Chapter 90: Joyful Wedding, Mourning Cry 21
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In a dim and dilapidated old-style apartment building, a pungent stench of garbage wafted outside the iron door. Worn-out electrical wires dangled from the ceiling, hanging loosely along the walls. The wire insulation had aged, exposing the copper inside.
Amidst the oppressive silence, the sound of footsteps ascending the stairs was remarkably distinct.
The person climbing the stairs appeared to have difficulty with their legs. The footsteps of their two feet had noticeable differences, slow and cumbersome, as if their legs had suffered some injury in the past, causing them to lack strength when lifting their legs and having to put them down heavily. The soles of their shoes scraped against the damaged edges of the steps, creating a coarse and raspy sound.
Intermittent bouts of coughing accompanied the ascent. Every so often, they had to pause to catch their breath, a sign that their physical condition was quite poor.
The coughing and heavy footfalls seemed like a signal to the other residents that someone was returning.
The security door on the upper floor was quickly opened, and a young person peeked through the gap in the stairs, looking down. Wearing slippers, they hurriedly ran down the stairs.
“Uncle, you’ve gone out again?” The young person rushed to the side of the elderly man who was leaning against the wall, panting heavily. They addressed him affectionately and supported him, patting his back to ease his breathing.
“You went to the southern area again this time? It’s hot there. With your health not being great, going there in the summer isn’t good for you. You’re all alone in a foreign place. What if you faint or fall? There’s no one to take care of you.”
The young person, with a worried look in their eyes, cautiously asked, “How is the situation….. this time?”
The old man appeared to be around fifty or sixty years old, but perhaps due to years of exposure to the elements and the heavy burden on his heart, he looked much older than his peers.
His sun-beaten face was dark and covered with wrinkles, each wrinkle telling the story of the difficult years he had experienced over the past few decades. Despite his current appearance, traces of his youthful spirit and handsome features could still be discerned.
Even though the old man had difficulty with his legs and his waist was twisted and protruding due to pain, he continued to unconsciously make an effort to maintain good posture, with shoulders held high, preserving the good habits of his youth.
His clothing was outdated in style, but clean and neat, as though it had been washed until it was almost white.
It appears that the old man’s life hasn’t been very easy, but he continues to make an effort to present himself well and maintains a resilient attitude toward life.
“Ah, it’s been decades, and I’ve gotten used to it. Every time I go, it’s the same.”
The old man shook his head, seeming reluctant to dwell on the topic, and quickly changed the subject, “I try to be stronger in the summer, but in autumn and winter, the pain in my legs gets worse, making it even more uncomfortable. How have you and your mother been in the past two months? We haven’t seen each other for two months, you seem to have gained a little weight?”
The young person sighed inwardly and understood the old man’s meaning. He helped him slowly ascend the stairs, continuing the conversation as the old man had started.
“Well, you missed out on my mom’s good cooking. Recently, pork prices dropped, and my mom was really happy about it. She bought a lot and made steamed pork with rice flour and a big bone soup. We originally planned to send you some to taste and get your feedback on her cooking, but it turns out you weren’t at home. I’ve been looking forward to your return these past few days, and I finally got my wish.”
His smile was radiant, as if he had just thought of something wonderful, and he couldn’t stop smiling.
The old man was a bit curious and also infected by the smile. “Is there something good happening? You’re smiling like a little kid.”
“You guessed right; there really is good news.” The young man mysteriously pointed to the open door of his house and said, “Why don’t you come over to my place first? You’ve just returned, and there’s no food at home. My family has made some porridge, so you can have a bite to eat. I want to show you something good.”
After entering the house, the young man asked the old man to sit on the sofa and hurriedly went into his room, taking out a red envelope and handing it to the old man.
“Uncle, you can keep this money. Don’t spend all your money sending it to the south. You’re getting older, and it’s time to treat yourself to some good food. In a few days, I’ll accompany you to the hospital for a check-up. Your cough has been getting worse, and it’s not good to delay it…”
The old man was a bit surprised and quickly declined the offered red envelope.
“What are you doing? You and your mother have taken good care of me all these years. Take the money back. Don’t you need it for dating too? Go out and enjoy some nice meals with your girlfriend. I’m at this age already, it’s not necessary.”
“It’s not my money, Uncle.”
The young man quickly explained, “It’s from a stranger I met online. When he heard about your situation, he insisted on donating to you. He said you’re a person worthy of respect, and he admires your decades-long commitment to justice. If you don’t accept this money, he won’t be at peace with his conscience.”
The old man’s hand paused.
The words spoken by the young man unintentionally struck a chord in the old man’s heart. In an instant, memories from the past few decades resurfaced in his mind, with complex emotions.
The young man didn’t notice the old man’s change in mood and continued to share amusing stories with him, saying, “I never expected that I would meet such an interesting person while watching a variety show. He insisted on giving me money, saying he lacks everything except money. I tried to dissuade him, initially thinking he might be a scammer, but he sent the money right away.”
“But this person is really sensitive and kind. After hearing about the life you’ve led and the things you’ve done all these years, he cried on the phone and said that what you’ve done and where you’re from is so similar to a place this show is showing …”
As he spoke, the young man’s voice gradually faltered, and he became lost in thought.
“Come to think of it, that variety show really does resemble the village you told me about.”
The old man was puzzled, “What show?”
Due to his financial situation, he was still using an old-fashioned phone and didn’t have time to watch television shows.
The young man quickly took out his phone and opened the live variety show “Heart-Pounding Journey of Ninety-Nine Days” to show it to the old man.
Because the young man had subscribed to Yan Shixun’s split-screen, as soon as he entered, he was automatically redirected to Yan Shixun’s split-screen livestream, showing the current split-screen content.
Yan Shixun was walking alone on a village road, with the sun setting in the background. The thin orange rays of light spread across the horizon, giving the heavy, looming clouds a touch of orange and turning them into a dirty, discolored hue.
The nearby village houses were low and dilapidated, and the dirt road beneath his feet stirred up dust. In this remote village, the scenery had remained unchanged for decades.
The old man squinted his eyes, leaning in involuntarily to get a better look. Then, after clearly seeing the village scene in the frame, he suddenly widened his eyes.
His back, which had been bent over by the weight of the years and pain, suddenly straightened as he leaned back, his face filled with disbelief.
This, this, wasn’t this the Wangzi Village he had been thinking of for decades?
It couldn’t be a mistake.
Even though many years had passed, he never dared to forget the events of that time.
The oppressive, hanging clouds of dusk seemed as if they were about to crush the village. Car horns, nearby arguments, men’s angry shouts and the sounds of a brawl, women crying and pleading, and a newborn baby’s loud wailing…
He lay face down on the ground, the pain radiating from his waist to his legs, numbing his entire body, making him unable to sense where his lower half was. His heart raced as if it had been shattered. He wanted to get up, to charge forward again, but his entire body was utterly devoid of strength.
His body shielded his teammates as they were attacked, and the burning club struck down upon his teammates, their painful cries ringing in his ears as they spilled from their throats.
He hazily lifted his head and looked upward at an angle along the ground, even though his mind was already numbed by pain and further muddled by all the noise. He still made an effort to open his eyes, trying to find that girl through his blood-blurred vision, which had trickled down from his forehead into his eyes.
However, before him, there were only bickering and shoving villagers and his teammates. The villagers were shouting furiously, their faces twisted and malevolent. His teammates, who had initially tried to mediate, were repeatedly struck, even threatened with sharp farming tools, putting their lives at risk. So, they had no choice but to defend themselves, forming a circle and cautiously retreating toward the outskirts of the village.
Standing alongside the villagers were a few men dressed in suit pants and black leather shoes. They sported substantial beer bellies and observed the chaotic scene with cold, detached gazes.
But he couldn’t afford to worry about these things anymore.
As his teammates helped him to his feet from the ground, he still made a determined effort to keep his blood and sweat-stung eyes open, scanning the faces of the villagers for that girl.
His throat was filled with the taste of blood, and every breath brought excruciating pain, with each inhalation bringing forth the taste of blood in his nasal passages.
Wheezing… wheezing…
He could distinctly hear his own labored breathing, like a malfunctioning fan.
His teammates urged him anxiously to leave, but he wanted to tell them not to worry about him, that he needed to stay here. The young college girl hadn’t been rescued yet, and he was willing to die here if it meant not giving up on her.
However, his damaged throat left him only capable of producing feeble, incomprehensible sounds like “heh heh,” making it impossible to convey his intentions, and he lacked the strength to resist his teammates’ forceful efforts to move him away.
With eyes losing focus, he knew the odds were slim, but he still couldn’t bring himself to give up. He kept turning his head back, striving to look behind.
Where was the girl? Where was she? Was she still safe? Was she still crying?
He wanted to catch one more glimpse of the girl, to tell her not to be afraid, that they would be back soon, that they would take her away, take her home…
The twilight of that moment, with the setting sun like blood, was frozen in his vision, blurred by the crimson hue.
Since then, countless nights were haunted by that scene, intermingled with cries and shouts, disturbing his dreams, leaving him restless, leaving him to wake up in cold sweat.
However, in the dark room, there was only the sound of his heart pounding, like a drum.
And then he would suddenly realize that it had been too long since that incident…
“Uncle, does this village look like the one you visited before?”
The young person noticed that the old man had been staring at the screen in silence for quite some time, thinking he might be struggling with his eyesight.
But then, upon further reflection, he found the whole situation somewhat absurd. “Even if it’s the same village, Uncle, you wouldn’t recognize it, would you? After all, it’s been several decades, and those streets and houses must have gone through multiple changes. Besides, even if your memory is good, it’s been so long, and you only met a few people. It’s hard to remember, isn’t it?”
“No,” the old man replied in a hoarse voice, offering a contrary answer, “I remember it very clearly, it’s right here.”
The old man’s eyes were surrounded by wrinkles, yet they gleamed as bright as snow.
In that moment, his aged and weary body seemed to be infused with a powerful vitality, radiating youthful vigor and sharpness.
It was as if, in an instant, he had returned to that day from decades ago.
“I will never make a mistake. It’s right here. Wangzi Village, Wangzi Village, a name I will never forget, even in death.”
The old man stared intently at the screen, and his formerly gentle and placid face suddenly erupted with strong anger, as if he wanted to break through the screen and return to the village that had trapped him for decades.
“What did you just say this show was?”
The young person had never seen the old man in this state before. The outburst of anger and vitality left him briefly stunned, and then he hesitantly continued, “It’s just a regular live variety show…”
Mid-sentence, the young person suddenly seemed to recall something and exclaimed, “So, Uncle, you have lasting effects from an injury related to this village, the one from decades ago! That’s why, it’s no wonder those villagers treat Bai Shuang so poorly.”
Because the old man was eager to know more about the village and was even more eager to go there immediately, the young person, knowing how deeply the old man was committed to this matter, wasted no time. He quickly found the official account of the variety show program on a social media platform and attempted to contact the program’s staff.
“But, Uncle, this village isn’t called Wangzi Village; it’s called Family Tomb Village.”
When they came across the program’s introduction to this episode, the young person’s busy fingers momentarily stopped.
He cautiously glanced at the old man, afraid that this answer might be too much for him to handle.
After all, the old man hadn’t truly confirmed whether this was the village he had been searching for all these years. His excitement was already overwhelming. After decades of searching, the first time he had come so close to what he was seeking, his spirits had improved, and the exhaustion from his two-month-long journey had vanished.
In this situation, if the old man suddenly found out he had been looking in the wrong place, the blow of having something and then losing it would likely be much greater than never having it at all.
The young person held their breath, anxiously watching the old man, prepared to rush over and offer support if the situation took a difficult turn.
The old man’s brow furrowed as he sternly said, “Impossible! I will never be wrong. What Family Tomb Village? This is Wongzi Village.”
Those memories from back then, along with the desperate pleas and cries, had been echoing incessantly in his mind, questioning why he hadn’t kept his promise. They had kept him awake night after night, and he hadn’t had a moment’s peace in decades.
In his mind, he had replayed the events of that time over and over again countless times. Ten thousand times, a hundred thousand times, a million times… He couldn’t help but wonder if, by walking a little faster here or remaining silent there, things might have turned out differently.
The more he replayed it, the less he could forgive himself, always feeling that there were ways he could have done better in his actions at the time.
As a result, he had become intimately familiar with that scene from the past, and it was identical to what he was currently witnessing on the live broadcast shared by Yan Shixun.
He would not make a mistake.
The young man was unaware of the old man’s decades of torment and the constant replay of that scene in his mind. He thought the old man was comforting himself, but he couldn’t bring himself to shatter the old man’s hopeful imagination. So, he chose not to continue arguing with the old man but instead kept contacting the production team to learn more about the village.
“This viewer’s question is quite strange.”
In the courtyard of the rural farmstay, the guests were still discussing dinner plans. A staff member approached Zhang Wubing while holding a tablet and commented, “It’s the first time I’ve seen someone ask whether this village is really Family Tomb Village.”
“If it’s not Family Tomb Village, then, are we just setting up tents here?” The staff member chuckled, “I can’t believe that even after airing for a few episodes, there are still people who think our show is scripted.”
The assistant director chimed in with a laugh, “I wouldn’t dare to write such a script. I don’t have the talent or the guts for it. How can one come up with such scary things? Finding props for that would be challenging, and we’re not shooting a Hollywood blockbuster; we don’t have that kind of budget. Besides, if we wrote such a script, aren’t we afraid that ghosts would come knocking on our doors in the middle of the night?”
However, Zhang Wubing, who was sitting on a folding chair nearby, blinked and appeared somewhat hesitant.
“Come to think of it, you mentioning this reminded me… When I was booking this rural farmstay on a hotel accommodation app, and when I called the owner to confirm the room and schedule, I glanced at the description on the app. It actually said ‘Wangzi Village’ and not ‘Family Tomb Village.'”
The surrounding staff members: “?????”
They looked at each other but from Zhang Wubing’s expression, it didn’t seem like he was joking.
In order to clear up the confusion, Zhang Wubing decided to take out his phone and open the app he used to book the rural farmstay. He wanted to look for the description he had seen back then.
However, despite searching for a while, Zhang Wubing couldn’t find the listing for Family Tomb Village Rural Farmstay. After much effort, he finally found a rural farmstay listing tucked away in a corner, with the title now faded to gray.
The listing indicated that the rural farmstay had ceased operations under the management of the host six months ago. Following platform rules, it had been tagged with a label stating “Unclear Situation, Exercise Caution” and had been taken offline. The restrictions would only be lifted after contact was reestablished with the host.
Everyone: “???”
What was meant to resolve the confusion had only deepened it.
Zhang Wubing had no choice but to go find Yang Yun to get a direct answer from the owner himself.
Yang Yun was squatting in the backyard of the rural farmstay, inspecting the progress of the vegetables in the garden and considering which ones were ready to be harvested for a meal. Upon hearing Zhang Wubing’s question, he burst into a hearty laugh, having shed his eccentric behavior from earlier in the day and returned to a normal state.
“Oh, I was wondering what was going on. This, you see.”
“We used to be called Wangzi Village, yes. It was only later that, on the advice of a master, we changed it to Family Tomb Village. He said it would bring us better fortune. Mr. Yan asked about it during the day, and I mentioned it. Perhaps you were too far away to hear?”
Yang Yun playfully pointed at Zhang Wubing and said, “Caught a naughty student who doesn’t listen to the teacher.”
Zhang Wubing chuckled and scratched his head in embarrassment.
“I’m not running the hotel and guesthouse platform anymore, and you’re probably the last group of guests for the rural farmstay.”
Yang Yun smiled at Zhang Wubing and said, “When the director called me earlier, I was also surprised. I didn’t expect that there would still be ‘people’ who could reach me through the phone. But in the hospitality business, there’s no reason to refuse guests. So, welcome! I happen to be staying here at the farmstay for a while longer to take care of some miscellaneous matters and wait for someone I haven’t seen in a long time. I’ll continue to host you, Director. I haven’t turned down your request.”
“Don’t worry, even though I’m not using the platform anymore, I guarantee you’ll have a great time inside the rural farmstay.”
Zhang Wubing didn’t expect that the production team would be the last batch of guests at the rural farmstay. Alongside his surprise, he also felt a sense of regret.
He looked around at the surroundings of the rural farmstay and expressed his regret, “Why aren’t you doing this anymore? This is the best rural farmstay I’ve seen. It has a charming rural atmosphere, and all the scenery and facilities are well done. Even the protective walls here are two or three meters high, safety is well taken care of. It’s perfect for people tired of city life to come and relax. You can tell that this is all the hard work of the owner.”
After leaving home to venture out on his own and being solely responsible for all the aspects of the program, Zhang Wubing realized for the first time how exhausting and demanding it was to handle an entire project. Therefore, he had a deep sense of appreciation for Yang Yun, who also ran a farmhouse restaurant independently.
Yang Yun stood in his vegetable garden and looked somewhat contemplative, gazing at the surrounding mountains.
“How uncertain life is… The unexpected happened so quickly, completely disrupting all the expectations a person could have for the future.”
“I can no longer endure it, and I no longer have a reason to tolerate decay…”
Zhang Wubing, with a touch of regret, advised, “Boss, please reconsider. In fact, I had an initial intention when I started this program, which was to use it to promote some lesser-known domestic secondary and tertiary attractions. This way, people will have more options when traveling, and they won’t have to deal with the overcrowding at those popular attractions. Moreover, by doing this, we can boost the popularity of less-visited attractions.”
“The reason we choose relatively remote attractions is not only because they have fewer visitors and less development, thus preserving the natural beauty of the area, but also because it can stimulate the local tourism industry. It can increase the GDP of these remote regions and improve the lives of the people near these attractions.”
“The environment and service here are so good, boss. After this episode of our show airs, I’m sure many viewers and fans will be recommended to visit this place, and your rural farmstay will make more money. It’s a great opportunity. Maybe by then, you’ll even be able to build a road for the village.”
Yang Yun was momentarily taken aback and then shook his head with a bitter smile. “No matter how much money I make, can it bring her back…”
He turned to Zhang Wubing and said, “But Director, you did remind me. Since we’re not doing the rural farmstay anymore, there’s no use in keeping those chickens and ducks. I can’t eat them all. How about we have Mr. Yan and the others catch the chickens and ducks for dinner later? You’ve all been working hard on the shoot; don’t worry about it, you can join in too.”
Zhang Wubing blinked in surprise, not expecting to get an extra meal in the evening when he had come here just to satisfy his curiosity.
After all, he had heard that these poultry were crucial to the local households, and he had been eyeing the chickens as they roamed around at lunchtime but had resisted asking for some, thinking it would be impolite. Now, Yang Yun was suggesting it himself.
“It’s a bit embarrassing, isn’t it?” Zhang Wubing felt a bit uneasy.
However, Yang Yun waved his hand grandly and said, “No need to be shy. Catch the plumpest ones, and if two aren’t enough, catch three. Pick whichever ones you like. Whether it’s stewed, braised, or fried, make it all!”
“Thank you, boss! When we leave, let’s include the cost of the chickens and ducks.”
Zhang Wubing said happily, immediately heading to the front yard of the rural farmstay to inform the guests about the bonus meal.
The staff cheered in excitement.
“Chicken soup is great! A little green onion, and it’s delicious. Especially when it’s chicken raised right here in the countryside, it’s bound to be tasty,” the assistant director said, smacking his lips, his gaze fixed on the chickens in the nearby coop, as though he could already see the meat hidden beneath their shiny feathers, filled with emotion.
The staff members were moved as well, so much so that tears welled up in the corners of their eyes.
“Chicken soup is perfect. According to the weather app, it’s going to get quite cold in the mountains after nightfall. Having chicken soup to warm up is just what we need to feel comfortable at night.”
“Let’s go, let’s go, catch some chickens! Look at that old mother hen; she’s perfect for making soup. Yum!”
The staff member responsible for managing the official social media account’s operations gazed enviously at their colleagues who were happily heading toward the chicken coop. She shook her head and remained seated, continuing to reply to private messages on the official account.
Heart-Pounding Editor: [Hello, dear, I had the director ask the rural farmstay owner, and it’s confirmed that this used to be called Wangzi Village. However, the owner mentioned that the rural farmstay won’t be in operation going forward, so if you were planning to come with friends and family in the future, you might be disappointed.]
The young man, who had been feeling restless while waiting at home, had his eyes light up upon seeing the response from the program’s official staff. They cheered and exclaimed to the old man, “Uncle, this village used to be called Wangzi Village, but it was later renamed Family Tomb Village. We haven’t made a mistake! This is the village we’ve been searching for all these years!”
The old man, who had been sitting on the couch with a straight posture, as if it were a habit developed through years of discipline, immediately opened his eyes.
“They changed the name?”
“Could it be that this is why I came back empty-handed from my search for records in other places?”
The old man was momentarily taken aback. “I see.”
But then, he quickly regained his composure and stood up from the couch, heading toward the door. “You rest at home. I’ll go check it out. Please thank your mother for me and tell her not to worry about me. Don’t let my age fool you; I haven’t forgotten what I learned when I was young, I can take care of myself.”
“Also, if I don’t return after a while, my house and everything in it are yours. The property deed is in…”
“Huh?”
The young man hadn’t expected the conversation to take such a sudden turn. Why was the old man so eager, suddenly bringing up matters like property deeds? It sounded like he was giving instructions as if he were preparing a will, which caught the young man off guard.
“Uncle, do you want to go to this village?”
The young man quickly glanced at his phone, which displayed his conversation with the official members of the production team, and said, “How about you ask the production team first, Uncle? They’re over there right now. From our location to the southern region, even by plane, it would take at least three hours, and after landing, we’d have to drive into the mountains. With all that, it might not be until tomorrow night before we arrive.”
“Uncle, if you’re in a hurry, it might be a good idea to establish contact with the production team online first. Then we can plan the rest. You can trust me with getting in touch with the production team. If there’s anything you want to tell them, any precautions you want them to take, or any help you need from the production team, just let me know, and I’ll relay it.”
“And…” The young man hesitated for a moment, expressing his concerns. “Since this village is the same one from decades ago, if they are still the way they were, the female members of the production team might be in danger. It’s a way to alert the production team and make sure they’re prepared.”
The old man, who had initially been considering declining, nodded when he heard this and said, “Okay.”
“We can’t… can’t let more girls get hurt.” The old man’s voice quivered, and he seemed to recall something.
The young man looked at the old man, and a wave of sadness washed over him, causing his eyes to redden that he almost shed tears.
It’s not because he was prone to tears or for any other reason, but because this old man’s story was truly heart-wrenching.
The high-rise buildings in this old urban area had been standing for decades. The first batch of residents, who had moved in several decades ago, were relatively well-off, but over time, one generation after another left. The more affluent individuals found better homes, leaving only those who couldn’t afford to move behind.
The young man remembered that when he was very young, the still vigorous and energetic old man had already been living there.
The old man’s surname was Chen. Several decades ago, he had been a confident and promising police officer, a young and talented man with a bright future. Many people wanted to introduce their daughters to him.
Everyone, including Officer Chen, believed that’s how life should go. Get married, have adorable children, and then put all your heart and effort into raising them, watching your loved ones share each meal…
But when Officer Chen received a particular assignment and returned, everything changed.
He had been severely injured during that assignment and spent a long time in the hospital. The hospital had issued critical condition notices several times, but he clung to life through sheer determination and willpower.
At that time, the neighbors in the high-rise building said that after great hardship comes great fortune. However, no one expected that less than a year after his release from the hospital, Officer Chen would choose to resign. His decision left everyone sighing and sympathizing.
The young man’s earliest memories started with Officer Chen, and by the time he began to remember, Officer Chen had already become Uncle Chen. He never saw that confident and handsome officer who was the talk of the neighborhood. Instead, he witnessed Uncle Chen repeatedly trudging up the slope, dusty and weary, and coming home with a face filled with disappointment and exhaustion.
As he grew a bit older, there was a time when he made a little girl from the neighborhood cry by snatching her toy, and he felt somewhat pleased with himself, thinking he had displayed some “manly toughness.”
But it turned out that Uncle Chen had witnessed the incident when he had just come home.
For the first time, he realized that the amiable Uncle Chen could become so angry. Uncle Chen gave his bottom a few hard smacks and sternly told him not to bully girls.
He cried loudly, and when his mother, who had just returned from work, found out the reason for his tears, she got angry and gave him another spanking. She also made him apologize to the little girl and Uncle Chen.
Uncle Chen, seeing him crying so intensely, let out a sigh and placed a handful of candies in his hand.
Then, Uncle Chen opened up for the first time about his own story, apologized to him, and revealed the reason for his anger.
It was because during that mission that he had mentioned earlier, the one that had a profound impact on him, what he witnessed was a girl being mistreated.
However, he couldn’t save the girl. Since then, he couldn’t bear to see anyone mistreat girls around him.
Uncle Chen said he was just seeking peace of mind, which was why he was striving so hard to make amends. He described himself as a shameless person.
He was too young back then, thinking he could change something with his own strength, save some people from ruined lives, but it was all just wishful thinking. He couldn’t save anyone.
The young man was in elementary school at the time, unable to comprehend the tears in Uncle Chen’s eyes or the trembling of his bitter smile.
But as he grew older, he watched Uncle Chen year after year, day after day, dragging his injured body to the southern region, coming home time and time again exhausted and disappointed. Many times he bore new wounds, bearing the marks of someone who had been beaten.
This unwavering persistence had lasted for decades.
He began to understand.
He understood why this man had given up a seemingly good job in everyone else’s eyes, persistently traveling with an unwavering determination, investing all his youth and life into it, from youth to old age, all for the sake of a single outcome.
The young man hoped that this man, tormented by injury and accumulated disappointment, would finally achieve what he had longed for.
“Uncle, it won’t happen again.” The young man’s nose tingled, and he said with a quiver in his voice, “It won’t happen again, no other girls will go through what happened before.”
“Uncle, I’m growing up. When I graduate from the police academy, I’ll take over your case and continue it.”
The young person held the old man’s rough hand and said, his voice choked, “Uncle, rest assured. I’ll take care of everything in Family Tomb Village.”
The old man gazed at him steadily for a long while and then broke into a smile.
“Okay.”
“The more good kids like you there are, the better this world will become. If we can put an end to such painful separations and goodbyes, I’ll have no regrets, even if I die.”
……
Meanwhile, the program’s staff quickly received a substantial amount of information from a user on the social media platform.
In the message, the user briefly explained their knowledge of the situation and their request for the program’s assistance, allowing someone they knew to travel to Family Tomb Village.
Attached to the message was a document comprising several hundred pages. It detailed an incident that occurred in Family Tomb Village several decades ago, including screenshots and explanations of official documents, as well as a scanned copy of a mission order from many years ago. The order clearly stated the date and purpose of a visit to Wangzi Village, providing concrete evidence for the user’s claims.
Finally, the user made a heartfelt request for the program’s official team to take this matter seriously, ensuring the safety of the female members of the program while helping him and his acquaintances.
It was evident that the user had shown the utmost sincerity.
“This is…” the staff member was surprised, their hand freezing in mid-air.
“Why didn’t you go catch chickens? They’re over there having a blast.”
Yan Shixun strode over, casually asking the staff member.
In the chicken coop not far behind him, there were continuous sounds of chickens clucking and people laughing and cheering, creating a lively atmosphere.
But when he saw the staff member standing there in shock, staring at their tablet, an expression of amazement on their face, Yan Shixun’s demeanor turned serious. He asked, “What’s going on? Is something happening?”
His gaze fell on the tablet, and then, his eyes widened slightly.
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