Early the next morning, a large crowd gathered at the edge of the village to watch as Su Zhiguo and Liu Fang were brought back. They were there to undergo legal education from the Public Security Bureau, which served as a learning opportunity for the rest of the villagers as well.
The investigation into the case had concluded: it was Liu Kun who had masterminded the plot to sell Su Qianli. His motive stemmed from a recent desire to go into business without having the necessary capital. When he heard his sister, Liu Fang, mention that she was sending Su Qianli up the mountain to gather wild game the following day, he concocted a plan to set an ambush and abduct her. As for what to tell people when Su Qianli went missing, he had already prepared a story about taking her on a matchmaking visit—everything had been under his control.
Su Zhiguo: ...Control, my foot. He felt like killing someone. During the two days of detention, no one had cared whether his own backside could handle the ordeal of being held at the Public Security Bureau. Since learning that her brother had taken all the blame upon himself and was to be sent to the Northwest Farm, Liu Fang had wept uncontrollably; now, she remained in sullen silence.
Su Fengchun stood at the back of the crowd. Since he knew nothing of the plot, the Public Security Bureau had not bothered him. However, he didn't dare approach, terrified of being noticed and subjected to the pointing fingers of the villagers.
Although Su Zhiguo and Liu Fang were not formally charged, the social fallout was severe. Greed for a dowry, failure to judge character, and forcing a marriage against a woman's will were all considered intolerable. They were required to write letters of self-criticism and demonstrate a profound understanding of their wrongdoings before the matter could be closed. The Brigade Leader was tasked with supervising this, and the police officers departed.
The Brigade Leader had no desire to say much more. Seeing the withered, defeated states of Su Zhiguo and Liu Fang, he knew they had suffered at the bureau. He called Su Fengchun over and told him to help his parents home, noting that the self-criticism letters could wait a few days.
As the remaining villagers began to gossip, their voices grew louder, paying no mind to the fact that Su Zhiguo’s family had not yet gone far.
Wang Fengqiu: "Heh, I never imagined Liu Fang's brother would be so ruthless as to engage in human trafficking—and selling his own brother-in-law's niece at that."
Blind Granny clicked her tongue twice. "If you ask me, Liu Fang and Su Zhiguo aren't any better. They say 'birds of a feather flock together.' It’s just a shame for Li; with relatives like that, she’ll be picked clean sooner or later."
Auntie Zhao fanned the flames. "Exactly. They’ve been eyeing Li’s house for ages. As soon as Old Man Su passed away, they tried to seize it, using the excuse of 'arranging a match' for her. They really never gave up."
The surrounding older women and young wives nodded in agreement, all feeling a deep pity for Li.
Meanwhile, Su Qianli was sprawled out, sleeping soundly and utterly oblivious.
Meng Jinxiao, who had learned of the case’s conclusion, suddenly received orders for a mission and was preparing to head to the neighboring province. For some reason, he felt a strong urge to confirm the girl’s condition and tell her himself about the fate of Liu Kun and his cohorts. Still, he figured someone else would tell her; he was just worrying for nothing. Casting a glance toward the village, Meng Jinxiao turned and departed with his brothers down a small path.
Su Qianli slept until two in the afternoon, waking only because she was starving. After rushing out of bed, she made a simple bowl of porridge and paired it with some pickles, feeling content in body and spirit.
She didn't go out that afternoon. The past few days had been so packed with events that it felt as if some invisible hand were manipulating everything behind the scenes. Furthermore, she needed to think carefully about how to find the whereabouts of the Jade Cicada from her uncle. Asking directly would surely yield no results; she could already imagine him claiming it was lost or sold. Since she had no proof, there was nothing anyone could do—otherwise, her grandfather and grandmother would have spoken of the Jade Cicada before they died. This also suggested that the artifact had likely been missing for a very long time.
Su Qianli was curious: how did her uncle even know about the Jade Cicada in the first place? Who else knew? And later, how did the original owner’s birth parents find out she was in this small mountain village? These were all questions she needed to weigh carefully, as her life depended on them. She was currently powerless and penniless, making her an easy target for anyone malicious. Therefore, she had to find out where the Jade Cicada was, and earning money had to be made a priority.
"Knock, knock, knock..."
Someone was rapping at the outer gate. Su Qianli pulled herself from her thoughts and headed outside.
"Li, are you awake?" Auntie Zhao's voice drifted in.
Su Qianli immediately replied, "Coming, Auntie Zhao, I’m opening the gate now."
Suddenly, Su Qianli stiffened. She remembered that she was still playing the role of the "little simpleton," and her recent response had clearly not been her usual style. Her hand trembled as she opened the gate, hoping Auntie Zhao wouldn't notice the change.
As the gate swung open, Auntie Zhao reached out to touch Su Qianli’s forehead, then checked her own. She sighed with relief. "Thank goodness you’re alright. I came to bring you lunch at noon, but I couldn't get an answer no matter how hard I called. It scared me to death; I was afraid you’d fainted again or something worse had happened. Luckily, when I called out under your window, you were at least able to tell me you were 'sleepy,' so I had to leave and let you rest."
Auntie Zhao led Su Qianli back into the house, placed the basket she was carrying onto the table, and took out two steamed buns and a bowl of stewed chicken with mushrooms, which were still steaming.
The scent of chicken instantly filled her nasal passages. Her body’s instincts kicked in, and she began to salivate uncontrollably. Without waiting for Auntie Zhao to insist, Su Qianli took a bite of the bun and then shoved a piece of chicken into her mouth. She swallowed after only a few chews, sighing, "This is so fragrant! It tastes so good!"
Su Qianli’s intoxicated expression delighted Auntie Zhao, who smiled and said, "You poor child, you must be starving. Everything tastes good when you're this hungry."
Only Su Qianli knew that the chicken was truly delicious—the meat was tender and juicy, needing very little seasoning. Every bite was satisfying, a taste that modern food simply couldn't compare to. In no time at all, the buns and the chicken were gone, and she even used a piece of bun to mop up the remaining broth in the bowl. It was, in a word, satisfying.
After finishing, Su Qianli didn't forget to thank her. "Thank you, Auntie Zhao. I haven't had a meal this good in a long time."
Hearing this, Auntie Zhao was momentarily speechless. Thinking of the girl living here all alone, she felt truly sorry for her. She said earnestly, "If you don't feel like cooking in the future, just come to my house. Don't worry about what other people say; what you get into your own stomach is what really matters."
In the past, she and some of her friends had brought food to Li, but later, people would gossip that she was a freeloader, and some children even warned Li from afar not to go to their homes to eat. That was when Li learned that taking food from others wasn't right, and she had refused gifts ever since.
Today, Li was very different; she was willing to be close to people. It made Auntie Zhao feel as if things had returned to the time when Old Man Su and his wife were still alive—Li seemed to have become much brighter.