Chapter 4

Chapter 4: Dad, Save Me! The other end of the line went silent instantly. For a moment, only heavy breathing could be heard—like the sound of clashing weapons, silent yet striking. No introduction. No explanation. In that single instant, he knew exactly who it was. Yu Jianghai gripped the receiver, his voice low and hoarse, laced with restraint. "Where are you?" This was a question asked after five years. Lin Meiyan closed her eyes. From the moment she dialed that number, there was no turning back. And nowhere left to retreat. Since retreat was impossible, the only way was forward. "I'm at—" "Simenkou Hengjie, Jiangcheng." Once the words were spoken, they didn't seem so hard after all. Lin Meiyan opened her eyes. Those autumn-water eyes of hers no longer held weakness, hesitation, or helplessness—only resolve. An arrow shot from a bow never returns. The arrow was like that. And so was Lin Meiyan. "My daughter went missing at Simenkou Youeryuan." "Yu Jianghai." Her voice trembled. "Please, please help me." The other end was silent for a long time—so long that Lin Meiyan thought he hadn't heard her. Every second of that wait was pure torment for her. Her slender hand gripped the receiver, faint blue veins visible on the back of her hand. How she hoped he would agree. "Okay." "Wait for me." Just those three words. But they drained all the strength from Lin Meiyan. She leaned against the glass counter of the small shop and slowly slid down. The shopkeeper called out to her, "Meiyan, go home first. It's not safe outside." "Even if you're looking for your child, it won't make a difference in this moment." It was clear that everyone in Simenkou knew that Lin Meiyan's child was missing. Lin Meiyan nodded and thanked him. She didn't go back to her in-laws' house—she couldn't face her family, and she didn't have the courage to answer their questions. Because she couldn't. She had lost her daughter. Jianghai Dicai Office. Yu Jianghai hung up the phone. He stared at the landline without speaking. The light cast a shadow over him, much like the man himself. Taciturn, cold, and solemn. Secretary Shen waited nearby, asking cautiously, "Boss?" After that phone call, his boss's mood seemed off. Yu Jianghai looked up. Under the light, his eyes were obscure and unreadable, his nose bridge strikingly prominent. "You asked me why I kept this number?" "Huh?" Secretary Shen was confused for a moment, but quickly understood the meaning behind the question. When Jianghai Dicai was established, they were supposed to apply for a new phone line, and the post office would have assigned a new number. But his boss didn't take one. Instead, he wrote down a string of numbers, and that string became the company's phone number. One could say that this number was answered almost twenty-four hours a day. Had he finally waited? Waited for the person who would call? Secretary Shen thought uncertainly, suppressing his curiosity. Curiosity killed the cat, after all. And he didn't want to die. The next second, Yu Jianghai grabbed his coat from the office chair and swept out of the office with a gust of cold wind. Secretary Shen understood immediately and grabbed the car keys to follow. "Boss, where to?" Inside the car, Secretary Shen asked cautiously. "Simenkou Youeryuan." Secretary Shen, "Huh?" "But Director Chen has already turned us down." He had reported that just this afternoon. Yu Jianghai looked up, meeting Secretary Shen's gaze in the rearview mirror. "My daughter is missing." His gaze was sharp, carrying a hint of pressure, but his voice was calm as he stated a simple fact. His! Daughter! Is! Missing! Secretary Shen, "What?!?!" His boss, a single, unmarried man of thirty, when did he have a daughter? A little past one in the morning, Qiaoqiao—who should have been knocked out by the Menhanyao—foggily opened her eyes. She was still dazed, but when she saw four or five children like herself in the room, her pupils suddenly contracted. She looked down at her hands in disbelief. These were her hands. But they weren't her hands. She was twenty-five-year-old Lin Qiaoqiao, with a pair of rough hands skilled in cooking—not these soft, fair ones. Lin Qiaoqiao looked at them again and again in the moonlight before finally accepting the truth. She had died. After death, she learned that she and her mother lived inside a book—merely supporting characters in someone else's life. Her mother had fallen into chaos because of her abduction, and her entire life trajectory had been completely altered. And so had hers. She and her mother had become a complete tragedy. But now she had been reborn. Reborn on the day of her abduction. She hadn't been taken yet, and her mother hadn't yet fallen into chaos from losing her. She had returned to the past, to the day she was taken. Everything was still in time. Lin Qiaoqiao almost wept with joy. How wonderful. She was back. Back. Back to a past where regrets could still be mended. She would keep her mother away from that scumbag she remarried, make sure her mother lived a long life, and guard their little restaurant to earn lots of money. She would— Lin Qiaoqiao glanced around. First, she had to escape the traffickers and get back to her mother. This opportunity, she had waited for it for many, many years. At the thought, Lin Qiaoqiao stood up with a rustle. Her sudden movement immediately startled the other children. Those children seemed to have been locked up here for a long time, their eyes dull and numb. Only one boy with rosy lips and white teeth glanced at her, then sank back into a deep sleep. Lin Qiaoqiao paid him no mind. She looked around—this was a narrow room deep in the alley, with only a skylight. Though the sun was bright outside, the room was dim. She was about to check her surroundings when she heard noises outside. She immediately lay back down and pretended to be asleep. In no time, the door was pushed open. It was Grandma Zhao who came in, her voice tinged with frustration. "We've really stirred up a hornet's nest." "We only grabbed a Lin Qiaoqiao this afternoon, and now the train station is crawling with cops. We can't get out at all." Old Cao was drinking, utterly carefree. Hearing this, he turned his head. "The Simenkou Paichusuo only has a few cops. How could they have the whole train station crawling with police?" That would take a lot of manpower. Grandma Zhao shook her head. "How would I know?" She was equally puzzled. "By all logic, the Simenkou Paichusuo doesn't have that kind of reach." She was about to say more when she heard someone knocking at the door outside. Grandma Zhao started. "How did these people find their way here?" An unfamiliar house and unfamiliar people would draw their attention. Since when did those neighborhood cops move this fast? The knocking outside grew quicker and quicker. Grandma Zhao shot Old Cao a look, and he understood instantly. He slipped on his slippers, yawned lazily, and opened the door. "What's the matter?" "Have you seen an old woman and a child?" The man shone a flashlight on a photo, which showed Grandma Zhao's face and Lin Qiaoqiao's picture. Seeing the familiar faces, Old Cao's heart jolted, but his expression remained calm. "Haven't seen them." He yawned drunkenly. "I had some drinks tonight and went to bed early." Only then did the man leave with his things. Inside the room, hearing the commotion outside, Lin Qiaoqiao was about to get up, but she had drunk too much Menhanyao. Before she could take a single step, her legs gave way beneath her—thud. Grandma Zhao rushed in, casting a wary glance around. The children's eyes were numb. Even with the sound of the door check outside, they had lost any will to cry for help. Her slanted, upturned triangular eyes swept over them in warning, and she said in a sinister tone, "Anyone who makes a sound, I'll break their legs." "Let's see who wants to end up crippled." The children whimpered in fear. The neighborhood cop checking the rooms outside heard the noise inside and casually asked, "What was that sound?" Old Cao's alarm bells went off instantly. He quickly said, "My old cat just had kittens. She's been restless these past few days, whimpering nonstop." The man smelled the alcohol on Old Cao's breath and didn't think much of it. Seeing them about to leave, Old Cao, emboldened, asked, "Comrades, where are you from? What's all this about at this hour?" The man glanced at Old Cao. "The daughter of the Jianghai Dicai boss has gone missing. If you have any leads, you can report them." "Five hundred yuan reward for information, five thousand for finding her." At those words, Old Cao swallowed hard, greed flashing in his eyes. "That much money?" "Who's the daughter of the Jianghai Dicai boss?" "Lin Qiaoqiao." Hearing this, Old Cao's mind went completely numb. Wasn't Lin Qiaoqiao the daughter of the Linji boss? How did she become the daughter of the Jianghai Dicai boss? That was a huge difference. Old Cao walked back inside on unsteady legs. Grandma Zhao had just finished warning the children and came out. Old Cao pulled her aside and lowered his voice. "Why didn't you tell me Lin Qiaoqiao is the daughter of the Jianghai Dicai boss?" "What?" Old Cao recounted what had happened. Grandma Zhao said instinctively, "That's impossible." "She's Lin Meiyan's daughter. If she were the daughter of the Jianghai Dicai boss, how could she live in Simenkou?" The situation reached a standstill. Lin Qiaoqiao was eavesdropping inside the room, but she was too far away. She only caught a few scattered words, nothing clear. Just as she was about to make a move, footsteps sounded outside, and she lay back down again. Old Cao and Grandma Zhao came in. Old Cao was flustered. "What do we do now?" "Do we go report the lead and claim the reward? That's five thousand yuan! This little girl couldn't sell for five thousand—hell, not even five hundred." That was a tenfold difference. Before he could finish, Grandma Zhao slapped him across the face. "Do you want to die? Still thinking about the reward? I'm worried about your damn head. Don't you value your life?" Grandma Zhao's face was dark and grim. She hadn't expected that this Lin Qiaoqiao they'd casually snatched up would have such a big background. Even now, she still didn't believe Lin Qiaoqiao was the daughter of the Jianghai Dicai boss. But she couldn't gamble on that sliver of possibility. With that in mind, Grandma Zhao said, "Give all the children who aren't asleep some water." Old Cao hesitated, then looked at the most critical one, Lin Qiaoqiao. "What about her?" Lin Qiaoqiao was still unconscious, showing no signs of stirring at all. Grandma Zhao slapped him across the face. "Since she hasn't woken up, why feed her? You think Menhanyao is free?" "Besides, this girl is good-looking. If we really overdose her on Menhanyao and she ends up an idiot, won't she be dead weight on our hands?" And so Lin Qiaoqiao narrowly escaped that ordeal—every child was given water. Except her. They were moved quickly, like piglets, all dumped into a shabby three-wheeled cart. The cart rattled along noisily. Lin Qiaoqiao opened her eyes and looked around. Old Cao was driving, and Grandma Zhao sat in the passenger seat, glancing back at them from time to time. To avoid drawing attention, their cart crawled along as slowly as a snail. Lin Qiaoqiao could jump off, but without someone to catch her, she'd get hurt trying to run and would be caught again in no time. So she couldn't move for now. The cart crept from the remote area toward the bustling streets, though it was late at night, so everything around was quiet. Lin Qiaoqiao tilted her head. She didn't understand—were these traffickers asking for death? If you're kidnapping children, why head toward the busy streets instead of somewhere remote? "Where are we going?" Old Cao asked. "The most dangerous place is the safest. I've arranged to meet the contact at Jianghai Dicai Phase One." Old Cao's eyes went wide. For a moment, he couldn't even steer the cart. "Are you crazy? Have you lost your mind?" Grandma Zhao said, "I'm not crazy." She sneered. "I refuse to believe they'd search their own turf." If it weren't for too many familiar faces at Simenkou, she'd have set the meeting spot there instead. Old Cao wiped his face hard. "I'm afraid of getting caught." "Last job." With that, he finally drove the cart all the way to Jianghai Dicai Phase One. Their meeting spot was at the tail end of the construction site. Since the buildings were nearly finished, the front structures looked nice, but the back was full of sheet-metal shacks and randomly piled construction debris. Calling it desolate would be an understatement. Grandma Zhao glanced around, then said to Old Cao, "Drive the cart into the sheet-metal shack." These shacks were temporary housing for the workers, and after Jianghai Dicai Phase One wrapped up, they'd gradually been left empty. Old Cao hesitated. "Isn't there a black sedan over there?" "That looks like—" Grandma Zhao's pupils contracted. "Wait, does that look like the Mercedes from those Xiangjiang TV dramas?" Old Cao didn't know cars at all, so he shook his head. Grandma Zhao had studied quite a bit to pull off her child-trafficking scheme, and she actually recognized what kind of car it was. She frowned. "Someone who drives a car like that—how could they be here?" Old Cao said, "Could it be the Jianghai Dicai boss's car?" Grandma Zhao shook her head, denying it flatly. "How is that possible?" "Before we came, did you know I was meeting the contact at Jianghai Dicai Phase One to sell the goods?" Old Cao shook his head. "Exactly." Grandma Zhao believed no one could see through her scheme. She sneered. "There's definitely no one in the car. Hurry up and unload." Old Cao grunted in acknowledgment and brought the cart to a stop. One by one, the children were carried inside. Lin Qiaoqiao was among them. She hadn't moved yet when Grandma Zhao singled her out and carried her separately. "Keep a close eye on her—she's the most valuable." After all the children were moved inside, Grandma Zhao started talking with the contact. Mid-conversation, she suddenly got a stomachache and frowned. "Where's the bathroom? Let me go use it, then we'll continue." The other person pointed. "Go out the door, turn left—the bushes are right there." This was Jianghai Dicai's construction debris area—how could there possibly be a bathroom? Wasn't this a dream? Grandma Zhao left but still had Old Cao keep watch. Yet before long, Old Cao's stomach started hurting too. He rubbed his belly, unable to hold it in any longer, and finally instructed, "Old Yu, don't run off with our goods." Old Yu snorted but said nothing. After Old Cao also left. Lin Qiaoqiao slowly crawled up from among the group of children and locked eyes with Old Yu. "Yu Feng, do too many wicked deeds, and your son will die." The moment those words landed, Yu Feng's pupils suddenly contracted. He had never revealed the name Yu Feng to anyone. People in the trade all called him Old Yu. How did this little girl, who should have been fast asleep, know that? Yu Feng shot to his feet, staring hard at Lin Qiaoqiao. "Who are you?" Four-year-old Lin Qiaoqiao was short. She climbed onto a stool to barely meet Yu Feng's gaze. "How about we make a deal?" It was ridiculous. She was just a little dumpling, yet the words she spoke were extraordinarily calm. As if she weren't a child at all. Yu Feng was stunned by his own thought. He froze for a long moment. "What deal?" Lin Qiaoqiao pointed at her own frail little body. "If you buy me and take me home, you'd have to raise me for at least ten years just to break even." "I have a ready-made person for you. I guarantee you'll make back your money the moment you buy." "Who?" "Zhao Mingxiu." Yu Feng was a bit surprised. "Who is Zhao Mingxiu?" He had never heard the name before. Lin Qiaoqiao didn't change her expression. "Grandma Zhao. Her name is Zhao Mingxiu." Yu Feng scoffed. "What would I do with an old woman?" She couldn't warm his bed or bear him children. "What if she isn't an old woman?" Lin Qiaoqiao stood on the stool, looking into Yu Feng's eyes. "What if she's a woman in her thirties?" "Yu Feng, a woman in her thirties is worth more than a child like me." "And—" she spoke slowly, but every word was clear enough for Yu Feng to hear, "your son Yu Jiangjiang was sold by Zhao Mingxiu." Yu Feng's eyes flew wide open. He blurted out, "Impossible!" But looking at Lin Qiaoqiao's composed demeanor, doubt began to creep into Yu Feng's heart. Lin Qiaoqiao's voice was calm. "Whether it's true or not, you can find out by testing her." "Yu Feng, don't you want to avenge Yu Jiangjiang?" Yu Feng was actually starting to believe her. He said nothing. Hearing a commotion outside the door, Lin Qiaoqiao spoke rapidly, "If you can sell Zhao Mingxiu, I'll tell you where Yu Jiangjiang is." With that, she lay back down. Yu Feng saw this but didn't call her out. A moment later, Grandma Zhao came back in after taking care of her business. Yu Feng observed her carefully and noticed that her gait lacked the weariness and heaviness of an old person. Instead, there was a certain lightness to her steps. At that moment, he already believed what Lin Qiaoqiao had said—Grandma Zhao was a woman in her thirties. A woman in her thirties was indeed worth more than a four-year-old girl. Feeling Yu Feng's gaze on her, Grandma Zhao tugged at her clothes uncomfortably. "What are you looking at me for?" "There are six children this time. Name your price." Yu Feng was silent for a long moment before saying, "Back then, I asked you to help me find Jiangjiang. Did you find him?" Hearing the name Yu Jiangjiang suddenly, Grandma Zhao felt a flash of guilt, but quickly regained her confidence. "If I'd found him, I would have told you. We've been partners for so many years—if I didn't tell you, it means I didn't find him." But that fleeting moment of guilt didn't escape Yu Feng's notice. In that instant, everything fell into place. His son Yu Jiangjiang had indeed been sold by Grandma Zhao. Yu Feng clenched his fists and said nothing. Grandma Zhao kept chattering on. "This time there are six goods, two of them are quality. One is this girl, Lin Qiaoqiao—she's very pretty. Buy her and flip her however you like, whether as a child bride or a daughter, she'll fetch a good price." "And this child—I picked him up in the city. He's got rosy lips and white teeth, good bone structure and teeth too. Too bad he never speaks. Not sure if he's mute." "Yu Feng, there are six children this time. One thousand yuan each. I won't sell for less than that." Yu Feng stared at her. Grandma Zhao touched her face. "I'm talking to you. Are you listening?" The next instant, Yu Feng suddenly lunged, grabbing a brick and smashing it into Grandma Zhao's head. Her face was full of shock and disbelief, but her body had already gone limp. When Old Cao came in and saw this, he tried to run, but Yu Feng tied him up. Watching Yu Feng subdue both Old Cao and Grandma Zhao, Lin Qiaoqiao clapped her hands and climbed up from among the pile of children. She looked down at Grandma Zhao and Old Cao, a flicker of hatred in her eyes. If not for them, She and her mother would never have suffered so much. She would never have wandered the streets for years. Her mother would never have died young from remarrying. It all started with her being trafficked. At that thought, Lin Qiaoqiao took a deep breath. Her voice was soft but carried enough venom. "I'll sell these two to you cheap." "One yuan each. Interested?" She looked at Yu Feng, locking eyes with him in a standoff. Before Yu Feng could respond, Old Cao let out muffled cries, struggling wildly and cursing, "You! Ani—mal!" In his entire life, he never imagined that as a human trafficker, he'd be the one sold one day. And the worst part—he was being sold this cheap!! The cheapest goods he ever sold were at least five hundred yuan each! He was only worth one yuan! Who could he go to for justice? Yu Feng still seemed hesitant. Lin Qiaoqiao enjoyed watching Old Cao's reaction, even feeling a hint of satisfaction—the feeling of vengeance finally served. Human traffickers deserve death by all. Traffickers sell people; it serves them right to be sold in return! She reached out her hand. Yu Feng looked confused. Lin Qiaoqiao said, "Two yuan." Yu Feng hesitated, then reached into his pocket and handed her two yuan. Lin Qiaoqiao took the money and walked over to Old Cao and Grandma Zhao. She stood before them—one slumped on the ground, one sprawled out. Her short stature actually became an advantage as she stood. She looked down at them from above. "Zhao Mingxiu, Old Cao. This is your karma." Zhao Mingxiu had passed out. Old Cao was so furious he spat blood. Lin Qiaoqiao turned to look at Yu Feng and said, "Zhao Mingxiu is still young, capable of warming the bed and bearing children. Old Cao is also still young, a strong laborer—someone in the deep mountains would be glad to have him." Old Cao shuddered, and Zhao Mingxiu played dead, but it was about the same. In all their years, they never imagined they'd capsize in a ditch. They'd sold people their whole lives, only to be sold themselves in the end. It was utterly absurd. Yu Feng's expression was complicated. Lin Qiaoqiao had already thought of her way out. She pressed her lips together and smiled with an innocent, harmless look. "You bought these two, so I'll throw in a piece of information for free." "What?" "I'll tell you where Yu Jiangjiang is." In the end, Yu Feng gave in. The reason he'd become a trafficker in the first place was to find his son. He'd drifted into this path without even realizing it. Lin Qiaoqiao said, "Walk me out, and then I'll tell you." She was just a tiny child, yet she carried a calm, steady presence about her. Yu Feng didn't really want to let her go, but the information was in Lin Qiaoqiao's hands. She seemed to read his thoughts. "I don't just know where Yu Jiangjiang is—I also know where your home is." "Yu Feng, your mother cried herself blind, and she's still waiting for you and Jiangjiang to come home." In that instant, Yu Feng stared at her with red-rimmed eyes. "Who the hell are you?" Lin Qiaoqiao didn't answer. She only said, "Walk me out!" Yu Feng had no choice but to comply. He escorted Lin Qiaoqiao out, and she glanced back at the five children left behind. Four of them were still knocked out cold. Only one child, with fair skin and rosy lips, had opened his eyes. The mute boy Grandma Zhao had mentioned. Their eyes met. Lin Qiaoqiao mouthed silently at him, "Run!" Grandma Zhao's fate was unknown, Old Cao was tied up, and the only trafficker, Yu Feng, had been lured away by her. As for how many of the children inside could escape, that was up to their own luck. Once outside the tin shed, Lin Qiaoqiao stopped ten meters away from Yu Feng before she spoke. "Yu Jiangjiang is in Chaozhou." "Li family, Suixian, Chaozhou." With that said, she didn't bother looking at Yu Feng's expression. She turned and bolted, with Yu Feng chasing after her. He had to find out who this girl was. How did she know so much about him? This girl couldn't be left alive! With that thought, Yu Feng quickened his pace. Lin Qiaoqiao, with her short legs, was about to be caught when she slapped her own butt and yelped, "Stupid legs, run faster, ahhh!" Spotting a black sedan up ahead, Lin Qiaoqiao threw herself at it without a second thought. The car screeched to a halt with a sharp squeal of tires. The door opened, and someone stepped out—no, a pair of impossibly long legs! Lin Qiaoqiao charged forward without hesitation, latching onto his leg. "Daddy, save me!"