Chapter 4 – Escape III

When the wooden plank over the basement was lifted again, the girls huddled below raised their heads in terror. Only after seeing it was Wei Ci did they relax and release their tight grip on the children’s mouths.

The little ones didn’t understand anything. From the moment they woke up, they had been crying for their mothers and grandmothers. Left with no choice, the older girls had to cover their mouths to stop them from drawing the traffickers down.

“Come out! Quickly!”

The knockout drug would only last for four hours. They had to use this window to escape—otherwise, all that time she’d spent shivering in the cold wind would have been wasted.

The girls’ eyes lit up. They first carried the children out, then carefully climbed up one by one, moving cautiously so as not to attract attention from above.

“Comrade, how do we get out of here?”

The sudden voice startled everyone. They quickly glanced around, and after confirming no one else was nearby, they finally sighed in relief.

“Comrade Meng, keep your voice down.”

A petite girl tugged at Meng Wa’s sleeve, signaling her not to speak so loudly.

Meng Wa withdrew her doubtful gaze from the front yard and nodded absentmindedly, but her attention soon shifted back to Wei Ci, who was holding the feverish boy. She couldn’t understand what Wei Ci had done to make those men suddenly fall silent.

Wei Ci waved her hand, signaling everyone to follow her. She led them to a collapsed corner of the yard, where an old cave-like hole had never been repaired. It wasn’t big, but it was wide enough for them to crawl through.

One after another, the girls crawled out, carrying the children, crouching low and moving carefully behind Wei Ci. After a few turns, they reached a secluded alley.

“From here, does anyone know the way?”

The girls emerged one by one. After surveying the surroundings, the petite girl’s face lit up with excitement, and she raised her hand.

“I know this place! This used to be the side residence of the Di family. Later they fell into ruin, their house smashed apart, half demolished. If we cross this alley and go two more streets, there’s a police station there!”

(Note: In 1946, public security offices were first called “Public Security Bureaus.” In 1948, they were renamed “Public Security Stations,” and in 1950, “Police Stations.”)

Police station? That must be this world’s version of a magistrate’s office. What a strange name.

Still, she had to admit—the traffickers had chosen their hideout well. The most dangerous place was often the safest. Hiding right under the authorities’ noses—bold, but clever.

With someone leading the way, they quickened their pace toward the police station.

That day, the Xiangyun Police Station was destined to be anything but quiet. First, several families had already reported their children missing—a case serious enough on its own. Then, right as the officers were investigating, a group of girls carrying children burst in, saying they themselves had been kidnapped. To top it all off, they even led the police directly to the traffickers’ den, letting them arrest the whole gang in one swoop.

“Name.”

“Wei Ci.”

“Sex.”

“Female.”

“Where do you live? How were you abducted? Explain everything clearly from the beginning.”

Wei Ci sat obediently in the chair, her peach-blossom eyes sparkling. She looked so well-behaved that the female officer taking notes felt her heart soften.

But Wei Ci was lost—she honestly didn’t know where she lived.

“I only know the village was called Magoutun. Everyone there had the surname Wei or Ling.”

The two officers were surprised. A village girl? She didn’t look the part at all.

Her washed face was fair as jade, her features delicate, her mannerisms refined, like a noble young lady from an old wealthy household. Could someone like her really be from a rural village?

Ignoring their doubts, Wei Ci thought for a moment, then added seriously:

“I was sold off by my own brother—for two big yuan notes.”

As she spoke, she raised two slender, white fingers, nodding earnestly to emphasize the point.

The male and female officers exchanged looks, both surprised yet not entirely shocked.

It was surprising—how could someone this beautiful, with such a pure, pampered aura, be sold off?

But then again, perhaps not so surprising. With her fairy-like looks, wasn’t it inevitable she’d become a target? For some reason, a wave of complicated emotion rose in their hearts, and their gazes toward her carried a touch of sympathy.

In the past two or three years, natural disasters had struck repeatedly. While they didn’t know the exact situation elsewhere, here food was scarce, and famine was taking its toll. Rumors said that in some production brigades, people had already begun starving to death.

In fact, among the women and children they had rescued from traffickers recently, some of the women had been sold off by their own families. After being rescued, some were rejected by their kin, while others swore they’d rather die than return to their original homes.

“By the way,” Wei Ci suddenly added, “among the girls who escaped with us, one named Meng Wa—I suspect she’s also a trafficker.”

She had noticed from the beginning that something about the girl wasn’t right. When the others were thrown into the basement, they were all unconscious—but Meng Wa was wide awake. Not only that, while everyone else had been tossed down roughly, she was gently lowered.

When Wei Ci freed herself from the ropes, Meng Wa was surprised, yes, but not happy. Throughout, she had deliberately created noises, as though trying to attract the traffickers’ attention. She even seemed overly familiar with the courtyard.

When Wei Ci pulled the others up, no one else knew where the traffickers were hiding—but Meng Wa had turned her head precisely toward the very room they were in.

Laying out all her suspicions clearly, Wei Ci felt a weight lift from her chest. Her little face even brightened with a smile. Secretly, she praised herself: wasn’t this what Aunt had described as being a “white lotus saintess”?

Aunt: “Is this what I taught you? Did you even understand what I meant? Who told you this is what a saintly white lotus does?”

The two officers questioning her immediately grew serious. After a few rapid-fire questions, they hurried out of the room to verify the information.

Wei Ci sat primly in her chair, looking the picture of obedience. Her round eyes followed the people moving back and forth, filled with such blatant curiosity that anyone could see it.

So this is what Aunt meant by ‘uniform temptation’? she wondered. I don’t see what’s so appealing. Doesn’t look half as impressive as one of Aunt’s lovers in armor.

“Waaah!”

A boy’s wailing cry suddenly split the air, nearly deafening. The entire station was thrown into chaos. Medical staff and officers alike scrambled to soothe him, but no matter what they did, his sobs only grew hoarser. Those with even a shred of empathy had red-rimmed eyes from listening.

“If he keeps crying like this, his throat won’t hold out—he’ll bleed.”

Wei Ci, curious, poked her head through a gap in the crowd to take a peek at the noisy little rascal… Hm, he looked familiar. Wasn’t this the feverish boy she had carried back?

Just as he was bawling at the top of his lungs, he suddenly seemed to spot something. The cries cut off instantly. Before anyone could react, the boy leapt from the bed and dove straight into Wei Ci’s arms—knocking the unsteady girl down hard onto her rear.

“Ouch!”

“Oh heavens! Be careful!”

“Hold her up!”

The room erupted into a fresh wave of chaos.

When things finally calmed, Wei Ci sat expressionless, holding the boy who now rested quietly in her lap. They stared at each other—big eyes meeting small ones.

“…Mama.”

The sweet, childish voice melted everyone’s hearts—everyone except Wei Ci, who looked utterly lifeless.

“Big sister,” she corrected flatly.

“Mama.” (✧◡✧)！！

“Big sister.”

“Mama.” (✧◡✧)！！

Wei Ci: …?

Everyone else: pfft—hahahaha!

Deflated, Wei Ci slumped, her face collapsing into despair.

“How could I possibly be your mother? I’m only sixteen! You’re already four!”

To prove her point, she held up four slim fingers. “Even if I tried, I couldn’t have had a kid this big when I was twelve!”

But the little fellow didn’t care what she said. He clung to his “mama,” giggling after every call, until Wei Ci’s temper simply evaporated.

Aunt, I’ve finally seen what you meant by ‘bratty kids’… (ᇂ_ᇂ|||)