Hero saves the beauty
Li Guorong's mind went blank. Why didn't you save her? She swayed back and forth in the car, agitated.
A fierce glint flashed in the short man's eyes. What a nuisance. He should have just thrown him up on the mountain to feed the wolves. "Keep shaking me if you miss."
Li Guorong felt as if all the blood in her body had stopped flowing. Had Lin Shaocheng been killed? She had caused the deaths of her second brother and Mancang. She lay in despair under the basket, silently shedding tears. If this was all a nightmare, she wished she could wake up soon.
The two people drove onto the national highway, and several other trucks heading out of the mountains were also traveling on the same road, without interfering with each other.
Lin Shaocheng stared at the car in front of him, thinking of a solution. The commune logo on the car seemed to indicate the counties where he traded medicinal herbs.
Three or four days have passed, and only male remains have been found on the mountain. The villagers say that the young woman's remains have not been found.
Li Xiangxi kept touching his longevity lock, muttering, "Maybe it's an animal. We also deal in medicinal herbs. It can't be a person. Let's just ignore it. That tall guy looks like he can fight. Let's not get involved."
Lin Shaocheng said in a low voice, "Stop arguing."
As dusk settled and the mountain road was dark without streetlights, it was dangerous for many trucks to drive on the mountain road in the dark. Once they veered off the mountain road, there were cliffs and rushing rivers below. They could only spend a little bit of food coupons to park in the self-built houses in the rural areas by the roadside.
Lin Shaocheng didn't choose a shop like the tall and short ones; there were two or three shops away from their trucks.
Li Xiangxi's legs trembled. "Brother, what should we do?"
Lin Shaocheng instructed, "Go to the nearest police station to report this."
Li Xiangxi hesitated and said, "But what if it's just an animal?"
Lin Shaocheng stood on high ground and said, "Stop talking nonsense and go call the police."
Late at night, Li Guorong felt a wetness on the corner of her mouth. She opened her eyes and saw a tall, fleshy face reflected in them. Li Guorong stared at him with her clear, cold eyes, as if she wanted to devour him alive.
The short man said, "This woman can't be kept. We need to sell her quickly; she hates us."
The tall man said, "Wait for Aunt Hua, she said she'll get me a different one."
The short guy chuckled, "This saves me money, I have to get a bigger share of the panda money."
The tall man didn't speak, but the short man knew that meant he agreed.
By the moonlight, Li Guorong saw a panda cub in the truck bed, its mouth white as if it had been fed milk, lying in a cage. Beneath it lay its mother's skin and a gray wolf's fur.
Li Guorong was fed water and then thrown back into the car. She rubbed the rope behind her with her hands, but the rope was getting tighter and tighter. Was this the only way? She closed her eyes to conserve her energy.
The moon was high in the sky, and all was quiet.
A beam of moonlight shone on Li Guorong's face. She pursed her lips tightly. Feeling the moonlight, she suddenly opened her eyes, her eyes burning with a fierce anger that seemed to consume her life.
Lin Shaocheng paused for a second, then quickly put his hand to his lips to make a shushing gesture. He used a knife to cut the gag in Li Guorong's mouth and the ropes on her hands and feet, and then took out a slightly melted, warm chocolate from his pocket and put it in her mouth.
Li Guorong clung tightly to the car, about to jump down, when he suddenly stopped.
With a click, the door opened, and a young driver emerged in the moonlight to relieve himself by the roadside.
The tall man closed his eyes, which he had just opened, upon hearing the voice. The short man mocked, "So young and your kidneys aren't even functioning properly."
Li Guorong fell into Lin Shaocheng's arms. The scent of grass mixed with the ocean soothed her wildly beating heart. She was saved, and she smiled for the first time in days.
Lin Shaocheng pulled Li Guorong by the hand and quietly moved towards his own truck. Beads of sweat dripped from Lin Shaocheng's temples, and the fierce night wind blew his robes. Like a legendary knight-errant rescuing a woman in distress, Li Guorong felt a surge of emotion. No one had ever protected him like this before.
Her head was bowed, and her heart, which had been broken and chilled time and time again by her ex-husband Ye Fan, seemed to begin to beat again.
A dark figure blocked the road to the east. "Look, a hero rescuing a damsel in distress? Or a pair of star-crossed lovers?"
Li Guorong suddenly gripped Lin Shaocheng's hand tightly. How could she have woken them up? They had been so careful. Her mouth trembled uncontrollably, and the image of Qian Mancang's unseeing face kept flashing through her mind.
She turned her head, and the tall man behind her blocked her way like a black mountain. On one side was a steep mountain, and on the other side was a cliff, with the surging river below.
Unless they can fly or disappear underground, they are truly doomed.
Li Guorong released Lin Shaocheng's hand and whispered, "That short guy seems to have a gun. Brother Cheng, you can leave on your own if you have the chance. I'm already very grateful that you came to save me."
Lin Shaocheng shook his head. The farmhouse where they were staying was right next door; firing would attract even more people. They probably wouldn't fire indiscriminately.
He took out a wad of cash from his pocket and said, "I've taken a liking to this woman. Here's 3,000 yuan. Transporting people on the road is too risky, so why not just sell her to me?"
The tall man's eyes gleamed with greed, while the short man sneered, "Do you think we're stupid? You know this bitch, and you're still pretending."
Several windows of the farmhouse were open, and everyone was watching. After all, they were just transporting goods, and other people's lives were not as important as their own. If things went wrong, they would have to run away as soon as possible. If they didn't have any connections, they had to be bold and, more importantly, know how to protect themselves.
Lin Shaocheng whispered to Li Guorong, "I'll stop them. You run east. My cousin has already called the police."
Lin Shaocheng gripped her hand again and dashed forward like an arrow. In an instant, he started wrestling with the short man. She was thrown behind the short man, and the tall man quickly came to help.
Lin Shaocheng placed his hands on the short man's shoulders and leaped into the air to kick the tall man, whose bear-like body was actually kicked so hard that he staggered.
The tall man grinned menacingly and said, "You've got some skills."
The short man raised his arms and punched the man in the face.
Lin Shaocheng did a somersault in the air and landed lightly. He frowned; this tall guy was an expert.
The tall man said, "Let's be fair. It'll be one-on-one between you and me. My brother will chase that woman back. If he can beat me, I'll let you two go."
The shorter man turned to give chase, but Lin Shaocheng blocked him. The taller man thrust his knife forward, forcing Lin Shaocheng to retreat. He reached behind his waist and pulled out two knives.
The short man smiled smugly and chased after him.
The wind howled, rustling the leaves on both sides of the road. The pale moonlight illuminated the long road, with towering mountains on one side and a surging river on the other.
Li Guorong's legs felt like they were filled with lead, whirring like a broken bellows. She no longer had the energy to think, mechanically running forward.
"Peng"
Something exploded at my feet.
She felt a chill run down her spine and turned around.
The short man held up a gun, staring at her with a wicked grin, "Run again and I'll break your legs."
Li Guorong's chest heaved violently, and his eyes shone like sparks.
"Ah~" she cried out in anguish from the bottom of her heart.
She was fed up with being trapped in the car, fed up with escaping time and time again, fed up with being slaughtered like cattle.
She raised her hand to slap the short guy, but this wasn't home, and even her most selfish second brother would give her a little leeway.
The short man kicked her in the knee, and she heard the sound of bones dislocating.
The miracle did not happen.
She made the wrong choice again, and she cursed, "You son of a bitch, if you have the guts, beat me to death!"
The short man's face turned fierce. How dare a little sissy insult him? He picked up the butt of his shotgun, ready to give Li Guorong a good whack.
Several bicycles rode up ahead, shining flashlights into the short man's eyes.
"Hands up, hands behind your head, squat down, and don't move."
The short man raised his head, looking disdainful. They didn't even have a motorcycle; they thought they could catch them on a bicycle? They'd rather die than live like this.
Several police officers, wielding batons, confronted the short man.
The short man grabbed Li Guorong, his left hand gripping Li Guorong's neck, the butt of his rifle against his right arm, his index finger on the trigger of the shotgun, and he sneered, "Just a few batons, you're asking for death."
The older policeman pulled out the only gun in the police station from his waist. Sweat beaded on the younger policeman's temples, and his Adam's apple bobbed. He hadn't expected the criminal to have a hunting rifle.
The veteran policeman advised, "If you release this girl, your crime may be mitigated. If you remain obstinate, you will truly have no chance to reform in the future."
The short man, who had been using Li Guorong to shield himself from the bullets, said disdainfully, "Who are you kidding? You'd better stay away. My shotgun doesn't have eyes."
Several police officers pressed closer, and the short man held Li Guorong hostage as they approached the cliff. The surging river flowed below, and the misty air above the cliff was palpable.
The short man anxiously looked around for a way out; why hadn't his accomplices dealt with that kid yet?
As long as the tall guy is driving the truck, he can jump on it and the few people in front of him will be no match for him.
Not seeing his brother, Li Xiangxi reached out and tugged at the police officer next to him, whispering, "He has an accomplice, and they might have gotten into a fight with my brother."
The police officers were also in a dilemma. There was a gun holding a hostage, which greatly increased the risk. If they sent more officers elsewhere, they might not get the desired results from either side.
While the police officers were hesitating, a truck sped towards them, and the officers quickly took cover.
A glint of light flashed in the short man's eyes. He threw Li Guorong aside, aimed his hands at Li Guorong, and fired.
"Bang." Blood exploded in Li Guorong's abdomen.
The truck reversed again and headed towards the short man. The tall man and the short man inside the truck both showed the same excitement on their faces.
The pain was unbearable. Li Guorong exhausted the last of his life and lunged at the short man. The short man reached out but missed the car door. He flew away, desperately trying to grab a tree branch and kick her off. Li Guorong held onto the murderer tightly. Tree branches and pebbles kept hitting the two of them. The wind grew stronger and stronger, and the speed increased. A protruding rock hit the short man's head, and red blood splattered on Li Guorong's face. The short man finally fell silent.
Li Guorong loosened his arms and plunged into the rolling river.
She felt her body become very light, and she returned to the cliff. Another large truck forced the tall man's truck to stop. The tall man's limbs were shot by the police and he was subdued on the ground.
Lin Shaocheng's younger brother was bandaging Lin Shaocheng's wounds when she said, "Thank you."
Lin Shaocheng seemed to sense something and looked up at the sky.
She vanished like smoke from a cooking fire, and when she regained consciousness, she was back home. There were three coffins in the mourning hall, and in the center of the altar was a photo of her father, with photos of her and her second brother on either side. The cries from inside were deafening.
My mother's once completely black hair has turned gray, just like when she returned to her hometown at the age of 50. My eldest sister and younger brother were crying their hearts out, while my eldest brother's spine was bent like a mature shrimp, and he dared not lift his head as he lay on the ground.
Li Guorong suddenly felt a burning pain in her chest. If she had to go through it again, she would definitely be more careful.
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