It seems that no one lives in the back room usually, because it shares the same fire wall as the front room, so the kang (heated brick bed) is not heated.

When her sister-in-law had a moment, she brought over a basin of charcoal and warmed the kang (a heated brick bed). Qin Xiaoyu and Tang Wenwen finished washing up and lay down on the kang.

They had been feeling uneasy ever since they boarded the train, but now they were enjoying good food, drinks, and a warm bed, and the two of them felt inexplicably satisfied.

"Is the kang (heated brick bed) warm enough?" my sister-in-law asked, peeking in.

"You've worked so hard, sister-in-law. It's warm inside." Qin Xiaoyu said with a smile as she sat up.

"That's good. I was worried that you city folks wouldn't be used to living here."

"Sister-in-law, you were also sent to the countryside, right?" Qin Xiaoyu knew from her standard Mandarin that she was also an educated youth sent to the countryside.

"Yes, it's been more than ten years since I came here." My sister-in-law seemed to have a lot to say.

"Come in and sit for a while, sister-in-law." Qin Xiaoyu wanted to learn more about the local situation; the more she knew, the better.

I thought it would be simple to find Shi Zhuzi's house and take Hanhan away, but now it seems that it's not that easy. Let alone whether we can find her, how to take her away is a problem.

"Aren't you tired after sitting in the car all day?" the sister-in-law said, walking in and sitting down on the edge of the kang (a heated brick bed).

"A meal cooked by my sister-in-law will refresh me," Tang Wenwen said with a smile.

"Judging from the way you address each other, aren't you sisters?"

"This is my sister-in-law."

"Your older brother said you're here to buy mountain produce? Why didn't you send any of the men in the family?" Qin Xiaoyu understood that her sister-in-law had many questions and was trying to get information out of her.

“Sister-in-law, we’re not here to buy mountain goods.” Qin Xiaoyu knew that she needed a strong ally here. After spending the night with this couple, she had already decided that they were really good people. They were also educated youth who had grown up in the city and were knowledgeable. They should be able to help them.

"And who are you?" The sister-in-law's curiosity was piqued.

“My son was stolen back by Shi Zhuzi, and I’ve come here to find him.”

"ah?"

Qin Xiaoyu was careful and didn't mention her past grievances with the Zhou family, only giving a brief mention. The Ge family's sister-in-law interpreted this as Qin Xiaoyu wanting to remarry after becoming a widow, and her in-laws resorting to this tactic to keep a grandson.

As a woman herself, she naturally understood Qin Xiaoyu's predicament, especially after hearing about the situation after the child was lost. She empathized with her and shed tears as well.

"Don't worry, girl, I will definitely help you find your child. But you can't just go to Erenhot to look for him like this. Even if they hide the child and don't let you see him, you might not be able to bring him back."

"Why can't you take it away even when you meet it in person?" Tang Wenwen asked, puzzled.

“This place is far from the emperor’s reach, and Shi Zhuzi is a notorious scoundrel. That’s why he’s called Shi Erlai (Second Scoundrel Shi). He has a thousand reasons not to return the child to you.”

"Should we call the police? There are police officers here, right?" Qin Xiaoyu thought of another idea.

"Don't do that, girl, that method won't work."

"Why? People here don't get arrested for breaking the law?"

"No, you misunderstood. Of course we will arrest and manage them. But that Shi Laizi really played tricks on you. He took the child out and threw him into the back mountain, saying that he ran away on his own. By the time you go to look for him, there probably won't even be any bones left."

Sister-in-law Ge's words sent a chill down Qin Xiaoyu's spine; every word made sense, and she was glad she had spoken the truth first.

"Then, sister-in-law, what do you suggest we do?"

"Tomorrow I'll go to the supply and marketing cooperative to find out what's going on, and then I'll find an opportunity to ambush him in Erlian." Sister-in-law Ge was very clever.

The next day, Sister-in-law Ge found Qin Xiaoyu a cotton-padded coat to wear, and took her to the supply and marketing cooperative.

The farm headquarters had only one supply and marketing cooperative, which was state-owned. All the farm's necessities came from there. People from the production and construction corps would come to buy daily necessities; it was the information center for the entire farm.

Qin Xiaoyu was wearing a red scarf that covered her face so much that only her eyes were visible, but the sales clerk still noticed that she was a stranger.

"She's a girl from my 11th Company." Sister-in-law Ge had no choice but to introduce her. The 11th Company was the most remote, so it was normal that she was unfamiliar with her.

She didn't buy anything; she just chatted with people and only bought a few pieces of rock candy after looking around the whole place.

Qin Xiaoyu followed her anxiously. When she saw her buying candy, she quickly took out her wallet, took out ten yuan and handed it to her.

The sales clerk's eyes widened in disbelief.

"Your mother gave you this much money, enough for a month, and you're already spending it all in one day? Aren't you afraid your mother will beat you to death?" Sister-in-law Ge nagged as she snatched the ten yuan back and stuffed it into Qin Xiaoyu's pocket, while constantly winking at her.

Sister-in-law Ge carefully took out a few small bills from her pocket and paid the money.

The sales clerks all smiled kindly; in their eyes, Qin Xiaoyu was just a naive and clueless girl.

Fearing further trouble, Qin Xiaoyu stayed close to Sister-in-law Ge, never leaving her side.

After wandering around for more than an hour, people from the Second Company finally arrived. They actually managed to get some information out of them: a city kid wearing a leather jacket had come to Shi Zhuzi's house.

"Let's go home and make some pancakes." Sister-in-law Ge led Qin Xiaoyu back home.

As soon as I entered the room, I heard constant giggling and laughter. Tang Wenwen and her two children were playing wildly on the kang (a heated brick bed).

"Girl, you scared me to death! Bringing out such a large amount of money is too conspicuous," Sister-in-law Ge complained as she took off her scarf.

Tang Wenwen stuck out her tongue, thinking to herself, "You haven't seen how much money my sister-in-law spends; it's truly terrifying."

At noon, Ge Laosao also slipped back from the convoy. After hearing what they said, he began to make plans.

After lunch, the group got on a sled, and Ge Laosao, having somehow acquired a horse, pulled them towards the Second Company.

It was Qin Xiaoyu's first time riding a sled. At first, she was terrified, afraid of falling off. But after a while, she realized that the thing was fast and stable.

The Second Company was located in a small valley, the closest company to the farm headquarters. They didn't go to Shi Zhuzi's house immediately, but went to the home of Ge Dasao's good friend.

They went to the countryside together, but while everyone else returned, the two of them stayed behind, which is why they became the closest.

Aunt Liu was also a busybody, and she exploded when she heard about this.

"Yes, Shi Zhuzi brought a child back. I even saw him. He was fair-skinned and clean-cut, standing in the yard wiping away tears. He was strangely adorable."

Upon hearing this, Qin Xiaoyu couldn't hold back any longer and got up to leave.

“Let’s just leave it like this. Let’s make a scene in the yard. That way we can attract some onlookers and put his momentum down,” said Sister-in-law Ge. Seeing that Old Man Ge was about to follow, she stopped him: “You can’t go. If you go, it’s easy for a fight to break out. You stay home and wait for news.”

Sister-in-law Ge wrapped her headscarf and led Qin Xiaoyu and Tang Wenwen to Shi Zhuzi's house. As soon as they entered the yard, they heard a dog barking. A mongrel was struggling with its chain, making a loud rattling sound. Qin Xiaoyu was so frightened that she shrank back. She was terrified of dogs.

"Who is it?" Shi Zhuzi asked as he opened the door, picking his teeth.