“Ah, this little girl is such a good child,” Aunt Qiao said, looking at Ye Weiliang with relief. “Your train leaves at 7:30 tomorrow morning. Get to the station early; the educated youth office comrades will give you the ticket.”
“Yes, Aunt Qiao, I’ll get there early,” Ye Weiliang smiled and nodded.
She seemed to think of something: “By the way, Aunt Qiao, my older brother and sister at home don’t have jobs.”
Aunt Qiao’s eyes lit up at this. This girl was bringing her achievements! She had been worried about not having enough people for rural assignments.
“Great, great! They’re going to Heilongjiang too?” Aunt Qiao laughed happily.
“Brother is a boy, he needs training, so… naturally, my sister will be with him for care,” Ye Weiliang explained just enough. Aunt Qiao understood—she didn’t care about their family disputes, she just did her own work.
Aunt Qiao finished the certificate and gave Ye Weiliang the allowances: “Don’t worry about your brother and sister’s certificates; I’ll handle them personally before departure.”
For such a cruel family, she definitely wanted to help the little girl.
“Tomorrow morning, 7:30 at the train station. Don’t forget!” Aunt Qiao reminded her.
“Okay, thank you, Aunt Qiao,” Ye Weiliang said sweetly, her eyes red.
Aunt Qiao smiled widely at her sweetness. What a good girl… too bad her family weren’t good people.
Ye Weiliang pocketed 150 yuan, left the office humming a little tune, and first went to eat before heading to the department store to shop.
Li Jie was working again. Seeing Ye Weiliang, her eyelids twitched.
“Comrade Xiao Ye, you’re here again?”
“Yes, Li Jie. I’m leaving for the countryside tomorrow and need to buy some things,” Ye Weiliang said, showing her rural assignment certificate.
When Li Jie saw she was going, she looked at her with admiration.
She didn’t say anything else and directly took Ye Weiliang to the back warehouse to pick whatever she wanted.
This time Ye Weiliang gave a few pieces of candy, taken from Ye Tangsheng’s house.
Li Jie smiled from ear to ear. Their family couldn’t buy candy even once a year, and this girl gave three or four pieces—enough for the children at home to get one each.
Li Jie’s smile grew even warmer, which allowed Ye Weiliang to get even more items.
She even bought a military coat, slightly flawed, but wearable after minor repairs.
Besides supplies, she bought some food. Though the countryside had supply and marketing cooperatives, their selection was never as rich as in Beijing.
After thanking Li Jie, Ye Weiliang left the department store, carrying a large bundle of items.
She sent some of the items to Heilongjiang first, so that later having extra things wouldn’t arouse suspicion.
After sending a large package, Ye Weiliang went to the scrap depot. This time, there should be plenty of good stuff.
At the entrance sat a man in his forties or fifties. Judging by the empty pant leg, he was disabled?
“Uncle, we’re out of fire-starting paper at home. I want to find some inside.”
“Go ahead, little girl, but don’t take what you shouldn’t, okay?” Yu Jin’an couldn’t help reminding her when he heard her soft voice.
“Yes, Uncle, I won’t touch anything else,” Ye Weiliang said politely.
After thanking him, she entered the large warehouse. Inside was a complete mess—really, everything.
She started scavenging:
Broken chairs and tables? Taken—they could be firewood.
Pretty boxes? Taken—because they looked nice.
Science textbooks? Not needed—she wasn’t going to college.
Complete paintings? Taken—what if they were authentic?
She didn’t dare get carried away, taking only what seemed useful.
Then she left with some scrap newspapers and a few books.
Yu Jin’an looked and said: “Ten cents.”
All that for just ten cents—so cheap.
After paying, Ye Weiliang left with her haul.
It wasn’t until three or four in the afternoon that she headed toward the steel factory dormitory.
Meanwhile, Ye Tangsheng and Liu Pandi had taken Ye Ying to the hospital. The doctor said it was too late—even if treated, she would remain crippled.
Ye Tangsheng and his wife were silently furious.
They returned with Ye Ying to the dormitory.
Upon entering, they saw the house completely empty, and they shouted, startling the neighbors.
The Chinese have a natural love for a spectacle. By now, the Ye family’s doorstep was surrounded by a crowd.
Everyone stared at the empty house in astonishment.
How could the house be emptied with such a big commotion, and no one noticed?
“Report to the police! Hurry!” Ye Tangsheng shouted.
“I’ll go! I’ll go!” some enthusiastic onlookers ran to report it.
Ye Tangsheng hurried to the rooms but saw only emptiness—nothing was left.
Liu Pandi also entered the kitchen and nearly fainted at the empty stove.
They left Ye Ying sitting on the ground. Anyone with eyes could see she had been abused.
“This Ye Ying girl… she’s been… you know… her whole body reeks.”
“Yes… she isn’t even engaged yet. How could this happen?”
“Who knows. In this family, except for Er’ya, none are good.”
Ye Ying just sat there listening, not understanding why this happened.
Why did that damn brat have to change?
Why didn’t she obediently go be Lao Luo’s wife?
Why didn’t her parents check properly before moving someone out?
After ten or so minutes, several police officers arrived. They heard the whole house had been emptied, yet no one noticed anything—very strange.
Seeing it, they realized literally not a single thread was left.
At this point, Ye Weiliang returned. Ye Tangsheng rushed at her angrily: “Was it you? Did you empty the house?”
“What? The house was emptied?” Ye Weiliang feigned surprise. She rushed in and screamed: “Ah! My 200 yuan—the 200 yuan I put under my pillow is gone!”
Liu Pandi also rushed out: “You little brat! Did you take everything? Why would you do this?”
Ye Weiliang shook her head: “No, not me. My money’s gone too. I didn’t… How could I empty the house?”
The police, seeing her timid and small appearance, dismissed suspicion, but still asked the routine questions:
“Little comrade, where did you go earlier?”
Ye Weiliang glanced timidly at Ye Tangsheng and Liu Pandi, then whispered: “Comrade officer, I secretly went to register for rural assignment.”
“Why didn’t you tell your family?” The officer lowered his voice, sensing something.
Ye Weiliang shook her head: “I couldn’t. They would have beaten me to death.”
Seeing this, the officer didn’t press further: “Did you see anyone suspicious when you left?”
“No, Jinbao left first, then I went out shortly after.”
The officer, hearing a new name, hurriedly asked: “Who’s Jinbao?”
“My brother,” Ye Weiliang fidgeted with her clothes—a habit of Ye Er’ya—to prevent suspicion.
After a few more questions, nothing useful came out. Her timid, fragile appearance eliminated all doubt.
The surrounding neighbors also confirmed they hadn’t heard anything.
Thus, the Ye family’s mysterious house-emptying became an unsolved case.
The police also learned from other citizens that this family treated a child like a slave.
They had an even worse impression of the family and silently cursed them.
Finding nothing further, the officers left, and the onlookers went home, still intrigued.
Ye Weiliang entered the house and saw Liu Pandi lunging at her, clawing to scratch her.
She lifted her foot and lightly kicked him several meters away.
“Ye Er’ya! You little brat! You did this! Give back the things!”
Ye Weiliang was done with words. She started slapping Liu Pandi: “You think you’re cunning? Swapping children, tormenting them… you’re the worst!”
Then she turned to beat Ye Tangsheng: “You just watch! When I hit your wife, why don’t you speak? Are you born mute?”
Beaten badly, Ye Tangsheng couldn’t rise. Ye Weiliang then went after Ye Ying: “Oh, your virginity’s gone? Who’s the hero removing scum, haha—heaven has eyes.”
After beating the three of them again, they completely behaved.
Seeing the empty house, Ye Weiliang left. She wasn’t staying here—tomorrow morning, she would head to the countryside.