Chapter 105 Have you really gotten fat? Let me pinch your cheeks.
She clutched the thin photograph, frantically searching her memory.
It was a very strange feeling, like having a name on the tip of your tongue, but you just couldn't say it.
Le Yunyun also came over and glanced at the photo: "Looks like he's a rich man."
Rich people...
"I remember now!" Jiang Wanqiu pointed to the photo in her hand. "I'm sure I've seen this photo in the newspaper!"
"Oh? What do you mean?" Gu Feiyan asked.
Jiang Wanqiu remembers this photo.
I saw it in my past life; back then, the newspapers in Shanghai were filled with missing person notices!
It made a huge commotion, and many photos were printed on it, one of which was exactly the same as this one!
I heard that this family spent tens of thousands of yuan just on newspaper ads to find the person. Anyone with a clue was offered a reward of one thousand yuan.
The reward caused a sensation throughout the city at the time, and also led to a series of misunderstandings.
Even worse, some people simply found a child who looked similar to the missing girl, pulled him over, and said that this was the one who had gone missing from their family.
She paused, recalling the news she had heard at the time: "...the person was never found. People in the rich circle were saying that the girl might have been kidnapped abroad by her enemies."
Jiang Wanqiu shared her guess, then added somewhat uncertainly, "Of course, I only think it looks like it; I can't be sure, after all, so many years have passed..."
“No, this is enough.” Gu Feiyan took the photo from Jiang Wanqiu’s hand. “It’s always good to have a direction to search for.”
Gu Feiyan, holding the photos, analyzed and deduced with Jiang Wanqiu, and immediately reported the findings to the military region's high command.
The message was sent to Beijing by urgent telegram, and the verified telegram was sent back almost immediately.
The result left everyone gasping in astonishment.
The girl named Xiao Cui, whose real name is Cui Hua, is the only daughter of Minister Cui from a neighboring province.
Minister Cui, one of the founding fathers of the nation, wielded immense power in Beijing and was a figure whose mere presence could shake the entire region.
This young lady mysteriously disappeared six years ago while visiting relatives in Shanghai. The Cui family has used almost all available resources to search for her for six years.
No one expected that the eldest daughter of the Cui family, who once stirred up trouble in several provinces and cities, would appear in a small mountain village in Northeast China, thousands of miles away, in such a way.
However, Jiang Wanqiu was really curious.
With such a large-scale search effort, how come nothing was found in the end?
Jiang Wanqiu went back to her room and warmed her hands on the radiator for a while before pulling her wandering thoughts back.
As dusk fell, Zhao Wenchang returned from outside, his military overcoat still covered with a layer of unmelted snowflakes.
He was standing in the middle of the room, taking off his heavy coat and casually draping it over the back of a chair.
The man's tall frame was only covered by a military green sweater, which made his broad shoulders and narrow waist appear even more prominent, and his whole body exuded a sharp and capable aura.
Hearing the noise, the woman in the kitchen hurried out.
Seeing the woman still holding a spatula, Zhao Wenchang narrowed his eyes in a good mood and asked, "What delicious food are you making?"
Jiang Wanqiu was pleasantly surprised: "You're back so early today. How's it going with the Zhou family? Have they finished their interrogation?"
Looking at Jiang Wanqiu's worried eyes, Zhao Wenchang's lips curled into a meaningful smile.
He didn't say anything, but simply extended his hand to her, gesturing for her to come over.
Jiang Wanqiu asked curiously, "What?"
Zhao Wenchang said, "Stretch out your hand."
Without thinking much, Jiang Wanqiu instinctively offered her warm little hand.
The hand had distinct knuckles and was still chilled from the cold, as it had just come from outside.
So the moment they touched, a cold sensation shot through her entire body from her fingertips, causing her to let out a soft "Ah!" and try to pull her hand back as if she had been electrocuted.
But Zhao Wenchang was unwilling to let go.
His large, icy hand tightened around her, completely enveloping her soft, boneless hand in his palm. He mischievously stroked the back of her hand with his fingertips, then moved upwards, slipping his hand into the woman's sleeve and pinching the warm, soft skin on Jiang Wanqiu's arm.
Jiang Wanqiu reflexively shrank her neck while pulling at her hands, shouting, "Zhao Wenchang, are you crazy?! Let go of me!"
A deep laugh rang in her ear, tinged with a mischievous triumph: "What's wrong with warming your man's hands?"
"Why are your hands so cold!" Jiang Wanqiu glared at him reproachfully, her almond-shaped eyes, glistening with moisture, becoming even more charming and alluring with that glare. "The radiators are all heated up so much for you."
“The radiators are too hot. The temperature here is just right.” Zhao Wenchang said, pulling her into the inner room. He added casually, “Those two old geezers from the Zhou family have been mostly dealt with.”
"So fast. They confessed everything?" Jiang Wanqiu's attention was immediately drawn to them.
“I told them that as long as they told the truth, I would spare their lives.”
Jiang Wanqiu nodded: "However, those bad people must be severely punished."
Zhao Wenchang: "I know."
So after getting the information he wanted, he conveniently reunited the other three members of the Zhou family with their eldest son.
With the Lunar New Year approaching, he kindly offered them a meal to celebrate their reunion.
Zhao Wenchang did say that if they told the truth, he would let them off the hook.
But he was lying to them.
Even if I told the truth, I would still die.
“The Zhou family is in cahoots with spies on the other side of the kang (a heated brick bed),” Zhao Wenchang said, pulling her to sit down on the edge of the kang. “This village is a model village on the surface, but in reality, it’s a den of human traffickers and a transit point for spies. Some of the educated youths who were tricked into coming here, as well as the women who were abducted, would be sent behind the border through their hands.”
“Sometimes they run into tough customers, or the buyers aren’t satisfied and the animals are returned because they’re missing limbs. They find it too troublesome and just throw them into the cellar to starve to death. The ones that are even remotely acceptable are then resold to bachelors in the same village. You and those women are lucky; they just got them and haven’t had time to give them away yet, or they haven’t found suitable buyers.”
"In other words," Zhao Wenchang concluded, "the entire Zhoujia Village, from top to bottom, were accomplices. That's why none of the women who went in over the years have managed to escape."
Jiang Wanqiu felt a chill run down her spine; she could hardly believe her ears.
An entire village... all of them?
She stared in shock, mouth agape, for a long time before finally finding her voice: "Then... then how should we handle this situation?"
Zhao Wenchang's answer was simple and blunt: "What else can we do? Investigate them one by one, and execute each one we find out."
Jiang Wanqiu was speechless for a moment.
This method sounds frightening, but upon closer inspection, it seems to be the only solution for such a deeply rotten place.
Seeing her extremely surprised expression, Zhao Wenchang couldn't help but reach out and gently stroke the tip of her pert nose with his knuckles, his tone softening: "Speaking of which, I have to thank you. If you hadn't stumbled in by accident, we really wouldn't have discovered this place. It's just like the old saying, 'the darkest place is under the lamp.' This nail was buried too deep; the military region's people were fooled by them during several inspections."
These words made Jiang Wanqiu both angry and amused. She sighed helplessly and could only say, "Misfortune may be a blessing in disguise."
Zhao Wenchang nodded upon hearing this.
However, the commotion caused by these people only made him more uneasy.
As long as the enemy agents are not completely eliminated, this place will never be peaceful.
Jiang Wanqiu could feel the worry in his eyes, and her heart warmed. She took his hand and stood up, saying, "We were so busy talking. Go wash your hands and eat. I specially learned how to make pork and sauerkraut dumplings from Sister-in-law Li Yanhong today. Try them."
When the steaming dumplings were served, Zhao Wenchang certainly gave them face, eating them one after another quickly and with relish, his cheeks puffed out.
Seeing the man eat with satisfaction, Jiang Wanqiu felt a sweet warmth in her heart.
She rested her chin on her hand, her beautiful eyes sparkling as she looked at him: "Is it good? What else would you like to eat? Tell me, I've been free these past few days anyway."
Zhao Wenchang swallowed the dumpling in his mouth, looked up at her, and said, "Don't do anything reckless. Just cook something simple. You should stay home and rest. You've suffered so much; you need to recover."
"No way!" Jiang Wanqiu refused without even thinking.
As she spoke, she pinched the soft flesh around her waist in distress.
Zhao Wenchang was taken aback and followed her gaze, puzzled.
Jiang Wanqiu complained with a worried look on her face, "I've noticed I've gained weight again!"
She frowned, her delicate eyebrows furrowed, looking as if facing a formidable enemy: "Sister Li said today that my face has gotten rounder!"
When Li Yanhong's sister-in-law noticed that Jiang Wanqiu's expression was off, she quickly changed her tune, saying that it was good to be a little chubby, that people would find her more attractive. But after hearing this, Jiang Wanqiu felt even more upset.
She explained in a serious tone, "That's why I made dumplings tonight. Kneading the dough and rolling out the wrappers is so tiring, but it's good exercise."
Seeing her adorable, worried expression over a mere ounce of meat, Zhao Wenchang laughed.
He put down his chopsticks, reached out and pulled her into his arms, pinching her slender waist without any hesitation.
"What are you thinking about?" He pinched the woman's cheek, his voice tinged with amusement. "This is nothing, I could pinch you with one hand. You're as skinny as a stick. Eat properly, you hear me? You should eat more and get fatter, it'll be more comfortable to hold you."
Jiang Wanqiu pushed the man away and stood up from his arms: "Who wants you to hold me for comfort! Do you know that obesity can cause a lot of related diseases and is very bad for your health!"
Upon hearing this, Zhao Wenchang raised an eyebrow: "Is it that serious? Let me see where else you've gained weight."
Jiang Wanqiu stood nervously in front of the man.
Zhao Wenchang stroked his chin, looking quite serious: "Hmm, my face has gotten a bit rounder." He reached out and pinched it.
"Have your arms gotten thicker too?" He gestured with his hand.
"Hey, isn't your butt a bit too big?" she said, reaching out to touch him.
Jiang Wanqiu exclaimed in despair, "Really, really gained this much weight?!"
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