Chapter 136: We Can’t Forcefully Separate Xing Xing from Her Birth Parents

Chapter 136: We Can't Forcefully Separate Xing Xing from Her Birth Parents

After Xing Xing left, the entire Yu family was disheartened and dejected.

When Li Chunhua went to Mapo County to bring clothes to the Yu family boys, she mentioned what had happened. The boys had a strong reaction, finding it hard to accept.

But after their initial outburst, they felt powerless.

"So they just took Xing Xing away like that?" Gui Geer complained loudly, pacing around the room, unable to come to terms with it.

"If not, what can we do? They are her birth parents," Huai Geer said, clearly frustrated.

Everyone fell silent.

Indeed, Xing Xing was ultimately a foundling taken in by their family.

It wouldn’t be right to keep her from her biological parents if they came looking for her!

If they asked themselves honestly, they had only been with Xing Xing for half a year and already felt so reluctant. Her parents had raised her from a babbling infant to the child she was now—how heart-wrenching it must have been for them.

Li Chunhua looked worried.

Ever since Xing Xing was taken away by her biological parents the day before, the atmosphere at home had been gloomy. Wei Pozi had been lying in a listless state on the kang, not getting up.

Yu Laotou, who hadn’t smoked his pipe in a long time, silently found it, knocked the ash out, and squatted in the yard to smoke the old pipe.

With each puff, the white smoke seemed to carry his melancholy, drifting lazily.

"Alright, focus on your studies. When…" Li Chunhua couldn’t go on.

Xing Xing’s parents weren’t locals, and they might leave Mapo County with her soon.

Once they left, with the vastness of the world, where would there be a "next time"?

Everyone felt increasingly distressed.

In the midst of this unspeakable silence, Liu Ge'er suddenly spoke up, "We certainly can't forcefully separate Xing Xing from her birth parents."

"But… what if they aren’t Xing Xing’s real parents?"

Li Chunhua frowned and sighed, "That’s impossible. Their story matches how Xing Xing came to our family..."

Liu Ge'er said coldly, "Matching stories aren’t proof of anything. Many people know about Xing Xing coming to our family; anyone with a motive could easily find out."

Li Chunhua was stunned, muttering, "...And the butterfly-shaped birthmark on Xing Xing’s shoulder, they got that right too..."

Liu Ge'er furrowed his brow, thought for a moment, and cautiously said, "That’s not definitive proof either. If someone had a motive, a little investigation would uncover that too."

Li Chunhua felt a chill down her spine, her heart pounding.

"None of these can be considered proof?" she asked, her mouth dry.

In the eyes of their farming family, how a child was lost and any unique features the child had were considered sufficient evidence.

Coupled with the couple’s genuine emotion—they cried with genuine emotion—the Yu family, putting themselves in their shoes, naturally believed these were Xing Xing’s birth parents.

But Liu Ge'er’s categorical doubt left Li Chunhua violently shaken.

Could there really be a problem?

Once this idea emerged, it took root and grew recklessly in Li Chunhua's heart like wild grass.

The more Li Chunhua thought, the more alarmed she felt, her face growing paler and paler.

"If... if they aren't really Xing Xing's biological parents... why did they come to claim her?" Li Chunhua's voice was hoarse and trembling.

His complexion was no better either.

He clenched his teeth. "Auntie, have you forgotten? ... The Pang family we mentioned earlier."

As soon as the Pang family was mentioned, it was as if a bolt of lightning had struck Li Chunhua.

She swayed. "No, it can’t be..."

"Xing Xing’s parents didn’t show up too early or too late, but just a few days ago, when that Pang fellow wanted Xing Xing to be a child bride for his only son... her parents appeared," Liu Ge'er said through gritted teeth. "This is far too coincidental!"

Huai Ge’er grew more convinced by his younger brother's reasoning. "Exactly! And when Xing Xing first came to our family, though she had lost her memory, she was timid and withdrawn. If her parents had truly doted on her, how could she have developed such a cautious personality?"

Liu Ge'er nodded slowly, his face looking terrible. "Big Brother is right. The more I think about it, the more suspicious it seems."

Li Chunhua felt like she was about to collapse. "Then... what about Xing Xing..."

Huai Ge’er acted decisively. "We can't delay this. Did that couple tell you where they’re staying?"

Li Chunhua nodded repeatedly. "They said they were staying at Jixiang Inn. I was hesitant about whether to go see Xing Xing... but I was afraid..."

Thinking of the suspicions surrounding the couple, she clenched her fists in anger!

Li Chunhua was furious!

Thinking of Xing Xing in the hands of these potential frauds made her both angry and anxious. "We need to go to Jixiang Inn and investigate immediately!"

Huai Ge’er and the others had the same plan in mind and immediately agreed.

When Yu Sanbao and Yu Siyang heard about this, they didn’t even bother to keep their shop open. They closed it immediately, each grabbing a stick they kept for self-defense, and the group headed straight for Jixiang Inn.

When they arrived at Jixiang Inn, the innkeeper and the waitstaff, assuming they had come for revenge, hurriedly tried to stop them.

It was Liu Ge'er who stepped forward and politely inquired about the couple.

Seeing Liu Ge'er, a young teenager, and the even younger Gui Ge'er following behind, the innkeeper of Jixiang Inn relaxed his guard slightly.

Who brings children along if they’re coming for revenge?

He remained cautious and asked, "Why do you want to know about them? To tell you the truth, our guests' privacy..."

Gui Ge'er, anxious, blurted out, "They deceived our little sister and took her away!"

The innkeeper was startled. Could they be human traffickers?

He strained to recall the couple that Liu Ge'er had described.

When the innkeeper said he didn't recognize them, Li Chunhua panicked first.

"How could they not be here?" Li Chunhua gestured anxiously, "They had flowers embroidered here and here on their clothes. You could tell from their attire that they were from a wealthy family. They were also holding a four-year-old girl when they returned yesterday... That was probably our Xingxing. Our Xingxing was growing up so well, with fair skin and chubby cheeks..."

As Li Chunhua hurriedly described them, she couldn't help but shed tears.

Huai Geer stepped forward and gently put his arm around Li Chunhua's shoulder, "Mother, don't be anxious. Xingxing will surely be fine."

Seeing Li Chunhua's anxiety, the innkeeper was eight or nine parts convinced.

Worried that his memory might be wrong, he called the assistant over to help him recall.

Together, they verified that no guests like that had stayed at their inn in the last couple of days.

Li Chunhua's face turned paper-white, "How could this happen..."