In that moment of confusion, Liu Yu understood that when she jumped off the carriage, Wu Jin might have noticed something. With each passing moment, what she delayed was her own fate.
She grabbed a passerby coming towards her and urgently asked, “Excuse me, which way to Lufeng Cloth Shop?”
Now, Liu Yu just hoped that Lufeng Cloth Shop in Anyi County had not changed its name.
Luckily, the person she stopped pointed behind them and said, “Turn east at the next intersection, and it’s right in the middle of that street.”
Expressing her thanks hastily, Liu Yu quickly walked away.
Liu Yu didn’t understand what Wang Shi was worried about, why she couldn’t survive in Anyi County. But compared to the possible misfortune she might face by wandering around the pier, Liu Yu chose to seek help from Lu Chengxiao. Even if Lu Chengxiao wasn’t around, reporting his name or even clarifying their relationship would ensure that the Lu family wouldn’t just stand idly by.
Even if she had to leave Anyi County, she wouldn’t do it without preparation. Besides, with Wu Jin likely to turn around and pursue her, and with so many unresolved mysteries, fleeing blindly wasn’t an option. Moreover, she had too many puzzles to solve.
Liu Yu was surprised when, while Wang Shi was crying earlier, she (Wang Shi) was also looking at the situation outside and preparing silver coins and scissors for her (Liu Yu). When Liu Yu thought she had really been abandoned, it turned out she hadn’t been entirely forsaken. At that moment, there was even a feeling of redemption. However, she couldn’t understand why, if Wang Shi truly cared for her, then why didn’t she confront Liu Kangsheng directly but instead offered a path for her to escape. Leaving wasn’t an escape route at all; she knew Wang Shi understood that.
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Fs, obu?
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Liu Yu’s mind was still focused on Wu Jin, who was chasing from behind. Seeing that the mule cart was less than ten feet away, she hurriedly walked away.
As she walked away, the woman suddenly shook, collected her senses, and anxiously grabbed Liu Yu, fearing that the person would disappear right before her eyes. She urgently asked, “Girl, are you my Nannan1“Nannan” (囡囡) is a term commonly used to affectionately refer to a girl or a daughter. It’s a colloquial and endearing way to address a young girl or a child.?”
Liu Yu had no idea that she would be entangled by the woman at this critical moment. She didn’t pay attention to the term “Nannan” that the woman used and anxiously said, “Auntie, I’m being chased by bad people; please let me go.”
However, the woman tightly held onto her and said, “Girl, don’t go. You must be my Nannan.”
She then turned around and loudly shouted towards the shop behind, “Liu Yanping, Liu Yanan!”
In the midst of the entanglement, Wu Jin, who had stopped the mule cart, ran over. He reached out to grab Liu Yu, but as Liu Yu tried to avoid him, the woman’s reaction was much faster than him. She was tall and she pulled Liu Yu behind her. She slapped Wu Jin’s arm with a loud smack, making him withdraw his extended hand. She scolded, “What kind of person are you, daring to pull a girl on the street!”
Wu Jin, originally a troublemaker who worked as a gangster and scammer in the county, had never experienced being hit by a woman. Seeing this woman seemed ordinary in her dress, but not someone to be trifled with, he hesitated for a moment. Although she was tall, she was alone. His courage got bigger. With a sneer, he rolled up his sleeves and said, “Where did this meddling woman come from? Mind your own business, old lady!”
The intimidation hadn’t fully unfolded when a young man came from the side and delivered a swift kick to his leg. Before Wu Jin could kneel down, he was caught by another person who had skillfully pinched his hand behind his back. The young man spoke sharply, “Speak up, who’s your ‘Grandpa2Like maybe saying, “Who’s your uncle?”‘?”
Wu Jin winced in pain, struggling but unable to break free. He endured the extra force applied to him and started to cry out. Glancing at the two tall and imposing youngsters, around eighteen or nineteen years old, one held him in place, while the other cast a glance at the woman and moved towards her.
Both of the young men showed a resemblance to the woman, and Wu Jin knew he had picked the wrong target. He begged for mercy, “You are the Grandpa, you are the Grandpa. I was blind and didn’t recognize Mount Tai. Please spare me, Grandpa.”
This cowardly fellow surrendered quickly. One of the youngsters sneered, and raising his eyes, he asked the woman, “Mother? What should we do?”
However, the woman’s mind was not on her son’s side at all. She only supported Liu Yu and couldn’t stop looking at her, trembling lips, teary eyes. She kept gazing at that face, shedding tears and wiping them away, afraid that the tears would blur her vision, making her avoid looking for a moment.
This sudden change left Liu Yu stunned. While grateful, she was also somewhat puzzled. Considering the woman had been calling her “Nannan” just a moment ago, she shook her head and said, “I’m not called Nannan.”
The two youngsters who came out later were shocked upon hearing this, and they all turned to look at Liu Yu with disbelief. Then, they all turned to look at the woman.
Tears fell from the woman’s eyes, and she couldn’t wipe them all away. She shook her head continuously, “It’s not wrong, the same face, exactly the same.”
“How could you have such a face…” Wang Shi’s words thundered down and coincided with the woman’s statement about the “same face.”
Liu Yu’s heart trembled, vaguely touching upon a possible answer, but she didn’t dare to think deeply.
The young man standing with his arms crossed dropped his hands, questioning the woman, “Mother? Are you saying she’s… sister3In Chinese, Cousins are called brother and sister.?”
The woman nodded continuously, and a trembling hand fell on Liu Yu’s face, “The face is like your grandmother’s when she was young, and the eyes and eyebrows are very similar to your second uncle’s features. It’s indeed my Nannan.”
Liu Yu was still in a daze. The woman, seeing her silent, wiped her tears and pulled her aside where no one was around. In a very low voice, she asked, “Child, on the right side of your back shoulder, is there a petal-sized birthmark the shaped of a fingernail?”
Liu Yu suddenly looked up, staring in shock at the woman. Indeed, there was a petal-shaped birthmark on the right side of her back shoulder.
Seeing her reaction, the woman knew everything. She hugged Liu Yu and burst into tears, “My Nannan, my Nannan, Big Aunt has been searching for you for fifteen years.”
Liu Yu was still in a daze. Big Aunt?
Searching for her for fifteen years?
On the other side, the stunned Liu Yanping quickly came to his senses, faced Liu Yanan, and said, “You watch him; I’ll go find Big Brother!”
He sprinted away.
While Aunt Liu was crying with Liu Yu in her arms, she noticed a crowd gathering and Liu Yu’s weak and powerless appearance. She asked her third son, Liu Yanan, to keep an eye on Wu Jin and took Liu Yu into a nearby teahouse to sit down.
Just as they sat down, Liu Yanping arrived with three constables. As soon as Wu Jin saw the leader of the constables, his whole body trembled. He recognized Liu Yanqing, the most difficult to deal with among the constables in the county. He felt bitter in his heart, wondering how he inadvertently attracted Liu Yanqing to come.
As for Constable Liu Yanqing, he just glanced at Wu Jin, heard from his younger brother that his mother was inside the teahouse, and then walked into the teahouse with large strides.
The moment Liu Yanqing laid eyes on Liu Yu, distant memories unfolded like a long-sealed door slowly opening. His memories that had long been blurred of his grandmother and second uncle,went from fuzzy to clear, finally becoming vivid, just like yesterday.
Liu Yanqing’s hand holding the scabbard tightened, his knuckles turning pale. He could barely suppress the surge of excitement and bitterness in his heart.
This cousin, he had searched for her for more than fifteen years. He joined the county office at the age of eighteen and was now around twenty-two. Never did he imagine that one day she would suddenly appear before him like this.
Moreover, he didn’t need further confirmation. With just one glance, he knew. This was his second uncle’s only daughter, the young lady of their Liu family.
Liu Yanqing walked quickly, calling out “Mother” to the woman, but when he faced Liu Yu, he hesitated on how to speak.
Ever since the woman accurately described the birthmark on her body, Liu Yu believed her explanation about three or four points. Additionally, with the strange behavior of Wang Shi and piecing together the fact that the woman had seen her when she was a baby, the belief increased to about five or six points.
She had just been rescued from Wu Jin by the woman, and harboring a lot of gratitude in her heart, Liu Yu nodded towards Liu Yanqing and introduced herself, “My name is Liu Yu.”
The moment she heard the surname Liu, the woman’s eyes teared up again. She was about to say something when Liu Yanqing reminded her, “Mother, this is not the place to talk.”
After looking outside at Wu Jin being restrained by his younger brother, Liu Yanqing turned his gaze towards Liu Yu and said, “Miss Liu, we seem to be blood relatives. Please rest assured and talk in a more suitable place in the county.”
Liu Yu had no reason not to trust them, her intuition about people was still accurate. Moreover, she had nowhere else to go at the moment. Facing these people who might be her blood relatives, Liu Yu knew that her long-standing doubts might be clarified today.
She nodded in agreement. When she stood up, her body swayed.
Aunt Liu hurriedly supported her, “What’s wrong, Nannan?”
The term “Nannan” made Liu Yanqing look at his mother and then at Liu Yu. Seeing that she was not displeased, he felt relieved.
Observing Liu Yanqing’s official attire, Liu Yu could guess his identity. Not holding back, she glanced at Wu Jin outside and whispered to Liu Yanqing, “I’ve been drugged. The effect hasn’t worn off completely, so I’m still uncomfortable.”
Though it wasn’t entirely accurate to say she was unsteady on her feet due to the aftereffects of the drug, in her current precarious situation, utilizing Wu Jin’s situation to her advantage was a tactical move. Whether there was a blood relation or not remained uncertain, and being at the edge of the knife, Liu Yu had plan for herself. Even if there was no blood relation between them, her escape would be much easier without Wu Jin and Liu Dalang chasing after her .
Liu Yanqing’s expression changed abruptly. He looked outside the teahouse at Wu Jin as if seeing a dead person.
Wanting to ask Liu Yu how she was feeling, Aunt Liu was even faster. Seeing Liu Yu’s face turned pale, she urged, “Nannan, let’s go to the clinic first.”
The term “drugs” resonated in Liu Yanqing’s mind, evoking a sense of unease.
Liu Yu nodded, but her feet didn’t move. After biting her lip, she looked at Liu Yanqing and said, “But there’s someone now who probably needs to go to the clinic more than I do.”
Liu Yanqing was puzzled. Liu Yu pointed outside the teahouse to the mule cart Wu Jin drove, “In that cart, I was in a hurry.”
She only wanted to disable him, not to take a life and implicate herself.
Liu Yanqing understood something, asked his mother to accompany Liu Yu, and quickly walked out. He lifted the curtain of the cart to reveal a man lying inside like a dead fish, his mouth gagged with a cloth, showing no signs of movement.
The inside of the cart was dim, and at first glance, there didn’t seem to be any injuries. It looked more like he was drugged and passed out, but the posture was somewhat peculiar, as if he struggled desperately before losing consciousness.
Liu Yanqing’s nostrils flared, catching a strange and fishy odor. His eyebrows furrowed, lifting the curtain of the cart and stepping in. Soon after, he stepped out, his expression extremely odd, casting a glance at his little cousin being supported by his mother outside the teahouse.
The two constables followed. Seeing Liu Yanqing’s strange expression, they asked, “Brother Liu, what’s wrong?”
Uncomfortable, Liu Yanqing cleared his throat and said, “Nothing, you go to the yamen first. My family has been searching for my sister. It seems they’ve found her. Please help me inform Head Liu. I won’t go to the yamen today.”
His two companions glanced toward Liu Yu. Since Liu Yanqing came out, his gaze had been on his mother and the young lady. Although they were somewhat captivated, they also understood the situation: “Alright, Brother Liu. Take a day off; we’ll inform Head Liu.”
After some thought, Liu Yanqing stopped the two who were about to leave. He said, “This Wu Jin, tie him up first. Throw him in jail for a couple of days before deciding.”
“Okay.” The two exchanged a glance, not asking for more details. They simply agreed.
Wu Jin, with all the misconducts he had committed, didn’t need an explanation for being detained by these constables. They had plenty of evidence to use against him.
Moreover, the offender was in the hands of Liu Yanqing’s family, and since they had just found his younger cousin, the two constables couldn’t help but make some guesses. They left with Wu Jin in custody.
After they left, the Liu family headed towards the county clinic. On the way, Liu Yanqing inquired about the situation. He learned that the person in the donkey cart was Liu Yu’s stepbrother. Alongside her stepfather and stepbrother, Wu Jin had tried to drug and sell her. Liu Yanqing clenched his fists until they made a cracking sound.
Aunt Liu was even angrier, her hands trembling. “What about your mother? How could Bao Shi treat you like this?”
Liu Yu’s steps faltered, and she asked Aunt Liu, “What are you saying? My mother’s surname is Bao?”
Aunt Liu confirmed with a nod. “Yes, her surname is Bao, and her name is Cuiyun.”
Liu Yu’s face turned pale, looking at Aunt Liu. “I’m afraid you’ve mistaken. My mother’s surname is Wang, named Qiao’e.”
Wang Qiao’e?
Everyone was stunned for a moment.
Aunt Liu decisively shook her head, grabbing Liu Yu, and said, “I couldn’t have mistaken. The appearance, age, and birthmark all match.”
Liu Yanqing and Liu Yanan, one ten years old and the other eighteen, were still young when the family changed. They didn’t remember much about the age of their younger cousin. They were a bit bewildered at the sudden change. However, Liu Yanqing, being older, had a clearer memory. He nodded and affirmed, “My mother is correct. I remember the appearance of our grandmother and uncle. Little sister, you bear a striking resemblance to our grandmother, and there’s a 40% to 50% resemblance to our uncle as well. If not for being blood-related, how could there be three people in the world so alike?”
Hearing about Liu Yu’s ordeal, Liu Yanqing understood that her situation was extremely dire. The ruthlessness she displayed in the county town today might be driven by desperation. Now, thinking she had recognized the wrong family, her face turned slightly pale.
Although they had just recognized each other and spent only a short time together, perhaps blood ties were inherently miraculous. Or maybe, Liu Yanqing remembered from childhood that it was his grandmother’s last wish to find this younger sister. Learning about Liu Yu’s tragic experiences, Liu Yanqing felt a deep and unbearable pain in his heart.
He assured Liu Yu with a firm tone that there was no mistake and that she was truly his sister. He changed his address to her without any hesitation.
Aunt Liu also patted Liu Yu’s hand and asked, “Where is your home?”
Liu Yu truthfully replied, “Liujiacun, Changfeng Town.”
The faces of the four members of the Liu family turned extremely grim, and Aunt Liu burst into tears on the spot. “Changfeng Town, it’s actually Changfeng Town. We’re so close; it’s just a dozen miles away. I’m so foolish. I only knew to report to the officials and search in distant places. I wasted so much time searching in other areas, never imagining that you were right under our noses, enduring fifteen years of suffering.”
Thinking about how Liu Yu had almost been sold today, Aunt Liu felt even more regretful. Once inside the clinic, she couldn’t hold back her tears.
Liu Yanqing handled all the matters. Liu Yu had indeed been drugged, but the doctor said the damage to her body was not severe, and with some time, she would recover. No more medication was needed.
As for Liu Dalang, he was carried into the clinic and examined by an experienced old doctor. It was clear that there was no hope for recovery, so they applied some wound medicine and bandaged it up. Nothing more could be done.
Liu Yanqing had no intention of saving Liu Dalang. His sister(cousin) had been pushed to such an extent, and at this point, Liu Yanqing felt that it was a relief. Breaking the descemdants, this family deserved no more.
They didn’t keep Liu Dalang at the clinic. After applying the medicine, they tied him up, tossed him onto the mule cart, and rented another one for themselves. They made a detour to the county office, calling the two constables who were close to Liu Yanqing. Aunt Liu, Liu Yanqing, Liu Yanping, and Liu Yu took one cart, while the two constables, Liu Yanan, and Liu Dalang took another. Immediately, they headed straight for Liujuacun, Changfeng Town.
Aunt Liu said, “You are my true niece; I would never recognize the wrong person. Whether it’s Wang Shi or Bao Shi, seeing you with my own eyes today, I’m clear. Right or wrong, past and present, we’ll settle all the scores today.”
Sansukini: Such a long chapter. Liu Yu finally found her lost family. Yay! Guess who else is looking for her? And Yikes! Liu Dalang can’t use his “beep” anymore but I don’t feel sorry for him. He already said it himself, he already has a son, anyway.
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Big aunt, you are a hero! 😍
She is fierce.
Thank you for this chapter!