Chapter Fifty-Eight: Fleeing to a Foreign Land

Regarding the matchmaking candidate who had registered under a false name, Xiao Wei had dutifully uncovered his real identity. According to the records, the man's true name was Xie Leming, fifty-eight years old, residing in a township under T County’s jurisdiction. Among the men who had met with Lumin for matchmaking, Xie Leming was on the younger side, and his hometown was quite close to the county center. Once they obtained his address, An Changpu and Qin Ruonan wasted no time and immediately set out by car. If they hurried, there was a good chance they could finish their work and return to C City that very night.

On the way to Xie Leming’s house, they passed a savings bank. An Changpu slowed down and asked Qin Ruonan, seated beside him, “If you need to wire money, we can stop here for a moment.”

Qin Ruonan bit her lip and hesitated, her face torn with struggle, but in the end, she said, “No need to stop, just keep driving. Let’s take care of business first.”

Seeing her resolve, An Changpu stepped on the accelerator and sped toward the township where Xie Leming lived.

Driving from T County to the township took only a little over ten minutes. Upon arrival, they inquired their way along, but ultimately it was all in vain.

Xie Leming’s house was rather impressive: a two-story building that looked quite new, with a pair of wide, red-painted iron gates at the entrance, adorned with twin dragons playing with a pearl. The courtyard was neatly paved with cement tiles, spotless, with neither flowers nor animals kept.

The gate was unlocked. An Changpu entered the yard and knocked at the front door for a long time, but no one answered. He tried the door, only to find it securely locked.

“Are you looking for Old Xie?” While An Changpu was knocking, Qin Ruonan waited outside, soon drawing the attention of two elderly men playing chess in the shade of a nearby tree.

She glanced at them; both looked to be around sixty. One wore a sun-shielding fisherman’s hat, the other had on a white short-sleeved undershirt with a thin jacket draped over his shoulders. Between them, a small, well-worn wooden chessboard rested on stools, and they sat on low benches—clearly locals, likely of similar age to Xie Leming, and probably acquaintances or even friends.

“Yes, we’re here to see Xie Leming. He’s not home?” Qin Ruonan politely walked over.

“Where are you from? What do you want with Old Xie?” the man in the fisherman’s hat asked, giving her a once-over.

His companion in the jacket shot him a disapproving look and tapped the chessboard with a chess piece. “You! I keep telling you—not to pry into other people’s business. They’re looking for Old Xie, not you! Why all the questions?”

He turned to Qin Ruonan, face softening: “Old Xie’s gone to stay at his son’s place! Might not be back for half a year or more. If it’s urgent, you’ll have to look for him at his son’s house.”

“Or, if you’re not in a hurry, just wait ten days or half a month and come back—maybe he’ll have returned by then!” the fisherman’s hat man chuckled, speaking first to Qin Ruonan, then aside to his friend. “I don’t believe Old Xie could stand staying at his son’s place that long! Last time he went, he was back in less than three days!”

“It’s different this time. You didn’t see the scene when he left—bags and bundles, clearly not coming back soon. Maybe he’s not well, or maybe his son finally persuaded him. The stubborn old man finally agreed to move to the city,” the man in the jacket insisted.

While the two seniors discussed, An Changpu, assured there was no one inside, came out of the yard to see Qin Ruonan listening to them. She relayed that Xie Leming had already gone to his son’s home.

“How long’s he been gone? If he’s staying with his son, why leave the main gate unlocked?” An Changpu asked, as if making casual conversation.

The fisherman’s hat man scratched his greying head through his hat, eyes rolling upward in thought. “Well, look at that, it’s been half a month since Old Xie left! The old man’s really holding out this time!”

His friend in the jacket was steadier and responded while watching An Changpu, “That’s right, nearly twenty days now. Old Xie never locks his gate—there aren’t many outsiders around here, and everyone knows each other. Nothing to worry about. Besides, before he left, he tidied up the place. It’s just an empty house now—locked or not, what difference does it make?”

Qin Ruonan glanced back at the two-story house. The white-tiled walls gleamed in the afternoon sun, so bright it was nearly blinding. Against it, the surrounding houses looked drab and unremarkable—mostly single-story brick houses, perhaps painted over at best.

“Their house really stands out here, like a crane among chickens,” she remarked. “But with such a fine home, how could they bear to leave it empty?”

The fisherman’s hat man laughed. He loved to talk, and replied at once, “Young lady, you don’t understand—there’s always a higher mountain! Here, the house looks grand, but how could it compare to an apartment in the city?”

“That’s certainly true!” An Changpu chimed in, agreeing before asking, “This must be newly built, right? To move to the city not long after finishing such a house—Old Xie must be living well!”

“Of course! His son’s accomplished—graduated college, landed a good job in the city, earns money, and is filial too. It wasn’t easy for Old Xie—raised the boy single-handed after his wife died. The house was rebuilt just last year! If the old man hadn’t been so stubborn, refusing to live in the city, his son wouldn’t have spent all that money fixing this place up, just to make him comfortable!”

The man in the jacket, perhaps thinking his friend was being too talkative, gave him a tug and asked An Changpu and Qin Ruonan, a bit more cautiously, “Who are you two? What’s your business with Old Xie?”

“You just told me not to pry, and now you’re asking?” said the fisherman’s hat man, puzzled.

His companion ignored him, eyes flicking between An Changpu and Qin Ruonan.

Before arriving, An Changpu and Qin Ruonan had already thought up a plausible cover story for such questions.

“Do you know the lady Old Xie was seeing recently?” An Changpu asked with a smile.

The two old men exchanged glances, suddenly looking as if they understood, their expressions turning a little knowing.

“You’re the lady’s relatives?” the fisherman’s hat man asked.

“Yes, she’s my great-aunt. We came from out of town at the family’s request, bringing her some things. Only when we arrived did we hear she’d found a companion, so we came here,” Qin Ruonan explained, following his lead.

With that, any suspicion melted away, even from the man in the jacket. Their attitude became more cordial.

“Your great-aunt did stay here for a while,” the man in the jacket confirmed, “But we haven’t seen her lately. No idea if she went with Old Xie to his son’s place.”

“I see. Could you give us the address of Old Xie’s son? We’d like to visit.”

“Well...” The man in the jacket hesitated, perhaps uncertain or simply cautious. “I don’t have the address, but before he left, Old Xie gave me a phone number and said to call if anything urgent came up. Why don’t I give you the number and you can contact him yourself?”

“That works!” Qin Ruonan agreed readily, without haggling.

To the old man, her straightforwardness seemed trustworthy. He rose to fetch the number, leaving the fisherman’s hat man alone to fidget with the chess pieces.

“Sir, may I ask you something?” Once his friend had walked away, An Changpu leaned in conspiratorially, squatting down beside the fisherman’s hat man. “You know, my great-aunt and Xie Leming have been seeing each other. As her family, we have to ask you honestly, does Xie Leming treat her well?”

At first, the fisherman’s hat man seemed a little flustered by An Changpu’s approach, but after hearing the question, he broke into a slightly suggestive grin. Patting An Changpu’s hand, he replied, “You can rest easy! Old Xie’s an honest man. When his wife was alive, he treated her exceptionally well. After she passed, he raised his son alone, living by himself all these years. Now, in his old age, to meet a woman as good-looking as your great-aunt—he’s over the moon! Just thinking about it, he can’t help grinning from ear to ear. How could he not treat her well? Honestly, you two shouldn’t worry. As for your great-aunt, while she may not be a fairy, she’s certainly a fine match for Old Xie. If you see her, tell her: if she likes Old Xie, they should settle down together. If not, don’t string him along—end it early. Don’t play with him; he’s too sincere for that!”

“How could she play with him? She did stay here for some time. You seem like a sharp fellow—you must have noticed what kind of person she is!” An Changpu laughed dismissively, feigning a bit of righteous indignation on behalf of Lumin.

The fisherman’s hat man chuckled back, “I’m just saying—people’s hearts are hidden. Who can really know? She mostly stayed inside Old Xie’s house. When we saw her outside, she was quiet and seemed rather introverted. We never really interacted. Anyway, if the two of them are happy together, that’s all that matters!”