Everything was ready, and there was still an hour before school ended. Shen Tingzhou looked at Lin Wanqiu, his eyes full of worry: "You wait at home, I'll go. It's too dangerous there."
"No, I have to go!" Lin Wanqiu said firmly. "Nian'an is my son, and I can't let him face danger alone. Besides, I have medical supplies in my spatial storage, so I can treat anyone who gets injured in time."
Shen Tingzhou knew her temperament; once she made up her mind, she would never easily change it. He nodded helplessly and reached out to tuck a stray hair behind her ear: "Then you must stay by my side and are not allowed to act on your own."
Lin Wanqiu nodded in agreement, and the two walked side by side toward the school. The cold wind was still biting, but their steps were unusually firm.
At the school gate, the faint sounds of children's laughter could be heard. The lookouts arranged by Shen Tingzhou were already in position; dressed in ordinary cotton-padded clothes, they mingled among the parents picking up their children, their eyes constantly alert to any movement around them. Shen Tingzhou and Lin Wanqiu hid under an old locust tree not far away, closely watching the direction of the alley entrance—the only way the children could go home from school, and also the meeting place between Lin Moli and the hooligan.
Time ticked by, and the end of school drew ever closer. Lin Wanqiu's heart pounded faster and faster. She gripped Shen Tingzhou's hand tightly, her palms sweating. Sensing her nervousness, Shen Tingzhou gently patted the back of her hand, giving her a reassuring look.
Finally, the school bell rang. The children lined up and walked out of the school, their chatter full of energy. Lin Wanqiu spotted Nian'an at a glance. He was carrying his little schoolbag, following beside the teacher, his little face full of anticipation, clearly waiting for them to pick him up.
Just then, two furtive figures appeared at the alley entrance. They were the same two thugs Lin Wanqiu had seen that morning! They were wearing black cotton coats with their hats pulled low, covering most of their faces, but their eyes were fixed on Nian An like hungry wolves eyeing their prey.
Lin Wanqiu's heart leaped into her throat. She instinctively wanted to rush out, but Shen Tingzhou held her back. He shook his head and whispered, "Wait a little longer. We'll make our move when they get closer to Nian'an."
Nian'an seemed to sense something. He stopped and glanced towards the alley entrance, then quickly pulled a brass whistle from his schoolbag and gripped it tightly in his hand. He remembered his father's words: blow the whistle if you're in danger.
When Nian'an stopped, the two thugs exchanged a glance and slowly walked over. One of them, a tall, thin man, put on a fake smile and said to Nian'an, "Little boy, your mother sent me to pick you up. Come with me."
Nian'an took a step back, looking at them warily: "I don't know you. My mother said she would come to pick me up herself. I won't go with strangers."
The tall, thin man's face darkened, and he reached out to grab Nian'an's arm: "Stop talking nonsense, come with me!"
Just then, Nian'an suddenly blew his brass whistle! "Beep—beep—" The sharp whistle broke the afternoon's tranquility and echoed through the alley.
The villagers who had been lying in ambush nearby immediately rushed out. Uncle Zhang, holding a wooden stick, shouted, "Catch the hooligans! Don't let them get away!"
Seeing this, the two thugs' faces changed drastically, and they turned to run. But they had only taken two steps when Shen Tingzhou blocked their path. Shen Tingzhou's eyes were icy cold, and before they could react, he punched the tall, thin man in the face. The tall, thin man screamed and fell to the ground, blood streaming from his nose. The other, short, fat man tried to sneak up from the side, but Shen Tingzhou kicked him in the knee. With a loud "crack," the sound of bones breaking was clearly audible. The short, fat man clutched his knee, rolling on the ground in pain.
Lin Wanqiu rushed to Nian'an's side, hugged him tightly, and said in a choked voice, "Nian'an, don't be afraid, Mother is here, everything is alright."
Nian'an hugged Lin Wanqiu's neck tightly, her little face full of tears, but she still said bravely, "Mom, I'm not afraid. I did what Dad taught me. I blew the whistle."
Lin Wanqiu stroked his head tenderly, tears welling up in her eyes: "Good boy, you did a great job, you protected yourself."
The villagers gathered around, and seeing the two thugs groaning on the ground, they cursed with satisfaction, "These beasts, how dare they kidnap a child from our village! They're tired of living!"
"Tie them up and send them to the commune police station so they can receive the punishment they deserve!"
Shen Tingzhou squatted down, looking at the two thugs on the ground with sharp, piercing eyes: "Tell me, where is your leader 'Brother Li'? What is your relationship with Lin Moli?"
The tall, thin man grimaced in pain, but still tried to argue, "I don't know anything about 'Brother Li,' we were just passing by, and it has nothing to do with Lin Moli!"
"Still dare to talk back!" Uncle Zhang stepped forward, raised his wooden stick to strike, but was stopped by Shen Tingzhou.
Shen Tingzhou sneered, pulled a dagger from his pocket, and placed it against the tall, thin man's neck. The cold blade pressed against his skin, making the man tremble with fear: "I'll ask you one more time, where is 'Brother Li'? What did Lin Moli tell you? If you don't tell me, I'll cripple your hands!"
The tall, thin man was terrified and begged for mercy: "I'll talk! I'll talk! 'Brother Li' is waiting in the dilapidated temple at the east end of the village. Lin Moli made a deal with us: if we tied the child up to the temple, she would give us fifty yuan! She said that if we caught the child, we could force Lin Wanqiu to hand over her family property!"
Just as I thought! Lin Wanqiu trembled with rage. Lin Moli, for money, actually colluded with thugs to kidnap her own nephew. She was utterly depraved!
“Let’s go to the ruined temple and catch ‘Brother Li’ and Lin Moli!” Shen Tingzhou stood up and said to the villagers.
Everyone agreed in unison, tied the two thugs up with rope, and followed Shen Tingzhou toward the dilapidated temple at the east end of the village. Lin Wanqiu, carrying Nian'an, also followed behind the group. She wanted to see Lin Moli and that fake Li cadre brought to justice and seek justice for Nian'an.
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