"Captain Wang, the photo has been repaired." As soon as Wang Shen walked into the data processing office, a policewoman pointed at the photo on the screen and smiled at him.
"She really is a tech geek," Wang Shen joked, giving the policewoman a thumbs up.
Wang Shen walked to the screen and zoomed in on the photo several times. He stared intently at the woman standing behind the driver who caused the accident. This time, Wang Shen recognized her clearly; it was Xu Xiaolin. He frowned and stared at the photo for a long time, so engrossed that he didn't even realize he was lost in thought.
"Captain Wang." The policewoman gently patted Wang Shen's shoulder. "What are you lost in thought about?"
"Keep this photo on file, I have to go now." Wang Shen walked out of the police station and got back into his car. He picked up his phone, opened his contacts, tapped Xu Xiaolin's name, and then quickly turned it off. He mentally recalled the hit-and-run driver's home address, turned on his GPS, stepped on the gas, and drove away from the police station.
The driver who caused the accident rented a house in the suburbs, an area Wang Shen wasn't very familiar with. As the car drove away from the city, the people and buildings gradually thinned out. Following the navigation, Wang Shen's car stopped in a shantytown. Surprisingly, the area became more lively there. As dusk fell, he saw groups of migrant workers pouring into the shantytown.
Wang Shen parked his car in an open space and walked into the shantytown. He felt that the area retained the vibrant atmosphere of the city from decades ago, with a variety of vendors. Along the roadsides, there were vendors selling fish, meat, and fruit—everything imaginable. Dirty water flowed in the streets, occasionally emitting a foul odor. But who could say this wasn't a way of life? Compared to the glamorous white-collar workers in the city, the people here seemed to have more smiles on their faces. Whether they knew each other or not, they could always find something to chat about, passing the time amidst the hardships of city life.
Wang Shen stopped at an apple vendor's stall, bought a bag of apples, and casually inquired about the exact location of the driver who caused the accident. The advantages of the shantytown immediately became apparent. The entire shantytown was like a large family; everyone seemed to know each other inside and out, and nothing could be kept secret. Carrying a large bag of apples, Wang Shen followed the old man's directions, turning left and right, and finally stopped in front of a small house that appeared to be made of plastic.
Just as Wang Shen was about to knock on the door, he heard a child crying inside. From the child's cries, Wang Shen clearly heard the word "Dad." After a few seconds of pause, Wang Shen knocked on the door a few times.
The crying inside continued. After about a minute, the door finally loosened and made a sharp sound. "Who are you?" The door opened a crack, and an old woman poked her head out.
Wang Shen glanced at the old woman. Her full head of silver hair was particularly striking. For her age, the color of her hair seemed too white. The old woman opened her eyes wide and stared at Wang Shen in return, her wrinkled hand gripping the doorknob tightly, as if guarding her last bastion.
“Hello, Auntie, I’m your son’s boss. He received an urgent assignment today to transport goods out of town, so he asked me to pass on this message to you.” Wang Shen didn’t want to tell the family the truth yet. Regardless of whether the driver intended to murder, this incident was undoubtedly adding insult to injury for this family.
"Oh, you're the boss of my son's company. So young." The old woman's eyes remained wary, and she didn't loosen her grip on the doorknob. "Yes, that's true." Suddenly, the old woman sighed, and the door opened halfway. "People in the city have good lives, unlike us. You guys can make money so easily." The old woman found a good reason for Wang Shen's lie.
Wang Shen gave an awkward yet sympathetic laugh and nodded. He held up the apple in his hand to the old woman's eyes, saying, "I also brought you some apples."
"Oh, thank you. Would you like to come in and sit for a while?" The old woman's tone became hesitant as she spoke, and she remained blocking the doorway, not moving aside.
"If it's convenient, then I'll gladly accept your offer." Wang Shen noticed the old woman's hesitation, but he genuinely wanted to go inside and check on the family's situation.
"But, but..." The old woman glanced back into the house; the child's crying hadn't stopped. "My home is so simple, I'm afraid, afraid you'll laugh at me." The old woman looked somewhat bewildered. Everyone says, what's wrong with being poor? Yes, poverty isn't wrong, but sometimes it's a huge mistake.
“Auntie, it’s alright. If you have any difficulties, you can tell us. We’ll help if we can.” Wang Shen smiled at the old woman.
The old woman nodded and then stepped aside.
Wang Shen followed the old woman into the house. The house was low, just a makeshift plastic shed. The room, about ten square meters in size, contained a bed, a table, a chair, and an antique-looking light bulb hanging overhead. That was all. Although the setting sun still shone brightly, the room had already grown cold. The old woman walked to the wall and pressed a switch hanging on the wire, brightening the room slightly and giving it a bit of life. She then moved the clothes piled on the chair to the bed, and then moved the chair next to Wang Shen, inviting him to sit down.
The old woman paced around the room a few times, glancing apologetically at Wang Shen before standing before him, head bowed like a child who had made a mistake. "Sir, I'm so sorry, we really don't have any extra cups," she said, rubbing her wrinkled hands repeatedly.
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