Both phones had died, and being illiterate, they didn't know where to get a room. The two of them could only squat by the street and endure the cold wind all night.
Unable to find anyone and not knowing the way, they hesitated whether to take a bus back to their hometown.
However, thinking of the scornful look they might receive from the security guard, Father Zhao adamantly refused to go back.
This time, he was determined to come to the city to enjoy a good life. Father Zhao’s resentment towards Zhao Zhengyu surged, seeing him as an ungrateful wretch.
Zhao Zhengyu, whose kidney had been removed, was in agony on his bed, too preoccupied to care about his turned-off phone.
Father and Mother Zhao, being older and having weaker immune systems, caught a fever and cold after enduring the night wind. Their runny noses flowed incessantly, and the tissues were clearly insufficient, forcing them to use their sleeves.
In the morning, a few small eateries opened. After much deliberation, they chose the one that looked the cheapest. They went in, ordered two bowls of plain noodles, and started charging their phones by the outlet.
After finishing their noodles, they lingered to charge, but still couldn't get through. Seeing the curious glances from everyone, they felt extremely embarrassed and quickly left the shop.
Jun Jiuli, disguised, took all the remaining money from their phones and led them far away from the station.
The two individuals, both over fifty, hugged each other and wept on the street. When some young people approached to ask if they needed help calling the police, the shock of it made them stifle their tears.
In their understanding, only those who had done wrong had to go to the police station. The two quickly distanced themselves from the youngsters.
They couldn't recall Zhao Zhengyu's or Jun Jiuli's phone numbers, and no one offered them a phone to use. Thus, they embarked on a life of vagrancy, shamelessly begging for food from shops during the day.
The shopkeepers, seeing them capable and their clothes not tattered, stopped helping after a few times. At night, they slept under bridges, shivering from the cold.
Their clothes became threadbare, and they had nothing to change into. Their colds never healed, and they coughed incessantly, causing passersby to keep their distance, fearing contagion.
Jun Jiuli instructed the little puppet to keep watch, denying them any opportunity to escape their predicament. Within a few days, the couple couldn't take it anymore and began to blame and fight each other.
After a month of this, two mad dogs broke into the bridge underpass where they were sleeping. The dogs clearly looked starved, rummaging through the trash piles.
Soon, two pairs of green eyes fixed on the sleeping Father and Mother Zhao. The mad dogs lunged, biting and tearing at them relentlessly.
Awakening, the couple pushed each other, unable to escape in time. Several pieces of flesh were torn from their bodies by the mad dogs, and their eyes were scratched blind.
They stumbled and ran outwards, the mad dogs still attached to them, impossible to shake off.
The little puppet intervened and killed the two mad dogs. It then gave Father and Mother Zhao two sets of ordinary clothes and the bus fare back to their village.
Under the subtle guidance of the little puppet, the couple supported each other and returned to their hometown. The security guard, seeing their wretched state, sighed at the unpredictability of life and the importance of seizing the moment.
After becoming disabled, they spent all their family savings on medical treatment, and half of their crops had to be left fallow. With the help of relatives, they had enough food to live, but their remaining lives were very difficult.
Relatives also tried to help them contact Zhao Zhengyu and Jun Jiuli, but every call was met with a disconnected number. Over time, everyone gave up and advised the couple to let go.
When Zhao Zhengyu and Wu Chuanbai woke up, they wished they could cut Jun Jiuli into a thousand pieces. They took 2000 yuan and immediately called the police.
The police, upon hearing their account, were greatly shocked and immediately contacted Jun Jiuli, requesting her cooperation in the investigation.
Jun Jiuli, not daring to flee, obediently went to the police station. She fully cooperated, allowing the officers to take her fingerprints.
Zhao Zhengyu: "Officer, Officer, quickly arrest this demon! She's actually connected to that organization and sold both of our kidneys."
Wu Chuanbai: "Comrade police, we weren't willing. We are victims. Please, you must help us find our kidneys."
Their words were earnest, their eyes bloodshot. They recounted the events with snot and tears streaming down their faces.
"Ms. Zhao, what exactly is going on? Is there anything you need to add?"
Before Jun Jiuli could speak, tears welled up. She perfectly mastered the art of appearing pitiful.
"Comrade police, I am wronged! How could a weak woman like me tie up two grown men? Besides, I've never even heard of any such organization."
"Are you saying that the two of them colluded to frame you?"
"Of course. I don't fear bringing shame upon my family. You two shameless wretches dare to slander me like this. I'll risk it all today."
"You shut your mouth! Don't say anything." Wu Chuanbai glared fiercely at Jun Jiuli, reminding her that she had accepted hush money.
Jun Jiuli feigned terror, her mouth opening and closing but emitting no sound.
"This is a police station, not a place for you to throw your weight around."
"Comrade police, I haven't, you're wronging me."
The person made a stopping gesture. "Ms. Zhao, tell us what you know."
"This is my brother, and the one over there is my ex-husband. The two of them... the two of them... are..."
"Are what?"
"Lovers."
The police officers in the room were stunned by this statement, looking at Jun Jiuli with great sympathy.
"I was their scapegoat. I found out this truth a while ago and proposed divorce. I had promised them I wouldn't reveal it. Why are they still unwilling to let me go? Wuwuwu~"
The police couldn't help but offer her a tissue and looked at Zhao and Wu with condemnation. These two men were truly despicable. If they were so in love, they should have bravely faced society.
To use a woman as a scapegoat was bad enough, but the other man was even worse. He would scheme against his own sister and now even dragged her to the police station.
"Comrade police, you must believe us. It was really her who harmed us. No matter how much I dislike her, I wouldn't joke about my own body."
"Don't worry, the police will handle this impartially and will not condone any guilty person."
"Ms. Zhao, where were you on the night of June 12th? Does anyone have an alibi for you?"
"I stayed in my rented apartment all day. I've recently been betrayed by both family and love, so I was in a bad mood and stayed home. However, I have surveillance cameras installed in my home, which can prove my innocence."
"Alright, then can you conveniently show them to us?"
"Certainly."
After a thorough investigation, Jun Jiuli had a perfect alibi. The evidence they brought also had no trace of Jun Jiuli's fingerprints. Zhao and Wu were dumbfounded.
"It's fake, all of it is fake! Comrade police, please investigate further. This video must be fabricated, she definitely faked it. That night, I heard clearly, we really heard her voice."