Xue Yuantong's little face was almost close to the window. Suddenly, a woman with disheveled hair jumped out of the darkness, and quickly zoomed into Xue Yuantong's field of vision, like a scene from a horror movie, reality reappeared.
Xue Yuantong took two steps back in panic and asked for help from Jiang Ning.
In the window, through the iron railing, a face with distorted features appeared. She frantically flapped the railing, making bursts of noise, full of desire to survive.
Jiang Ning blocked the movement here with a flick of his finger.
He touched Xue Yuantong's head to ease her panic. During this period, the woman inside the window kept filming like crazy.
Xue Yuantong felt a mixture of emotions in his heart, including fear, confusion, and doubt.
She finally calmed down and asked, "Jiang Ning, is she crazy?"
Jiang Ning's consciousness swept into the house and found two iron chains covered with stains. He said:
"Yeah, she's crazy."
His words easily passed through the window and hit the woman's ears, like thunder. Suddenly, the window-slapping movement stopped.
The mad woman slowly lowered her hands, as if she had lost all strength.
Xue Yuantong withdrew her gaze and turned to the night sky in the distance. The mountain village was built in the mountains, far away from the hustle and bustle of the city, isolated and independent. The scenery was beautiful, but at this moment, she felt a little creepy.
Several shouts were heard outside the yard, Jiang Ning turned around and left. Xue Yuantong glanced at the mad woman again and remembered her appearance.
At this moment, the mad woman seemed to realize something and slammed the window again.
The shouting outside became louder and louder, and Xue Yuantong caught up with Jiang Ning.
Outside the hospital, two men with flashlights approached. The short man was about sixteen or seventeen years old, and the tall man was in his early thirties. He was about 1.8 meters tall and had a burly build.
The young man shouted: "It's too dark, don't run around!"
Xue Yuantong gathered his emotions and said crisply: "The kid just dropped his money, I chased it out and gave it to him."
The young man glanced towards the small courtyard and said to himself: "Your sister saw you leaving and asked me to come out to find you. Go back quickly. We haven't finished eating yet!"
Xue Yuantong responded and prepared to go back to eat.
The tall and burly man passed by and walked towards the yard. Soon, several roars were heard from inside, and the sound of banging on the window disappeared.
The young man continued to lead the way as a matter of course. This kind of thing was completely normal in their village.
Xue Yuantong asked: "Someone just patted the window. It was scary. Who is she?"
The young man said numbly: "My uncle's stupid wife."
…
Accommodation was arranged for the night. Uncle Chen, who was visiting relatives, was a distinguished guest in the village and was accommodated in a brick house. Uncle Chen waited on him while Sister Zheng and her family of three stayed in one room.
Jiang Ning was assigned a side room. He and Xue Yuantong were away from home. In order to avoid trouble, they were identified as brother and sister, so it was natural for them to stay in the same room.
The floor in the house is also made of gray bricks, not even the common cement floor, not to mention the various high-end floors. Compared with the living environment of a hotel, it is very different, but fortunately it is still clean.
Xue Yuantong hugged his knees and huddled on the bed. The balls of his head that were originally bunched up now all spread out and fell on his weak shoulders.
There was a trace of melancholy in her eyes, and her thoughts were floating like clouds, as if she was in a daze, or as if she was thinking about something.
With Jiang Ning's understanding of her, he naturally knew her mood, which must be the reason why he met the crazy woman tonight.
Sometimes Xue Yuantong is very smart and can detect the unusual and he expects it.
The night passed by in a hurry.
Until the next day, the bright red sun emerged on the top of the mountain, the clouds and mist opened like a curtain, and the entire village appeared in the golden sunshine.
It was too dark last night, and Xue Yuantong didn't see the village clearly. She looked around during the day and found that the village was more shabby and backward than she imagined.
Washing machines, LCD TVs, and other furniture cannot be found in the village.
The courtyard was more lively today than last night, with many people gathering around Uncle Chen to reminisce about old times.
The little boy from Sister Zheng's family took out his Pokémon card and taught the little dolls in the village how to play.
Sister Zheng and Xue Yuantong chat.
"They are so hospitable and have prepared so many things." Xue Yuantong said that in order to entertain people visiting relatives, the village actually killed a pig, and someone also brought fresh fish from outside the village early in the morning. For people in mountain villages,
, all rare items.
Sister Zheng smiled: "It is indeed hospitable, but it is not for nothing."
She looked around and whispered: "My father told me yesterday to leave more money when we leave."
Xue Yuantong was surprised: "Do I want to give it?"
She also eats other people's food.
Sister Zheng didn't care: "What will you give me for an extra pair of chopsticks? Eat more for lunch. They are all local products from the countryside. You can't usually eat them in the city."
Sister Zheng grew up in the city. She looked up at the earthen stoves set up in the distance. Many women were busy, cooking and doing chores. She found it quite novel.
Before 11 o'clock, lunch was ready. Due to customs, Xue Yuantong was still unable to serve, so he and Sister Zheng had to go to the table for women and children.
Jiang Ning sat at the big table in the middle. There was a glass of white wine on the table. After Uncle Chen introduced him, people around him understood that he was a tourist they met on the road.
Then, Jiang Ning clearly noticed that the enthusiasm of the surrounding villagers had weakened a lot, and most of them were paying respect to Uncle Chen and his family.
Dishes come one after another, including chicken, duck, fish, rabbit, mutton, pork, and all kinds of wild products. The richness is only slightly worse than a real dinner table.
Xue Yuantong was not busy cooking rice like before. She found that the people in charge of serving food were all women from the village.
Suddenly, Xue Yuantong's chopsticks stopped. She raised her head and found that the person serving the food was actually a woman in her early twenties.
The woman's temperament gave Xue Yuantong the feeling that she was out of place in a remote mountain village, just like the female college students she met during her travels.
When the food was being served, the woman approached Xue Yuantong, her eyes straight.
Through a pair of eyes, Xue Yuantong felt her emotions, begging, pain, and despair.
She recognized the other person as the crazy woman last night.
The woman put the porcelain bowl in Xue Yuantong's hand and put it on the table.
Xue Yuantong took the porcelain bowl, touched it with her fingers, and found something abnormal under the bowl. It seemed to be a piece of paper, and her body trembled.
Then, he held it calmly and put down the porcelain bowl naturally.
After the entire step was completed, Xue Yuantong's heart was beating loudly and he was extremely nervous. His mind was filled with Jiang Ning's figure.
Just as she was hugging her tightly, a voice suddenly sounded on the table: "Wait a minute."
Xue Yuantong subconsciously looked towards the place where the sound came from, and saw an energetic old lady staring at her like an eagle's eye.
"What do you have in your hand?" the old lady asked.
Xue Yuantong said nothing.
"Let me ask you, what are you holding in your hand!" the old lady shouted sharply. Not only the table where Xue Yuantong was sitting, but even the main table nearby heard the movement.
Sister Zheng quickly smoothed things over: "Tell grandma quickly."
Xue Yuantong clenched her hand tightly. She probably guessed the identity of the woman and the contents of the note. If it were exposed, not only the woman, but even herself would be in trouble.
"You're disobedient, aren't you!" The old lady spoke in dialect and stood up to grab Xue Yuantong.
When Sister Zheng saw it, she tried to block it, but she was a city woman. Compared with the old lady who had been doing farm work all her life, she was far too weak in strength to stop him at all.
In a panic, when he saw the old lady grabbing Xue Yuantong, a figure suddenly appeared. Jiang Ning stood in front of Xue Yuantong and stared at the old lady calmly.
The old lady stretched out her hand to grab it, but Jiang Ning's chopsticks swung like iron bars and landed on the old lady's dry hand.
It hurt so much that she immediately flinched.
At the same time, the contradiction here attracted the attention of the head table. The old village chief, like an old wolf, led several villagers, including the tall and burly man yesterday.
"Tell me about it," said the old village chief.
The old lady took the lead and pointed at Xue Yuantong and said: "Just now, someone from Dachao's family handed something to this little girl."
When the tall man heard this, his expression changed and he asked: "What did you hand me?"
Old lady: "It's in her hand. Ask her to open her hands."
The village chief said: "Stretch out your hand."
His words have no ripples, but are filled with an undoubted feeling. In this kind of mountain village, the words of the village chief are equal to heaven and earth.
Jiang Ning said: "Tongtong, just do as you are told."
Xue Yuantong felt a little panicked, but with Jiang Ning by her side, she was no longer afraid. She spread her hands openly in front of dozens of pairs of eyes.
What appeared in front of everyone was Xue Yuantong's clean palm, with nothing at all.
Xue Yuantong felt strange in her heart. She clearly felt the touch that was there just now, but when she opened her hand, there was nothing there.
Could it be... Her eyes moved to Jiang Ning, "Could it be that he did another magic trick?"
The old lady's original sharp face turned into disbelief, and her sharp voice sounded:
"Another hand, another hand!"
Xue Yuantong opened his hands again, but they were still empty.
The old lady wanted to pester her again, but Sister Zheng frowned. She said unceremoniously: "We come back to visit relatives, and you treat our guests like this?"
Although the village chief felt strange, he didn't say anything more. He made a gesture, and the burly man next to him chased him out of the yard.
A little friction was settled with a few words from the village chief.
After this incident, Sister Zheng's desire to leave became stronger. After eating, she approached her husband.
It was already time to leave, but Uncle Chen gave up the idea of returning to his hometown. He left a wad of banknotes behind and, with the village chief seeing him off, walked the mountain road for more than two hours and returned to the temporary station.
The SUV started, and the countryside became farther and farther away. Xue Yuantong seemed to have experienced a dream, but the note in her hand always reminded her that everything was true.
It wasn't until the car drove onto the mountainous road that Sister Zheng in the front row asked, "Tongtong, did you get something?"
"It doesn't matter if you don't say it." Sister Zheng said quickly.
Xue Yuantong didn't hide it. She took out the note and spread it out. Inside was a series of numbers in the format of a phone number.
She told Sister Zheng what she saw and heard.
Uncle Chen in the front row sighed after listening silently.
"Is there any way?" Xue Yuantong asked.
Uncle Chen shook his head: "Give up, there is no other way."
Sister Zheng wondered: "The number is probably the girl's parents and family, so why is it useless? If they are willing to pay, the village will always release the person."
Uncle Chen said: "It's useless to give money. The village will not let people go, and they don't dare to let them go. Once they dare to let people go, those middlemen will not go to their village again. It will affect the men in the entire village."
Uncle Chen traveled all over the country and knew a lot. He said: "This is the rule. Fortunately, they didn't find the note, otherwise it would have taken a lot of effort."
He said this on the surface, but in fact he was afraid in his heart. If the little girl was found hiding the note, whether she could leave the village alive was another matter.
…
On the car.
Xue Yuantong recalled those eyes and could not forget them.
After returning to the city, Jiang Ning parted ways with the Zheng family. Seeing Tongtong's ill appearance, he took out his mobile phone:
"I'll take care of it."
Xue Yuantong's eyes lit up, Jiang Ning was an omnipotent existence in her heart.
He called Shao Shuangshuang and explained the situation.
Shao Shuangshuang has grown as the Evergreen Liquid Company. As the only shareholder on the surface, she is worth more than 100 billion. She has developed a sales network based on Evergreen Liquid all over the country. There are also several emergency departments, as well as members who have collected rare items from all over the country.
This matter was almost not difficult for her.
Jiang Ning can actually do it by himself, but he lacks the interest.
They rested in Yun Province for two days. Before leaving, Xue Yuantong passed by the hotel lobby carrying a small bag.
A huge TV hanging on the wall was broadcasting news, and Xue Yuantong stopped to watch.
The background of the news was the mountain village she went to the day before yesterday.
"Jiang Ning, she was rescued!" Xue Yuantong recognized the familiar figure. She was not the only one, but there were three other women in the village.
"Yes." Jiang Ning said.
at the same time.
Yun Province, Chun City, one of the villas in the townhouse, a tiger-headed child shouted:
"Mom, watch TV quickly!"
Sister Zheng hurried over and saw what was playing on the TV. She was surprised:
"It's only been two days! Did Tongtong do it?"
Uncle Chen was sitting on the sofa, holding a cigarette in his hand without lighting it.
Uncle Chen was stunned for a long time. He had gone through so much in his life, and he knew how much energy was used to accomplish this in a short period of time.
It can be seen that these brothers and sisters who met by chance have good backgrounds.
Uncle Chen thought about what happened to their back legs just as they were walking away, so he reminded:
"Dad, it's better not to go back to your hometown from now on."
"I know." Uncle Chen.
Sister Zheng smiled happily. As a member of the same sex, she could empathize even more.
Smiling, she sighed softly. After those women were treated like this, even if they were rescued, would they be able to live a normal life in the future?
…
August 19th, the last stop of summer vacation travel.
Mongolia Province, Hohhot.
Two figures, one large and one small, walked out of the train station. Xue Yuantong was in high spirits. It was her first time riding in a high-end soft sleeper carriage. There were only two beds in it, and the experience was particularly good.
Xue Yuantong was leading the way blindly, while Jiang Ning followed with her bag.
Passing an old street near the train station, an aunt came up to her and whispered:
"Young man, do you want to stay in a hotel?"
Jiang Ning's consciousness swept out, and he scanned all the surrounding building structures.
He asked: "Is it legal?"
The aunt immediately assured: "Absolutely legal!"
Jiang Ningyi Xingshan: "I won't go to the regular ones."
He stepped away, passing Xue Yuantong in a few steps.
Xue Yuantong caught up and pursed his lips: "Jiang Ning, do you want to live in an irregular place?"
