Chapter 129 Crime Committed by an Acquaintance
"Someone come quick!"
Liu Zhixia shouted, immediately attracting the attention of the surrounding villagers: "There are footprints here! They look very fresh!"
A dozen or so flashlight beams shone down at once, illuminating the grass as bright as day.
Sure enough, there were several clear footprints in the soft soil, which were definitely not left by the villagers who had been looking for someone.
An experienced hunter in the village squatted down to take a look, and his face instantly turned serious: "The footprints are deeper at the beginning and shallower at the end, which clearly means someone was lying in wait here. And they are different sizes, so there were at least two people!"
Upon hearing this, everyone's hearts sank to the bottom.
Someone couldn't help but voice the suspicion that everyone feared most: "Could it be... human traffickers?"
These days, child traffickers are rampant, specifically targeting lone little boys. If it really is child traffickers, then that explains why Xiao Tao is fine, but Da Bao is missing.
The faces of the Liu family members instantly lost all color. Zhang Xiuying's legs went weak, and she almost collapsed to the ground, but Liu Shouren caught her.
Liu Xiangyang's eyes were bloodshot, and his teeth were clenched so hard he was grinding his teeth. He forced himself to calm down: "Fourth brother, you take some men and continue searching the nearby brigade. They might not have gone far! I'll go get two people to ride bikes and chase them into the city. If the traffickers want to move the children, they'll most likely have to go into the city!"
Upon hearing this, everyone panicked. If child traffickers really came, no one's child would be safe!
So, some people ran to the brigade headquarters to call for reinforcements, some followed Liu Xuejun to continue searching the mountains, and some went home to keep a close eye on their children. For a time, the whole village was in a state of panic.
Liu Zhixia suppressed the panic in her heart and her mind raced.
Although the village wasn't very peaceful in her previous life, she had never heard of human traffickers entering the village. Even if she was reborn and changed her life trajectory, and the Liu family revealed their wealth, the news would at most reach the next brigade, and wouldn't spread too far.
It's impossible for human traffickers from other places to be so accurate.
Therefore... the kidnapper is most likely someone from the neighborhood, or even someone you know!
Thinking of this, she suddenly looked up and sharply scanned her surroundings.
In the crowd, a furtive figure caught her attention.
Lu Xiaohui was hiding behind the crowd, pretending to call out names, but her eyes were darting around.
As if sensing something, Lu Xiaohui looked up and met Liu Zhixia's scrutinizing gaze. Startled, she lowered her head as if electrocuted and quickly hid behind someone else.
There's a problem!
Liu Zhixia walked straight up to Lu Xiaohui, her eyes like knives.
"Sister Xiaohui, where did I see you just now?"
Lu Xiaohui's eyes darted away, and she gave a dry laugh: "I heard that Da Bao is missing, so I came to help out."
"Oh?" Liu Zhixia raised an eyebrow. "Looking for someone so late at night without a flashlight? Looks like you have good eyesight. You really 'care' about our Da Bao."
Lu Xiaohui's heart skipped a beat, and she didn't know what to do with her hands and feet. Her guilty conscience was written all over her face.
Liu Zhixia knew her too well; this guilty conscience meant something was definitely up. Every second now concerned Da Bao's safety; she didn't have time to beat around the bush.
"Sister Xiaohui, let's not beat around the bush. The pickled vegetable incident was your own fault, it has nothing to do with the Liu family. If you have any grievances, come at me. If you dare to harm the child, don't blame me for being impolite."
Lu Xiaohui exploded upon hearing this: "What do you mean?! You suspect that I kidnapped the child?!"
Liu Zhixia stared into her eyes, confirming that the anger was genuine, and softened her tone slightly: "Even if you didn't kidnap the person, you must know something. The child is in danger now. Tell me your clues, and whatever you want, if I have it, I'll give it to you."
Lu Xiaohui's eyes lit up instantly, her greed evident: "Really? You'll give me anything?"
Liu Zhixia replied without hesitation: "As long as the child is safe, anything is fine."
Lu Xiaohui's eyes darted around a few times, then she lowered her voice: "I want your real recipe for pickled vegetables!"
Liu Zhixia's eyes narrowed slightly, and she said decisively, "Deal! As long as the child is found, the formula is yours."
Lu Xiaohui was overjoyed, but still asked with unease, "What if you're lying to me? What if you deny everything after the child is found? Who am I supposed to cry to then?"
Liu Zhixia looked at her coldly: "I'm not as shameless as you, and I would never joke about a child's life. As long as we find Dabao, I'll teach you how to do it step by step tomorrow. Besides, I'll help you keep this a secret from the Lu family."
These words instantly awakened Lu Xiaohui.
yes!
With the real formula, she could totally go it alone!
It was a mistake to drag that idiot Gu Mansheng into it! At worst, I'll just take the formula back to my in-laws' house, make them rich, and then let's see who dares to give her a hard time!
Seeing Lu Xiaohui waver, Liu Zhixia pressed her advantage: "Sister Xiaohui, you're a smart woman, you know how worthwhile this deal is. We each get what we need, and it won't affect each other. As long as the child is found, I'll secretly give you the real formula, and I'll write a thank-you letter to the brigade, praising you for helping to find the child today. I guarantee you'll get both the benefits and a good reputation."
The offer was too tempting, and Lu Xiaohui completely succumbed.
"Fine! I'll trust your character this once, Liu Zhixia! This is all for the sake of the child... If you dare to lie to me, I'll... I'll curse you to never have a son in your life!"
Liu Zhixia's lips twitched slightly, remaining noncommittal about this vicious yet simple curse.
She would definitely be willing to trade a formula for the safety of a child.
Lu Xiaohui leaned close to her ear and whispered, "Today, after arguing with my dad, I ran out and hid in the bushes to cry. I happened to run into those two Shen brothers, who were lurking there suspiciously. They looked really fierce, and I was too scared to move, afraid they would find me and kill me. But then... as it was getting dark, I saw them cover your nephew's mouth and carry him away!"
Liu Zhixia stared at Lu Xiaohui's terrified eyes and judged that she was not lying.
Shen Hongmei and Lu Xiaohui became enemies because of the fake formula. The Shen family has suffered heavy losses and is desperate. If the Shen brothers happen to see Lu Xiaohui, they might actually try to harm her.
"The Shen family arrested them?" Liu Zhixia's heart tightened. "Did you see where they went?"
Lu Xiaohui nodded vigorously: "I saw it! It went in the direction of their brigade! I guess they took it home!"
Liu Zhixia didn't dare to delay and turned around to tell her family the news.
Upon hearing this, Zhang Xiuying gritted her teeth in anger: "Those beasts from the Shen family! They can't even support their own children, why are they trying to steal our Dabao?"
Liu Xuejun's face was terribly grim: "I don't believe they can't bear to part with Dabao. Oh no... could they be planning to sell the child? These ignorant people, do they really think selling their own grandson isn't illegal?"
Upon hearing this, the two elders felt dizzy and disoriented.
Liu Zhixia made a decisive decision: "Quick! Go to the Shen family and demand the child back! No matter what they're planning, the child is definitely still in their hands!"
The Liu family, along with a group of able-bodied young villagers, rushed towards the Shen family brigade in a great hurry.
Another group of villagers rushed to chase after Liu Xiangyang, while the rest continued to search the vicinity, just in case.
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