Chapter 41

Chapter 41: Public Occasion When Lin Meiyan heard Officer Qian's words, she was still somewhat dazed. "Human traffickers?" "Yes." Officer Qian thought she had forgotten, so he reminded her, "Comrade Lin, do you remember that Grandma Wu who abducted Lin Qiaoqiao, and also a person named Yu Feng?" When Lin Meiyan heard these two names, her pupils suddenly contracted. She instinctively looked at Qiaoqiao, whose face had also turned somewhat pale. Even though this matter had passed long ago, she had to admit that Yu Feng and Grandma Wu had had a tremendous impact on her. Lin Meiyan picked Qiaoqiao up, then asked Officer Qian, "The sentencing has come down. What's the situation?" "The first sentence was eight years." Hearing this, Lin Meiyan's brows furrowed. "They trafficked that many children? And in the end, they only got eight years?" How many families had been destroyed by this? Just a light eight years, letting them out to continue trafficking children afterward? She didn't accept this outcome. "Yes." Officer Qian said, "Our country's laws on child trafficking are relatively lenient to begin with. Eight years is already a heavy sentence." Then he changed his tone, "But during our investigation, we discovered that Wu Xiuli and Yu Feng also had blood on their hands—they were involved in deaths." When Officer Qian said this, he subtly glanced at Yu Jianghai, who remained expressionless, as if he hadn't seen anything. Officer Qian then continued, "That's why their sentences were increased." "So what was the final sentence?" "Wu Xiuli was sentenced to death. Yu Feng initially joined because a child was trafficked—his original intention was to find the child—but later he ended up engaging in child trafficking himself. He was sentenced to death with reprieve." As soon as these words fell, the surroundings fell silent. Lin Meiyan was satisfied with this outcome. Yu Jianghai was not. His voice was cold, "Since they're both sentenced to death, what's there to see?" Officer Qian explained, "Before execution, human traffickers are allowed to meet with their original victims. It's also a way to let the victims vent their anger." "Otherwise, letting them be shot so lightly would be letting them off easy." Neither Lin Meiyan nor Yu Jianghai wanted to go, but Qiaoqiao did. She bit her lip and said, "I want to go see them." —To watch them die! Even if these traffickers died ten thousand times, it wouldn't erase the crimes on their hands. Lin Meiyan was still hesitating when Qiaoqiao said, "Mom, I want to go see them." "I have to go." This was a rare moment of such strong conviction from her. Lin Meiyan ultimately relented and asked, "When?" "Three days from now." Officer Qian said, "After meeting with the victims, Wu Xiuli will be executed." "As for Yu Feng, who received a death sentence with reprieve, if things go quickly, it might be three months; if slowly, it might be next year." Of course, if Yu Feng behaved well in prison, his sentence could be reduced. However, Officer Qian naturally wouldn't say that—it would only cause unnecessary trouble. Lin Meiyan nodded. "Then we'll go in three days." Officer Qian breathed a sigh of relief. "Alright then, I won't disturb you any longer." "I still need to notify the other families." Qiaoqiao suddenly asked, "Is that very handsome brother going?" It took Officer Qian a moment to react. "You mean that child from the Zhou family?" "Yes, I need to notify the Zhou family too." Qiaoqiao nodded. After watching Officer Qian leave, Lin Meiyan asked her, "What child from the Zhou family?" Qiaoqiao said, "He's the brother who was trafficked together with me. He's very handsome, but he's mute." "When I ran away, he helped me." Lin Meiyan thought for a moment. "Then we really should thank him when we see him." At the Simenkou Jianghai Dicai Phase II project site, setup had begun at 6:30 in the morning. The stage, ribbon-cutting preparations, and all other arrangements were in place, and all parties had arrived. The only one missing now was the boss of Jianghai Dicai. Lu Qingyuan raised his hand to check his watch—five minutes until 9:30. He was so anxious he was nearly getting blisters on his lips. He urged, "Secretary Shen, go check, go check—has your boss arrived yet?" Why was this registration taking so long? Secretary Shen said, "My boss will be here soon." "I just went to ask—the kindergarten registration is done." Speak of the devil, and he shall appear. Yu Jianghai arrived at that very moment, with Lin Meiyan and Qiaoqiao beside him. No, more accurately, Qiaoqiao was held in his arms, like an adorable little white pendant. The moment they saw Yu Jianghai appear, Lu Qingyuan and Secretary Shen looked as if they'd seen a savior, calling out, "Boss!" "Director Xiao from the Planning Bureau is here, and Section Chief Cao from Jiangcheng TV station has also arrived." Yu Jianghai's expression didn't change. "Is everything arranged?" His voice was also calm and unhurried, without a trace of anxiety. Secretary Shen nodded. "Everything is arranged. We're just waiting for you now." Yu Jianghai gave an "mm" of acknowledgment. Holding Qiaoqiao, he went over to exchange pleasantries, and he even made sure to bring Lin Meiyan along. Lu Qingyuan: "?" Lu Qingyuan was completely bewildered, okay? "It's not Old Yu's style." He deliberately pulled Yu Jianghai aside. "Why would you bring your wife and child to such an important occasion?" "Isn't that just asking for trouble?" Yu Jianghai looked up at him. "Qingyuan, this is the first occasion where I'm formally introducing them." Lu Qingyuan wanted to say more, but Yu Jianghai was adamant. "The reason I founded Jianghai Dicai was to find her." "Now that I've found her, I'm not going to hide her away and keep her out of sight. On the contrary—" He looked toward Lin Meiyan, who was standing beside Secretary Shen in conversation, and his expression instantly softened. "She deserves to be seen by everyone." If Lin Meiyan lacked a sense of security, then he would give her one. Announcing her identity to the whole world—that she was Yu Jianghai's beloved. After Lu Qingyuan heard this, he murmured, "You've truly lost your mind." Yu Jianghai wasn't crazy. He knew exactly what he was doing. With less than three minutes until the ribbon-cutting, Yu Jianghai took Lin Meiyan's hand. Lin Meiyan was taken aback. "Aren't you going up to cut the ribbon? Why are you pulling me along?" Even when she was surprised, her voice was soft and gentle. Like a spring breeze brushing across one's face—tender to the extreme. Yu Jianghai smiled. "We'll go up and cut the ribbon together." Without giving Lin Meiyan a chance to refuse, he took Qiaoqiao's hand, positioning her in the middle while he and Lin Meiyan stood on either side. Holding her hand like this, he prepared to go on stage. While Lin Meiyan was still hesitating, Yu Jianghai whispered in her ear, "Don't you want Qiaoqiao to become my only daughter?" "Yanyan, this is a perfect opportunity." To acknowledge their existence as mother and daughter in a public setting, to have Lin Meiyan and Qiaoqiao's names forever etched onto Yu Jianghai. Lin Meiyan paused for a moment, then lifted her foot and followed Yu Jianghai's steps up the stairs. This time, she had no hesitation and no retreat. Anything that benefited her daughter, she would never refuse. Seeing her reaction, Yu Jianghai curled his lips in delight. Qiaoqiao was still dazed, not understanding why her mommy and daddy were bringing her up to the high platform. But seeing so many people below, snapping photos of the stage with their cameras clicking away. She wasn't nervous at all—in fact, she felt a hint of excitement, a feeling Qiaoqiao didn't know how to describe. As if she was born to enjoy being the center of everyone's attention. Yu Jianghai stood in the middle, raised his hand and gave a slight wave. The boiling noise below instantly quieted. He held the microphone and cleared his throat. "Welcome everyone for taking time out of your busy schedules to attend the groundbreaking ceremony and ribbon-cutting for Jianghai Dicai's Phase II project." The moment he finished speaking, a round of enthusiastic applause erupted below. Among the crowd were not only Jianghai Dicai staff, but also reporters, representatives from the Planning Bureau and the Land Bureau, and even the neighbors from Simenkou. These people were gathered at the outermost edge, just watching the excitement. Grandma Zhang was there too. Seeing Yu Jianghai on stage in his suit and tie, she cried out, "Did you see that? That's our Simenkou's live-in son-in-law." "And that one, that one—she's the boss lady of our Linji. That little kiddo is from our Simenkou too." The people around her thought she'd lost her mind. "Old lady, you can say whatever you want about food, but you can't just say whatever comes to mind." "You should know, that man is the boss of Jianghai Dicai. How could he possibly be your Simenkou's live-in son-in-law?" Grandma Zhang said, "He is." She pursed her lips, most of her teeth gone, her speech whistling through the gaps. "Everyone living in Simenkou knows about this." "If you don't believe me, you can go ask them." Uncle Wang and Grandma Hu both nodded along. "Yes, yes, yes. Old Zhang's mouth usually has no filter, but this time she's spoken the truth." "That boss of Jianghai Dicai really is our Simenkou's live-in son-in-law." "But—" Uncle Wang was a bit puzzled. "For the groundbreaking ceremony of Jianghai Dicai's Phase II project, why did President Yu bring Meiyan and the child up there too?" Bringing his wife and child up on such an important occasion didn't seem appropriate. On stage, after Yu Jianghai finished his speech, they were about to begin the ribbon-cutting. But Yu Jianghai suddenly spoke into the microphone, "I know everyone is curious about who's standing beside me." The crowd instantly fell silent. Yu Jianghai held Lin Meiyan's hand, exposing her to the cameras and to everyone's gaze. "Allow me to introduce—this is my beloved, Lin Meiyan." "The reason I founded Jianghai Dicai was to find her." The moment those words landed, silence fell over the crowd. Lin Meiyan felt a little embarrassed under everyone's scrutiny, but she knew this was not the time to retreat. She smiled gently at the people below. "Hello everyone, I am Yu Jianghai's beloved—Lin Meiyan." Poised and graceful, elegant and composed. At least in this moment, standing beside Yu Jianghai, they were a perfect match. A burst of enthusiastic applause erupted below. Lin Meiyan and Yu Jianghai exchanged a smile. Yu Jianghai said, "I'm very glad to be cutting the ribbon together with my wife and child at the groundbreaking of the Jianghai Dicai Phase II project." As he finished speaking, his large hand covered Lin Meiyan's, and Lin Meiyan in turn covered Qiaoqiao's. Three pairs of hands overlapped, and at the same moment they took the scissors and snipped at the red silk with a click, as the ribbon fell to the ground. Qiaoqiao was so excited her face flushed red. Good heavens, in two lifetimes this was the first time she had experienced such a feeling of being the center of attention. For a moment, she even felt like a proper young lady. Not the poor little girl who had been trafficked! Lin Meiyan and Yu Jianghai noticed Qiaoqiao's excitement and each took her hand to comfort her. Once Qiaoqiao's emotions had settled. Yu Jianghai picked up the microphone. "The Jianghai Dicai Phase II project now begins construction." As his scissors came down, the others followed suit, cutting the red silk one after another, followed immediately by a crackling burst of firecrackers—lively and prosperous. At the same time, there was intense applause from below. This also signified that the Simenkou Jianghai Dicai Phase II project had officially begun construction. Yu Jianghai led Lin Meiyan and Qiaoqiao down from the stage. Director Xiao from the Planning Bureau walked over and teased, "President Yu, that's not fair of you. You've got a wife and child, and none of us had any idea at all." Actually, strictly speaking, Director Xiao was five or six years older than Yu Jianghai, but he called her "sister-in-law" with particular warmth. Yu Jianghai's expression remained unchanged. "I only recently found her and the child." "When we hold our wedding banquet, we'll be sure to invite you." Director Xiao of the Planning Bureau was qualified to attend their wedding. Director Xiao nodded. Yu Jianghai took Lin Meiyan and Qiaoqiao to greet wave after wave of guests, until finally he led Lin Meiyan to the Jianghai Dicai Phase II construction site. It was truly enormous. Basically impossible to see the end of it at a glance. Looking at the demolished houses and the leveled ground, Lin Meiyan turned to Yu Jianghai and said, "I never imagined that the area around Simenkou Street would one day become wasteland." Yu Jianghai shook his head. "No, Yanyan." "The future here will be towers of high-rises." Jiangcheng's future needed high-rises, and right now Yu Jianghai was the pioneer. Lin Meiyan couldn't imagine it—no, she could. She could specifically reference Jianghai Dicai Phase I. She suddenly asked, "Will Jianghai Dicai Phase II have elevator apartments?" Throughout Jiangcheng, buildings with elevators could be counted on one hand, but Jianghai Dicai Phase I already had them. So what about Jianghai Dicai Phase II? "Yes." He took her hand and gazed out over the ruins. "During the design and planning, we included three mid-rise buildings with elevators." Of course, this was currently confidential information for Jianghai Dicai, but confidentiality depended on who it was told to. If it was for Lin Meiyan, Yu Jianghai was willing. Lin Meiyan murmured, "Then the Jianghai Dicai Phase II project is going to sell like crazy." In an era still dominated by housing allocation, the arrival of commercial housing was a devastating weapon—no one could resist it. Even Lin Meiyan herself couldn't. Yu Jianghai turned his head and smiled at her. "Yanyan, I hope your words prove true." Jiangcheng Television Station covered the groundbreaking ceremony of Jianghai Dicai, and that very evening the news story appeared on the Jiangcheng TV evening news broadcast. The female anchor on television was reporting the day's news in crisp, standard Mandarin. Almost the entire Yu family was gathered in front of the television, eating dinner while watching—though what they watched was the evening news, which was Father Yu's habit. Every night at seven o'clock sharp, he watched the news broadcast. "According to reports from our station's correspondent, the Jianghai Dicai Phase II project broke ground today." "Let's take a look at the ribbon-cutting ceremony at the scene." As the female anchor finished speaking, the screen switched to footage from the daytime groundbreaking ceremony that the reporter had filmed. "Hello everyone, I am Yu Jianghai, owner of Jianghai Dicai." A familiar voice sounded, making Mother Yu's heart pound with anxiety. She was afraid her husband would once again fly into a rage at the sight of his son. But the fury she imagined never came. On the contrary, Father Yu ate his food while watching the images on the television. When the person who appeared was Yu Jianghai— At that moment, Father Yu's eyes and brows carried a hint of pride. He had once looked down on his son for not having a proper job, for giving up such a good position at Jiangda, but now it seemed his son had better vision than he did. At the very least, in founding Jianghai Dicai and reaching where he was today, it brought honor to his name. Among all the second-generation children around Jiangda, no one was more outstanding than his son. Father Yu ate a peanut and said with a smile, "That boy Jiang Hai—aside from being disobedient, he's good at everything else." Mother Yu sighed. "Jiang Hai is outstanding. He's already over thirty. You two shouldn't argue every time you see each other." "Is it me who wants to argue with him? It's not like he's the one hell-bent on self-destruction, choosing to be with a woman who has no future, no career, and no education." Just as those words fell, on the screen, Yu Jianghai walked up to the stage holding Lin Meiyan's hand. He even smiled at the camera and introduced, "Let me introduce you—this is my beloved, Lin Meiyan." "The reason I founded Jianghai Dicai in the first place was to find her." The moment those words landed, the Yu household fell into a dead silence. Father Yu's temple veins bulged with anger, and with a sharp crack, he slammed his chopsticks down, demanding, "What does he mean by this?" "At such an important occasion as a ribbon-cutting ceremony, he publicly revealed Lin Meiyan's identity? Does he not know that many people are watching him? Does he not know that a woman cannot touch that red silk to cut the ribbon?" Mother Yu couldn't answer that, and of course, Father Yu didn't need her to. He stared intently at the television screen, watching his son hold Lin Meiyan's hand, Lin Meiyan holding Yanyan's hand—a family of three standing before the red silk, facing the camera interviews, facing the countless people below. And then they cut the red silk. Cut the red silk. The ribbon-cutting for Jianghai Dicai's Phase Two project—and they let a woman touch the red silk. This was absolutely preposterous. Father Yu shot up from his seat, "Is he insane? Is he out of his mind?" Yu Qingya said softly, "Dad, have you forgotten? The whole reason Brother gave up his job at Jiangda to establish Jianghai Dicai was to find Sister-in-law." Finding someone required enormous financial resources. If her brother hadn't been so desperately short of money, he would never have founded Jianghai Dicai. No—Jianghai Dicai's original name was Jiangmei Dicai, but Yu Jianghai worried that once the name Jiangmei Dicai gained recognition, Lin Meiyan wouldn't recognize it. She didn't know that Jiangmei Dicai was founded using her and Yu Jianghai's names. To make it easier for her to find him, Yu Jianghai deliberately changed Jiangmei Dicai to Jianghai Dicai. In response to his daughter's answer, Father Yu said nothing. He just stared at the television screen. The Yu family already had a color TV, and he watched the family of three on screen place their hands together. They smiled brilliantly at the camera. Father Yu found it unbearably glaring. He let out a cold snort, "With Jiang Hai making this announcement, his chances of an arranged marriage within Jiangda have dropped to zero." Truly zero. No family of real standing at Jiangda would be willing to let their daughter become a mistress, and no one would want their daughter to become a stepmother. "Isn't that a good thing?" Yu Qingya muttered, "Isn't that exactly what my brother wanted?" This infuriated Father Yu. "Whose side are you on? Have you forgotten how well Zhou Mingwei treated you?" To marry Yu Jianghai, Zhou Mingwei had been nothing but kind to every member of the Yu family. Yu Qingya had especially eaten who-knows-how-many things from Zhou Mingwei. She instinctively retorted, "Just because I ate her food doesn't mean I'm going to sell my brother to her." "I still know the difference between eating food and selling my brother." Father Yu was furious, and Yu Qingya grabbed her bag and ran, "Dad, I'm off to work." She worked at the TV station, though behind the scenes. Of course, her brother and sister-in-law's interview—she'd had a small hand in that too. Hehe. Her and her brother's plan was flawless! Once her sister-in-law and niece's identities were made public, she wanted to see which shameless people would still try to throw themselves at her brother! Including her dad, of course! Well, now it was done—her brother's marriage was announced to the world, and her dad could no longer sell her brother off for a good price. Heh. She was truly an unassuming little genius. At the Zhou residence in Jiangda Jiashuyuan, they were also watching the news broadcast—or rather, it was a habit for everyone in Jiangda Jiashuyuan. At this time every day, the news broadcast was the only thing on. When the introduction sounded on the television screen, Yu Jianghai appeared in a suit, his hair combed back, his features sharp and cold, radiating confidence and vigor. To be honest, the moment he appeared, he was the very picture of a successful man. Father Zhou had been writing a report, but upon hearing the broadcaster's voice, he couldn't help but look up, "Isn't that the Yu family's boy?" Gu Qiuyuan was shelling walnuts for Zhou Song. Hearing this, she looked up, "It's the Yu family's child." Gu Qiuyuan was no longer young, but traces of her breathtaking beauty remained visible in her features—it wasn't hard to imagine how stunning she must have been in her youth. Father Zhou set down his pen, looking at Yu Jianghai being interviewed, and let out a soft sigh, "Of the entire compound, Old Yu is the one who raised a fine son." Back then, when Yu Jianghai turned down the job at Jiangda to become a contractor, plenty of people had mocked him. Who would have thought that in just three short years, he'd transform into the president of Jianghai Dicai, his net worth multiplying beyond measure? It was simply unimaginable. Gu Qiuyuan remained silent, lowering her head to peel walnuts. Zhou Song stared at the walnuts, his handsome features quiet and still, as if he existed in a world apart from everyone else. "Tell Mingwei to step up her efforts." "She must secure that Yu family boy." "That way, whether it's our family or the Yu family, we can both rise to the next level." At their level, moving up was nearly impossible. Both he and Old Yu were approaching sixty, with only a few years left before retirement. If their families were to thrive, it all depended on the next generation. Though Zhou Mingwei was outstanding, she was, after all, a girl. She would eventually marry out. Gu Qiuyuan gathered all the walnuts into a small plate and handed it to Zhou Song. He took the white porcelain dish, eating while quietly staring at the television. Gu Qiuyuan never participated in their father-daughter discussions. Most of the time, she was like an outsider. "Dad." Zhou Mingwei was also at home. Upon hearing this, she said with some dissatisfaction, "I'd love to be with Yu Jianghai, but he already has someone in his heart. I can't exactly barge in, can I?" Besides, she wasn't lacking either—why would she stoop to being someone's mistress? "So what if you barge in?" Father Zhou thought it didn't matter. "Since ancient times, the victor is king and the loser is the outlaw. As long as you live well, no one will care about how you got there." "Mingwei, it's because you went abroad to study that you've become too aloof." Zhou Mingwei snorted. "Yu Jianghai is great, but I'm not lacking either." "You're not lacking, but after you miss Yu Jianghai, Mingwei, think carefully—once you miss him, you'll never meet anyone more outstanding than him in this lifetime." Zhou Mingwei bit her lip, staring at the confident, powerful man on the television screen, but said nothing. "He has someone he likes." "Men—as long as he's not married, you still have a chance." Zhou Mingwei stayed silent. Gu Qiuyuan, however, looked up at Father Zhou. She couldn't quite describe what she felt inside. But for some reason, at that moment, she found herself comparing Father Zhou to Lin Tonghe. Lin Tonghe's education wasn't as high, nor was his status. Yet she knew that if Lin Tonghe were here, he would never teach his daughter this way in his entire life. Nor would he ever say such things. Gu Qiuyuan let out a soft sigh. "Old Zhou, the child has her own thoughts. Just let her be." "What would a woman like you understand?" "If we don't plan for the children while they're young, by the time she's married and everything is set in stone, it'll be too late to plan." At this point, he deliberately emphasized, "Just like your youngest daughter." "So young, and she pledged herself to someone on that island. She came back, fine, but with a big belly. I can tell you plainly—her life is over." "What good man could come out of a poor, remote place like that island?" "It's not just her—her child is finished too." Gu Qiuyuan's hands suddenly clenched tighter. "Old Zhou—" You can't talk about my daughter like that. Before she could finish, Old Zhou continued, "You don't watch over your daughter, but I'll watch over mine." "For a girl, one wrong step means falling into an abyss from which there's no return." "I don't want my Mingwei to end up in the same situation as your daughter—" Just as he finished speaking, the television screen switched, and Yu Jianghai's voice rang out, "Let me introduce—this is my beloved, Lin Meiyan." "The reason I founded Jianghai Dicai was to find her." The Zhou household fell silent instantly. "Yu Jianghai is married?!" Father Zhou even thought he had seen and heard wrong. He stared at the screen for a long moment, and after confirming he wasn't mistaken, said, "Married to Lin Meiyan? Isn't that your youngest daughter?" Back when Lin Meiyan first returned to the city, pregnant and with nowhere to go, Gu Qiuyuan had actually begged Old Zhou for help. But Old Zhou was a cultured man, a man of dignity. He had refused Gu Qiuyuan on the spot. "There's no way the Zhou family would accept a daughter who's pregnant out of wedlock." "Not even a stepdaughter." Those few words had shut down any possibility of Gu Qiuyuan bringing Lin Meiyan into the Zhou household. At this moment, Gu Qiuyuan herself could hardly believe it. She stared at the figure on the television screen—Lin Meiyan, with her gentle, graceful features, wearing a white suit dress, her hair half tied up and half flowing down, holding hands with Yu Jianghai, smiling warmly at the camera. Honestly. For a brief moment, Gu Qiuyuan felt dazed. Is this my daughter? Yes, her appearance clearly showed it. Though she hadn't seen Lin Meiyan many times, she had definitely seen Qiaoqiao—the child by Lin Meiyan's side—not long ago. That child had been tending a mung bean soup stall, under the scorching summer sun, her little face sunburned red. But the child on television wore a beautiful princess dress, with a bright, radiant smile—nothing like the pitiful little thing she had been back then. "Yanyan, Qiaoqiao." She called out almost reflexively. "So it really is her?" Father Zhou frowned. "Your daughter was pregnant out of wedlock and dragging along a burden. How did she manage to get involved with Yu Jianghai?" Gu Qiuyuan really couldn't listen anymore. "Old Zhou, that child lost her parents when she was young—no one to discipline her, no one to teach her. It's normal that she went astray. But you keep calling her an unwed mother dragging along a burden—that's going too far." Father Zhou didn't want to argue with her over such matters. He turned to look at Zhou Mingwei, who was staring at the television screen with a hint of disbelief. "Dad, did you know that Yu Jianghai has been searching for someone all these years?" Zhou Mingwei had only returned from America at the start of the year. She wasn't familiar with Yu Jianghai's past, but she knew the rumors around the family compound. Yu Jianghai had a sweetheart, an ex-girlfriend who had abandoned him back when he returned to the city. Father Zhou said instinctively, "How would I not know? Your Uncle Yu has mentioned it many times—his ex-girlfriend abandoned him to return to the city, but that Yu kid has never been able to forget her." "Your Uncle Yu was furious about it." "I even said that as long as your Uncle Yu didn't agree, that woman would never set foot through the Yu family's door. But—" He stared at the beaming family of three on the television screen, "—the way things are now, I'm afraid it's not up to your Uncle Yu anymore." Yu Jianghai had already made this public. What chance did his Mingwei have now? Zhou Mingwei couldn't articulate what she was feeling. She stared at Lin Meiyan on the screen—she was very beautiful, very gentle, just like a woman from the Jiangnan region. No, she should say she looked exactly like a younger Gu Qiuyuan. Gu Qiuyuan had married her father thirteen years ago. At the time, she was not yet forty but looked like she was barely past thirty. She was very beautiful—that kind of striking, bold beauty. A beauty that was aggressive. But Lin Meiyan on television was different. She looked very much like Gu Qiuyuan, yet her beauty was gentle, without a trace of aggression, as soft as autumn waters. Zhou Mingwei murmured, "Auntie Gu, you're truly impressive." Impressive enough to make her father marry her just three months after his wife's death. Impressive enough to make the fiancé she'd been eyeing for so long fall under her daughter's spell. Gu Qiuyuan paused. She looked up, her aging eyes still beautiful. "Mingwei, I don't understand what you mean." "I'll admit I'm impressive—after all, if I weren't, I wouldn't have managed to marry into the Zhou family." "But if you're saying my Meiyan is impressive, I wouldn't agree with that. If she were truly impressive, she wouldn't have suffered all these years, having people point fingers at her behind her back." Actually, strictly speaking, her younger daughter's personality didn't resemble hers at all—it was more like her late husband, Lin Tonghe. Zhou Mingwei didn't entertain her excuses. She let out a cold laugh and turned to Father Zhou. "Dad, give up on Yu Jianghai." "Don't you remember how obsessed you were with Auntie Gu back then? That's exactly how obsessed Yu Jianghai is with Lin Meiyan now." The women of the Gu family naturally knew how to bewitch people. Father Zhou was stung by his daughter's words, his face turning red. "What are you talking about?" "The child is still here." "And Qiuyuan, the man your Meiyan was with back then—was it Yu Jianghai?" Gu Qiuyuan didn't know about this. She shook her head. "I'm not sure." "Didn't you forbid me from contacting her? How would I know about these things?" Father Zhou hit a soft wall. He was somewhat displeased—displeased that Gu Qiuyuan was defying him, and displeased that the son-in-law the Zhou family had hoped for had been snatched away. Snatched away? Not exactly. After all, Gu Qiuyuan was his legal wife, and Lin Meiyan was the Zhou family's stepdaughter. Whether his biological daughter married Yu Jianghai or his stepdaughter married Yu Jianghai, it was still a marriage. In any case, the Zhou family sat firmly at the center of the scales, never losing ground no matter what. With that thought, Father Zhou brightened. "Meiyan is your child, and she's also my child—Zhou Liguo's child." "Old Yu only looks down on Meiyan's background. But if Meiyan is my Zhou Liguo's daughter, Old Yu will agree to let her through the door." "Qiuyuan, find a way to have Meiyan come home for a meal." Gu Qiuyuan listened to these high-sounding words. She lowered her head and curled the corner of her mouth with a hint of mockery. "I'm afraid that won't work. When Meiyan came back during her hardest years, I never helped her, never even let her set foot in the Zhou home." "Now that she's doing well, asking her to come to the Zhou family to acknowledge kinship—she may not agree." Father Zhou frowned. "Aren't you her own mother? How dare she defy you?" Gu Qiuyuan said nothing. Zhou Mingwei sneered, casting a cold, indifferent look at her father. She knew her father—always so selfish and self-serving. Now that she had lost her value, he immediately went to curry favor with Lin Meiyan, the stepdaughter. "I'm done eating." She picked up her bag and was about to leave. Just as she reached the door, Officer Qian stood at the entrance, knocking. "Is this the family of Zhou Song?" His voice was deep and resonant, carrying an air of authority. Zhou Mingwei paused. "You're Officer Qian?" Her tone was no longer as sharp as it had been in front of her family—instead, it became graceful and composed. Officer Qian nodded. "I am." "The police station has already sentenced the traffickers for their crimes. Before they are executed, the victims are allowed one meeting with them." "I don't know if you all want to go?" This question left Zhou Mingwei silent. She turned to look at the people inside the room. Father Zhou was still pondering, but Zhou Song kept staring at the television screen. On the screen, he saw Qiaoqiao. Zhou Song, who had not spoken a word the entire time, suddenly raised his hand and pointed at Qiaoqiao on the TV. "Go." He uttered a single syllable. That was enough to make Father Zhou happy. "This kid can talk?" Gu Qiuyuan said, "He's always been able to talk. He just doesn't like to." She asked Officer Qian, "Are the other victims' families going?" "Yes." Gu Qiuyuan was still thinking, and Father Zhou was also looking at Zhou Song. Zhou Song, who usually showed no emotion at all, gave a small nod at this moment. "Go." Still a single syllable. Father Zhou said, "Then we'll follow Songsong's wishes." "Qiuyuan, it'll be hard on you to make the trip tomorrow." Gu Qiuyuan paused. "Shouldn't we call Songsong's parents to come over?" Father Zhou glanced at Zhou Song. The little boy was born with rosy lips and fair skin, like a child star on TV, but most of the time, he had no expression on his face. Like a rag doll. He couldn't understand, and he couldn't communicate with the outside world. Father Zhou's head ached a little. "Go call his parents and see if they're willing to come." Gu Qiuyuan hummed in acknowledgment. Father Zhou turned and went to the study. Zhou Mingwei looked back at Zhou Song and suddenly said, "So this kid isn't a little mute?" She had been back for so long and had hardly heard the child utter a single word. Let alone heard him call her aunt. Gu Qiuyuan frowned slightly. "Songsong just started speaking late. He's not a little mute." Zhou Mingwei smiled ambiguously. "Aunt Gu, are you feeling sorry for him?" "Have you forgotten the survival rules of the Zhou family? The weak have no value. They're the ones who get abandoned." She said it bluntly, and right in front of the child. Zhou Song's eyes shifted. He stared at Zhou Mingwei. When those pitch-black eyes fixed on a person, they didn't blink at all, which was somewhat unsettling. Zhou Mingwei was a bit intimidated too. She turned and left. Just a mute. Not worth her attention. Gu Qiuyuan watched Zhou Mingwei leave, then pulled Zhou Song to sit on the sofa and dialed his parents' number. Zhou Song's father was Father Zhou's eldest son. When the call connected, she explained her purpose. The person on the other end sounded impatient. "I don't have time over here. Aunt Gu, just take him on the trip for us." With that, without giving Gu Qiuyuan a chance to refuse, he hung up. Gu Qiuyuan sighed. Looking at Zhou Song's eyes that seemed to understand everything, she reached out and touched his face. "Songsong, would you speak more often?" "That way, more people will like you." Zhou Song didn't say anything. He just picked up a piece of shelled walnut and fed it to Gu Qiuyuan's mouth, watching her silently, his eyes seeming to say "eat." Gu Qiuyuan sighed softly. She bit into the walnut. "Thank you." The news on TV was still playing. The image of Qiaoqiao flashed by in an instant. Zhou Song frowned slightly, dissatisfied with the suddenly disappearing image. Gu Qiuyuan suddenly asked, "Do you want to go see Qiaoqiao?" Zhou Song hesitated, then nodded. Gu Qiuyuan murmured, "I want to see her too." But they couldn't meet. Her daughter was living well now. She shouldn't go see her. Time passed to September 4th, the day Officer Qian had said the traffickers would be executed. Lin Meiyan dressed Qiaoqiao in a beautiful white princess dress and braided her hair into two fishtail braids. Qiaoqiao was a pretty child—oval face, big eyes, rosy lips and fair skin—truly like a little princess. Before leaving, she asked again, "Qiaoqiao, do you really want to go see the traffickers?" Qiaoqiao nodded. "Yes!" She wanted to watch that surnamed Wu get executed. She also wanted to see Yu Feng one more time. Lin Meiyan looked at Yu Jianghai. Yu Jianghai raised his hand to check the time and said in a cool voice, "I'll go with you all." At Simenkou Paichusuo, Gu Qiuyuan had arrived early with Zhou Song. She was waiting in the reception room for the other parents of the abducted children. Zhou Song sat quietly beside her, like a porcelain doll. However, his gaze was fixed on the entrance of the police station. Ten minutes later. Lin Meiyan and Yu Jianghai walked in holding Qiaoqiao's hands. She was instructing Qiaoqiao, "When we go in, I'll take you to take a look. If you're scared, tell Mommy, okay?" Qiaoqiao nodded. The moment she walked in, her eyes met Zhou Song's bright gaze. She froze for a moment. "Pretty brother." Lin Meiyan followed her gaze. She didn't see Zhou Song, but she saw the woman sitting beside him—Gu Qiuyuan. Their eyes met. Lin Meiyan murmured, "Mom." Author's note: My heart is racing. I need to go rest. Good afternoon, babies.