amaotonovel Chapter 123 Encountering Human Traffickers Again
Chapter 123 Encountering Human Traffickers Again
After having lunch at the state-owned restaurant, Shi Qingqian did not go home immediately, but went shopping in the department store.
Xu Huaian wears military uniform all year round, and the only other items he owns are two sleeveless vests.
I don't know how long I've worn it, but after washing it, only a thin layer of fiber structure is left in several places.
Shi Qingqian wanted to buy him some new clothes so that he could be more comfortable when he was resting.
When she arrived at the department store and looked around, she found that there were no ready-made clothes for sale there.
At this time, a salesperson came over and asked, "Comrade, what are you looking for? You've been walking around here for several times."
Shi Qingqian replied, "Comrade, I want to buy some clothes for my husband. Why don't you sell ready-made clothes here?"
The salesperson smiled and explained, "Comrade, we don't sell ready-made clothes here, but the fabrics we have are of very good quality. You can buy some and make your own clothes. It's much more cost-effective than buying ready-made clothes."
Shi Qingqian thought about it and decided that this was the only way. She could still make such a simple vest.
"Then bring me four feet of white cotton cloth."
After hearing this, the salesperson turned around and pulled out a piece of white cotton cloth from the shelf. He measured out 4 feet with quick movements and then cut it neatly with scissors.
As she handed the cloth to Shi Qingqian, she said, "Comrade, this white cotton cloth is of excellent quality. It's soft and breathable, and it's perfect for making a vest."
Shi Qingqian took the cloth, stroked it gently, felt the texture of the cotton cloth, nodded and said, "It's really good, comrade, can you get me some more white cotton thread, something stronger, so that it will be more secure when sewing the vest."
The salesperson smiled and replied, "Okay."
After saying that, he walked to the shelf where the cotton thread was placed and took out a ball of white cotton thread. "Comrade, look at this ball of thread. It's white and strong. Many comrades choose this when making clothes."
Shi Qingqian looked at the ball of cotton thread carefully and said with satisfaction, "Okay, this is it."
The salesperson placed the cotton thread on the counter and asked, "Comrade, do you need anything else? Like a sewing needle or something?"
Shi Qingqian thought for a moment and replied, "Oh, yes, I really need sewing needles. Can you bring me a few, and also a thimble? I don't know where I lost my thimble at home."
The salesperson quickly brought over several sewing needles of different sizes and a thimble, and placed them in front of Shi Qingqian. "Comrade, take a look at these and see if they're suitable."
"Okay, they're all suitable."
The salesperson began to count the money, muttering, "4 feet of white cotton cloth is 4 yuan, cotton thread is 1 yuan, and the sewing needle and thimble are 2 yuan together, so the total is 0.1 yuan, plus feet of cloth coupons, thread coupon, and shopping coupons worth yuan."
This is the inconvenience of buying things nowadays. Not only do you need money but you also need tickets, otherwise you can’t buy anything.
Fortunately, Shi Qingqian had already prepared it and handed it to the salesperson.
He took the cloth coupons, thread coupons and shopping vouchers handed to him by Shi Qingqian and carefully checked them one by one.
Her eyes were focused and serious. After checking, a smile appeared on her face. She said, "Comrade, the ticket and money are fine. Now that everything is ready, I'll pack it for you."
The salesperson neatly put the cloth, cotton thread, sewing needle, and thimble together, wrapped it in an old newspaper, and then carefully tied it with a thin string. He handed it to Shi Qingqian, saying, "Comrade, here you go."
Shi Qingqian took the package and said with a smile, "Thank you, comrade."
……
After leaving the department store, I took only two steps when I saw a middle-aged woman slumped on the street.
He slapped the ground with his hands, crying, "Oh my grandson... who the hell stole my grandson... how am I going to live..."
People gradually gathered around, and an old lady came forward, gently patted the woman on the back, and comforted her: "Don't worry, sister, the child may have lost himself while playing. We will help look for him right away."
A young girl nearby also echoed, "Yes, sister. There are so many people around here, the child might be somewhere nearby."
An uncle frowned and said, "Everyone calm down, we have to think of a solution quickly. Sister, where was the last time you saw the child?"
The middle-aged woman cried and said, "It was near the department store. I went in to buy something, and the next moment my child was gone."
At this time, someone in the crowd suggested: "Then let's look around here first. The men can look further away, and the women can look in the nearby shops. Then two people can go to the police station to report the incident."
Everyone responded and started looking around.
The police arrived quickly, and Shi Qingqian saw them begin to inquire about the situation and organize the search in an orderly manner.
At this time, she looked at her watch and suddenly remembered that she still had to go home. The shuttle bus was only 20 minutes away from departure.
She did not stop and quickened her pace towards the station.
However, when she arrived at the station, the familiar bus had already started and left.
The exhaust fumes from the rear of the car seemed to be mocking her for being just a little step late.
Shi Qingqian sighed helplessly and could only walk towards the bus stop.
The bus stop was a bit noisy, with people coming and going, carrying large and small bags.
After waiting for a while, the bus finally arrived.
The moment the car door opened, the crowd rushed towards it like a tide. Shi Qingqian was caught in the crowd and moved forward involuntarily.
She could feel the elbows of people around her bumping into her from time to time, and her ears were filled with all kinds of sounds, including the sound of children crying because of being squeezed, and the voices of adults urging "Stop pushing, stop pushing."
This was the first time Shi Qingqian realized that a bus could be so crowded.
Just as she was being pushed forward by the crowd, she suddenly felt something hugging her legs tightly.
The feeling was very abrupt, much like a child hugging her legs with both hands.
Shi Qingqian was startled and looked down subconsciously, but she only saw a woven bag full of things leaning against her legs.
The woven bag looked bulging, and no one knew what was inside. The mouth of the bag was tightly tied with a rough hemp rope, which had some frayed edges due to friction.
Her eyes moved upwards along the woven bag and she saw an old woman carrying the bag with great effort. The old woman's face was covered with wrinkles, which were as deep as ravines, crisscrossing across her weather-beaten face.
Her eyes were small, and her gaze flickered with an anxious look. Her hair was gray and sparse, a little messy in the wind. A few strands of hair were stuck to her forehead by sweat, and it was obvious that she was struggling to carry it.
Shi Qingqian struggled to squeeze through the crowd and catch up with her, wanting to confirm whether there was anyone in the old woman's bag.
The old woman suddenly exerted her strength, and with an agility that was not consistent with her age, she pushed away the people around her, squeezed out a path through the crowd, and quickly squeezed into the car.