𝐗𝐮 𝐃𝐚𝐳𝐡𝐮𝐚𝐧𝐠
She knocked on the door, and a young wife opened it.
“Who are you looking for?” she asked, puzzled, as she looked at Jiang Chu and Wu Yu.
Two young girls had suddenly come to her door, and after her confusion, she felt a thump in her heart—
Could it be that her husband had been messing around with some young woman outside??
That damned man, if it’s what she thinks, she won’t hesitate to twist his ears off when he comes back!
“Sister, we want to buy some wine. My dad’s craving for it, and he keeps saying he wants to drink, but it’s so early in the morning, and there’s nowhere to buy wine!” Jiang Chu complained helplessly. “I asked around, and someone seemed to say that your house sells wine, so I came to ask. I’m really sorry if I’m disturbing you.”
“Buy wine?”
The woman was taken aback, “My husband just waits tables at the tavern. It’s not wrong to say he sells wine. . . . . .We do have some at home, so I’ll sell you a jar. Just wait a moment, and I’ll call someone.”
Jiang Chu noticed that the woman didn’t intend to let them in.
“If it’s convenient, could I come in and choose? I’m sure brother and sister-in-law have various types of wine. I want to see if there’s the kind my father loves to drink.” Jiang Chu asked shyly.
Saying this, she took out a silver ingot.
The woman’s eyes widened.
She had wanted to refuse, but at this point, she couldn’t object, and her suspicions were also dispelled—
This young girl seems to have money.
It appears she has nothing to do with her worthless husband. With his appearance, he could only deceive poor young girls; tricking a rich family’s daughter would be impossible.
She was sure of this.
“Alright, come in.”
The woman stepped aside, allowing Jiang Chu and Wu Yu to enter.
Jiang Chu then took the silver back.
Just showing it was enough to prove her purchasing power; giving the money now would be foolish.
Jiang Chu surveyed the Xu family’s house. Though a bit run-down, the courtyard and rooms were quite decent, far better than Mrs. Hao and her daughter’s.
“Mommy, Mommy! I’m hungry.”
A four or five-year-old girl with braids ran out from inside, hugging the young woman’s leg.
“Qiao Qiao, be good. Mommy has to get wine for the guests first, then we’ll eat breakfast. Just wait a moment.” The woman lovingly crouched down, patting her daughter’s head.
“Okay, Qiao Qiao will be good.”
The little girl grinned.
The woman asked Jiang Chu to wait, then went inside with her daughter, leaving the door open. Conversation between her and a man could be heard—
“Get up, take the guests to choose a jar of wine. Someone’s in a hurry.”
“What? How did they come to our house to buy wine?” The man was astonished.
“We have wine at home; they knew what you did for a living and tried their luck. Just sell them a jar.”
. . . . . .
After listening for a while, Jiang Chu’s gaze turned towards the little girl standing at the doorway.
The woman didn’t close the door. Even though she had brought the girl into the room, the girl stood curiously at the entrance, looking at them.
“Little sister, may I ask you something?” Jiang Chu whispered, her voice so soft it seemed she only mouthed the words.
“Huh?” The girl tilted her head in confusion.
After tilting her head, she stepped outside.
“Little Sister, I want to ask about the missing girl in the city. She’s older than you. Have you seen her?” Jiang Chu asked, smiling, as she crouched down to look at Qiao Qiao. “I think you’re close in age, so you might remember better than the adults.”
“I haven’t seen her, but I heard my parents talking about her.” The girl answered.
“What did they say?” Jiang Chu asked, still smiling.
“They said since she’s been missing so long, she might have been sold to a brothel. Sister, what’s a brothel? I asked Mom, but she wouldn’t tell me.” The girl bit her finger as she asked.
Jiang Chu sighed in relief.
“A brothel. . . . . .It’s a place for eating, drinking, and watching performances, where only disreputable people go,” Jiang Chu explained, then quickly stood up.
Because someone was coming out of the house.
“Qiao Qiao, why did you run outside? Come in quickly; don’t catch a cold.”
The woman and man walked over together, and when they saw their daughter running out, they frowned and quickly called her back.
“Miss, would you like to buy some wine? Here, these are the types of wine we have. Choose a jar that catches your eye,” the man said, holding up the wine for Jiang Chu to choose.
“Which one tastes the best? Brother, please pick one for me. I trust you and your wife,” Jiang Chu smiled.
“Then let’s go with this Apricot Blossom Rain. I like it the most, suitable for both men and women,” the woman quickly pointed to a jar as she spoke.
The man, also known as Xu Dazhuang, nodded and smiled, “This one is indeed good. Would you like one?”
“Yes.”
Jiang Chu picked up the wine, paid for it, and casually asked as she was about to leave, “By the way, brother, since you work at the tavern, you must have good information. Do you know anything about the child Mrs. Hao lost? I visited Mrs. Hao yesterday, and she’s sick from exhaustion.”
“Mrs. Hao is really pitiable. Yue Yue is so adorable and sensible. . . . . .I hope she can get through this,” the woman sighed.
“If I had any information, I would have told Mrs. Hao right away. They’re both good people, and life hasn’t been easy for them. If I could help, I would. But the child’s disappearance is strange, and I really don’t know,” Xu Dazhuang shook his head, helpless. “The world today, some people lose children and are frantic, while others are willing to sell them, sigh.”
“Sell children?” Jiang Chu was stunned, quickly asking, “What do you mean?”
“A man got drunk at the tavern and told us he had too many daughters and couldn’t afford them, so he chose the most unpleasant one and sold her for quite a lot of money,” Xu Dazhuang said. “From what he said, it’s clear she wasn’t sold to be a maid, or else he wouldn’t have gotten so much silver.”
“When did this happen? How much silver?” Jiang Chu pressed.
“About half a month ago… I don’t know the exact amount, but it must have been a lot, enough for him to drink for many days.”
“Do you know where she was sold?” Jiang Chu asked again.
“I asked, but he didn’t say.”
Jiang Chu pondered for a moment, then said, “Brother, we live nearby, and we’re neighbors. Everyone wants to help Mrs. Hao in her time of trouble. If Yue Yue can’t be found, she might. . . . . .You wouldn’t want to stand by and do nothing, would you?”
Xu Dazhuang became anxious at once, “Miss, what are you saying? If I could help, I would never sit by and do nothing! The problem is, I truly don’t know!”
“If you’re willing to help, just answer me one question. . . . . .Based on the inside information you know, which place is in most need of young ladies? Jiang Chu looked at Xu Dazhuang, “In other words, if an ordinary family wants to exchange a young lady for money, where would be the first place to go?”
(End of this chapter)
