Chapter 100, Chapter 100, why is it so late? Wu Xinbai…
In the car, Shen Rong sighed heavily.
Lu Lin looked at her: "What's wrong?"
Shen Rong glanced at him and complained, "I told you men are unreliable. I asked you to thoroughly investigate Wu Xinbai's background. He's their family's ancestor, and you didn't even find out."
She held out one hand: "Five troublesome older sisters! If I had known his family was like this, I would have broken them up long ago."
Lu Lin frowned, wondering what having a few more older sisters had to do with this matter.
Shen Rong could tell at a glance that he didn't understand at all, and when he looked back at Lu Chang, he also looked completely bewildered.
She clicked her tongue and shook her head. Men are still too well protected; they have no idea about the mother-in-law/daughter-in-law relationship, or how sisters-in-law get along—it's a problem that's been around for ages.
She looked at the two of them and said, "Let me ask you, if your wives had five fierce, domineering, and unreasonable brothers-in-law, would you be happy?"
Lu Lin glanced at it: "I only have one brother-in-law, he's a decent person."
Lu Chang replied weakly, "Sister-in-law, I'm not married yet, so I don't know."
Shen Rong remained silent: "I said, hypothetically."
Lu Lin nodded: "So my younger sister left because of these Wu family aunts."
Shen Rong crossed her arms and leaned back heavily: "Do I even need to guess?"
Wu Xinbai's older sisters were all quite formidable. The eldest sister was timid, the second sister was shrewd, the third sister was domineering, the fourth sister was cunning, and the fifth sister was somewhat clever, but she had no say in the affairs of the Wu family.
Wu's third sister, relying on her husband's family's status, acted arrogantly and domineeringly in the Wu family, and everyone in the family listened to her. With her shallow understanding, Lu Xuan must have suffered a lot at her hands.
"Where could my little sister have run off to?"
Upon hearing this, all three fell silent. They had already contacted the local police station and sent people to check at various train stations. It was confirmed that Lu Xuan had indeed left Wu County that day.
She had mentioned to others that she planned to take the train to Jincheng, and the nearest train station was in Ningcheng. Lu Lin had already sent people to Ningcheng to investigate.
Lu Lin couldn't take too long off, so he took Shen Rong back to Jincheng that day, while Lu Chang continued his search outside.
The next day, news came from Ningcheng that someone had seen Lu Xuan board a train bound for Jincheng.
This is bad, because Lu Xuan did not appear in Jincheng.
Lu Lin's expression was somewhat grim. Everyone had assumed that Lu Xuan had left on her own when she disappeared, but now it turned out that she was planning to come looking for Lu Chang.
In other words, she wasn't planning to disappear, but she really did.
Shen Rong's face turned pale; she couldn't help but think the worst. Had she been kidnapped? Had she been sold to some remote mountain forest?
Even in later, more harmonious and stable societies, news of college students being abducted and trafficked was common, let alone in such a chaotic world.
Although Lu Xuan wasn't a stunning beauty, she was still pretty and charming, a girl...
"Lu Lin, quickly send someone to find her." Shen Rong grabbed his hand, her nails digging tightly into his flesh.
Lu Lin had even more to think about, and even more terrifying things, than she did. He patted her hand and comforted her, "I'll go make a call."
Shen Rong let go of him and followed closely behind, watching Lu Lin make many phone calls. This time he was using all his resources to find someone, which also meant he would owe many people favors.
"We'll find her, right?" Shen Rong bit her finger, feeling like crying. From the time Lu Xuan boarded the train, she had been missing for almost ten days. Was it too late?
They were too careless before; they should have acted sooner.
Lu Lin frowned: "Yes."
"Should we tell our family?" Shen Rong asked him.
Lu Lin thought for a moment, then said in a deep voice, "I'll speak."
He sent a telegram home, briefly explaining the situation.
They received a reply saying that the two elders of the Lu family were coming.
Shen Rong immediately stood up: "Then I'll arrange for Zhang Ma and the others to tidy up the room first."
Lu Lin's search for his sister could not be kept secret, and everyone came to offer their concern and comfort.
Mother Shen sighed deeply, "How could she just disappear on the train? How could we let a little girl go out alone?"
Shen Rong couldn't reveal that Lu Xuan had eloped with someone before, so she could only give a vague answer.
Mother Shen patted her daughter's hand: "I'm afraid your son-in-law hasn't been in a good mood these days. You should comfort him. If he gets angry, don't take it to heart. She's his sister."
Shen Rong nodded obediently: "I understand, Mom. Lu Lin isn't that kind of person." He wouldn't take his anger out on others because of something.
"Don't worry, we've asked many people to look for it, and we'll have news soon," Shen Rong reassured her mother, and also herself.
Shen's father and Shen Jiashi also asked their business friends to help search, but there was no news for several days.
Lu Chang searched along the railway line city by city, but to no avail. This couldn't go on; too much noise would alert the bandits, and if they decided to go all out, things would get really bad.
Lu Lin decided to make the trip himself. He took a month's leave, and Shen Rong wouldn't come along this time. She would wait for Lu's parents in Jincheng.
As Shen Rong was changing her shoes, the doorman brought in a pile of invitations and gifts: "Miss, what should we do with these?"
Shen Rong glanced at it, guessing it was all words of comfort. She was in a hurry to pick someone up at the station and didn't have time to deal with it: "Leave it for now, I'll look at it when I have time."
She glanced at her watch; it was almost time. She put on her coat, and Xiaoming ran over and hugged her leg, wanting her to hold him.
"Mommy is going to pick up Grandpa and Grandma. Will you stay home and wait for them obediently?"
These days I've been so busy looking for Lu Xuan that I've really neglected the little guy. Xiao Ming pouted, looking a bit unhappy.
Shen Rong squatted down and kissed his chubby little face: "My son is the best. Mommy will hug you. Be a good boy and play with Grandma at home. Mommy will be back soon."
Xiaoming is actually very easy to coax. He cupped his mother's face in his little hands, kissed her, and then touched foreheads with her before letting his grandmother take him away.
"Go quickly, don't be late." It wouldn't be good to keep the elders waiting, so Chen's mother urged.
The car was already waiting. Shen Rong picked up her bag and left. As soon as she got into the car, Gui Chun hurriedly chased after her: "Madam, your phone call."
Could it be that there's news from Lu Lin? Shen Rong immediately ran into the house.
"Sister-in-law." A familiar voice came through the microphone.
***
This was the first time Lu's mother had traveled so far, but she had no interest in the scenery outside; her mind was entirely focused on her daughter. Lu You carefully supported her.
She's been crying every day, and her eyes are so bad from crying that she can't see the road clearly.
Mr. Lu frowned, took a few steps, and then stopped.
"Let your son carry you."
Upon hearing this, Lu You squatted down next to his mother. He had been weak since childhood, and even now that he was an adult, he was still not as strong as the average person. How could his mother bear to let him carry her frail body?
“Don’t listen to your dad. I’m not too old to walk yet. If he had the will, why doesn’t he carry it himself? All he does in his life is order others around and make decisions for this person and that person.”
If it weren't for his insistence on arranging a marriage for his daughter, she wouldn't have run away in a fit of anger and would have disappeared without a trace. Whenever Lu's mother thought of this, her heart ached, and she glared at Lu's father with sharp eyes.
Mr. Lu walked ahead with a dark expression, his hands behind his back.
"mom!"
Shen Rong stood on tiptoe to greet them, her face showing excitement and joy.
Happy? Father Lu frowned in displeasure. His sister-in-law was gone, and she, as the sister-in-law, was actually so happy. She was heartless!
Mr. Lu glanced at his wife, wondering if he would take his anger out on his daughter-in-law.
When Lu's mother saw her daughter-in-law, she couldn't hold back her tears again, and tightly grasped Shen Rong's hands: "Is there any news from Tianming's side?"
Before they got on the bus, they said that Tianming had asked for leave and was going to Ningcheng.
"Mom, that's exactly what I wanted to tell you." She couldn't contain her joy. "My little sister is fine, she's alright, she just called home."
The phone call she received before leaving home wasn't from Lu Lin, but from Lu Xuan.
"What did you say!"
"Really?"
The two elders were very excited.
Mrs. Lu was a little unsteady on her feet, and Mr. Lu steadied her, asking:
"Did Tianming find her?"
Shen Rong shook her head: "He doesn't know yet. I rushed to pick you up and didn't have time to tell him. But my mother will call him. My younger sister called me personally and said she's fine."
Lu Xuan must have learned that the Lu family was searching for her and realized that it had caused a misunderstanding, which is why she called home to let them know she was safe.
"You mean she's fine and free to move around? She's been deliberately avoiding contact with her family for so many days?" Mr. Lu's face darkened.
Shen Rong wanted to explain for Lu Xuan: "Dad, maybe there's something else going on with my little sister."
"What secret could possibly cause her family to worry so much? Since she has complete freedom of movement, why didn't she contact her family immediately? Her brothers even put their work aside for her sake, making a huge fuss and mobilizing countless resources to find her. And yet, she deliberately avoids contacting her family. Does she feel particularly satisfied seeing everyone so anxious for her?"
Lu's mother wanted to say a few words in defense of her daughter, but she didn't know where to begin. However, it was a good thing that her daughter was alright, and she didn't want to blame her daughter at all.
She hoped it was just a false alarm.
Lu's father's sudden outburst drew the attention of those around them. Lu You whispered, "Dad, let's go back and talk about it first."
Mr. Lu slammed his cane on the ground: "Go buy tickets, buy the next train, let's go home. I don't care if she dies out there!"
Lu's mother glared angrily: "You're the one who should be dead! My daughter is like this because of you. If you want to come back, then come back. Who cares about you?"
The moment his daughter was found, he started cursing her. If there hadn't been so many people around, Lu's mother would have really wanted to scratch his face.
Lu You had always been afraid of his father and dared not disobey him. He looked at his sister-in-law with some hesitation.
Shen Rong stepped forward and tugged at Lu's father's sleeve, a habit she often had of acting coquettishly towards her elders.
"Dad, please don't be angry. I didn't say it well. My sister didn't mean to stop contacting the family. She was really kidnapped. If she hadn't met some good people, she..."
Mr. Lu's anger subsided, but he was very worried: "What happened?"
Shen Rong nodded: "It's not good to go into too much detail over the phone. She has already bought her ticket and will be back in a few days. Dad will ask her about it then. My little sister has suffered a lot."
Mr. Lu was both heartbroken and angry: "Serves him right!" But he didn't mention going back immediately.
Lu's mother asked Shen Rong anxiously, "Is she injured?"
Shen Rong: "She said no, she just hadn't been eating or drinking for many days."
Lu's mother was heartbroken; her daughter had never suffered like this before.
The group returned to the Shen residence, where Mr. and Mrs. Shen stood at the gate to greet them.
Father Shen: "Brother Lu, it's been a long time since we last met."
Mr. Lu sighed, "I'm sorry to bother you."
“Why are you talking to your family? Come on, let’s talk inside.”
Seeing that Lu's mother had red and swollen eyes, Chen's mother knew how she was feeling and deliberately pushed her grandson forward: "This is Grandma, Xiaoming, quickly call her Grandma."
Xiao Ming hesitated for a moment, but seeing his mother's encouraging gaze, he walked forward shakily and hugged Lu's mother's leg, calling out to her in a childish voice.
When Lu's mother saw her grandson, her mood finally improved: "He can walk already, my good grandson." She picked up her grandson and kissed him tenderly.
The Shen mother and daughter exchanged a smile; it was still the grandson who was most suitable to comfort them.
Knowing that Lu Xuan was safe and sound, everyone breathed a sigh of relief. The Shen family prepared a feast to entertain their in-laws. Since Mr. Shen and Mr. Lu hadn't seen each other for several years, they naturally had a lot to talk about.
Mother Shen and Mother Lu also had endless stories to tell about their children, as well as interesting anecdotes about their grandson.
Only Shen Rong was left out and feeling a bit bored. No, there was also Lu You.
"How is your sister-in-law? How are the children? Did you receive the things I sent back last time?"
Lu You nodded with a smile: "I received them all. They are very nice. Yu Fen even prepared some things, but we didn't bring them because we came in such a hurry."
Mr. and Mrs. Lu were worried about their daughter, so they came without even bringing their luggage.
"Zhao Zhao is very well-behaved. She eats and sleeps all day long and doesn't cause any trouble. Everyone says they've never seen such a sweet and caring child." Lu You said with a proud smile when talking about her daughter.
Daughters are so much better! Xiaoming is always causing trouble. If he weren't so young, she would really like to send him to kindergarten!
The next day, Lu Lin and Lu Chang returned one after another, and the family reunited.
Two days later, Lu Xuan finally arrived in Jincheng. She recognized the person who brought her there; it was Chen Enzhi.
Lu's mother hugged her daughter and cried. Lu Xuan's round face became thin, and her eyes no longer had the innocence of before, but were filled with fear, which made everyone feel even more sorry for her.
"Brother Enzhi, thank you very much." Lu Lin expressed his gratitude to him.
Chen Enzhi's face turned slightly embarrassed: "Why are you saying that? There's really no need to thank me. Anyone would have lent a hand if they were in that situation. But I didn't expect that she didn't tell you, which gave you a false alarm. It's my fault."
He looked at Lu Xuan, but Lu Xuan lowered her head and avoided his gaze.
"Don't blame her. She's still young. She's probably afraid you'll scold her. She didn't think things through," Chen Enzhi said, pleading for Lu Xuan.
"Thank you, I'll remember this favor."
Chen Enzhi teased him, "In this case, I'm the one who benefits. Your favors are very valuable these days, Lu Lin."
Lu Lin patted his shoulder with a smile: "Let's go, let's have a drink."
In another room, Lu's mother was helping her daughter change clothes, carefully looking her over, and asking her if she had been wronged.
The look in her mother's eyes made Lu Xuan blush: "Mom, it's not what you think."
Lu's mother breathed a sigh of relief. After all, her daughter had fallen into the hands of human traffickers. If something had really happened to her, she could comfort her daughter. Of course, it would be better if nothing had happened.
Shen Rong knocked on the door and came in, bringing a glass of hot milk: "This will calm your nerves."
Lu's mother asked her daughter what exactly happened back then.
“You didn’t run off with that kid. Even if things are going badly, you should have gone straight home.”
Lu Xuan felt a little ashamed and bit her lip. "Mother, it's not what you think about us. We're just friends." She lowered her head and sniffed. Her expression was sad.
This doesn't seem like the behavior of ordinary friends.
Shen Rong sat down beside him and asked, "Did his older sisters give you a head start in the family?"
Lu Xuan glanced at her sister-in-law, her lips pursed even more, clearly indicating it was her.
I don't want to talk about their family anymore.
Lu's mother was eager for her daughter to forget that man: "Okay, let's not talk about it. It's good that you're home. But what exactly happened after that? How did you get rescued? And how did you end up in Dong Province?"
Lu Xuan still felt lingering fear when she recalled what had happened.
After she left the Wu family, she came straight to Jincheng. She had a good relationship with her third brother and knew that he would definitely be on her side and would not send her home.
Who knew that she would be targeted by human traffickers as soon as she got on the bus? They had several accomplices. First, they sent a woman holding a child to sit next to her. Lu Xuan herself also had a nephew and liked children, so she gradually started chatting with the woman.
The woman got off before her, claiming she had too much luggage and asked Lu Xuan to help her carry it, while her husband waited outside.
Lu Xuan thought it was just a matter of dropping her off at the car, so she agreed. Who knew that after getting off the car, she would be restrained by two men, who made her smell something and cause her to faint.
When she woke up again, she was in a carriage with several girls inside. The windows were sealed shut, and she had no idea where she had been taken.
She learned from the girls that she had encountered human traffickers. These people were very cruel, treating them like animals, locking them in small dark rooms, giving them only a bowl of water a day, and a dark, mushy pancake every two days.
They were worried that the girls would have the strength to run away, so they would sell some girls wherever they went. For some reason, they left Lu Xuan behind.
Then one day, the woman came in and changed her into a cleaner set of clothes, and even gave her a makeover, saying she was sending her off to enjoy a life of luxury.
At this point, Lu Xuan paused for a moment: "After I was sold, I met Brother Chen, who rescued me."
Mother Shen clasped her hands together in gratitude to Heaven and Earth.
Shen Rong noticed that Lu Xuan's expression was strange, and she must be hiding something, but it didn't matter, as long as she came back safely.
“I didn’t mean to not contact my family. I was sick and didn’t want them to worry, so I didn’t tell them. I didn’t know you were looking for me. I was planning to go home as soon as I recovered.”
Lu's mother held her daughter's hand: "Mom knows, Mom doesn't blame you. It's my good daughter who has suffered. From now on, do whatever makes you happy. Don't listen to your father, and don't run away from home. Let him go if he wants to!"
Shen Rong chuckled as she listened from the side.
***
Wu Xinbai stayed in the room for a day and a night. When he opened the door, he was surprised to find his parents standing there, guarding him.
Mr. Wu coughed lightly: "What's wrong with you...?"
He looked at the rattan box in Wu Xinbai's hand.
Wu Xinbai hid the box behind her back for a moment, but quickly took it out again, saying firmly, "I'm going to find her. No one can stop me this time. I don't have money, but I still have my hands. I can earn money myself. In short, I must find her."
Wu's mother gave an awkward laugh: "What are you saying? This child hasn't been seen since he left our house. Of course you should look for him. We won't stop you anymore."
She took out a bag of money; "Take this money on your journey, and if it's not enough, send a message back."
"Go quickly, your third sister has arranged a carriage outside, so don't worry about things at home."
Wu Xinbai was pushed out of the house by his mother, the money in his hand feeling as heavy as a thousand pounds.
"Talk to that child nicely. If she gets angry, blame us. It has nothing to do with you. You are sincere towards her," Wu's mother earnestly instructed.
Wu Xinbai lifted the car curtain and looked at his parents' figures, suddenly feeling powerless and ridiculous.
Three days later, he arrived in Jincheng and asked a friend to inquire about Lu Xuan and the Lu family.
"Found her, she's all back." His friend asked Wu Xinbai, "Do you know her? The Lu family isn't just any family; they make a huge fuss about finding someone like that. It's like finding a needle in a haystack."
Wu Xinbai was well aware of the Lu family's power and gave a wry smile: "We were classmates in Bincheng before. I heard she had disappeared, so I asked her about it." He didn't want to ruin Lu Xuan's reputation, so he kept their relationship a secret.
His friend scoffed, "What could possibly happen to a young lady from such a wealthy family? You're just worrying unnecessarily. What are your plans for coming to Jincheng this time?"
He recently landed a teaching job at a school that was short-staffed, and he thought that if Wu Xinbai had nowhere else to go, he might as well give it a try.
Wu Xinbai nodded perfunctorily. The next day, he went to the vicinity of the Shen Mansion and saw the Lu family coming and going. He did not have the courage to go forward and could only stay outside the door.
After waiting for a week, Lu Xuan finally went out.
Lu Xuan also saw him, and the two stared at each other blankly.
"I'm sorry, little sister," Wu Xinbai said first, but didn't know what to say.
The damage has already been done.
Lu Xuan smiled and said, "I forgive you."
After saying that, she turned to leave, but Wu Xinbai grabbed her hand: "We...we'll go, leave them, just like we said before, to support ourselves and do what we love, okay?"
In his final words, his tone was pleading: "Give me another chance. I know I've made a lot of mistakes, but I know where I went wrong. I will change. I won't be cowardly or hesitant anymore. I will take good care of you. Give me another chance. I really like you."
Tears streamed down Lu Xuan's face as she lowered her head and pried his hands away, her smile tinged with sadness. "Actually, it's not your fault. You're right. I have a princess complex, and sometimes I can be quite willful and impulsive. Now I know I was wrong, Wu. I've grown up. I know our previous thoughts were too naive. We matured too late! Take care of yourselves from now on!"
She broke free and ran home, faster and faster. Wu Xinbai wanted to chase after her but could only watch helplessly as she entered the Shen Mansion.
Why is it so late? Wu Xinbai didn't understand.
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