"Ms. Tao, I am Xia Ke's mother, Zhou Yajuan. This is my husband, Xia Wentao, and this is my elder brother, Xia Wenjing. Thank you so much. We have spoiled Xia Ke rotten." Zhou Yajuan thanked her sincerely once again.

“Ms. Zhou, Xia Ke is not spoiled. I told Commander Xia yesterday that Xia Ke is calm, composed, proud but not arrogant. You have raised her very well. I think there may be some misunderstanding between you and your daughter. It will be fine if you explain it clearly.” Tao Yingke did not follow up with Zhou Yajuan’s words.

No matter how bad Xia Ke is, she's still someone else's daughter. How can an outsider like me judge her?

If anyone were to whisper in my ear that Wang Chunni or Wang Chuntao were ill-mannered, I would fight them to the death. Even a clay figure has some backbone.

“Ms. Tao, I am forty-three years old this year. I don’t know if you are…” Zhou Yajuan’s attitude towards Tao Ying became much warmer.

“I’m forty-five this year,” Tao Ying replied.

"Then I'll call you Sister Tao. This is a small token of my husband's and my affection. We hope you'll accept it," Zhou Yajuan said, handing the envelope to Tao Ying.

The envelope was heavy, and inside was just a long, thin object; you didn't need to guess what it contained.

“Ms. Zhou, as I said before, Xia Ke and I were trying to save ourselves. I didn’t save Xia Ke, so it’s inappropriate for me to take your things.” Tao Ying firmly pushed the things back.

“Sister Tao, let’s keep things separate. If it weren’t for you, Xia Ke wouldn’t have been able to get out.” Zhou Yajuan insisted in the same way.

"Yajuan, this isn't the place to talk. Let's go outside and talk," Xia Wenjing said, seeing the two arguing.

“Yes, yes, Sister Tao, Xia Ke is still at the guesthouse. Let’s have a meal together,” Zhou Yajuan quickly said.

Xia Wenjing went over and greeted the people at the police station. Tao Ying picked up her bag. Her best clothes, which had been used as padding on the glass, were still stained with blood and torn. She hadn't been able to take them up in the panic. Now, all that was left in her bag were two pairs of pants and a piece of clothing she usually wore.

There was no mirror in the police station's water room. Even without a mirror, Tao Ying could imagine her current disheveled state.

But I don't care anymore. I'm just an old lady, and my current circumstances don't allow it. What do I have to care about in terms of appearance? What matters is getting something tangible.

"Sister Tao, let me take you to the guesthouse to freshen up. You've suffered a lot these past few days." After coming out, a gust of wind blew, and Zhou Yajuan smelled a musty odor on Tao Ying. Only then did she notice Tao Ying's wrinkled clothes, which were covered in stains, and her hair, which was matted and stuck to her scalp.

"Thank you, Ms. Zhou." Tao Ying was really uncomfortable, feeling sticky all over, especially since the sky here was nowhere near as clear as it was at home.

"Sister, from now on you can call me Yajuan. Let's exchange addresses and visit each other often like relatives." Zhou Yajuan took Tao Ying's arm without any hesitation.

In Zhou Yajuan's heart, Tao Ying was her daughter's savior. Tao Ying was also very reasonable in her dealings with people, which made Zhou Yajuan really want to befriend her.

"Okay, Yajuan," Tao Ying replied cheerfully.

There was a military jeep parked outside. Xia Wentao got into the driver's seat, Xia Wenjing got into the passenger seat, and Zhou Yajuan went over to open the car door for Tao Ying.

The guesthouse was near the police station; we arrived quickly.

Xia Wentao and Xia Wenjing did not get out of the car, but Zhou Yajuan helped Tao Ying out.

"Brother, have you investigated thoroughly?" Xia Wentao asked Xia Wenjing after the two got out of the car.

"The investigation is complete. Three months ago, her husband, Wang Dashuan, died in a factory accident. Since then, Tao Ying has become a completely different person. Her words and actions seem reasonable, but they are completely different from the Tao Ying of the past. The Tao Ying of the past was obviously selfish and cowardly, but she would not have gone out alone, let alone dared to fight against human traffickers and escape by car. Yet, she knows everything about Tao Ying." Xia Wenjing's brows were full of melancholy.

"Could it be someone who deliberately approached us..." Xia Wentao asked with a worried expression.

The main point is that Tao Ying's words and actions really don't resemble those of an uncultured woman, but rather those of a well-educated, knowledgeable woman.

If this were a spy, there would be too many flaws. Also, Tao Ying didn't seem to be trying to get close to her family.

"It's unlikely. Coco came to see me on a whim. Her meeting with Tao Ying was purely accidental. Also, Tao Ying's behavior and the way she walks don't seem like she's been trained at all. Let's observe her further," Xia Wenjing analyzed seriously.

"I know, brother. We've spoiled her rotten. It's such a small thing, yet she dared to run away from home, almost causing a disaster." Xia Wentao sighed.

"Tao Ying, an outsider, says that Keke isn't spoiled, but you, as her father, refuse to believe your daughter. Even if Keke is spoiled, you bear most of the responsibility. Ya Juan is so busy with work, how much have you helped educate Keke and her brothers? You have no right to criticize them now." Xia Wenjing criticized Xia Wentao in a deep voice.

“Brother, I…” Even though he was forty-five years old, Xia Wentao still acted like a child who had made a mistake when he was with Xia Wenjing.

“I don’t want you to make the same mistakes I did back then,” Xia Wenjing sighed.

"Brother," Xia Wentao called softly.

Xia Wenjing stopped speaking, and Xia Wentao dared not speak anymore.

After Tao Ying and Zhou Yajuan went upstairs, they stopped at the entrance of room 203.

Zhou Yajuan knocked on the door first, then gently asked, "Coco, Mom and your Aunt Tao are here."

Then Tao Ying heard a series of noises coming from inside, and before long, she saw Xia Ke's bright smiling face.

"Aunt Tao~" Xia Ke immediately threw herself into Tao Ying's arms.

Tao Ying: "..." This child is really enthusiastic.

"Coco, is there still hot water in the thermos? Let your Aunt Tao wash up and change her clothes, then we'll go out to eat." Zhou Yajuan felt a pang of sadness watching Xia Ke and Tao Ying being so close; this child had never been this close to her before.

“Yes, Aunt Tao, I’ll bring you here.” Xia Ke warmly pulled Tao Ying into the house.

This guesthouse has a private bathroom with a squat toilet and a water tank at the back. There's a rope on top; pulling it flushes the toilet.

The only issue is that the drainage isn't great and there's a slight odor, but with the door closed, it doesn't have too much of an impact.

"Aunt Tao, this is the shampoo and soap I bought yesterday. This basin is also new. This towel hasn't been used yet, you can use it first. Call me if you need anything." Xia Ke noticed that Tao Ying was still dressed the same as before, and couldn't help but feel a little guilty.

It's all my fault; I didn't even think to bring Aunt Tao out yesterday.

That night must have been incredibly tough.

Two chapters completed.