The middle-aged woman looked to be in her forties or fifties, with her hair permed into today's most fashionable curls, a bright red jacket, and a kind smile. At first glance, there was nothing special about her, but Liu Meiyun inexplicably felt a sense of familiarity, as if she had seen her somewhere before.
Frowning slightly, she said, "No, my family went to the restroom. Big sister, are you okay?"
"I just saw there was an empty seat here and thought no one was here. I also need to go to the restroom, but there are so many people there. I think I'll have to wait in line for a long time. Can I sit here for a while? I'll leave when someone comes. Don't worry, girl."
The woman spoke with a local accent, which was bright and clear. Before Liu Meiyun could agree, she sat down next to her in a familiar manner and took out a box of snacks from her bag. "It's not easy to go out. I have been waiting for a long time with my cold legs. The people in front of the toilet couldn't even squeeze in. Girl, I think you are kind and kind. My daughter bought me this mung bean cake before I got on the bus. I don't like sweet things. Try it."
Liu Meiyun raised her eyebrows and refused: "Sister, I don't like sweet food either."
"Yeah, I was saying that this thing is not good at all, but my daughter insisted on spending that money." The middle-aged woman continued Liu Meiyu's words, "You don't know, my daughter has been spending money lavishly since she made money, bringing everything home. Just last month, she installed a black and white TV in her hometown, which cost several hundred yuan. I feel sorry for her just looking at it."
Liu Meiyu pursed her lips, smiled and agreed with a smile: "It's not good for a daughter to be filial. Televisions are so rare. Big sister, you still have a good life ahead of you."
The middle-aged woman slapped her thigh and said, "That's right. I only have this one daughter, and I hope to enjoy some happiness. In the past, my family was so poor that we had no food to eat. Now that the policy has improved, my daughter has gone to the south to do handicrafts for others. In a month, she earns at least... this amount."
The woman held up two fingers and darted her eyes around, as if she was afraid someone might hear her.
"Twenty?" Liu Meiyu also cooperated and asked in a low voice.
"Two hundred, how could it be twenty? My house in my hometown was built before the New Year. It's a brick and tile house. It was all paid for by my niece. There's a lot of money to be made in the south now. I heard that some foreign-funded factories have opened. There's a shortage of female workers everywhere. And it's very easy to get in. You don't have to go through any formalities. You just need an acquaintance to introduce you and guarantee you. I'm going to Shanghai this time to bring my niece there."
"How can you earn that much in a month?"
Liu Meiyu was so surprised that her eyes widened. Two hundred yuan a month, this lady was really bold to make up such a story. If Liu Meiyu had never seen such a thing, she would have been scared by the two hundred yuan.
"Of course not. Many girls in our village work in the factory. Now most of them have brick and tile houses at home."
Liu Meiyun asked curiously: "Sister, what kind of handicraft is this? Is it difficult?"
"It's not difficult. How can it be difficult?" The woman waved her hands. "It's just doing some manual work in the factory. It's very simple. They provide food and accommodation, and even reimburse the travel expenses."
Liu Meiyu's eyes lit up: "That's really good."
The woman looked her up and down, and smiled and asked tentatively: "Why, girl, do you want to go? I don't think you are short of money."
"Sister, what you said is wrong. Whose family doesn't lack money? I have three sons. They eat more every year. I don't have a job. I rely on my husband's meager salary to support me. My parents' family also depends on me for support. My husband gives me the cold shoulder every day. I can't even hold my head up at home. If I can make money myself, I can stand up straight at home. I wonder how my husband can still give me the cold shoulder!"
"Yes, yes, that's right." The woman had an empathetic expression: "Big sister, I just think you look kind and soft-hearted. You must be oppressed by your husband and mother-in-law at home. You are also lucky to have three sons. According to what you said, it will cost a lot of money to send the children to school and marry them. And now you have to go through the three turns and one ring. You can't marry a good wife without these things."
"Then, sister, which factory of your daughter's is in need of people?" Liu Meiyu was "touched" by her words.
The woman pretended to be embarrassed and thought for a few seconds before she said, "We are short of people. I am going with my niece this time. She is also in Shanghai. If you want to go, I can help you talk to her. But I am afraid your family will not agree, right?"
The woman looked Liu Meiyu up and down and saw that she was dressed more fashionably than herself. She originally didn't intend to say anything about it, but she felt that the girl was really beautiful and didn't look like she had given birth to a child at all.
Liu Meiyu sighed, "What can I do if she disagrees? My child is about to go to middle school, and my husband is very proud. He doesn't care about the next meal after the previous one. He spent all his family savings to buy new clothes for us mothers and brothers for this trip back to my mother's house. He wants to outdo my brothers-in-law. We have argued about this countless times. Big sister, if your daughter needs help in the factory, please ask for me. I will go back to Shanghai and discuss it with my mother. If it doesn't work out, I will go to the south with you."
"It's not impossible for me to ask for you. I can just send a telegram to my daughter's factory when I get off the train. But time is a bit tight. The train will arrive in Shanghai tomorrow, and I have to take my niece to the southern factory to report the day after tomorrow. Otherwise, the quota will be full. Do you think you can make it in time?"
"In such a hurry?" Liu Meiyu frowned, looking troubled.
The woman rubbed her legs and made a gesture to get up and leave. "Of course not. Such a good opportunity to make money would make anyone want to take it. I am only saying this because you look friendly and are kind enough to let me sit here and rest for a while. We are also destined to meet. Others are introducing relatives and fellow villagers everywhere. If my niece goes too late, I am afraid that the job will be snatched away by others. We must hurry up."
Liu Meiyu was confused for a few seconds, and when she saw the woman was about to leave, she quickly said, "Sister, then you can take me with you. I'll tell my family when I get off the car, and I'll go with you after I'm settled!"
"Are you sure?" The woman slowed down her movement of getting up and stared at Liu Meiyu carefully.
Liu Meiyun nodded, looking longing: "Go, it's more than 200 a month, my husband is only in his 40s, there are so many mouths to feed at home, I really want to go."
"Your man won't agree, will he?"
Liu Meiyu gritted her teeth and said, "If he doesn't agree, I will sneak away. Anyway, my parents will definitely agree. My brother still needs tuition fees. If I can earn so much money by myself, I won't have to worry about other people's faces when I take money back to my parents' house in the future! Big sister, you don't know, I've had enough..."
In order to gain the woman's trust, Liu Meiyun complained about Lu Changzheng in a passionate manner, and at the end she did not forget to hold the woman's hand and summarize: "Sister, do you think it's easy for me? I gave birth to three children for him, and I have to take care of the family's food, drink, defecation and urination. He only gets a small salary every month, but he still complains that I spend money lavishly. There are so many mouths to feed. He doesn't know how expensive food and oil are, and he always suspects that I deduct the food money to give to my parents. Don't you think I am wronged?"
The woman's mouth twitched. This was the first time she met someone who was more talkative than her. She had been sitting here for a long time, and her man waved to her twice to urge her to get going.
"Well, sister, the restroom seems to be less crowded, I have to go there first. Let me leave you an address. If you are sure you want to go to the south with me when you arrive in Shanghai, you can come to see me the day after tomorrow and bring the money for the train ticket. It will be reimbursed when you enter the factory in the future. If you can't go, just pretend I didn't say anything today, I'm leaving the day after tomorrow anyway."
"That's great. Thank you, big sister. I really met a noble person today." Liu Meiyu was extremely grateful.
The woman smiled kindly, then took out a small notebook from her pocket, wrote a string of addresses on it, tore it off and stuffed it into Liu Meiyun's hand, and said to her: "Big sister, let's make it clear, I just like you and think we are destined to be together, so I told you this, don't ask for help everywhere, I will only take you alone at most. It's up to you to decide whether to go or not, that's all I say."
Liu Meiyun carefully put the note into her pocket and said, "Don't worry, sis. I won't tell anyone."
"Then I'll go first."
This time the woman stood up to leave. Liu Meiyu glanced over and saw Lu Changzheng and his sons just squeezing in from the toilet, so she didn't stop them.
Lu Changzheng returned to his seat and just in time saw the woman walking towards the other carriage.
"Meiyun, who was that person that just spoke to you?"
"No one, I just went to the toilet too." Liu Meiyu looked to the other side with a lukewarm voice.
Lu Changzheng felt something strange. As soon as he sat down, his wife moved inside as if she was angry with him.
"What's wrong?"
He went over to ask, but Liu Meiyu slapped him on the arm and knocked Dabao's schoolbag off the table.
Lu Changzheng squatted down to pick it up, and Liu Meiyun also bent down and whispered to the man quickly: "Lu Changzheng, the man in the third row of seats in the aisle of this carriage, wearing a black coat and with a black mole on the right side of his face, is a human trafficker with the woman you saw just now. I told the woman that we have a bad relationship and are short of money. After arriving in Shanghai, I will go to the south with her to work. Before you get off the train, pretend to be a police officer and track them first. Don't make a fuss. The man with the black mole has a gun."
Liu Meiyu originally couldn't remember who the woman was, she just felt that her face was somewhat familiar, but when they were talking she noticed that the woman had an accomplice. When she saw the man with a black mole on the right side of his cheek, Liu Meiyu immediately remembered him.
This couple was the wanted human trafficker gang that made headlines nationwide in the late 1980s. For decades, the couple had been trafficking women and children, deceiving people by saying they were going to work in the south, but in fact most of the girls were sold. The reason why Liu Meiyu had an impression of these two wanted criminals was because in her previous life, the child of one of her clients was taken away by this couple.
The two were later sentenced to death, but if she remembered correctly, the news mentioned that the man with the mole always carried a gun for self-defense and escaped several times, each time with a gun.
Moreover, this man is cruel and ruthless, and has done many evil things.
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