Chapter 51 Jinjiang's Exclusive Wit
The little girl's eyes darted away, her gaze shifting in one direction before quickly looking away again. She continued crying and playing the victim, trying to get Su Ruyi to compensate her for the sunflower seeds.
Su Ruyi keenly noticed this, and looking over, she only saw a crowd of people.
"It's not much money anyway, and the child is so pitiful. You're not short of money, so just spend the money and buy it. You can still eat these sunflower seeds after picking them up, so you won't lose out."
However, some people said, "If it really wasn't this little girl who caused the accident, wouldn't it be a rip-off to make people buy all the tickets?"
"Willingly paying for sunflower seeds is not the same as being forced to buy them."
"Who would want to be falsely accused?"
"It's just a little money, why are you arguing with a child?"
"And maybe they were the ones who bumped into her. This child who sells melon seeds has such a hard life. She's so sensible at such a young age and knows how to earn money for her family. How could she possibly do something like framing someone?"
People started talking about it, and more and more people gathered around, with many pointing and whispering about Su Ruyi and Tong Yunyun.
A person with a thin skin would have been unable to bear the condemning looks from others and would have preferred to pay up and leave.
Su Ruyi remained unmoved and said to the little girl:
"Since we can't reach an agreement, let's go to the police and let them judge. If it's mine, I won't deny it; if it's not mine, no one can pin the blame on me."
Some people disagreed with this statement, saying it wasn't a big deal and there was no need to take it so seriously.
But Su Ruyi insisted and refused to compromise in the slightest.
At this moment, Tong Yunyun also raised her head. Her sister trusted her and did not blame her without distinguishing right from wrong, which made her feel confident and unafraid of other people's doubts.
The little girl didn't want to move, so Su Ruyi didn't force her to leave. Instead, she started looking for the patrolling police officers.
Just as she saw a staff member and was about to call out to her, a teenage girl squeezed through the crowd and rushed to the little girl's side, looking worried.
Fourth Sister, are you alright?
Su Ruyi looked at the girl and couldn't help but raise her eyebrows.
"I'm sorry, my sister is still young and may not understand the situation. She absolutely did not mean to make things difficult for you."
Looking at the girl who had suddenly appeared in front of her, Su Ruyi finally understood why the little girl looked so familiar.
Su Ruyi had a deep impression of the girl in front of her. She was Yao Sanmei, the girl from her aunt's family who was about to be sold by her parents and was forced to jump into the river with her younger sister in desperation!
The Yao family never found the bodies of the Yao sisters and cursed for a long time. They had raised their daughters with great difficulty and they were about to sell them for money, but they were gone just like that. They made no attempt to hide the fact that they had suffered a huge loss.
He felt no remorse whatsoever for the two sisters jumping into the river because of them; he only regretted not having watched them more closely.
Unexpectedly, the two sisters did not die, but instead appeared in Liulin County and were even selling melon seeds there.
Su Ruyi remembered that her aunt had mentioned that Yao Sanmei was a very thoughtful child who had even secretly gone to the provincial capital to sell things. Suddenly, she had other ideas.
But why is Yao Simei clearly trying to stage an accident?
Before Su Ruyi could speak, Yao Sanmei continued:
"I'll have my sister apologize to you. Just consider it bad luck for us, please don't mind."
Yao Sanmei pleaded humbly, her gaze towards Su Ruyi filled with unfamiliarity, as if she had never seen her before.
That's not surprising. When Yao Sanmei was pulled in front of Su Ruyi by her mother that day, she kept her head down the whole time.
It was already dark by then, and since the two had never met before, it was normal that they didn't recognize each other.
Su Ruyi scoffed: "Aren't you still blaming me? I didn't do anything, but you're acting all wronged. This makes me the target of gossip and people saying I bullied you sisters."
"No, no, I really didn't mean that," Yao Sanmei quickly waved her hand.
"Whether you meant it or not, go and explain it to the police. My reputation is worth far more than this pile of melon seeds; this matter must be clarified!"
Su Ruyi's attitude became even tougher than before, and this time she waved directly at the staff without any subtlety.
Therefore, there were many people participating in the competition, so the plastic factory brought in a lot of staff, all of whom were veterans. They were wearing uniforms and were very conspicuous in the crowd.
"Security officer, there's something going on here!" Su Ruyi shouted.
Seeing that things were not going well, the Yao sisters tried to leave, but Su Ruyi blocked them.
"It's too late to leave now. I value my reputation the most! Don't think you can just run away after I've been scolded for nothing."
The staff had noticed something amiss here and were about to come over when Su Ruyi called out to them, so they started walking over.
Just as the staff were about to approach, a man rushed over and yelled at the two sisters:
"What are you doing here! I've been looking for you all day, and instead of focusing on your studies, you're doing all this nonsense! Do you think I can't afford to support you?!"
As she spoke, she tried to pull the two sisters away.
Su Ruyi subtly grabbed the man's clothes, and the man found himself seemingly nailed to the spot, unable to break free no matter what he did.
"What are you doing? Let go!" the man said angrily, his words filled with urgency.
"Who are you to them? I saw you in the crowd just now, but you didn't show up until now."
The words the man was about to say were cut off by Su Ruyi, her face turning fierce:
"None of your business! Who I am is none of your concern!"
“These two sisters have slandered my reputation. If you are their parent, then you have to apologize to me.”
"You fucking asking for it!" The man swung his fist at Su Ruyi. Su Ruyi was already on guard. As soon as she saw his movement, she let go of the man's clothes and dodged to the side.
The man kept exerting force, but Su Ruyi suddenly let go, and he was thrown to the ground by the reaction force.
"Damn it, I'm not done with you! If I don't kill you today, I'm not a Zhang!"
The man roared and got up from the ground, trying to pounce on Su Ruyi again, but was tackled to the ground by the staff who rushed over.
The staff member was tall and strong, and looked very capable.
Lu Ting followed behind the staff, with Xu Dazhi and Cao Fei by his side. Cao Fei noticed that Su Ruyi glanced at him.
Lu Ting frowned upon seeing this and looked at Su Ruyi.
"what happen?"
Su Ruyi didn't rush to answer, but instead looked at the Yao sisters.
When Yao Sanmei saw Lu Ting and the two people beside him, one of whom was as big as a giant and the other had dyed yellow hair and exuded a sinister aura, she immediately noticed that he was not someone to be trifled with.
She turned to Su Ruyi and pleaded, "Sister Ruyi, please, please save me!"
Upon hearing this, Su Ruyi's initial uncertainty vanished instantly.
Upon seeing this, the man who was being held down struggled even more fiercely.
"If you dare to talk nonsense, I'll go to your house and find your parents!"
Yao Si Mei shuddered, and Yao San Mei gritted her teeth in anger. She turned around and kicked the man.
The onlookers were completely bewildered, having no idea what was going on.
However, some clever ones managed to figure out a bit of the flavor.
Su Ruyi said to Lu Ting, "Let's take them to a less crowded place."
Lu Ting didn't ask any more questions, but gave a wink to the staff member who was suppressing the man.
The staff grabbed the man and carried him away like a chick.
Su Ruyi looked at Yao Sanmei: "Let's go, we can talk about it later."
The group left quickly, but some who wanted to watch the excitement tried to follow, only to be stopped by the grinning Cao Fei.
Seeing that he didn't look like a good person, everyone left sheepishly.
The sunflower seeds scattered on the ground were quickly cleaned up by the other staff, and everything returned to normal. The little incident was soon overshadowed by the competition.
Lu Ting led the group to an empty office, but did not go directly to the police.
"Now you can tell me what exactly happened," Su Ruyi said, looking at Yao Sanmei.
Lu Ting simply watched from the sidelines without participating.
The man was led to another corner of the room. He kept shouting all the way, but Lu Ting poked him with his elbow, and he was in so much pain that he couldn't speak. He was still breathing heavily.
Yao Sanmei could no longer hold back and burst into tears, while Yao Simei also looked as if she had survived a disaster.
Su Ruyi didn't disturb her, but simply poured a glass of water for the two of them.
This office serves as a temporary break room for staff, and it is stocked with fruit, snacks, and water.
After a while, Yao Sanmei finally finished crying, wiped away her tears, and said:
“My fourth sister and I faked jumping into the river. If we hadn’t done it, they would have sold us out.”
When Yao Sanmei mentioned this, her eyes were filled with hatred.
Although it was a fake jump into the river, it was still extremely dangerous.
To convince everyone that they were dead, they claimed there was an undercurrent where they jumped into the river.
Normally, people wouldn't go there when they go swimming; even if you're a good swimmer, it's easy to get into an accident.
The two girls wouldn't have come up with such a way to survive if they hadn't been desperate.
Moreover, in order to avoid being seen, they drifted a long way and dared not go ashore near the village.
"We finally found a secluded place to get ashore, then hitched a ride on a train to another city, thinking that good days were ahead. But we didn't expect to encounter bad people so soon!"
Liulin County is located between the provincial capital and Zhaoguang City, which are at opposite ends of each other, and it takes more than six hours to get there by train.
For the two girls, this long train journey signified breaking free from the constraints of their families and starting anew in a new place.
Yao Sanmei actually wanted to go to the south, but the journey was too far, and they certainly couldn't hitch a ride on a train. So they thought they would stay in Zhaoguang City first, earn some money, and then head south.
Although Zhaoguang City is far from the provincial capital, it is still part of the same province, which made the two of them feel less unfamiliar and fearful.
The two were still too young and were somewhat afraid to go to such a faraway and unfamiliar place.
Yao Sanmei had previous business experience and had saved some money in private. She planned to take all the money with her when she jumped into the river, so she thought about returning to her old business.
Yao Sanmei used the money to buy peanuts and melon seeds, which she sold everywhere, and slept in the bridge hole at night.
The weather is still quite hot now, and it doesn't feel cold at night when I stay under the bridge, but there are a lot of mosquitoes.
But for the two sisters, this was already a good day.
The woodshed where they lived was not much better than the bridge tunnel, and there were pigs raised next to it, so it was smelly and had more mosquitoes than in the wild.
They thought things would get better and better, but the two sisters were soon targeted by someone, a man named Zhang Weizi in the corner.
A teenage girl with another girl who looks to be in her early teens—this combination looks like they could be bullied.
Zhang Weizi saw the two sisters at the entrance of the movie theater and originally wanted to teach them a lesson for not knowing the rules and setting up a stall there.
The area in front of the movie theater is his territory. Anyone who wants to set up a stall there has to pay him protection money, otherwise he will smash up the stall.
Yao Sanmei was quick-witted. Seeing that Zhang Weizi had come with ill intentions, she quickly took her sister and ran away.
Unexpectedly, Zhang Weizi set his sights on him.
The two were also unlucky; when they returned to the bridge arch, they were spotted by Zhang Weizi.
After observing the two girls for two days, Zhang Weizi discovered that they were alone with no one else around, so he simply captured them and made them work for him.
Upon hearing this, Su Ruyi frowned.
He gave Lu Ting a wink, and Lu Ting tacitly led Xu Dazhi and Cao Fei away.
Su Ruyi whispered in Yao Sanmei's ear, "Did he bully you?"
Yao Sanmei understood the meaning of his words almost instantly, and she quickly shook her head: "Not yet."
The fact that there is no action now does not mean there won't be in the future.
However, the Yao sisters still have some use for us, and they are clearly ready to fight to the death, so there has been no movement for the time being.
The two sisters are now thin, dark-skinned, and small, so Zhang Weizi isn't in a hurry to do anything about them.
When Yao Sanmei was about to be bullied, she offered to give all the profits from selling things to Zhang Weizi. When that wasn't enough, she added that she would beg and stage accidents to extort money.
The two sisters look younger than their actual age, and their pitiful appearance makes it easier for them to stage accidents and beg for money.
Not only that, she also took the initiative to explain her background, making Zhang Weizi understand that she could not escape his control.
Zhang Weizi probably didn't want to drive the two sisters to their deaths so soon, so she let them go for the time being.
Su Ruyi breathed a sigh of relief. At least things hadn't gotten that bad yet, otherwise it would have been extremely devastating for both girls, both physically and mentally.
When Yao Simei tried to stage an accident, she sensed something was wrong with the other party.
Although she pretended to be bullied, her eyes were full of expectation, and she was very conflicted.
Su Ruyi was close by, so she could see it very clearly.
Her eyes, and the way she lip-read when she stopped speaking, were pleading for help.
However, she didn't make it obvious, and Su Ruyi didn't recognize her at the time, so she didn't understand what she meant and was still a little wary.
Su Ruyi initially insisted only to give Tong Yunyun an explanation and not want this incident to leave a shadow on the child.
As an adult, she had to seek justice for Tong Yunyun, instead of trying to save time and do something perfunctory.
Now, this new situation makes Su Ruyi even more determined to get the police involved, rather than letting the matter drop.
When Yao Sanmei appeared, she pretended not to recognize her, but kept lip-reading Su Ruyi's name, which made Su Ruyi act without hesitation.
"You're very smart," Su Ruyi exclaimed.
Yao Sanmei lowered her head shyly: "Are you a good person, and a capable one at that?"
She had actually been planning this for a long time. She had secretly asked people for help before, but none of them wanted to cause her any trouble.
Zhang Weizi is a local thug. Don't be fooled by the fact that he's alone; if you really mess with him, there will definitely be more than just him.
Moreover, they were constantly being watched by Zhang Weizi, who wouldn't let them go looking for strong adult men to stage accidents for them, but only letting them go looking for young girls like Su Ruyi to stage accidents for them.
Young women are inherently powerless against thugs like Zhang Weizi, and therefore have even less ability to help the Yao sisters.
Yao Sanmei grew increasingly terrified, because she could see that Zhang Weizi was gradually losing his temper and sometimes started to touch her inappropriately.
Although her schemes of staging accidents and begging temporarily saved them, they also made Zhang Weizi's appetite grow bigger and bigger.
The people they scam are all young women. These women are thin-skinned and soft-hearted, and they feel sorry for Yao Simei because she is so young and has to start earning money. They will readily give her money.
Zhang Weizi felt that this job was easy money, so he wanted to control the Yao sisters even more. In addition, he felt that Yao Sanmei was not honest, so he wanted to go further.
Once the Yao sisters become his women, they'll have no chance of escaping.
Unexpectedly, things took a turn for the better, and Yao Sanmei actually saw a familiar figure.
Yao Sanmei didn't know that Su Ruyi was good at fighting, but she knew that Su Ruyi was capable and definitely not an ordinary person.
So, clinging to her last hope, she orchestrated what just happened.
Su Ruyi did not feel uncomfortable with such a design; on the contrary, she only admired it.
She firmly believed that such a girl, given a little opportunity, could definitely turn her life around on her own.
She was just a bit unlucky, but now it seems she still has some luck.
"What are your plans next? Should I call the police?"
Yao Sanmei quickly shook her head: "We can't call the police! If we do, they'll definitely contact my parents."
This is why she couldn't break free; otherwise, she would have been able to find the right moment to call the police, and wouldn't have been controlled by Zhang Weizi for so long.
Su Ruyi had guessed this as well, which is why she resolved the matter privately instead of taking them to the nearby police station to maintain order.
"I will leave this place with my fourth sister. Thank you so much for today. We are sorry for the trouble we caused you. We will definitely repay you in the future!"
Yao Sanmei and Yao Simei bowed to Su Ruyi. They originally wanted to kneel down, but Su Ruyi stopped them.
"How do you plan to leave? Continue hitchhiking on trains?"
Yao Sanmei nodded, hesitated for a moment, and then said:
"Could you take us to the train station? Zhang Weizi and his other accomplices are at the stadium. If my sister and I go out on our own, they will definitely catch us and bring us back."
Where are you going by train?
"I'm wondering if I can go to the south."
Su Ruyi did not agree to her directly, but went to Lu Ting and told him the whole story.
"If we let the two of them go south like this, they'll probably be spotted halfway there."
These days are not peaceful, especially on trains; there are still robberies on trains these days.
Li Yunyao's disappearance provides a glimpse into the environment on the train.
Although they might not be that unlucky, they are both unregistered residents and will definitely have to hide. If they don't encounter danger on the train, they will easily be targeted if they go to the south.
They want to work, but they are too young and don't have legal status, so they can only go to those illegitimate places, where they are bound to be exploited.
But getting them to go home is even more impossible.
But Su Ruyi had no better ideas and could only ask Lu Ting, a local, for help.
Lu Ting thought for only a few seconds before saying, "Leave this to me."
“This will be very troublesome. That Zhang Weizi knows the sisters’ background. If he goes to the sisters’ parents, it might be considered kidnapping.”
This is why Su Ruyi didn't dare to agree immediately; the two children were too young and not yet old enough to make decisions for themselves.
Helping them is easy, but figuring out how to avoid getting involved in trouble yourself is something you need to think of carefully.
Although Zhang Weizi is a scoundrel, they can't kill him.
In order not to expose the Yao sisters, he cannot be sent to the police station because of this.
“That’s not a problem. I’ll find a family and have them become their daughters.”
Lu Ting downplayed the matter, making it sound very easy.
Su Ruyi: "That simple?"
Although the household registration system is not as rigorous as it will be decades later, it shouldn't be this simple, right? Two daughters suddenly appearing out of nowhere would be easily discovered.
"There are plenty of girls who don't have household registration these days, so these two are probably unregistered as well."
Su Ruyi was taken aback; she really hadn't thought of it that way.
After all, in her mind, children are born in hospitals and are registered as soon as they are born.
Reminded by this, Su Ruyi realized that both of her sisters had been born in violation of the one-child policy, and registering their household registration would definitely result in fines, and they might actually become unregistered residents.
However, this kind of operation is usually done in remote rural areas. The village where the Yao sisters live is not remote, so can it be done there?
Su Ruyi went directly to ask Yao Sanmei, and found out that the two of them were indeed unregistered residents, and still didn't have household registration.
As long as you build a good relationship with the village chief and give him some benefits, you can keep the child a secret.
This is a common practice in the village; if someone comes down to investigate, they just say it's a relative's child.
"It's not easy for unregistered people to get permanent residency, is it?"
Lu Ting laughed and said, "It's not that difficult, as long as you have money."
The current household registration system is still quite chaotic and not networked nationwide, allowing some localities to take advantage of the situation.
As for the money, Su Ruyi felt that with Yao Sanmei's intelligence and competence, she would be able to pay it back in the future.
If she hadn't met such a resilient and intelligent girl, Su Ruyi wouldn't mind lending a helping hand.
She used the prophet to make money that was beyond her control, and she always has to pay a price.
Influenced by her environment, Su Ruyi has always been rather superstitious, believing that accumulating good karma will bring her good fortune.
"Will this cause you trouble?"
After all, it wasn't the right path, and Su Ruyi didn't want to implicate others because of her momentary kindness.
"It won't affect me."
"Are you sure? I know this won't be easy to do."
"If I'm involved, you won't step in to help?"
Of course!
Su Ruyi affirmed, "Kindness is good, but if it brings trouble to myself and those around me, then I'm afraid I'm not that noble."
Between the two sisters, Lu Ting is definitely more important.
Lu Ting's smile deepened: "You can rest assured, nothing like that will happen."
"That person..."
Su Ruyi looked at Zhang Weizi with a sinister gaze. Zhang Weizi was now very docile. He knew that the person he was facing was not a kind person, so he dared not shout anymore.
He keenly sensed Su Ruyi's malicious gaze and shuddered.
Lu Ting's smile turned cold: "This kind of scum should go where he belongs."
Author's Note: Thank you so much to yu for throwing a landmine, muah~~~
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