Chapter 88

Chapter 44: Encounter a Human Trafficker at the Station

Fang Mingyuan was unaware that two people had tossed and turned, unable to sleep, because of him last night. He, who loved to sleep in, had to get up early the next day to go to the long-distance bus station with Fang Bin to pick up someone.

It was the weekend, and upon learning that Fang Mingyuan was going to Fengyuan, Zhao Ya and Feng Qian insisted on coming to Fengyuan to play. Feng Aiguo and Zhao Jianguo had no choice but to agree. After Liu Yong learned the news from Zhao Ya, he also followed along. In Haizhuang Town, Feng Aiguo saw the three off, and Fang Mingyuan and the others were waiting to pick them up here, which saved the need for additional accompaniment.

"Yawn," it was still quite cool in Fengyuan in the early morning, not yet summer. Fang Mingyuan sat on a bench at the station, yawning continuously. He was a typical night owl, becoming more energetic as the night went on, and naturally, he was listless in the morning.

"Fang Mingyuan, we came a bit early. The bus is probably about half an hour away. If there are any delays on the road, it might be even later," Fang Bin said, having inquired about the bus schedule, and handed him a few baozi (steamed buns).

"Um, there's nothing we can do. We just have to wait here," Fang Mingyuan carefully bit into the baozi, first sipping the delicious soup inside before eating the bun. Such authentic soup-filled baozi was something he hadn't tasted for years in his previous life. The obsession with high yields meant that everything was forced to grow faster, whether vegetables or meat. Pigs that used to take a year to fatten were now pushed to market in half a year. If the meat still tasted good, it would be a miracle!

Fang Bin lit a cigarette and sat next to Fang Mingyuan, puffing away. "Fang Mingyuan, do you think Su Aijun will agree to your proposal?"

Yesterday, Fang Mingyuan and Liu Lan's conversation was heard clearly by Fang Bin. He was all for Su Aijun's participation. The amount of money he could invest was a minor issue, but with Su Aijun's presence, those who might try to harm the Fang family would think twice. Giving up a portion of the income to ensure peace and safety was worth it in Fang Bin's view. Moreover, Fang Bin had a good impression of Su Aijun. As the son of a deputy minister of railways, a genuine high-ranking official's child, he had no airs about him and was content to be a university teacher. In contrast, the sons of town mayors and county chiefs were often arrogant and domineering.

"There's a seventy to eighty percent chance!" Fang Mingyuan focused on eating the baozi. These soup-filled baozi were delicious, but a slight misstep could result in a face and body covered in oil. The idea of having Liu Lan persuade Su Aijun to invest came to him yesterday. He hoped to leverage the potential price hikes and Liu Lan's pregnancy to convince Su Aijun. Only by tying the Su family to his own could he hope to realize his plans for the railways. Since fate had given him a second chance, Fang Mingyuan was determined to leave his mark on the world.

"That's good!" Fang Bin breathed a sigh of relief. After these years, Fang Mingyuan's confidence was probably the strongest in the Fang family, aside from the old couple. Since he said there was a seventy to eighty percent chance, Fang Bin was reassured.

"Uncle, you sit here, I'll go wash my hands!" Fang Mingyuan crumpled the paper that wrapped the baozi and threw it into the trash can.

"Okay, go ahead!" Fang Bin waved his hand.

The long-distance bus station in Fengyuan in 1988 was quite rudimentary, and the toilet was not inside the waiting hall. Fang Mingyuan had to ask for directions and go outside to find it, and the hygiene conditions were far from satisfactory.

As Fang Mingyuan walked back to the waiting hall, he noticed a middle-aged woman dressed quite simply, holding a little girl who was fast asleep. The little girl, about four or five years old, was very cute, with a rosy complexion. She was wearing a red jacket and was resting on the woman's shoulder.

"This little girl will surely grow up to be a beauty!" Fang Mingyuan thought to himself.

As he passed by, Fang Mingyuan suddenly caught a whiff of a faint perfume. He turned his head in surprise and saw the middle-aged woman smile at him. She looked very ordinary, almost invisible in a crowd.

Fang Mingyuan didn't stop, but his gaze dropped, noticing that under the little girl's red jacket was a silk shirt.

Fang Mingyuan found this even more suspicious. He walked back to Fang Bin and continued to observe the pair, who looked like mother and daughter. The middle-aged woman sat on the other side of the waiting hall with the little girl.

"Zzz..." The loudspeaker in the waiting hall suddenly emitted a piercing buzz. As people covered their ears and cursed, a loud voice came through: "Passengers bound for Weinan, please note, passengers bound for Weinan, please note, proceed to Gate 4 to board the bus! Proceed to Gate 4 to board the bus!"

"Damn! Almost deafened me!" Fang Bin rubbed his ears and cursed, "These bastards are so careless with the loudspeaker!"

"Uncle, stop those two, the middle-aged woman holding the little girl!" Fang Mingyuan suddenly said.

"Huh? Why stop them?" Fang Bin was puzzled.

Fang Mingyuan saw the middle-aged woman already standing up with the little girl, heading towards Gate 4. He pushed Fang Bin and said urgently, "Just stop them, no time to explain now!"

"Okay, okay, I'll stop them!" Fang Bin raised his hands, realizing his nephew was in a hurry. It was best to comply, or he might face consequences at work later.

"Uncle, be careful. They might not be on the right path, and be wary of accomplices. I'll go find the police!" Fang Mingyuan said hurriedly and rushed out of the station. He had just seen the police station when he went to the toilet.

"You mean a human trafficker?" Fang Bin immediately understood.

Fang Bin stood up and quickly approached the middle-aged woman, grabbing her arm and loudly said, "Sister-in-law, I've been looking for you!"

The middle-aged woman was startled and quickly pulled away, saying, "Who are you? Who is your sister-in-law? You've got the wrong person!"

Fang Bin slapped his head, feigning distress, "Sister-in-law, you don't have to be so heartless! My brother wronged you, but I never did. You can't lump us all together! XIAO Yu is still my niece, how can you say you don't know me?"

"You're talking nonsense! I don't know you! I don't know any XIAO Yu! Move aside, don't delay my bus!" The middle-aged woman held the girl and looked at Fang Bin warily.

By now, Fang Bin was almost certain. With his loud voice, even a sleeping child or a pig would wake up. But the little girl on the woman's shoulder was still fast asleep, which was clearly abnormal!

"Sister-in-law, stop this nonsense. You've been gone for three days, and the family is in chaos! My father beat my brother and sent us all to look for you. We finally found you here. Please come home with me, can't we talk things out?" Fang Bin said with a "sincere" expression, "XIAO Yu is only four, can you let her grow up without a father?"

Other people in the waiting hall had formed a circle around Fang Bin and the middle-aged woman.

"Sister, your brother is right. Couples fight, but they make up. Can't you talk things out? This child is so cute, can you bear to let her grow up without a father? Listen to my advice, go back home! Running away won't solve anything," a well-meaning onlooker chimed in to help Fang Bin.

"I don't know you! This child isn't XIAO Yu! I'm not your sister-in-law!" The middle-aged woman, seeing the crowd growing, became flustered and shouted.

Fang Bin feigned a look of deep concern, "Sister-in-law, blood is thicker than water. No matter what, I'm still XIAO Yu's uncle. Even if you break up with my brother, XIAO Yu is still our family. How can you take her away? What do you want to do to come back? XIAO Yu? XIAO Yu? Wake up, Uncle is here."

He called out twice, but the child remained fast asleep. Fang Mingyuan's face changed, "Sister-in-law, is XIAO Yu sick? Why can't she wake up?"

The middle-aged woman's face also changed, and she hugged the child, "I'll say it again, I'm not your sister-in-law, this child isn't XIAO Yu, and if you keep bothering me, I'll call the police! Accuse you of harassing women!"

Fang Bin's face showed fear, and he clasped his hands together, "Sister-in-law, you can't falsely accuse me. Fine, fine, whether you're my sister-in-law or not is not important, but..."

At this point, he suddenly reached out and forcibly took the girl from the woman's arms, holding her in his own.

The middle-aged woman, caught off guard, let him succeed. She then lunged at him like a madwoman, trying to grab the child back while screaming, "Help! Someone is kidnapping a child!"

"Shut up! In broad daylight, who would dare to kidnap a child?" A voice came from outside the crowd. People turned to see two police officers and a young man standing there.

The middle-aged woman stood frozen, "You two, take the child and come with us to the station to explain! Don't disrupt public order here!"

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End of Chapter 44