Chapter 55: Found
Chapter 55: Found
In the evening, Lu Dabai and Lu Jiajie returned. They had discovered the identity of the old woman in the portrait; her name was Hu Ermei, and her married surname was Yang. Her younger son, Yang Jun, worked as the deputy director of the quality inspection department at the Jinshi Cotton Mill. However, Hu Ermei had gone to Jinshi after the Lantern Festival to help Yang Jun take care of his child and hadn't returned since.
Lu Jiaxin commented, "It's not surprising that she hasn't come back. After causing someone's death, she would naturally hurry back to Jinshi to avoid any association with the crime."
Through her original body's memories, she had long suspected that the old woman wasn't a real child trafficker; otherwise, her original body wouldn't have escaped so easily.
Lu Dabai shared her thoughts and expressed his concern that Hu Ermei might deny ever returning to Feng County. "It won't be difficult to prove that she wasn't in Feng County during that time. We can just ask the people in the cotton mill's residential area. However, she might claim that she was visiting relatives or traveling. Even if we expose her lies, she can always say that she's old and forgetful."
Lu Jiaxin hadn't considered this possibility, and after a moment's thought, she said, "I didn't interact with the people sitting next to me, so I don't know their names or addresses."
Unlike in later years, when train travel required real-name registration, and one could easily check the railway bureau's computers or even seek help from the internet, information was not as readily available at this time. Without a name or address, finding someone was as difficult as climbing heaven.
Lu Dabai felt that she was underestimating the challenge. "Even if we go to great lengths to find this person, Old Mrs. Hu can always tell the police that she simply didn't want to stay in a hostel. She might say that you overreacted and mistakenly assumed she was a child trafficker, and that you accidentally bumped your head during your escape."
"And let's not forget, Xin, that Old Mrs. Hu is a very frugal person. When she buys two liang of meat, she haggles for a free big bone, and when she buys fish, she insists on getting a piece of ginger, too. If she claims that she didn't want to spend money on a hostel, the police might believe her."
Lu Jiaxin was taken aback for a moment before she replied, "Even if we can't prove the child trafficking charge, shouldn't we be able to convict her of stealing my belongings and manslaughter?"
Lu Dabai nodded. "Given her stingy nature, the police will believe that she took your money and valuables. That much is certain."
Lu Jiaxin thought for a moment. "I had more than three hundred yuan in cash with me, and the watch she took is worth more than three hundred as well. That's over six hundred yuan worth of stuff. She should be sentenced to several years in prison for that, right?"
She was well aware that if the police convicted Old Mrs. Hu of stealing her belongings, it wouldn't be as simple as a few years in prison. With the current strict law enforcement campaign, Old Mrs. Hu's actions were particularly heinous. She would be looking at a minimum of twenty years in prison, and that would be letting her off easy in Lu Jiaxin's opinion. She felt that the old woman deserved to suffer in prison for twenty years to truly avenge her original body.
Although they had found the culprit, aside from Lu Jiaxin's own testimony, there was no other evidence. The Feng County police could only go through the motions and ask Old Mrs. Hu to return for questioning.
Lu Jiaxin wasn't worried that the old woman would try to escape. If she did, she would be admitting her guilt, and her entire family would suffer the consequences. These days, political background checks were strictly enforced for factory recruitment, university entrance exams, and military enlistment. Not to mention, with Lu Hongjun's connections, he could easily ruin Yang Jun's career if he wanted to take revenge for his daughter. All Lu Jiaxin could do now was wait patiently.
The next day, Xiao Qiu returned from outside and spoke in a low voice, "Cousin, I just went to look for Zaohua. It's true what Auntie Qing said—Auntie Gen wants her to get married."
"Is she really going to marry the son of the commune secretary?"
"No, Auntie Qing got it wrong. It's the son of some deputy secretary from the Second Airport in the county town. The man is 21 years old, but he's not very bright."
Xiao Qiu's voice turned pained as she continued, "Zaohua doesn't want to marry him, but Auntie Gen is insisting. She's been on a hunger strike since yesterday."
"It seems she's prepared to starve herself to get her way. Sigh, first the tears, then the tantrums, and now the threat of suicide. It's truly tragic to see such a drama played out on one's own daughter."
Lu Jiaxin felt great sympathy for this young woman. After some thought, she said, "Can you get Zaohua to meet with me? I'd like to have a chat with her."
"She's at home right now. I'll go call her over," Xiao Qiu offered.
Lu Jiaxin held her back and whispered, "Don't bring her to the house. Otherwise, if Zaohua doesn't agree and her mother thinks we're putting ideas into her head, she might come to make a scene at our home."
They didn't know what kind of person Zaohua was. If she had a loose tongue or a weak will and ended up revealing Lu Jiaxin's involvement, it would cause trouble for the first wife's household. The child trafficking issue had already caused enough problems between the first and second wives; Lu Jiaxin didn't want to add more fuel to the fire.
Xiao Qiu agreed that her caution was warranted. If Gen Shang acted on her threat and came to their house, Xiao Qiu's aunt might not get scolded, but her mother would definitely beat her up.
Half an hour later, Lu Jiaxin met with Zaohua on the slope behind the village. The young woman had slightly tanned skin and was about the same height as Lu Jiaxin. Her hair, braided into a single plait, shone with a healthy black luster. However, her face was clouded with worry, and her eyes lacked their usual spark.
Zaohua's eyes widened in surprise at the sight of Lu Jiaxin. Earlier, Xiao Qiu had told her that they needed to speak somewhere more private, so she suggested meeting here as she was on her way to the fields.
Xiao Qiu made the introductions, "Zaohua, this is my cousin. She heard about your excellent grades and your acceptance into the county's top high school, and she wanted to meet you."
Zaohua's face twisted with bitter amusement as she glanced at Lu Jiaxin's fair skin and elegant dress. "What's the point of getting in if I can't even attend?"
"I heard from Xiao Qiu that the suitor your mother has chosen for you isn't very bright, yet she's forcing you to marry him. And now she's using a hunger strike to pressure you," Lu Jiaxin said.
"I won't marry him," Zaohua stated firmly.
Lu Jiaxin cut straight to the heart of the matter. "Can you bear to watch your mother starve herself to death? If she does die, her spit will drown you."
Zaohua's lips quivered, but no words came out. Tears began to fall from her eyes.
Lu Jiaxin remained silent, simply watching her.
Xiao Qiu comforted Zaohua, "Your mother is using this tactic to force you, but your two younger brothers are still so young and unmarried. She wouldn't be able to bear leaving them."
Lu Jiaxin stayed quiet, letting the weight of her words sink in. Even Xiao Qiu understood this logic, and Zaohua, as intelligent as she was, surely grasped it as well. It was now a question of whether she had the courage to stand her ground.
After a long while, Zaohua wiped her tears and said, "You're right. My mother won't be able to bear dying, she's just forcing me to marry that idiot so that our family can have money to build a new house, and my younger brother can get a job. But I'd rather die than marry a fool."
As she spoke, her eyes shone with determination.
Lu Jiaxin offered a suggestion, "If your mother refuses to eat, you can do the same. That way, no one can accuse you of being unfilial."
Xiao Qiu didn't think it was a great idea, but she couldn't come up with a better solution either.
On their way back, Lu Jiaxin noticed the conflicted expression on Xiao Qiu's face and asked with a smile, "What's on your mind? It's better to speak up than to keep it bottled up inside."
Xiao Qiu then shared her thoughts.
"If she gives in and marries him this time, what if her mother comes to their house for help in the future? If they don't help, her mother will threaten suicide again. But if they do help, Zaohua's life in that household might be even more bitter than bitter melon," Lu Jiaxin pointed out.
Xiao Qiu shuddered, realizing that she hadn't thought that far ahead.
"She can't give in," Lu Jiaxin continued. "Otherwise, her life will be over. If Zaohua has the courage to stand up for herself, I'll support her in continuing her studies. But if she chooses to marry him, I won't get involved."
(End of Chapter)
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