CH 15.2

Chapter 15.2 – Rescued

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Meanwhile, Su Qin’s group stayed in the cave. As they couldn’t go anywhere, every second felt like years.

In the afternoon, Meng Sisi was somewhat restless and began to feel panic again since the excitement of last night’s escape had diminished. She said, “What if the police don’t come and we get caught again, what should we do?”

Wen Mei, who was making a campfire to roast the dry buns, froze hearing that and looked subconsciously towards Su Qin who was hauling bamboo at the cave’s entrance.

Hearing that, Su Qin lifted her chin to gesture at the waterfall at the end of the cave, and said, “As the last resort, we just risk everything and get down from there.”

Lin Xiaoyin looked up at the end of the cave and shouted out involuntarily, “Are you crazy? Do you want all of us to court death?”

“I didn’t ask Teacher Lin to jump together ah. You can stay in the village and be the villager’s wife. You are beautiful as flowers. At most, they will just gouge your eyeballs out and will not bear to break your limbs.” Su Qin had spent the whole morning cutting down a lot of bamboo with Li Chuan. She said, “We will make rafts with these bamboo. When we have to, we can use these bamboo rafts to rush down the waterfall. So, the chances of dying shouldn’t be very high.”

“But such a height … the chances of dying should be great, right?” Meng Sisi’s heart was jumping with fear.

“Just hear me out.” Su Qin took out the drawing of a bamboo raft design from her pocket to let them see, “Nah, the bamboo rafts we are going to make are about the height and width of a person. We will then rip the bed sheet into strips to tie the assembled raft on our back and get washed down by the current. When we reach the river below, the buoyancy of the raft will let us float for a while and once we reach an area where the current is not rapid, we can then swim to shore.”

“Oh by the way, all of you can swim, right?”

Everyone nodded unanimously.

“ … This method sounded good, but .. is it really feasible?” Wen Mei was somewhat unconvinced, “Moreover … we don’t know how to make bamboo rafts.”

“I know.” Su Qin was trapped in the mountain village for 5 years in her previous lifetime. These kinds of manual and farming works without doubt were not difficult. She paused for a moment before adding, “But, this method is just my conjecture and it is certainly dangerous. We won’t use this means unless it is the last resort.”

They were more afraid of being taken back and getting their limbs broken like Hong-hong than getting drowned.

Su Qin began to pierce the rafts while Li Chuan helped her chop those bamboo, and for the sake of survival, Miss Lin began to rip the cloth strips too.

At first, Su Qin was somewhat clumsy piercing the bamboo raft together, but she started to get the hang of it afterwards.

Being with her for so many years, Li Chuan actually didn’t know she could still do this, so he couldn’t help but admire this little girl a bit more.

By evening, all five bamboo rafts were pierced up and according to the original plan, Su Qin intended to tie herself together with the disabled girl and take her along when she jumped down.

Li Chuan stopped her from doing so as he spoke frowningly, “Your physical strength is limited, let me do this.”

Meng Sisi also queried, “Teacher Li, we are not underestimating you but do you really have the physical strength being a teacher who lacks the might to truss a chicken? You can’t even do a few push-ups, right?”

Li Chuan, who was questioned, replied solemnly, “A hundred is no problem.”

“Ahem … “ Su Qin, who has memories of her past lifetime, actually blushed a little as her wedding night with Professor Li inexplicably flashed before her eyes.

Professor Li’s physical strength … is … pretty good, there is no doubt about it.

Li Chuan belongs to those types who look lean with clothes on, but muscular when undressed. Although his temperament is gentle, he has undergone physical training since childhood and learned a lot of self-defense moves. Fencing and Muay Thai were his stress relief methods.

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They were, after all, still in the enemy camp, hence they dared not relax even for a moment.

At such a time Yun Fei could not go up the mountain nor could he inform them, all they could do was to prepare themselves for anything.

Before going to sleep, Su Qin and Li Chuan both agreed that everyone should sleep with the bamboo raft tied to their bodies.

In case the villagers find this place while they are sleeping, they can react promptly and jump down the waterfall.

Even though Su Qin is a little girl, she thought from every angle. The more cautious she behaved, the more distressed Li Chuan felt for her.

If she hadn’t been tormented and provoked in the village, why would a young girl of only 15-year-old have such a susceptible mind?

At noon the next day, the village was in utter chaos. Zhang Cheng came to the village with the police, together with the family members of the abducted girls, which were about 20 people.

Those who came along were Meng Sisi’s father with four bodyguards and the elder brother of the disabled girl.

Zhang Xing was shocked and felt deceived by Zhang Cheng bringing the police over. He was so angry that he wanted to hack him, “Zhang Cheng, Laozi[1] treats you so well yet you actually betrayed me?”

Zhang Cheng coughed, “Hey, hey, hey, speak properly, what do you mean by I betrayed you? I am a policeman and this is called undercover, do you understand? Hurry up and bring out those imprisoned girls. Confession will lead to leniency, but severe punishment will be upon those who refuse admission of crimes, and you can still have an intact corpse!”

Captain Lu rolled his eyes at Zhang Cheng and reminded him, “Little Zhang, watch your mouth since you are still under suspension.”

“Yes, yes, yes. You speak Captain Lu, you speak.” Zhang Cheng stepped back and behaved like a lapdog.

The leader, Captain Lu, asked Zhang Xing, “You are the Village Chief here? Zhang Feng and Zhang Shitou from your village are suspected of abducting women and children. We need to bring them back, and to take away those girls who were abducted and sold here.”

Villagers had already gathered outside the courtyard.

This was the first time the villagers saw police entering their village so they were all curious.

The pair of Zhang Xing’s round eyes glared as he roared, “What abducted girls? We don’t have any here.” He raised his hand and pointed at the crowd, “The wives here are all legally married from the few nearby villages. Officer, don’t listen to this man’s nonsense. We really have no abducted girls here. Moreover, we wouldn’t dare to buy any even if granted with ten guts ah. We are all law-abiding good citizens.”

The young man who came with the police rushed over and grabbed Zhang Xing’s collar, “Where is my sister? Hand my sister over!”

Raising his hand, he wanted to strike him but the police pulled him back.

Straightening his clothes, Zhang Xing said, “We really have no abducted girls here, you can search if you don’t believe ah!”

Villagers who gathered in front of the Village Chief’s house were speaking their minds and arguing enthusiastically.

“Right ah, all the girls in our village are legitimate. There is none abducted. Comrade police, don’t wrong the innocent people ah.”

“That’s right, even if Zhang Feng has done something illegal, this doesn’t mean that we have all done it too? You go arrest Zhang Feng ah!”

“Indeed ah, Comrade police, our village is so big, go search if you don’t believe ah!”

“ …… “

While everyone was speaking their minds and arguing enthusiastically, Yun Fei rushed into the crowd.

He walked straight up to Captain Lu and said, “I know where those abducted girls are, I’ll take you there.”

Zhang Xing and the villagers stared at the Fool in a daze when an aunty came over to pull him, “What are you talking about, Fool? What abducted girls? There are no abducted girls in our village!”

Pulling his arm out of the aunty’s grip, Yun Fei pushed her away and spoke to the sturdy Captain Lu, “Uncle, my mother was also abducted here. I will bring you to find those girls but you must also agree to take us out of the mountain.”

There was an uproar in the crowd as everyone looked at the Fool incredulously.

Beside himself with anger, the blue veins on Zhang Xing’s temples bulged, “Fool, what nonsense are you talking about! Officer, don’t listen to his blabbing, he is a Fool, our village’s Fool, you must not believe his words!”

Captain Lu swept his glance at the anxious Zhang Xing and looked at Yun Fei solemnly as he asked him, “Can you really lead us to those girls?”

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Yun Fei nodded and said, “En.”

Meng Sisi’s father is a middle-aged man of about forty, who is slightly stout and dressed in hiking clothes.

He took a step forward and placed his hand on Yun Fei’s shoulder and patted him, “Young man, as long as you lead me to my daughter, I will not only take you and your mother out, but will also give you a sum of money. So please, Young Man.”

Yun Fei nodded and prepared to lead them up the mountain.

Captain Lu then dispatched two policemen to protect Yun Qin.

The villagers all went home to get their hoes and hatchets to obstruct and prevent them from going up the mountain.

Captain Lu immediately drew his gun out and fired a warning shot into the sky.

Frightened by the loud gunfire, the villagers froze.

Relying on their large number of people, Zhang Xing held up the hoe and stood on the flight of steps as he shouted, “Fellow villagers! This group of police is going to wipe us out, we can’t let them prevail! Let’s all go together, they will not dare do anything to us! The police will not dare to shoot at the common people!”

Instigated with righteous ardor by Zhang Xing’s words, the villagers rushed toward the police.

Captain Lu sweared the word ‘m*therf*cker’ and yelled at the crowd, “Are you all blatantly defying the law! You want to assault the police!”

Zhang Xing paid no heed to Captain Lu’s warning as he picked up the hoe and rushed towards Zhang Cheng, wanting to smash his head.

Zhang Cheng uttered out a ‘wow’, then jumped back, dodging the danger.

The villagers rushed over and started to attack the group of police officers and the family members of the abducted girls with the tools in their hands. It was total chaos.

Captain Lu then fired several more shots into the sky, but the villagers still didn’t stop, so several ‘bang bang’ were shot on the knees of those few leading villagers.

Zhang Xing got shot in the knee. With blood gushing out, it was so painful that he lay on the ground holding his knee as he screamed and wailed.

The villagers immediately stopped and dared not move forward anymore.

Pointing the guns at them, Captain Lu bellowed loudly, “All f*cking ignorants, are you? Crouch down and put your hands behind your heads!”

The villagers involved in the brawl obediently squatted down.

Captain Lu told all these people to go back home and were not allowed to come out. He then sent people to watch the village’s entrance to prevent anyone from leaving the village. Shocked by the villagers’ ignorance, he lamented as he tread the mountain path, “This unruly group of people! None of those who were involved in the fight just now are to be let off! Take them all back for re-education!”

[1] 老子 (Lǎozi) – in this context it’s self-proclaimed for I, used arrogantly or jocularly