“I hurt myself by knocking down,” Liu Dashan mumbled, his head bowed, his gaze fixed on the shadow at his feet. He knew another interrogation was imminent.
A cynical smile touched Xu Ying’s lips. “Liu Dashan, you’re quite the ‘knocker,’ aren’t you? The ‘injuries’ you inflict upon yourself bear a striking resemblance to a beating.”
Liu Dashan’s expression froze. “I want to divorce your aunty . Just give me the child.”
“Little uncle,” Xu Ying began, her voice softening, “the love you and my aunty shared once made us juniors so envious. When you asked for her hand, you swore before my grandparents that you would only ever be kind to her, that you’d never let her suffer any injustice. How little time has passed since then, and now you’re seeking other women, desiring to divorce her? Have you considered what will become of your children if you separate?”
Liu Dashan’s head remained lowered, his face devoid of emotion. Slowly, he spoke, “Give the girl to your aunty, and the boy to me.”
“I will give your your cousin adopt to my eldest brother?” Xu Ying pressed, disbelief coloring her tone. “Can’t they have another child? And your own son… are you truly willing to do this? Aren’t you afraid your child will resent you when he grows up?”
A flicker of guilt and helplessness danced in Liu Dashan’s eyes, quickly vanishing. “I don’t have much ability. If he follows his uncle, his life will certainly be better.”
Xu Ying’s heart sank. It was hopeless. “Come with me to find my cousin. These people are trash and won’t cause any trouble. Let’s go.” She summoned Huo Chen, and together they exited the room.
Outside, Xu Ying stood by the door, her steps deliberate, heavy then light, creating the illusion of distant footsteps. She stopped, and within the room, the men looked out the window, his eyes wary.
As the sounds of footsteps faded, the two men who had been feigning unconsciousness instantly opened their eyes, their gazes threatening as they fixed on Liu Dashan. “Liu Dashan, I’m telling you, be honest. Your parents are still in our hands. If you don’t get your wife and children back quickly, your entire family will perish. Your eldest brother has taken a lot of money from us over the years, so your family can’t escape this mess.”
Liu Dashan’s eyes squeezed shut in agony. He had never imagined that placing his son with his elder brother would lead to such entanglement. If he had known, he would have ensured his child never set foot in his brother’s house.
“The child is still young; he won’t remember any of this. Just let him go. I won’t tell them these things. After all, if I did, something would happen to my elder brother.” Liu Dashan felt as if he had exhausted every ounce of cunning he possessed. Those two men shouldn’t be fooled so easily. Their threats were hollow words; there had to be a weakness they were exploiting.
Liu Dashan’s son was indeed his and his wife’s Achilles’ heel. The traffickers’ inability to penetrate his wife’s protective shield convinced them that their gamble was paying off. Liu Dashan’s eldest brother was a fellow conspirator, ensuring no problems on that front. As long as Liu Dashan and his family were under control, Liushangou would be their domain.
Liushangou was a remote and impoverished village, where finding a wife was a struggle. Without the traffickers, everyone in this desolate place would be condemned to a life of solitude. Initially, they had planned to use a woman to control Liu Dashan, but the couple’s bond proved surprisingly strong. Left with no other choice, they resorted to using the child as leverage.
“Liu Dashan, you’d better be honest with me. If you try any more of your clever tricks, I’ll kill you right here and now!”
“Then let me divorce my wife. She doesn’t know anything; she shouldn’t be involved,” Liu Dashan pleaded, barely concealing his fear.
The man’s face contorted in rage. He lunged, intending to kick Liu Dashan, but his tied legs prevented it. Instead, he spat a mouthful of grime directly at Liu Dashan, a pathetic attempt to vent his fury. “How dare you negotiate terms with me? Don’t forget, your parents are in our hands.”
“Oh, you’re quite bold, aren’t you!” Xu Ying’s icy voice cut through the air as she kicked open the door, revealing the two men sitting on the ground, their expressions contorted in embarrassment. She had heard of human traffickers, even known a few people in her past life whose bright youth had been shattered by them , but she never expected to confront them herself.
The man who had been so arrogant moments before stared at her in horror. “You were tricking us!”
“You’re the one being fooled. Be honest, or I’ll let him kill you.” Xu Ying pointed at Huo Chen. She didn’t fully understand why the two men seemed so terrified of Huo Chen, but she knew she could use that fear to her advantage.
Huo Chen hearing her threat advanced towards the men, and his imposing presence causing them to tremble on the ground right than and there.
After the two men were handed over to Huo Chen, Xu Ying led Liu Dashan to another room. Seeing the myriad scars covering his body, Xu Ying felt a pang of sympathy. “Uncle, if you truly want to save my cousin and your parents, you must tell the truth. These people won’t let you off easily. You think it’ll be safe if you put my cousin with your elder brother? Don’t forget what these people do. They say they won’t change hands, but they’ll sell him.”
A look of horror crossed Liu Dashan’s face, as if this grim possibility had never occurred to him. Yes, these people only thought his son had witnessed something he shouldn’t have, which was why they wanted him back. They claimed he would be adopted by his elder brother, but who knew what fate awaited him once he was returned? Moreover, this group was insidious.
Xu Ying, seeing Liu Dashan’s defenses begin to crumble, continued to press, pushing his fears further. “In reality, they say they want you to take your son back to your elder brother, but they wouldn’t dare take your son back so easily. They’re just forcing you to come up with a solution. After you take him back, they’ll definitely sell my cousin, and perhaps even kill you. If they suspect my aunt knows anything, they might sell her too. After all, my aunt is a woman who can marry again and bear children. Once my aunt is sold, it’ll be my other cousin’s turn. My cousin, so young, married into someone else’s family as a child bride… how pitiful!” Xu Ying feigned sadness, a flicker of genuine concern mixed with her manipulation.
Liu Dashan felt as if he were on a roller coaster, his emotions in turmoil. The thought of his wife and daughter being sold ignited a righteous fury in his otherwise docile heart.
“Yingying,” he stammered, “I’ll tell you. My eldest brother’s son’s death wasn’t an accident at all. It was his elder brother’s new wife who killed him.” Liu Dashan began to reveal everything. His eldest brother’s son, already in his twenties, possessed a carefree spirit. Girls were scarce in the mountains, and those who sought a good match certainly wouldn’t consider a free-spirited man like him. His eldest brother had been considering buying a wife for his son. As fate would have it, a trafficker brought a tall, beautiful woman, and his nephew fell in love at first sight.
The woman initially struggled to escape, but to no avail. Many wives in their village had been bought, so everyone shared the unspoken understanding that any woman who tried to flee would be stopped. Liushangou, nestled amidst towering mountains, had its main road guarded to prevent these purchased wives from escaping. The small paths leading up the mountain offered only a dead end for a helpless, abducted woman.