Chapter 4 — I Don't Need Your Late-Found Affection

We have spent twenty years searching for her; it was an arduous journey to finally find her again. Having been raised in the orphanage, she has grown distant from us, her own flesh and blood.

Yao-Zong Tan nodded in agreement, adding, My sister has become far too bookish; she is utterly rigid and lacks any familial warmth.

Director Fang placed a thick file folder upon the table. Officer, all the records for this child, from the age of three until her twentieth year, are contained within this folder.

The officer, whose name was Li, opened the bag. The first document was my intake form from the orphanage. The second was the investigative report filed by the local precinct decades ago. Officer Li began to read aloud: According to our investigation, the household of The-Hai Tan on Happiness Street gave birth to a baby girl in mid-May of that year, after which the child’s whereabouts became unknown. The-Hai Tan claimed he had given the infant to a distant relative and refused to cooperate further with our inquiries.

Lieu-Phuong Cam’s sobbing grew faint. Officer Li flipped to the next page. Testimony from neighbors: After Lieu-Phuong Cam gave birth, the Tan family argued incessantly about the child being a girl. On the night of May 23rd, The-Hai Tan left the house carrying a bundled blanket; he returned half an hour later with nothing in his arms.

The muscles in The-Hai Tan’s face twitched. These are records from ages ago! Who can say if they are true or false?

Director Fang stared directly at him. That year, Officer Zhang visited your home three times, and each time you refused to open the door. Shortly after, your entire family moved away, effectively severing all leads. The-Hai Tan, do you dare claim you never encountered the police?

The-Hai Tan remained silent. Officer Li closed the folder. Please cooperate with the ongoing investigation. The prize money has been frozen, and the associated documents require further verification.

The-Hai Tan panicked. Frozen? On what grounds? That is my daughter’s money, and I am the one managing it for her!

I spoke up then: In the recording we just heard, you explicitly stated that the money was for Yao-Zong Tan’s study abroad program and to pay off your mortgage. Which part of that was managing it for me?

Yao-Zong Tan’s face flushed a deep crimson. Don’t keep calling me by my full name. I am your biological brother!

I turned to look at him. When it comes to spending my money, you act like my brother. When I report you to the police, you act like my victim. You have learned from your father quite well.

Outside the office door, a reporter could not suppress a laugh. Yao-Zong Tan’s expression grew even more unsightly. The police escorted them away to take formal statements, and DNA testing was initiated. Three days later, the results confirmed that The-Hai Tan and Lieu-Phuong Cam were indeed my biological parents. It is unclear how the news leaked, but that evening, local social media accounts erupted with sensationalized headlines.

Top-scoring provincial student refuses to acknowledge biological parents. Parents search for daughter for twenty years, only for her to report them to the police. Orphanage-raised genius returns, why is reuniting with family so difficult?

The comment sections were filled with vitriol directed at me. Someone with such high grades possesses such a cold heart. Refusing to accept her own parents—all her education has clearly gone to waste. The orphanage is surely afraid that if she reconciles with her family, they won’t be able to claim the money. A prize of eight hundred thousand—no wonder she turned her back on them.

Director Fang was incensed, calling me late at night. Van-Tri, do not read what is being said online.

I was sitting in the orphanage office, organizing files. I am fine, I replied.

You are only twenty years old; do not try to shoulder this alone.

I smiled faintly. Director, I grew up here. Is there any insult I haven’t heard before?

When I was little, people would come to the orphanage for charity. They would pat my head and say, This child is so pathetic. Potential adoptive parents would come and observe for hours. Seeing that I was quiet, they would ask, Is there something wrong with this one? Why doesn't she talk?

In middle school, when my classmates discovered I was from the orphanage, they would call me "the child no one wanted" behind my back. Back then, I would hide in the bathroom and cry. Eventually, I cried until I had no tears left.

Director Fang was silent for a long time. There is one more thing, he finally said. I intended to wait until you started university to give it to you.

He retrieved a tattered, yellowish envelope from the bottom drawer. The edges were worn white with age. Inside was a copy of a birth certificate. The names were written clearly: Child: Pan-Nam Tan. Mother: Lieu-Phuong Cam. Father: The-Hai Tan. Place of birth: Happiness Street Medical Clinic. There was also an old photograph. In it, standing in front of the old building on Happiness Street, Lieu-Phuong Cam was holding a baby boy, her face crinkled with joy. On the back of the photo, someone had written: Yao-Zong’s full-month celebration; finally, we have a son. The date was ten months after I had been abandoned.

I stared at the words, "finally, we have a son." My strength suddenly ebbed away. It turned out that after discarding me, they had quickly obtained the child they had been desperate for.

Director Fang’s voice dropped low. These items were secretly given to Officer Zhang by a nurse from the clinic all those years ago. She said she couldn't stand it any longer. When the Tans were expecting you, your grandmother stood outside the delivery room complaining all night, saying that if it was just another girl, it would only be a waste of resources.

I placed the photograph back into the envelope. Director, I will handle what is happening online.

What do you intend to do? he asked.

I opened my laptop. They claim to have been searching for me for twenty years, I said. Then I shall ask them for the evidence.