Wei Nan calmed her mind and began to record things one by one.
First, she had to personally go to the factory to get a clear understanding of Wei Damin’s debts. No matter how detailed someone else’s explanation was, it couldn’t compare to seeing it herself.
First, investigate the situation.
Wei Nan wrote this carefully on the paper.
Trying to dig through the original owner’s memories, she added another item: Second, go to the Educated Youth Office to register the household record.
This was another major matter. Without the household registration, there would be no grain ration, no food coupons.
Then what would she eat?
Thinking of the registration, Wei Nan suddenly remembered something, where was the household registration book for this family?
Without the book, where would her own registration be recorded?
Wei Nan immediately got up and began searching the room.
Wei Damin had died suddenly, and no one had entered this house since, so the household registration book must still be inside.
She looked around, and eventually her gaze had to fall back on the wooden chest she had moved earlier.
There simply weren’t many things in the house, and that chest was the only container.
Biting her teeth, Wei Nan rummaged through Wei Damin’s belongings again, and finally at the very bottom, she found a worn artificial leather pouch.
She opened it, and sure enough, the first thing she saw was the hardcover household registration book. Wei Nan finally exhaled in relief.
Besides the household book, she also found a ration book. In a separate compartment of the pouch, she discovered a small two-inch photograph.
The photo had seen better days; the paper had yellowed over time.
Curious, Wei Nan picked it up to take a closer look.
In the center of the photo sat a middle-aged couple with familiar features, and behind them stood a girl of around ten. Between the couple’s legs, a small child was being held up by their support.
The couple, of course, were Wei Damin and his wife. Standing behind them was the original owner.
But who was that little child?
Wei Nan felt a sudden daze, as if something had been added to her limited memories.
She followed her intuition and flipped the photo over, and sure enough, she saw a line of clumsily written penmanship: “Family photo, commemorating Pei’er’s 100th day.”
Wei Nan’s head buzzed!
Some faint, blurry fragments instantly rushed into her mind.
She finally remembered: the original owner had a younger sister!
That sister was much younger than her, a late-born daughter of the Wei Damin couple.
Wei Damin’s lifelong obsession had been wanting a son.
It was said that before the girl was born, there was a time when he actually treated his wife reasonably well.
But after the original owner was born, her mother never became pregnant again, and Wei Damin felt his line would end.
With Wang Sanhua constantly whispering in his ear, saying daughters were liabilities and only nephews could be relied on, he hardened his heart and used all his wealth to support his mother and younger brothers.
Later, the original owner’s mother finally became pregnant again, but unfortunately, it was another daughter.
After that, Wei Damin completely gave up on managing his own household.
He poured everything into supporting his second brother’s family, thinking that at least when he died, the nephew could come and “smash a bowl” for him, a traditional gesture of mourning.
At this thought, Wei Nan gave a cold smile.
She remembered that Sister Wei had told her that after Wei Damin died, the factory notified his second brother, but the whole family didn’t even show their faces.
Even his own mother came but didn’t take him seriously.
His urn was still stored at the crematorium; they hadn’t even placed it in the ancestral tomb.
“Smash a bowl?”
Hah.
That nephew hadn’t even seen him one last time!
Thinking about the situation Wei Damin faced after death, Wei Nan felt nothing but bitter irony.
Looking at this single family portrait, the only one of the four of them in their lifetime, Wei Nan no longer even cared about considering the karmic retribution Wei Damin might have suffered.
At this moment, there was only one thought in her mind—
Where is my little sister?!
Whether she liked it or not, she was now occupying the original owner’s body.
This sister should still be alive, the only family the original owner had ever been willing to acknowledge.
Since she was in someone else’s body, no matter what, Wei Nan had to find this child, this was her responsibility!
But why, after being here for so long, after hearing so much from so many people, had not a single person mentioned the child even once?!
Could it be… she’s no longer alive?
Thinking about it, it wasn’t impossible, after all, the Wang Sanhua family lacked nothing if not humanity!
She quickly flipped open the household register.
Wei Damin’s name was still on the page as head of the household.
Obviously, no one had gotten around to removing him yet.
Wei Nan continued flipping through and finally saw the name Wei Pei. Her heart finally relaxed.
Thank goodness, thank goodness, her sister was still alive. At least the girl still had one relative in this world.
Wei Nan also checked the supplementary ration book and found that Wei Damin, up until his sudden death, had continued to collect the various coupons for his youngest daughter every month.
Grain coupons, vegetable coupons, none were missing.
But the coupons were being collected, where was the child?
She carefully recalled everything she had heard from the moment she regained consciousness up until just now, and confirmed that not a single person had mentioned little Wei Pei.
Based on the birthday listed in the household register, the child was now six and a half years old.
Such a living, breathing person, how could she simply vanish without a trace?
Wei Nan thought for a moment and decided she needed to ask Wei Qiuxia about this.
She was the only person she could reach now who might know the situation.
Returning to her room, she rummaged through the luggage she had brought and eventually pulled out a bag of dried shiitake mushrooms.
These were mushrooms the original owner had picked one by one from the mountains and then dried, originally intending to bring them home for her mother to eat, yet she never got the chance.
Wei Nan went to the kitchen, served out the leftover food from the lunchbox, and washed it clean. Then, holding the mushrooms and the lunchbox, she went up to the third floor and knocked on Wei Qiuxia’s door.
The door was opened by a sturdy little boy, around four or five years old.
Seeing her, he curiously poked his head out. “Who are you looking for?”
Wei Nan knew he was Wei Qiuxia’s son, as she had mentioned earlier.
So she smiled and said, “I’m looking for your mom.”
The boy opened the door wider and shouted inside, “Mom! Someone’s here!”
Soon after, Wei Qiuxia came running out of the kitchen, her hands wet. “Who is it?”
Seeing Wei Nan, she froze for a moment, then hurried forward. “Wei Nan! What brings you up here? Did something happen?”
They had only recently agreed to meet after work that evening, so seeing Wei Nan now naturally surprised Wei Qiuxia.
“It’s nothing. I was tidying up and remembered I still had a gift for you, so I thought I’d bring it over,” Wei Nan said, handing over the mushrooms and the lunchbox together.
“Oh, a gift too! You don’t have to be so polite with me, it’s such a long way and such a bother!”
“It’s just a small token, sister. Don’t mind it,” Wei Nan said, a little shyly.
“Mind it? Such good stuff!”
Wei Qiuxia said, leading Wei Nan into the room. “Sit down, I’ll pour you some water.”
“No, no, sister. I actually came up to ask you something,” Wei Nan interrupted.
“What is it? Tell me.”
Wei Qiuxia stopped in her tracks when she saw the serious look on Wei Nan’s face.
“Do you know where little Pei is right now? Why haven’t I seen her since I got back?”
Wei Nan asked directly, without beating around the bush.
“Xiao Pei was sent back to your hometown by your dad, you didn’t know?” Wei Qiuxia said. “After your mom passed away, he sent her back. That was one of the reasons we got into a fight with him back then. Absolutely shameless!
At the time, Xiao Pei was only a bit over three years old, how much could she even eat? And he had to save a little food by sending the child to the countryside?
The countryside is so harsh, and with your grandma being so strict, who knows what suffering that poor kid went through!
I thought you knew. I figured that, after all, she’s your little sister, he would at least have written to tell you, right?”
Wei Nan shook her head. “He never told me anything, not even the news about my mom’s death. He kept it all from me.”
“Truly shameless!” Wei Qiuxia ground her teeth in anger.
“He didn’t tell you about your mom because he probably feared you’d come back and compete with your cousin Wei Jing for the job. But why hide Xiao Pei’s situation from you? Ah, I see, he must have also been afraid you’d come back and give him a piece of your mind if you knew.”
Wei Qiuxia sighed. “I actually wanted to ask you today, do you plan to bring Xiao Pei back? At your dad’s memorial, your grandma took her along. Poor thing! Tsk, tsk.
But seeing how you were this morning, I didn’t dare ask. I thought I’d wait a few days. Didn’t expect you’d come up here yourself.”
“Too much has happened today, sister. To be honest, my mind’s still in a daze, I completely forgot about Xiao Pei until just now, when I went to get the household register.
I have to bring my little sister back. She’s my only sister; I can’t let Wang Sanhua treat her that way!” Wei Nan said firmly.
“Yes, you must bring her back! Absolutely must!”
Hearing Wei Nan say this, Wei Qiuxia nodded vigorously, repeatedly agreeing. She had indeed been worried.
When Wei Nan went to the countryside, Xiao Pei was not even six months old, what kind of bond could they have had?
And now, Wei Nan had just returned and barely had time for herself. No job, no income, not even a stable source for her own living.
If she had considered Xiao Pei a burden and refused to bring her back, no one could say a word.
But she didn’t.
Truly a kind-hearted child, just like her master.
Looking at Wei Nan, Wei Qiuxia’s eyes were full of admiration.
Wei Nan didn’t know what was going through her mind and spoke up, “Sister, can I go to the factory with you this afternoon? Is that convenient for you?”
“Why do you want to go to the factory?” Wei Qiuxia asked, a little surprised.
“I want to go to the finance department in person, to check exactly how much my dad owed at the factory and what really happened in between.
Also, if possible, I want to retrieve the remaining money to prevent any problems later on.”
When Wei Qiuxia heard the words “prevent any problems later on,” she paused for a moment, then nodded repeatedly. “Yes, yes, it’s best that you go.
Your grandma caused such a scene at the hospital today, who knows what foolish ideas she’ll come up with back home! You should get the money back quickly, that’s only fair!”
Since Wei Qiuxia agreed, there was nothing more to discuss. The two of them arranged to go to the textile factory’s finance office as soon as the afternoon shift started.