Xiao Mandong rounded the corner of the public security bureau when she heard voices talking. She paused instinctively, moving noiselessly to press herself flat against the wall.
"Director Peng, what do you think of this girl's looks? She grew up in the countryside and has been taking care of her older brother all this time. She definitely knows how to look after people," it was Tang Guanshan's voice.
"Her looks are passable, but I get the feeling she's not too keen on the idea. Let's just forget it," came another man's steady, unhurried voice.
"Rest assured, Director Peng, she will definitely agree. That girl is just stubborn as a mule. Once she's thought through the pros and cons, she'll realize I'm only doing this for her own good."
Tang Guanshan was brimming with confidence. As long as they kept the girl locked up here, and made things a little hard for her brother out in the open, he had no doubt the stubborn girl would give in.
"We must not force the girl. The woman has to be fully voluntary, that principle cannot be broken. Don't worry, I'll keep your matter in mind," Director Peng patted Tang Guanshan on the shoulder.
Xiao Mandong ground her teeth so hard they ached. This man was the worst kind of hypocrite, acting all high and mighty while playing dirty games.
"She will be voluntary, absolutely voluntary. Thank you so much, Director Peng, thank you so much..." Tang Guanshan rubbed his hands together excitedly.
As footsteps drew near, Xiao Mandong slipped into her spatial storage. She was just about to step back out when Tang Guanshan turned back unexpectedly.
"Little Liu, thanks for today. No matter who comes, don't let anyone see that stubborn girl. Rest assured, as soon as the temporary worker position opens up, I'll be the first one to get in touch with you."
"Thank you, Section Chief Tang. Don't worry, I'll keep a close watch on her," the young public security officer nodded and bowed obsequiously.
When the footsteps had faded completely away, Xiao Mandong stepped out of her spatial storage. She did not go into the public security bureau - even if she did, that young officer on duty would never let her see Xiaoli. She pulled her bicycle out of the spatial storage, and tailed the man called Director Peng.
She followed him through winding turns and twists, until he stopped in front of an old courtyard house.
Director Peng unlocked the gate and walked into the yard. Xiao Mandong was just about to find a spot to climb over the wall, when a burst of barking erupted from inside the yard - and there was more than one dog.
"Who's there?" a woman opened the door of the main room, her tone clearly irritable.
Xiao Mandong quickly circled around to the back of the courtyard. After looking all around, she found the surrounding wall was far too high to climb. She headed back to the front of the house, but the moment she glanced at the main gate, the dogs started barking again. That's it, she decided, better head back first.
She stopped at the state-run restaurant to buy a meal for Bowen. No sooner had she stepped into the hospital than she saw Tang Guanshan walking out of the ward, with Bowen and Zou Yan trailing behind him.
Zou Yan ran up to Xiao Mandong immediately. "Mandong, Section Chief Tang said he's taking Bowen to find Xiaoli, and I couldn't stop him..."
Xiao Mandong glanced at Tang Guanshan, then turned to look at Bowen, waving him over. "Bowen, come here."
Next to Xiaoli, Xiao Mandong was the person Bowen trusted most. He ran straight over to her.
"Sister, sister, Bowen is looking for sister."
Tang Guanshan's face darkened instantly.
"Doctor Xiao, I am Bowen's stepfather. I'm taking Bowen home. What do you think you're doing?"
Ever since he had started dealing with that stubborn girl, nothing had gone smoothly for him, and now he found her more and more displeasing to the eye.
"Nothing out of the ordinary. Everyone in the family quarters knows that before Xiaoli left, she asked me to help take care of him. I'm just keeping my promise, so I'm taking Bowen with me."
There was no way she would let Tang Guanshan take Bowen away. That old fox was definitely up to no good, and she had no idea what underhanded scheme he was cooking up.
"Doctor Xiao, you're a woman. Even though Bowen is simple-minded, we still have to pay attention to the rules of propriety between men and women. You wouldn't happen to be..."
Tang Guanshan's words were vague, but they were deliberately vulgar and disgusting.
"What do you mean?" Xiao Mandong held Zou Yan back before she could blow up, her eyes ice-cold. "What Section Chief Tang is implying, is that Tang Jing drugged Bowen with some ulterior motive? Otherwise, what would a proper young girl be doing drugging a simple-minded man? Living under the same roof as him, what exactly was she after?"
Tang Guanshan's face changed color. "You... you're such a sharp-tongued girl. Besides, the matter of the drugging hasn't been confirmed by the police yet. How can you spout nonsense and slander Tang Jing?"
"Then how about we go down to the public security bureau and ask? Let's see whether it's more appropriate for me to take Bowen and look after him, or for him to stay under the same roof as a suspect." Xiao Mandong was certain Tang Guanshan would never dare go to the public security bureau with her right now.
Tang Guanshan was grinding his back teeth to dust with rage. He could not go to the public security bureau, it would ruin all his plans. He took a deep, steadying breath, then turned to Bowen.
"Don't you want to find Xiaoli anymore? If you want to see her, come with me, I'll take you to meet her right away."
Bowen suddenly remembered what Xiaoli had told him before: if she was not around, he should only listen to this sister. He hid behind Xiao Mandong, puffed out his chest, and stared Tang Guanshan right back in the eye.
Tang Guanshan suddenly laughed. "Fine, fine. Take him with you. But if anything happens to Bowen, I will not let you get away with it."
He decided to let that cheap woman take the boy away. He would just find a way to snatch him back later. When Bowen went missing, he would see how she tried to shift the blame off herself.
Tang Guanshan's words sounded perfectly reasonable on the surface, but Xiao Mandong could read the hidden threat between the lines.
After saying goodbye to Zou Yan, she took Bowen to the nearby residential area. After asking several households, she finally found a family that owned an ox cart. She was going to take Bowen back to Hongqi Brigade. She really could not bring a grown man back to her place, even if everyone in the village knew Bowen was simple-minded, people would still gossip and spread ugly rumors.
By now it was completely dark. Xiao Mandong gave the ox cart driver one yuan, and she and Bowen got on the cart to head back to the village.
Bowen was a little scared, holding tight to the hem of Xiao Mandong's clothes and not daring to let go.
The ox cart driver was a man in his thirties, looking simple and honest on the surface. But once the cart reached the open farmland, his mind turned to lewd schemes. He thought this woman must have more money hidden in her pocket, and after stealing glances at Xiao Mandong several times, he swallowed hard, thinking to himself that such a pretty woman was wasting her life stuck with a simple-minded fool.
The ox cart moved slower and slower. The further they went into the desolate, uninhabited wasteland, the harder it was for the man to suppress his filthy urges.
The more he thought about it, the more his dirty desire burned out of control. He licked his dry, chapped lips.
"Girl, is this your husband?"
Xiao Mandong shot him a sharp glare.
"Just drive the cart, mind your own business."
"Hey, don't get me wrong, I just wanted to chat with you. How come such a pretty young woman like you ended up marrying a fool?"
"You really are a beauty. How old are you? I've traveled all around these parts, and I've never seen anyone as pretty as you."
When Xiao Mandong said nothing, he kept talking.
"My wife says I'm great, I can keep her up half the night every night. You're living with a fool, you must be sleeping alone all the time, huh? Tsk tsk... what a total waste."
Xiao Mandong had already pulled a pair of sharp scissors out of her spatial storage.
Suddenly the man stopped the ox cart, and leaned in closer to Xiao Mandong. "It's freezing out, come sit next to me, it'll keep you warm!" As he spoke, he reached his hand out towards Xiao Mandong. Before Xiao Mandong could even move, Bowen suddenly jumped up and rammed his head straight into the driver.
"Bad guy, don't touch sister!" Xiao Mandong pulled Bowen safely behind her.
