Chapter 216 Can Be Concealed
He slowly and deliberately wiped away non-existent beads of sweat from his forehead, his movements so meticulous they were almost deliberate. "Besides, Xiaoju has been pampered since she was little. She doesn't even have to do housework. She's waited on hand and foot. If she were really locked up in a place like that, only allowed to stay for one night, how much mental suffering would she endure? Just thinking about it makes my heart ache."
Song Yazhi's face turned even paler, her breathing became rapid, and fine beads of cold sweat appeared on her forehead, slowly sliding down her temples.
She stared intently at Qiao Wanyin, her voice dry and tense: "Stay overnight? How long... how long do they plan to keep her locked up? Did they say when they'd release her?"
"Captain Wang mentioned that it would take at least three days."
Qiao Wanyin counted on her fingers, slowly bending one finger, two fingers at a time, muttering, "This is speculation and profiteering, a serious matter. If she weren't a young girl, with a tender face and an honest appearance, she might have been sent directly to a farm, where she would have been gone for several months."
Three days?
Song Yazhi's voice suddenly rose, as if she had burned her throat, then she quickly lowered it again, afraid that someone might hear her from behind the walls, "This is too heavy... It's just a few pounds of brown sugar, it didn't hurt anyone, how did it get associated with 'speculation and profiteering'?"
Qiao Wanyin sighed, her tone tinged with regret, and shook her head: "Who says otherwise? To put it mildly, this is a matter of not understanding the policy; to put it more seriously, it's disrupting market order. But Captain Wang also said that if someone can prove that the brown sugar wasn't for sale, but for personal use or as a gift, they might be released sooner, at most in two days."
She glanced at Song Yazhi casually, a hint of probing flashing in her eyes, but her voice remained calm: "Mom, you and Xiaoju are quite familiar. You even helped her mend a sweater a few days ago. Why don't you put in a good word for her? You're well-liked in the compound. Saying a few fair words might help her suffer less."
Song Yazhi seemed to be pricked by a needle, and she shrank her shoulders abruptly, waving her hands hastily: "No... no need. This kind of thing involves political issues. How dare I, an ordinary family member, interfere? It's more appropriate to wait for her family to step forward. After all, she's not an orphan and has relatives to back her up."
Qiao Wanyin raised the corners of her mouth slightly, a half-smile on her face, but she pretended to suddenly realize something: "That's right, how could I forget? Her uncle is the deputy commander, a big shot in the military region. With just a word, even the officer in charge of the area has to give him face."
Song Yazhi's eyes lit up, as if she had suddenly seen a candle flame in the dark night. She nodded repeatedly, "Yes, yes, her uncle will definitely take care of it. He can't just sit idly by. After all, she's his own niece. How could he not care if something happened to her?"
She paced back and forth in the room, her steps unsteady, her mind becoming increasingly confused, and her brows furrowing more and more tightly.
Fang Xiaoju was clearly there for Qiao Wanyin; she was clutching the slip of paper with the address on it, clearly looking to settle scores.
How could they be intercepted halfway and have several packets of brown sugar found in their possession, and be immediately labeled as "speculation and profiteering"?
There's definitely something wrong here.
What a coincidence! It's so coincidental it sends chills down my spine.
She suddenly stopped, her shoes making a dull thud on the floor. Her gaze was fixed on Qiao Wanyin, her voice trembling slightly: "When you went to the black market today, did anything strange happen? Or did you see Xiaoju?"
Qiao Wanyin looked puzzled, her brows furrowing slightly as if she were really recalling something: "Something's wrong? No, I just went to the supply and marketing cooperative to buy some face cream. I queued for a long time and finally managed to buy a bottle. On the way back, I happened to see the police officers escorting Xiaoju to the police car, and there were a few neighbors watching the commotion."
She suddenly exclaimed "Oh dear!" as if she had remembered some important detail, and raised her hand to pat her forehead: "Right, I was originally planning to go to the black market to see if I could find any cheap fabric scraps to make a little dress for the child. But halfway there, I suddenly had a stomachache that made me break out in a cold sweat, so I had to turn back. I didn't even get close to the black market."
Song Yazhi stared intently into her eyes, trying to find a clue in those seemingly clear pupils: "That's all? Are you sure there's nothing else? For example, who did you meet? What did you say? Or... did you see something you shouldn't have seen?"
That's all.
Qiao Wanyin blinked, her eyelashes fluttering, feigning innocence, even a hint of grievance, "Mom, what's wrong with you today? Why are you asking so many questions? Are you too tired lately and becoming paranoid? I'm not a god, how would I know so many things?"
Song Yazhi took a deep breath, her chest heaving, and suddenly reached out and grabbed Qiao Wanyin's wrist with such force that the other woman was slightly taken aback: "What exactly did you do to Fang Xiaoju? Why did she come to you? Did you already know she would be arrested?"
The smile on Qiao Wanyin's face froze instantly, like the ripples on a spring lake suddenly encountering a cold wind, freezing into ice.
Her pupils contracted slightly, and a cold, sharp glint flashed in her eyes, but it was only for a moment before being concealed by a gentle smile.
"Mom, why are you asking that?"
Her voice was soft, as if she had been wronged terribly. "What could I possibly do to Xiaoju? She's always been very polite to me, and I consider her a friend. Besides, I'm pregnant now, and I have to be extra careful all the time. I can't even walk fast for fear of bumping into something. How could I possibly have the energy to worry about other people's business?"
She gently shook off her mother-in-law's hand, the movement light but firm. Then she raised her hand and gently stroked her slightly protruding belly. Her voice lowered, carrying a hint of vulnerability and worry: "This child didn't come easily. I'm on tenterhooks every day, afraid that something might go wrong. Tell me, how can I possibly care about anything else?"
Song Yazhi then realized that she had been so emotional that she had let something slip.
She shouldn't have mentioned that "Fang Xiaoju came to see Qiao Wanyin"—that was a secret no one knew.
But in a moment of panic, I blurted it out.
Her heart sank, and cold sweat quietly seeped from her back.
She took two steps back, her steps unsteady, her voice slightly weak, as if squeezed from deep in her throat, "I..."
I just feel so sorry for Xiaoju. That child has always been honest and kind-hearted, never knowing how to be wary of others. I'm afraid that, being so naive, she might get taken advantage of without even realizing how she was wronged.
"Were you set up?"
Qiao Wanyin tilted her head, her eyes slightly narrowed, and a barely perceptible light flashed in her eyes, like a hunter spotting prey that had fallen into a trap.
She feigned innocence and confusion, her tone even slightly playful, "Mom, listen to what you're saying..."
Why do you seem to know something inside? Have you heard something about it?
Song Yazhi's face instantly darkened, as if her secret had been exposed, and a bead of cold sweat appeared on her forehead.
She quickly raised her hand and waved it frantically, as if trying to drive away something she shouldn't be thinking about.
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