Ten Thousand Soul Banner: Deceased, do you have any unfulfilled wishes?-Chapter 952 - 948: Adoption Procedures

The Third Aunt was the middle-aged woman Shen Siyuan questioned yesterday evening.

She wasn’t actually Xiao Ya’s aunt, but because she had a niece the same age as Xiao Ya who called her Third Aunt, Xiao Ya followed suit and called her that too.

Later, everyone in the village started calling her that, and Third Aunt became her name.

Third Aunt was startled watching Xiao Ya follow the car away.

She then hurriedly turned her bicycle around to give chase.

"Xiao Ya...Xiao Ya..."

But after chasing for a while, she suddenly stopped her bicycle.

The reason she chased the car was her worry that Xiao Ya might be kidnapped.

But then a thought struck her, and she considered this might not be a bad thing for Xiao Ya.

She met that family last night, they seemed wealthy, so Xiao Ya going with them wouldn’t be worse than her current situation.

So then she turned around and left, not wanting to interfere further.

But when she returned from the land for lunch, she was shocked by the commotion at the village entrance.

Three police cars with their blue and white livery were parked there, the lights on the roofs off, yet exuding a solemn aura.

Beside them were two black official cars with "Civil Affairs" written on the sides.

Most conspicuous was a white ambulance, with medical staff carrying a stretcher into the village, attracting villagers to gather by the roadside, craning their necks to see, their chatter like a boiling pot.

"Third Aunt, you’re finally back! Something serious has happened in the village!" Neighbor Aunt Wang saw her and squeezed over, her voice full of excitement.

"Something happened at Xiao Ya’s house, the police and officials are here!"

Third Aunt’s heart sank with a startle, and she hurriedly stopped her bicycle.

"What happened? Is something wrong with Xiao Ya..."

Before finishing her sentence, she feared hearing bad news.

In the morning she saw Xiao Ya leaving with those people; she thought it was good, yet a stone remained hanging in her heart.

"Oh, it’s not Xiao Ya! It’s her father!"

Aunt Wang pulled her into the crowd.

"This morning someone went to Xiao Ya’s house and found her father had gone mad. Who knows who called the police? Not only did the police come, but also an ambulance..."

Third Aunt looked in the direction Aunt Wang pointed and indeed saw a crowd gathered toward Xiao Ya’s house, with several officers in police uniforms guarding the entrance. Muffled shouts of a man came from inside, but hoarse, the details unclear.

"How did he go mad suddenly? Wasn’t he fine yesterday?"

Third Aunt frowned, filled with doubt inside.

Although Xiao Ya’s father was lazy, he had never been this way; how did he turn like this overnight?

"Who knows! Someone said he went mad because Xiao Ya disappeared!" 𝐟𝕣𝗲𝕖𝕨𝗲𝐛𝗻𝗼𝐯𝗲𝚕.𝗰𝚘𝐦

An older man nearby interrupted.

"In the morning, someone saw Xiao Ya leave with some outsiders, and they said she was kidnapped. The police thought it was a child abduction case at first but later found out it wasn’t that!"

"It wasn’t kidnapping? Then what happened?" Third Aunt was even more puzzled.

"Don’t you know? A big official from the village council came, saying they’re here to handle adoption formalities for Xiao Ya!"

Aunt Wang lowered her voice, speaking mysteriously, "I heard the person adopting Xiao Ya is impressive, directly contacted the city’s civil affairs department, and the paperwork is almost finished! As for Xiao Ya’s dad going mad because of her disappearance, you all don’t talk nonsense, that..."

Aunt Wang’s tone was full of disdain, being from the same village, everyone knew Xiao Ya’s father’s character well.

Upon hearing this, everyone felt happy for Xiao Ya.

"Really? Then Xiao Ya finally sees a glimmer of hope! Following such a family surely is better than staying with her dad!"

"I said this morning those people didn’t look like troublemakers; they drove a luxury car and treated Xiao Ya well, even buying her new clothes!"

"Absolutely! Many wanted to adopt Xiao Ya before but were stopped by her father. Finally, it’s happening, truly heaven watching over!"

As Third Aunt listened to the chatter, the stone in her heart finally fell to the ground.

She recalled Xiao Ya’s waving from the car window in the morning, her little face full of happiness, nothing like someone taken away by force.

It seemed those people sincerely wanted to take good care of Xiao Ya, arranging all this so she could leave her old home legitimately.

"Let’s go to the village council and have a look! They say the officials are still there; maybe we could learn more!"

Aunt Wang dragged Third Aunt towards the village council.

A crowd was also gathered outside the council, with two staff members in suits maintaining order at the gate.

Third Aunt stood on tiptoe to look inside and saw a few people in formal attire talking with the village secretary, with documents on the table looking especially apparent.

"I heard the person adopting Xiao Ya is notable, unable to come in person, so they commissioned civil affairs to handle the formalities!"

A knowledgeable villager whispered, "They also said from now on Xiao Ya’s living and schooling would be their responsibility, ensuring she wouldn’t suffer wrongs again!"

"Then what about Xiao Ya’s father? Sent to a psychiatric hospital, who cares for him afterwards?" someone asked.

"Why care! He deserves some suffering!"

Another villager said indignantly, "Before, he stopped Xiao Ya from being adopted; now, he’s mad, letting Xiao Ya live well, this is what he brought on himself!"

Looking at the scene before her, Third Aunt suddenly felt sentimental.

She remembered seeing Xiao Ya hungry, having to find food around the village, remembered her shivering in worn-out clothes through the cold wind, and now Xiao Ya finally was to be adopted by goodhearted people, with meals and schooling ensured, no longer fearing her father, her eyes couldn’t help but redden.

"This is Xiao Ya’s blessing!" Third Aunt softly said.

Aunt Wang beside her nodded: "Yes, indeed, the bitterness has ended."

The sun gradually climbed overhead, and the police cars and official cars at the village entrance slowly departed, the ambulance drove Xiao Ya’s father toward the county.

The villagers gradually dispersed, their conversations gradually quieting, yet everyone knew, from today, Xiao Ya’s life was completely different.

Pedaling her electric bicycle home, as Third Aunt passed Xiao Ya’s home, she couldn’t help but glance at that shabby house.

The front door tightly shut, weeds still rampant in the yard, but no longer would the small figure ever again wait hungrily at the door for someone to offer her a meal.

She smiled, turned her bike around, and headed home.

Meanwhile, the caravan carrying Xiao Ya was driving on the road to Xijing.

Sitting by the window, Xiao Ya watched the scenery quickly retreating outside, hugging the toy Tang Tang gave her, her little face full of anticipation.

She didn’t yet know what had transpired in the village, or that her adoption paperwork was being smoothly handled; all she knew was she had new parents and a new home, where everyone was kind to her, no one scolded her, and no one hit her...

She was full of yearning and anticipation for the future...

PS: Xiao Ya’s character is based on reality, yet unfortunately, there was no Shen Siyuan in reality, leaving hope on the related departments...