Chapter 57

Chapter 57

During the months spent in the detention center, Bald often felt like he was dreaming whenever he thought back on getting busted.

If it weren’t for High Cheekbones and Scar being in the joint with him, shooting each other looks during yard time or silently cussing together, “It’s all that damned little girl,” Bald would’ve wondered if he really got his ass kicked by a little girl, or if his tries to trap her all failed—maybe he just imagined it.

How was that even possible? Nobody’d believe it if he told ’em.

Yeah, they’d come clean to the cops, but the cops flat-out didn’t buy it, figuring they were making stuff up to cover for a partner.

If they were really lying to protect someone, would they cook up something that ridiculous? They weren’t stupid.

But the cops said maybe they purposely made up such crazy lies, so people would believe them and throw off the case.

The cops also said they found footprints of a fourth grown man in that mountain yard. People can lie, but evidence don’t. They wanted the accomplice’s name and where he was for a lighter sentence.

Hell, if there really was a partner, would they keep it secret? They weren’t the type of idiots to take a bullet for someone else.

But the cops wouldn’t believe ’em.

Because there was no evidence.

Besides the fact that all three were beat black and blue, and High Cheekbones and Scar were tied up like trussed-up turkeys, there was no proof the little girl had whooped ’em.

Especially, the cops said, if that little girl could take ’em down that easy, she wouldn’t have been snatched by them, and she sure wouldn’t have gone along to Yunding Commune to meet the buyer.

The cops also ragged on them for being cocky and stupid, daring to do a human deal at a state-run restaurant on a busy market day—that was ballsy as hell.

Bald almost coughed up blood when he heard that.

They’d planned to sell the three-year-old girl in the first place. That kid had been spacey since they grabbed her, barely crying or making a fuss. Even if she did, a three-year-old crying wouldn’t draw much notice. If they had to, they could drug her, and folks would just think she was asleep.

As for the deal going down at the state-run restaurant, that was that damn old lady’s idea. She and the middleman, Old Jiang, insisted on a crowded spot, scared they’d take the cash and not hand over the “merch” in some quiet place.

They’d scoped it out and knew the old lady was desperate to buy a kid, so they didn’t figure she’d cause any trouble.

Who’d have thought that first, their own crew would screw things up, and then the old lady turned out to be nuts, making everything go to hell.

In the end, their whole crew got caught in one sweep.

Now, every time Bald thinks back on it, he feels a deep, tired ache.

A little girl—them, a crew that’d worked all over the country—got taken down by a little girl.

“Have a seat.”

Dai Xianghua pointed to the chair across from him. Once the guy sat down, he cut to the chase: “Remember these three kids? We’re here to double-check their info. If you can give us useful leads to help them find their folks, I can put in for a major merit. Got it?”

Bald’s mouth twitched. He shot a look at Shen Banyue and nodded: “Got it.”

Given how Bald came in, Dai Xianghua figured he’d be hard to deal with, but surprisingly, he played along. Relaxing a little, Dai nodded: “Then go over their details again.”

Bald leaned back: “Officer, honestly, I’d like to help. Who doesn’t want credit? But like I said before, we don’t deal with the early stuff. I don’t know what province or city these kids came from, let alone where their homes are.”

Dai Xianghua asked again, real patient: “You gotta remember when the kids showed up, right? And what shape they were in? In your earlier statements, you said you couldn’t tell the kids apart. Now I’ve brought ’em here, so you oughta be able to remember, right?”

Bald pursed his lips and pointed at Lin Mian and Xiao Dizi like it was no big deal: “This boy and the littlest one came together. These two are good-looking. When they came in, Scar said they’d sell for a good price.”

Dai Xianghua’s heart stirred. This was new info not in the earlier records.

Of course, no one had ever asked before which kids came together. Even when he found out Xiao Shi and Xiao Zhu were from the same province, he hadn’t thought about it until Xiao Jie’s parents showed up, sparking a faint hunch.

Though “came together” could mean other things—like meeting on the way or coincidental timing—it also raised the chance they were from the same place.

“When they got to us, this little girl was spacey. She’d either sit on the ground crying quiet, tears streaming without a sound, or keep mumbling about ‘sister.’ This boy—nothing special, didn’t talk much, just did what he was told.”

Dai Xianghua frowned and turned to Lin Mian: “When did you and Xiao Dizi start being together? Was it just you two, or were there others?”

They’d focused on getting the kids to recall their own homes, but hadn’t asked about other kids.

Lin Mian shook his head: “I slept for a long time, then got sick. By the time I was awake, Xiao Dizi was already there. I don’t know if there were other kids in between.”

Xiao Dizi suddenly said: “There was a little brother too, taken away by an auntie.”

Dai Xianghua’s face tightened. He stood up and walked over to Xiao Dizi: “Another little brother? Not Xiao Jie, Xiao Wei, Xiao Zhu, Xiao Shi, or Xiao Mian, right?”

Xiao Dizi nodded: “Yeah, a little brother chubbier than me.”

Dai Xianghua quickly asked: “Where did you see him? Do you remember what the auntie looked like?”

Xiao Dizi frowned, her whole face scrunched in effort. After thinking hard, she said: “A train that went ‘choo-choo,’ and the auntie had hair like noodles.”

Dai Xianghua looked confused. Shen Banyue interpreted: “She means at the train station. The auntie had permed hair.”

A train station, a woman with permed hair, a chubby boy bigger than Xiao Dizi.

But time had passed. Which station? When? It was still like searching for a needle in a haystack.

Dai Xianghua suddenly turned: “Is there a woman like that in your crew? What’s her name? Where does she usually operate?”

Bald’s eyes flickered. He shook his head straight: “Don’t know her. No such person.”

Shen Banyue glanced at Bald and suddenly said: “Uncle Dai, I think I heard them mention Xiangguzi on the mountain before. They said Xiangguzi had a round face and curled her hair every day, looking weird.” It was actually the original host’s memory. If not for Xiao Dizi bringing it up, Shen Banyue wouldn’t have recalled it.

Dai Xianghua looked at Shen Banyue in shock: “Wait, Xiao Yue, is there anything else you haven’t told us?”

This kid had already told them so much—how to get up the mountain, an accomplice named Cao Pozi in Jiangcheng, a ledger hidden on the mountain, Bald having trafficked a neighbor’s and middleman’s kid, a trafficker named Tian Po who could impersonate anyone... Dai Xianghua had been amazed at her memory, smarts, and ability to grab key points. Now, she had more to say.

Shen Banyue giggled: “I forgot earlier. That should be all.”

Dai Xianghua nodded, then glared at Bald: “What’s Xiangguzi’s real name? Where is she now?”

Bald was speechless.

Kids have short memories, and once sold, they were no longer their concern. So they didn’t bother being careful around them. When had they mentioned Xiangguzi? That little girl had overheard it.

Bald thought for a moment, then said: “I’ll tell you, but you can’t say it came from me. That woman is ruthless. She’ll get back at me.”

Dai Xianghua nodded: “Deal.”

Bald asked again: “Does this count as a major merit?”

Dai Xianghua nodded again: “Of course. If we catch her and rescue the kids, I’ll record it as merit and do my best to help you out.”

Bald pursed his lips, unimpressed by the vague promise of “do my best.” As long as he got the major merit, that was enough.

It wasn’t that he was disloyal. Since the cops already knew about “Xiangguzi,” finding her was only a matter of time. Besides, if he didn’t talk, Scar or High Cheekbones might, and then he’d lose out.

Bald gave a quick description of "Xiangguzi's" looks, then gave an address: "We got nabbed months ago, so she's definitely not there anymore. But you cops can probably track her down, right? You better go grab her quick. Compared to that woman, we're just the grunts."

Dai Xianghua scribbled it in his notebook and let out a faint "Mm."

Once Bald finished yapping, Dai Xianghua changed the subject, pointing to Lin Mian and Xiao Dizi: "We've covered those two." Then he pointed to Shen Banyue: "What about her? Who was she with when she came in, and what was the deal?"

Bald looked at Shen Banyue, his eyes narrowing involuntarily. The memories of getting beaten with no chance to fight back, of trying to push her into a trap only to nearly get pushed in himself, came flooding back.

He quickly looked away, not wanting to see this nightmare of a kid again.

Dai Xianghua looked up at Bald, noticing his weird attitude, and tapped the table, asking again: "Who was she brought in with, and what was the deal when she showed up?"

What was the deal when she showed up?

What else? She was skinny and dark, like a stick, always curled up in the corner, ignoring everyone but the youngest. She talked soft and looked at people all timid... nothing like the girl in front of him now, like she'd been swapped out.

"She wasn't kidnapped. She was bought for ten bucks," Bald said.

Dai Xianghua froze, then stared at him: "This is important. Why didn't you say this before?"

Bald shot back, matter-of-fact: "You never asked. You only asked where we grabbed people from. How would we know? She wasn't one of ours."

Dai Xianghua was stumped by that.

This case was huge, with too many people involved. The traffickers' full statements were taken by the county team. Whether it was an oversight or just sloppy work, it seemed a lot of details hadn't been fully asked about.

Dai Xianghua suddenly wished he'd sent the three kids out with Little Sun earlier... But if they weren't there, he was afraid he couldn't check the traffickers' stories. He never expected to hear that from them.

He didn't even dare turn around to see Shen Banyue's face.

Bald spoke up: "She's nine, right? She knows this herself. You cops are funny, acting like you're scared she'll find out."

Lin Mian looked at Shen Banyue, worried.

Xiao Dizi, not quite getting it, held Shen Banyue's hand and pressed closer.

Shen Banyue patted her fluffy head and sighed to herself, thinking, *Time for another acting test.*

She looked up and met Dai Xianghua's eyes as he turned around. She blinked, and her eyes got all red: "Those people fed me a bunch of knockout drugs. My brain's all scrambled. I don't remember a thing."

She looked down at Xiao Dizi and added: "I only remember she's my little sister. I can't be apart from her." So when they place us later, don't split us up.

Shen Banyue had a hunch why Dai Xianghua brought them to the detention center. Since they were only "temporarily" with the Shen family, after six months with no relatives found, the commune would probably rethink where they go.

From both the book and real life, the Shen family would probably take in Xiao Dizi. As for her and Lin Mian, Shen Banyue figured the Shens might want to take them in too, but the situation might not let them.

If that was the case, she could at least ask to be near Xiao Dizi.

Lin Mian didn't know what was going on. If he couldn't find his family either, it'd be best if they all ended up near Yunling Commune, or at least in Shanxi County, so they could watch out for each other.

Bald: "………………"

The trafficker had no clue what Shen Banyue was thinking. He just found it super annoying.

She was clearly lying, flat-out lying!

They used knockout drugs when grabbing people, but this girl was bought, and she didn't cry or make a fuss. Were they so loaded with drugs they'd waste them on her?

And what the hell was this "she's my sister"? They weren't even brought in together. They had nothing to do with each other!

But what could he say? Could he tell the cops she was lying?

He, Scar, and High Cheekbones were still frequently hauled in for questioning because they claimed this little girl had beaten them up. The cops didn't believe them and insisted they name a fourth accomplice.

Damn it, no matter what he said, these cops wouldn't believe him!

Bald, with an expression of enduring humiliation, decided to take the "fall" for this.

Dai Xianghua didn't dare say anything more. Could he ask the girl if she remembered being sold? Would he still be human?

He waved his hand, comforting Shen Banyue: "Xiao Yue, it's okay. Not remembering is fine too."

Kids were kids, after all. Despite being usually mischievous, hearing she was sold made her on the verge of tears.

"How about you take your brother and sister outside to wait for Uncle?"

Shen Banyue hesitated for a moment, then said: "Uncle Dai, it's okay. Even if I was sold, I can manage on my own."

Dai Xianghua wasn't surprised by her response. This child was indeed more mature and precocious than others.

He looked at Bald, hesitating over the next question, when Bald suddenly had a flash of insight: "You want to know who sold her, right? Her parents are dead. Her uncle sold her for just ten bucks. You call us traffickers ruthless, but look at the common folks—they're even worse. I've sold a neighbor's kid, but never my own family's."

Dai Xianghua slammed the table: "What, are you proud of that?! You've trafficked so many kids, broken up so many families, caused so much tragedy—and you think you're not ruthless enough?! Stop with your slick talk. If it weren't for today's confession, you'd be facing a firing squad!"

Since Bald had basically confessed everything, Dai Xianghua dropped the pretense and asked directly: "Where was she bought? Do you know?"

Bald, shaken by the "firing squad" remark, paused for a moment before saying: "No idea. If it weren't for the ten bucks, the person handing her over wouldn't have mentioned it."

Dai Xianghua went over the previous questions two more times, confirming there was nothing left to squeeze from Bald, then called for the staff to take him away.

Later, the staff brought in Scar and High Cheekbones one after another.

Neither provided anything new. At least Bald and Scar knew "Xiangguzi's" real name was Tian Xixiang; High Cheekbones didn't even know that.

After the questioning, Dai Xianghua summarized the information gathered.

There was basically no new info about Lin Mian. For Xiao Dizi, it confirmed the possibility that she and Lin Mian came from the same place. For Xiao Yue, it was that her parents were gone and she was sold by her uncle for ten bucks.

In short, the information about the three kids' origins was almost nil.

It only seemed to confirm that no one would come for Xiao Yue, and the chances of finding Lin Mian and Xiao Dizi's families were shrinking.

But unexpectedly, he had pried open the traffickers' mouths and gotten leads on a new accomplice.

Originally planning to take the three kids for lunch and a stroll before heading back, Dai Xianghua had to change his plans. He had Little Sun take the kids to the supply cooperative while he rushed to the County Public Security Bureau.

"Dai, you're impressive! You dug up new leads from the traffickers?" Little Sun hadn't been in the interview room but understood immediately.

Dai Xianghua nodded without elaborating, pulling out a snack coupon and two yuan: "Buy them some cookies or something. We'll meet at the state-run restaurant near the supply cooperative." He gave the kids a few more instructions and hurried off.

Little Sun took the three kids to the supply cooperative.

Inside, Lin Mian and Xiao Dizi each tightly held one of Shen Banyue's hands. Shen Banyue laughed at their serious, tense expressions and said: "Don't worry, Uncle Little Sun is here. We won't get lost."

Little Sun followed behind, quickly adding: "That's right, I'm keeping an eye on you. If any bad guys show up, I'll knock them out with one punch."

Lin Mian turned to look at him and said seriously: "Sister Yue can do that too."

Little Sun didn't understand what "Sister Yue can do" meant, assuming Lin Mian meant she could watch over them. He thought the three kids got along well and didn't press further, instead asking: "Your Uncle Dai gave us a snack coupon. Let's go check out that section and buy some cookies or something."

Shen Banyue sniffed, catching a rich, sweet, and familiar scent in the air. She tugged Lin Mian and Xiao Dizi along as she followed the aroma.

"It's sponge cake," Lin Mian whispered.

Shen Banyue turned to look at Little Sun. "Uncle Sun, we want to buy sponge cake. How many pastry coupons did Uncle Dai give?"

Little Sun hesitated for a moment before replying, "It's a coupon for one jin of pastries."

A bag of regular biscuits cost around thirty to fifty cents, while calcium-fortified biscuits were pricier at sixty-six cents. Dai Xianghua had clearly given more money than needed for the coupons.

But one jin of sponge cake cost one yuan and twelve cents—that could buy several bags of regular biscuits.

Little Sun was a little worried about how to explain this to Dai Xianghua later.

Shen Banyue let go of her "bodyguards," pulled a small roll of money from her pocket, counted out one yuan and twelve cents, and handed it to Little Sun. "Uncle Dai covers the pastry coupons, and we'll cover the money."

Little Sun's eyes went wide. It was kind of sad—coming to the county seat, he only had two yuan on him total. Yet this little girl in front of him had a roll of money that even included a ten-yuan bill!

"Did Auntie Wang give this to you? How can you keep so much money just in your pocket? If you spend it, won't Auntie Wang yell at you?"

Shen Banyue didn't even bat an eye. "This is money we earned ourselves. Grandma Wang doesn't care how we spend it, and she definitely won't mind if we buy snacks." As for keeping money in her pocket, if a thief tried to steal from her, wouldn't that just be helping the police meet their KPI?

Little Sun thought to himself, given how much the old lady doted on the kids before, always worried they'd go hungry, she probably wouldn't mind them buying snacks... Wait, "This is money you earned yourselves?!"

Three minutes later, Little Sun went to buy the sponge cake, wondering, "Kids these days can earn this much just by picking up trash and digging bamboo shoots?"

Shen Banyue tucked the money back into her pocket, and Lin Mian and Xiao Dizi immediately grabbed her hands again without a word.

She raised an eyebrow, surprised. "Xiao Dizi, are you afraid of getting lost? It's fine if Xiao Dizi is scared, but Lin Mian, are you scared too?"

Lin Mian pressed his lips together and said, "Sister Yue, it's okay if you don't have parents. The uncle who sold you is a really bad guy. It's best if he never finds you. From now on, we'll be with you."

Xiao Dizi looked up and added, "Sister stays with Xiao Dizi, not with the bad guy."

Shen Banyue suddenly understood. So that's why the two of them had been holding onto her tightly the whole time—not because they were afraid of getting lost, but because they were worried she'd be upset after hearing she was sold, and they wanted to comfort her.