Seeing Crime Scenes in My Sleep

Chapter 62: Chapter 62: Abducted to the Same Village

Several pairs of eyes stared at her. Jiang Li reached out, took the bottle, and drank a small sip before smiling at the woman who had handed it to her.

The driver’s voice rang out. "We’re at the stop. Anyone getting off, hurry it up."

Jiang Li’s vision went black, and she passed out.

"Quick, quick! She’s finally out."

Seeing Jiang Li unconscious, the group quickly helped her out of the van and headed in another direction. People from the village were waiting there to meet them. The van driver, unfazed by the scene, simply drove away.

"This girl is good-looking. She’ll fetch a good price."

"Get outta here! My son doesn’t have a wife yet. I’ve got my eye on this one."

"Deaf and mute is perfect. She won’t scream, and she won’t run away."

Jiang Li listened to the noisy chatter around her. Once the jostling motion stopped, she finally opened her eyes. A moment ago, she had only pretended to drink, pinching the mouth of the bottle.

"Oh, the girl’s awake! Look at those big, soulful eyes. Isn’t she a darling?"

"Yeah, yeah! It’s been a while since we had a new arrival in Zhaozi Village."

Hearing the two words "Zhaozi Village," the corner of Jiang Li’s mouth lifted into a smirk. ’Looks like I made it in without a hitch.’

Zhaozi Village was nestled deep in the mountains. Surrounded by peaks with rugged, unpaved paths, it was a place few outsiders could find.

She had left eleven years ago and had long forgotten its exact location.

On the bus, she had found their accents vaguely familiar, so she decided to play along. ’To think that after all these years, I’m finally back.’

"Don’t be scared, dearie. We’re not bad people. We just saw you sleeping on the bus and decided to bring you home." Of course, what they did with her now that she was "home" was entirely up to them.

The plump woman in front of her was the same one who had sat beside her on the bus.

Zhang Shufang gazed at Jiang Li, growing more pleased by the second. ’If she becomes my son’s wife, what a handsome, chubby grandson she’ll give me!’

Jiang Li looked back at Zhang Shufang and smiled, but the smile didn’t reach her eyes.

Seeing this, Zhang Shufang grew even more ecstatic. ’All those years of praying to the gods weren’t in vain! Heaven must have taken pity on me and sent me a daughter-in-law.’

The other women watched, feeling a pang of jealousy. They wanted such a beautiful daughter-in-law for their own families too.

A lovely young thing had arrived two years ago, but that crazy old crone had laid claim to her. Now, another beauty had finally shown up, only to be snatched up by the Zhang Family.

The women exchanged resentful glances, then turned to Zhang Shufang. "Now, don’t be so hasty, Shufang. You should let the girl choose for herself."

"That’s right! What if she doesn’t like your son?"

Zhang Shufang’s expression darkened, her tone turning sinister. "Doesn’t like him? Heh. As if she has a choice."

Jiang Li watched quietly as they plotted her fate, not the least bit worried for herself.

Zhang Shufang shot Jiang Li a smile, then went to fetch her son. ’Might as well get it over with,’ she thought. ’Seal the deal tonight and make it irreversible.’

Leaning against the wall to regain some of her strength, Jiang Li watched the women continue their debate. Then, she suddenly spoke.

"Ma’ams, why did you tie me up?"

"Holy hell, you scared me! You’re not a mute?" one of the women exclaimed, clutching her chest.

The women stared at her in shock. She could hear.

’Doesn’t that mean she heard everything we just said?’

Jiang Li smiled. "This is Zhaozi Village, isn’t it? I’m from here. My father is Jiang Dewang."

At the mention of Jiang Dewang, the women’s expressions changed drastically.

One of the women hurried forward to untie the ropes on her hands, then studied her closely.

"Y-y-you... you’re not... you’re not Jiang Dewang’s good-for-nothing daughter, are you?" The woman’s face was a mask of terror as she spoke.

They hadn’t heard anything about Jiang Dewang or his daughter in years; everyone assumed they’d died somewhere out there. No one expected she would return on her own, all grown up.

Just then, Zhang Shufang returned from next door with her son, a lopsided-grinned, cross-eyed young man, in tow. She was beaming. "Son, Mom found you a wonderful wife."

"You just put in a little effort tonight, and our Chen Family will have an heir."

The moment Zhang Shufang entered, she saw that Jiang Li’s ropes had been untied. She glared at the other two women.

"Hey! Our village has rules. I’m the one who brought her back, so she’s mine."

"Hmph. The village also has a rule that people from the same village can’t marry," one of them snorted. ’Good. Now no one gets her.’

Zhang Shufang’s face froze. ’What does that mean?’

"She," the other woman said, pointing at Jiang Li with a smug grin, "is Jiang Dewang’s daughter."

Zhang Shufang whipped her head around to stare at Jiang Li. ’Jiang Dewang’s daughter? And she lived to grow this old? That’s just plain bizarre.’

"Pah! I think you’re just jealous I found such a pretty daughter-in-law and are making things up to trick me!"

Zhang Shufang glared furiously at the others. ’They’d say anything to snatch her away from me.’

"My home is at Shizi Ping, at the end of the village."

The expression on Zhang Shufang’s face froze. She stared blankly at Jiang Li, then pointed a trembling, astonished finger at her.

"Y-y-you... you really are from our village."

’Doesn’t that mean my daughter-in-law has just flown the coop?!’

Jiang Li stood up and walked out, heading toward the little house she remembered.

Zhang Shufang quickly chased after her. She had to see for herself if this girl was truly from Zhaozi Village.

The surrounding villagers began poking their heads out to watch Jiang Li’s every move, some even gossiping loudly.

"Who’s that? Acting all high and mighty."

"I wonder which family’s new daughter-in-law she is."

The sight of the small house’s silhouette made Jiang Li’s expression darken. As she passed a doorway, a basin of water was suddenly thrown out with a SPLASH.

Jiang Li stopped in her tracks and turned to look. A burly man with sharp, piercing eyes stood there, holding a square copper basin.

Yu Huannian stared at the woman who had just appeared, his brow furrowing deeply. ’It’s been a year since any outsiders came here.’

Yu Huannian took a step toward Jiang Li, but his expression changed in the next instant. He grabbed a woman who had run out of the house and berated her harshly.

"You useless bitch, where do you think you’re running? Get your ass back inside! If anything happens to my son, you’ll be sorry!"

Hatred flashed in Jiang Li’s eyes. ’After all these years, this place hasn’t changed one bit.’

Before Jiang Li could look away, a stooped old woman came forward to close the door, casting a cold, dark glance at her.

"Hmph. Where did this little vixen come from? Scram!"

The old woman’s voice was dry and cracked, and after speaking, she let out a few ragged coughs that were chilling to hear.

"That crazy old crone... after all these years, she’s still not dead," a villager muttered.

’Crazy old crone?’

Jiang Li stared at the rickety wooden door, trying to peek through the cracks to see what was happening inside. The sounds of curses and blows drifted out.

The onlookers showed no pity. Instead, they cheered, just like the crowd that had clapped and hollered when Jiang Dewang used to beat her.

Jiang Li started toward her old house. After just two steps, a memory flashed through her mind. She stopped dead in her tracks, looked back at the house of the so-called crazy crone, then turned and went to knock on the door.