They finally arrived.
Jing University, Chinese Department.
At nine in the morning, Qiao Jiuru was seriously lecturing her students on the podium. As she lectured… she suddenly heard a lot of chaotic and noisy footsteps and voices from the hallway.
Even though Qiao Jiuru was mentally prepared, her heart couldn’t help but pound violently. After all, whether in her previous life or this one, March 25, 1972, was a date imprinted on her soul.
“Is it her?”
“It’s her.”
“She’s Su Huaiyuan’s wife.”
“Qiao Jiuru from Jing University’s Chinese Department, she’s the one we’re looking for.”
“Yes, she’s the one we’re looking for.”
“The person is correct.”
“Good, let’s go, grab her.”
“Take her away.”
...
More than a dozen people surged in from outside, pointing at Qiao Jiuru and loudly identifying her. Then, several people rushed forward and tightly grabbed her arms.
Qiao Jiuru didn’t resist like she did in her previous life, because it was useless and would only hurt herself. So, she deliberately acted as if she was scared silly, and then, with a look of terror and unease, she was taken away by those people.
These people took Qiao Jiuru directly to the family quarters, heading towards the small courtyard allocated to the Su family.
The same thing also happened to Su Huaiyuan, Su Ze, and Zhou Wanwan; all three of them were frightened.
Soon after Qiao Jiuru was brought home, Zhou Wanwan was also pushed and dragged back to the Su family by several people.
Qiao Jiuru cowered in the corner, watching those people search every part of her home.
“There are two watches here.”
“Where?! Let me see. This watch is a Montblanc, a famous brand, it’s very valuable.”
“What about this one?! It shouldn’t be cheap either.”
“Think about it, the Su family is a super-rich household, why would they wear cheap watches?! There’s also so much money and tickets here.”
“I found several jade bracelets and gold bracelets, and several other pieces of jewelry.”
“There can’t be many good things here; they must have hidden the good stuff elsewhere.”
“No matter where they hide it, we have ways to make them spit it out.”
“I heard the Su family also has two children?! Unless they don’t want those two children, otherwise, it’s best to be sensible.”
“...”
Zhou Wanwan, looking terrified and scared, happened to hear this sentence as she was pushed in by those people. Her face instantly turned even paler, and she almost collapsed to the ground.
Qiao Jiuru immediately, with quick eyes and hands, pulled her daughter-in-law into the corner and held her tightly.
The two women were like fallen leaves in the autumn wind, their faces filled with terror and unease, their hair disheveled, cowering in the corner...
The Su family home wasn’t large, just three rooms, a living room, a kitchen, and a washroom, and then a small courtyard.
At this very moment, with such a big incident happening at the Su family home, and Qiao Jiuru and Zhou Wanwan being pushed and dragged home by those people to search for things, not a single person appeared outside.
The people at home in the family quarters weren’t unaware of the commotion, nor did they fail to come out to check. It was just that when they realized who those people were, they immediately shut their doors and went inside, fearing they would also be caught.
“This room only has this much stuff. It must have been hidden by these stinking capitalists.”
“Search again, it must be hidden.”
“Dismantle the bed, and dismantle the wardrobe and desk too.”
“See if there are any secret compartments in the floor or walls.”
“Search...”
Before long, quilts, clothes, and bedding were all thrown outside into the living room. Then came a flurry of rummaging through boxes and cabinets, dismantling beds, splitting wardrobes, pulling out drawers and desks...
About three or four hours later, the entire Su family home was dismantled; even the roof beams and roof were not spared.
When those people could find nothing more to search and nothing more to overturn, and their stomachs were growling with hunger, nearly twenty people came in a flurry and left in a flurry, carrying things in their hands.
Immediately, the entire Su family home looked like a garbage dump, with only broken bowls and chopsticks on the floor, clothes deliberately stepped on and torn, and a shattered bed, wardrobe, and desk, with books scattered all over the floor...
“Mom...”
The fear and terror that Zhou Wanwan had been suppressing finally surged out completely after all those people left. She broke down, hugging Qiao Jiuru, trembling all over and crying.
Even when she cried, she didn't dare to be loud.
Qiao Jiuru’s expression of terror and fear only faded after those people left. She held her daughter-in-law expressionlessly, gently patting her back to comfort her.
It was no different from her previous life; Su Huaiyuan and his son Su Ze were both taken away. The purpose was self-evident: they wanted all the gold, silver, and treasures of the Su family and the Qiao family.
Fortunately, this time, she and her husband already had a strategy to deal with it and wouldn’t suffer as much as in their previous life. That kind of powerlessness and helplessness, fear and terror, confusion and dread—their family would never experience it again in this lifetime.
Moreover, what these people took today, they would have to spit out all of it tomorrow.
Today, everything the Su family endured would be what those people endured tomorrow. She wouldn't let a single one of those people off in this lifetime.
After a good while, Zhou Wanwan gradually calmed down. After crying, she felt weak all over, and her stomach was growling with hunger.
“I’ll go see if there’s anything left to eat.”
The house was a mess, including the kitchen. Qiao Jiuru didn’t know if there was anything left in the kitchen. She let go of her daughter-in-law’s hand, stretched her numb feet, and said softly.
When she stumbled into the kitchen, besides the broken pot on the floor, the overturned stove, and the shattered water bucket, there was no food, not even a potato or sweet potato, and water was spilled all over the floor.
Like locusts passing through, nothing was left behind.
“Teacher Qiao, Teacher Qiao.”
Just as she was thinking this with a mocking tone, a deliberately lowered voice came from outside the courtyard. Then, something was thrown into the courtyard.
Qiao Jiuru quickly went out, but from a distance, she only saw the person’s back. Looking at the package that person had thrown on the ground, she slowly walked over, picked it up, and held it in her arms before turning to go back inside.
Just like in her previous life, the same person, at the same time, delivered the same things.
“Eat, Lu Dajie gave this.”
Qiao Jiuru opened the package, took out a mixed-grain bun, and handed it to her daughter-in-law. She herself picked up a sweet potato and began to eat.
Lu Dajie brought a total of six mixed-grain buns and six sweet potatoes. Although her family’s conditions were decent, things were hard to buy with money in those days, and with so many people to feed, it was enough for a full meal.
Moreover, Lu Dajie didn’t dare to risk bringing them good things; even this much, her family probably wasn't too willing.
“Mom, you eat too.”
“Luckily, Dabao and Xiaobao aren’t home, otherwise they would have been scared by those people.”
After eating a bun, Zhou Wanwan finally had some strength, and her mind slowly returned to normal. At this point, she couldn’t help but feel relieved when she thought of her two sons.
“Xiao Wan, don’t be afraid. As long as we give them what they want, those people shouldn’t make things difficult for us.”
Qiao Jiuru gently comforted her daughter-in-law, estimating that her eldest son, Su Ze, would definitely be released by those people tonight, while her husband would have to wait until tomorrow morning or noon.
The Zhou family had also gone through the same thing, so Zhou Wanwan knew what was going on. Hearing her mother-in-law say this, she didn’t know what to say.
However, it was good that her parents-in-law, these two pillars, were there in front of them. And with her husband by her side, Zhou Wanwan wasn’t as lost and afraid.