SFS Chapter 158 Good and evil will ultimately be rewarded, a touch of sadness at parting.
Chapter 158 Good and evil will ultimately be rewarded, a touch of sadness at parting.
Shen Yu, accompanied by Jiang Xinlan, met the Zhang family at the village entrance.
Upon seeing Shen Yu, Zhang Nan's father knelt down with a thud, tears streaming down his face.
"Mr. Shen! Thank you! Thank you so much! If it weren't for you, our Nannan would be buried in that cold underground forever, never able to come home! We, the old couple, wouldn't be able to close our eyes in peace even in death!"
Shen Yu quickly helped him up: "Old man, get up, it's what I should do."
"Mr. Shen," Zhang Mei said, her eyes red, as she took out her silver bracelet and placed it next to Zhang Nan's. The two bracelets were identical, and together they formed a complete plum blossom.
"Look, these are my and my sister's bracelets. My mother said that my sister and I are like these two plum blossoms, forever together."
She paused, then choked back tears as she said:
"Mr. Shen, we know that Nan Nan's spirit is still here. She misses home the most. Please, could you let us see her one last time? We want to talk to her, we want to take her home."
Looking at their expectant yet pained eyes, Shen Yu nodded: "Okay. I'll help you."
That afternoon, Shen Yu led the Zhang family to the old locust tree.
By this time, the Wang family had been arrested by the police, and the yard was empty except for the old, crooked locust tree swaying in the wind.
The soil on the ground had not yet been filled in, leaving a deep pit.
Shen Yu told the Zhang family to stand in line, and then had Jiang Xinlan wait at a distance with Niannian and Guigui.
He gathered a wisp of gentle spiritual energy at his fingertips, gently pointed it towards the air, and silently chanted a mantra for salvation.
As the spiritual energy spread, the surrounding air gradually softened. A gentle white figure slowly appeared beneath the old locust tree.
It was Zhang Nan.
She wore a clean white dress, her hair neatly combed back, and her face was free of the previous scars and resentment, only peace and longing remained.
"Nan Nan!" Zhang Nan's mother cried out and rushed over, trying to hug her, but her hand passed right through Zhang Nan's body.
"Mom..." Zhang Nan looked at her mother, tears streaming down her face, "I'm sorry... I made you worry... I miss you so much..."
"Nannan!" Zhang Mei cried, "We've been looking for you for so long... We've been looking for you every day... We've finally found you... Come home with us..."
Zhang Nan looked at her eldest sister, then at Daya standing to the side, her eyes filled with reluctance.
Because when Zhang Nan died, Daya was only two years old, she didn't remember anything or what Zhang Nan looked like, but she felt inexplicably close to her.
Daya walked to Zhang Nan's side, stretched out her little hand, and whispered, "Mom? I think I've seen you before..."
Zhang Nan squatted down and gently stroked Daya's head. Although her hand reached through Daya's head, Daya laughed and reached out to catch the light spots dancing in the air.
"Mommy is leaving," Zhang Nan said gently, looking at Daya. "From now on, listen to your grandparents and aunt, study hard, and grow up well. Mommy will be watching over you from heaven."
Zhang Nan bowed deeply to Shen Yu:
"Mr. Shen, thank you. Thank you for clearing my name, thank you for saving so many people like me, thank you for taking care of my daughter. I have nothing to repay you with, I can only wish you and your family a lifetime of peace and happiness."
"You're welcome," Shen Yu said. "Go in peace. Your family will take good care of Daya. She will be very happy from now on."
Zhang Nan nodded, took one last look at Daya and her family, and then transformed into starlight, slowly dissipating in the wind.
The sunlight shone on those sparkling spots, making them glitter as if she were smiling.
A pure yet gentle power of merit flowed into Shen Yu's body from the darkness.
This force comes from Zhang Nan, whose injustice has been redressed; from the more than 30 women and children who were rescued; and from the heartfelt gratitude of the Zhang family.
It also comes from countless ordinary people who were moved by this case and began to pay attention to the fight against human trafficking.
After Zhang Nan's remains were cremated, her family took her ashes and Da Ya back to Suzhou.
They renamed Daya as Zhang Niannan, meaning they would always remember Zhang Nan.
The Zhang family treated Zhang Niannan as their own daughter. Her maternal grandparents gave her all their love, and Zhang Mei also took care of her as her own daughter.
Later, Zhang Niannan achieved excellent academic results and would visit Shen Yu and Jiang Xinlan every summer vacation.
Of course that's all for later.
Afterwards, the program team auctioned off all the tea leaves produced that day online for charity, and they were eventually sold to a philanthropic entrepreneur for 28 yuan.
All the donations were given to the National Anti-Trafficking Charity Fund to help trafficked women and children return home.
That night, Jiang Xinlan leaned against Shen Yu's chest, looked at the moon in the sky, and whispered, "It's a good thing you're here, otherwise Zhang Nan would never be able to go home, and Nian Nan would have been ruined by that family."
Shen Yu hugged her and kissed her forehead: "Good and evil will be rewarded in the end."
He looked out the window at the pitch-black night, his eyes gentle yet resolute.
No matter what darkness the future holds, no matter how much evil lurks in the corners.
He will use his own strength to protect the people around him and safeguard this hard-won happiness.
*
In the early morning, Wuling Mountain carries a faint fragrance of grass and trees. Sunlight filters through the gaps in the leaves, casting dappled light and shadow on the bluestone path.
Today is the last day of recording "Mountain Dwelling Years".
The production team didn't assign any tasks, only saying that everyone was free to do as they pleased, pack their bags, and have a bonfire party together that evening as a final farewell.
A faint sadness of parting permeated the entire mountain dwelling.
Su Wanqing and Wen Ran squatted in the yard, watching the three children, Niannian, Guigui, and Duoduo, chase after a butterfly, their eyes red.
"Time flies," Wen Ran sighed softly. "It feels like I just arrived yesterday, and now I have to leave."
"Yes," Su Wanqing nodded, looking at Shen Yu picking wild fruits for Jiang Xinlan not far away.
"So much has happened in the past two weeks, it feels like a dream. I used to think that life in the entertainment industry was the most exciting, but now I realize that these quiet days are the most precious."
She recalled how, when she first arrived, she had argued with Jiang Xinlan about the courtyard and even thought Shen Yu was a gigolo. Looking back now, it was both laughable and fortunate.
I'm glad I apologized in time, glad I didn't really offend Shen Yu, and even more glad I had the opportunity to meet such a group of people and experience such an unforgettable time.
Chen Guodong and Bai Hui were packing up their belongings, sorting out unused bedding and daily necessities to leave for the elderly in the village.
"These things are useless to us if we take them back; let's leave them for the villagers," Chen Guodong said while folding the quilt.
"And Duoduo's toys and books will also be kept so that the children in the village can play with them."
"Yes," Bai Hui nodded, "When I get back, I'll send another batch of clothes and school supplies. The children here are so pitiful."
They looked at Duoduo, who was picking up stones with Guigui, and smiled gently.