Sold into a ghost marriage? Four-year-old and his thuggish father go on a killing spree.

"They went to him. Someone her mother trusts can definitely help them, right?"

Looking into her daughter's clear and determined eyes, Gu Yanqiu's panic and anger were miraculously soothed.

He nodded emphatically.

"right!"

In short, decisive.

However, before they could even set off, Zhao and his group, who had just rushed out of the brigade headquarters, were stopped by Cheng Tiezhu.

"It's completely dark, where are you going?"

Cheng Tiezhu stood at the door, like an iron tower, his voice carrying an unquestionable authority.

"You're from the city, and it's late at night. It takes three hours to walk from here to the county town, and the road isn't safe. You'll have to stay with our brigade for the night. Tomorrow at dawn, you can leave or complain as you please!"

Zhao wanted to throw a tantrum, but looking at Cheng Tiezhu's dark face and the unfriendly eyes of the surrounding villagers, she knew that she wouldn't gain anything by continuing the commotion.

"Where do you live?" Sun Fenglan asked in a shrill voice.

"The brigade's warehouse." Cheng Tiezhu uttered these three words, turned around, and left, giving them no room for negotiation.

The brigade warehouse was located in the backyard of the brigade headquarters. It was dark, damp, and filled with clutter and smelled musty.

After the Zhao family was taken inside, Gu Yanqiu took Niannian home.

Inside the dilapidated house, the glow of the oil lamp was small, yet warm.

Gu Yanqiu boiled water, soaked Niannian's feet, and settled her in bed.

"Niannian, don't be afraid. Dad will go to the county town tomorrow. We'll go find the person Mom mentioned in her letter."

"Mmm." Niannian nodded obediently, but her little hands were tightly gripping the corner of the blanket.

She knew things weren't that simple.

Late at night.

Gu Yanqiu stayed by the bedside, listening to her daughter's breathing gradually become steady, but she herself was wide awake.

He walked to the door and looked at the dark outline of the brigade's warehouse in the distance, feeling as if a huge rock was pressing on his heart.

Just then, a suppressed argument drifted faintly over on the night breeze.

"...It's all your fault! You useless thing! I told you to find out the details, and what did you find out?!"

It was Zhao's voice, sharp and sarcastic.

"Mom, how was I supposed to know they'd expose the child-selling affair! Didn't that old woman Liu Cuihua say Gu Yanqiu made a fortune repairing machines in the village? I thought he had a ton of money!"

That was the voice of Aunt Sun Fenglan, filled with complaints and a desire to shirk responsibility.

"Get rich? Get rich my ass! Living in that shabby house, how much money could he possibly have? I think Liu Cuihua is just deliberately ripping us off!"

"What do we do now? We didn't get the money, and we've gotten ourselves into this mess! Are we really going to report him to the county government tomorrow? Mom, I've heard that human trafficking is punishable by imprisonment these days!"

"Go to jail? Who's going to jail? I'm just an old woman, he can't possibly execute me, can he?"

Zhao's voice suddenly rose, carrying a hint of hysterical madness.

"Let me tell you! This isn't over! Jian Guo is about to lose his temporary job in the city! Jian Jun has a mountain of gambling debts, and people are coming to his door every day demanding money! Gu Yanqiu has no choice but to pay this money!"

"If he doesn't give it to me, I'll go to the brick kiln where he works and make a scene! I'll go to their commune and make a scene! I'll lie in front of their brigade office every day and see where Gu Yanqiu's face is! I'll accuse him of abducting my granddaughter! When Wanqing died, she didn't leave a single word in her suicide note saying she wanted the child!"

"If I'm not having a good time, neither are those father and daughter!"

Gu Yanqiu stood in the darkness, his fists clenched so tightly they cracked.

It turned out to be the case.

It wasn't for her granddaughter at all.

It wasn't for the so-called "child support".

It was to keep his job for his good-for-nothing uncle, Song Jianguo, and to pay off his gambling debts for his gambling-addicted younger uncle, Song Jianjun!

In their eyes, Niannian is not a person, not a child with flesh and blood.

It's not a "money tree" that can shake money down at any time, but a tool that can be used to fill the holes in your home!

A bone-chilling cold instantly shot from the soles of my feet to the top of my head.

Gu Yanqiu turned around abruptly and went back into the house.

He was afraid that if he listened any longer, he would rush over and strangle the vicious old woman with his own hands.

He walked to the bedside and looked at his daughter's sleeping face.

Her long eyelashes still bore traces of undried tears.

His heart felt like it was being gripped tightly by a giant hand, the pain making it hard to breathe.

Just then, Niannian's eyelashes fluttered, and she opened her eyes.

She wasn't asleep at all.

"Dad, did you hear everything?"

Her voice was soft, yet unusually calm.

Gu Yanqiu nodded, her throat tightening.

Niannian sat up in bed.

"Dad, we can't wait any longer."

Her small face looked particularly serious under the dim oil lamp.

"We can't wait for her to make a scene, nor can we just rely on finding the people in Mom's letter."

Gu Yanqiu squatted down and looked at her daughter: "Then what should we do?"

A cold light flickered in Niannian's eyes.

"She wanted to talk to us about the 'Law,' so we talked to her about the 'Law.'"

"She accused us of 'human trafficking,' so we accused her of 'buying and selling.'"

Niannian said clearly, word by word, "Dad, you don't need to go to the county town at daybreak tomorrow."

Gu Yanqiu was stunned.

"Where are you going?"

Niannian raised her little hand and pointed to the east.

"Go to the commune where Wangjia Village is located."

"What are you going there for?" Gu Yanqiu's heart skipped a beat.

Niannian looked into her father's eyes and said something that shocked Gu Yanqiu.

"Dad, you're not going there to complain."

"You're going to... collect evidence!"