ILSITM Chapter 88

“A child without a father and of unknown origin, a woman who had been in a mental hospital, a woman who mops floors in public restrooms—gossip about me flew everywhere. I am a woman with a tainted past; which man would dare to want me?” Black Beauty recalled the past, with only a sigh left.

Black Beauty’s mother was a cleaning worker at the Wuhu City Railway Station. Initially, she was responsible for cleaning the railway station square. Later, the leaders saw that her mother was proactive and hardworking, honest, and never complained, so they transferred her to the public restroom on the railway station square, specifically responsible for cleaning work.

At that time, restrooms were not called restrooms, but toilets.

The toilets were relatively simple, and the squatting pits were open. People squatted over a long trench, and the stench was overwhelming.

In the men’s restroom, in addition to the defecation trench, there were also urinals. The urinals were also a long trench, but shallower than the defecation trench.

Black Beauty’s mother felt that the leaders had transferred her to clean the public restroom on the railway station square because it was an affirmation of her previous work.

Because the railway station square was outdoors, while the public restroom was indoors, protected from wind, rain, and sun.

Although the public restroom was a bit dirty and the smell was unpleasant, she would get used to it.

Now, restrooms have both squatting pits and toilets, and there are partitions between stalls. Even the urinals in the men’s restrooms are individually designed, with some even having partitions between them, making using the restroom a very private matter.

How did Black Beauty’s mother meet her father?

Black Beauty’s mother said that the passenger flow at the Wuhu City Railway Station was very large, with people constantly entering and exiting the station 24 hours a day. The public restroom on the railway station square was also in constant use.

Having cleaned the public restroom on the railway station square for decades, Black Beauty’s mother was accustomed to this working environment.

For the first dozen years, her mother did everything in the public restroom except go home to sleep at night. In later years, she simply slept in the tool room in the public restroom.

Black Beauty’s mother was very familiar with the sound of urine hitting the urinal when men stood to urinate.

After hearing it many times, her mother could accurately distinguish which men were healthy and which men suffered from infertility.

Her mother felt that the sound each man made when urinating was a piece of music.

Of course, being able to hear the sound each man made when urinating as a piece of music was not something that could be achieved overnight.

Initially, her mother could only hear that the sounds each man made when urinating were different, or sounded like something else.

For example, some were tinkling, like the sound of striking jade; some were rushing, like the sound of a waterfall; some were ticking, like the sound of clock hands moving…

Of course, music has good and bad.

What first made Black Beauty’s mother hear the sound of a man urinating as a beautiful piece of music was Black Beauty’s father.

One day, after Black Beauty’s mother finished cleaning the women’s restroom, she had just walked to the entrance of the men’s restroom when she heard a peculiar sound of urine hitting the urinal.

Her mother felt that this was not a simple sound of urine hitting the urinal; this sound was like leaping notes, with highs and lows, ups and downs, and varying degrees of emphasis.

The person urinating was like playing a magnificent piece of music.

Black Beauty’s mother said that when she was cleaning the men’s restroom, she found that many men at the time suffered from infertility.

In the past, when it came to a woman’s inability to have children, the responsibility was always placed on the woman. In fact, the problem was not necessarily always with the woman; it was possible that the problem was with the man.

Black Beauty’s father was the first patient Black Beauty’s mother treated using special treatment methods.

Of course, “I” was also the first patient Black Beauty treated using special treatment methods.

Black Beauty helped “me” with treatment for nearly half a year, but still did not cure “my” infertility, and “I” became somewhat discouraged.

But Black Beauty comforted “me” not to be impatient, saying that her mother treated her father for more than half a year before curing her father’s infertility.

“Where is your father from?” I asked curiously.

“I don’t know? My mother didn’t ask, and my father didn’t say,” Black Beauty said with some complaint.

“Then did he leave any clues? Such as his name, appearance, figure, voice, accent, etc.,” “I” prompted.

“My mother doesn’t know my father’s name, only that the sound of his urine hitting the urinal was unique, like a magnificent piece of music. His appearance, figure, voice, and accent had no obvious characteristics and were not easily recognizable,” Black Beauty said with some dejection.

“You just said that your father’s urination sound was unique, so if your father were standing with a group of people urinating now, could you tell who your father is?” “I” asked.

“I should be able to,” Black Beauty said confidently.

“I” smiled, noncommittally.

“I used to work as a cleaner on trains. After my mother retired, I applied to be transferred to the public restroom on the railway station square to work as a cleaner. At the time, my idea was simple: I thought that as long as my father came to my restroom to urinate, I would be able to find him. But over the years, he has never come here to urinate again,” Black Beauty said, her eyes filled with tears.

“I can help you write a missing person notice, first describing the characteristics of your father’s urination sound, and then telling the story of your mother curing his infertility. After the ‘Missing Person Notice’ is written, I will help you print it into two large posters, one to be pasted at the entrance of the men’s restroom, and the other to be pasted on the wall in the urinal area. I will also help you place a small advertisement in the newspaper,” “I” volunteered.

Black Beauty was very moved by what “I” said and rekindled her hope of finding her father.

The “Missing Person Notice” was written, and “I” read it to Black Beauty once.

“‘Missing Person Notice’—Male, over sixty years old, unknown name and place of residence. No obvious characteristics in appearance, figure, or voice, except that the sound of urine hitting the urinal when urinating is unique, like a magnificent piece of music. This person suffered from infertility forty years ago, and was later cured by a female cleaner in the public restroom (public toilet) on the railway station square. Seeking this person, if the person himself or anyone who knows the person sees this missing person notice, please inform Black Beauty, the cleaner in the public restroom on the Wuhu City Railway Station square.” After reading the “Missing Person Notice,” “I” looked at Black Beauty with a questioning gaze.

Black Beauty looked at “me” gratefully, hesitant to speak.