On the way back, Meng Yao and Jiang Hao had linked pinkies inside the tractor and agreed to keep everything that had happened that day as a secret between the two of them. He was not allowed to tell anyone.
Jiang Hao kept his promise.
Even after several rounds of questioning from the police officers, they still could not get any useful details out of him.
Everyone assumed that the child was still young and had suffered a terrible fright, so it would be better to ask him about everything later.
Therefore, Yu Mei was told to take him home first.
Jiang Jun could only ask Meng Yao to stay behind so he could learn the full story from her.
Meng Yao did not disappoint him. She vividly described the dangers she had encountered after meeting the human traffickers and gave an emotional account of how narrowly she and Jiang Hao had escaped death.
Of course, she concealed everything she had done inside the Western-style building.
“That place was extremely remote. We walked for a long time. Since we were blindfolded when they brought us there, we took many wrong turns while escaping.
“Fortunately, we met a kind uncle driving a tractor, and he gave us a ride.
“There were also many victims like us locked inside that building. I heard those criminals say that they planned to sell all their ‘goods’ within the next few days.
“You must hurry and rescue them. If you arrive too late, it will be difficult to find them again.”
Jiang Jun became furious after hearing this. He slammed his fist against the table and cursed, “A group of utterly heartless beasts…”
Without waiting for an order, Feng Rongguang immediately led a team to the address Meng Yao had provided to arrest the traffickers.
Jiang Jun had noticed several flaws in Meng Yao’s account.
For example, how had she escaped from the guards?
How had she managed to bring a child back completely unharmed?
In truth, he had already sensed something unusual after the incident involving her fall from the Meng family’s second floor.
After this encounter with the human traffickers, he became even more certain that Meng Yao was no ordinary woman.
However, he could not identify exactly what was wrong.
She was his son’s savior. Even if she was hiding something, if she was unwilling to speak about it, he could not force her to answer.
As long as he could confirm that she had not harmed innocent people or committed a crime, there was no need to investigate every secret she possessed.
Moreover, she was someone that a certain person had specifically asked him to protect.
Even if he did not completely trust Meng Yao, he trusted that person’s judgment.
He stood and bowed gratefully to her.
“No matter what happened, you saved my son. That makes you the savior of my entire family.
“You also uncovered an important human-trafficking stronghold. This is not only a good deed for me but for the entire capital.”
Therefore, Meng Yao fully deserved his bow.
Startled, Meng Yao hurriedly stood and waved her hands.
“Captain Jiang, you’re being far too polite.
“If you hadn’t helped me escape the suffering I endured in the Meng family, I would never have had the chance to meet Haohao.
“So let’s consider ourselves even.”
Good deeds were rewarded, and every cause eventually bore fruit.
Jiang Jun nodded in agreement.
It seemed that people truly should perform more good deeds. Perhaps their blessings would return to them at an unexpected moment.
In the end, Meng Yao politely declined Jiang Jun’s invitation to eat with his family.
The chicken blood covering her body from the previous day had not been cleaned properly, and after the chaos inside the Western-style building, she now smelled unbearably foul.
Although the others were too polite to avoid her, she could no longer tolerate it herself.
All she wanted was to find somewhere to wash thoroughly, change her clothes, and rest.
Zhang Guilan’s house would have been a reasonable choice, but the small single-story courtyard contained only two rooms, and the bathing area had been built separately outside.
Although Li Xiaohu was still a minor, he was already a seventeen-year-old young man and nearly fully grown.
Meng Yao had left the Meng residence in such a hurry the previous day that she had not brought any spare clothes with her.
Therefore, she decided to buy some clothes at the department store first and then sleep properly at a hotel.
She slept extremely deeply.
By the time Meng Yao woke on the hotel’s large bed, it was already noon the following day.
She pulled open the curtains, stretched, and looked at the shopping center in the distance.
She suddenly remembered that the house she had ordered from the system marketplace several days earlier should be ready for delivery soon.
She might as well inspect it today.
After all, she was now homeless, and living in a hotel for a long time was not a practical solution.
At that moment, she had no idea that because of the human-trafficking incident the previous day, she had already become the most discussed celebrity in the entire Xiangyang District.
She planned to visit Zhang Guilan first and ask whether she could pay to eat meals at her house from then on.
Compared with the food served in state-owned restaurants, Meng Yao still preferred Zhang Guilan’s cooking.
It was warm and delicious.
Most importantly, it tasted like home.
As soon as she entered the alley, she saw red ribbons hanging everywhere.
Farther along the road was an enormous banner:
“Comrade Meng Yao risked her life to rescue abducted women and children and courageously outwitted a criminal force.
For assisting in solving a major human-trafficking case in the capital and making an outstanding contribution, she is hereby commended and honored.”
The newspaper office had also acted quickly.
After receiving the official report from the public security bureau the previous night, the staff immediately worked overtime and published the story in that morning’s newspaper.
Almost everyone in Xiangyang District now had a copy and was enthusiastically discussing it.
For a moment, Meng Yao thought she had entered the wrong neighborhood.
Then several familiar figures swarmed toward her, pulling her back to reality.
“Oh, our great heroine has returned! Welcome!”
“As expected of someone from our Xiangyang District. Her courage is extraordinary.”
“Yaoyao, you’ve truly made something of yourself this time!”
Meng Yao nodded blankly.
“You’re flattering me. It is my duty to contribute to society in any way I can.”
Ma Lijuan raised her thumb in admiration.
“With Yaoyao’s level of moral awareness, she clearly isn’t the terrible person certain people claimed she was.”
“Exactly. We were blind to believe that family’s filthy lies.”
“They rejected such a wonderful daughter. Now they couldn’t get her back even if they begged. Let them regret it!”
Everyone spoke over one another, once again publicly condemning the Meng family.
Not far away, Meng Ying stared resentfully at Meng Yao, who was surrounded by the crowd.
She unconsciously tightened her grip on the broom in her hand. Her slender fingertips turned white, and the flames of jealousy burned fiercely in her phoenix-shaped eyes.
Why was that wretched woman so lucky?
She had been abducted by human traffickers, yet she had returned completely unharmed.
It was unbelievable!
Those traffickers must have been utterly useless.
No matter how skilled Meng Yao was, how could she possibly fight them barehanded when they had weapons?
Meng Yao immediately noticed Meng Ying standing outside the crowd and gave her a smug sneer.
You didn’t expect this, did you? I’m no longer a helpless lamb that anyone can slaughter.
She then pushed through the crowd and walked straight into Zhang Guilan’s house next door without looking sideways.
“Auntie, I’m back.”
Zhang Guilan excitedly rushed out of the kitchen.
After learning about what had happened to Meng Yao, she had not gone to work that day and had specifically requested leave.
“My good daughter, come here and let Auntie examine you. Were you hurt anywhere?”
After seeing the heroic story in the newspaper and hearing the neighbors’ exaggerated descriptions, Zhang Guilan had been unable to sit still all morning.
The incident had been terrifying.
Meng Yao was only a young woman, yet she had faced an entire group of human traffickers. Not only could she have been violated, but she could easily have lost her life.
Zhang Guilan anxiously pulled her inside.
“Don’t do anything so dangerous again.
“I couldn’t concentrate on anything all morning because I was so frightened.
“I kept worrying that something terrible had happened to you.”
Zhang Guilan had always cried whenever she became emotional. She had been that way since childhood.
Meng Yao gently wiped the tears from her face.
“I understand. Don’t worry. I promise I won’t do it again and make you worry.”
But if she encountered the same situation again, she would still do exactly the same thing.
She only shouted that response inside her heart.
Meng Yao greedily inhaled the delicious aroma of food in the air and spoke playfully.
“Auntie, what delicious food did you make for me this time?
“Let me guess. It must be my favorite braised pork.
“Am I right?”
Zhang Guilan laughed despite herself and lightly tapped the tip of Meng Yao’s nose.
“You always know how to change the subject so that no one can remain angry with you.”
Meng Yao smiled shamelessly.
“Of course. It’s all because Auntie taught me so well.”
At the dining table, Meng Yao briefly described what had happened.
She was mainly afraid that the mother and son would worry, so she deliberately focused on the safer parts.
Even so, the story still sounded extremely dangerous.
The two of them listened in shock and repeatedly patted their chests in lingering fear.
Thankfully, she had returned safely.
Before leaving, Meng Yao pressed two hundred yuan into Zhang Guilan’s hand.
“Child, what are you doing?”