"How did you run into human traffickers? Don't be scared, the police officers are over there. Just tell them everything!" Freya was bored and asked Sunyue, who was sticking close to her.
By now, after listening to their chatting, Sunyue had calmed down a bit.
But since she had never dealt with the police before, she was still a little nervous. She rubbed her swollen eyes and quietly started to explain what had happened.
A few days ago, she was shopping and saw a mother-in-law and daughter-in-law fighting in the street. She stopped to watch the commotion.
By accident, she stepped on Ye Sanye's foot. She apologized, and nothing else happened at the time.
"For the past four or five days, he said he was from the neighboring village and came to our house to pick up some stools, wooden boxes, and water buckets. I didn't think much of it. But today, while I was helping him lift a bath bucket, he suddenly confessed his feelings to me."
As she spoke, Sunyue blushed with embarrassment.
"Keep going. And then?" Freya's eyes lit up with curiosity.
"He said he fell in love with me at first sight and liked me. He wanted to marry me and asked me to run away with him. After I refused, he drugged me. When I woke up, I was tied up in a donkey cart."
"Hmph, what a scumbag! Does he even look at himself in the mirror?
An ugly toad chasing a frog, not only is he ugly, but he's also a creep.
Trying to trick an innocent girl! I should've kicked him so hard he'd never make trouble again!
You didn't fall for him, did you?"
After Freya fired off angrily, she finally asked the main point.
"Of course not! I just saw him as an ordinary customer!
I never liked that kind of strong build anyway. I prefer someone gentle and handsome, like Brian." Sunyue quickly explained.
"What did you say? Sunyue, are you looking to die? I was standing up for you and now you're saying you have a crush on my man? Pretty bold of you!" Freya jokingly pulled on Sunyue's ear.
"Ow! Okay, okay! I did like him a little bit before, but ever since you married him, I gave up!" Sunyue rescued her ear from Freya's hand and quickly explained.
"Hmph, at least you know your place!" Freya grinned wickedly as she looked at Sunyue hiding in the corner of the cart.
Jerome, sitting nearby, instinctively shrank back a little… terrified! Freya was too fierce.
"When I grow up, I'll never be a scumbag. I'll be a real man who stands tall!" Jerome declared quickly, afraid he'd be too late and get his ear pulled too.
"Not bad, Comrade Jerome. Your attitude is very sincere and deserves praise. Thumbs up!" Freya gave him a big thumbs-up.
"Haha, Freya, stop bullying them. They'll start crying soon," Police Yang, who knew she was just teasing the kids, joked as he chimed in.
Behind the donkey cart, Village Secretary Wang, who was following in an ox cart, heard the laughter up front, looked back at the two traffickers, and felt a little sad.
Great. It's like he was the only one emotionally hurt.
Over an hour later, they arrived at the police station entrance.
"Freya, don't leave yet. I'm scared. I'll go with you after I finish the statement," Sunyue grabbed Freya's sleeve, looking pitiful.
"Freya, I'm scared too! Don't leave me!" Jerome copied her and pulled on Freya's other sleeve, shaking it.
"Fine, I'll wait for you two to come out, okay? Now let go!
Stop clinging like that. It's annoying!" Freya rolled her eyes and said in exasperation.
Bored while waiting, Freya pulled out some sunflower seeds from her pocket, paired with water a young officer had brought her earlier, and started munching away.
"Hey, you're the one who helped Police Yang catch those two traffickers, right?
You're really pretty, and I'd never guess you could fight so well!"
A young woman in a police uniform, with a bright face full of smiles, sat down beside Freya.
"Uh, I'm Freya. And you are?" Freya looked confused.
"Hi, I'm Officer Hanni. I'm 21 years old. Just took over my mom's position. This is my fifth day on the job."
"Captain Qian was worried you'd be bored, so he sent me to chat with you!" Officer Hanni said cheerfully.
"Thanks! What a coincidence, I actually had something I wanted to ask someone. Let's chat while we eat!"
Freya warmly handed Officer Hanni a handful of sunflower seeds.
"What is it? Go ahead and ask. As long as it's not a state secret, I can tell you. Hehe, though I'm not high enough level to know any secrets anyway."
"Even if you did, I wouldn't dare ask! I'm a good citizen. I'm from the Red Bull Brigade in Huai Tree Village. Something happened there recently. Since we're all from the same village and usually get along well, I just wanted to know how everyone's doing. Are they okay?"
"Oh wow, you're from the Bull Brigade? Let me tell you, they're in a bad situation..." Officer Hanni looked around sneakily.
"It's okay, it's just the two of us in this room. What you say stays between us. I'm just worried about the villagers. I won't spread anything around."
Freya found her sneaky behavior a bit ridiculous since there was no one else around.
"Alright, but you can't go telling anyone. That hooligan, I think his name is Malvin, and that Trina, something weird happened to both of them. They turned into fools. They can't answer anything, just drool nonstop. Yesterday, during questioning, Trina even pooped herself. The whole room stank.
Tsk tsk tsk...
Police Yang decided after visiting today to just send both of them home. They can't say anything useful and keeping them around would mean someone has to care for all their needs."
Thinking about the mess yesterday, Officer Hanni felt a bit sorry for Trina. As for Malvin, she thought he deserved it.
Freya agreed it was karma. They got what they deserved. But then she asked with concern,
"What about Shun? He's dead, what happens now? The others got taken to the police station. Are they all going to be sentenced?"
"That case... when old Madam Zhang first arrived, she made a huge scene. Scratched up the faces of a few men. But last night, your village's Captain Shan woke up and had a private talk with her.
Madam Zhang suddenly stopped causing trouble and early this morning got an ox cart and took Shun's body back home.
As for the two men from your brigade who threw Shun into the water, their families paid Madam Zhang 500 yuan.
The other two who threw Malvin into the water were released, but from now on, they have to provide for Malvin, make sure he has food and shelter.
Captain Shan lost an arm and his daughter was assaulted by Shun. People feel sorry for him, so he only had to pay Madam Zhang 500 yuan too.
They'll all be released later today."
"That's great, as long as no one else is in trouble. But it's a shame about Shun, a life gone just like that."
Freya smiled happily on the surface, but cursed silently in her heart. What the hell, someone died and all they had to do was pay some money?
She had thought Captain Shan would go to jail for a few years. She had been drugged, and he definitely knew. Otherwise, how did he show up so fast?
"You're way too kind-hearted. A scumbag like Shun isn't worth pitying," Officer Hanni said, holding her hand to comfort her.
"Sigh, I just can't change how soft-hearted I am."