Free Web NovelChapter 447: Chapter 447: The Cruel Truth
Anmin could hear the commotion in the yard clearly, so when the woman said she’d give Mancao’s sister a bite to eat, she couldn’t help but suspect that one of the five girls might be Mancao’s sister.
Anmin listened to the commotion, knowing the people outside wouldn’t come in. She confidently scrutinized the faces of the five girls, and oddly enough, whether it was a psychological suggestion or something else, one of the girls in patched clothing did seem to resemble Mancao slightly.
However, seeing how they could push Mancao out to trick girls into coming back, there must be some level of trust; that means they’ve been together for a while. Those in this room haven’t been here long, so it’s unlikely.
"Can Aunt find a doctor to check on my sister? If her leg isn’t treated, it’ll be crippled, and she won’t sell for a good price," Mancao’s voice said low from the yard, and Anmin had to press closer to the crack in the door to hear clearly.
A leg injury? Mancao’s sister isn’t in this room; everyone in here has good legs.
"Worry about yourself." The woman rolled her eyes at Mancao. "She wouldn’t have a broken leg if she wasn’t disobedient and tried to run. If you weren’t still somewhat useful, I would have sold your sister into the deep mountains long ago to let some wife-beating bachelor beat her every day. Although her looks are passable, she doesn’t compare to those two from today. If she doesn’t sell for a good price, then so be it, hahaha."
Mancao said nothing more and went into the locked side room with a baozi.
"Sister, how are you, drink some water, eat some baozi."
Anmin heard the sound from next door and realized Mancao’s sister was in the neighboring room.
"Sister, please eat something, if you die, what will I do?"
Mancao had already started crying next door.
After a while, Anmin heard someone getting up. This earthen house was not soundproof at all, and Anmin knew by the sound that someone next door was eating.
"Hmph, as long as you can eat, you won’t die. Who do you think you are, still pretending to be some virtuous maiden? You’ve been broken and yet refuse to be obedient. Even if you leave, you won’t find a good family to marry. Stay here peacefully; we can find you a suitable man. Isn’t that nice?" The woman in the yard started chattering again.
"Niu—" Suddenly, the big gate was knocked loudly. Anmin, upon hearing, obediently lay back down.
"Oh, Zhu’s here, come in, hurry, have a seat inside. We have an old hen today; you must eat your fill later." Niu began to flatter with great enthusiasm.
"Any gains today?"
"Huge gains," Niu replied with joy, "brought back two girls, and their looks are top-notch."
Upon hearing this, Zhu couldn’t wait to see and had Niu open the big gate.
Niu knew Zhu’s tendency and revealed the faces of Anmin and Yi Roujing. Seeing Zhu about to move in, she quickly stopped him, "Zhu, it’s not that I’m stingy, but the boss instructed not to harm top-quality goods, he’s got big plans for them."
Zhu made a noise of discontent and walked out, directly entering the next room.
"Ah—!" Mancao from the neighboring room was dragged and tossed into the yard by Zhu, who then closed the door. Soon, the "creaking" of a wooden bed came from next door, occasionally interspersed with Zhu’s slaps and curses. It was over in twenty minutes.
"What a bore, like a piece of wood," Zhu remarked unpleasantly while fastening his belt in the yard.
"That girl’s leg is already broken." Niu pointed out, "Tomorrow when we acquire new women, let Zhu feast first."
"Haha, Niu, you’re good to me."
Inside, Anmin’s expression grew serious. Though initially her caution prevented her from introducing her relationship with Anmin, she had interrupted when Anmin was about to say she was a mother. At that time, she still leaned toward thinking people’s hearts in this era were simple; it was just her being overly suspicious, but she never expected....
In the eyes of traffickers, young girls are worth more than women. Even though Anmin had never experienced it herself in the future, she had read the news and heard stories.
The worst-case scenario was to only escape with Anmin; Anmin made up her mind.
Elsewhere, Hua Yiran and the others, wandering through the Department Store, waited and waited for Yi Roujing and Anmin to return from the restroom, but found no sign of them. Realizing something might have happened, everyone returned to the guesthouse at once.
"Yi Roujing and Anmin are missing?" Ding Anguo was extremely surprised upon hearing the news, "Although Anmin sometimes acts outside the plan, she’s not that kind of person. Anguo, something has happened."
Xu Ancheng’s face had turned gloomy.
"I’ll head to the City Public Security Bureau right now, gather people, and search every inch of the city," Wu Guofang said.
"Alright." Xu Ancheng nodded, "We will first search around the Department Store, ask if there are any witnesses, and split up. But don’t be alone; the rest of you stay in the guesthouse and don’t go out."
As Xu Ancheng was about to leave, Baozi hugged his leg, "Dad, I want to go too."
"Baozi, come with Auntie, and we’ll wait here for Mom and Dad to come back, okay?" Feng Lishu said, feeling upset and softly comforting him.
"It’s okay, let him come along. I can carry him; it’s fine." Xu Ancheng, knowing Baozi’s abilities, picked him up and left.
"Son, can you see your mom?" Out of the guesthouse, Xu Ancheng asked Baozi softly.
Baozi looked around carefully in all directions for five minutes, then disappointedly shook his head. "Dad, even though I can see far, beyond a certain range, I can’t see anything."
"Alright, let’s get further away and look again." Xu Ancheng began to run with Baozi in his arms, asking as he ran, "Where was the boundary you last saw? What were its features..."
Wu Guofang went to the City Public Security Bureau, directly revealing his identity. He was soon to be a provincial police officer, and the city bureau leader met him immediately. Upon learning the news, police were dispatched to inquire house by house.
As night fell, those who had been drugged in the room gradually woke. The first to wake was an unfamiliar girl who, upon seeing the strange environment, along with so many girls and children, immediately burst into tears. Her cries were so loud that Zhu directly opened the door and slapped her a few times before she dared only to sniffle sporadically and not make loud noise again.
Yi Roujing took this opportunity to "wake up" herself, rubbing her head, wincing in pain, and feigning confusion when she saw Zhu, "Big sister, what happened, did I fall asleep?"
"Yes, are you awake now? Are you hungry? I’ll make you something to eat. Don’t make any noise, or I’ll hit you too," Zhu said, pulling over the girl with a swollen face from being hit, successfully seeing Yi Roujing’s panicked look, and left, smiling, to lock the door and cook.
