Xiao Mandong sat on a bench in the hallway, waiting for the results of the interrogation.
The interrogation room door opened, and Gu Jianghan walked out. His expression was grim.
Xiao Mandong hurried to her feet. “How did it go? Are those people human traffickers?”
Gu Jianghan came over and lowered his voice. “No. We’ve gotten most of the answers we need. Her family situation is a complete mess. Let her tell you about it herself.”
He glanced at Xiao Mandong before continuing, “I’ll arrange for the girl and her brother to be kept safe. No one will dare cause trouble at the military district guesthouse.”
Gu Jianghan sighed. He hadn’t expected that, in this day and age, anyone would still dare act like a local emperor—completely lawless, treating the country’s laws and regulations like a joke.
This was no longer merely Shi Xiaoli’s personal problem. In remote mountain villages, there were still village cadres who acted with absolute impunity. The matter had to be dealt with seriously.
Xiao Mandong suddenly remembered something and walked into the office next door.
“Comrade, may I borrow the phone? I haven’t given my statement yet, and I need to ask my workplace for leave.”
The young police officer quickly agreed and pushed the phone toward her. “Doctor Xiao, you’re too polite.”
After Xiao Mandong finished the call, it was her turn to give her statement. By the time she came out, Shi Xiaoli and Bowen had already left.
The moment Shi Xiaoli saw Xiao Mandong, she dropped to her knees. Her knees struck the concrete floor with a dull thud.
“Kind sister, I realized that you broke the medicine bottle on purpose today. I know you did it to save us. I’ll find a way to repay you, even if it takes me my whole life.”
She wasn’t stupid. She had seen that this older sister had deliberately stalled for time, intentionally crashing into them and smashing the medicine bottle. If Dashan had escaped, the older sister would have had to pay for it herself. And she had also heard the woman just now say that the older sister had given her ten yuan to help report them to the police.
This sister had saved her and her brother. Shi Xiaoli’s eyes burned as she thought about what might have happened to them if Xiao Mandong hadn’t appeared.
She would remember this sister’s kindness for the rest of her life…
As Shi Xiaoli spoke, she was about to kowtow. When Bowen saw his sister kneeling, he followed suit. Xiao Mandong hurriedly pulled them both up.
“What are you doing? Get up! That bastard should be the one paying the money. If he can’t pay, then let him sit in jail.”
Xiao Mandong took Xiaoli and Bowen out of the police station. Just outside the entrance, they saw Gu Jianghan leaning against a military jeep, spinning an unlit cigarette between his fingers.
When he saw them come out, he quickly put the cigarette away and straightened.
“Get in. I’ll take them to the guesthouse first, then drive you back to the hospital.”
Xiaoli held tightly to her brother’s hand and looked timidly at Xiao Mandong.
Xiao Mandong nodded. “Let’s go.”
The group got into the car. Once the windows were rolled down, Xiao Mandong finally began to feel afraid. If she hadn’t run into Gu Jianghan just now, she might have been in danger herself.
In the car, Bowen leaned against the window, gripping the edge as he looked around curiously and muttered to himself.
Xiaoli sat in one corner of the back seat, clutching a fold of Xiao Mandong’s clothing and refusing to let go. She was afraid that if she released her grip, this kind sister would disappear.
It was the first time the siblings had ever ridden in a car. Xiaoli felt dizzy, and something seemed to be churning in her stomach.
Xiao Mandong patted her hand. “Don’t be afraid. Stay inside the military district guesthouse and don’t go out. No one from Wangjiawa Village will dare come looking for you there. Once the case is settled, you’ll be free to leave.”
Xiaoli nodded firmly. She trusted this sister.
Ten minutes later, the car stopped outside the guesthouse. Xiaoli quickly jumped out and found a tree root, where she began dry-heaving. She had barely eaten anything for the past two days, so all she could bring up was yellow bile.
Xiao Mandong hurried over, crouched beside her, and gently patted her back.
Xiaoli vomited for quite some time before finally recovering. Her face was frighteningly pale.
Xiao Mandong supported her as they entered the guesthouse. At the front desk, Gu Jianghan was showing his identification to the clerk. The clerk’s attitude immediately became exceptionally respectful.
Xiao Mandong noticed the military emblem on his identification. Remembering the fierce way he had dealt with the bad men, she concluded that he was no ordinary person.
Gu Jianghan arranged a two-room suite for the siblings and instructed Xiaoli to keep an eye on her brother and make sure he didn’t run outside. The guesthouse was quite comfortable, with a kitchen and a bathroom, and they could even cook for themselves.
He told Xiao Mandong to talk with them for a while before going out to buy some supplies.
Xiao Mandong took several ration coupons from her pocket and pressed them into Gu Jianghan’s hand.
“Take these. I already have the necessary coupons.”
Gu Jianghan glanced at her but didn’t refuse. He took the coupons and headed straight for the supply cooperative.
As soon as he left, Xiao Mandong examined Bowen. She placed her fingertips against his wrist and found that his pulse was extremely irregular. He seemed to have old injuries as well. When she examined his wounds, the sight was truly shocking.
“Your brother wasn’t like this from birth, was he?” Xiao Mandong asked.
“No. When my brother was eight, he had a high fever, and it damaged his brain.” Xiaoli looked at her brother with heartache. He had been exceptionally clever as a child, but ever since their mother had left…
Xiaoli took a deep breath, forcing back the tears that were about to fall.
Using the cloth bag as cover, Xiao Mandong took a pill from her space and gave it to Bowen. She also took out a bottle of medicine and had Xiaoli apply it to Bowen’s wounds.
Not long afterward, Gu Jianghan returned. He had bought cooking oil, salt, soy sauce, vinegar, rice, vegetables, and meat—enough to last two or three days. He had also bought each sibling a change of clothes, along with some daily necessities.
As Xiaoli accepted the things, her hands trembled uncontrollably. In all their years, she and her brother had never had so many good things to eat—not even during the New Year.
Xiao Mandong stood and walked into the kitchen.
“I’ll cook. You two can try my cooking.”
Xiaoli helped while Xiao Mandong prepared the meal. When no one was looking, Xiao Mandong replaced the cooking water with spirit spring water, hoping it would help Bowen recover more quickly.
In less than an hour, the dishes were ready and brought to the table.
Xiao Mandong had spent her entire previous life cooking, so her skills were unquestionably excellent. And with the spirit spring water added, the food was even better.
A large pot of white rice sat on the table, each grain distinct, its fragrance filling the room.
Shredded pork stir-fried with pickled mustard greens was savory and flavorful. The pork and glass noodles were stewed together, the slices of meat perfectly balanced between fat and lean, while the noodles had soaked up the broth and become soft, silky, and springy. The scrambled eggs with scallions were golden yellow, and there was also a plate of crisp, refreshing vinegar-braised shredded potatoes.
Bowen’s eyes went wide. He grabbed his chopsticks and began shoveling food into his mouth.
“Slow down. No one’s going to take it from you.” Xiao Mandong smiled and placed another piece of meat in his bowl.
Xiaoli held her rice bowl but didn’t pick up her chopsticks.
She stared at the dishes on the table, then at the bright white rice in her bowl. Her eyes slowly reddened.
She and her brother had never eaten such a good meal in their entire lives.
Growing up, simply having enough to eat had been a luxury. When their grandmother was still alive, they most often ate cornmeal porridge or watery vegetable gruel. If they had pancakes, that meant it was the New Year.
As for meat? They hadn’t tasted it since their father died.
But today…
She put a piece of pork into her mouth. The moment its rich flavor spread across her tongue, tears fell into her bowl with a soft plop.
Xiao Mandong placed another piece of meat into Xiaoli’s bowl. “Eat more. Things will keep getting better.”
Xiaoli nodded frantically, tears streaming down her face.
“It’s delicious… so delicious… I’ve never eaten such a good meal before.”
She wiped at her tears, but they would not stop.
“When my father was still alive, our family could only afford to eat meat once during the New Year… After he died, Grandma became even more reluctant to buy it… Dashan and the others came to our house every day to make trouble, and Grandma…”
As she spoke, she finally broke down and began to sob.
Seeing his little sister cry, Bowen quickly put down his chopsticks and moved closer.
“Don’t cry, little sister. Don’t cry!”
Xiaoli raised her head and looked at her brother’s foolish-looking face. Her tears flowed even harder.
She lowered her head and remained silent for a long while. If she hadn’t been desperate, she would never have come here to look for that so-called mother…
