“I don’t know what you’re talking about. Didn’t your little sister die of illness when she was young? Who’s been spreading nonsense about her being trafficked?”
Aunt Wang was stunned for quite a while before replying angrily.
The matter had been handled very discreetly back then. Ye Jin had still been a child at the time, so there was no way she should know the truth.
Besides, child trafficking was a crime. If someone got hold of evidence, they could end up in prison.
“Don’t worry about how I found out. Tell me what you know, and I’ll keep today’s secret for you.”
“Your sister died of illness. Didn’t you personally see her buried on the mountain? She’s dead. What else could I possibly tell you?”
Aunt Wang stubbornly refused to budge.
Ye Jin turned and walked away.
“If Aunt Wang’s lips are sealed so tightly, then don’t blame me for telling everyone what I saw today.”
Ye Jin quickly snatched the man’s clothes draped over Aunt Wang’s arm and darted out of the grass.
“Come back! Ye Jin, come back! We can talk this over!”
Aunt Wang panicked.
Even setting everything else aside, just that piece of clothing alone would be enough to cost her dearly if it were shown around.
“I’ve already shown complete sincerity. I’ve said everything I can. If Aunt Wang still refuses to talk, then don’t blame this younger generation member for forgetting respect for her elders.”
“If I remember correctly, my Uncle Ye never wears black clothes. And his size is slightly smaller than this one.”
Ye Jin smiled brightly.
With her secrets completely exposed, Aunt Wang could no longer hold out.
“I don’t know much about what happened to your sister.”
“How much is ‘not much’? Was Wang Fengqin the mastermind behind this?”
“I suppose you could say that. The one who sold your sister back then was a thug from Wang Family Village named Wang Shi. He’s also Wang Fengqin’s distant nephew.”
With Ye Jin holding evidence over her head, Aunt Wang could only honestly reveal what she knew.
“Wang Fengqin. I knew it was her! Does this Wang Shi still live in Wang Family Village?”
Having found a lead, Ye Jin was excited.
The problem was that Wang Family Village was quite far from Ye Family Village, making the trip difficult.
“Wang Shi is related to my cousin, but I don’t really have any dealings with him. I don’t know what his situation is now.”
Aunt Wang let out a heavy sigh.
After revealing the secret, she strangely felt much lighter.
The truth had been like a heavy stone pressing against her chest for years, making it hard to breathe.
“Why did Wang Fengqin do this? My little sister was still so young. How did she offend her?”
“I don’t know about that. Whatever happened between you and her, you’ll have to ask her yourself.”
Ye Jin could tell that Aunt Wang wanted to say more.
She probably knew additional secrets but had no intention of revealing them.
Having obtained the information she wanted, Ye Jin did not press further.
“Then thank you, Aunt Wang, for telling me so much.”
“And the clothes?”
Aunt Wang stared longingly at the garment in Ye Jin’s hand, wanting to snatch it back but afraid of provoking her.
“I’ll return the clothes to you. As for what happened today, I’ll pretend I never saw it. I won’t mention it to a second person.”
Her younger sister had not yet been found. Aunt Wang might be a bad person, but she was still useful for the time being. Ye Jin did not want to make an enemy of her completely.
“That’s good. That’s good.”
Aunt Wang clutched the clothes tightly in her hand.
Ye Jin emerged from the grass. Now that she finally had news about her sister, she practically floated along the path.
The smile vanished from Aunt Wang’s face as she glared viciously at Ye Jin’s retreating figure.
“If my cousin hadn’t said you’re still useful right now, I’d skin you alive! You’re just a little brat who hasn’t even grown up yet. What gives you the right to threaten me?”
Aunt Wang cursed under her breath.
In all her years, she had never felt so humiliated. She had been led around by the nose by a younger girl, unable to fight back, and ultimately forced to reveal a secret.
Aunt Wang remained in the grass, waiting for the man to return.
The man was tall and powerfully built, an excellent farm worker. Before long, he came down the mountain dragging two large bundles of firewood.
He had originally come back to retrieve his clothes, but to his surprise, Wang Yan had not left yet.
“What’s wrong? Still not going? Weren’t you saying earlier that you were in a hurry to get back and make soup? Or is it that you can’t bear to part with me and want another round?”
The man grinned at Wang Yan.
She was ordinary looking, but she had a great figure and was especially enjoyable to be with.
“I’m worried sick, and you’re still laughing!”
Wang Yan handed him the clothes.
He casually pulled them on, covering his well defined upper body.
“What are you worried about? Is your husband coming back? That won’t do. If I won’t be seeing you for months, then I need another round first.”
Whenever Wang Yan was troubled, it usually had something to do with her husband.
Since they often went long periods without seeing each other, there was naturally no chance for intimacy.
As he spoke, the man moved toward Wang Yan again.
Normally, Wang Yan would make a token show of resistance before giving in. This time, however, she firmly pushed him away.
“Another round of what? Someone already knows about us.”
“Who knows? Someone from Ye Family Village? Did they threaten you? Tell me who it is, and I’ll go teach them a lesson!”
With their affair exposed, the man immediately wanted to pick a fight, without giving any thought to Wang Yan’s situation.
“You think this is something to be proud of? If you go after them and they get angry, they’ll spread everything! You’re not from this village. You can just leave whenever you want. But if everyone here finds out I’m having an affair, they’ll condemn me for the rest of my life!”
“So what? At worst, I’ll take you away with me!”
The man did not care.
He was strong and capable. He could make a living anywhere.
With his abilities, could he not support one woman?
Wang Yan had considered leaving with him before.
But whenever she thought about living without a permanent home and wandering from place to place, she hesitated.
The man was an orphan with no family to rely on. She would also have to bear and raise children for him.
Having already lived through the hardships once, the thought of raising children alone again made Wang Yan shudder with fear.
“I’m not interested in discussing all that. The person who found out is just a little girl. Her father doesn’t care about her, and her mother doesn’t love her. When you have time, go scare her a bit and make sure she keeps her mouth shut.”
Wang Yan did not want the matter to grow larger.
The man curled his lip dismissively.
“A little girl like that? I could crush two of them with one finger. I don’t know what you’re so afraid of.”
“All you ever think about is using force. I’m almost out of Snowflake Cream and clam oil again. Go earn some money when you have time and buy me some more.”
“You can have whatever you want. Even if you asked for the stars in the sky, I’d bring them down for you. But right now, what I want is you.”
The shameless man moved closer again.
Ignoring whether Wang Yan agreed or not, he began tugging at her trousers.
“Don’t. Don’t do this. What if someone sees us?”
“We’ve already been seen once. One more person won’t make any difference.”
The man pinned Wang Yan beneath him and began forcing himself on her.