He Jingjing is the daughter of Cao Aimei's younger sister Cao Yumei. She is the eldest daughter of the He family in Kyoto. She is twelve years old this year, the same age as Wen Ziqing.
He Jingjing and Wen Ziqing are cousins in name only, but in reality, they have no blood relationship at all. Cao Yumei married He Jingjing's father, He Boqian, after He Jingjing's parents divorced.
Children of stepmothers and ex-wives generally don't get along well. When Cao Yumei married into the He family, He Jingjing was already six years old. He Jingjing certainly had an unfriendly attitude towards Cao Yumei, the woman who "stole" her mother's place.
Cao Yumei was also raised in a pampered environment in her mother's home. Faced with the endless provocations and hostility of her stepdaughter He Jingjing, Cao Yumei could neither beat nor scold her, and she felt very angry.
Two years ago, Cao Yumei took He Jingjing back to her parents' home to pay New Year's greetings and met Wen Ziqing who was staying at Cao's house.
Somehow, the always domineering He Jingjing took a liking to Wen Ziqing at first sight. That day, the always arrogant Miss He kept circling around Wen Ziqing, and even the occasional coldness from Wen Ziqing couldn't quench He Jingjing's fiery heart.
After returning home, He Jingjing, contrary to her usual behavior, did not cause trouble for Cao Yumei. Instead, she shyly told Cao Yumei that she wanted to marry her cousin Ziqing when she grew up.
Because of He Jingjing's little thought, the relationship between He Jingjing and Cao Yumei eased a lot. He Jingjing knew very well that if she wanted to marry Wen Ziqing, she would not be able to do it without Cao Yumei's help.
Cao Yumei finally breathed a sigh of relief. For He Jingjing's future peace of mind, she spared no effort to bring He Jingjing and Wen Ziqing together. Unfortunately, Wen Ziqing was known for his social dislike, and He Jingjing's visits to the Cao family annoyed him, so he immediately returned to Qingshan City.
The four great families of Kyoto—Zhou, Wen, Cao, and He—were considered the top families of China's pyramid. Each family had produced one or two dominant figures. Among them, General Zhou of the Zhou family was the most formidable.
Wen Ziqing was called back to Qingshan City by Aunt Liu. She was worried about her grandfather Wen Yiran's health along the way. When she returned home, she saw Feng Xueying, who was smiling like a matchmaker, and He Jingjing, who was like a lovelorn girl. One can imagine how annoyed she felt.
In past and present lives, He Jingjing was the person Wen Ziqing avoided. He Jingjing was the kind of spoiled child: unruly, willful, and self-centered, believing that everyone in the world should revolve around her.
Wen Ziqing was a bit autistic, but that didn't mean he was stupid. He Jingjing looked at him with calculating eyes. It would be strange if he liked a girl like that. Besides, he was a "taken" man now, and his little girl was eagerly waiting for him to come back!
Thinking of Zhou Yuanyuan's sweet voice saying, "Brother Ziqing, please come back soon," Wen Ziqing's heart softened, as if it was about to melt into a pool of spring water. His little girl was so kind that she couldn't bear to see him go even for a few days!
If Zhou Yuanyuan knew what Wen Ziqing was thinking at this moment, she would definitely cry out in injustice. Zhou Yuanyuan was just curious about where Wen Ziqing had transported the treasures from the Zhou family's secret room, so she wanted Wen Ziqing to return quickly.
Wen Ziqing had been busy hiding the treasure in Zhaojiagou during those days, and hadn't been to Zhoujia Village to check in with Zhou Yuanyuan for a few days. When he went to Zhoujia Village that day to say goodbye to Zhou Yuanyuan, Zhou Yuanyuan didn't want to pull him aside to ask about the treasure before he left.
Wen Ziqing has never been a person who forces himself. When He Jingjing was at home, Wen Ziqing didn't even want to walk up the stairs. He simply climbed down from the back window on the second floor and went out to find food leisurely.
Sanhe Town.
As night fell, Zhao Guohui and Xu Liqin, who had been tired all day, had fallen asleep.
In the guest room, Zhou Zhixin had slept since the afternoon and hadn't even woken up, not even having dinner. Zhao Yunxiang stayed by his side for a long time, but in the end, she couldn't bear to wake Zhou Zhixin up. When she couldn't resist the sleepiness herself, she simply fell asleep too.
Two small figures slowly climbed down from the inside of the bed and quietly walked out of Zhao Guohui's house.
In the countryside at night, the streets are empty after ten o'clock.
On the street, there is a dim street lamp every ten meters or so. Not far away, one or two dogs bark occasionally, adding a bit of tranquility to the night in Sanhe Town.
Zhou Jiasheng held Zhou Yuanyuan's hand as they walked down the deserted street. Even though they were both wearing thick cotton-padded jackets and trousers, the cold winter night wind still bit them like a bone.
"Sister, are we allowed in if we go to the police station now?" Zhou Jiasheng was somewhat skeptical of his sister's decision.
It was late at night and everyone was asleep. Zhou Jiasheng was thinking about whether the middle-aged man was still in the guard room during the day. He didn't think it was inappropriate for two children to go out late at night.
As Erxiao left the house, a dark figure arrived at Zhao Guohui's door. Seeing the two Zhou Yuanyuan siblings wandering out in the middle of the night, the dark figure quietly followed Erxiao without making a sound.
Zhou Yuanyuan and her brother were so preoccupied with what they were about to do that they didn't notice anyone was following them.
In a small dark room at the Sanhe Town Police Station, Wu Jinfeng was sitting huddled on the ground in the corner.
Before entering the police station, Wu Jinfeng had never imagined there was such a place as a small, dark room. It was a mud room, less than five square meters, with tiny windows covered tightly with a layer of oiled paper and tattered cotton wool. Inside, the view was pitch black. While not pitch black, it still made one feel a wave of depression.
The room was completely empty, without even a stool. Those imprisoned in the darkened room could only rely on their own experience to gauge the passage of time. After Wu Jinfeng was taken to the police station, she initially expected a beating. After all, she had injured the baby-faced police officer, hadn't she? Even if there hadn't been a false report, injuring a police officer was still a serious matter.
On the way to the police station, Wu Jinfeng was prepared. If someone asked her why she reported Zhao Yunxiang for speculation and profiteering, she would respond by saying that she had a high level of ideological awareness and could not stand anyone undermining socialism.
In this era, people advocated for having good thoughts and high awareness. If parents made mistakes, children could report them. Moreover, Wu Jinfeng was Zhao Yunxiang's mother-in-law. It wouldn't be a serious matter for an elder to report a younger person for doing something wrong, right?
Wu Jinfeng prepared herself mentally, but what happened? No one asked her a single question, and they threw her into this small, dark room.
There was no scolding, no rebuke; Wu Jinfeng seemed to have been forgotten by everyone. All day, from morning till now, Wu Jinfeng hadn't had a sip of water or a single grain of rice. Her hungry stomach had already begun to sing the "Empty City Strategy."
Wu Jinfeng was so surprised by the unexpected treatment that she felt terrified. Winter nights are always cold, and after not eating all day, she felt as if she wasn't wearing any cotton clothes, and she shivered with cold.
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