Chapter 27: A Tattered Backpack in the Trash

Once the policewoman left the building, the relaxed smile on Wang Jian’s face disappeared, replaced by a look of tension as he approached the front desk to speak with the on-duty officer.

“Did you see a child today, a little girl with messy hair?” Wang Jian asked.

“Oh, that child? She sat on that iron bench all afternoon,” the officer replied, pointing to the bench where Hao Yang had been sitting.

“Where is the child now?” Wang Jian continued.

“I don’t know. I wasn’t really paying attention, and I don’t know when she left,” the officer shook his head.

“Oh, thanks,” Wang Jian said, feeling a sense of relief. The child was likely gone and shouldn’t be a problem anymore. According to Captain Yan, the child shouldn’t be coming back.

As he walked towards the exit, Wang Jian noticed something on the iron bench. It was Hao Yang’s tattered backpack. He frowned, then casually tossed the backpack into a nearby trash can before heading back to his residence.

The policewoman rode her electric scooter slowly down the road. The weather forecast predicted continued snowfall, marking this as the last snow of the winter.

The falling snow obscured her vision. Suddenly, she thought she saw a familiar small figure. As she looked closer, a large truck sped by, blocking her view. When the truck passed, all she could see was a restaurant owner pulling down the metal shutter.

The policewoman rubbed her forehead, thinking that the pressure of her job had been taking a toll, making her eyes blur. She had thought she saw the child Wang Jian was dealing with, but that wasn’t possible. The child should still be at the police station. Her work had been exhausting lately, and her eyes were playing tricks on her. She decided to take the night off and go home to her children.

With that thought, she slowly rode her scooter towards home.

Wang Jian walked down the street, carrying a few items: a plastic container of congee and an egg.

Being ill with a high fever, a hot bowl of congee was just what she needed. She had also bought an egg to boost her nutrition, though it wasn’t much for an adult, it was enough for Hao Yang to feel full. In her current state, the benefit was that she needed less food and was easier to care for.

Even with the limited food, buying it had cost her five yuan in total: two yuan for the congee, two yuan for the egg, and one yuan for the packaging.

Wang Jian had chosen to have the food packed to take away because she feared that if she stayed to eat, the police officer might leave before she finished. Although logically, the police should wait for her, Wang Jian had an uneasy feeling that they might not. This strong intuition made her anxious.

Her unease grew, and she quickened her pace to a jog. However, after just a few steps, she felt dizzy and had to stop to catch her breath, leaning against a utility pole. After a short rest, she continued her slow walk towards the police station.

The snow was falling heavily, though not as much as before, and it was still cold enough to freeze her. However, once she reached the police station, she would be safe from the cold.

Finally, she arrived at the police station, feeling warmer as soon as she stepped inside. The building was heated, and she shook off the snow from her clothes. Looking towards the office, she saw that the door was open, but the lights were off, indicating that no one was inside.

Hao Yang stood there, staring at the office for a long time before snapping out of her daze.

“Where is the police officer? The one who promised to help me? Where did he go?” Hao Yang thought, feeling her emotions rising. She feared she might cry like a child again and quickly tried to calm herself.

“It’s okay, I can wait until tomorrow. The police station is right here, and he will come back. I just need to spend the night here, and I’m sure I can see him,” she told herself, feeling a bit better.

Just then, her stomach rumbled. She opened the plastic container of congee and began to eat it spoonful by spoonful. The warm congee felt comforting, and she felt a warm sensation spread through her body, giving her a bit more strength.

After finishing the congee, she carefully peeled the egg, being extra cautious not to break the yolk. Soon, she had a perfectly peeled hard-boiled egg, which she ate slowly.

She remembered that in the past, she could eat two eggs at once, but now, even one egg required several bites, which felt unusual to her.

After eating, she gathered the trash, including the egg shell and plastic packaging, and threw them into the plastic container. She then walked over to the trash can and tossed it in. As she turned to return to her seat, she froze. In the trash can, she thought she saw her own backpack. It had a unique color and style, with a distinctive tear, making it unmistakable. Could the item in the trash can really be her backpack? She couldn’t believe it.

Hao Yang turned her head back to the iron bench, only to find that her backpack was indeed missing from where she had left it.

“Could the item in the trash can really be my backpack? How is that possible?” She looked back at the trash can and saw her backpack clearly visible, impossible to ignore.

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