Their son, Wang Lei, was born in 1995. On 26/8/1999, Tang left Wang Lei, then 4 years, 4 months, and 19 days old, in the care of an employee while she made a delivery for her husband. Minutes later, when she returned, her son was gone.
The kidnapper, Lu, had previously worked in the family's workshop but was fired. He later returned asking for his job back and was rehired, only to kidnap Wang Lei.
A month later, police in Liuzhou, Guangxi, apprehended Lu at a brick factory. He confessed to taking Wang Lei to the town of He Mu, in Rongshui County, but claimed he then "lost" the boy.
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Tang wears a shirt with her son's photo. Photo: Sina |
In 2000, Lu was sentenced to 15 years in prison for child trafficking. After several appeals and retrials, his sentence was changed to life imprisonment in 2011. Due to good behavior, he was released in 2022. Lu is now free, but Tang still lives with the pain of her son's disappearance.
The couple keeps Wang Lei's toy cars and his childhood drawings of ducks, chickens, and cats. Many of the pictures are torn and faded with time, but Tang still hopes to one day show them to her son.
Tang also keeps thousands of train tickets, evidence of the countless trips the couple has made between Shanghai and Guangxi in search of their son.
Since Wang Lei's disappearance, the family has faced immense hardship. Wang Lei's father, Tang Weihua, suffered from depression and cancer, requiring extensive treatment. Their business declined, and they were forced to close their shop in 2013.
"Lei is the only son in my family for six generations. When my father passed away, his last word was Lei’s name. I promised him I would find him," Tang said.
Her father also promised to give his house near an amusement park in Minh Hang District, Shanghai, to whoever found his grandson. The house is not only his legacy but also where Wang Lei lived as a child.
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Train tickets (left) from the family's search for Wang Lei (right) over the past 26 years. Photo: Sina |
The family has provided DNA samples to the police, hoping that DNA technology might eventually reunite them. Tang has also posted reward notices and even printed her son's picture on her clothes.
They've received numerous tips from social media users, but most have been unrelated. "My hair is now gray, but I have never given up hope that my son will return," Tang Weihua said.
Recently, when sharing photos with the media to publicize their search, the couple chose two contrasting images: one a joyful family dinner with Wang Lei as a child, the other of the elderly couple eating in silence. "The contrast is so stark. Who can understand our pain?" Tang Duihua said, her voice choked with emotion.
The couple still keeps Wang Lei's name on their household registration, believing he will one day come home.
Nhat Minh (Via Sina)
