Chapter 30: Kidnapping
◎Can you show me this envelope?◎
Zhao Chenyang saw Zhao Xiangwan's smile, which was so beautiful and dazzling that he gritted his teeth and asked tentatively, "Well, can I pay you two hundred?"
[I left Zhaojiagou when I was ten years old, and lived as a daughter in the Xu family for two years. I returned to my parents after Xu Qingxi came back. Although they were willing to buy me clothes and food, they never gave me much money. This time, my father said he would send me back to my hometown. I took out two thousand just in case. I'll give you two hundred. You should be satisfied! ]
Zhao Xiangwan glanced at Zhao Chenyang and said, "Two thousand."
"you!"
Zhao Chenyang suddenly raised his head and looked at Zhao Xiangwan in disbelief.
[You evil thing, how did she know that I only had 2,000 yuan? You just said a few words and you want to take away all my belongings? ]
Zhao Qingyun was a man who cared about his reputation. He was ashamed to talk about money in public, so he lowered his voice and said, "Give it to her!"
Zhao Chenyang did not dare to disobey Zhao Qingyun's order. He gritted his teeth and took out a brown paper envelope from his bag. He handed it to Zhao Xiangwan with trembling hands: "Two thousand, for you!"
The two thousand that he had saved up after a long time had changed hands in the blink of an eye. Zhao Chenyang's heart was bleeding, and he cursed inwardly, but he didn't dare to say a word.
Zhao Xiangwan took the money and looked up at Zhao Qingyun.
Those eyes were as clear as water, reflecting all the ugliness in people's hearts. Zhao Qingyun lowered his head and was speechless when she looked at him.
Zhao Dacui walked up to Zhao Qingyun, her attitude was very polite, but her words were full of dissatisfaction: "You are a big leader in the provincial capital, and I am a country woman. Logically, I have no right to speak in front of you. But I still want to ask a question on behalf of Xiangwan: Why did you throw Zhao Xiangwan away back then?"
Why did they give away Zhao Xiangwan, who was less than a month old? This was a deep pain in Zhao Qingyun's heart.
Because he was a country boy and had no one to rely on, even though he and Wei Meihua had a child, her parents still disliked him and forced him to send the child away, not allowing them to be together.
Zhao Qingyun's face turned pale, his hands were clenched into fists at his sides, he turned his face away and said nothing.
Having been in officialdom for a long time, Zhao Qingyun exuded a sense of oppression when he was silent. Zhao Dacui was a little scared and subconsciously turned her head to glance at Zhao Xiangwan.
Zhao Xiangwan stepped forward and stood in front of Zhao Qingyun.
Zhao Qingyun looked at his daughter, who was 70% similar to him in figure and face. Her slender figure, yellowish hair, and traces of frostbite on her earlobes all told him that Zhao Xiang had suffered a lot in his later years.
The same childhood experience made Zhao Qingyun feel distressed, and his eyes were slightly hot. He took out a bank card from his pocket and handed it to Zhao Xiangwan: "Here is 10,000 yuan, the password is six eights, I owe you 18 years, this is my compensation to you."
Zhao Xiangwan raised his eyes and looked at Zhao Qingyun, their two identical eyes staring at each other. After a few seconds, Zhao Xiangwan took the bank card.
Tinglan's suicide made Zhao Xiangwan understand a truth - don't have too high expectations of selfish parents.
Without expectation, there will be no disappointment;
There would be no resentment without disappointment.
He said that this ten thousand yuan was a compensation, so he took it. From then on, we owed each other nothing, and we would just be strangers when we met again.
When his daughter accepted the bank card, Zhao Qingyun felt that the tension between father and daughter disappeared, but the blood relationship also disappeared. This inexplicable feeling made Zhao Qingyun feel panic in his heart, and he asked softly: "Xiang Wan, then... will you come home with me for the New Year?"
Zhao Xiangwan shook his head, his eyes calm.
Zhao Qingyun refused to give up and continued to ask: "Are you willing to acknowledge me as your father?"
Zhao Xiangwan looked at the man who looked like her, and a complex emotion surged in her heart. She once longed to find her biological parents, imagined that she could get true parental love from them, and hoped that they could do justice for her, but... after being disappointed again and again, she no longer had any expectations.
Seeing Zhao Xiangwan's eyes flickering, Zhao Qingyun felt hopeful.
[After serving as an official for so many years, the connections I have accumulated in Xing City are enough to help her achieve great things in her career. A graduate of the Public Security University, even if she has excellent criminal investigation skills, will always be a small policeman without resources and background. How can she have the opportunity to stand in a high position? My daughter is very smart. She should know that recognizing me as her father is beneficial to her future. ]
Zhao Xiangwan heard what he was thinking and shook his head again: "No!"
From the day she put on the police uniform, Zhao Xiangwan felt the heavy responsibility on her shoulders. She could have risen to a high position without relying on Zhao Qingyun's resources and background.
Zhao Qingyun staggered back two steps and didn't stop until he held onto the brick pillar under the corridor.
Although he had only met Zhao Xiangwan a few times, perhaps because of their blood relationship, Zhao Qingyun felt that he knew her very well. Since Zhao Xiangwan had said no, it meant that she would never acknowledge him as her father, let alone be used by him.
Zhao Qingyun had to admit that some scars could not be healed no matter how hard he tried. Ten thousand yuan, ten thousand yuan could not buy the slightest intimacy with Zhao Xiangwan.
Zhao Qingyun turned his head and looked at Zhao Chenyang.
Zhao Chenyang noticed his gaze and hope suddenly arose in his heart.
"Dad, I want to go home with you, can I? My younger brother Chengzu is still young, I want to take him out to study; Mom is lonely at home, I want to accompany her. I am still studying in Xing City, and I will definitely stay in Xing City after graduation. After I marry Xu Qingxi in the future, I will join the financial management team of Xu Group, and I will help you make your business bigger and bigger."
Zhao Qingyun said nothing, but he was weighing the pros and cons in his heart.
[Zhao Xiangwan is a very individualistic child. Although he has a bright future, he is hard to control. I spent 10,000 yuan to buy a parting of ways, which is a complete loss. Although Chenyang is a little stupid, she is close to Zhou Jingrong and is engaged to Xu Qingxi, which will help my future.]
Zhao Chenyang, who was already feeling a little weak, was afraid of losing Zhao Qingyun, a big tree. His silence made her even more anxious: "Dad, you raised me for eight years, are you really willing to abandon me in the countryside? No one here likes me, and I don't like this place either!"
Qian Shufen felt a pain in her heart, so much so that she couldn't breathe. With shaking hands, she grabbed her daughter's arm and said, "Fourth sister, you, you..." She didn't know how to express her feelings, nor did she know what to ask her daughter.
Zhao Bowen rebuked him loudly: "Zhao Chenyang, the reason why your parents replaced you and your third sister was to let you live a good life. Now they have taken all the responsibilities and accepted the punishment from the village. Don't you feel any guilt at all? Are you really willing to abandon your biological parents and have no attachment to this family at all?"
Zhao Zhongwu was irritable. He pulled his reluctant mother to his side and glared at Zhao Chenyang fiercely: "Since you don't like this place, get out!"
Zhao Qingyun watched coldly, looked deeply at Zhao Xiangwan, and weighed the pros and cons repeatedly. Zhao Xiangwan heard his inner thoughts clearly, but kept a cold face and said nothing.
Zhao Qingyun was hurt by Zhao Xiangwan's cold attitude. His breathing stagnated. He turned to Zhao Chenyang and said, "Let's go." After that, he turned and walked towards the parking lot at the entrance of the village.
When Zhao Chenyang heard this, he smiled with joy and glanced at Zhao Xiangwan triumphantly. He ignored Qian Shufen and Zhao Erfu who were wholeheartedly planning for her and hurriedly left behind Zhao Qingyun.
"Fourth sister, fourth sister, my son..." Qian Shufen cried until she was hoarse and fell limp in Zhao Bowen's arms.
Zhao Erfu saw his own daughter was so cold-hearted, his face turned pale, and he stamped his feet fiercely: "Beast! From now on, we will all pretend that we never had this child!"
Zhao Changxing shook his head and sighed: "You guys... mistook weeds for rice and raised a heartless person. You deserve it!"
After saying this, he waved his hand at the villagers who were talking and said, "Go away, go away. Today is the Little New Year. Let's celebrate the New Year happily."
The villagers watched the excitement for half a day and were still not satisfied. They were still expressing their feelings on the way home.
"People should have a conscience. If you do something as heartless as stealing a child and then raise a heartless child, it will be too late to regret it."
"Mrs. Qian wanted Zhao Chenyang to live a good life and repay her in the future, but what happened? He completely forgot about his parents as soon as he left home. Tsk tsk tsk."
"Zhao Xiangwan is a girl with a good conscience. She has feelings for our Zhao family and doesn't bear grudges against her parents. She is a good girl."
"Good people should be rewarded. When the village builds a new house for her, everyone should go and help."
All kinds of sounds gathered in Zhao Xiangwan's ears. She looked up at the sky. The gray sky was dyed with a light blue. Although the gray-white sunlight was not dazzling, it cast a soft light and shadow on the rural plains.
"Changxing, Changxing, there's a letter from sister Yao! Sister Yao finally wrote a letter--" A figure rushed in from the entrance of the village, holding a letter high in his hand.
The man ran too fast and bumped into Zhao Chenyang, causing her to stagger and almost fall. Zhao Chenyang was already angry, and he glared at her and wanted to curse her.
After taking a closer look, Zhao Chenyang saw clearly who had bumped into her, and was shocked: Why was it him? Wasn't this Zhao Changgeng who had gone crazy because his daughter was abducted to the north?
She suddenly came to her senses: Oh, yes, it was only the beginning of 1992. Zhao Qingyao, who usually rolled his eyes when he saw her, had just been deceived and hid in a kiln, living in darkness. The people there were afraid of being discovered, so they forced Zhao Qingyao to write a letter back home.
In the letter, Zhao Qingyao told her parents that she was raising a child at a university professor's home in Mian City, Beidi, because the university professor and his went abroad and took her with them, and would not be back until two years later. At that time, Zhao Changgeng was so excited that he showed off everywhere in the village, wishing that everyone knew that his daughter had made it and could go abroad with her wife to see the world.
Two years later, there was no news at all. Zhao Changgeng went to the university in Mian City and asked around but couldn't find the professor mentioned in the letter. He panicked and called the police to look for him.
Half a year later, the police found Zhao Qingyao. She was imprisoned in a cellar by a brother who couldn't get married in a northern village. She was kept out of the sun all day long. She had miscarriages three times and her body was completely broken. She was emaciated and committed suicide in less than a year. Zhao Changgeng was filled with remorse and went crazy. He squatted at the entrance of the village with a torn envelope and shouted to everyone he saw: "My sister Yao has a letter, my sister Yao has a letter."
Thinking of this, Zhao Chenyang stopped cursing and looked at Zhao Changgeng with a sad look. He snorted coldly and said triumphantly in his heart:
[What are you anxious about? You will cry someday! ]
Zhao Chenyang's inner voice was too loud and too clear, and was quickly caught by Zhao Xiangwan, whose mind-reading ability was getting stronger and stronger.
Zhao Xiangwan, who was just immersed in a sense of satisfaction, suddenly woke up. Something was wrong! She walked down the corridor quickly, closing the distance between her and Zhao Chenyang.
[That annoying guy Zhao Qingyao was as thin as a dead firewood. He didn't even weigh 50 kilograms when he died. The people carrying the coffin shook their heads and said it was too light. Tsk tsk tsk... I don't want to argue with you. I'm reborn to do great things, so I don't want to argue with a fool like you.]
Everyone around him gathered around Zhao Changgeng, attracted by the letter he held in his hand. However, Zhao Xiangwan was shocked by what she heard.
Zhao Chenyang is a reborn person!
Every time she met her, she was surrounded by people. Zhao Chenyang kept the secret of rebirth deep in his heart and never said a word. Zhao Xiangwan didn't catch it. But now, because Zhao Qingyun gave up Zhao Xiangwan and was willing to take Zhao Chenyang home, she was very proud of herself. In addition, she suddenly met Zhao Changgeng, and the secret was exposed in front of Zhao Xiangwan.
The doubts that had been weighing on Zhao Xiangwan's mind were answered at this moment.
Why did Zhao Erfu wait at the entrance of the village early in the morning for Zhao Qingyun to arrive when he was ten years old? At that time, communication was not well developed, and Zhao Qingyun did not send a letter in advance. How did Zhao Erfu know that Zhao Qingyun would come to look for him?
Why would Zhao Erfu and Qian Shufen feel comfortable handing their daughter over to Zhao Qingyun, whom they hadn't seen for ten years? Aren't they afraid of encountering a swindler or kidnapper?
Why was Zhao Chenyang so mature and bold at the age of ten, and dared to follow the stranger Zhao Qingyun to the city?
No wonder! No wonder Zhao Chenyang always gave Zhao Xiangwan a sense of disharmony, thinking she was too mature. She was obviously of average IQ, but she always gave people a sense of superiority.
so it is.
After realizing this, Zhao Xiangwan's first reaction was excitement.
Time is a one-way street that cannot be turned back.
Socrates once said: Life is a choice that can never be repeated.
So there are always regrets and remorse in life.
But what if you could live your life over again? What if you could predict the future?
Zhao Chenyang was a reborn person. No matter if she was stupid or bad, at least she had more experience than anyone else. No matter how much information she had, at least it was more accurate than others.
What's the point of exposing her? Why not keep her and get some important information about the future from her? For example... some unsolved cases or major cases that she knows about, which can provide clues for solving the case?
Even the best police officers have unsolved cases. But what if we extend the timeline to ten or twenty years later? By then, the criminal investigation methods will be more advanced, and the technical means will be more advanced. Maybe these unsolved cases have been solved, adapted into movies or TV series, and known to Zhao Chenyang?
Isn’t there one right in front of you?
Zhao Changgeng happily said that Yao Meizi had sent a letter, but Zhao Chenyang knew it was a lie. She had just muttered in her heart that Yao Meizi had been abducted and sold to a village in the north, locked in a cellar, and weighed less than 50 kilograms when she died.
Thinking of this, Zhao Xiangwan took a big step forward and grabbed Zhao Chenyang's arm: "You can't leave."
Zhao Chenyang looked at Zhao Xiangwan in bewilderment, his eyes wide open: "What do you want to do? I've already apologized and paid the money, what else do you want? You don't want to go back to the city with Dad, and you are willing to stay in Zhaojiagou. I am willing to go back to the city, and we both get what we want, isn't that good? Why are you dragging me along for the ride?"
Zhao Xiangwan observed her facial expression: "Just now, Uncle Chang Geng ran over with a letter, saying that it was sent by Sister Yao. Why do you have such a mocking expression on your face? What's wrong?"
Zhao Chenyang suddenly felt guilty for no reason and tried to shake Zhao Xiangwan off. However, Zhao Xiangwan's hands were like iron clamps, tightly holding her arms, and she couldn't shake him off at all. Zhao Chenyang screamed, "Are you crazy? Why are you holding me?"
When Zhao Xiangwan thought about Zhao Qingyao's miserable future and Zhao Chenyang standing by and watching, she became furious. She dragged Zhao Chenyang to a big locust tree nearby and cursed him in a low voice: "Tell me! What on earth happened to Zhao Qingyao?"
The locust tree is a hundred years old and has a huge crown.
Zhao Chenyang, who was standing under the tree at this moment, was completely shocked by Zhao Xiangwan's words. He was nailed to the ground and couldn't move, and his scalp was cold.
"You are the reborn one." Zhao Xiangwan's words were calm and peaceful. But they made Zhao Chenyang's heart beat wildly. She knew! She actually knew! Zhao Chenyang had never told anyone about this. This was her greatest reliance in this life, and she would never tell anyone.
"You, what did you say?" Zhao Chenyang lowered his voice, his voice trembling. She didn't even notice that her eyes were full of pleading at this moment, and fear made her completely forget that the person in front of her was the one she once envied and looked down upon.
Zhao Xiangwan said nothing, just watched the changes on Zhao Chenyang's face with his eyes.
Pupil dilation indicates tension. When humans encounter danger, their pupils will instinctively dilate to allow more light to enter their eyes and obtain more external information.
Tilting the head to the side represents surrender. The neck is the most vulnerable part of human beings. Tilting the head to expose the neck represents submission and is a gesture of flattery.
Zhao Chenyang felt his scalp tingle when she looked at him. Thinking of how his parents praised Zhao Xiangwan's micro-expression behavior at home, how could he dare to make excuses? He could only plead quietly, "Don't, don't tell anyone."
Zhao Xiangwan's eyes were amber, sparkling in the setting sun: "Tell me, what's going on with Miss Yao?"
Zhao Chenyang had no choice but to tell Zhao Xiangwan everything he knew about his past life.
Zhao Xiangwan took a step forward, his eyes like lightning, forcing Zhao Chenyang to retreat again and again.
"How old were you when you were reborn? Six or...oh, six."
"Why do you want to impersonate me? Are you jealous of my fate in my previous life?"
"You are really promising. After being reborn, all you know is to steal my life!"
Zhao Chenyang burst into tears when he heard this: "I, I didn't receive much education in my previous life, and I suffered a lot working outside. After returning to the countryside and getting married, I had to take care of the children, housework, and farm work every day. How could I know what to do? I only know that you lived a good life after you went to the city at the age of ten, so I want to follow your life path again."
Zhao Xiangwan didn't sympathize with her at all, and sneered: "You stole my life, but lived like this, that's stupid. You knew that my eldest brother, second brother, eldest aunt, and cousin had a rough life, but you didn't remind them at all, that's bad. Zhao Chenyang, you are stupid and bad, there is no redemption!"
Zhao Chenyang was scolded so much that his face turned red and white. He was so ashamed that he cried out of breath, but he was powerless to refute and dared not resist.
Zhao Xiangwan just watched her cry calmly.
Reborn, he grasped the pulse of the times and understood the future development trend, but this great opportunity was wasted by Zhao Chenyang. Wouldn't it be great to change the fate of the relatives around him and lead everyone to become rich? But Zhao Chenyang only knew how to copy homework and had no brains at all!
If we don't make good use of it, we will be ungrateful for the gift God has given us.
Thinking of this, Zhao Xiangwan narrowed his eyes slightly: "Rebirth is too fantastic. I think we should report it to the country and let scientific research institutions handle it properly..."
Zhao Chenyang was frightened by her and screamed, "No, no, I don't want to be dissected!" A horrifying picture emerged in her mind - she was lying on a cold iron bed, surrounded by a bunch of people in white patched clothes, some holding saws, some holding knives, wanting to saw open her brain and cut open her belly, all in an attempt to find the secret that would lead to her rebirth.
Zhao Xiangwan still had a straight face: "If you don't want to...then shut up and behave yourself. I'll come and chat with you when I'm free."
Zhao Chenyang's forehead began to sweat.
To be honest, Zhao Chenyang had no great ambitions in her previous life and she had no great ambitions after her rebirth. She just wanted to leave the countryside, marry a rich man, and go to work and play mahjong every day like Wei Meihua.
Zhao Chenyang never expected Zhao Xiangwan to be so alert. She just had a look of disdain on her face when she saw Zhao Changgeng, but she actually guessed that he was reborn!
Zhao Chenyang looked at Zhao Xiangwan with a hint of flattery and fear in his expression: "I, I will be honest. I will tell you whatever you want to know."
Zhao Qingyun was proud of his status and stood far away. Seeing the time passing by, Zhao Chenyang's smile became more and more flattering. He couldn't help but twitch his eyebrows and raised his voice and said, "Are you done? Let's go!"
Zhao Chenyang raised his head in a hurry and forced a smile: "Dad, we'll be there soon, soon."
She lowered her voice and assured Zhao Xiangwan again: "Don't worry, I won't say anything nonsense, please, please..."
Zhao Xiangwan nodded.
Zhao Chenyang felt relieved and took a long breath: "Then, then I'll leave?"
Zhao Xiangwan waved, Zhao Chenyang wiped the sweat from his forehead, and trotted away.
On the other side, the villagers who had just dispersed gathered together again, surrounded Zhao Changgeng and asked: "Where is Miss Yao? Will she come back for the New Year? What did the letter say?"
Yao Meizi's full name is Zhao Qingyao. She is the daughter of Zhao Changgeng and is cheerful and lively. She is 18 years old this year. After graduating from junior high school, she went to work in the south with several girls from the same village. This year, seeing that she had not returned yet when the Chinese New Year was approaching, Zhao Changxing was anxious and stood at the entrance of the village every day waiting for the postman.
Zhao Changxing is the director of the village committee and Zhao Changgeng's cousin. The two grew up together from the same grandparents and have a very good relationship. Hearing that his niece had finally sent a letter home, he felt relieved. He walked over with a smile, patted Zhao Changgeng on the shoulder and said, "As long as you are safe, as long as you are safe."
The villagers nearby also asked questions with interest.
"When my third son came back to the village, he said that Yao Meizi felt that working in the factory was too hard, and someone introduced her to a good job. Can you tell me what it is?"
"The only one who went out to work in September was Miss Yao. She has a high level of education and only graduated from junior high school. She must have found a good job."
"You must have made a lot of money. Maybe you can even go to a big city and see the world."
Zhao Changgeng tore open the envelope, took out the letter from it, and handed it to Zhao Changxing: "Changxing, please help me take a look. See what Sister Yao said. When will she be back?"
Zhao Changxing took the letter and read it quickly.
"Yao said that she was helping to take care of the children at the home of a university professor in Mian City, Liaoning Province. The university professor and his wife thought she was sensible and hardworking, and liked her very much. They were about to go abroad and said they would take Yao with them and come back in two years."
Hearing Zhao Changxing's words, the villagers were immediately excited and their eyes began to light up.
"Oh, Miss Yao has made great progress. She will be able to go abroad soon."
"There's smoke coming out of the ancestral tomb. Which country did she go to? Is it the imperialist country in the movies?"
"Being a nanny for a university professor means that he is a cultured person and must be very rich!"
"Yes, yes. When Yao returns in two years, she will definitely buy a lot of foreign stuff to honor her parents."
Amidst all the praise, Zhao Changxing was relatively rational and reminded: "Let me see... Strange, Miss Yao only said that she was a nanny for a university professor in Mian City, but she didn't write the specific school or the name of the professor. Is it true? Don't be fooled."
Zhao Changgeng was a little unhappy when he heard this: "Changxing, our sister Yao is very smart, how could she be deceived? She is going to go abroad with a university professor to see the world. Who in our village has been abroad? Who has such luck?"
Zhao Changxing wanted to say something, but Zhao Changgeng thought he was jealous. He snatched the letter without saying a word, stuffed it back into the envelope with care, and then put it in his cotton jacket pocket, boasting proudly: "My sister Yao is very promising. Others work as workers in electronics factories, but she works as a nanny in a university professor's home. We can also go abroad together. How great."
Other villagers followed suit and said, "What a promising young man! When Miss Yao comes back with some foreign cigarettes and wine, we can smoke and drink together!"
Amidst the laughter, someone said, "Zhao Xiangwan is studying at a university in Xing City. She must know what a university professor's home looks like. Is it like in the movies, with large white tiles, beautiful floral fabrics on the walls, white paint on the furniture with gold flowers on the corners, and even double-layered curtains?"
"Yes, yes, yes. Zhao Xiangwan, talk to your aunt. Do university professors wear suits and ties when they go out? Are they very serious?"
"Why don't we have a cocktail party? One where men and women hug each other and dance?"
In the 1990s, Hong Kong and Taiwan movies and TV dramas were popular. Zhaojiagou was not far from the county seat, and the villagers learned about the outside world through these and were curious about everything unknown.
Hearing the villagers calling his name, Zhao Xiangwan, who was walking quickly, responded: "Professors from the Public Security University are very friendly when they teach."
When Zhao Changgeng heard her words, he immediately perked up: "Yes, Zhao Xiangwan is a scholar who has seen the world. Even she said that university professors are very friendly. Miss Yao is likable. It is normal to take her abroad."
Zhao Changxing was a very responsible person, but he was still a little worried: "Chang Geng, there is no such thing as a free lunch in this world. We have to be careful. Write a letter back and ask her to tell you the name of the university professor..."
Zhao Changgeng was impatient to listen to his lecture, and waved the envelope in front of him: "Okay, okay, Changxing, thank you for helping me read the letter today. I'm going home first. Yao's mother is still waiting for news. How can a university professor, such a powerful person, tell others her name and address casually? Besides, she said that she can't be contacted after she went abroad, and she won't be back for two years. How can we contact her?"
Listening to the conversation between Zhao Changgeng and Zhao Changxing, Zhao Xiangwan digested the clues just provided by Zhao Chenyang.
Zhao Xiangwan and Zhao Qingyao were classmates in elementary school and junior high school. They often went to school and did homework together, so Zhao Xiangwan was quite familiar with her. Zhao Qingyao was straightforward and a little coquettish. She liked fancy things, but she had a good heart and would secretly give Zhao Xiangwan delicious food.
After graduating from junior high school, Zhao Xiangwan went to the county town to attend high school, but Zhao Qingyao did not continue her studies. After two years of wandering around at home, she saw that other girls in the village went out to work, and when they came back they became more fashionable. She was tempted and followed them to Guangzhou.
Zhao Qingyao is beautiful and has a junior high school education, so she is very popular in the labor market. Although she is from the countryside, she was the daughter of Zhao Changgeng after he gave birth to three sons in a row. She was raised in a pampered way and rarely did farm work. She couldn't bear the hardship of working on the assembly line every day, and changed several jobs in succession, from electronics factories to clothing factories, and then to food factories, but she was not satisfied with any of them. Now she can work as a nanny in a university professor's home and can also go abroad with him. It is indeed a good job.
However, Zhao Qingyao was deceived. Thinking of this, Zhao Xiangwan looked intently at the envelope in Zhao Changgeng's hand.
Zhao Xiangwan had good eyesight, and although the envelope was shaking, he could still see the postmark clearly: "Uncle Chang Geng, can you show me this envelope?"
Since Zhao Xiangwan was admitted to university, her status in the village has risen sharply. Zhao Changgeng handed the envelope to her as he said, and said, "Don't wrinkle it. I have to save it for Yao sister's mother and her brother to see."
It was a very ordinary letter, addressed to Zhao Changgeng, with the mailing address simply written as "Mian'an City, Liaoning Province". The font was small and somewhat childish, with the downward slanting strokes curling up gorgeously, which was indeed Zhao Qingyao's handwriting.
The letter was written by Zhao Qingyao. However, she did not write down the mailing address clearly, so her family could not contact her. She had been abroad for two years without any news, and she did not tell her family the university where the university professor was studying or his name. There must be something wrong.
The ink on the stamp was a bit heavy, and the writing was blurred and not very clear, so it needed to be read carefully. Zhao Xiangwan held the envelope in front of his eyes, squinting his eyes and trying to examine it.
Zhao Xiangwan's serious look made Zhao Changgeng's heart beat. Zhao Erfu's third sister studied at the Public Security University. Public Security...isn't it the police? Could it be that she found something wrong?
Zhao Changxing also sensed something was wrong and came closer to ask, "Xiang Wan, what's wrong?"
Zhao Xiangwan pointed at the postmark on the stamp with his finger: "Uncle Changxing, look, if this letter was sent from the urban area of Mian'an City in Beidi, then the postmark should have the four characters "Liaoning Province Mian'an" written on it, with the date in the middle and the specific street or post office's jurisdiction name below. But... this postmark doesn't seem to say Mian?"
Unfortunately, Zhao Chenyang only knew that Zhao Qingyao was abducted and sold to a village in the north, but he didn't know the specific address. He could only try to find clues through the envelope in his hand.
"Really?" Zhao Changxing felt a little nervous when he heard it. He snatched the envelope and looked at it again and again in the sunlight.
Zhao Changxing knew that Mi'an City was a famous industrial city in the north. But there were clearly five characters on the stamp! Even if it was the five characters of Mi'an City, Liaoning Province, the third and fourth characters seemed more complicated than the two characters of Mi'an in terms of the font structure.
"The first two characters are 'Liaoning Province'. Yes, that's right, it's 'Liaoning Province'." Zhao Changxing spent a long time recognizing it and finally confirmed that it was 'Liaoning Province'. The key point was to identify the last three characters.
Zhao Xiangwan tried hard to recall the geography knowledge he learned in high school.
Zhao Zhongwu was quick-witted and shouted, "Who has a map? Look on the map to see if there is a similar place name."
Zhao Changgeng was a little confused when he heard that the letter was not sent from Mian City. Although he was proud of Miss Yao's going abroad, she was his own daughter and there couldn't be any mistakes. If the letter was wrong, then... the more he thought about it, the more scared he became. Zhao Changgeng cried, "Changxing, Changxing, find someone to recognize her. Will Miss Yao be okay? Will she be okay?"
When the villagers heard that there might be something wrong with Yao's letter, they were furious.
"I have a local atlas at home. I'll go get it. Wait for me!"
"I have a map at home, but it's on the wall. I'm going to tear it down."
"If it wasn't sent from Mi City, then why did Miss Yao say she was a nanny at a professor's home at Mi City University? Is she lying?"
"Although Miss Yao is a little bit coquettish, she never tells lies. Could she be forced by a bad person?"
Everyone was talking at once, and everyone was a little anxious.
They were all from the same village, and although they sometimes quarreled and got jealous, most of the villagers were simple and kind. Moreover, Zhao Qingyao was a child who had grown up in front of everyone, with a good-looking appearance and a clear, loud laughter.
It was not a big deal that a crowd gathered at the door of Zhao Erfu's house. After Zhao Bowu settled his parents, he invited everyone to sit in the main room, lit the charcoal brazier, and served tea and water.
The village committee director Zhao Changxing and the Women's Federation director Qin Xianggui sat in the first seats. Zhao Changgeng tightly grasped the letter, hating himself for not being able to read. He handed it to Zhao Xiangwan and begged, "Third sister, you studied at the Public Security University, so you must know a lot. Please help your uncle take another look and see if what Sister Yao said is true."
Zhao Xiangwan took the letter and felt the pressure.
Although she knew from Zhao Chenyang's account that Yao had been abducted, she did not know in which city, village or family.
Without the aid of mind reading, everything can only be observed carefully with the eyes.
The letter paper was only one page with red lines and not much content.
"Dad, Mom, I'm doing very well in Mi City. Professor Li and Aunt Sun treat me very well, and the baby is very obedient. They pay me 60 yuan a month, and I eat well, dress well, and don't have to spend money on anything. Professor Li is going abroad in two days, and Aunt Sun said the baby can't leave me, so she's taking me with her. I won't be able to contact you when I'm abroad, so I'm writing this letter to you now, asking you not to worry about me."
The writing is simple, with a kind of exaggeration that seems to be trying to show off, as if it is covering up something.
The handwriting is immature and the strokes are soft. As the letter is written, it sinks down and looks a bit tired. The strokes are uneven and the endings of some characters cut through the paper. Especially when writing the word "good", the last horizontal stroke is written with great force, as if gritting teeth. This shows that the writer is in a low mood, emotionally unstable, and has great ups and downs.
There is a light stain at the end of the second paragraph, which smudged the ink and was probably tears.
The most suspicious thing was that there were several dark, slippery marks the size of fingernails on the upper right corner of the letter.
Zhao Xiangwan brought the letter under his nose and sniffed it hard.
Zhao Changgeng stared at Zhao Xiangwan's every move pitifully, anxiously waiting for her to announce the result.
After a while, Zhao Xiangwan raised his head, his expression somewhat solemn.
Zhao Changgeng didn't dare to ask and waited anxiously.
Zhao Xiangwan spread out the letter on the table, pointed to the deep and shallow, slippery marks in the upper right corner, and asked Zhao Changxing and Qin Xianggui to take a closer look: "Look, these are marks left by dripping candle oil."
Zhao Changxing and Qin Xianggui lowered their heads to take a look, scraped off a thin layer of white wax with their fingers, and nodded, "Yes, it is wax."
Zhao Xiangwan said: "Mian City is a big city, and electricity is not a problem. The university campus and the family area have electric lights, and there are rarely power outages. There are lights during the day and at night, so why did Miss Yao light a candle when writing a letter?"
Everyone subconsciously followed up with: "Yeah, why do we need to light candles?"
Zhao Zhongwu interjected, "In our countryside, we have electric wires and every household has electric lights, so we rarely use candles. Candle oil dripped onto the letter paper, which means that the place where Yao sister wrote the letter was very dark, there was no light, and she lit a candle. How can people in big cities or universities write letters with candles lit? It's not shameful to write to family members."
Zhao Xiangwan looked at Zhao Zhongwu with approval.
Zhao Zhongwu was encouraged and continued to analyze: "It was very dark, there was no electric light, and the place where people could only write letters by candlelight must be a remote mountain village without electricity."
Before he could finish his sentence, there was a "bang!"
Zhao Changgeng fell backwards along with his chair and fell to the ground.
The people around him hurriedly helped him up. Zhao Changgeng was already crying out: "My sister Yao... My sister Yao!"
Zhao Changxing couldn't bear to see him crying so hard, so he comforted him, "Don't worry, don't worry, things are still uncertain. With so many of us, we can definitely find Miss Yao back."
Zhao Changgeng tightly grasped Zhao Changxing's hand, his mouth trembling: "Changxing, Changxing, you have to help find Sister Yao back."
In a remote mountain village, she was forced to write a fake letter of safety. Yao must have been kidnapped! Now, for Zhao Changgeng, going abroad, being a nanny in a university professor's house, and getting a high salary are not important. He just wants his daughter to come back safely.
"Here I come, I got the atlas!"
Someone came running over, holding a national administrative atlas in his hand.
Zhao Changxing was also a little nervous, and his hands were shaking. It took him a long time to turn to the pages of the Liaoning Province map, searching for place names around Mi City that were similar in shape to the ones on the postmark.
"Look for three-character names first." Zhao Xiangwan instructed calmly. The last character on the stamp was obviously not a city, so a three-character place name was most likely.
Zhao Changxing's finger slid across the map, and Zhao Zhongwu came over to help him look.
"Here, here, Fengtai City, is this it?"
With this shout, everyone came over and compared Fengtai City with the place name on the postmark. The more they looked at it, the more similar it was. They all shouted, "Yes, yes, yes, that should be it. There are so many strokes. Fengtai City! It's Fengtai City."
Then open the map of Fengtai City and look for the street or post office district name under the postmark bit by bit.
"Guning Town! It's Guning Town!"
Zhao Xiangwan's heart sank.
Fengtai City is more than 200 kilometers north of Mian City. There is no train service and it is relatively closed. Guning Town should be the name of a village under Fengtai City. It is remote and cold, and transportation is inconvenient. How can we find someone?
Zhao Changxing tried to calm himself down and told Zhao Changgeng the truth: "Changgeng, since this letter was sent from Guning Town, Fengtai City, and it has a postmark from there, it means Yao Meizi is not in Mian City. The letter said that she was a nanny in a university professor's home and was going abroad with his family. It was all a lie. You have to be mentally prepared. I'm worried... I'm worried that Yao Meizi was abducted!"
Zhao Changgeng no longer had any sense of luck, he burst into tears and completely lost his voice.
Everyone's eyes turned to Zhao Xiangwan.
Zhao Xiangwan: "Call the police."
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