Chapter 216 Don't Cripple Him
His face looked extremely anxious, and his voice was trembling with tears.
"Xiuwei, something's happened! Someone brought a message that Zhongshun is dying. The doctors say there's no hope. Before he passed away, he kept saying he wanted to see you one last time!"
Shen Xiuwei initially didn't believe it at all.
Zhong Shun was fine just two days ago, how could he suddenly be dying?
Lu Zhonghe cried so hard that snot and tears streamed down his face. He knelt on the ground, slapping his thighs and wailing.
Who wouldn't be alarmed by that sight?
She hurriedly locked the door, not even finishing her lunch, grabbed her coat, and followed the two out the door.
Along the way, Lu Zhonghe kept urging him on.
"Hurry up! It'll be too late if we're any later!"
As soon as she stepped out the door, she wanted to run to the main road and take a ride directly to the county hospital to check on her condition.
But Lu Baimei grabbed her.
"Don't take the main road! It's too far. I know a shortcut, a path through the mountains, that will only take two hours! Let's take the shortcut and still make it before we see each other one last time!"
Lu Xiuye had indeed heard that there was a small path in the mountains that led to the county town.
She had heard the elders mention it when she was a child, but she had hardly ever walked that route and couldn't remember the specific way.
Moreover, no one usually walks on that kind of road; she always thought it was just a legend to scare children.
Human life was at stake, and all she wanted to do was get there as quickly as possible.
And so, she followed them into the mountains in a daze.
At first, things were fine; the three of them left in a hurry, and she didn't ask many questions.
But the further you go in, the quieter it gets.
She felt like something was off.
Lu Zhonghe would occasionally glance back at her, his eyes dark and gloomy.
Two strange men suddenly appeared in front of them.
The two men were wearing old gray-black coats, and their faces were half-covered by their hats.
He stood motionless at the crossroads, as if waiting for someone.
When Lu Zhonghe saw them, a smug look flashed across his face. He kept staring at Lu Xiuye while winking at the two of them.
Lu Xiuye's heart tightened.
She finally realized something was wrong; this wasn't the way to the county town!
She turned and tried to run away.
But Lu Shuixian suddenly pounced on her and grabbed her arm tightly.
In desperation, she bit Lu Shuixian's hand and struggled with all her might.
Before she could break free, Lu Zhonghe and the two men rushed at her.
One covered her mouth, another pressed her hand down, and yet another pulled out a thick hemp rope that had been prepared beforehand.
They tied her up tightly in no time.
During her struggle, Lu Xiuye kicked and thrashed wildly with all her might.
Several kicks landed heavily on Lu Zhonghe's calves.
Lu Zhonghe was furious, his face turning ashen. He slammed her to the ground, quickly pulled out a rope from behind his waist, and tied her hands behind her back in a few swift movements.
As soon as he let go, he raised his fist and slammed it down hard on Lu Xiuye's shoulder and back.
Then he raised his foot and kicked her repeatedly.
"I'm going to kill that little bastard!"
Shen Cuifen bit her lip tightly.
She stared intently at Lu Zhonghe, who was committing violence in the distance.
But she couldn't move and could only watch helplessly.
"Aunt Cuifen, don't act rashly!"
Song Wenhua stood beside her, his eyes fixed on the situation ahead.
He quickly scanned his surroundings, his mind racing.
Suddenly, his gaze fell on an old locust tree to his left rear, and his eyes lit up as he had an idea.
The tree trunk was thick and sturdy.
The bark is cracked, but the branches and leaves are lush.
It was enough to obscure a person's figure.
If you move quietly enough, you can get close without being detected.
"Aunt Cuifen, go around to the left."
He quietly raised his hand, his index finger gently pointing in the direction of the old locust tree.
"You hide behind the tree and wait for my signal. As soon as I pounce and pin one of them down, you immediately rush out and take Takae with you in the chaos. Run as far as you can!"
Shen Cuifen had just lifted one foot, preparing to do as he said.
But after hearing the plan, they immediately stopped in their tracks.
"No! Absolutely not!"
She couldn't just stand by and watch Song Wenhua go to his death.
Although he was a boy.
But in her heart, he was always a child who hadn't grown up.
He shouldn't have gotten involved in such a life-or-death situation.
What's more, those two men were holding sickles.
That is a deadly weapon that can take a life in an instant.
In a one-on-one situation, she might still believe that Song Wenhua had some skills.
But now it's one against two, and the other side has weapons.
This isn't fighting, this is risking your life!
Song Wenhua was about to speak again to persuade him.
Before he could finish speaking, he suddenly caught a glimpse of Shen Guizhen running towards him, panting heavily, out of the corner of his eye.
Her face was covered in sweat, and her hair was plastered messily to her cheeks.
Upon seeing this, Shen Cuifen immediately raised her index finger and pressed it tightly to her lips.
When Shen Guizhen saw this scene, she froze in fright and quickly slowed her pace, approaching stealthily.
Shen Cuifen reacted quickly, covering her mouth the moment she got close.
She witnessed Lu Xiuye being pinned to the ground and beaten.
"Guizhen, listen to me."
Shen Cuifen lowered her voice, making it almost inaudible.
"Go around behind that old locust tree and hide. Wenhua and I will try to hold them off. When the opportunity arises, rush up and untie Guizhi as soon as we make our move, then take her and run! Don't look back, don't hesitate, just keep running, understand?"
Shen Guizhen nodded frantically, tears streaming down her face.
She couldn't say a word, she just nodded with all her might.
Shen Cuifen took a deep breath and was about to take a step.
Suddenly, Song Wenhua grabbed her arm.
"Aunt Cuifen, don't go! I can hold them off by myself! You and Guizhen go and rescue them! I've already asked Mom to call people to the village. It's too dangerous for you to rush in!"
Shen Cuifen didn't say anything, but instead forced the knife she was using to chop vegetables into his hand.
Her fingers were icy cold, and the area between her thumb and forefinger was calloused from years of cutting vegetables.
Her gaze never left Song Wenhua's face.
"Wenhua, this is my daughter. How could I not know what's important? As for you, don't be reckless. Your life is the most important thing."
After she finished speaking, her eyes reddened slightly, but she didn't let the tears fall.
Shen Cuifen turned to leave before she could finish speaking.
The wind brushed past her ear, ruffling a few strands of gray hair on her forehead.
Song Wenhua shoved the kitchen knife back into her hand.
"I don't need it!"
As soon as he finished speaking, he went around to the other side.
Shen Cuifen didn't waste any more words. She nodded to Shen Guizhen, and their eyes met in a fleeting moment, conveying everything without words.
She gritted her teeth, gripped the knife tightly, and quietly approached Lu Xiuye.
"Stop hitting her! I've already given you the money! If you cripple her, what will the traffickers buy? Who wants scrap metal!"
Zhang Qiang cursed as he stomped his feet, sending mud flying everywhere.
This girl is pretty, with an oval face, big eyes, and fair skin; she looks like she could fetch a high price.
If he gets scared and becomes seriously injured, or even crippled, he won't be able to sell the item for a good price, and he'll suffer a huge loss.
Lu Zhonghe squatted down next to Lu Xiuye, kicking and spitting at her.
"You almost crippled me! If I hadn't already taken the money, I would have broken your legs today!"
As he spoke, he raised his foot and kicked Lu Xiuye hard in the side.
Lu Xiuye suddenly spat, hitting him squarely in the face.
"A person like you, if not useless, is still a waste."
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