Chapter 9

Yan Luming gave Andy a sharp look with his piercing eyes and said, "The things I've said today are all based on investigative results. They are well-founded, not hearsay, and do not reflect my personal preferences. Please understand, Miss Andi. Your maternal grandfather was the biggest landlord in the area, with the surname He. During the land reform, some people were suppressed. Those who were left had hard lives; the men couldn't find wives, the women couldn't get married. Therefore, your maternal grandfather married a woman from out of town who had fled famine and was slightly mentally disturbed, and she gave birth to your mother. Your mother was known as the beauty of the area, and it's no surprise that there were many rumors about such a beauty. The only thing confirmed is that your mother had a love affair with Wei Guoqiang, a knowledgeable young man from Hai City who had gone to the countryside. Wei Guoqiang was also handsome, so I had earlier surmised that you would be beautiful. In 1978, Wei Guoqiang left of his own accord and didn't return. Your pregnant mother went mad, and your grandfather went to Hai City alone to find Wei Guoqiang, but afterwards, his whereabouts were unknown. After your mother gave birth to you, she ended up on the streets, raised by charity, which is quite extraordinary. Your birthday should be on some day in June 1979, the exact day unknown. Afterward, your mother had multiple miscarriages and finally gave birth to your brother in 1983, but the father of your brother is unclear. On the night she gave birth to your brother, your mother died, and you were sent to an orphanage."

Tan Zongming, worldly wise as he was, of course understood what kind of problems a mentally disturbed homeless woman would encounter. Seeing Andy awkwardly drinking water, he didn't find it appropriate to interrupt and ask further.

It was Andy who, after calming down, asked, "Was my mother the one who wore red clothes, with a ruddy face and her head full of flowers? Mr. Yan, please tell me. I've been tormented by these impressions my whole life."

Yan Luming chose his words carefully, "It's understandable that a woman would exhibit some odd behavior after receiving a serious mental shock on a major issue."

"Mr. Yan, please feel free to describe it in detail. I have the mighty technique of drinking water to calm myself and, if that fails, there is a pool of dirty water next to me, haha," Andy said, feigning composure, but actually her heart was pounding like a drum.

"Alright. After your mother became ill, she was known locally as 'Flower Mad.' She loved to rip the big-character posters off the walls, some to make into flowers to wear on her head, and some to dampen with water to smear on her face and turn it red. Once done, she would go out onto the streets to chase after men... That's the way it was. The only miracle is that she managed to raise you."

Tan Zongming now fully understood why Andy always treated male attention with hostility, saw flowers as bombs, and never wore colored clothes. She was deliberately going against the norm. Andy, on the other hand, was at a loss, as the limited memories in her mind played quickly forward. But she saw Tan Zongming's knowing look. "Old Tan, you won't berate me for lacking femininity anymore, will you?"

"I will never bring it up again."

"Mr. Yan, could I trouble you with one more thing? Could you help me find out if there are any men born in 1983 in the local mental hospital?"

"Nonsense, Andy, don't be extreme," Tan Zongming interrupted loudly.

"Old Tan, let's be practical. My brain isn't normal. I've always suspected that there are some abnormal segments in my genes... There's only a thin line between genius and madness. Since Mr. Yan has already confirmed the abnormalities of my maternal grandmother and mother, by probability, that brother of mine whom I've never met... Rest assured, I've always been good at controlling my emotions and won't talk nonsense."

"I'll look into it. It could be a lead," Yan Luming said practically, also passing her a brown kraft paper envelope, "Inside is information related to Wei Guoqiang. I found him."

Andy took it but immediately threw it into the nearby pool without hesitation. "Old Tan, lend me your guest room to sleep for a couple of hours. I'm about to collapse."

Tan Zongming had the nanny take Andy into the house. Once they were far away, he said to Yan Luming, "Andy's biggest fear is that she carries the gene for madness. Since I've known her at the age of twenty, she has lived a life of abstinence, almost like a nun. Well, now it's really become a probability event. You really shouldn't have agreed to check the mental institution for her. By doing so, you're basically acknowledging her fear that mental illness runs in her family."

"Such a smart person, as she's figured it out already, wouldn't she look it up herself if I didn't agree?"

Tan Zongming sighed speechlessly and after a long while said, "Well then, do the search, and do it quickly. It would be best if you found out there's no match, if the DNA doesn't match, at least it would mean her brother isn't mad, turning the high probability into a low one. Do not break a friend of mine, such suspicion of mental instability could really drive a person mad."

Yan Luming smiled mockingly but dared not say anything. Tan Zongming noticed but didn't explain.