Chronicle of the 70s
Chapter 31 - 031 Saved

Chapter 31: 031 Saved

At the critical moment when Qin Xi urgently called out, Li Jianqing stopped in his tracks, slowly squatted down, and observed the two people leaning against each other. The person in Brother Qin’s arms showed a small pale face the size of a palm, her brows deeply furrowed, obviously enduring something. Suddenly, Li Jianqing felt a surge of heat in his eyes and uncontrollably burst into "wah-wah" sobs, whimpering and crying out loud. He turned his head toward the doorway and started crying loudly to his uncle and Daddy. The crowd pressed around them.

The half-grown boy had been blaming himself for the whole ten days his sister had been missing, thinking if only he had insisted on going with Mom to his uncle’s house that day, his sister wouldn’t have been lost. He hadn’t slept well in ten days, each day passing amidst various pieces of news and rumors, ceaselessly searching and hoping, only to be disappointed. The despair that the young boy had been forcibly suppressing came bursting out the moment he saw his sister, as if he had been freed from his burdens, and he started sobbing uncontrollably, whining, "Uncle, Daddy, it’s my sister. She didn’t run off with someone; she has been wronged. It’s my sister, Daddy." All his grievances turned into tears.

At that moment, everyone had gathered around the two embracing figures. Villagers are generally conservative, and such a scene made them feel awkward. Qin Xi, with his leg numbed from being struck and his arm barely able to lift, quickly called out upon seeing everyone approaching, "Uncle He, help me up, my leg is numb."

He Chongguang’s lips curved in interest as he watched the Qin family brat hugging the young girl, but upon hearing about the numbness in his leg, he knew there could be no delay, and he hurriedly stepped forward to lay the person in the arms of Qin Xi flat on the ground, then helped Qin Xi stand up.

At this time, Li Jianqing stopped crying the moment he saw his sister with her eyes tightly closed, and asked with some panic, "Brother Qin, what’s wrong with my sister?"

During the embrace, Qin Xi had taken the chance to take her pulse; she must have been weakened due to not eating for a long time. So, he comforted him, "Your sister has not eaten for a long time, and she is out of strength. She fainted from the shock of the fall just now, but she’ll be fine and wake up in a bit."

Upon hearing this, Li Jianqing was relieved and was about to say something when suddenly there was a cry of "Ouch." Everyone was startled and turned around to see Li Erfu staring furiously at Wang Xiwang, who was incredulously covering his own right cheek, looking at the middle-aged man who had just hit him. This bumpkin dared to strike him!

However, Li Dafu didn’t stop his brother. This was the wrath of a father! Even if it meant that he would no longer be the brigade captain, he wanted his brother to express his anger, regardless of who was on the receiving end!

Li Dafu stood coldly in front of his brother, a chill flashing in his eyes, "Isn’t Director Wang going to give us villagers an explanation? Why was our child found in your family’s home, now unconscious?"

Wang Xiwang, seeing a group of burly men looming behind Li Dafu, stepped back despite the pain in his face, stuttering, "What, what, what are you doing! Hitting people is against the law!"

Then, he frantically looked back, trying to find the head of the Armed Forces Department, He Chongguang, but couldn’t see him anywhere and started to get anxious.

Meanwhile, Wang Aijun coldly pulled out a piece of paper from his pocket, unfolded it, and waved it in front of everyone, "This is the marriage contract. Li Erfu’s family has agreed to betroth their daughter to my younger brother Wang You to be his wife. Our Wang family has not forced anyone, nor kidnapped anybody!"

Everyone was immediately shocked by the bombshell information in front of them. Li Erfu’s head went blank, and he fell backward, unable to stand it. Li Dafu quickly caught his brother, his complexion turning grave. What was going on here?

Wasn’t it said that the child was missing? How come it suddenly turned into a marriage contract? Was the child married off?

Li Dafu was completely confused, unable to figure out what exactly had happened.

Li Erfu, however, clearly saw the three characters "Ge Sanmei!" on that piece of paper, along with a bright red fingerprint!

At this point, there was nothing left unclear; it was all a deception. All that talk of being good to the children, and of being strict with them in the past to benefit their future, it was all lies designed to lower everyone’s guard so that on the second day of the new year, when returning to her maternal home, she would sell the child!

He knew it, oh how he knew it! Dear heavens, what kind of mother is this? To think she would sell her own daughter! Li Erfu was overrun with emotions, feeling a hot sensation around his eyes, as if a liquid was about to spray forth from them. The injustice of it all!

Just as everyone was dazed by the shocking news, a woman’s voice came from outside: "Hey, what are you all doing, stop crowding around!"

Hearing this voice, Li Erfu became exceedingly rigid.

The others rushed out, but Qin Xi just quietly examined the little girl lying on the ground, ensuring her bones were unharmed before planning to lift her into the vehicle.

But just as she reached out to lift the girl, she saw those pitch-black eyes, dark as the night, open. Qin Xi’s body stiffened slightly, then saw the girl smile faintly upon catching sight of him, whispering softly, "I’ve been rescued!"

Qin Xi’s lips curled into a smile as he followed up, "Yes, you’ve been rescued!"

Yet his gaze towards the girl was unspeakably complex.

Li Xianglu had no mind to discern the difference in other people’s gazes at this time; she was beset with a tempest of emotions, finally rescued from the clutches of the Wang family, who had bound her day and night ruthlessly.

Only one bowl of clear porridge with a few visible grains of sorghum was given to her each day, with her hands tied, nullifying any chance of escape. That morning, she had been brought down from upstairs only to see the main room decorated with red candles and portraits of the leaders, adorned with the character for happiness, and a silly-looking man in his thirties smiling at her. She was on the verge of madness as these people forcefuly tried to make her go through a wedding ceremony.

With not a smidgeon of strength in her body, she couldn’t resist at all. Just as the wedding was about to commence, she heard an uproar outside, followed by someone coming in to whisper something to the pale-faced man, prompting everyone to leave. She was then bound and taken to the attic, but due to the hurried actions, the bindings were not secured tightly. She used a knife from her space to slowly cut through and free herself.

Weak and exhausted, she managed to crawl to the opening; she could clearly hear people searching for her below. She couldn’t delay; she feared that if she wasn’t found and these people left, she would be trapped in the Wang family’s cage for the rest of her life!

So, without caring whether she might break her legs, she opened the cover and let herself fall through.

Fortunately, someone caught her. Thankfully, she was rescued. Her heart was filled with the relief of having narrowly escaped death, as well as indescribable grievance and a whirlwind of complex emotions. It was all too hazy and confusing to express!

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