Mu Dai laughed again. The boarding line started to move.
As they shuffled forward, she asked, “So what kind of girl do you like? Someone like Ping Ting? For a while, we all thought you were into her.”
“Ping Ting?” Yi Wansan blinked.
There had been a time when she was the only one he could stand to be around—when the whole world seemed to pick on him, she never did.
But really, she didn’t even know his name. She only ever called him “Brother Knife.”
And later… everyone suddenly seemed a little lovable, and he couldn’t tell if it was the world that changed, or just himself.
Because they’d left early and caught the morning flight, they landed in Chongqing before noon. From there, they transferred to a shuttle bus and, before sunset, reached the last stop before Caojiatun—the little grocery store.
This was the key checkpoint. From here on, every step mattered.
Mu Dai told the shopkeeper they were friends of Qingshan, coming for the wedding.
When she asked about Cao Yanhua, she didn’t mention his name—just described him.
“Chubby guy, solid build, shorter than me. Came through about five days ago. Used your phone to make a call.”
The shopkeeper remembered right away. “Yeah, yeah, there was a man like that. Didn’t look local, but spoke with a local accent. Headed toward Caojiatun, left just after the Cao family’s eldest daughter arrived.”
Yi Wansan jumped in. “The eldest daughter?”
“Cao Jinhua,” the man said, then frowned. “Or no, she goes by something else now—Jenny, I think. Changed her name for no good reason. Sounds like some salty wasteland, if you ask me.”
So, he and Jenny—Cao Jinhua—had arrived almost together. And after that, Cao Yanhua disappeared. Could she be involved?
Unexpectedly, when they reached the edge of the village, there was a big tent set up with a Coca-Cola umbrella and someone sitting there, keeping a registry of guests.
Yi Wansan walked up cheerfully. “We’re from Beijing—friends of Qingshan’s!”
“From Beijing?” The man’s eyes went wide. The nearby kids took off running, shouting, “Qingshan! Qingshan! People from Beijing are here!”
Five minutes later, Qingshan appeared, a crowd of kids chasing behind him. He was running fast, face bright with excitement and confusion—he didn’t remember having any friends from Beijing.
When he saw Yi Wansan and Mu Dai, he froze.
Yi Wansan didn’t give him a chance to question anything—he went right in for a bear hug, thumping him hard on the back.
“Qingshan, my brother! Been too long!”
Then, leaning close to his ear, whispered, “We’re friends of your cousin—Cao Yanhua. Tudun.”
Cao Yanhua had told them he and this cousin were close—that they kept each other updated about family things. Yi Wansan figured even if Qingshan had been part of the trick to lure him home, family was still family. He wouldn’t want real harm to come to him.
Qingshan’s face lit up. He wasn’t that old—maybe twenty-five or twenty-six—but years of outdoor labor had left lines at the corners of his eyes that made him look older.
He shooed the kids away, still smiling.
“You came with my cousin? Where is he? Is he afraid to come into the village? I told him ages ago—my great-uncle only talks tough. Said he’d break his legs, sure, but he’d never actually do it. He should’ve come back long ago.”
He laughed so hard his eyes nearly disappeared.
“Let me guess—he was scared to come alone, so he brought friends from Beijing? With outsiders here, the old man can’t make a scene, right?”
He craned his neck, looking around. “So, where is he?”
There was no faking that kind of confusion. Mu Dai frowned slightly. If Cao Yanhua had made it back to the village, Qingshan would’ve been the one he contacted.
If even he didn’t know, then had something happened before he got there?
Could it really be… Jenny?
Yi Wansan chuckled to cover the tension. “We’ll tell you all about it later.”
Qingshan was still puzzled, but his open, easy nature quickly took over.
“Come on, come on! You’re guests—stay at my place. We’ll just say you’re my friends for now.”
Pleased as could be, he led them home, introducing them proudly to everyone they met on the way. “From Beijing!” he’d announce each time.
Mu Dai took in her surroundings as they walked.
The village sat in a shallow mountain basin—not closed off, but small, maybe thirty households in all.
Small villages had their advantages, though. When they threw a wedding, everyone joined in.
On the way, she asked casually, “And the bride?”
“At home,” Qingshan said. “Our rule is, a few days before the wedding, the couple can’t see each other. I’m always out running errands, so she just stays home and doesn’t go out.”
He gestured as he talked, explaining how his family’s house had two courtyards—front and back—and he hadn’t even stepped into the back one for days to avoid crossing paths with her.
Mu Dai was thinking how to bring up Jenny without sounding suspicious—only for Jenny to show up by herself.
She and Yi Wansan were sitting in Qingshan’s living room when a bright, cheerful voice rang out from outside.
“Two guests from Beijing? Half fellow countrymen then!”
A moment later, she swept in, spotting them instantly.
“I’m Jenny—Cao Jianni,” she said, sitting down right beside Mu Dai like an old friend. “I worked in Beijing for five or six years. You’re from there too? Then we’re practically locals!”
Without pause, she launched into questions. “How old are you, sis? You and Qingshan are friends? How’d you meet?”
She barely waited for answers before chattering on again, jumping from one topic to another—the traffic, the rent, the smog.
Mu Dai stayed polite, careful, watching every expression. Was that smile hiding something sharper?
And then, suddenly, Jenny’s tone shifted.
“You know,” she said, “life is full of risks. You never know what’s coming. One moment you’re out for a walk, and the next… you’re gone. Just like that.”
Mu Dai’s heart tightened, but her face stayed calm. “That’s true.”
Jenny squeezed her hand, her smile all warmth and warning.
“So, you see, dear, you’ve got to prepare early. Always plan ahead.”
She slipped a business card.
Atlantic Life Insurance Co., Beijing Branch
Sales Representative: Y. Cao
Loveguy On CFRFGC Chapter 12