Sweet Nostalgia of the 80s

The man with the scar stopped the ox cart with those human traffickers in front of the boy: ”Hey, kid, have you seen a little girl?”

”No.” The boy said clearly.

”No? That’s strange. There are only a few roads to your village. How come you haven’t seen her?” The man with the scar was doubtful.

”Why would I have seen her?” The boy retorted, ”I just got here too! Our old ox went missing, so I came looking for it! Our big yellow dog went missing, so I came looking for the dog! I’ve got no time to see any little girl.”

”Alright then. Thanks!” The man with the scar thanked him, and drove the ox cart away.

After watching the group leave, and making sure they wouldn’t return, the boy went to check behind the big tree for the little girl.

But the little girl was nowhere to be seen.

”Sigh, this little girl doesn’t trust me.” The boy sighed, ”If she runs around now, she’ll either fall into their hands or into other bad people’s hands. What should I do? I’d better go to the police!”

When the boy finally left, Yan Huan emerged from her hiding place.

She couldn’t trust anyone. This big brother seemed nice. But what if he changed his mind and kept her here?

She had to go back and find the police.

..................

Yan Huan’s tears flowed continuously, her body shaking more and more violently, as she cried like she was falling apart.

Meng Qingmei and Ji Shuanglin were stunned.

”What’s happening to the child?” Meng Qingmei didn’t understand the situation.

”I don’t know. Did our son bully her?” Ji Shuanglin guessed wildly.

”It’s impossible! If our son bullied her, Yan Huan wouldn’t be holding him so tightly, would she?” The old couple couldn’t figure out the situation, while Ji Chuan held Yan Huan without saying a word.

They were really worried!

”Huanhuan, are you okay? Did you remember something?” Ji Chuan gently patted her back, comforting her softly like a child.

Yan Huan nodded continuously: ”Yes, I remembered! I remembered everything!”

”Can you tell me?” Ji Chuan’s voice was low but gentle, trying to coax Yan Huan to speak about the past events, ”No matter what happened, it’s all in the past. Huanhuan, don’t be afraid! I will never leave you in this lifetime, I swear!”

Yan Huan cried for a long time, then lifted her head, her face covered in tears, looking utterly heartbroken: ”Big brother...”

”What?” Ji Chuan was a bit dazed by Yan Huan calling him that.

”Big brother, big brother! Do you still remember?” Yan Huan looked into his eyes, speaking word by word, ”Do you remember? That windy and sandy day, you came across a filthy little girl on the road, so dirty you couldn’t see her features...”

Ji Chuan vaguely remembered something like that: ”That was a long time ago, I vaguely remember something like that... Why... how do you know...”

His words trailed off as he suddenly realized, ”Could you be...?”

”Big brother! Ji Chuan! The person you reported to the police about and got rescued years ago was me! I was that little girl! Filthy all over, like a startled rabbit. You even gave her buns to eat!” Yan Huan said, looking at Ji Chuan.

”You’re... that little girl?!!” Ji Chuan swore, this was the most shocking thing he had ever heard in his life.