Chapter 77 He fainted

The night was as dark as ink, and a few faint barks could be heard in the distance.

There were no streetlights in the village; the houses, trees, and dirt roads were all shrouded in the thick darkness of night.

Hearing the noise, the little yellow dog guarding the gate leaped over the threshold and darted back into the yard, whimpering and circling around the two people's feet. The flashlight beam shone straight onto the ground, casting a pale yellow halo around which dust motes floated.

A thin, long iron rod extends from inside the door and touches the dirt road.

This iron rod was specially found by Zhongqin for Chen Jiashu; it can be used as a walking stick for the blind and also for self-defense.

Chen Jiashu stepped out of the threshold one after the other, his feet clad in cotton shoes. He slightly raised his face and looked diagonally forward. The wind from the left brushed against his face like damp silk, cool but very light and negligible.

Zhongqin followed closely behind, then turned and closed the door.

Just like inside the house, Zhongqin walked to Chen Jiashu's left, put her arm around his arm, and led him toward the main road.

She could only take him there; there was a small open-top truck used for transporting vegetables. Chen Jiashu had to climb in, hide inside the tarpaulin, and wait for the truck to reach the next safe town before jumping out to call for help.

The open-top pickup truck belongs to that man's uncle. It departs at five o'clock every morning, transporting a full load of vegetables to vegetable markets in three nearby towns.

Not once was it not.

Every time the car drove through a crowded town road, she would have the thought of jumping out of the car and asking for help.

But she never dared to actually try it.

That man will kill her, kill Sweetie.

Chen Jiashu's fingertips traced the two lines she had deeply etched into the notebook. A slight smile appeared on his lips, as if he had already disregarded life and death, or perhaps he was confident and assured.

Zhongqin stared into his empty eyes, her heart heavy.

If her chances of escaping alone were 30%, then for this blind and deaf man, they were probably less than 20%.

Getting on the vehicle is easy, but the journey is mostly through rugged mountain roads. If you jump off at the wrong time, you could hit your head on a rock or fall down a hillside and die.

How exactly is he supposed to tell which is the mountain road and which is the town?

But then she thought, perhaps he didn't actually need to escape alive. As long as he got away from here, even if he died on the way, given his status, the police would definitely get involved, and then she and her daughter would have a glimmer of hope.

Zhongqin was able to sneak out because she had added her mother-in-law's sedative to her husband's water. The effects of the medicine didn't last long; the barking of dogs near and far around her felt like a drumbeat pounding in her heart, making her ears ring and the hairs on her body stand on end.

We must act swiftly and decisively.

The flashlight beam shone on the truck parked by the roadside, and Zhongqin led Chen Jiashu to the back of the truck.

She tugged at Chen Jiashu's sleeve, and the man nodded in understanding.

Releasing Chen Jiashu's arm, Zhong Qin stepped forward to unhook the tarpaulin, lifted it halfway, and then returned to Chen Jiashu's side, grasping his wrist and guiding his hand to touch the truck's tailgate.

Chen Jiashu handed the iron bar to Zhong Qin and grabbed the edge of the side panel with both hands. He remembered climbing on this kind of truck a few times when he was a child with Zhang Shuang. He raised his right foot, put his toes on the rear panel, and used the momentum to push off. At the same time, he used his arms to push, and his whole body nimbly flipped over the side panel and sat in the truck bed.

The iron rod was handed back to him, and Zhongqin pulled down the tarpaulin to cover him completely.

She reattached the corners of the tarpaulin, quickly tidied up the appearance, and then hurriedly turned and left.

*

As dawn broke, the deep blue sky resembled a vast piece of silk, studded with tiny, scattered diamonds.

Qin Qiao wrapped her beige down jacket tighter around herself; she had been sitting on the wrought-iron chair on the terrace for over two hours. During that time, she would either look up at the gradually changing sky above or close her eyes and force herself to fall asleep.

The phone on the glass coffee table suddenly vibrated. Qin Qiao reached out and grabbed it. The black screen clearly displayed the words "Sun Gang".

She practically sprang to her feet, picked up the phone, and held it tightly to her ear.

A call at this time must be good news! It absolutely must be good news.

Her heart was pounding in her chest, and she felt like she was standing on the edge of a cliff, with half of her feet sticking out.

"Qin Qiao," the usually composed man's voice trembled slightly, his voice hoarse, "He's been caught. The police are taking him to Wanping Village."

At the same time as he finished speaking, tears silently rolled down Qin Qiao's cheeks.

“I’ll go with you,” Sun Gang said again.

It felt as if a damp wad of cotton was stuffed inside her ear, so Qin Qiao couldn't hear clearly. She could only nod repeatedly and choke out, "Okay...we'll set off right away."

Meanwhile, over a thousand kilometers away, the mountains and fields were still shrouded in the deep shadows before dawn. The intertwined roots of the trees densely blocked out the sunlight, making it always get darker there than in the city.

A blue truck was driving on a rocky, winding mountain road. The truck was bumping along, and on the narrow two-lane road, whenever an oncoming vehicle came, the side of the truck closest to the mountain almost scraped against the protruding rocks.

However, the experienced driver did not slow down. At each sharp bend, the rear of the car swung cleanly, leaving afterimages in the dark night.

Chen Jiashu put the scissors back into his pocket and peeked out from the newly torn opening. He smelled the fresh scent of earth and trees, and the taste of freedom.

Another skid, and he gripped the cold metal floorboards tightly with both hands to steady himself. Zhongqin had told him yesterday that the first town the driver stopped in was more than 30 kilometers away, and it would take about 50 minutes.

Chen Jiashu's plan was to jump out of the car and call for help once he reached the town.

As the car enters the town, its speed slows down, and there are more pedestrians around, with the noise able to mask any movement.

"Are there many food shops in town?" he asked Zhongqin.

This is very important.

Zhongqin told him: Yes, there are several shops.

At that time, he would definitely be able to smell the salty and sweet aroma of the steamed buns, the greasy smell of deep-frying, and when the steamer lid is lifted, scalding steam would rush out. To get a more precise location, wind direction and speed need to be taken into account, which is why he asked Zhongqin to choose a day with little wind.

As dawn broke, the Lu family's front door was banged on loudly. Old Lu, still pulling up his pants, went to open the door, cursing all the while.

He unlatched the door, and as soon as it opened, the first thing he saw was his eldest son, Lu Tao. Old Lu's lips moved, but before he could speak, he noticed the silver handkerchief on his son's wrist.

His heart sank, and when he looked up again, he saw four policemen standing behind Lu Tao.

"My son!" the old woman cried out as she caught up, pushing aside Lao Lu, grabbing her son in a tight hug, and reaching out to pull the handkerchief off.

A crowd blocked the doorway, watching as the Lu family was taken into custody by the police. Two other police officers, led by the Lu family's niece-in-law, went straight into a room. A short while later, they emerged carrying some clothing.

Then, the whole family, including the niece-in-law and the girl, were all taken to the police car.

As the police car drove away, the villagers looked terrified and began to discuss the matter.

On the other side, Huang Lao Er had just finished unloading vegetables from a store. He stood with his hands on his hips, staring at the crushed vegetables on the ground, then looked up at the torn tarpaulin, completely puzzled.

Are there thieves in their village?

Why steal vegetables? They must be desperate for money.

The phone in his pocket rang. Huang Lao Er took out his phone, and the screen showed the local 110 emergency number.

What's going on?

He swiped the screen, turned on the speakerphone, and held it to his ear to answer: "Hello!"

Why is there no sound?

"Huang Lao Er, is there someone in your car?"

"Who are you? What do you mean?"

"We are from the XX County Public Security Bureau. Stop your car immediately, tell us your exact location, and stay where you are. We will be there right away!"

After the call ended, Huang Lao Er clicked his tongue, staring at the fluttering flag in the distance, and even quickly thought through whether he had done anything wrong in recent years.

The flight landed in Q City on time.

Sun Gang, carrying a briefcase, walked side by side with Qin Qiao. The two stepped off the jet bridge in unison, crossed the airport hall, and stopped in the waiting area to wait for the car that their assistant had arranged in advance.

After turning off airplane mode, Sun Gang's personal phone received a missed call from an unknown number.

The same number was dialed three times, and the location displayed was Q City.

His eyes narrowed, and he suddenly realized something, so he immediately called back.

Qin Qiao glanced sideways and saw that Sun Gang looked serious, which seemed to be related to Jia Shu. She took a deep breath and listened intently.

The receiver beeped a dozen times, and just when Sun Gang thought the call was about to be automatically disconnected, a gentle female voice sounded:

"Hello... This is Yanhe Town People's Hospital. A gentleman who calls himself Chen Jiashu gave us your number and said you are her lawyer."

"Yes, is he... is he still with you?" Sun Gang asked anxiously.

Qin Qiao's heart jumped into her throat. Her fingers unconsciously tightened around the bag strap, and she leaned forward slightly, ready to take off at any moment.

"Here I am."

"Please let him answer the phone." Sun Gang wanted to confirm that he was alright.

"He can't hear, so he probably can't answer the phone." The voice on the other end remained gentle and patient.

He can't hear... his hearing hasn't recovered yet.

A wave of bittersweet emotion surged through Qin Qiao's heart. She blinked, trying to suppress the urge to wetness, her slender body trembling slightly.

It was too complicated to explain over the phone, so Sun Gang asked for the ward and room number and then immediately hung up.

On the way to the hospital, Qin Qiao rested her chin on her hand, staring blankly out the window, unable to suppress the sobs that rose in her throat several times.

The scenery outside the window gradually faded from the bustling city to the vast ring road, then to the charming little buildings, and finally the car drove into the depths of the mountains.

*

Chen Jiashu jumped out of the car, clutching his head. His body rolled several times on the rough ground until he crashed into something resembling a roadside stall before stopping.

He did not call for help immediately.

Although his world was dark and silent, his other senses keenly perceived that a crowd was closing in from all sides.

This was undoubtedly a sign that he had successfully escaped.

When I tried to get up, my arms burned with pain, probably from the injury I sustained when I hit the ground.

Suddenly, a hand landed on his shoulder.

He grabbed the other person's arm as if it were a lifeline, and shouted with all his might:

"Call the police for me! I've been kidnapped! Call the police for me!"

Perhaps due to excessive emotional excitement, or perhaps because his body had already reached its limit, the moment he uttered those shouts, a large patch of multicolored light twisted and spun before his eyes, and in the next instant, he lost consciousness.

Until, a sharp pain came from the back of my hand, as if a needle had been stuck in it.

Chen Jiashu suddenly opened his eyes, but unlike the colorful scene in his dream, heavy darkness pressed down once more.

He moved his hand, gradually realizing he was receiving an IV drip. An IV drip meant he was in a hospital.

It must be.

"Is anyone there?" he called out, raising his voice.

The bed shook slightly, indicating that someone was indeed beside him and had responded.

“I can’t hear or see,” he said, explaining his predicament and pleading, “Could you help me make a phone call? Contact my lawyer. My name is Chen Jiashu.”

He gave out his phone number twice.

Qin Qiao and Sun Gang rushed to the ward door, and Sun Gang almost bumped into the nurse who was turning out the door.

Without stopping, Qin Qiao quickly stepped inside.

There were three beds in the ward. Two elderly people were lying on the two innermost beds, while the outermost bed was empty, with a corner of the blanket lifted, clearly showing signs that someone had slept on it.

"Nurse, is Chen Jiashu here?" Sun Gang hurriedly asked the nurse.

The nurse said, "He just fainted and has been taken to the emergency room..."

"Fainted? Which floor is the emergency room on?" Sun Gang asked anxiously, his voice rising several octaves.

The nurse shrank back in fright: "Third floor."

Just as Sun Gang was about to go inside to call Qin Qiao, she had already swept past him and the nurse like a gust of wind. The woman in sneakers moved with incredible speed; Sun Gang turned his head to look, only catching a glimpse of her clothes disappearing around the corner.

He turned to chase after her, but the nurse stopped him, saying, "You can pay the medical bills later."

The two arrived at the door of the emergency room one after the other, and Sun Gang slipped the payment slip into the window next door.

Just after the formalities were completed, a young male doctor pushed open the door of the office next door, holding a 12-page report in his hand.

"Are you Chen Jiashu's family members?"

Qin Qiao stepped forward to greet him: "I am his wife."

The doctor glanced down at the report, his brow furrowing slightly: "We've only done basic tests so far. This blood test shows that his white blood cell count is more than ten times the normal range, indicating a severe inflammatory infection in his body... but this is not directly related to his injury."

"We noticed that your husband's left eyeball is a bit swollen, and the pupil shape is also somewhat irregular. May we ask if he has had any eye problems before? For example, does he have glaucoma?"

After a moment of surprise, Qin Qiao recounted the medical history in detail: "Yes, his eyes... have many problems. It started with an eye injury that damaged the optic nerve, causing night blindness. Later, his intraocular pressure suddenly increased, and fifteen years ago, he lost sight in his left eye after an acute attack of glaucoma... Then he suffered several retinal detachments... and two months ago, he had another acute attack of glaucoma..."

"Based on the patient's medical history... it is not considered to be a simple glaucoma attack. We now suspect that the eye is the source of infection and need to notify the ophthalmology department for consultation."

After saying this, the doctor turned around and strode into his office, leaving Qin Qiao standing there dumbfounded and at a loss.