Past
Song Yuhang shook her head and said, It doesnt hurt.
Lin Yan lowered her gaze, not looking at her, and said, Next ti, if theres a next ti, dont indulge like this. Ive never had a good temper to begin with
From childhood to now, nobody ever taught these things. My father only knows how to hold and console Lin Cheng, while for , its either scolding or hitting. The servants always said strict discipline was good for . According to them, hitting ans love, and scolding ans care; he still has a place for in his heart.
I believed it, and I treated people around the sa way until I grew a little older She hesitated for a mont, her long eyelashes trembling. Soone told that its not right to do this, that love should be expressed in the right way, but I cant change now.
Lin Yan gave a bitter smile, saying, So, please dont indulge . I tend to take things too far and exploit the situation.
Song Yuhang stopped her movents, tilted her head slightly to look at her, and softly called her na, Lin Yan.
Whats wrong? Lin Yan wiped away the sweat that had slipped down her cheek.
Song Yuhang tightly held her hand and swallowed nervously, I, I want to kiss you.
Lin Yans expression changed rapidly, and she slapped a towel onto her face and simultaneously kicked her knee hard. Song Yuhang hopped in pain, and the wooden door that hadnt been properly secured ca crashing down on her head, creating a cloud of dust mixed with her cries.
Several people in the room exchanged glances and shook their heads in unison, saying, Captain Song is in quite a miserable state because of a girl.
Fang Xin had an annoyed expression and said, I used to consider Captain Song as my role model when I first entered the municipal bureau. She was the pride of all the female police officers in Jiangcheng. And now, what is this, a Husky?
Duan Cheng observed for a while and said, Its not a Husky; its a milk dog, the kind that only barks at Sister Lin.
Zheng Chengrui adjusted his glasses and made a final judgnt, In life, be like Doctor Lin.
Punch the bullies, kick your superiors, and still have money and influence at ho.
All three of them nodded in agreent, saying, I think youre right.
* * *
After having breakfast and fixing the door, Song Yuhang scooped so water from the well to wash her hands. She used a corner of her own clothes to wipe herself off and then went into the kitchen to assist the elderly woman with her blankets. At the sa ti, she took the opportunity to ask her about the matter.
There was no phone signal in the mountains, and they had lost contact with the outside world. The only way to make calls was with a satellite phone, and Zheng Chengrui was still busy with his computer.
The others all sat down around a brazier to keep warm.
Song Yuhang held the elderly womans hand and inquired, Grandmother, do you have any other relatives? Why dont you live in the city?
At the ntion of this, the elderly womans eyes welled up again. She wiped away a tear and unsteadily got off the kang, fetching a photo album from an old, worn-out chest. She opened it and began turning its pages one by one.
The album was quite worn on the outside, but inside, it was very clean, filled with black and white photographs.
After spending the night, the police officers had picked up so local dialect basics and could barely understand a few words, which they translated for the elderly woman.
Grandmother says that her family is no longer here. This is her husband The police officer pointed to the photo of a man with a crew cut, and the elderly lady nodded, wiping away tears.
This is her daughter The police officer paused again before continuing, She got married and moved to the provincial capital, and she hasnt co back since.
Lin Yan coldly snorted and said, Those heartless creatures might as well be dead outside, who knows.
Song Yuhang pulled her to signal that she shouldnt speak out of turn. Lin Yan was still unwilling, but the other party narrowed her eyes slightly, with a hint of threat in her gaze, and put her index finger to her lips.
I Lin Yan clenched her teeth and swallowed her words.
Song Yuhang then pointed to a photo of a young boy in the pictures and asked, What about this one?
The elderly woman wiped her tears with her hand and shook her head. Fang Xin quickly handed her a piece of paper.
When it ca to her son, the elderly woman was overco with tears, saying, He was seven or eight years old He fell seriously ill, and we couldnt get him to the hospital in ti
The police officer looked at Song Yuhang and relayed the information to her.
Song Yuhang gently patted the elderly womans back to comfort her. Lin Yan took the photo album from the elderly womans lap and continued flipping through it, suddenly pausing.
She seed almost in disbelief, took out her phone, opened the photo album, and looked again. Then she handed her phone and the album to Song Yuhang.
Take a look. Is this the sa person?
Several people gathered around to look.
In the photo, three young n stood shoulder to shoulder, approximately in their early twenties. They were all wearing tank tops, T-shirts, and shorts, with straw hats on their heads, and the background was a vast expanse of golden farmland.
The two on the left and right looked remarkably similar, clearly brothers, while the one in the middle was holding a piece of dogtail grass, displaying a sowhat carefree and unrestrained expression. His facial features bore a striking resemblance to the picture on Lin Yans phone.
It was a young Yu Xinye from years ago.
The elderly woman looked at the photo on the phone, and with a hint of surprise, she exclaid, Ah, this is my nephew
Truly a case of finding sothing when you least expect it, and without much effort.
Song Yuhang was slightly excited as she asked, Are you sure? Did your nephew also die in the mine disaster twenty years ago?
The elderly woman, with hesitation, nodded and, looking at the people in uniforms in the room, she grabbed Song Yuhangs hand and asked in the local dialect, What happened to Ye Wazi?
Several people exchanged glances, and Song Yuhang reassured her, Its nothing. Were just conducting a routine inquiry. So, over these years, with no close relatives and limited inco, how have you been managing your life?
At this point, a hint of contentnt appeared on the elderly womans face, The governnt provides subsistence allowance, and the crops I grow are enough to eat. Besides my daughter-in-law sends things to the towns post office from ti to ti
Song Yuhang touched the blanket on the bed and asked, Is this from her as well?
The elderly woman nodded and said, Ah a couple of tis.
Since Yu Xinye had a wife, why isnt she listed in the household registration? Lin Yan keenly noticed a discrepancy.
The elderly woman blushed slightly and replied, They got married early, and at that ti, in the countryside, marriage certificates werent common. They celebrated with a simple feast.
Song Yuhang pointed to the remaining two young n in the photo and asked her, What about these two?
The elderly woman looked at the photo, her expression showing a hint of nostalgia.
Her son passed away early, and her daughter married young. They relied on her nephew and herself to manage their ten-plus acres of farmland, working from dawn till dusk, day in and day out.
This continued until those two educated youth arrived in Xiaohe Village.
During that ti, they promoted the system of responsibility for contracted land and collective farming. As orphans and a widow, nobody was willing to help them.
Auntie, once we finish plowing this acre, we can head back and rest. With the moon high in the sky, Yu Xinye wiped the sweat from his forehead and continued digging with a spade.
Hey! What would you like to eat when we get back? Auntie will cook for you.
Too much trouble, just have so noodles.
As they were talking, laughter ca from the field across the road.
So locals were teasing the newly arrived educated youth.
Look at this tender young one, are you a girl?
Oh my, look at you, youre even blushing!
Get lost! Dont touch my little brother!
As the boy cried out in distress, the young woman, who was still in her pri, grabbed a sickle and rushed out, shouting, Hey?! Whats going on here? Youre done with your work? Bullying city folks who have no sha, are you?!
Well, if it isnt the old widow. Several young people begrudgingly withdrew their hands. Yu Xinye also jumped up to the field and wiped the sweat from his forehead with a towel.
Hurry up and leave, or Ill report you to the village head.
Alright, well count you as tough. The leader of the troublemakers shoved the young man they were bothering, then spat on the ground a few tis before swaggering away.
Younger brother, are you okay?
The boy lying on the ground had a big bruise on his forehead. He shook his head and, without a word, returned to his own field, just like the elderly woman and the young child.
If youre fine, then get up. We wont have food tomorrow if we dont finish our work today. The older boy helped him up.
They worked until the moon gradually set, and as they were preparing to finish for the day, the other group was still busy in their field.
The young boy who had been beaten turned back to look, but the older one pulled him forward.
Lets go, lets go, its ti to go back to sleep.
The younger boy stopped in his tracks, Brother, lets go help them.
Eh, you Before he could finish his sentence, the younger boy had already grabbed a hoe and jumped down.
Auntie, Ive co to help you.
And so, the two brothers tended to their assigned fields during the day, and at night, they secretly helped the others. Yu Xinye would step in to assist when he saw them being mistreated, and Auntie Yu, noticing they couldnt cook and were getting thin from hunger, would share her limited food supply with them, often inviting them over for als.
Over ti, they beca good friends with Yu Xinye. For the two young n, who were thousands of miles away from ho, Yu Xinye was not only a friend but Auntie Yu was like family to them.
In that era, the connections between strangers were quite miraculous. Sotis, it could be just a caring word, a bowl of warm porridge, or a helping hand in tis of difficulty that ford the most significant warmth and concern in the hearts of two young people from the city.
As the elderly woman thought about this, she felt a bit sentintal and her eyes moistened. They they are all Ye Wazis friends The three of them got along so well they could wear the sa pants.
Song Yuhang nodded and handed the elderly woman a piece of paper and a pen. Grandmother, can you write?
The elderly woman nodded, saying, I can a little.
Could you please write down the nas of your nephews wife and the nas of Yu Xinyes two friends so that we can verify them?
The elderly woman started feeling sowhat uneasy and hesitant. What What does this an?
Lin Yan was about to speak but hesitated. Song Yuhang spoke first, spreading a well-intentioned lie, Its nothing, we work in the countys household registration departnt. Were conducting a population census and, as a part of it, were also looking into the stories of the educated youth who went to the countryside back then for promotional purposes.
The elderly woman didnt quite understand, but she thought that promoting sothing was a good thing, so she took a pen and began writing.
Lin Yan signaled to her with her eyes, as if to say, Can you tell a lie without feeling guilty?
Song Yuhang gave a wry smile and said, What if, instead, we tell her that her nephews wife and her nephews good friends might be involved in a series of murders?
The elderly woman would have had a heart attack right then and there.
After she finished writing, they took a look. The elderly womans handwriting was quite ssy, and it took a while for them to decipher it.
Song Yuhang asked, Is your nephews wife nad Wei Fengzhen?
The elderly woman nodded repeatedly, saying, Ah, ah.
Song Yuhang pointed to the boy on the left and said, The older brother is called
Her pupils suddenly constricted, and she said, Li Hai.
And the younger brother is called Li Yang?!
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