Zhan Jingchun was initially shocked, but after hearing Peng Ma’s words, she calmed down.
This place was like this; people had no sense of morality. Outsiders like them were not considered human in their eyes, more like livestock to be disposed of as they pleased.
The first time, she blamed herself for being too weak and accepting her fate. But this time, she absolutely would not tolerate it any longer.
She had to find a way to struggle; at worst, she would die.
Once a person prepared for the worst, there was nothing left to dwell on.
That night, she slept peacefully.
The next day, Zhan Jingchun woke up early, changed into clean clothes, and sat on the bed waiting.
Around nine in the morning, she heard unfamiliar male voices outside, along with Peng Ma’s enthusiastic greetings.
She knew the turning point of her fate had arrived.
Soon, Peng Ma came to open the door and gave her another round of instructions.
“Go and live a good life. They are not short of money and won’t treat you poorly. This is all I can do for you, don’t resent me. Daughter, to be honest, going with him is definitely better than staying with Peng Fei. I wouldn’t harm you.”
Zhan Jingchun listened to her coldly before stepping out of the room.
Dressed in clean clothes and standing in the sunlight, the driver sent to pick her up was instantly stunned.
Over the years, he had driven all over the country and seen many people.
He considered himself to have seen every kind of woman, but he never imagined meeting someone as beautiful and elegant as Zhan Jingchun in such a remote place.
How could she be so beautiful?
Although her hair was short and messy like a boy’s, her skin was truly fair and tender, and her features were exquisite, no less than movie stars on television.
How could they bear to sell such a good woman to that old man Li?
Zhan Jingchun could see the astonishment in the driver’s eyes, which immediately gave her more confidence.
The driver went to pay Peng Ma, explaining that Old Li had important guests to receive today and couldn’t come himself, so he had rented his car. Once the money was handed over and the person taken away, his task would be complete, and he needed to hurry.
Peng Ma happily took eighteen thousand yuan and urged Zhan Jingchun to get into the car quickly.
Zhan Jingchun said nothing, only asking Peng Ma,
“How much money did you get for me?”
Peng Ma looked a little awkward.
“How can you say you sold me for money? We spent over twenty thousand to buy you, and now we’re only getting eighteen thousand back, so we’ve lost several thousand.”
Zhan Jingchun said, “I don’t mean to settle accounts with you, Auntie. I just want to tell you that we are even.”
“No matter what karma bound us in the past, it ends here. I won’t think of you again, and I hope you won’t mention me anymore. My name does not belong here, and I don’t need to be remembered by anyone.”
Her words made Peng Ma feel a bit embarrassed.
No matter how unpleasant things had been before, she had indeed exchanged her for money now, and she felt a pang of guilt.
She wondered if Peng Fei would make a fuss when he returned. For peace of mind, she took out 100 yuan for Zhan Jingchun.
“Alright, as you say, let’s part on good terms. I will never mention you again. Let’s go. Take this hundred yuan and buy yourself some decent clothes in town. That’s it, we’ll never see each other again.”
Zhan Jingchun pocketed the 100 yuan and got into the car. The driver quickly took her away from the village.
As the car wound its way along the mountain road, the driver couldn’t help but look at her repeatedly in the rearview mirror, finding her more and more beautiful.
Old Li was over 40, and his son was older than her. What a waste.
Halfway through the journey, Zhan Jingchun finally spoke to the driver.
“Master, you seem like someone who has seen the world. Your license plate is from out of town, have you been to Nancheng?”
The driver indeed transported goods between the provincial capital and the county town all year round, and his car had a provincial capital license plate.
He had returned for a banquet this time and unexpectedly took this job.
Hearing her question, he quickly replied.
“Nancheng? That’s a big city. I haven’t been there, but my nephew does business there. Why are you asking about Nancheng?”
Zhan Jingchun said, “You should be able to guess that I was abducted, and my hometown is in Nancheng.”
The driver clicked his tongue inwardly and sighed again.
“I knew it. You look like a girl from a big city who hasn’t suffered. How could you end up in a place like this?”
“It’s a long story. Master, can I ask you a question?”
“What is it? Miss, ask away.”
“How old are you?”
The driver was surprised by her question and answered truthfully.
“46, why?”
“You must have sons and daughters, and you’re not young anymore, right?”
“Indeed, my son is 24. He’s about to get married. But because our family is not well-off, we need to save up for his bride price.”
“How much do you earn a year?”
“Sigh, I only have this old car and do small business. After deducting fuel and repair costs, I don’t earn much in a year.”
“So you must be very anxious, right? Do you want to do a big business? The kind that makes you rich overnight.”
The driver met her gaze in the rearview mirror. Seeing her determined eyes and cold expression, he was startled.
“Miss, what do you mean by that?”
“If you want to get rich, I can give you the opportunity. Lend me your phone to make a call, and I’ll give you five million.”
The driver’s leg trembled, and the car screeched to a halt on the road.
“What did you say? Lend you my phone to make a call, and you’ll give me five million?”
“That’s right. You might think I’m boasting or trying to trick you, but it’s just a phone call. It won’t cost you anything, will it?”
“I have a hundred yuan here. If you’re really afraid of losing money, I can pay it to you in advance as phone credit.”
“If that’s not enough, you can check online. There’s a businessman in Nancheng named Zhan Bei Jue, and his wife is Jiang Nan Fang. Baidu Baike has his family relationships. He has six children, the youngest being a daughter named Zhan Jingchun. Although there are no photos of her online, her birth date is there. That person is me. We can compare.”
The driver’s nephew lived and worked in Nancheng all year round. During festivals, he often talked about the influential figures in Nancheng, and the one he mentioned most frequently was Zhan Bei Jue.
He was a legendary figure, almost like a god.
His daughter was sitting in his car one day?
The driver couldn’t believe it. “Miss, you can’t make jokes like this. As Zhan Bei Jue’s daughter, you could be sold to this place?”
“I know you won’t believe me, and I find it hard to believe myself. But one phone call will reveal the truth. If you think five million is too little, I’ll give you eight million. Just give me five minutes.”
The driver’s mind was in a fierce internal struggle. He even took out his phone to search for Zhan Bei Jue’s social network.
Comparing the pictures of Zhan Bei Jue online with Zhan Jingchun’s features, she did seem to resemble him a little.
This was an eight-million-yuan transaction, just for letting her make a phone call.
After much deliberation, the driver unlocked his phone and handed it to her.