In the evening, Feng Yulan was tidying up the shelves when Sister Hong came over mysteriously and said, "Fang, I have something to ask you.
"You say." Feng Yulan's heart tightened.
"Did your mother... offend someone?" Sister Hong lowered her voice. "Someone has been asking about you these past few days."
Feng Yulan almost dropped the can in her hand: "What kind of person?"
"He said he was a medicinal herb merchant, dressed quite respectably." Sister Hong frowned. "He asked if there was a mother and daughter from the north. The mother-in-law had injured her shoulder."
Feng Yulan pretended to be calm: "Maybe he came from his hometown to look for relatives..."
"Come on." Sister Hong clapped her hands. "I can see you're having trouble. Don't worry, I'll have Old Tian send them away."
Only then did Feng Yulan know that Hong Jie's cousin Lao Tian was the only innkeeper in the town, and those "herb merchants" lived with him.
"Thank you, Sister Hong." Feng Yulan said sincerely, her eyes a little warm.
"You're welcome." Sister Hong laughed heartily. "By the way, there's a market tomorrow in town. Would you like to go with me to buy some goods? Let your mother rest at home."
Back at the cottage, Feng Yulan told Zhang Shumin what had happened. Her mother-in-law's face immediately darkened: "You can't stay any longer. Leave early tomorrow morning."
"But your injury..."
"I won't die." Zhang Shumin had already started packing. "It's only a matter of time before they find this place."
Feng Yulan suddenly felt irritated. "Run, run, run! How long will we have to run?" She shouted so loudly that she startled herself. "Sister Hong has already helped us get rid of those people. It's safe here!"
Zhang Shumin looked at her in surprise. This was the first time her daughter-in-law had openly resisted.
"Don't you want to leave?" Zhang Shumin asked calmly.
Feng Yulan's anger suddenly dissipated, replaced by a deep sense of exhaustion: "Mom, I'm tired."
She sat on the edge of the bed, unconsciously twisting the hem of her clothes between her fingers. "I've slept more soundly in the past two weeks than I have in the past ten years. Sister Hong trusts me, and the customers like me... For the first time, I feel like a normal person."
Zhang Shumin was silent for a long time, so long that Feng Yulan thought she would never respond. Outside the window, the sound of the stream was particularly clear, with the occasional "splash" of a frog jumping into the water.
"I understand," Zhang Shumin said finally, her voice surprisingly gentle. "But being alive is more important than feelings."
Feng Yulan raised her head and was surprised to find that there was no harshness in her mother-in-law's eyes as before, but a deep fatigue and...understanding?
"Wait three more days," Zhang Shumin compromised. "If the situation doesn't get worse, we'll stay a little longer."
This small concession warmed Feng Yulan's heart. She suddenly realized that the strong-willed Zhang Shumin was learning to respect her choice, which was an unprecedented change in their relationship.
The next day, Hong Jie took Feng Yulan to the wholesale market outside town. The market was bustling with people and a dazzling array of goods. Feng Yulan was busy helping Hong Jie select daily necessities and bargaining, enjoying herself.
At noon, while eating rice noodles at a stall, Sister Hong suddenly lowered her voice and said, "Fang, there's something you need to know."
Feng Yulan's chopsticks stopped in mid-air.
"Old Tian said those merchants weren't dealing in medicinal herbs," Sister Hong said solemnly. "They had photos in their pockets, and I took a peek...it was you and your mom."
Feng Yulan's blood froze instantly.
"Don't be afraid." Sister Hong held her trembling hands. "I've asked Lao Tian to tell them that you're heading south."
"Why...why help us?" Feng Yulan asked in a trembling voice.
Sister Hong's eyes drifted off into the distance: "The year my husband died, if it weren't for the neighbor who took us in, my child and I would have starved to death."
She turned her gaze back and said, "When people are in trouble, every possible help is appreciated."
On the way back to town, Feng Yulan was worried. When she passed the town hall, she noticed several brand new wanted posters posted on the bulletin board outside.
She pretended to tie her shoelaces and took a closer look - her heart almost stopped: her and Zhang Shumin's photos were prominently displayed, and the charge was "suspected of harboring drug crimes"!
The photos were obviously from many years ago. Zhang Shumin's was the standard photo from her employer's retirement certificate, while hers was the photo from her marriage registration. But anyone familiar with them would recognize them immediately.
Feng Yulan forced herself to remain calm and followed Sister Hong, thinking about how to tell Zhang Shumin the bad news.
As she passed by the teahouse, she inadvertently caught a glimpse of several men in suits sitting by the window - although none of them had a gold watch, their style was exactly the same.
"Sister Hong," she asked as naturally as possible, "are those the businessmen who are asking about us?"
Sister Hong followed her gaze and her expression changed. "Not this batch. The new ones..."
She pulled Feng Yulan away quickly, "Something's not right. Let's take a detour."
Back at the grocery store, Sister Hong immediately closed the door and asked, "Fang, who on earth did you and your mother offend?"
Feng Yulan knew she could no longer hide it: "He's a very dangerous person. Sister Hong, you've already helped us a lot. We'll leave tonight and not bring any trouble to you."
"Silly girl!" Sister Hong stamped her feet anxiously. "The whole town is full of them now. Where can you go?" She thought for a moment and said, "How about this? You stay at my sister's house tonight. She lives in the fishing village across the river. No one knows our relationship."
Feng Yulan was speechless with gratitude. Sister Hong, however, had already sprung into action, quickly packing some food and daily necessities. "I'll have my nephew take you there by boat after dark. Now go pick up your mother. Don't go through the front door, go through the back alley."
Just as Feng Yulan was about to leave, the door of the grocery store suddenly opened. A middle-aged man in a leather jacket strode in, followed by two younger henchmen.
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