The 99th Divorce

Yu Lili remained unmoving for a long time. She looked at him.

Ou Ming knew what she was feeling. He stroked her face gently with his hand. “Don’t be afraid. Let’s go,” he tenderly said.

Following that, he alighted from the car and opened her door.

Yu Lili put her hand in Ou Ming’s and got down from the car. It was only then that she got a clearer look at the middle-aged lady.

The woman looked to be in her 40s or 50s. Her skin had been tanned by the sun, and there were a few wrinkles on her face. Her hair was black and had been permed into a head full of small curls. She was dressed in a garment that was typically favored by the elderly. She appeared simple and honest.

When she saw Yu Lili, her eyes lit up. All that was in her line of sight was Yu Lili.

As the lady walked over to Yu Lili, she grew emotional. Looking at her, she asked, “Is it you? It’s this lady, isn’t it?”

The second question was clearly directed at Ou Ming. It was obvious that she and Ou Ming were acquainted.

Ou Ming nodded his head and replied, “Let’s find somewhere to sit and talk.”

“Yes, alright. Come, let’s go to my place.” The woman’s eyes were red. Her face had guilt written all over it.

Yu Lili observed this woman who was a complete stranger. As affected as she thought she’d be by this reunion, all she felt was a sense of calm.

This was the woman who had carried her in her womb for 10 months and given birth to her. However, toward this woman who had given birth to her, all Yu Lili felt was a sense of detachment.

As they made their way to the lady’s home, Yu Lili and Ou Ming found out that the young man was the woman’s son. He was older than Yu Lili by a year or two. He had a family with a wife and two lovely daughters.

While speaking of her own family, an expression of love and warmth appeared on the woman’s face. As she looked at Yu Lili, that expression was replaced with one of guilt.

“To think that you’ve grown up so much in the blink of an eye. It must have been hard on you all these years. I’m sorry, child. I had no choice all those years ago. I had to feed my family. My man couldn’t do it, and I…” As the woman spoke, her eyes reddened. “It was probably karma, but my youngest child didn’t survive in the end.”

Yu Lili looked at the woman, her heart feeling detached. The atmosphere turned to silence in that moment.

Ou Ming held Yu Lili’s hand and looked at the woman. He said, “You’ve seen her in person now. You said that you have a picture of her biological mother. May we have a look at it please?”

Perhaps it was because Ou Ming was overly straightforward that the woman was stunned for a beat before nodding her head imperceptibly. She replied, “We didn’t have photographs in that era. Furthermore, it’s been so many years. Even if there had been a photograph, it wouldn’t have lasted until now. But, the lady was very beautiful, and what she wore was beautiful too. During that period, the region was undergoing a famine and harsh winter. What she wore was always especially pretty. Every time she came to our place, all the villagers would want to come over to take a look.”

“What did she look like? Do you still remember?” Ou Ming asked. “If I had a photograph, would you be able to identify her?”

Yu Lili was stunned. She looked at Ou Ming in surprise. “You have a photograph?”

Ou Ming pinched her hand and continued looking at the woman wordlessly.

“Yes!” The woman was extremely confident as she said, “I will never forget how she looked. You could tell from one look that she was a city dweller. She wore a long coat and had long hair. But, she was of ill-health and always had a scent of medication following her. Her face was also pale… You have a photograph?”

Ou Ming glanced at Yu Lili and slowly took his cell phone out of his pocket. “I secretly snapped this shot,” he said.