Free Web NovelChapter 452: Chapter 452: Not Good People
Ning Jingyuan is Ning Hong’s niece. The Ning Family is originally from Xiang Province, with generations of red roots. Ning Hong, the aunt, treats Ning Jingyuan very well, so Ning Jingyuan would visit the Cheng Family every year for a while. Last year, Ning Jingyuan got into Xiangnan University, and took the opportunity to come to Jing City during the summer holiday.
"I’ve taken the train to Jing City since I was a child, and I started traveling alone two years ago. Now, the conductor is my dad’s comrade, so the family is at ease with his care. Never did I expect that stepping off the train would lead to this situation," Ning Jingyuan said helplessly, "I’ll first go to the post office to make a call to my family. They probably already know; I just hope my aunt hasn’t found out yet."
The rescued girls and children were uniformly arranged to stay at the guesthouse, which was facilitated by Xu Ancheng and the others, as they needed to consider the reputation of the girls. Additionally, Yi Roujing and Ding Anmin were involved this time as well.
Mancao and the girl with the broken leg, Manjing, were sent to the hospital. Her leg was put in a cast, given Chinese medicine, and with proper care over a few months, it will fully heal.
Of course, the wounds primarily affecting these two girls were physical and psychological. The broken leg was a minor issue for Manjing.
After getting her medical treatment sorted, Manjing joined her sister Mancao in staying at the guesthouse, where meals were provided daily.
In recent days, people have come to pick up these girls and children steadily. Upon meeting, the first thing they do is embrace and cry bitterly. Before leaving, they personally thank Yi Roujing, Ding Anmin, and Xu Ancheng. Without them, these girls and children might never see their families again.
Ning Jingyuan has already called home, and Ning Hong knows the situation. Initially wanting to come personally, she felt reassured hearing that Ni Yanqing and the others were there, and let Ning Jingyuan accompany them to Jing City.
This leaves only Ning Jingyuan and the Wang Family Sisters.
Wang Manjing and Wang Mancao, the sisters from Gui Province, are left without parents. Though relatives are willing to take them in, it’s mainly because Wang Manjing reached an age suitable for matchmaking, expected to earn bride price for their family. However, Wang Manjing prefers not to take bride price and wishes the man to agree to her bringing her sister along.
Even if the prospective groom’s family agrees, Wang Family relatives are displeased. Yet, consideration could normally reject such unreasonable demands, but none assumes responsibility since the Wang Family Sisters’ mothers died not long ago, having hardly consumed the relatives’ provisions.
It was Wang Manjing’s grandaunt who heard about this matter, sent a telegram persuading the sisters to come to He Province, which led to this journey and the subsequent events. Upon deboarding at midnight, they were deceived into staying at an illegitimate inn, eventually falling into the human traffickers’ trap that night.
"What happened to that Zhu?" Wang Manjing asked about the main perpetrator who inflicted harm, believing such people deserve punishment.
"If they make amends, it’s enough," Xu Ancheng looked at Yi Roujing and spoke, "Right now, they’re listing the girls and children that have passed through their hands. Some nearby have already been found, and more will be rescued later."
"It’s rather easy with the children, but the possibility of those girls returning is slim unless they’re from compassionate families." Xu Ancheng spoke with a bit of weight.
"Jing, I might be lenient with them for another reason."
"What?" Yi Roujing asked.
"Before Chen Guangzhi arrived, they were engaging in these transactions, but hadn’t become traffickers yet."
Yi Roujing seemed surprised upon hearing, "Why not?"
"They were doing business willingly," Xu Ancheng replied.
Yi Roujing was momentarily taken aback, realizing that voluntary business meant selling children and girls, a sorrowful reality for their native families. Sometimes, they might not even be biological, just relatives or otherwise.
"Yes," Xu Ancheng nodded, "The original leader of the group was Liu Xudong. Although he seemed disorderly in speech and action, he was a distinctive character. His family background contributed to his roguish air, yet his nature hadn’t turned evil."
"The families found for those children and girls weren’t necessarily wealthy, but fundamentally decent, until Chen Guangzhi came to Dai City, altering the nature of operations."
"Chen Guangzhi backs someone; we’ve identified clues about the person, and soon will enforce the law upon them," Xu Ancheng explained.
"I’ll give them a chance because of their former conduct regarding Wang Manjing; Jing, you shouldn’t feel overly sympathetic toward seemingly weak girls and children. Pitiful people often have repellent traits," Xu Ancheng told Yi Roujing.
Yi Roujing blinked doubtfully, "Is there something I don’t know?"
"Wang Manjing first drugged Liu Xudong, but since he was cautious, she ended up drinking it," Xu Ancheng did not really wish to share such details with Yi Roujing, "Ultimately, it was a mutual situation between Zhu Zhuangzhi and Wang Manjing."
"In a way, it’s somewhat self-inflicted," Xu Ancheng had already investigated Wang Manjing’s background, revealing discrepancies between their self-narrated hardships and investigations.
"Keep your distance from those sisters for a while," Xu Ancheng advised.
Xu Ancheng preferred not to elaborate too much with Yi Roujing, but Ding Anmin was rather verbose, although mostly to Yi Roujing, avoiding strangers.
"I heard from Xiaobao that Wang Manjing isn’t a good girl." Ding Anmin was now somewhat infuriated discussing the Wang Family Sisters. Their sufferings predominantly stemmed from Wang Mancao’s deceit, initially thought to involve intimidation; however, they weren’t reputable in their hometown.
"Wang Family Sisters’ parents weren’t good either; they met their end through misdeeds, stealing from neighboring villages, caught and beaten to death at midnight," Ding Anmin explained.
"Relying on her looks and figure, Wang Manjing became ambiguous with several county and village men, securing a lot of goods. The sisters’ inability to stay in their hometown wasn’t due to coercion but due to Wang Manjing’s tarnished reputation, forcing departure. As for the grandaunt."
"She too was exploited by them, who had arrived half a year prior, finding the grandaunt’s household somewhat affluent, stole money and fled, albeit wrongly, entering a traffickers’ den," Ding Anmin shared what she heard from Huang Xiaobao.
"Breaking the leg stemmed from attempting to steal the traffickers’ money, caught and consequently punished."
Yi Roujing sighed deeply; if Huang Xiaobao shared details with Ding Anmin, it certainly originated from Xu Ancheng’s investigative results, unwittingly revealing the truth.
"I visited them yesterday, moved by their previous plight, having bought condensed milk and canned goods, advising them not to feel guilty," Ding Anmin grew increasingly annoyed, "Ah, I am surely a fool, regretting deeply; now I must retrieve those items."
