Chapter 14: Su Yue
Chapter 14: Su Yue
“Little Ma, someone here is trafficking girls. Could you come over? Yeah, I’m at the scene.”
“Okay, what’s the location…”
Lan Mu quickly told him the location and hung up the phone.
The middle-aged man stood up, holding his nose. His nose was still bleeding.
“You called someone?”
Lan Mu spread his hands and said, “Called the police! This is best handled by the police!”
The middle-aged couple looked at each other. The woman then said, “This is our family matter. What are you trying to do?”
“I am her biological aunt! I raised her for over ten years. Finding a man for her to meet for a possible marriage is just…”
“Stop, stop, stop! Don’t tell me that.” Lan Mu directly cut her off.
Then he said, “You say you’re her aunt, so you are? Do you two look anything like relatives?”
“She’s so young, and she has vision problems. I don’t know if you’re making her meet someone for marriage or for prostitution. All I know is you’re not her parents, so I can totally suspect you’re trafficking her.”
The middle-aged woman shouted, “Of course I’m her aunt. If you don’t believe me, ask her yourself!”
Lan Mu looked at Su Yue, who was now hiding behind him.
“Are these two your relatives?”
Su Yue kept her eyes tightly shut, lowered her head, and stayed silent, not saying a word.
Lan Mu understood immediately. He guessed these two really were her aunt and uncle. They probably treated her poorly and forced her into meeting someone for marriage, so she ran out to look for her mom.
But since the girl didn’t speak up, she naturally didn’t want to go back. She was clever to stay silent, neither confirming nor denying.
Lan Mu said knowingly, “See, she didn’t say you’re her relatives. Don’t think about taking her away. Wait for the police!”
After that, no matter what the couple said, he ignored them.
Later, they even tried to use force to take Su Yue away, but they couldn’t get past Lan Mu, who stood in front like a mountain.
About five or six minutes later, Ma Xiang drove a police car to the scene.
Getting out and seeing Lan Mu in a standoff with a couple, he said, “Just looking at this alley, it seems like a place for trafficking people.”
Lan Mu smiled upon hearing this and offered Ma Xiang a cigarette.
Ma Xiang took it but didn’t smoke it. The middle-aged man also tried to take out a cigarette to offer, but Ma Xiang refused, saying, “No! Don’t try to bribe me!”
The middle-aged man felt choked and understood that this policeman was on Lan Mu’s side.
After hearing Lan Mu explain the situation, Ma Xiang didn’t talk much with the couple either. He said directly, “Let’s go. Stop making a scene here. Come with me to the station to talk properly.”
The middle-aged woman seemed somewhat uneasy. She smiled apologetically and said, “Officer, this is a family matter. This girl is my brother’s child. I’m just taking her home. The police shouldn’t get involved in this, right?”
Ma Xiang’s expression turned stern, looking quite imposing. He said, “Whether the police get involved isn’t up to you. I came here because I received a report. No more nonsense. Let’s talk at the station.”
The two had no choice and followed him into the police car.
They sat in the back seat with Lan Mu, while Su Yue sat alone in the front passenger seat.
Ma Xiang looked at Su Yue curiously, but with outsiders present, he didn’t talk much with Lan Mu.
Soon, they arrived at Helou Local Police Station. Entering the station, this place was still quite useful for ordinary people. They quickly clarified the situation.
After checking the files, Ma Xiang told Lan Mu, “They really are the girl’s uncle and aunt. They are also her guardians. Su Yue’s parents passed away, and her blindness is congenital.”
“This girl finished her compulsory education at a blind school and then stopped going to school. She stayed at their house every day and couldn’t work. After all, no one wants to hire an employee who is blind.”
“Today, she turned eighteen, almost nineteen. With no income and eating for free every day, the couple said they wanted to find her a man to marry.”
“Brother Mu, we can’t interfere in this. The law doesn’t say you can’t force a child to meet someone for marriage. So many parents all over the country force their children into arranged meetings and marriages, and no one calls the police for that. At most, the police can give a few words of advice.”
Lan Mu frowned and asked, “What about the girl saying prostitution? What’s that about?”
Ma Xiang said, “The couple said it’s baseless, that the child doesn’t understand and thinks meeting someone for marriage is prostitution.”
“Child? Don’t just repeat what the couple said, what the couple said. Didn’t you ask the girl for her own opinion? She’s an adult now. Even if she’s blind, she has basic judgment about things. Are you just listening to one side? I’m telling you, that couple is no good. I could tell at a glance.” Lan Mu said seriously.
“Yes, yes, yes. I haven’t asked yet. I was just quickly reporting to you, Brother Mu.” Ma Xiang said with a laugh.
Lan Mu chuckled and said, “Are you the police or am I? Why report to me? Handle your case.”
Even so, Lan Mu was still worried about Su Yue and followed Ma Xiang to where Su Yue was sitting.
Su Yue was holding a cup of water, drinking it quietly as she sat on a chair. Her calm and fragile appearance contrasted sharply with the noisy police station. It seemed as if all the noise in the world had nothing to do with her. At this moment, she appeared otherworldly.
A female police officer was next to her, asking questions one by one. Su Yue answered each one.
Ma Xiang greeted the female police officer and also sat down, asking, “Tang Jing, how’s the questioning going?”
The female police officer, Tang Jing, said, “Her name is Su Yue. She dropped out of school at fifteen. After that, she stayed at her aunt’s house doing household chores. They made her do all the work in their house, including washing clothes, cooking, cleaning, and even giving massages.”
Ma Xiang said in surprise, “That harsh? She did that all the way until now?”
Tang Jing glanced at him and said, “There’s worse. This family really didn’t like her. Even though she is the woman’s brother’s child, the woman’s brother died long ago. His wife raised the girl until she was five, then entrusted her to this family.”
“Why?” Ma Xiang asked.
“Because her mother…” Tang Jing looked at Su Yue and drew a line in the notebook with her pen. It was a piece of Information she had just found out.
Lan Mu also leaned over to look and learned that her mother had died of cancer long ago.
Ma Xiang whispered, “She still doesn’t know?”
Tang Jing also replied in a nearly inaudible voice, “Her aunt told her many times, but she never believed it.”
Then Tang Jing said in a normal voice, “This family usually abused her. They thought she only knew how to eat for free and was useless. Since she wasn’t their own child, they often hit and scolded her. They didn’t act like relatives at all!”
“As Su Yue grew up and turned eighteen, she became more and more beautiful. The family then thought she could be a cash cow. They figured since she couldn’t find a job anyway, they might as well make her do…”
Lan Mu, who had been listening all along, finally said angrily, “Make her engage in prostitution?”
Tang Jing looked at Lan Mu. Ma Xiang explained, “He’s my buddy. It’s fine.”
Tang Jing then continued, “This child said her hearing is very sharp. She overheard the couple secretly discussing in their room. Using their own house as a location, which is very hidden, they would find men to come over under the guise of meeting for marriage. Then they would make her accompany the guests. The price for the first time was twenty thousand. They also said some people liked the appeal of a blind girl.”
“What the f—! And then?” Lan Mu growled in a low voice.
Tang Jing sighed and said, “This child is very stubborn. After hearing that, she naturally wouldn’t let herself be manipulated. So she waited until her uncle went to work, then sneaked out alone, wanting to go find her mother by herself. Poor thing, she can’t see and rarely goes out. She didn’t get far before the couple found her.”
“Sigh…” Ma Xiang sighed. He also felt sorry for the girl.
Lan Mu’s anger surged even more. To have relatives like that, they deserved to die.
“Ma Xiang, this girl absolutely cannot go back there. That couple has committed a crime. Will you police handle it or not?”
Hearing Lan Mu’s words, Ma Xiang gave a bitter smile and said, “There’s no evidence. Forget that this is just what the girl overheard; even if the girl recorded it, it wouldn’t be useful. The couple could simply say they were just joking, since no actual criminal act took place.”
Hearing this, Lan Mu became even more annoyed. He was about to speak, eyes glaring, when Tang Jing beside him suddenly slammed the table and said, “Fatty, do you have any compassion? I really don’t know how you got into the police force!”
Ma Xiang looked wronged and said, “Tang Jing, am I wrong? Should we detain the couple just based on her one-sided statement?”
Tang Jing seemed like a lady, but when fierce, she was quite scary: “Are you stupid! This family hits and scolds her. We can totally say it’s domestic violence. Su Yue is an adult now. We just need to prove she can live independently. No one can force her to go to anyone’s house.”
“She’s blind. How can she live independently?” Ma Xiang said helplessly, “Even if you get her an ID card, it won’t help! That couple are her guardians. The girl doesn’t even have a job. Where do you expect her to move and live?”
Tang Jing was speechless. Although Su Yue was an adult, she was a blind girl. Given the special circumstances, without a proper and legitimate reason, the police couldn’t stop her guardians from taking her home.
“It’s just a job. I’ll help her find one!” Lan Mu, who had been listening, understood now and said directly.
Tang Jing sized up Lan Mu and said, “You? What job will you find for her?”
This time, it was Lan Mu’s turn to be dumbfounded. He was a warm-hearted person. When he helped someone, he helped them all the way. Seeing Su Yue so pitiful, he wanted to help her no matter what.
But saying that, he really couldn’t think of a good way to arrange things properly for Su Yue. After all, a blind girl had limited options for work. Could he send her to a blind massage parlor? But she was so young and pretty! What if someone bullied her? The police would have to check on her every now and then, which would be too troublesome.
Thinking it over, Lan Mu simply said directly, “I plan to open a studio. If she’s willing, she can be my employee! Usually cleaning up, cooking meals, things like that. Meals and accommodation provided, three thousand a month. I definitely won’t let her be wronged.”
Hearing this, Ma Xiang clapped his hands and said, “Alright! With Brother Mu saying this, I feel relieved. She’ll have a job, a place to live, and full civil capacity. Even as a blind person, she can choose to not have a guardian. Even her aunt can’t control her then.”
Tang Jing knew Lan Mu and Ma Xiang were buddies. Although she still didn’t fully trust Lan Mu, there was no other good option. So she said, “It might be feasible. But you need to register the Information at the station. We’ll come check often later. If we find out you bully her, you’ll face legal consequences.”
“Got it. We don’t even know if she’s willing herself yet!” Lan Mu said, looking at Su Yue. In his heart, there was a faint hope.
Su Yue listened to the conversation among the three of them from start to finish. Now, she smiled slightly and said.
“I can handle household chores. Washing clothes and cooking can be left to me… If you’re tired, I can also give massages…”
“Thank you for going to so much trouble for me. Though I cannot see, I have grown accustomed to doing these things over the years. I definitely won’t cause trouble for Mr. Lan.”
Seeing she agreed, Lan Mu felt happy and quickly said, “No trouble, no trouble. Massages and such are unnecessary. I’m not that pampered.”
“Don’t worry. The studio is small. There won’t be much for you to do. Three thousand a month won’t be short.”
“From now on, you are an employee of Lan Cheng Studio!”
“I won’t let anyone bully my employee!”