"Chen Lao Er is a domestic abuser. He beated his wife to death, you can't marry him." She didn't care about Liu Yan's death, but she was only ten now and had to live with her mother. If she tried to escape on her own, the police would be called, and despite her objections, they would force her to return to Liu Yan's side.
The environment the programme team designed for her to grow up in was particularly harsh. The people here couldn't be called bad, but they definitely were not good either. They were mean and indifferent, showing no compassion towards orphans and widows. They only thought of taking advantage of the vulnerable. She wouldn't receive any help from them.
Liu Yan rubbed her arms in fear, "But where will we get the money from?"
Song Juyao gave her a cold, condemning gaze, making Liu Yan feel a little guilty.
Although the family had lost all their money, it was not to the point of selling everything in the house. Song Juyao sat in the living room and turned on the TV.
On the TV screen, a variety show called "I am a Big Winner" was playing. It was a quiz show where participants answered questions individually, regardless of their age or occupation. The prize money increased with each advancement. Song Juyao watched the show intently.
Before going to prison, she was a high-achieving student in the national capital, who was the top scorer of that year’s college entrance examination. Although her core studies were in science, she loved reading and had mastered a wide range of customs and remote knowledge from various countries. Her classmates referred to her as a "living encyclopedia," and she rarely failed to answer any questions asked of her. With her memory now restored, that knowledge came flooding back.
In an instant, Song Juyao had a clear plan in mind. She went to the kitchen where Liu Yan was crying while cooking.
"Mom, don't cry," Song Juyao said. "I have an idea."
Liu Yan didn't understand and looked at her daughter with grievance. "What idea?"
"Get your ID and bank cards ready, pack your things. We're going on a long trip," Song Juyao said in a commanding tone.
The commanding tone and unwavering nature of Song Juyao made Liu Yan feel aggrieved but she instinctively obeyed.
"How much money do you have left?" Song Juyao asked.
Liu Yan stammered: "About a thousand..."
What poverty.
"Bring it all to me," Song Juyao turned to leave without giving anyone a chance to stop her. The longer the delay, the more chance there was for problems to arise. If Liu Guoqing found out they were leaving, he would use every means to stop them and prevent his red envelope from slipping away.
Song Juyao rode her family's electric tricycle, drove Liu Yan to the township station, and took her to buy a ticket.
Riding the family's electric tricycle, Song Juyao drove Liu Yan to the township station and bought the tickets. The station was bustling with people, and Liu Yan was an eye-catching target. Song Juyao tensed up as people's eyes kept sweeping over them. The wait for the bus seemed to drag on.
As she waited, Song Juyao was tense and thoughts kept racing through her mind. Would they be able to leave safely? She noticed a man making a call who appeared to be looking at them, and she wondered if he knew them and was reporting to someone.
Finally, the bus arrived, and Song Juyao took Liu Yan on board without expression. Her tense muscles gradually relaxed only when the bus drove out of Li'an Township.
On the bus, Song Juyao and Liu Yan were seated diagonally in the back. A nosy aunt with triangular eyes kept looking at them. Noticing that they seemed to have brought clothes with them, her eyes sparkled with gossip excitement, and eventually took out her phone to call someone.
She whispered, "Who else could it be? It’s that vixen from our village taking her little brat to the city... Her whole family is still in the village, so who can she go to for refuge? I bet she's off to see her lover... You can tell she's a restless woman just by looking at her. I wonder how many cuckolds she has put on her man."
In the countryside, where entertainment options are limited and there are many people who are known for their gossiping tongues and wish to throw the world in chaos. So, the gossip about Song Juyao and Liu Yan's departure ran rampant and quickly reached Liu Guoqing.
Liu Guoqing was originally having tea at Chen's house when he heard the news. His expression changed instantly, and Chen Lao Er, who was pouring him tea, also turned unsightly. They immediately set off to chase after her. Liu Guoqing called the old woman on the bus and asked her to stop them.
"Stop them for me. We're on our way there and will be sure to thank you later," Liu Guoqing hung up the phone and looked at Chen Lao Er in the driver's seat. Chen Lao Er was beefy and had a mean look on his face. One punch from him could knock out the seemingly gentle Liu Guoqing. At this moment his face was shrouded in gloom, making him even more intimidating.
Liu Guoqing was scared and hated Liu Yan for being so reckless. He had been trying to help her plan for the future, but she ran away with her daughter. He never expected the rabbit to be so bold as to escape.
After a nearly three-hour drive, the bus reached its destination. The bus stop was located near the railway station and was bustling with crowds of people. Holding Liu Yan's hand, Song Juyao made her way through the throngs of people.
Suddenly, a hand reached out and grabbed Liu Yan's hand, pulling both mother and daughter.
Liu Tong was startled and turned around. When she saw the person, she exclaimed in surprise, "Aunt Mei!"
Song Juyao looked at the approaching figure and realized that it was going to be difficult to leave here unnoticed.
Aunt Mei, who was tempted by the benefits promised by Liu Guoqing, tightened her rough grip on Liu Yan's wrist. With a smile, she asked, "Cheng Cai's wife, where are you going with your daughter?"
"Nowhere, we're just going out," Liu Yan replied.
"That's quite a journey. You're taking a train and have luggage, are you planning to escape to meet someone?"
"I don't know what you're talking about," Liu Yan replied, trying to pull her hand away from Aunt Mei's grasp. However, her strength was no match for a woman who was used to manual labor on the farm. Liu Yan pleaded, "Aunt Mei, please let go of me first..."
Aunt Mei wouldn't let the benefits that had come to her mouth fly away. She pulled Liu Yan away from the crowd and said: "There are too many people here, it's not easy to talk, let's go outside to talk."
Song Juyao had already purchased tickets online for the next available train, which was about to arrive soon. She couldn't let Aunt Mei drag Liu Yan away.
"Grandma, let go of my mother!" Song Juyao stepped forward to intervene, but Aunt Mei disregarded her and simply grabbed her as well, pulling both mother and daughter outside.
Song Juyao's mouth curled into a cold smile, and she suddenly screamed: "There's a human trafficker! Help!"
Her sharp, piercing scream immediately drew the attention of those within several meters. People with children hugged their kids tightly, cautiously looking toward the source of the noise.
The three people were instantly locked in by countless gazes.
Aunt Mei was embarrassed and tried to drag Song Juyao away, saying, "What are you talking about?... Don't listen to her nonsense. I'm not a human trafficker. We're from the same village. They ran away from home, and their family asked me to bring them back..."
The little girl struggled and cried out in a childish voice that stirred people's conscience, "You're lying! I don't know you! Uncle and aunt, save me and my mother!"
In recent years, news of human traffickers using this tactic to kidnap women and children had emerged constantly, and immediately several people stepped forward to pull Aunt Mei away. Separating both parties, they held Aunt Mei.
Aunt Mei was angry and upset: "What's wrong with you? I really know them..."
"Call the police, call the police. Report first and then talk."
"Whether she's a human trafficker or not, we’ll know when the police arrive," another added.
"She looks fierce and doesn't seem like a good person," someone else chimed in.
While everyone's attention was on Aunt Mei, Song Juyao quickly dragged the confused Liu Yan into the railway station.
Aunt Mei saw this and was extremely anxious. Private cars are much faster than buses as they don’t need to pause midway. Liu Guoqing was likely to be just a block away from. She couldn't let them get away!
"Get out of the way, get out of the way...," Aunt Mei broke free from the crowd and pushed her way toward Song Juyao and Liu Yan.
Just then, a father whose child had been abducted by kidnappers heard the commotion and rushed over. He kicked Aunt Mei, causing her chubby body to fall to the ground. Aunt Mei clutched her waist and started wailing.
Just then, Liu Guoqing and Chen Lao’er rushed over. "Where are they?"
"Aah... they just went in, hurry up." Aunt Mei replied, filled with hatred. Before, she was only chasing after the benefits, but now she sincerely wanted to see Liu Yan and Song Juyao caught and brought back. The harder they tried to run, the more determined she was to hold on to them.
Liu Guoqing and Chen Laoer immediately ran towards the railway station building.
Just as Song Juyao used Liu Yan's ID to pick up train tickets from the self-service machine, she turned her head and saw Liu Guoqing and Chen Lao'er searching for them at the entrance. Her heart sank, and she immediately pulled Liu Yan to run towards the ticket checkpoint.
"Ah! Yao Yao, slow down..." Liu Yan was still confused by the situation and cried out, attracting the attention of Liu Guoqing and Chen Lao'er who were searching for them. The two big men immediately chased over.
Song Juyao's heart raced, but her face remained composed. She dragged Liu Yan and ran, while Liu Yan nearly stumbled several times.
"Sorry, uncle, aunt, older brother, older sister, sorry, we are late..." Song Juyao forcibly joined the queue of people waiting to have their tickets checked, amidst their disgruntled voices and stares.
By the time red-eyed Liu Guoqing and Chen Lao'er arrived at the end of the line, Song Juyao and Liu Yan had already passed the ticket inspection.
"What are you doing?! Show your ID cards!" A stern voice called out from behind. Song Juyao turned around expressionless to see Liu Guoqing and Chen Lao'er being stopped by the railway station security.
Liu Guoqing was panting, and suddenly his eyes met Song Juyao's. Those eyes fixedly stared at him, looking strangely dark and eerie. Song Juyao tilted her head, the corners of her mouth lifted, and the next moment she became the sweet and innocent once again. But with those eerie eyes on that innocent and sweet face, she was excluding a cruel and terrifying aura.
Song Juyao raised her middle finger at Liu Guoqing and Chen Lao’er.
Roll out of my world, trash.
At this moment, Song Juyao felt a sense of excitement. Her enemies had always been powerful and had devised various traps to see her in painful screams and despair. They had succeeded in the past, but this time, she was determined to be the winner.
The train rumbled as it slowly made its way along the tracks, leaving the shadows cast by the railway station behind. The bright light gradually came into view and the landscape opened up to her eyes. It was a beautiful sunny day.