One of the older women, Zhou Cunhua, was unhappy: "I want to go down the mountain with you. These thugs are too scary. Even if I'm tied up, I'm still scared. If Lin Zhiqing isn't here, who knows what will happen later? If you can't move, just stay here. I'll go with Lin Zhiqing to find someone to rescue you."
Lin Xiaoxiao looked at her calmly:
“Sure, you can go down the mountain yourself. I’ll go back and ride my bicycle to the commune and the police station. Once you’re down the mountain, call someone over.”
Zhou Cunhua felt a little guilty under Lin Xiaoxiao's gaze. After hesitating for a moment, she tugged at the old woman next to her and said, "Lin Mudan, why don't we go down the mountain together?"
"We two can still use our hands and feet, but what if... what if these people have accomplices? Wouldn't we just be stuck here waiting to die?"
Upon hearing this, Lin Mudan secretly glanced at Lin Xiaoxiao and also at the educated youth walking by.
Seeing their pale faces, he refused, saying, "It's better not to. The two men are too weak to exert any strength, and the girl is injured. It's safer for several people to be together."
"If we leave on our own, who knows what we might attract?"
“I’ll stay here. You’ve seen how fast Lin Zhiqing can walk; he’s definitely faster than us.”
Upon hearing this, Wang Xue shouted, "If you go, you definitely won't be as fast as Xiaoxiao. If you get injured along the way, don't complain about anything."
Zhang Yu, standing to the side, said, "Lin Zhiqing, you should hurry down the mountain now."
"No matter what your decision is, we believe in you."
"We're waiting for you here."
Liu Lele also said, "Yes, I'm leaving everything to you."
Seeing that there were no objections, Lin Xiaoxiao's expression softened a bit: "It's getting dark. Gather some dry branches. If I'm not back by then, start a fire."
"A campfire can provide warmth and also scare away wild animals in the mountains."
It was still April, and the temperature difference was significant, especially after sunset when it was even colder.
The group nodded, and Lin Xiaoxiao left them her box of matches.
Then they ran towards the village.
****
Lin Xiaoxiao's legs moved like a clockwork toy, running non-stop down the mountain. Her hair flew wildly behind her head, as if driven by her anxiety.
The trees on the mountain rushed past her, their branches like menacing monsters, constantly tugging at her clothes and leaving tiny cuts, but she was completely unaware.
They went too deep into the mountains this time, so it took them a lot of time to run all the way.
The sun had already set in the west, and the sky was dyed orange-red. That color should have been warm and charming, but now it seemed to be urging people to race against the darkness.
Lin Xiaoxiao had only one thought in her mind: to run to the brigade leader's house as soon as possible to get help.
By the time she reached the mountainside, it was already very late, and darkness surged in from all directions like a tide.
Fortunately, the villagers noticed that the group hadn't come down the mountain, and several strong men were already searching for them on the mountain.
Lin Xiaoxiao saw Wang Dazhuang's tall figure from afar, and she shouted at the top of her lungs, "Wang Dazhuang! Wang Dazhuang!"
The sound echoed through the silent mountains, startling a flock of birds perched in the trees. They flapped their wings and flew towards the already darkening sky.
Upon hearing the voice, Wang Dazhuang quickly turned around. The moment he saw Lin Xiaoxiao, he couldn't help but let out a long sigh of relief.
"Lin Zhiqing, are you alright?" he asked as he walked quickly toward Lin Xiaoxiao, his eyes filled with concern and worry.
Several burly men nearby also gathered around.
“We told you not to go any further up…” a burly man couldn’t help but complain.
Lin Xiaoxiao was panting heavily, her chest heaving. She didn't have time to respond and said urgently, "Now is not the time to talk about this. Save people first."
"Save people? What happened to them?" Wang Dazhuang asked, frowning.
"Did we run into something big?" another burly man guessed, a hint of fear flashing in his eyes. He unconsciously tightened his grip on the flashlight, its dim yellow light trembling slightly.
Lin Xiaoxiao didn't waste any words. Her gaze swept across everyone's faces, and her voice was a little hoarse but very firm: "The villagers and the educated youth encountered a few people on the mountain. They looked like bandits. Wang Xue and the others were all injured."
"What!" Several burly men exclaimed in unison, their faces filled with shock.
They've never encountered strangers in the mountains, they rarely even run into wild boars, and the wolves only appeared a few years ago.
That's why they didn't keep such close watch on people when they were hiking today.
This news was like a bombshell; it was the first time I'd ever felt that the hills in the village were so dangerous.
Lin Xiaoxiao gave a brief explanation of the situation, her voice still slightly breathless.
The burly man standing nearby was so shocked that his eyes widened.
Four thugs carrying knives—that's already quite frightening.
The important thing is, they kidnapped these people?
How could they not know that the villagers were all so capable?
"Quickly get someone to carry two stretchers up, and remember to take one more person to the police station," Lin Xiaoxiao quickly instructed, her eyes revealing an undeniable authority.
"And remember to call the doctor over."
"The rest of you come back with me. It's getting dark, and we don't know what might happen to them."
The once noisy mountain village seemed to have been silenced, with only Lin Xiaoxiao's heavy breathing echoing in the background.
"What are you all standing there for? Hurry up, time waits for no one!" Lin Xiaoxiao's roar broke the eerie silence, and the burly men snapped out of their daze and sprang into action.
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