Chapter 182: A Warm Welcome at the Airport
The police took the human trafficking case very seriously.
Zhao Zhaodi, having spent so many years with her “mother” at home, never imagined she wasn’t just an ordinary person but involved in trafficking. She believed her mother was simply a regular person, not a trafficker.
In the police interrogation room, Li Cuiyun initially refused to admit anything.
But after Xu Yufeng asked Zhao Zhaodi a few more questions, new insights emerged.
“Mom… Aunt Li’s habits? She’s very superstitious and believes in the Pig, Cow, and Sheep religion. On the 1st and 15th of every month, she insists on going to the temple to burn incense. Sometimes she makes me go with her, but never lets my younger brother join.”
“Friends? She has no friends. My foster father, Zhao Dazhi, and she weren’t from the village. They had no relatives locally. I vaguely remember that when I was younger, we traveled a lot. My foster father passed away in a car accident when I was five.”
“She hardly does any odd jobs, and our family isn’t poor. She says the money is from my foster father’s accident compensation, and she needs to save it, which is why she wouldn’t let me attend high school…”
Xu Yufeng shared everything Zhao Zhaodi knew with the police.
After receiving these clues, the police shifted their approach, and it wasn’t long before Li Cuiyun’s mental defenses collapsed completely.
“Li Cuiyun wants to meet the victim,” the police informed Xu Yufeng and Zhao Zhaodi.
Zhao Zhaodi hesitated at first.
Xu Yufeng immediately refused for her: “I don’t think it’s a good idea to let them meet. Zhaodi has suffered a lot under Li Cuiyun’s hands. Not only was she made to do all the household work alone, but Li Cuiyun also often beat and scolded her when she was dissatisfied. Now she wants to meet Zhaodi, probably for her son’s benefit.”
Zhao Zhaodi’s eyes darkened. Even though Li Cuiyun had treated her badly, for over a decade, she truly believed that Li Cuiyun was her real mother.
The police reluctantly nodded: “She really wants to ask her daughter to take better care of her son. We’ve criticized her, but she’s very stubborn.”
Xu Yufeng asked, “If a criminal asks to meet the victim, would you agree?”
The police didn’t approve of Li Cuiyun’s request either, but they were just following their duty to communicate it. Now that they heard Xu Yufeng’s response, they didn’t argue further. Instead, they brought up the topic that was most concerning to them: Zhao Zhaodi’s true background.
“When Li Cuiyun and her husband were young, they were part of a human trafficking gang. Since they had no children of their own, they prayed and worshipped at various temples. One small cult—what she now fervently believes in—told them it was because of their misdeeds that they had no children.”
“Li Cuiyun and her husband were desperate for a child. Following the cult’s advice, they decided to adopt a child first to lead the way for their biological one.”
“They immediately set their sights on Zhao Zhaodi, who had been trafficked by a gang. They thought she looked like a beautiful year-end picture doll, and when she grew up, she would certainly be a beauty. Whether they used her as a child bride for their biological son or married her off for a dowry, it would be worthwhile.”
“The couple took advantage of the gang’s inattention, stole some money, and ran away with Zhao Zhaodi to the village they now live in.”
“According to Li Cuiyun, the gang had kidnapped Zhao Zhaodi at a mall in the city of Suzhou. She couldn’t remember the exact mall or time, though.”
“At the time, the child had no obvious accessories, just a small dress. She looked like she came from a decent family. We’ve contacted the Suzhou police and there are several families that meet the criteria.”
Zhao Zhaodi clenched her fists suddenly, her nose growing tight. For some reason, when she heard “Suzhou,” she felt a strong urge to cry.
Xu Yufeng patted her shoulder in comfort and then pulled the young girl into an embrace. “Don’t worry. Now we have a lead. We’ll definitely find your real parents.”
Meanwhile, Lu Jingyao, who had been standing by, looked at Zhao Zhaodi with a thoughtful expression.
“The little girl’s face looks familiar,” Lu Jingyao said.
Xu Yufeng immediately looked at him expectantly.
Lu Jingyao had come to Luoyang with Xu Yufeng for work. He had been busy with official matters for several days and hadn’t had time to meet with Xu Yufeng. This was his first time seeing Zhao Zhaodi.
After thinking for a moment, Lu Jingyao took out his phone, tapped a few times, and then played a piece of traditional Suzhou-style music.
Zhao Zhaodi suddenly looked dazed, as if long-forgotten memories were being awakened.
“My grandmother’s relative seems to have lost a child, but I can’t remember whether it was a boy or a girl,” Lu Jingyao said.
Xu Yufeng immediately said, “If it really is a relative from your grandmother’s side, their family must be well-off. Zhaodi will have no worries about food and clothing in the future and won’t have to worry about not being able to attend school.”
Lu Jingyao didn’t go into further detail about the distant relative’s situation and casually said, “If that’s the case, the little girl will have to call me cousin in the future.”
Xu Yufeng laughed and said, “It’s convenient. The next round of auditions is in Suzhou. It’ll make it easier for us to find Zhaodi’s family.”
Zhao Zhaodi’s face lit up with joy, but then, she seemed to hesitate, feeling nervous about being close to home.
Half an hour later, Lu Jingyao came over and said, “Now the relatives from Suzhou are organizing the search for Zhaodi’s family. I just spoke to her on the phone. The Suzhou police have informed them about this. While they can’t confirm which family Zhao Zhaodi belongs to, they’ve arranged an airport pick-up.”
Zhao Zhaodi immediately showed a fearful expression. “What if I’m not anyone’s child…”
Lu Jingyao hurriedly said, “Don’t feel pressured. Every child being identified at the Suzhou airport is treated with the utmost care. Even though it’s time-consuming and labor-intensive, they hope to earn the recognition of the lost children and bring comfort to the families.”
Just hearing him say this made Zhao Zhaodi want to cry.
That evening, Xu Yufeng and her group parted ways with Lu Jingyao at Luoyang airport.
Lu Jingyao was busy with work and couldn’t accompany Xu Yufeng to Suzhou this time.
Two hours later, Xu Yufeng and her group arrived in Suzhou.
“Nannan? Are you my daughter?”
“Is this my baby?”
Four people were sent to the airport to greet them—two married couples. The children in the photos they held were about two years old, looking pure and adorable. It was clear that the parents treasured this lost child deeply.
The four parents looked at Zhao Zhaodi with eager and hopeful eyes, carefully scrutinizing her face, as if trying to find any resemblance to the child in the photos they held.
Zhao Zhaodi had been in Li Cuiyun’s care since she was about two years old, but Li Cuiyun was very cautious and didn’t have any photos of Zhao Zhaodi before the age of six, so there wasn’t much to compare with the photos in the parents’ hands.
Zhao Zhaodi had never been surrounded by such intense familial love, and she felt overwhelmed.
In the end, it was Xu Yufeng who stepped forward and said, “We understand how you feel, but this child has never experienced such an atmosphere. Don’t scare her.”
