Gu Yan trekked across mountains and rivers for an entire day before finally arriving at Wang Family Village.
The village was deep in the mountains, and most of the houses were in a state of disrepair.
The surrounding hills were barren, with little vegetation and poor grazing land.
In such a harsh and impoverished place, most of the women had married out of the village. The men remained lifelong bachelors, making the village even more desolate.
Gu Yan traveled through the mountains all night and did not reach the village until noon the next day.
Compared to the prosperity of Ye Family Village, where men farmed and women wove cloth, the people here sat lazily beneath their eaves basking in the sun.
The fields lay abandoned, and even the vegetables growing beside the roads were sparse among the weeds.
It had been a long time since outsiders had visited. The moment Gu Yan entered the village, he attracted everyone’s attention.
“Grandpa, does Wang Shi live here?”
Gu Yan was a straightforward man. He did not beat around the bush and immediately asked for information. At the same time, he was clever. Whether he knew them or not, he handed out cigarettes before asking any questions.
“Which Wang Shi are you looking for? We’ve got several Wang Shis in this village. Are you looking for the old one, the middle aged one, or the young one?”
The elderly men accepted his cigarettes, and the wrinkles on their faces relaxed. Some even smiled.
“A man in his fifties or sixties. Not too old, not too young. He owes me money, and I’ve come to collect it.”
Gu Yan had never met Wang Shi. He was only making an educated guess based on the information he had.
“Oh, that Wang Shi. He spent his younger years stealing and causing trouble. He was thrown into prison long ago.”
One elderly man puffed on his pipe as his thoughts drifted into the past.
People always said that harsh lands produced troublesome people. After all the women in the village married away, the remaining bachelors became increasingly unruly.
Wang Shi was one of them. Because his family was poor, he had never managed to find a wife even in his forties. He spent his days loafing around the village and committed countless bad deeds.
“If he was imprisoned for theft, the sentence shouldn’t have been very long.”
“Who knows? That scum committed every evil imaginable. Even if he comes back, Wang Family Village won’t welcome him!”
The old man’s eyes darkened.
He had spent his entire life’s savings arranging a marriage for his son, only for Wang Shi to steal his daughter in law away.
In a fit of despair, his son hanged himself.
Unable to remain in Wang Family Village, his daughter in law later threw herself into the river.
His wife had passed away many years ago. At an age when he should have been surrounded by children and grandchildren, he had instead become completely alone.
“Grandpa, does no one in the village know where Wang Shi is? Does he have any relatives left here?”
“No, no. Who could live long with a son like that? His parents were driven to their graves by him long ago!”
The trail ended there.
Naturally, Gu Yan was unwilling to give up.
If he returned empty handed after such a cursory investigation, Ye Jin would continue worrying about her younger sister and would undoubtedly find a way to come to Wang Family Village herself.
“Then could you tell me where Wang Shi’s house is? I’d like to take a look.”
Even if a person had left long ago, traces of their life often remained in the places where they had once lived.
“It’s the most rundown house on the eastern side of the village. Go have a look if you want.”
“Thank you, Grandpa.”
Gu Yan handed him another cigarette.
The old man accepted it with a smile and added a reminder.
“If you want to go inside, just go ahead. We’ll pretend we didn’t see anything.”
The meaning was clear.
Even if the door was locked, Gu Yan could force his way in. Nobody in the village would interfere.
Perhaps it was the power of cigarettes. Along the way, people eagerly pointed out directions, and one young man even personally led him to Wang Shi’s house.
“Here it is!”
Wang Shi’s home was in terrible condition.
Every windowpane had been shattered, leaving behind only dark empty openings. No one knew how long the family had been gone. Even the front door had rotted away.
“I’ve hated this broken shack for years!”
The young man kicked the door open.
Dust immediately cascaded down.
Unable to dodge in time, he ended up covered in dirt and dust. Just as he was feeling annoyed, Gu Yan handed him a cigarette.
The young man’s face immediately broke into a grin.
“Thanks, brother! Thanks! You’re too generous!”
The young man had made the trip and delivered that kick purely for the reward of a cigarette.
Although it was not an expensive brand, most men in the village smoked homemade tobacco. Factory made cigarettes were a luxury many could not afford.
The moment Gu Yan entered the house, a rotten, moldy smell assaulted his senses.
Sunlight streamed through the doorway, illuminating countless particles of dust floating in the air.
He searched every corner carefully but found no useful clues.
The only unusual thing he discovered was a set of strange iron chains in one of the rooms.
The chains themselves were sturdy, but each had been fashioned into handcuff like restraints. Some were large, others small, and none seemed uniform.
There were ten sets in total.
Each first ring bore a small engraved character: “Niu.”
Gu Yan weighed the chains in his hands. Together, they were surprisingly heavy.
Still unwilling to give up, he lifted the bedboards, overturned everything beneath the bed, climbed onto the roof beams, and searched every inch of the house.
Only after confirming that he had missed no corner did he finally leave in disappointment.
“Brother, what was it like inside? Did you find what you were looking for?”
The young man sat on the steps smoking, greed still flickering in his eyes.
Gu Yan simply tossed him the rest of the cigarette pack.
“No. Too much time has passed. There weren’t any useful clues left.”
Gu Yan looked discouraged.
The young man caught the pack with one hand and smiled so widely that his face nearly split.
Gu Yan casually tossed the chains aside and asked, “Do you know where these chains were made?”
The young man quickly stuffed the cigarettes into his pocket and examined the chains carefully.
“I’ve never seen anything like them. But I can help you ask around.”
Having received the cigarettes, he patted his chest confidently.
Gu Yan nodded.
“I’ll leave you an address. If you learn anything, send me a letter or telegram.”
After a moment’s thought, he pulled a one yuan note from his pocket and pressed it into the young man’s hand.
“Think of this as a deposit. If you find reliable information, I’ll pay you fifty times this amount.”
“Don’t worry, brother. Your business is my business. Leave it to me!”
Fifty times the deposit meant fifty yuan.
Many villagers could not earn that much from farming in an entire year.
For nothing more than gathering information, the reward was incredibly tempting.
The sky was already growing dark. If he lingered any longer, he would be forced to spend the night there.
Gu Yan patted the young man’s shoulder and said familiarly, “Then I’ll leave this matter in your hands. I’ll wait for your good news.”
Dragging the chains behind him, Gu Yan departed.
Many villagers waved goodbye, and some called out with concern.
“Young man, it’s getting late! Wolves roam the mountains at night. You should stay in the village until morning!”
Gu Yan looped the chains around his neck and strode forward briskly, deep in thought.
Winter nights arrived especially early.
By the time he reached the mountainside, darkness had completely fallen.
“Awoooo!”
A wolf’s howl echoed through the mountains.
Soon more howls answered from different directions.
Points of eerie light flickered among the trees.
Gu Yan slowed his pace and stared ahead with a grave expression.