285: 285 Searched Everywhere (First Update) 285: 285 Searched Everywhere (First Update) Near Lihua Village, many villagers shouted Su Peng’s na, one after the other.
But there was no response.
He Xii’s emotions frayed to the edge.
What should she do if Pengzi couldn’t be found?
To outsiders, Pengzi seed simple-minded, with an uncertain future of whether he could provide for her in old age, but in her heart, Pengzi was her life.
If Pengzi truly disappeared, what was she to do?
“Pengzi has never been one to wander off.
He obediently goes to cut grass for the pigs, obediently cos ho to eat, and doesn’t usually get into trouble,” said the third uncle-great as he took his son to search farther away.
“He Xii, don’t worry too much.
Maybe the child just wandered off playing.
We’re all looking together.”
“Right, right, everyone’s looking,” everyone agreed.
In the 1990s countryside, whenever soone had trouble, the villagers were very united, usually coming together imdiately upon call.
Hearing that Su Peng was missing, everyone ca out.
So searched the fields, others headed towards the hills, and a few went to the nearby villages.
But after searching all the nearby places, they found no trace of Su Peng.
All they found was a basket of pig grass that wasn’t fully packed, with a sickle lying on the ground.
This suggested that Su Peng might have encountered soone and left his tools behind.
“He Xii, didn’t Pengzi’s dad co over once recently and say he wanted to take Pengzi back ho?
Maybe Pengzi went back with his dad?” Given that Pengzi never wandered off, it was unlikely that he would disappear without reason.
“I’ll go to Zhang Family Village and see if Zhang Dacai took Pengzi away,” Old Su the La thought it was possible.
Hearing that Zhang Dacai’s wife had run away from ho with their son, the destitute Zhang Dacai would definitely think of taking Pengzi.
“I’m going,” He Xii said, clutching her flashlight.
“Donghua, co with to Zhang Family Village.
If it really is Zhang Dacai who took Pengzi, I won’t let him off the hook.”
He took Pengzi away without a word.
What was he planning?
Although Ma Donghua was sowhat reluctant, with everyone watching, she couldn’t put it off: “Sister-in-law, it’s not appropriate for two won to go there in the middle of the night.
How about we ask Guisheng to accompany us?”
Lihua Village was quite far from Zhang Family Village, on the eastern side of the town.
The way to Zhang Family Village was filled with hilly roads, rough and uneven, inaccessible by car.
Villagers who wanted to go to market had no choice but to ride bicycles or walk.
It can be said that the elevation of Zhang Family Village, relative to Xiqian Town, was quite high, and even riding a bicycle there from Lihua Village would take close to two hours.
Such a distance, for two won to travel there in the middle of the night, was definitely not safe.
“I’ll go with Guisheng Brother,” Su Wenqing stood up.
“Pengzi is missing now, and the most likely possibility is that he went back with his real father.
We won’t be at ease until we check it out.
I’ll go with Guisheng Brother.”
“Right, let Wenqing go too.
It’s a long journey, and on the way, we can keep looking,” nodding, the third uncle-great agreed.
He Xii, burning with urgency, quickly left for Zhang Family Village with Guisheng and his wife, accompanied by Su Wenqing.
He Xii had left Zhang Family Village years ago and hadn’t been in contact with its residents for many years, which ant she didn’t know if anyone there had telephone access or anything like that, so she had to go and see for herself.
Just as He Xii reached the entrance of the village, she encountered Xiaofeng’s cargo truck.
“Xiaofeng,” seeing Xiaofeng, the tears that had been spinning in He Xii’s eyes fell directly.
“I don’t know if that scoundrel Zhang Dacai took Pengzi back ho.
We’re now heading to Zhang Family Village to see if Pengzi went back with him.”
Xiaofeng jumped down from the truck, took out a handkerchief, and helped wipe her tears.
“Where was big brother working when he went missing?”
“Just not far from the village entrance.
The sickle and the pig grass are all there, but no one knows where he went,” Su Wenqing took over the conversation.
“It’s clear soone called out to him.
Otherwise, Su Peng wouldn’t have left in the middle of his work.”
“You all go check Zhang Family Village.” Xiaofeng couldn’t be sure if Pengzi had gone back to Zhang Family Village or was taken away by soone: “I’ll go to the place Pengzi was working.”
He Xii nodded her head: “What if we can’t find him in Zhang Family Village?”
“Mom, you have to believe big brother will be okay,” she reassured.
“Sister, we better hurry,” Ma Donghua said as she saw Xiaofeng, reminded of the valuable goods Su Dada had left for Xiaofeng, and of her own family being robbed of all their money.
Her heart ached.
Xiaofeng went to the place where Su Peng had been working.
The sickle was still in its original place; the villagers had not touched it, and even the placent of the pig grass hadn’t been disturbed.
Xiaofeng looked around.
It was night, and all around was pitch-dark, nothing could be seen.
She stood at the spot where her elder brother had been working and observed the footprints on the ground, noting several sets of shoe prints in the uncut area to the side.
It looked like there were more than one person’s prints, possibly two, but she couldn’t rule out the villagers having left them while looking for her brother just now.
She approached those two pairs of footprints and followed their direction, seeing a wetland ahead where steps would leave noticeable marks.
She found her brother’s footsteps intersected with those of three other people not far ahead.
That ant her brother hadn’t walked away by himself; he had left with at least two others.
Could it be Zhang Dacai?
But she couldn’t rule out sobody else either.
Thinking of how Wu Family’s misfortune was tied to herself, Xiaofeng’s breath hitched.
It could also be possible that soone wanted her to admit her connection to the Wu Family, had found Zhang Dacai, and had him take Su Peng away—to test her attitude towards her big brother, Su Peng.
Her gaze followed and lifted to see Ye Cheng’s courtyard.
Tie Bao and Chunhua didn’t understand what she was looking at or what she was thinking; they just joined the villagers in looking around.
“Feng,” Guaizi ca running over, “What’s up, have you figured out anything?”
“Dad, have you asked the folks from Shili Village?
Ask them if they’ve seen big brother passing through Shili Village,” she said.
If Zhang Dacai had indeed taken her brother away, he would have had to pass through Shili Village, though it was also possible Zhang Dacai took to the mountains, leaving no trace to be seen.
“There are two houses I haven’t asked,” Guaizi thought for a mont.
“I’ve asked all the others; just two left.”
“Let’s go, we’ll ask together.” Her big brother was too conspicuous a man to simply disappear without a trace.
Xiaofeng knocked on the doors of the other two houses.
The other two households were very welcoming to Xiaofeng, “I know you, you’re Doctor Ye’s wife.
We all went to your wedding.”
The villagers were quite straightforward.
Hearing the word “wife,” Xiaofeng’s face involuntarily turned red, “Big sister, my big brother, he’s very tall and has large eyes.
Did you see him passing through Shili Village this afternoon?”
“This afternoon, when I took my cow out, I saw a black car about five hundred ters from our village entrance.
Although, I didn’t go up to it; I just took my cow down to the riverside to graze and did so farm work in the nearby field.”
Listening to the big sister, Xiaofeng knew she must have seen sothing and listened attentively.
“After a while, I saw two middle-aged n and a young man walking toward the car.
The young man was tall; because it was a bit far, I couldn’t be sure if it was your big brother, but I can say for certain, he got into a black car with those two n,” said the big sister, who was quite a distance from the car and had limited information.
“It’s definitely Pengzi,” Guaizi frowned.
“But how could there be a car?
Could it be soone other than Zhang Dacai?”
Xiaofeng also guessed that her big brother might not have gone with Zhang Dacai.
Then who could it be?
The shadow behind Wu Family’s trouble—if it was them, their taking big brother away might be just to negotiate terms with her.
So, the person who took her big brother would surely contact her soon.
With this thought, she felt more composed.
After thanking the big sister in Shili Village, Xiaofeng and Guaizi headed toward Lihua Village.
“Dad, I think big brother should be alright,” she stated.
Checking the sky, “I need to get back to the city imdiately; I might receive news about big brother.”
The other party wouldn’t likely visit her during the day to negotiate terms; the night was the most advantageous ti, hence they would probably approach her very soon.
Guaizi was sowhat puzzled.
“Xiaofeng, do you know who did this?”
Looking at the sky, Xiaofeng’s face carried a hint of irony.
“Not yet, but I think I’ll know soon.”
“I don’t understand,” Guaizi furrowed his brow.
Xiaofeng’s half-answers were unnerving.
“Dad, I can’t explain right now, but I promise I’ll explain afterwards.
If mom cos back, tell her I know where big brother is and that she shouldn’t worry.” Since big brother got into a black car, he definitely wouldn’t be at Zhang Family village.
Guaizi was still confused.
“I still don’t get it.
Should I go with you?”
“Dad, if I’m not wrong, soone wants to use big brother to negotiate terms with .
If that’s the case, they’ll definitely get in touch with , so I have to go back first.” Xiaofeng hopped onto a truck.
“Dad, you all wait at ho for news, I’ll call as soon as there’s any.”
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