"This is not the place to talk. If you want to know the truth, follow me!"
With that, Xu Damao turned and walked away. Qin Jingru shouted from behind, "Of course I want to get to the bottom of this," and chased after him. A cunning smirk flickered across Xu Damao’s face.
That night, He Yuzhu was fast asleep when he was startled awake by a knocking at his door. Thinking it was He Yushui returning, he opened the door, only to find Qin Huairu standing there. Her expression was complex. "Shazhu, where is Jingru?"
She assumed Qin Jingru had stayed the night at Shazhu's place. The thought of them being together alone stirred a sense of jealousy in her, but after much hesitation, she had eventually decided to knock. Of course, she told herself that they weren't married yet, and she couldn't allow anything improper to happen, lest people point fingers at them.
"She went home a long time ago."
"She went home?" Qin Huairu stared at He Yuzhu with a meaningful look.
"She really went home!" He Yuzhu finally fully regained his senses. He was puzzled; surely Qin Huairu wouldn't joke about something like this? Could she be lying to him? A thought flashed through his mind: perhaps she was faking a scandal between him and Qin Jingru to blow it out of proportion. If that were true, he would be in trouble. While it seemed unlikely, the possibility wasn't zero.
He Yuzhu turned cautious. If such a thing happened, his chances of finding a wife in the near future would be ruined. Suddenly, he remembered something. *Could she have been taken away by Xu Damao?* The plot seemed to have shifted, yet the trajectory remained the same. He remembered that in the original version, he was supposed to take Qin Jingru home, but Xu Damao would intercept her and trick her away. He Yuzhu had no intention of ending up as someone who "lost the girl and the battle too."
"Go and see if Xu Damao is home. My sister might have been taken by him!"
"What?" Qin Huairu turned anxious. If Qin Jingru had really been with He Yuzhu… although it made her uncomfortable, she could accept it for the sake of the kids. But if that scoundrel Xu Damao took advantage of her, that would be a huge loss. What kind of person was Xu Damao? A man who would eat you alive without leaving a bone. If he really got together with Qin Jingru, he would never help her family.
Qin Huairu rushed to Xu Damao’s house and knocked loudly on the door. No one answered, even after she knocked for a long time, but the noise stirred up the neighbors. An Elder Uncle arrived first. "What is going on? Why are you knocking in the middle of the night?"
"Elder Uncle," Qin Huairu said, turning to him, "my sister is missing."
"What? How is that possible?"
"I don’t know. After we got back from the movie, she said she was going to sit with Shazhu. I waited until bedtime, and when she didn't come back, I came looking for her."
"She isn't at Shazhu’s house, and he says she might have been taken by Xu Damao, but Xu Damao is gone too," added First Uncle.
"If that’s the case, is it possible she was really taken by Xu Damao?" First Uncle asked, puzzled.
"But it’s so late, where could they have gone?"
The two looked at each other, both feeling a sense of unease. Qin Huairu feared Qin Jingru would be taken advantage of, while First Uncle feared a major incident in the courtyard. By now, many neighbors had gathered.
"What’s happening? Can't a person sleep in the middle of the night?"
"Shazhu, did you cause trouble again?"
"Qin Huairu, why are you crying? Did Shazhu bully you?"
People were whispering. "Quiet, everyone! Don't let the other courtyards hear!" First Uncle hurried to stop them and explained the situation.
"If you put it that way, it really does seem like that," Third Aunt chimed in. "Right before I went to bed and was about to lock the gate, Xu Damao said he was going out. I was so tired that I only saw someone following him, but I couldn't see who it was. It looked like the young Qin girl."
Qin Huairu panicked. "Uncle, what should we do? Our Jingru is an innocent girl!"
First Uncle paced back and forth, unable to think of a solution. Second Uncle stepped forward and said, "Xu Damao is a bad man, he’d lie to the whole courtyard. It’s so late, and he doesn't have a vehicle. I don't think he could have gone far. They must be at a nearby inn."
First Uncle said, "Then what are we waiting for? Let’s all go look for her!"
"I suggest you don't make a fuss," He Yuzhu interjected. "Not to mention how dark and difficult the road is, even if you find a small inn, do you think they'll let you in without a referral letter?" He Yuzhu had been thinking about how to deal with Xu Damao; small slaps on the wrist wouldn't hurt or stop him. This was a perfect opportunity to make him suffer a major loss so he would stop coveting innocent women and causing harm.
"Shazhu, you’re just talking. What do you suggest we do?"
"People should look and ask around, but the most important thing is to report this to the police station."
"Is that a good idea? I heard the officer, Xiao Zhang, say that for missing persons, they don't open a case until 24 hours have passed."
"Don't worry about that, I’m very familiar with him!"
"When it comes to being street-smart in this courtyard, it’s gotta be Shazhu!"
Hearing this, Qin Huairu walked over to He Yuzhu. "Shazhu, then hurry and go report it!"
"Alright. Second Uncle, I'll leave the search arrangements to you. Whoever gets news should call the police station." He Yuzhu knew Second Uncle loved managing such things, so he handed the task over directly. Second Uncle accepted the duty happily. Then, He Yuzhu took First Uncle and Qin Huairu to the police station.
He Yuzhu brought them to the nearby station and found Xiao Zhang, the officer on duty. Xiao Zhang was working that night and stood up immediately when he saw them. First Uncle was highly respected, and over the last six months, He Yuzhu had improved his standing, getting along well with everyone. He especially made sure to slip Xiao Zhang small gifts, keeping him on good terms.
After they sat down, He Yuzhu briefly explained the situation. Xiao Zhang stood up immediately. "This is abduction of a woman; the nature of the crime is serious!" Xiao Zhang was still a probationary officer and needed a meritorious achievement to get confirmed. Opportunities were rare; if he cracked this case, it would be a major credit. Thinking this, he immediately suggested investigating.
"Let’s go, we'll go together," He Yuzhu and the others stood up.
On the way, He Yuzhu analyzed, "Xu Damao is cunning. He wouldn't pick a nearby inn, and he doesn't have a way to go far, plus he’s impatient." First Uncle nodded in agreement. "That makes sense. There are three inns nearby; Second Uncle and the others are likely looking there, so we don't need to go. There’s the Dahua Hotel and Xilai Inn further away. Shall we check those?"
He Yuzhu knew exactly what he was doing and didn't want to waste effort. "Uncle, that makes sense. I remember the textile factory has an affiliated guesthouse. It’s nice and cheap. I think we should start there."
"Now that you mention it, that might be it." Xiao Zhang immediately said, "Let’s go to the textile factory guesthouse!"
The four men walked quickly to the guesthouse and banged on the door. The attendant was startled to see an officer in uniform and immediately sobered up. In those days, people rarely checked into rooms without proper documentation, but it wasn't unheard of. Xu Damao had snuck in, and since Qin Jingru had no ID, they had to bribe the attendant to get a room. The attendant never expected to run into such trouble.
"C-comrade, I was wrong! This is the money they gave me..." Before Xiao Zhang could speak, the attendant confessed everything.
Qin Huairu was impatient. "Hurry up! Don't dawdle! If we’re any later, my sister will suffer."
The attendant grabbed the keys, and the group headed to the second floor. He Yuzhu felt a strange sense of excitement; he hadn't expected such drama in his mundane life. When they reached the door, the attendant hesitated, but Xiao Zhang urged him to open it. He had no choice but to use the key.
Hearing the commotion, Xu Damao scrambled to pull up his trousers and poked his head out. When he saw Xiao Zhang and He Yuzhu, he panicked and retreated. Inside, Qin Jingru was only in her undergarments, her outer clothes already off. Seeing so many people, even a thick-skinned person would blush. She buried her face in the pillow and sobbed.
Xu Damao tightened his belt and smiled. "Xiao Zhang, this is a misunderstanding!"
Xiao Zhang looked at him coldly. "A misunderstanding? What kind of misunderstanding? Is she your wife? Do you have a marriage certificate?" He stepped forward. "Be honest. You know the policy: leniency for those who confess, severity for those who resist."
"Uncle, please help me. I just couldn't control my impulses for a moment. Besides, this was mutual!"
"Bullshit! Mutual? My sister is from the country, she doesn't know anything. You brought her out this late; you must have tricked her!"
"Yes, yes! He said he would tell me about an improper relationship between my sister and Shazhu. He brought me here and forced me to take off my clothes!" Qin Jingru blurted out, ignoring Xu Damao.
Qin Huairu pointed at Xu Damao and cursed, "You were never a good person, but I didn't expect you to be this despicable!"
"Sister Qin, it’s not like that! We’re neighbors, help me!" Xu Damao turned to First Uncle for help. As First Uncle opened his mouth, He Yuzhu tugged at his sleeve. Seeing He Yuzhu shake his head, First Uncle stayed silent.
Realizing things were going wrong, Xu Damao knelt at He Yuzhu’s feet. "Brother Zhu, it was my fault. Just treat it like I let out a fart. I'll listen to you from now on."
He Yuzhu kicked him away. "Stay away from me. I thought you were just small-minded; I didn't realize you were this kind of trash. Don't say you know me again, or I’ll beat you every time I see you."
Xiao Zhang stepped forward. "Let’s go." Xu Damao began to cry.
The next morning, He Yuzhu slept in. After returning the night before, he had a few drinks and was too excited to sleep until late. It didn't matter, though; his schedule was different from the factory workers. They had to be in by eight, but he only had to be there for lunch. The chopping and washing were handled by others, so arriving by ten-thirty was fine.
He washed up and had breakfast, calm and unhurried. He didn't have to worry when he left the house. In the past, seeing Xu Damao and Qin Huairu would have annoyed him, but now Qin Huairu was at work, and Xu Damao had been sent to the station. He’d heard that Xu Damao was arrested for attempted crime; it was serious, but not enough for a prison sentence. With He Yuzhu’s encouragement, Xiao Zhang had agreed to push for a punishment of labor reform.
Finally, he could enjoy a relaxed life. The thought made He Yuzhu feel incredibly content. He calculated that this was the perfect time to slowly woo Lou Xiaoe. With his charm, maybe she would be willing to be his virtuous wife. She looked like she could bear children well—otherwise, why would she have gotten pregnant after just once? Of course, He Yuzhu didn't want too many; two or three kids would be plenty.