In some places, “adopted daughter” was simply a more palatable term for a child bride. In areas where families were too poor to arrange proper marriages, they would buy young girls early on – they could help with housework and eventually marry the family’s son, extracting every bit of value from the arrangement.

Dian Province.

This region, governed by tribal chiefs during the Ming and Qing dynasties, though liberated in 1949, experienced poverty that surpassed other provinces. Compared to Dian Province, even Ji Bei Province seemed economically developed.

Xia Xiaolan was comparing the situation to 1988, but looking back over 20 years, one could only imagine the depth of poverty in Dian Province. The area was home to many ethnic minorities, each with their language. With Mandarin not widely spoken, Tang Youru’s attempt to escape 29 years ago after being sold there was nearly impossible!

Even if Xia Xiaolan herself were to be reborn at age seven and face the same situation, escape from Dian Province’s mountains would be unlikely. Intelligence alone wouldn’t help – her feet couldn’t carry her out, and eloquence would be useless if the locals couldn’t understand Mandarin!

The investigation’s swift progress from Beijing to Ji Bei Province and then to Dian Province showed Tang Hongen’s determination. With Tang Hongen’s connection to the Zhou family through marriage, and especially after Elder Zhou became involved, their combined efforts led to efficient progress.

Zhou Cheng spent his entire honeymoon leave on this matter.

The traffickers never asked their “cargo’s” names, and they had sold many young girls, unsure themselves which one was Tang Youru.

Xia Xiaolan and Zhou Cheng visited seven or eight women who could have been Tang Youru, each visit beginning with hope and ending in disappointment.

The search process was far from pleasant.

The seven or eight trafficked women were around Tang Youru’s age, the oldest being only 40. Each had borne children and formed inseparable bonds with their buying families… While they agreed to family reunions, they refused to let their current “family members” be taken to the police station!

Despite enduring hardships, despite being purchased, and despite suffering abuse from their husbands, they had accepted their fate.

This was the most terrifying part.

While some younger women still thought of escaping, those trafficked as children had essentially been brainwashed.

Xia Xiaolan found it unbearable, yet felt powerless to change the situation.

She tried to help one particularly pitiful woman, offering to take her away after learning about her ongoing domestic abuse. Such an offer was only possible with police presence; otherwise, Xia Xiaolan and Zhou Cheng wouldn’t have made it out of the village.

The more backward and impoverished the area, the more united they were in these matters. If one purchased “wife” escaped, others might follow, leaving many village men unmarried. Conversely, where one instance of wife-buying occurred, it was never an isolated case.

Take the woman Xia Xiaolan tried to help – she suffered constant abuse for bearing three daughters instead of sons to continue the family line.

When Xia Xiaolan asked if she wanted to leave, the woman couldn’t bear to abandon her daughters.

Xia Xiaolan patiently explained they could take the daughters out of the mountains too – the older ones could learn skills for work, and the younger ones could attend school. She even promised temporary financial support until they could live independently.

The woman’s response nearly infuriated Xia Xiaolan.

“She asked if I could arrange a job for that man!”

Even after leaving that forsaken place, Xia Xiaolan remained agitated.

Zhou Cheng knew his wife was near her breaking point, possibly due to not finding Tang Youru and encountering so many trafficked women who frustrated her with their resignation… In this state, even Zhou Cheng knew better than to provoke her!

“While searching for Uncle Tang’s sister, we’ve also caught many traffickers. For those trafficked women, you’ve done your best to help them, and even for those unwilling to leave, we’ve had the police help trace their families.”

They couldn’t help everyone alone, but addressing what they encountered at least satisfied their conscience.

Xia Xiaolan understood these issues couldn’t be solved by two people or overnight. She thought of the “Young Eagle” project, hoping its pilot program would show results soon – even small changes would be welcome!

“I’ve been rather short-tempered these days. Sorry for putting you through this.”

Zhou Cheng gestured toward the window, “Try to stay calm. We could think of this trip as our honeymoon.”

Dian Province’s natural scenery was indeed beautiful.

Zhou Cheng’s ability to find joy in hardship helped ease Xia Xiaolan’s heavy heart somewhat.

“This is our last location. If we don’t find her here, we’ve temporarily hit a dead end.”

“Don’t worry, after covering so much ground, we’re bound to find something.”

The village required crossing mountains to reach.

Xia Xiaolan’s feet were blistered from walking. About a dozen armed police officers accompanied them into the village, providing security.

Reportedly, someone resembling Tang Youru had been sold here as an “adopted daughter.”

Without even a photograph of Tang Youru – taking pictures was a luxury before 1959 – Xia Xiaolan and Zhou Cheng could only verify in person.

As siblings, they should share some physical similarities, right?

Moreover, Tang Youru was seven when sold, likely still remembering her name and family details.

Tang Hongen had abandoned his work in Peng Cheng, waiting for Xia Xiaolan and Zhou Cheng to meet the woman before being notified to come.

Finally reaching the village, they met the woman.

Unlike Xia Xiaolan’s expectations of someone dark and thin, the woman they sought appeared quite well-off! Though the village was poor, this family was relatively prosperous, and the woman seemed genuinely happy in her simple way.

Could this be Tang Youru?

Xia Xiaolan studied the woman, tentatively calling her “Aunt” and mentioning names like “Tang Youru” and “Tang Hongen,” but the woman showed no recognition.

Xia Xiaolan’s heart sank.

Could this be Tang Youru?

“Zhou Cheng, do you think she looks similar?”

Xia Xiaolan was too nervous to judge.

Zhou Cheng shook his head, “I can’t be certain either.”

Tang Youru had no distinguishing birthmarks; Tang Hongen’s clearest memory was his sister’s dimples. Xia Xiaolan desperately searched for dimples on the woman’s face… but they just looked like nasolabial folds.

As Zhou Cheng considered DNA testing as a definitive method, the woman, understanding their purpose, anxiously spoke a string of local dialects.

“She says she’s not who we’re looking for. She came through a matchmaker in an exchange marriage from Shu Province. You’ve got the wrong person… Wait, she says a child bride from the village escaped years ago – that might be who you’re looking for!”

What a twist!

Xia Xiaolan contained her excitement, “Is there any specific information about that woman?”