Unable to endure the hardships of rural life, she returned home to arrange a marriage with a militar

The weather immediately turned from overcast to warm after the rain stopped. The sun shone warmly on the ground, so bright that it was hard to open one's eyes. Shu Yun wore a loose shirt as a sun protection overcoat, tied her straw hat, and slung a cloth bag across her shoulder.

After checking the bicycle tires, Gu Jun pushed it in front of her. "If it gets late, have dinner in the city before coming back."

Shu Yun responded, the bell jingled softly, the car went down a slope, and sped away in a flash.

There were many people sending and receiving mail at the post office, and every window was full of people. Shu Yun waited on a stool for a while before it was her turn.

The sales clerk asked from the window, "Can you write?"

Shu Yun nodded, "Yes."

The clerk handed her a mailing form and said, "Fill in the information on this paper. Make sure the recipient's name, address, and postal code are correct and the handwriting is clear, otherwise it's easy to deliver it by mistake."

The post office was so noisy that every clerk was shouting at the top of their lungs, making it just as bustling as a market.

After Shu Yun filled out the form, the sales clerk checked it and weighed the package. Shu Yun then paid, and the process was complete.

Before leaving, Shu Yun asked, "Hello comrade, I'd like to ask how long it will take for this package to arrive?"

As the clerk stamped the package, he said, "It will take at least half a month."

Nowadays, post offices typically use trains for long-distance parcels, and then send postmen on bicycles to deliver parcels and letters through the streets and alleys. Naturally, it's impossible to achieve the same-day delivery and next-day arrival as in modern times.

Shu Yun calculated the date in her mind, left the post office, and then went straight to the supply and marketing cooperative and the vegetable market to buy some meat and vegetables for her family, as well as a lot of pastries, candies and other snacks.

After buying the items, it was already quite late. However, Shu Yun had eaten a rather large breakfast and wasn't very hungry, so she bought a few large meat buns, a special offer for the day, at the state-run restaurant.

"Hello, I'd like five meat buns."

She ate two herself and took the remaining three back for Gu Jun to eat.

The waiter glanced at her, went to the kitchen, and then ran back. "There are only 8 meat buns left today. Would you like to buy them together?"

Shu Yun thought that if she couldn't finish it, she could have it for breakfast the next day, so she nodded and said, "Then I'll take it all. Please pack it up for me so I can take it with me."

Shu Yun ate a meat bun as she strolled around. She went to a bookstore and bought a comic book. Remembering that she didn't have much paper and paint left for drawing, she went to the supply and marketing cooperative to restock.

She thought for a moment and realized that she didn't seem to need anything at home. Just as she was about to ride away, she saw a little boy and a little girl standing by the roadside. They were Wang Yuping and his sister.

Shu Yun stepped forward, half-squatting down to speak with them, "Why are you all standing here by yourselves? Where's your mother?"

The boy looked at Shu Yun warily, holding the little girl tightly in his arms, clearly not remembering that they had met at the train station.

Shu Yun quickly grabbed a handful of candy from the bag. "Don't be scared. I know your mother. We met at the train station. I've even seen you two before."

"Here, these are some candies your sister just bought. She says they're the most popular fruit hard candies in Shanghai. Have a taste."

Shu Yun stretched her hand forward, and the little boy took a small step back warily. "I don't know you, and I don't want your candy. My mom will be here soon."

Shu Yun was both amused and exasperated. How could she possibly seem like a villain who trafficked children?

Not all children like pretty girls. She's so pretty, shouldn't she be very popular with children?

Shu Yun asked, "Where is your mother? I'm looking for her."

"Officers, it's her! She's been lurking around suspiciously, trying to lure the children with candy. The two children clearly don't recognize her. She's definitely a child trafficker. Officers, arrest her immediately!"

The old woman's voice was impassioned. Shu Yun stood up in disbelief, pointing at herself, "You mean me?"

"Who else could it be but you? You're just putting on an act, you're up to no good."

Shu Yun's expression was somewhat distorted. What exactly was she doing sneakily?

The young police officer stepped forward with a serious expression. "Alright, stop arguing, kids. I'm asking you, do you know this auntie?"

The little boy immediately shook his head, and instantly the police officer, who had initially been somewhat skeptical, also looked at Shu Yun with suspicion.

Shu Yun said anxiously, "I really am not. I know the child's mother and we've spoken. The child may not remember, but I'm really not a child trafficker. Giving candy was just because the elders thought the child was cute. There was really no other meaning behind it."

Where did the child's mother go?

Wang Yuping had just come out of the state-run restaurant when she saw a crowd surrounding her child. Startled, she rushed over, asking, "What happened? What's going on?"

Hearing the commotion, the child immediately rushed forward and hugged his mother, calling out, "Mommy." They were also startled by the scene.

Shu Yun hurriedly stepped forward and said, "Sister-in-law, do you still recognize me? We met at the train station before."

Wang Yuping glanced at Shu Yun and nodded.

Shu Yun breathed a sigh of relief and turned to the police officer and the old woman, "See, I told you I knew them. I'm a military wife from a nearby unit. I came to the city to buy some things. I'm definitely not a bad person."

The truth came out, and the old woman apologized, "Young man, I'm so sorry. I saw in the newspaper a while ago that there were child traffickers in the hospital, so I was a little worried."

Shu Yun shook her head. "It's alright, it's always better to be careful." After all, sometimes human traffickers deceive their victims with a mask of kindness and harmlessness.

Once the excitement died down, the crowd quickly dispersed. Before leaving, the police gave Wang Yuping a lecture: "Don't leave your child out alone next time. And all this luggage—it's just easy prey and a sitting duck for bad guys."

After everyone left, Shu Yun asked, "I've heard about Qian Xinmin's situation. I wanted to find you before, but you no longer live in the same place."

Wang Yuping shook his head, "I won't be staying here for long anyway, and I don't want to cause any trouble for the elderly."

There are strict restrictions on rural residents moving to the city. Wang Yuping secretly paid for the house the old man lived in before, but on the surface, the old man used the excuse of relatives staying temporarily, which was not a long-term solution.

She touched the girl's thin face. "The child was sick and stayed in the hospital for a few days. She just recovered today and is preparing to go back to her hometown. Is there something you need?"

Shu Yun shook her head. "What are you going to do about Qian Xinmin now that he's like this?"

Wang Yuping said, "Anyway, the marriage is over, and I have no connection with the Qian family anymore. I'm going to take the children back to my parents' home first."

As the two were talking, the little girl tugged at Wang Yuping's arm, "Mom, where's my meat bun?"

Wang Yuping picked up the child and said, "Mom went in and asked, but the meat buns are sold out. How about we wait on the train and then Mom goes to see if they have any left, or we can go to town to buy some after we get home?"

The little girl's expectant, bright eyes dimmed instantly. She gave a soft "hmm," lowered her head, and neither cried nor made a fuss.

Wang Yuping felt quite apologetic and gently rubbed the child's hair to comfort him. The child had been craving big meat buns all day while he was sick, and she had promised to buy one for him before leaving today, but she hadn't been able to.

Shu Yun glanced at the girl's drooping head. Due to malnutrition, the girl's hair was dry and yellow, and it was short and tied in a small bun.

Shu Yun inexplicably felt that the seven large meat buns left in her bag were heavy, as if she were the culprit?