Rebirth 1983: Building My Business Empire-Chapter 59 - 55 Found It

Chapter 59: Chapter 55 Found It

Chapter Fifty-Five: Found

As evening approached, Big Uncle Lu and Lu Jiajie came back. They had found out the identity of the old woman in the portrait; her name was Second Sister Hu. Her husband’s family was surnamed Yang, and her youngest son, Yang Jun, worked at Jin City Cotton Spinning Factory, serving as the vice director of the quality inspection department. However, Second Sister Hu went to Jin City after the Lantern Festival to take care of Yang Jun’s child and had not returned since.

Lu Jiaxin said, “It’s not surprising that she hasn’t come back. After killing someone, she would certainly rush back to Jin City. That way, no one would think of her as the murderer.”

With the memories of her original self, she had suspected early on that this old woman was not a real trafficker; otherwise, the original host wouldn’t have escaped so easily.

Big Uncle Lu had considered this as well. What he was more worried about was that she wouldn’t admit she had been back to Feng County, “Proving that she wasn’t in Feng County during that time isn’t hard; just ask the people from the Cotton Spinning Factory residential building, and they would know. However, she can claim she went to visit relatives or went on a trip. Even if we expose her lies, she can still say she’s old and forgetful and got it wrong.”

Lu Jiaxin had not thought of this angle and contemplated, “The people who sat next to me, I did not communicate with them and don’t know their names or addresses.”

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It was different from the future when taking a train required real-name registration, and one could simply check the railway bureau’s computer database or ask the internet for help. Now, with the lack of information, finding someone without knowing their name and address was as difficult as reaching the sky.

Big Uncle Lu felt she was being too simplistic about the situation, “Even if we go to great lengths to locate the person, Elder Lady Hu can tell the Public Security Bureau that she just couldn’t bear to stay at a guesthouse. It was your overreaction in thinking she was a trafficker that led to your accidental injury while escaping.”

“Xinxin, that Elder Lady Hu is an extremely thrifty person; she would haggle over two ounces of meat until the butcher gave her a big bone; when buying fish, she’d even expect to get a piece of ginger thrown in. If she claims she didn’t stay at the guesthouse to save money, the Public Security Bureau might believe her,” he added.

Lu Jiaxin was momentarily stunned, then spoke up, “If we cannot charge her with human trafficking, but theft and involuntary manslaughter, could those charges stick?”

Big Uncle Lu nodded, “Given her frugal and stingy nature, the Public Security Bureau will believe that she took your money and valuables.”

Lu Jiaxin thought for a moment and said, “I had over three hundred in cash with me, and the watch they took is also worth over three hundred. The loss of over six hundred worth of items should result in several years of imprisonment, right?”

She was well aware that as soon as the Public Security Bureau charged Elder Lady Hu with theft, it wasn’t going to be a simple matter of a few years’ imprisonment. With the crackdown in full swing, Elder Lady Hu’s gross misconduct would not only result in eating peanuts, but she could also face at least twenty years in prison. Lu Jiaxin felt that merely eating peanuts would let her off too easily; serving twenty years in prison and enduring hardship would be the real retribution for her original self.

Although they had found the person, apart from Lu Jiaxin, now being the concerned party, there was no other evidence. The Feng County Public Security Bureau could only go through the procedure and request Elder Lady Hu’s return to assist the investigation.

Lu Jiaxin wasn’t worried that the old lady would flee; if she did, that would only confirm her guilt, implicating Yang’s family as well. Whether it was factory recruitment or applications for university and military service, political background checks were very strict. And that did not include the Lu Family’s retaliation. With Lu Hongjun’s connections, he could easily get Yang Jun fired if he chose to stand up for his daughter. So what she needed to do was to wait patiently.

The next day, Xiao Qiu returned from outside and whispered, “Miss, I just went to find Zao Hua, and it’s true, just like Sister-in-law Qing said, Aunt Gen is pushing her to get married.”

“Really marrying the son of some commune secretary?”

“No, Sister-in-law Qing got it wrong, it’s the son of some deputy secretary from the Second Machinery Plant in the county town. The guy is twenty-one years old and not very bright.”

Upon saying this, Xiao Qiu expressed her distress, “Zao Hua doesn’t want to, but Aunt Gen is insisting on the marriage so much that she has started refusing to eat since yesterday.”

It looked like she was resorting to a hunger strike to coerce her. Alas, crying, making a scene, and threatening suicide—such acts being used on one’s own daughter were indeed tragic.

Lu Jiaxin felt sympathy for the girl and after thinking for a while, said, “Can you ask Zao Hua to come out? I would like to have a chat with her.”

“She’s at home right now, I’ll go call her over.”

Lu Jiaxin stopped her, lowering her voice, “You can’t call her to our house. If Zao Hua doesn’t compromise, her mother will think we instigated her and will come to make a scene.”

One cannot be sure what kind of temperament Zao Hua has now—what if she can’t keep her mouth shut or is too weak-willed to stand her ground and brings trouble to our doorstep, disturbing the peace of the main house. The human trafficker incident has already caused enough trouble for both the main house and the second house, and she did not want to add to her family’s troubles.

Xiao Qiu felt her concerns were well-founded. Aunt Gen seems to be possessed these days—if she makes a fuss and comes to the household, her little auntie might escape scolding, but her mother would definitely beat her.

Half an hour later, Lu Jiaxin met Zao Hua on the slope behind the village. The girl’s skin was slightly dark. She was about the same height as Jiaxin, with her hair tied into a big braid, shiny and black. However, her face was full of worry, and her eyes lacked luster.

Zao Hua was somewhat surprised to see Lu Jiaxin. Just now, Xiao Qiu said she had something to tell her, but it was inconvenient at home, so they arranged to meet here. Since she was on her way to work in the fields, Zao Hua took a detour to come over.

Xiao Qiu made the introduction, “Zao Hua, this is my little aunt. She heard about your excellent grades and that you were admitted to the best high school in our county. She said she wanted to get to know you.”

Upon seeing Lu Jiaxin’s fair skin and the beautiful dress she wore, Zao Hua showed a bitter smile, “What does it matter if I was admitted? I can’t attend anyway.”

Lu Jiaxin asked, “I heard from Xiao Qiu today that the man’s not all there, and yet your mother wants you to marry him. If you don’t agree, she threatens you by refusing to eat.”

“I won’t marry him,” Zao Hua said.

Lu Jiaxin said pointedly, “Can you bear to watch your own mother starve to death? If she really dies from hunger, people’s spittle could drown you.”

Zao Hua’s mouth moved several times, but in the end, she didn’t say a word, and only tears fell in big droplets.

Lu Jiaxin said nothing and just watched her.

Xiao Qiu supported her, “Your mom is just using this to pressure you. She would never really leave your little brothers without a wife. She doesn’t have the heart to die.”

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Lu Jiaxin still said nothing. Zao Hua was smart enough to understand a logic that even Xiao Qiu could grasp. It all depended on whether she was tough enough to go through with it.

After a long while, Zao Hua wiped away her tears and said, “What you said is right. My mother can’t bear to die. She is just forcing me to marry that fool so that our family will have money to build a house, and my eldest brother can get a job. But to marry a fool, I would rather die.”

She spoke with a decisive look in her eyes.

Lu Jiaxin gave a suggestion, “If your mother refuses to eat, you do the same. That way, nobody can say that you are unfilial.”

Xiao Qiu thought this was not a great idea, but she couldn’t think of a better one either.

On the way home, Lu Jiaxin saw her struggle and asked with a smile, “If you have something to say, just say it. It’s better than keeping it bottled up inside and feeling awful.”

Only then did Xiao Qiu speak what was on her mind.

Lu Jiaxin said, “If she gives in and marries now, will her mother not come to ask for help when there’s trouble in the future? If she doesn’t help, her mother might threaten suicide. If she does, her life in her husband’s house could be more bitter than Yellow Lotus.”

Xiao Qiu shivered; she really hadn’t thought that much into it.

“She mustn’t compromise, or her life will be over,” Lu Jiaxin said. If Zao Hua dared to risk her life to resist, then she would support her to continue her studies; if she conceded and married, then she would not meddle anymore.