Sweet Nostalgia of the 80s

”Don’t even mention it.” He Fusheng slapped his thigh fiercely, saying angrily, ”Can you believe how heartless these human traffickers are nowadays? They actually went to a hostel to steal children. Yueyue was playing downstairs, and an old man with a scarred face tried to lure her away with cake. Luckily, Guangguang saw it and shouted, but that old man even tried to get violent when he saw Guangguang.”

”Scarface!!” Qin Jian and An Hao both reacted simultaneously.

”What? Is there something wrong with this person?” He Fusheng quickly asked when he saw their intense reaction.

”This person is a frequent offender!” An Hao gritted his teeth, this guy is way too active; last time he almost took Yangyang, and this time he nearly took Guangguang.

”This is a premeditated group crime! You all need to be extra careful from now on!” Qin Jian warned He Fusheng.

”Okay, okay, okay. The village is relatively safe, but rest assured, the kids always play in groups and usually, there shouldn’t be any problems. I’ll also talk to the kids.” Even the back of He Fusheng’s spine felt cold.

It’s really fortunate I noticed in time. If something were to happen to someone else’s child under my care, I wouldn’t be able to explain it to them.

”Qin Jian, these human traffickers are getting out of hand; it’s been so many years, and they still haven’t been caught! I’m really worried for the kids these days,” An Hao said, heart aching at the thought.

Kids like Chenyang’s age are being stolen by traffickers and sold to those underground acrobat troupes.

Some troupes start training kids from a young age, and now is just the right age. These heartless people train the kids until they’re about ten, then take them around to perform for money.

In the nineties, when the internet and media weren’t as developed, losing a child practically meant they were gone forever, like a needle in the ocean. Afterwards, there was no news at all.

It’s not like now, where there are cameras everywhere you go, and if a child goes missing and not too much time has passed, you can retrieve surveillance footage. Once traffickers commit a crime, entering it into the online database, with the national network, they can be found.

But back in the nineties, it was just like finding someone in the ocean; it wasn’t that easy.

Some criminals lived their whole lives on the run.

The law is long and justice catches up eventually, though sometimes there are still lapses.

”Don’t worry.” Qin Jian squeezed his wife An Hao’s hand and said, ”This man has been committing crimes so frequently, he’ll be caught sooner or later.”

”Hopefully.”

In the bedroom, the three kids heard the adults chatting in the living room and all started cursing the traffickers with hatred.

”Just wait, I will personally catch those traffickers,” Ning Chenyang said with determination, clenching his fists.

”Those traffickers are very dangerous. You’re just a kid, don’t do anything stupid and be careful not to get caught! My dad said, once you’re taken, you’ll never come back,” He Yue kindly warned Ning Chenyang.

”I’m not afraid! I have my ways,” Ning Chenyang, with a budding hero’s dream in his little heart, was determined to catch the bad guys and be a hero.

............

He Fusheng eventually went back after having lunch.

But Yueyue didn’t want to leave. She pleaded with her father with hopeful eyes, wanting to stay and play for a few more days in the military district compound.

Ning Chenyang and Ning Chenguang also repeatedly asked them to stay, and He Fusheng finally agreed.