back then.
Their family had no money to treat their son. If they hadn't agreed to give their son away, he might not have survived.
"Mama, hug."
The little one, seeing his mama with red eyes, felt extremely heartbroken.
Chen Yang and Shen Xue hadn't left the little one at home. They had already lost one child, and they couldn't bear to part with this little one.
Moreover, the little one and their younger son were twins. Shen Xue thought that perhaps there was a special connection between twins. When they found their son, having the little one there might make their son less fearful.
After all, their son was over two years old, just like Yan Yan, and understood some things. Two biological parents suddenly appearing might frighten the child.
Upon arriving at the county town, Chen Yang specifically went to a state-run department store and bought a can of malt essence and two bottles of canned fruit.
In those days, malt essence and canned fruit were considered quite high-class gifts.
At the hospital, Shen Xue led Chen Yang to a small storage room in a corner of the hospital. Dr. Zhao, who had treated Shen Xue back then, had been sent down to the Willow River County Hospital and was working in sanitation. She was the only one at the hospital who had experienced the entire incident.
It was Dr. Zhao who had introduced them to the family who adopted their son. She was the only one who knew the identity and address of the woman who had taken Chen Yang and Shen Xue's child.
"Hello, is Dr. Zhao here?"
Chen Yang and Shen Xue knocked on the door. The storage room opened, and a caretaker carrying a mop and bucket pushed the door open.
"Are you looking for Dr. Zhao Yongling? Dr. Zhao's case has been overturned, and she has returned to her original place of residence."