Chapter 93:

Fang Shengli could only tell Yu Xianghe’s family what she knew. She had no evidence in her hands. What she had hidden back then was a letter from Yu Xianghe pleading for help from Yu Qingshan and the others. If that letter had survived, it might have been useful, but in the end, it was burned.

Fang Shengli: “Go to Shanghai and find Tao Yan. She was the smartest among us. She almost fell into the village party secretary’s hands, but she managed to find another way out.” Though the price was the same, submitting to the village party secretary or a commune cadre—she even secured a job for herself and eventually returned safely to Shanghai. Without a doubt, she had her ways. Perhaps she left something behind.

Meanwhile, in the capital, Wen Ruzhen brought porridge into the room and urged Yu Xiangyan, who was scribbling something unknown, “You still haven’t eaten. If this goes on, your health will collapse. I know you want to find evidence quickly, but if your body gives out, what then?”

Hearing her plea, Yu Xiangyan put down his pen and rubbed his temples. “Sorry for worrying you.”

Wen Ruzhen sighed. “What nonsense are you talking about? We’re husband and wife. I’m just as anxious about this, but no matter how urgent it is, you can’t skip meals. A man is iron, food is steel. If you don’t eat, your body won’t hold up. Don’t push yourself too hard. This matter won’t just be swept under the rug.”

“We’re helping on our end. My younger brother has many classmates, and quite a few are in politics. Though none are assigned to that area, some are nearby. I’ve already asked him to look into who’s behind them. He said he’d let us know when he has news.”

Yu Xiangyan took her hand. “I’ve troubled him.”

Wen Ruzhen nudged him. “What are you saying? We’re family. Didn’t he trouble you, his brother-in-law, plenty before? Now he finally has a chance to help. Enough talk—drink your porridge.”

She was also very beautiful. Back when they were sent to the countryside, she and her brother were in great danger. If not for Yu Xiangyan—tall, strong, and devoted—protecting them, she didn’t know if she would have suffered the same fate.

In the countryside, those with a bit of power could easily torment outsiders.

Work assignments were at their discretion—heavy, exhausting labor that drained the body. Without proper food, health deteriorated. With the rural medical standards, even without deliberate harm, falling ill was like wrestling with death.

Now, hearing about the fate of Yu Xianghe, a sister she’d never met, she was filled with dread.

Just as he finished the porridge, Yu Xiyi entered the room with a cup of sugar water. Watching Yu Xiangyan take it, she insisted, “Dad, you have to drink it all.”

Seeing his eldest daughter’s stubborn little face, Yu Xiangyan patted his stomach. “Alright, alright, I’ll finish it.”

Only after he drank every drop did she nod in satisfaction. “Dad, we’re all behaving. You work hard, and we won’t let you and Mom worry.”

The three siblings didn’t know what was happening, but they sensed the tension at home. Yu Xiyi, the eldest, kept her younger siblings in line, ensuring they didn’t act up.

Yu Xiangyan stroked her hair, gazing at her face—so like her mother’s, already hinting at the beauty she’d grow into—and his heart ached even more.

How could such scum still walk this earth?

He had his own connections, too. Though far away, he could still help. If they had solid evidence, no matter who stood behind those monsters, they wouldn’t escape justice!

Wen Yizhen was indeed doing his utmost. He and his sister had long relied on the Yu family’s help, and he remembered it well. Before starting his own family, much of his money had gone to his sister and her children—partly because they were family, partly as a way to repay the kindness. Now that he could finally contribute, he wasn’t just paying lip service.

He had even discussed the matter with his wife, who worked in the public health system. Though not directly involved, she had heard of similar cases before.

Her stance aligned with Wen Yizhen’s: “Such people deserve to have their masks torn off and be exposed to the sun!”

Even Wen Ruzhen’s father, Wen Yanjun, was helping. When he learned of the incident, cold sweat broke out on his back.

Once, during his re-education, he had a nightmare: his beautiful daughter caught the eye of a local tyrant who tried to force her into marriage. When she refused, his son naturally intervened—only to be beaten to death on the spot. His daughter was dragged into a forced wedding and hanged herself the next day… He woke up in terror. Now, the same fate had befallen another.

Lin Chuanbai wasn’t idle either. Such atrocities couldn’t be ignored, especially when they involved family. He returned to Qincheng and told Lin Houpu, who had since been promoted, about the matter.

Lin Houpu had transferred from the military, and many of his comrades had been reassigned across the country.

Though none were stationed in the town where Yushu Village was located, some were in the same city.

After hearing the story, Lin Houpu clenched his fists. “Outrageous!”

After stewing in anger, he asked, “Have you found any evidence? With evidence, you won’t have to worry. Actions have consequences. But without proof, it’s difficult. Mere testimony isn’t enough.”

Lin Chuanbai: “They’re looking for it now.”

Lin Houpu was pessimistic about their chances. “After so many years, finding evidence won’t be easy. But people with such vile habits rarely reform completely. There are no more educated youths now, but other young girls might still suffer. I’ll ask my comrades to help. I’ll let you know if we hear anything.”

If the perpetrators hadn’t stopped, how many more victims had there been over the years?

*

In Shanghai, Yu Xiang’an and the others went to find Tao Yan, only to learn she had moved.

Miao Hongxing was stunned. “Our last correspondence was three years ago.”

The person who informed them of Tao Yan’s move eyed them suspiciously. “Who are you to her? If you were close, she would’ve told you where she went.”

They refused to disclose Tao Yan’s new address.

Unable to locate her, Yu Xiang’an and the others settled temporarily in a hotel. Then, Yu Xiang’an visited the home of her eldest brother and sister-in-law in Shanghai.

Lin Guangbai had been transferred to Yancheng Development Zone, and Yun Jing followed him there. However, their two children remained in Shanghai for school—the education there was far superior.

Lin Guangbai and Yun Jing had two children: an elder son, Lin Qianjing, now in university in Shanghai, and a younger daughter, around the same age as the twins, in elementary school.

Lin Qianjing and his sister had been living with their maternal grandparents, but now that Yun Jing was back, they had moved home.

Yun Jing served tea. “Xiang’an, I’ve already made inquiries. We’ll have news soon.”

Yu Xiang’an sighed. “Even if we find her, I don’t know if she’ll have evidence for us.”

Yun Jing reassured her. “There will be. People like this—even if nothing surfaces now, they’ll slip up eventually. The whole network there is rotten. When the time comes, they’ll all be brought down.”

Her brows furrowed with righteous anger, like an avenging deity.

News came quickly.

They learned Tao Yan’s new address and her history since returning to the city.

She had returned in 1979 and married a union cadre a few years her senior, whose wife had died in childbirth. Before the one-child policy, they had two children. Now, both held respectable jobs with state-supplied rations. They had moved due to work reassignments, and no one knew of Tao Yan’s past.

This made Yu Xiang’an frown.

Someone with reservations would weigh many factors. If nothing else, to spare her children from gossip, she wouldn’t want anyone to know what she had endured in the countryside.

Following the address, Yu Xiang’an and the others waited outside until Tao Yan returned, holding her child’s hand after grocery shopping.

Studying her face, Yu Xiang’an found it somewhat familiar. Yu Qingshan noticed it too. They exchanged a glance—she resembled Ruan Chenxi, though Tao Yan was more refined. Even in plain factory clothes, she stood out in a crowd.

She spotted Miao Hongxing first, her expression shifting slightly. A neighbor chatting nearby called out, “You’re back! You’ve got visitors—they’ve been waiting a while. Family?”

Tao Yan studied Yu Xiang’an and Yu Qingshan’s faces. After a pause, she smiled. “No, these are old classmates. My, it’s been so long—I hardly recognize you! We’ve got catching up to do. Auntie, could you watch my child for a bit? When his father gets back, tell him I’m with friends and might stay at my mom’s tonight.”

“Sure thing!”

Miao Hongxing smiled, playing along. “Let’s go.”

Tao Yan led them through twists and turns until they entered a dilapidated, overgrown courtyard.

Locals would’ve been impressed—this was the infamous “haunted house.”

No one dared go near it.

“Here, we can talk. What do you want?”

Miao Hongxing sighed. “I brought them to you. They’re Xianghe’s family. They want justice for her.”

Yu Qingshan: “I’m her father.”

Yu Xiangqing and Yu Xiang’an: “We’re her sisters.”

Tao Yan studied their faces for a long time. “Justice? Easier said than done. It’s been so long. Their influence there isn’t simple.”

Her tone was icy.

“Be careful. Don’t say I didn’t warn you. Without solid proof, you might end up trapped yourselves.”

Yu Xiangqing: “I refuse to believe such darkness can reign unchecked. If necessary, I’ll write to the newspapers—a real-name exposé. I’m a high school teacher. My father’s a retired worker, my eldest brother’s a laborer, and my second brother’s a cadre in the capital. My sister graduated from Capital University and has connections in the system. With so many of us, I don’t believe they can cover the sky with one hand!”

Tao Yan’s gaze swept over their attire, her expression softening slightly.

“We shared a dorm. Ask what you need. But once we leave here, I’ll deny everything. Today, I just wanted to chat with an old classmate. Whatever you say, I know nothing.”

After returning from the countryside, she had married. If her past became known, her family might fall apart.

So she would tell them what she knew—but she wouldn’t testify or join their search for evidence.

Call her selfish if they wished, but she wouldn’t step forward.

Her stance was firm.

She would share information, and that was it.

She wouldn’t acknowledge anything.

She knew nothing.

This wasn’t surprising.

Could she be blamed?

How many people could truly disregard such matters?

Unlike Miao Hongxing, who had escaped such experiences, Tao Yan understood the family’s rage and grief—but she wouldn’t risk her hard-won normal life.

She had fought too hard to escape that place.

She cherished her current life and wouldn’t let anything disrupt it.

Tao Yan nodded at Yu Qingshan. “Uncle Yu, you’re a parent. So am I. I came back, married, had children. No one here knows my past. If this gets out, my children’s lives will be ruined.”

People assumed she had abandoned a rural husband and child to return—common among educated youth. But if they learned the truth, she and her children would be scorned.

Gossip could devastate young, impressionable minds.

She wouldn’t take that risk.

Yu Qingshan swallowed hard. “I hope you can help us find evidence. We lack proof.”

Tao Yan nodded. “I just know more than most. If you want evidence, I can’t help. But though I can’t assist directly, I can point you to someone. If you’re willing to pay the price, she might achieve your goal.”

Yu Qingshan’s disappointment at her first words turned to hope. “Who?”

“She wasn’t sent to Yushu Village. She went to the neighboring village two years before us. She suffered the same fate—already married, but it didn’t matter. Her husband died in the mountains, leaving her with two children. The village head used the children to blackmail her into becoming his mistress. He and Pan Wang were sworn brothers. That whole commune was rotten to the core!”

As she spoke, Tao Yan’s emotions grew agitated. “She’s not doing well now. If you’re willing to give her enough money to secure her future, she might agree to come forward. She’s back in Shanghai, but her son is still trapped there.”

“She has evidence. After her husband died, she had two more children—one looks like the brigade leader, and the other resembles the town mayor. Those children are living proof. She might even have other evidence hidden away.”

Hearing this, everyone fell silent, including Miao Hongxing.

So, the infamous “wild couple” next door was also from Shanghai.

Yu Xiangqing’s voice was hoarse: “If we approach her like this, she might not trust us.”

Tao Yan took a deep breath, steadying her emotions. She regained her composure quickly, her face calm again after a few breaths. “I can take you to her.”

No one likes to dredge up past pain, but if speaking out could bring her a stable life, Tao Yan knew that, given Yuan Yang’s temperament, she wouldn’t mind stepping forward—especially since her son was still there.

“Those people are all rotten to the core!”

Back then, if she hadn’t been helpless, she would have found a way to escape with him.

Not long after Yuan Yang was sent to the countryside, she married a local man after a “hero saves the beauty” incident. For a while, life was good. But her husband’s family was small and lacked roots in the area. Once her husband died, things fell apart.

With just her and her frail mother-in-law, how could they support the family? Worse, she had vulnerabilities. She had no choice but to comply—otherwise, she’d suffer the same fate, and her child wouldn’t survive.

Eventually, she gave up, her reputation ruined. But when policies loosened, she fled immediately with her daughter, leaving behind her eldest son and the two younger ones—proof of her shame—unwilling to take them with her.

After escaping, she and her daughter lived a life of hardship. Though she returned to her hometown, her parents were long gone, leaving her no family to rely on. She made a living sewing clothes, struggling to survive with her child.

Tao Yan shared Yuan Yang’s story, giving Yu Xiang’an and the others some understanding of her situation before leading them to her. The walk was silent, their hearts heavy as if weighed down by stones.

Yu Qingshan thought of the girl named Yuan Yang, feeling sorrow for her. As a father, he couldn’t help but think—if it were his daughter, he’d rather she lived through such hardship. As long as she was alive, there was hope. The past could be overcome, but dying young meant no future at all.

When they arrived, Yuan Yang was washing vegetables by the well—scraps others discarded, fit only for feeding chickens or pigs. Her clothes were patched beyond recognition, layers obscuring their original color. Both she and her daughter wore bangs covering most of their faces.

Yu Xiang’an guessed from their hairstyles that they didn’t want to be recognized. Even back in familiar surroundings, they dared not show their faces. Her daughter, already a young woman, hunched her shoulders and hid behind her mother at their approach, clearly shy and fearful.

Yuan Yang looked up at the group. Tao Yan stepped forward. “It’s me. We need to talk—somewhere private.”

Yuan Yang paused, glanced at them, then nodded. Turning to her daughter, she said, “Keep cleaning the vegetables. I’ll take them for a walk. When you’re done, go home.”

Her daughter didn’t speak, just bowed her head deeply, revealing the back of her neck, and nodded twice.

Yuan Yang led them to a secluded spot. When they were alone, she stopped. “What is it?”

Tao Yan replied calmly, “You might remember Yu Xianghe—she lived in the same educated youth courtyard as me. These are her family members. They want justice for her, to seek vengeance on her behalf. But it’s been so long, and evidence is hard to come by. We’re asking if you have any leads.”

Yuan Yang was silent for a moment, studying Yu Qingshan and Yu Xiang’an before pulling Tao Yan aside. “Let’s talk first.”

Yu Xiang’an watched as they walked a short distance away, speaking in hushed tones. Miao Hongxing grew nervous—would this “wild couple” agree? She admired Yuan Yang, a woman scorned by others, who had endured so much yet still fought to live. Exposing the truth would be like tearing open old wounds, laying bare her suffering for public scrutiny.

She couldn’t do it. She’d rather die.

Yu Xiangqing clenched her hands tightly, watching them and whispering, “Xiao An, do you think she’ll agree?” Her heart was conflicted. She desperately wanted justice for her sister, but if it meant forcing Yuan Yang to relive her trauma, the harm would be immense. For someone fragile, the gossip alone could be deadly.

Yet, despite this, she still hoped Yuan Yang would agree. She could see the woman’s poverty—she wasn’t rich, but she could offer some financial help if Yuan Yang was willing to assist them.

Though Yuan Yang’s suffering wasn’t directly tied to Yushu Village, the higher-ups protecting the perpetrators were the same. Once those in power fell, the small fry beneath wouldn’t escape unscathed.

Yu Xiang’an studied Yuan Yang’s tattered clothes and her timid daughter. “I think she’ll agree—for her children’s sake.”

What future did her daughter have otherwise? And she couldn’t abandon her eldest son either.

For those two children, Yu Xiang’an believed Yuan Yang would agree. As for the gossip—Yuan Yang had already proven her resilience by returning to Shanghai despite everything. No matter how hard life was, as long as there was a path forward, she’d find a way.

Her son, left behind with his grandmother, might see her as a bad mother—abandoning him to whispers and judgment while taking his sister away. But the truth was, escaping alone had drained her. She’d had no chance to save him, and his grandmother, gullible and easily swayed, only made things worse.

Yu Xiang’an made an offer: “Come to the Special Economic Zone. I can find you work and give you enough money to buy a home for your family. People there are open-minded, and with so many coming and going, no one will know your past.”

They’d go to the Northeast too.