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“Xia Xia, maybe... maybe we should just let it go. Little Bao is gone, and with six hundred thousand, we...” Lu Ningyuan struggled to say. With six hundred thousand, he wouldn’t have to work himself to death anymore, wouldn’t have to worry about his brother’s debts, and wouldn’t need to continue living in a rented room.
“You are Little Bao's father. Do you really think her life is worth six hundred thousand? Your daughter was killed, and this is how you feel?” I clutched my stomach, looking at Lu Ningyuan in disbelief. How could the boy who once loved me and promised to protect me turn into this weakling? Or had he always been like this?
“Fine, fine then. Let’s do it your way.” I held my stomach tightly and gripped my phone again. Thankfully, I had sensed something was off with Lu Ningyuan's parents from the start at the hospital. As I reached the gate, I turned on the recording; now I had evidence. Cradling Little Bao's urn, I hurriedly left Lu Ningyuan's home.
Lu Ningyuan watched me leave, feeling dazed. Little Bao was his daughter too; how could he not feel heartbroken? But as his parents said, Little Bao was gone. With six hundred thousand, his brother’s marriage could be settled. He could also raise the unborn child more easily instead of secretly giving part of his money each month to pay off his brother’s debts. He could finally distance himself from his parasitic parents.
I flew back to the small apartment that Lu Ningyuan rented. Looking at Little Bao's photo on my phone, tears blurred my vision. The recording played over and over, each sentence cutting deeper into my heart like a knife. I called the police and recounted everything that had happened in detail. They assured me they would begin an investigation immediately and asked me to keep my phone available for contact. Hanging up, I felt a mix of emotions; I knew that Lu Ningyuan and I were done.
When Lu Ningyuan returned, I no longer wanted to communicate with him and silently went to sleep in a separate room.
The day Lu Ningyuan called me was when we were at the civil affairs bureau getting a divorce. “Brother, Mom and Dad are in jail for causing the death of a minor due to negligence and are also suspected of fraud. You need to come back quickly; if the parties involved are willing to sign a letter of understanding, they will be treated leniently.”
“Xia Xia, why are you doing this? They are my parents!” Lu Ningyuan shouted at me over the phone.
People in the hall looked at him; how many husbands had said similar things to their wives in moments of desperation? Each word echoed Lu Ningyuan's hysteria.
“They are your parents, but what about Little Bao? What about our little girl? She was so young; she hadn’t even experienced the beauty of this world before being killed by her own grandparents!” I could no longer contain my grief and anger. My child was gone, and her father wanted to protect her killers.
“You can sign the letter of understanding; you’re their son. I won’t—I must give Little Bao justice,” I said firmly.
“Can’t you be a little kinder? Little Bao is gone; you’re pregnant with another child. Can’t we just move on? Why must you be so extreme?”
“My kindness isn’t meant for those who harmed my child! The way things are now isn’t my fault; it’s your parents’ fault—they should pay for what they did. And as for the baby in my womb, it’s gone. I scheduled an appointment for surgery on the day I returned; yesterday I terminated the pregnancy.” I looked at this man who had disappointed me so deeply. He was someone I had loved for nearly ten years—my first love in middle school, all the efforts made in high school to stay together, and the struggles during college to get married despite our families’ opposition. All that beauty had vanished after Little Bao left us.
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