Chapter 8: “Manman Gets Caught by Human Traffickers”

Summer swallowed the last bite of her steamed bun, then smiled with a little dimple on her cheek. “Mom bought us breakfast before she left. She’ll probably be back before noon. We’ll pack our things and leave for the train station as soon as she gets back.”

Looking at his little sister’s innocent smile, Manman silently swallowed his worries. Even the thought of the meat-filled bun he’d been longing for no longer seemed appealing.

After finishing their breakfast, the two little ones swiftly packed their bags. There were only two or three items, patched up and stacked together.

The house was empty, with nothing of value to bring along. They brought two broken stools and sat in the living room, side by side.

Their dark, round eyes never once blinked as they stared at the door, waiting for their mother’s return.

Waiting was always the most agonizing part.

As the sun gradually rose higher, various noises from the apartment complex filtered in, and the light in the siblings’ eyes slowly dimmed.

“Manman, do you think mom will run into Grandma?” Summer asked.

“Silly, you should be calling me ‘Big Brother’,” Manman absentmindedly reassured her, “Jiang Ningning promised us she would keep her word.”

His voice lacked the usual confidence.

Summer twisted her fingers and slowly blinked her long eyelashes, fighting back the tears that were threatening to fall.

Her small, tender voice sounded full of helplessness. “But Mom promised not to give Grandma money before. Every time Grandma comes, Mom always breaks her promises.”

A brief, uncomfortable silence hung in the air.

Thinking of all the times his mother had broken her promises, Manman suddenly clenched his fists, turned, and ran toward the door.

“Summer, stay here and look after the house. I’m going to sell the junk I picked up yesterday.”

He couldn’t just sit and wait anymore.

Even if his mother broke her word, he would still find a way to take his sister and leave.

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It was just past 7:30 when Jiang Ningning arrived at the textile factory.

Director Liu from the street office, along with his young son and Zhu Changguang, had been waiting for some time. As they looked up, they saw a graceful woman walking towards them from across the street, looking like a celestial being.

Her features were finely sculpted, and her skin was translucent and fair, standing out in the otherwise dull, dark-colored world around her.

Walking down the street, Jiang Ningning seemed a little out of breath, her pale face flushed with a soft pink.

Her body, accustomed to staying indoors, was weak and lacked exercise—she really wasn’t in the best shape.

“You’re the mother of Manman and Summer?” Director Liu’s gaze was full of scrutiny.

No wonder the twins always said their mom wasn’t well. He had thought they were just making excuses, but now he saw it was true—Jiang Ningning really did look frail.

Her waist was so thin it seemed like a gust of wind could break it.

Jiang Ningning hesitated for a moment, then smiled slightly, “Thank you, Director Liu, for always looking after them.”

She deliberately tilted her head and coughed lightly, putting on a weak, fragile expression. “It’s all my fault; I’m just useless.”

Director Liu had likely seen the siblings picking up trash before and knew a bit about the Jiang family’s situation. He probably had some complaints about her being a mother, given their circumstances.

Jiang Ningning didn’t want to create more problems with the issue of selling the job, so she quickly thought of a plan and pretended to be weak and helpless, as if it wasn’t her choice.

Sure enough, Director Liu’s gaze softened, and he no longer looked at her with the same sharpness.

“Work’s about to start, and Manager Ma has already arranged everything. We should quickly finalize the transfer procedures,” Zhu Changguang urged.

Jiang Ningning was so striking that even in the short time they stood there, people passing by couldn’t help but glance in their direction.

The group stopped delaying and walked toward the factory.

The manager of the textile factory, Manager Ma, didn’t waste any words. He immediately pulled three forms out of his drawer, handed them over for signatures, and stamped them. The job was transferred just like that.

Zhu Changguang, holding the job offer, trembled with excitement. He carefully folded it and put it into his jacket pocket.

By the time he left the office, the transaction between Jiang Ningning and Director Liu was also coming to an end.

Director Liu, true to his refined nature, had his youngest son carry a bamboo basket of dried vegetables, which he claimed was to let her taste something fresh from his hometown in the mountains. In reality, the money and tickets were hidden at the bottom of the basket.

In addition, he had given her a letter of introduction. This was all thanks to Zhu’s eldest sister-in-law’s careful handling.

“I’ll carry it,” Zhu Changguang said.

Both Zhu Changguang and his wife were warm-hearted people. He easily slung the bamboo basket over his back, as if it weighed nothing at all.

Jiang Ningning smiled as she said, “Thank you, Changguang, but you should head off first. I need to go to the supply and marketing cooperative to buy some things for the train. Also, Xiaxia and Manman don’t even have proper cotton clothes, so I need to buy them each a set.”

The supply and marketing cooperative was just at the end of the street, not far.

Zhu Changguang kindly offered, “I’ll help you carry the things.”

Jiang Ningning had a lot of things to buy, so she didn’t refuse, calculating she could buy some more snacks and let him carry those as well.

On weekdays, the cooperative wasn’t crowded, and though the supplies weren’t as plentiful as in later years, the essentials were sufficient.

Jiang Ningning scanned the various items in the window, everything seeming so novel to her. These were things she had only seen in TV dramas before.

For example, sanitary napkins, which were packaged similarly to playing cards. The osmanthus cake was made from pure white sugar, soft, sticky, delicate, and sweet.

There were also Seagull shampoo, plastic slippers, electric firecrackers, mesh bags, aluminum lunch boxes…

Many country bumpkins, like her, who had never seen such things, were fascinated. However, no one had a more outstanding face than Jiang Ningning. Plus, with her generous spending, the sales clerks were exceptionally patient with her.

It wasn’t until close to noon that Jiang Ningning reluctantly finished shopping.

When they left the cooperative, Zhu Changguang’s back was weighed down by the full bamboo basket, and his waist was bent over.

This sight immediately drew curious glances from passersby. Zhu Changguang, feeling shy, suggested, “I know a shortcut through the tube building, just turn into that alley ahead.”

Even though the winter sun was still warm, Jiang Ningning’s face turned red from the sun. She agreed to his suggestion and walked ahead, entering the alley.

To avoid any suspicion, they walked one after the other, leaving a meter of space between them.

When they turned the corner of the alley, the gray tube building appeared in front of them.

At that moment, Jiang Ningning noticed Manman, who should have been at home, struggling to drag a large sack toward the trash station.

A figure suddenly emerged from the corner and grabbed him by the collar, running off with him.

“Guangbei, the human trafficker grabbed Manman!”

Without thinking, Jiang Ningning immediately picked up a bamboo pole from the roadside, charging toward the scene with fierce momentum.

Zhu Changguang, hearing the noise, rounded the corner and saw the usually gentle Jiang Ningning waving the bamboo pole and shouting loudly, “Catch the human trafficker!” Her voice was sharp and piercing.

He froze in place, stunned.

Could this be… the power of motherly love?

After a long pause, Zhu Changguang snapped out of it. He quickly placed the items at the trash station and asked a guard to watch them. Then, he grabbed a metal rod from the ground and rushed forward.

By the time he arrived at the scene, the enthusiastic crowd had already stopped the trafficker, and Jiang Ningning, still waving the bamboo pole, was fiercely attacking the trafficker.

“Who gave you the guts to steal my son?”

“I’ll beat you, you trafficker…”

It was unclear whether her arm was sore or if it was the overwhelming emotions of being a mother, but Jiang Ningning couldn’t stop the tears streaming down her face as she furiously swung at the trafficker’s lower body.

The young men on the scene couldn’t help but step back, instinctively clutching their legs.