Back in the 70s: The Neglected Heiress Is Reborn

Chapter Four

Zhou Zheng tried to soften his expression, smiling kindly:

“Where do you live? I’ll take you there.”

He had transitioned from the army to the police force, and his stern face had always frightened children into tears. He couldn’t afford to let this little girl cry too.

Shi Ying wasn’t scared at all. She looked up at him and politely said,

“Thank you, Uncle. You can drop me off here. I’ll go back on my own.”

Now that she was certain her real parents might be in Shilipu, she still couldn’t say for sure if they were indeed Shi Guoan.

Zhou Zheng, touched by how brave and polite she was, softened even more.

“Alright then, but don’t wander off. You don’t want to worry your family. I’m at the police station in the county. If you need anything, you can find me there.”

No wonder the old commander cared so much for this girl. Even with his own grandson, the old man was strict, but with Shi Ying, he was as warm as any doting grandfather. It seemed she must be very important to him.

“Okay.” Shi Ying nodded vigorously. She now understood why Wen Lan trusted Zhou Zheng—he was a man of integrity. If she couldn’t find anyone here, she would go straight to the police station to find him.

After watching her enter the village, Zhou Zheng instructed his driver:

“Let’s go back to the station.”

Once he was sure the car was gone, Shi Ying slipped out from a small alley. She looked around, but there was no one in sight.

She took a few more steps forward before spotting an eight or nine-year-old boy running out of a yard, wearing only a pair of shorts.

“Hey, little one...” Shi Ying quickly chased after him.

The boy stopped and, when he saw the girl—who was about his age but ragged and shabby—he couldn’t help but roll his eyes.

“Who are you?”

Little one? How old was she? She looked like a little girl, no different from him.

“I’m looking for Shi Guoan. Do you know where his house is?”

“Shi Guoan?” The boy froze for a moment, then burst into laughter. He turned back and shouted toward the yard, “Shitou, Shitou, come see, a beggar’s looking for that i***t’s dad!”

Shi Ying’s heart leaped—she had guessed right! There really was someone named Shi Guoan in Shilipu.

Then she was confused—"Beggar"? It took her a moment to realize they were talking about her. And what did “that i***t’s dad” mean?

Before she could figure it out, another mischievous boy ran out from the yard, giving her a wink and shouting loudly:

“i***t, hey, i***t, the beggar’s looking for your dad!”

Shi Ying vaguely realized that “i***t” was probably related to Shi Guoan, so she started following them, running all the way to the old willow tree at the southern end of the village. There, the two boys finally stopped.

Breathing heavily, Shi Ying caught up and saw a boy who looked about the same age as Wen Lan. He was skinny, almost like a skeleton.

The boy sat dumbfounded in the sunlight, his head down, so she couldn’t see his face clearly—only the sharp lines of his chin, which suggested he had delicate features.

It was noon, and the June sun was mercilessly scorching. Sweat covered the boy’s forehead, and his neck had obvious sunburn marks.

The exposed neck, now turning red under the sun’s heat, looked as if it had been painted with a layer of crimson. Just looking at it made Shi Ying feel the pain.

Without thinking, she took a step forward—

There was something familiar about this profile.

Just as she tried to recall where she had seen him, someone grabbed her by the collar, and in the next moment, a force from behind pushed her forward. The boy, Shitou, yelled mockingly:

“Hey, i***t, this beggar’s looking for your dad!”

Shi Ying stumbled and fell right onto the boy, the one they called “idiot.”

The two mischievous boys had clearly anticipated this. As they clapped their hands and jumped around, they mocked:

“i***t, hit her, hit her!”

Shi Ying panicked, instinctively about to apologize, but before she could even utter the word “sorry,” her wrist was tightly grabbed.

It was the boy they called “i***t,” who, somehow, had opened his eyes. His gaze was fixed on the little sakura-shaped birthmark on Shi Ying's wrist.

Shi Ying struggled, her wrist throbbing with pain as she lay awkwardly in the boy’s arms. She could feel the tears threatening to spill, but she still tried to apologize, pulling her wrist away:

“Sorry, I didn’t mean it. Please let go... it hurts…”

Yet, despite the boy being so thin that his bones stuck out, his strength was surprising. No matter what Shi Ying said, it was as though he couldn’t hear her—his eyes never strayed from the little sakura blossom on her wrist.

The two boys seemed stunned—

The boy usually didn’t react like this. If they threw things at him, he either remained still, letting them hit him, or he screamed. Why was he acting differently today?

“Hey, what’s up with him?” Shitou poked the other boy.

The boy paused, then, after a long moment, grinned:

“Must be missing his wife, huh? How shameless...”

With that, he ran over to pick up a caterpillar and threw it at the boy.

Shi Ying gasped, but before she could stop him, the boy suddenly moved. He bent his body, protecting Shi Ying and pulling her tightly into his arms.

“Eh? The i***t didn’t yell today!”

“He’s hugging a little girl! Really missing his wife!”

“He’s so shameless, hit him!”

They threw the caterpillar, but when they couldn’t find it, they started throwing rocks. More children, about the same age, came over, attracted by the commotion, and joined in the fun of throwing things at the boy.

At this point, Shi Ying was thoroughly angered:

“What are you doing?”

She wanted to get up and chase the mischievous children away, but the boy clutched her even tighter, even pushing her head down onto his chest, preventing her from looking up.

Her face was pressed against his sweaty chest, and her hearing became more acute. She could hear every “plop” as dirt and rocks, even a caterpillar, fell onto the boy’s body, while a caterpillar crawled up his bare foot.

Shi Ying froze, horrified. But the boy seemed utterly oblivious to it all. He only tightened his hold on her, ignoring the dirt and insects.

Just as Shi Ying was on the verge of tears, a panicked voice called out:

“What are you doing? Little brother…”

Seeing someone approaching, the children scattered.

The girl ran up quickly and, upon seeing the boy crouching down and Shi Ying hugging him tightly, her eyes turned red with worry. She rushed over:

“Little brother, did you hurt yourself? Where’s Xiao Jie? Where did she go?”

As she spoke, a pair of little girls, about eight or nine years old, holding the hands of two younger girls, appeared.

Clearly, Xiao Jie was among them.

“Big sister...”

“I told you to watch your brother! Where did you go?” The girl was furious and on the verge of tears. She had only gone to the fields to bring water, and now this?

She pointed at Shi Ying, still clinging to the boy. “And who is she?”

“I... I don’t know.” Xiao Jie rubbed her eyes, sniffling as she spoke, “When I left, my brother was sitting there alone. I didn’t know who she was...”

Seeing Xiao Jie cry, the two little girls behind her started crying too.

The boy finally loosened his grip on Shi Ying’s wrist, but still didn’t let go.

Shi Ying slowly lifted her head and saw the boy covered in dirt, his arms marked with red bruises from the rocks. She felt both embarrassed and sorry:

“I... I’m Shi Ying. I’m looking for... Shi Guoan... Ah!”

Just as she spoke, a caterpillar crawled out from under the boy's shirt.

The girl noticed it too. In her panic, she forgot that Shi Ying’s name seemed familiar. She rushed forward to help flick it away:

“Little brother, don’t move, let me help you get rid of the caterpillar...”

The yellowish caterpillar with its many legs was crawling up his neck, and the sensation was unbearable.

Before she could help, the boy suddenly jerked backward, avoiding the girl’s hand.

Shi Ying had once experienced this itch when a caterpillar fell on her neck, and she knew how unpleasant it could be. Despite her fear of insects, she still reached up, her hand shaking:

“Brother, don’t move, let me take it off...”

“Don’t touch him!” The girl yelled in surprise, quickly stepping back.

Although she was shocked that her brother was hugging another girl, she still understood—if her brother wanted to hug someone, that was one thing. But for someone else to touch him was another matter entirely.

However, the girl’s hesitation was too slow. By the time she spoke, Shi Ying had already touched the boy’s neck. Miraculously, the boy didn’t react. He remained silent while Shi Ying removed the caterpillar from his neck and tossed it aside.

The girl’s mouth dropped open in shock as she stared at Shi Ying.

“Y... you...”

“I’m looking for Shi Guoan. Do you know him?” Shi Ying asked again, trying to free herself from the boy's embrace. But she was too small, and unless the boy was willing, she couldn’t get away.

The boy wasn’t letting go.

“That’s my uncle. Who are you, and why are you looking for him?” the girl asked, eyeing Shi Ying suspiciously.

“I’m Shi Ying. I’m looking for him...”

“Shi Ying?” The girl’s face went pale with realization.

Shi Ying? Shi Ying!

Her little sister, who had died, was also named Shi Ying!

“What did you say your name was?” the girl stammered, her eyes glued to Shi Ying’s face. Then she lowered her gaze and looked at Shi Ying’s wrist.

She noticed that the boy was still holding onto Shi Ying’s wrist, and she could vaguely see a pink blossom-like birthmark under his fingers.

The girl’s eyes widened in terror. Without another word, she spun around and sprinted toward the fields:

“Uncle! Uncle! My sister... my sister’s ghost is back!”