The Comeback of the Cannon-Fodder Supporting Actress

Chapter 896: Chapter 874: Top of the Class in the 1980s 2

A dirty little girl who looked thin and small came running over saying she wanted to report a case. The police officer thought something must have happened to the little girl, and immediately led Anning into a room.

There were two other police officers in the room.

They were packing their things and looked like they were about to leave.

When they saw someone come in, they looked up and smiled, ”What’s up? Whose child is this?”

The officer who brought Anning sat down and said, ”A little girl from who-knows-where came running in saying she wanted to report a case.”

At the mention of reporting a case, the two officers who were planning to leave quickly sat down.

One of the female officers smiled and called Anning over, ”Little girl, what case do you want to report?”

It was currently a period of strict enforcement. The state was paying special attention to this issue, the Public Security Bureau was investigating it rigorously, and there had just been a meeting about it. They were urged from top leaders in the bureau down to each local police station to strive to listen to the voices of the people, to strictly manage public order, and to severely punish criminals. If they received a report from the public, they had to investigate it thoroughly.

Because of this meeting, all three police officers took Anning’s report seriously and did not neglect her because she was just a child.

Anning smiled at the female officer, ”My name is Anning. Sister, what is your name?”

The female officer patted Anning’s head, ”You should call me Aunt.”

Anning tilted her head and looked innocent, ”But Sister, you look so young, just like the sisters in our village. How can I call you Aunt?”

Hearing this, the female officer was quite happy, ”My name is Hong Mei.”

”Sister Hong Mei.”

Anning called her and then frowned in distress, ”I’m here to report a case. Do you handle illegal child trafficking?”

Hong Mei and the other two officers immediately thought of human trafficking.

”Tell us in detail.”

Hong Mei even took out a pen and paper to take detailed notes.

The officer who brought Anning over moved a chair for Anning to sit on, ”Little one, don’t be afraid, just tell us.”

Anning nodded, ”I know we mustn’t let any bad person go. Criminals must be dealt with severely and harshly.”

This made the three officers laugh; the little child was quite articulate.

”Start from the beginning. What’s the name of the person you want to report, which village are they from, and what have they done...”

The little Anning shrunk in the big chair, looking particularly innocent and pitiful, ”I’m reporting Zhang Fugui from Tuliang Village. He and his wife Li Guilan illegally bought and sold children. I was bought by them. Once I arrived at their home, they either hit or cursed me...”

As Anning spoke, she rolled up her sleeves and pant legs to show Hong Mei the bruises on her body, ”They haven’t done any legal adoption procedures, nor have they registered me as a household member. Sister Hong Mei, isn’t this illegal?”

Anning’s arms and legs were very thin, covered with blue and purple marks, and some old bruises, which looked shocking.

Hong Mei’s heart ached seeing this.

”This is illegal.”

Anning clenched her fist in anger, ”I know it’s illegal too. Every day, I find time to sneak into school and overhear the teacher’s classes. Even though I’m young, I can read. I’ve quietly read many books, and the books say that buying and selling children is illegal. Sister, I won’t side with criminals. I’m clearly distancing myself from them. I want to report Zhang Fugui and Li Guilan, along with He Jian and Liu Zhi from Po Shang Village. They sold me to Zhang Fugui.”

Hong Mei wrote these down, then asked Anning, ”How do you know this?”

Anning blinked her eyes and looked at Hong Mei as if she were inexperienced, ”Of course, they said it themselves. Everyone in Tuliang Village knows. They never hide it from me and say in front of me that I’m not a Zhang Family child and was bought. If Sister doesn’t believe it, you can go and ask.”

Hong Mei noted down everything Anning said.

She looked at the other two officers, ”Uncle Sun, Brother Li, what should we do now?”

The older officer thought for a moment, ”Report it. If it’s true, we’ll have to go to the rural village to make arrests.”

At this moment, Anning’s stomach suddenly growled.

Anning quickly covered her stomach.

Hong Mei looked at Anning, ”You haven’t eaten, have you?”

Anning shook her head and then nodded, ”I sneaked out.”

That meant she certainly hadn’t eaten.

Hong Mei sighed, went out to buy some food, and brought back some water.

Anning ate some steamed buns and drank water, filling her stomach.

She quietly asked Hong Mei, ”Sister, is there a place here where I can sleep?”

Hong Mei was taken aback, ”Little one, you’ve reported the case; now you should go home.”

As soon as Anning heard this, she started to cry miserably, ”I don’t want to go home. If I go back, I’ll be beaten to death. I didn’t wash and dry the bedding for Zhang Qiang today; they’ll beat me to death. Besides, that’s not my home. I was bought. They’re all bad people, and I don’t want to live with bad people. If you don’t keep me, I’ll wander the streets or beg for food. I just won’t go back.”

Hearing this, Hong Mei couldn’t help but feel a headache coming on.

Uncle Sun and Brother Li also couldn’t help but feel a headache coming on.

Hong Mei patiently comforted Anning, ”But this is the police station. There are also many bad people here. You can’t sleep here.”

Anning jumped off the chair, ”Then I won’t bother you, Sister. I’ll leave now. Goodbye, Sister.”

She walked out without any hesitation. When she reached the door, she turned back and smiled at Hong Mei, ”Sister, this is the first time I’ve had a steamed bun. It’s so delicious. Thank you for treating me to a meal, Sister. I will repay you in the future.”

These words made Hong Mei’s heart ache.

But this is a workplace, and it’s impossible to keep Anning here all the time.

She quickly caught up with Anning, ”Let Sister take you back.”

Anning suddenly rushed outside, ”No need, I’ll go by myself.”

When Hong Mei went after her, she found Anning was gone.

After leaving the police station, Anning ran to the post office.

At this time, the post office had just opened, and there weren’t many people inside. Anning ran in and said to the staff, ”Uncle, I want to make a phone call.”

The staff saw that Anning was a child and thought she might be a mischievous kid from somewhere, so he teased her, ”Do you have money? You need to pay a deposit first to make a call.”

Anning took out US$ 20 from her pocket, ”I have money. Is this enough?”

The staff was a bit dumbfounded.

Anning shoved the money into the staff’s hand, ”Please hurry and write me a ticket. I want to make a phone call.”

What else could he do? Let her make the call.

The staff led Anning to the phone, ”Do you know how to dial, or should I help you?”

Anning shook her head, ”No need, I can dial it myself.”

At this time, the phone was an old-fashioned rotary phone, not a button-type phone.

Anning picked up the phone and started dialing.

When she arrived at the post office, she had seen some newspapers on the counter. Anning, with her sharp observational skills and good memory, memorized a phone number from a newspaper.

She dialed that number, ”Hello, is this the Provincial Daily? I’m here to report a situation...”

Anning spoke quickly, but her words were clear. She told the Provincial Daily that the Public Security Bureau in County Y had been highly proactive in this strict enforcement action, keenly listening to the voices of the people, and even treating a child’s report with diligence. They received reports from the public even outside working hours and showed special care for children, knowing the child hadn’t eaten, they provided food and drink for the child...

Anning was very articulate and spoke with emotion. The way she elevated the conversation made it especially important. Her emotional remarks moved the people at the newspaper, making them feel touched.

As Anning neared the end, she mentioned the names of the officers at the police station who received her, ”Uncle, Uncle Sun, Brother Li, and Sister Ge are truly selfless. Their actions, no matter how small, saved an innocent victim and rescued a budding flower of our country’s future. They are worthy of respect. I’d like you to report on this. Also, the patriarchal mindset is particularly severe in rural areas, and people’s legal awareness is weak. We need people like you, who are knowledgeable and socially responsible, to promote legal awareness to everyone. Uncle, I implore you, not for myself, but for the thousands upon thousands of rural girls facing oppression and injustice. I beg of you. If... if you don’t report it, I might not survive, and thousands of young girls you can’t see may also die.”

As Anning spoke, she cried, making those on the other end of the call at the newspaper feel heartache.

”Alright, we’ve got it. We’ll verify this.”

Anning hung up the phone, wiped her tears, and went to settle the phone bill with the post office staff.

The call lasted quite a while, and the phone bill was a few dollars.

But Anning knew this was money she had to spend.