Chapter 1

The winter in Kashiwa City is particularly cold.

The snow that fell soon froze solid, covering every corner, like a layer of cotton candy covering the whole city.

In the farmers market on the pedestrian street, Ji You stretched out her little hand and tugged at her mothers sleeve, blinking her big eyes and saying softly: "I want to eat candied haws."

After that, she swallowed her saliva with anticipation.

Liu Xiang smiled and touched her little head wrapped in a woolen hat, took out two yuan coins from her bag and stuffed them into her palm: "Go buy it, come back soon."

Ji Yous eyes curved with excitement, and her black pupils seemed to be able to drip water.

She held the money tightly, turned around and ran happily towards the cart at the entrance of the market.

Two yuan can buy the most delicious chocolate flavor inserted on the top of a hay stick.

The sour hawthorn is wrapped in sweet sugar, rolled in hot chocolate, and sprinkled with white sesame seeds. Its so tempting.

But her mother was worried that it would be bad for her teeth, so she rarely bought it for her.

Liu Xiang worriedly shouted at her back: "Be polite and pay attention to safety!"

Ji You turned her back to her mother and raised her little hand, saying happily: "I know!"

The aunt selling vegetables weighed the weight, put it in a plastic bag and handed it to Liu Xiang, smiling: "This child is so beautiful, just like you."

Liu Xiang lowered her head and smiled embarrassedly, gently tucked her long hair around her ears, and said modestly: "She is just noisy and cant stay still."

The aunt smiled: "Children are all like this. Girls know how to love people when they grow up."

Ji You, who ran away, quickly got out of the vegetable and fruit area and was approaching the market gate.

She blew out white mist from her mouth, which hit her face warmly and wetly.

It seemed that she couldnt spit out beautiful smoke rings like her father when he smoked, in groups, like white clouds.

She looked around. There were four gates in the market. She couldnt remember where she came from.

Ji You panted lightly and looked around with her head raised.

Even though it was snowing heavily, there were still many people buying vegetables. They were crowded and mixed with bargaining sounds.

She rubbed her red nose and walked in one direction hesitantly.

At most, she could try one door at a time and find it.

When she came to a big iron gate, the snowflakes outside were blown all over the sky by the wind, stuck to the ground, quickly gathered into a ball, and were stepped on.

There was no familiar cart, and Ji You felt a little lost.

Just when she was about to turn around, there was a bicycle moving forward with difficulty against the wind and snow outside the door.

It was a very old-fashioned car with a thin and long beam in front, thin and large wheels, and a high seat. Only adults could ride it.

There was a familiar hay stick on the back seat of the bicycle, and the hay was tightly wrapped with hemp rope. It was often used to stick candied haws.

Ji You licked his cold lips and trotted over in the strong wind.

"Uncle! Uncle! Do you have any more candied haws for sale?"

The man pushing the cart looked at him sideways, lowered his head, and stared at Ji You in silence for a moment.

His whole face was covered in a thick scarf, revealing only a pair of extremely tired eyes, which were turbid and dull, and there was a burn at the corner of his eyes that looked a little scary.

He asked in a hoarse and low voice: "What did you say?"

The wind and snow were howling wildly, blowing the mans voice very hollow.

Ji You carefully stretched out her soft fingers and pointed to the hay stick on the back of the bicycle: "Uncle, I want a chocolate-flavored candied haws, I have two yuan."

She spread her palm, revealing a shiny silver coin.

The mans pupils shrank, and he looked at Ji You carefully, his eyes suddenly became sinister.

He looked around with a guilty conscience.

The pedestrians outside the vegetable market lowered their heads to avoid the wind, wishing they could curl themselves up.

The heavy snow was raging, covering the eyes with a layer of hazy white, and no matter how loud the movement was, it was covered by the snow.

The man tightened his grip on the handlebars, and the rough and cracked marks on the back of his hand seemed to be more serious.

He freed one hand, bent down to grab the money in Ji Yous hand, put it neatly into his pocket, and pulled up his scarf to cover his face as much as possible, and said vaguely: "Come with me, there are more in the car."

Ji You frowned and hesitated: "Where is the car?"

The man waved his finger and said perfunctorily: "Not far, its over there."

After that, he coughed heavily.

Ji You remembered her mother had said not to walk around with strangers, but her money was taken away, and she couldnt bear it.

Ji You clenched her fingers tightly and said reluctantly: "Then can you hurry up?"

The man pushed the cart with his head down, quickly walked away from the market, and said impatiently: "Nengneng, you can keep up."

Ji You trotted behind him, silently comforting herself in her heart that it was okay, her parents were both police officers, they were particularly powerful heroes, and the bad guys would be afraid and dare not do anything to her.

A series of deep and shallow footprints were left in the snow, and she felt colder and hurriedly put her fingers to her mouth and blew on them to warm them.

Looking back, she was getting farther and farther away from the market, and the noise gradually calmed down.

There were few people here, and even fewer footprints left on the snow.

Ji You followed the man, stepped on his big footprints, and staggered forward.

Not far away was the iron fence separating the main road and the pedestrian street.

A dirty Jinbei was parked beside the iron fence. It seemed that it had not been cleaned for many years. The dust was firmly attached to the body of the car, covering its original color.

The glass window had several cracks and was swaying in the wind and snow, as if it would be blown off in the next second.

There was a thick layer of snow under the car, and it seemed that it had not been parked here for long.

The man ran towards the direction of Jinbei, and Ji You suddenly stopped.

She looked around and finally began to feel uneasy.

Such a shabby car, without any life, did not look like a candied haws.

She realized that she had been cheated, and there was no one else around.

"Give me back the money, I dont want it."

Ji You stretched out his hand and silently stepped back.

The man stopped, turned around, and looked at Ji You with a sinister look.

Ji You shuddered violently.

That look was too scary, undisguised evil.

The man suddenly threw the 28-bar bicycle in his hand, and the bicycle fell into the snow without making any sound.

He walked towards Ji You, muttering to himself: "A child is much more valuable than a bicycle. One ticket is enough to eat for a year."

His purpose was clear, and his feet moved quickly. Then he stretched out his fingers, as rough as burnt wood, towards Ji You.

The strange fear instantly enveloped the childhood world that was still ignorant of the world.

Ji You screamed and ran desperately back to the way she came.

Unfortunately, she was too young and her steps were small. There was ice under the snow. She ran so fast that her feet slipped and she fell to the ground.

She was so scared that her mind went blank. She didnt even know to stand up and staggered forward.

The man easily picked her up, held her roughly in his arms, and hurried towards Jinbei.

Ji You struggled violently, grabbing his eyes and face with her hands, crying loudly: "Mom, save me! Mom!"

She cried out of breath, tears flowed down, frozen by the cold air, long eyelashes stuck together, helpless and pitiful.

Although struggling bought her some time, it was not of much use.

Her strength was too weak, the man strangled her legs with one hand and pinched her wrists with the other hand.

The more she struggled, the tighter the mans strength became, and Ji You felt pain in her bones.

She could only shout desperately, praying to attract someone to save her.

But the heavy snow blocked the crying and shouting, and her mother far away in the market had no way of knowing.

Occasionally one or two passers-by heard it, but hesitated to stand where they were, neither going forward nor leaving.

They were still not sure what had happened.

Every person who appeared could be Ji Yous hope. She shouted at a couple: "Aunt, save me, uncle, save me, he is a bad guy!"

The man was afraid that someone would come up to stop him, so he was quick-witted and yelled: "Go home with me, if you run to your mothers house again with your mother, I will break your legs!"

After that, he hit Ji You hard on the back.

Even through the thick down jacket, the mans strength was not light.

The dull pain from the back scared Ji You silly. She didnt dare to disobey the man again, for fear of being beaten more severely.

When the onlookers heard that it seemed to be the girls father, they didnt dare to step forward. They just approached silently and looked at each other.

Some who couldnt bear it added: "Dont be so harsh to the child, the child is scared."

The man glared at him: "Go away! Why are you joining in the fun!"

Ji You shook her head desperately, her big eyes filled with tears: "Uncle, let me go..."

Seeing the man getting closer and closer to the Jinbei, she resisted in fear. Although she didnt know what was waiting for her in the car, she would never see her parents again.

The mans face was also scratched by her. He was so angry that he freed one hand to open the car door and shouted: "Be honest, or I will cut your tongue!"

Ji You was shaking all over. She watched the man open the car door with difficulty. When he was about to throw her into the car, she closed her eyes in despair.

How good it would be if she didnt go to buy candied haws.

How good it would be if she didnt go with the man.

How she hoped that this was just a dream she had. When she woke up, her mother and father were by her side, and she could return to her home.

Suddenly, the man staggered and almost fell in the snow.

Ji You was almost thrown headfirst by him, and she immediately opened her eyes and pushed the car door tightly.

The man staggered and stood firm again. He covered the back of his head with his hands, grinned, and then turned his head angrily: "Fuck who!"

A little boy stood behind the Jinbei car. He held the big broom that the sanitation worker was sticking against the wall in his hand, staring at the man with cold eyes.

What he used to hit people just now was a big ice tumor under the eaves. He broke it off and held it in his hand. It was hard, almost like a brick.

The big ice tumor fell at the mans feet and broke into two pieces. You can imagine how much strength the boy used.