New Return of the Pearl: The Group's Pet Swallow Flies

There is a small village ten miles outside Yunzhou City. Although it is not rich, the villagers are self-sufficient and live a simple and happy life.

In the evening of that day, the sun gradually sank to the west, and a gorgeous sunset glow appeared on the horizon, like a beautiful painting. The afterglow sprinkled in this quiet and harmonious village, covering every house with a layer of golden glory, making the whole village look unusually warm.

Children were playing and laughing in the village, chasing each other; women were busy cooking and washing clothes at home; men were working outside and had not yet returned home, or gathered together to talk about the harvest. At this time, candles were lit in every household, illuminating the entire village.

After dinner, the women came out of their homes and sat outside their doors to chat. Some of them were sewing, some were eating melon seeds, and they talked about interesting things that happened in the village, some gossip, and some gossip about family matters.

At this time, a woman in red and gray patched clothes sat at the door of her house. She was peeling corn and winking at the people around her, saying, "Hey, do you know? The Liu family's eldest daughter was raped and killed not long ago. Oh, it was such a miserable death. I dare not describe it in detail. It was so tragic."

When the other women who had not paid much attention to the village affairs heard this, they immediately became interested and came over to ask, "What's going on? Tell us quickly!"

The woman glanced at everyone and continued, "I also heard it from others. That night, the girl was walking home alone at night, and she met Japanese pirates on the road. Several Japanese pirates raped her... and then they saw that she was dead, and threw her directly into the river. It was not discovered until two or three days later, and her body was almost swollen. At that time, the Liu family cried so hard, it was so tragic!"

The women all shook their heads and sighed. One of them said with emotion, "This child is so unfortunate! A good girl was ruined like this."

Someone else asked curiously: "Has the murderer been caught?"

The woman shook her head. "No, I heard that the government has been investigating, but there is still no clue. However, this matter is not over yet. Guess what? Just a few days ago, the little girl of the Liu family suddenly disappeared, and there is still no trace of her."

The others were surprised when they heard this: "Ah? Could he have been captured by the murderer?"

The woman shrugged. "Who knows? Anyway, the Liu couple are so worried that they run to the city every day, saying they are going to report the case. But they haven't come back yet."

The women looked at each other with worried expressions on their faces, and a deep sense of worry surged in their hearts. They prayed silently, hoping that the little girl of the Liu family could return safely, and at the same time they hoped that the government could arrest the hateful murderer as soon as possible and let him receive the severe punishment he deserved.

From time to time, everyone looked towards the direction of the village entrance, their eyes revealing anxiety and expectation, wanting to know when the old couple of the Liu family would come back.

"That's right. I haven't seen the little girl of the Liu family for five or six days. I wonder if she has met with an accident. This is really a sin! If she really has an accident, how can the Liu couple bear such a blow? What should they do?"

A woman sitting on a small stool nearby sighed as she embroidered flowers. Her face showed sympathy and regret, but she was secretly glad that it was not her child who was in trouble. After all, this kind of thing was too terrible, and no one wanted their family to be in danger.

Everyone was discussing in low voices, with worry and uneasiness on everyone's face. Everyone was shocked and saddened by the disappearance, and at the same time worried about the safety of their families. Although everyone usually liked to talk about trivial matters, they were still very concerned about matters of life and death.

Just as people were talking about it, someone suddenly spotted two figures walking towards the village entrance. They were a couple, hunched over and walking with heavy steps. Upon closer inspection, they looked exhausted, as if they had been running around for a long time.

The couple looked to be in their 30s or 40s, but surprisingly, their hair had turned gray. Their once black and shiny hair had now turned mottled white, and even the tips of their hair had many traces of graying, as if they had suffered a severe blow and turned their hair gray overnight.

Their faces were haggard, and their eyes revealed endless sadness and despair. It was obvious that they were almost on the verge of collapse due to the continuous blows.

"The Lius are back!" A cry of surprise broke the silence. A man who was closer to the village entrance was the first to recognize the couple. He widened his eyes, full of shock and disbelief. As he looked, he saw a couple in the distance slowly approaching. The man couldn't help but whispered, "It's really the Lius..."

After hearing the noise, everyone looked up and focused their eyes on the couple. They used to be so kind and enthusiastic, but now they are like eggplants hit by frost, with tired faces and listless looks, as if they have lost all their vitality. Looking at their exhausted appearance, everyone can't help but feel an inexplicable sense of sadness and blockage in their hearts. Yes, no matter who encounters such a thing, it is probably difficult to bear.

"Old Brother Liu..." Someone tried to ask whether his little girl had returned safely, but when he saw the two men staggering and looking lonely, as if they had suffered a heavy blow, the words he had prepared were instantly stuck in his throat and he couldn't utter them. He could only sigh helplessly.

The Liu couple silently watched the group of people sitting at the entrance of the village, with a hint of gratitude in their eyes. Seeing the worried expressions on those familiar faces, Liu An tried to force a smile, with the corners of his mouth slightly raised, but his voice was particularly hoarse: "Thank you for your concern, we are fine, really fine." However, behind this seemingly relaxed sentence, there is endless grief and sorrow.

My voice became weaker and weaker, and my heart felt heavy as if I had sunk into a bottomless abyss.

Today, they received news that a Japanese pirate base was found in Yunzhou City, and eight or nine young women who had been trapped for many days were rescued. With full of expectations, they were eager to know whether their daughter was among them. However, when they confirmed that she was not there, they felt relieved and fell into endless despair.

Fortunately, his daughter did not fall into the hands of the Japanese pirates and be bullied, but at the same time he felt desperate because his daughter's whereabouts were unknown and her life or death was uncertain.

The villagers at the entrance of the village looked at Liu An's smile, which was uglier than crying, and Mrs. Liu, whose eyes were empty and seemed to have lost her mind, and their hearts were filled with bitterness and pain that were difficult to express in words.

Just as the two were about to turn around and go back home, at the moment when the setting sun completely disappeared in the mountain mist, a young girl ran to the village entrance like a bird, came to the side of the staggering old couple, and cried loudly: "Dad, Mom, I'm back!"

Behind her, two men followed closely, always vigilant to protect her safety.

This sudden scene shocked everyone in the village...