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Jiang He felt that when Song Xiangmei walked out of Desolate Village, she had become a different person. This inexplicably filled him with fear, as if another soul had taken over Song Xiangmei's body, while her original spirit had vanished from this world. Because of this version of Song Xiangmei, Jiang He could not connect her to the one who had saved him.
"What exactly are you afraid of?" Jiang He asked, looking at the trembling Song Xiangmei in the corner.
Song Xiangmei glanced at Jiang He and hurried over. She grabbed his arm and said, "I heard that He Caiqie won't be executed; he will just go to prison, right?"
"Who told you that?" Jiang He replied. "Isn't this supposed to be confidential?"
"I heard it myself. No one was watching me. I was sitting in the corner and overheard their conversation," Song Xiangmei explained.
But this wasn't really a special secret; there was nothing that could be done about it now that Song Xiangmei knew.
Jiang He sighed and said, "That's true. There is indeed a difference between intentional murder and attempted murder. Moreover, with all the villagers' testimonies, we confirmed that He Caiqie hasn't killed anyone. He shouldn't be executed, but prison is unavoidable."
"No!" Song Xiangmei shook her head vigorously. "If he isn't executed, once he gets out, he will definitely come after me. I ruined his plans; he hasn't killed all those villagers yet, and he will surely seek revenge on me."
She nearly shouted these words.
Jiang He grasped Song Xiangmei's shoulders and said seriously, "No, he will indeed cause trouble for the other villagers after he gets out, but he isn't targeting you. Even though he would do anything for his sister, there’s no need for him to kill you; it wouldn’t help his plans at all. The likelihood of him wanting to kill you after his release is only twenty percent; you don’t need to worry."
"And besides," Jiang He added, "that would at least be many years from now."
Song Xiangmei shook her head. "You don't understand him..."
"Then just avoid him," Jiang He suggested. "I am also from Dragon City. I will take you back to Dragon City now. Old Shao has already contacted the police in Dragon City; they are looking for your family. Your information is complete, so it shouldn't take long to find your relatives. For now, let's head back to Dragon City!"
Song Xiangmei nodded but still clung to Jiang He's arm. "Okay, but you have to protect me closely; you can't leave my side for a moment."
Jiang He nodded in agreement.
"What is that?"
As Jiang He hailed a ride using his smartphone, Song Xiangmei leaned in closer. This was not the first time she had asked such a question on her way home; the first time had been when she saw a high-speed train.
"It's a smartphone," Jiang He replied.
"Can you buy things with a phone?" Song Xiangmei asked, incredulous.
Song Xiangmei had been out of touch with society for far too long. Ten years ago, when she was still a girl, smartphones were just beginning to emerge. Most people still used Nokia phones or basic models, and only tech-savvy individuals owned smartphones.
But ten years had passed, and nearly everyone had a smartphone by now. This should have been common knowledge for everyone, yet Song Xiangmei, who had been abducted and isolated for a decade, knew nothing about it.
"Then can you buy me an ice cream on your phone?"
This was Song Xiangmei's first request to Jiang He.
Jiang He recalled the story Song Xiangmei had shared with him—ten years ago, she and He Caiwei were taken while eating ice cream on the street. In the decade since, she hadn't tasted ice cream again; at that moment, it was the one thing she longed for most.
Often, the reason Song Xiangmei had managed to survive was simply because she wanted to eat ice cream once more.
"Let's go to the store," Jiang He said to the taxi driver. "Stop for a moment; I need to buy something. Song Xiangmei, just wait in the car for me. I'll be right back."
"No!" Song Xiangmei suddenly shouted loudly. "You have to come with me! You can't leave! No, I want to stay with you; I don't want to be in the car!"
Song Xiangmei screamed as if being left alone in the car was the most terrifying thing in the world.
The taxi driver felt awkward and looked at Jiang He. "I heard you're a police officer; it's fine, I'll wait here for you..."
Jiang He had no choice but to take Song Xiangmei to the nearby KFC.
KFC was always packed, no matter what time you visited. Jiang He pulled Song Xiangmei into the line, and after a long wait, it was finally their turn.
Jiang He ordered two ice creams for Song Xiangmei, but just as he finished paying, he heard her scream in shock.
Turning around, he saw a terrified Song Xiangmei and an awkward young man who had not yet withdrawn his hand from her shoulder.
The young man noticed all eyes were on him and hurriedly explained, "I just wanted to ask her what number she is..."
"Don't touch me! I don't know him! I don't know him! Don't pull me away!" Song Xiangmei shouted.
Jiang He shoved the ice creams into Song Xiangmei's hands and pulled her out of KFC.
"What on earth are you doing?" Jiang He asked.
Still shaken, Song Xiangmei stared out the taxi window and said blankly, "That guy is a human trafficker. Didn't you see? You're a police officer; hurry up and arrest him!"
"He's not a human trafficker," Jiang He replied. "He's just an ordinary customer."
"No!" Song Xiangmei insisted firmly. "You’ve never been abducted; you don’t understand the look in a trafficker's eyes. He has that same look as those who took me away back then. Trust me, he’s a trafficker."
Jiang He pointed at the taxi driver. "What about him?"
Song Xiangmei said, "He is too! The way he looked at me was off. If you weren't here, he would have taken me away immediately. He's a trafficker!"
"He's not either," Jiang He said. "He's just an ordinary driver."
After they reached their destination, Song Xiangmei got out first. While Jiang He was paying, the driver leaned in and asked quietly, "Is she on drugs? Look at how thin she is; with that look in her eyes, it's obvious she's been messed up by drugs! These people are really scary; good luck, officer."
When they were in the village, Song Xiangmei seemed normal, but back in the big city, she appeared quite unstable.
Jiang He quickly took Song Xiangmei to the City Bureau of Dragon City.
According to the investigation by the City Bureau, they indeed found a lot of useful information. Song Xiangmei had been listed as a missing person for ten years. Her parents had long since moved away from Dragon City in search of her, and the police had no information on their current whereabouts.
However, they located the remaining relatives of Song Xiangmei in Dragon City, specifically her maternal aunt, who was also her mother's older sister. This aunt was in her fifties and had a son, who was Song Xiangmei's cousin and was now married with a family of his own.
If Song Xiangmei had not been abducted, she might have had a happy family by now.
The City Bureau quickly contacted Song Xiangmei's aunt and cousin, who could hardly believe that after ten years, the police had finally found Song Xiangmei. Both expressed their gratitude repeatedly over the phone and promised to come to the police station within an hour to take her home.
Their identities were verified without issue; it was indeed Song Xiangmei's aunt and cousin. They both promised to take Song Xiangmei to search for her parents immediately. For ten years, her parents had been searching for her across the country and had now reached the southernmost part of the country.
“Xiangmei? Xiangmei!”
When Song Xiangmei's aunt called out on the phone, she was filled with excitement. However, upon seeing Song Xiangmei in person, she called out a few times but fell silent. A decade had passed; even the world had changed, and Song Xiangmei's transformation was so significant that her aunt almost failed to recognize her.
“Little sister!” Song Xiangmei's cousin also shouted.
“Do you remember us?” Song Xiangmei's aunt gently asked.
Song Xiangmei stared blankly at the two of them. After a moment, she suddenly burst into tears. The three embraced tightly, weeping together for a long time.
It seemed that Song Xiangmei still recognized her aunt and cousin; after all, blood is thicker than water.
Jiang He glanced at Song Xiangmei and said, “I’ll leave you here, but I have one more question to ask.”
After a pause, Jiang He continued, “Regarding your escape, you lied. That night, it wasn’t Li Sanhan who killed He Caiwei. Almost all the villagers can testify that Li Sanhan was at home sleeping all night. Why did you lie? Who really killed He Caiwei?”
Song Xiangmei looked at Jiang He, staring at him for a long time. Her eyes seemed to carry a plea: “Li Sanhan.”
"You are lying," Jiang He said.
"No, I'm not," Song Xiangmei replied.
In fact, if Song Xiangmei didn't want to answer, Jiang He had no way to force her. Although Jiang He had some bad suspicions, he didn't have a shred of evidence. Without evidence, he wouldn't act on his guesses. Moreover, He Caiqie's testimony also supported Song Xiangmei's account.
"Thank you, officer! Thank you, officer!" Song Xiangmei's aunt said. "We have contacted Song Xiangmei's parents, and they are on their way back. Their flight will land soon. If there are any further questions, could we possibly wait a while before asking?"
"That's fine," Jiang He replied.
Watching Song Xiangmei leave, Jiang He fell into deep thought.
Song Xiangmei had returned safely, even after ten long years.
But the one who rescued Song Xiangmei, He Caiwei, remained forever in that Desolate Village, eternally trapped in Endless Hell.
As for the other villagers, where would they go after being released? Would they return to that place once regarded by their ancestors as a paradise but now transformed into the Endless Hell of Desolate Village? Or would they wander aimlessly, forever without a place to rest?
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