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

"Give me evidence?"

Gu Yanqiu's heart pounded wildly; he could hardly believe his ears.

The thought of having his four-and-a-half-year-old daughter teach him how to deal with this cannibalistic situation filled him with both endless bitterness and pride.

"Yes, provide the evidence."

Niannian's thoughts were frighteningly clear.

"Grandma tried to deny the writing on the lunchbox, saying we carved it ourselves. But people from Wangjia Village can't deny it."

Her small hand grasped Gu Yanqiu's rough, large hand and squeezed it tightly.

"The Wang family paid me two hundred yuan to arrange a ghost marriage for their deceased son. There must be many people in their village who know about this."

"Dad, go to Hongqi Commune, where Wangjia Village is located, tomorrow. Find the cadres there and tell them everything from the beginning."

Gu Yanqiu's breathing became rapid; he seemed to see a brand new, powerful path.

"Tell them that the Zhao family in Chengjiawan is trying to frame us for selling children, accusing us of extortion."

"The Wang family are the buyers and witnesses. In order to clear themselves of any involvement and to avoid being investigated by us, they will definitely tell the truth."

Niannian's eyes were surprisingly bright.

"You don't want them to pay you money, and you don't want them to apologize. You just want one thing—a written certificate stamped with the official seal of their Red Flag Commune!"

"The proof must clearly state: who, when, why, how much money they received, and who they sold to them."

"With this proof, it's irrefutable! More effective than a thousand excuses!"

"At that point, it won't be us afraid she'll sue us, but her afraid we'll sue us!"

After saying this, Gu Yanqiu felt a cold sweat break out on his back.

This is not a plan that a child could come up with.

This is the most primal and sharpest survival wisdom that emerges when one is forced into a desperate situation.

His daughter, who should have been rolling in the mud and chasing butterflies, was forced to grow a body full of thorns.

"good!"

Gu Yanqiu pulled his daughter into his arms, his voice hoarse but full of unprecedented strength.

"Dad will listen to you! Dad will go as soon as it's light tomorrow!"

The next day, just as dawn broke.

Gu Yanqiu tucked the two piping hot sweet potatoes that Aunt Wang had given him into his pocket, and without even having breakfast, he set off for the Red Flag Commune.

From Chengjiawan to Hongqi Commune, there are two mountains in between, and the entire journey is along a rugged mountain road, taking most of the day to walk back and forth.

Gu Yanqiu was seething with anger, and he moved with lightning speed, covering a journey that normally takes more than three hours in just two and a half hours.

The office of Hongqi Commune was more impressive than that of Chengjiawan Brigade Headquarters; it consisted of three red brick and tile houses.

Gu Yanqiu found the commune's civil affairs officer, a middle-aged man surnamed Gao.

Upon hearing Gu Yanqiu's purpose, Officer Gao immediately frowned.

"Surrogate marriages? Child trafficking? These are serious illegal and disorderly acts!"

His expression was serious, and his gaze towards Gu Yanqiu was scrutinizing.

"What evidence do you have for what you're saying?"

Gu Yanqiu remained calm.

Remembering his daughter's instructions, he said calmly, "Officer Gao, the evidence is in Wangjia Village of your commune. That aluminum lunchbox is still in the hands of our brigade secretary, Cheng Tiezhu."

"Now, the person who sold my daughter is suing me for human trafficking. I'm not here to file a complaint, but to seek verification. I just want to prove that my daughter is telling the truth, and that I, as her father, haven't lied."

His dark face was filled with honesty and a father's grief and indignation.

"I don't want a single penny from them; I just want to protect my daughter. If the commune can provide me with a certificate proving the truth of this matter, I, Gu Yanqiu, will be eternally grateful!"

The senior official stared at Gu Yanqiu for a long time.

The man before me was dressed in rags, his face weathered, but his eyes were upright and his spine was ramrod straight.

What he said didn't sound like he was lying.

"You wait here."

Officer Gao picked up the phone on the table, shook it for a while, and finally got through to the Wangjia Village Brigade Headquarters.

He briefly explained the whole story over the phone and sternly demanded that the Party Secretary of Wangjia Village bring Wang's mother and Wang Erzhu to the commune immediately.

More than half an hour later, the old lady of the Wang family and her lame son Wang Erzhu were dragged and pulled to the commune by the village secretary.

When they saw Gu Yanqiu sitting in the office, their faces turned pale instantly.

"Officer Gao... what... what's going on?" Old Mrs. Wang asked, trembling.

The officer slammed his fist on the table: "What's going on? I'm asking you! Did you pay money to arrange a ghost marriage for yourselves?"

"No...nothing like that! Who said that! You're making baseless accusations!" Old Mrs. Wang denied it to the death.

Gu Yanqiu stood up and looked at her coldly.

"No? Then who was it that came to Chengjiawan demanding your son's return on the fifteenth day of the first lunar month? And who gave you that aluminum lunchbox with your son's name engraved on it?"

Upon hearing this, Wang Erzhu's legs went weak, and he stammered, "That...that was the bride price...it was...it was promised by her maternal grandmother, Zhao Shi..."

"Outrageous!" Officer Gao slammed his fist on the table again. "What kind of time is this? Still talking about bride price! That's human trafficking! It's illegal! You'll go to jail!"

Upon hearing the words "go to jail," the old lady of the Wang family panicked completely.

She knelt down with a thud, grabbed Officer Gao's leg, and started wailing.

"Officer Gao, we're innocent! It was that old woman surnamed Zhao who came to our door! She said her granddaughter killed her parents and was a jinx, bringing bad luck to the house. She asked if we wanted two hundred yuan!"

"She spoke with such conviction that we believed her lies! We were victims too!"

The truth is so easily revealed in the face of absolute self-interest.

Gu Yanqiu listened quietly, feeling no joy, only a chill in her heart.

This is human nature.

After hearing this, Officer Gao's face turned ashen.

He immediately had the Party Secretary of Wangjia Village write a detailed account of the situation, clearly stating the course of events, the time, the place, and the amount involved.

Then, Wang's grandmother and Wang Erzhu, trembling, pressed their red handprints on it.

Finally, Officer Gao took out the commune's official seal and stamped it with a "bang".

Thus, an irrefutable piece of evidence, written in black and white and stamped with the commune's official seal, was born.

"Here you go." Officer Gao handed the paper, still smelling of ink, to Gu Yanqiu.

Gu Yanqiu took the paper, feeling its immense weight.

He bowed deeply to the high-ranking official.

"Thank you, Officer Gao!"

When Gu Yanqiu returned to Chengjiawan with this irrefutable evidence, the sun was already setting.

The courtyard of the brigade headquarters was already packed with people.

The commune's civil affairs officer also arrived and was sitting in Cheng Tiezhu's office.

Zhao, Sun Fenglan, and Song Jianguo sat in a corner of the courtyard. Zhao's face wore a smug and sinister smirk.

She waited all day, but Gu Yanqiu didn't make a move.

In her view, this penniless man had been intimidated by her and could only be manipulated by her.

Gu Yanqiu pushed through the crowd and walked to the center of the courtyard.

Upon seeing him, Cheng Tiezhu immediately approached, lowering his voice and anxiously asking, "How is it?"

Gu Yanqiu didn't speak, but slowly took out the folded paper from his pocket and handed it over.

When Cheng Tiezhu unfolded it, an astonishing light instantly burst forth from his cloudy eyes.

He held the paper in his hand, his hands trembling slightly.

He looked up at Gu Yanqiu, who had a determined look on his face, and patted him heavily on the shoulder.

"Good lad!"

Cheng Tiezhu turned around, faced everyone in the courtyard, and held the paper high.

His voice was loud and clear.

"Quiet down, everyone! Today's mediation session is now beginning!"

He glanced at Zhao, whose face showed surprise and doubt, and a cold smile appeared on his lips.

"Before we begin, I'd like to read something to you!"

Zhao's heart skipped a beat, and an ominous premonition instantly enveloped her.

"This is... a 'certificate' we got back from the neighboring Red Flag Commune!"