Chapter 495 No Women

Chapter 495: No Women

Jiang Yu hadn’t come to Yu’nan for Jiang Ting—she only asked about her as an afterthought.

But now, hearing what Chen Yu said, his words planted a seed of doubt in her mind.

“The police in Beicheng checked with the locals and confirmed Jiang Ting was indeed in Tongqiao Village.”

If she really had come here, she would’ve had to present an introduction letter, so there should be records.

Though skeptical, Chen Yu agreed to make some inquiries for her, considering she was Jiang Yu’s sister.

In the meantime, Jiang Yu joined the film crew heading to Tongle Village.

Rather than wait for news, she preferred to take action.

In Tongle Village, the surname “Ding” was common.

Ding Jianan had reached out because she had distant relatives here.

They were greeted by Captain Ding, a man in his fifties who had the air of an upright man.

“Our village is small, fewer than twenty families. The flood destroyed everyone’s homes, but the government rebuilt them. Some old houses are still empty—I’ve cleared those out for you.”

Tongle Village was tiny—you could see clear across it in one glance.

Jiang Yu looked around. The arrival of outsiders had drawn a crowd of curious villagers.

Everything seemed normal, but she felt something was off.

Captain Ding led them to the old house—just two large shared rooms, separated for men and women.

“It’s a bit rough here,” he apologized.

Ding Jianan replied, “Uncle Ding, no need for formalities. We’ll only stay two or three days before leaving.”

Captain Ding nodded. “The supplies you asked me to trade for are in the kitchen. Help yourselves. I won’t disturb your rest.”

He glanced at He Tingyue, nodded slightly, then turned to leave.

Not far from the old house, a man with a limp sidled up to him.

“Uncle, so many women here!”

Captain Ding’s face hardened. “Ding Jianan’s distantly related to us. She’s off-limits.”

The limping man grew anxious. “Uncle, we can leave Ding Jianan alone! But I haven’t found a wife yet—if I miss this chance, I’ll never marry!”

Captain Ding didn’t argue further, falling silent.

“We’ll see. They’re not leaving yet.”

After Captain Ding left, Jiang Yu remained pensive, sensing she’d missed something.

“Director Ding, have you been here before?”

Ding Jianan shook her head. “My grandmother mentioned it once. Our family has faint ties here from generations ago.”

The connection was very distant, and they usually had no contact.

But when you're traveling, it never hurts to have more relatives.

"Don't you think there's something strange about this place?"

Ding Jianan paused. "Where?"

Jiang Yu couldn't pinpoint it.

He Tingyue walked in. "There are no women."

It clicked for Jiang Yu. "Right! We haven’t seen a single woman the whole way here!"

Do the women here just not go out?

Ding Jianan caught on—it really was the case.

No village, no matter how small, should have just one gender if people live there.

"This sent a chill down Ding Jianan’s spine."

Ye Zhu ventured, "Maybe the locals are just more traditional?"

"Not sure. We’ll look around later."

Since it was still early, Jiang Yu decided to head to Tongqiao Village to ask about Jiang Ting.

He Tingyue went with her, of course.

Tongqiao Village was nearby—just a tiny hamlet of a dozen or so families.

When they mentioned going to Tongqiao Village, Captain Ding volunteered to join them.

On the way, Jiang Yu brought up casually, "Captain Ding, there seem to be very few women in your village?"

Captain Ding smiled and explained, "They prefer staying in."

Jiang Yu let it drop, but she wasn’t convinced.

Even if they hate going out, how could not one woman be around?

Upon arriving at Tongqiao Village, Captain Ding introduced them to the local production team leader, Wang Guisheng.

Jiang Yu was startled to see he was disabled—his pant legs hung limp below the knees.

"Captain Wang, we’re here to ask after someone."

Wang Guisheng didn’t look up. "Who?"

"Does a Wang Qiusheng live here? A guy from our compound, Fu Xiangyang, is his nephew."

"Wang Qiusheng? Yes. What do you want with him?"

Jiang Yu said, "Fu Xiangyang sent his wife here to stay while she was pregnant—Jiang Ting. Ring any bells?"

Wang Guisheng gave a firm shake of his head. "Don’t know her. Nobody’s come to his place. No such thing."

He met her gaze, wary.

Jiang Yu grew even more confused. Both the police and locals had verified that Jiang Ting was in Tongqiao Village.

So who's lying here?

He Tingyue squeezed her hand. "Then we must've gotten it wrong. Let's look elsewhere."

"Right, our apologies for bothering you," Jiang Yu replied with a smile.

"If there's anything else I can help with, don't hesitate to ask," Wang Guisheng said politely.

Jiang Yu paused, then smiled again. "Actually, could we see Wang Qiusheng's place?"

Wang Guisheng didn't answer right away, instead glancing at Captain Ding.

Captain Ding agreed, "Since these comrades wish to visit, there’s no harm in letting them take a look."

"Alright. Old Ding, show them the way."

Captain Ding led them toward Wang Qiusheng’s home.

Along the way, they learned that Wang Guisheng and Wang Qiusheng were actually cousins.

"Qiusheng can be quick-tempered," Captain Ding warned. "Don’t take offense."

"Of course not," Jiang Yu replied. "After all, he’s Comrade Xiangyang’s uncle. We felt we ought to stop by."

Most families lived in new houses built with government aid, but Wang Qiusheng's family still lived in their old home.

Jiang Yu remarked casually, "After the flood, some old homes are still standing?"

"The community pitched in to fix them up," Captain Ding explained.

"I see."

"Qiusheng! You've got visitors! Are you in?" Captain Ding knocked on the door but received no response. His face fell.

"Qiusheng!"

After a while, a man came out from a side shack, muttering curses under his breath.

"What the hell is all the shouting for?"

"Comrade Jiang, this is Wang Qiusheng."

Jiang Yu looked the man over. "So you're Xiangyang's uncle then?"

Wang Qiusheng hesitated, then turned to Captain Ding.

"The hell are they?"

Captain Ding introduced them with a smile. "Folks here from Beicheng. They live in the same compound as your nephew. Wanted to meet you."

Wang Qiusheng scoffed. "What kind of guest shows up empty-handed?"

Jiang Yu offered an apologetic smile. "We left in such a rush, we couldn't gather any gifts. Comrade Xiangyang mentioned your whole family lives together. Is his aunt around? He wanted me to pass along his respects to the elder generation."

Wang Qiusheng waved impatiently. "Ma's been dead for years. Just me holding down the fort."

Jiang Yu's heart sank—she was now fairly certain that Lin Hongxia was lying.

She suddenly felt uncertain. Was Jiang Ting really here?

"Is there really no one else in the family?"

Captain Ding spoke up, "Qiusheng's father and wife both died in the flood."

"I'm sorry to hear that. We'll be on our way then."

"You know your way back?"

"We do."

"Then I won't walk you out. I still have something to discuss with Guisheng. You go on ahead."

Jiang Yu nodded, "Alright, thank you, Captain Ding."

"No trouble at all."

Only when they were well out of sight did Captain Ding’s expression darken.

"How many times do I have to tell you? Aside from delivering meals, don’t go down to see her!"

Wang Qiusheng muttered, "She’s my wife. Why can’t I see her?"

"Lay low for now. Wait until those people leave."

Captain Ding had a hunch—the visitors weren’t to be trifled with.

They'd better behave and not let them notice anything amiss.

Wang Qiusheng couldn't get Jiang Yu's pretty face out of his mind—he had never seen such a beautiful woman before.

"Brother Ding, that woman is really pretty. Why don't we keep her here?"

Captain Ding snapped, "Shut your mouth! Don’t even think about her, understand?"

Wang Qiusheng's excitement vanished instantly.

He lowered his head. "Got it."

Captain Ding narrowed his eyes. "I’m going to talk to your brother. Don’t cause any trouble."

With that, he left Wang Qiusheng and hurried back to Wang Guisheng’s home.

"You said someone had asked you about that girl’s whereabouts before?"

Wang Guisheng froze, looking up in panic.

"What's that got to do with them?"

Captain Ding shook his head. "Can't say for sure. But watch that girl closely—and keep Qiusheng in check. They'll be leaving soon enough."

"Alright."

Captain Ding patted his shoulder reassuringly. "I made it clear to Qiusheng—he keeps his wife, but if she gives birth to a son, the boy comes to you."

The word "son" brought a brief light to Wang Guisheng’s eyes—then darkened again.

"What if it's a girl?"

Captain Ding's expression darkened. "Then it's the usual way—a girl isn't worth keeping."

Meanwhile, Jiang Yu and He Tingyue made their way back to Tongle Village.

Ding Jianan asked worriedly, "Did you find the person?"

Jiang Yu shook her head. "No."

But the more time she spent with the locals, the more she got the feeling something wasn't right.

She trusted her intuition: something was off—the nearby villages were not normal.