Chapter 22 Sophomore Year
Before dinner, Nanjiu went to the kitchen to serve the dishes. Aunt Qin and Zhenmin were talking in the kitchen. Aunt Qin asked Zhenmin how much money she still needed to pay off her debt. Zhenmin said she only had a few tens of thousands left to pay it off. Aunt Qin then asked her what her plans were after she paid it off. Was she still planning to stay in Chashan? Zhenmin said she hadn't decided yet.
After Zhenmin took the meal out, Nanjiu asked, "Zhenmin, do you owe others money?"
"She has to save up the money she paid for the betrothal gift, otherwise she won't be able to live a peaceful life."
Aunt Qin went to the main hall. Zhenmin put down her meal and returned. Nanjiu picked up the dishes and crossed the hallway. Their eyes met briefly, then averted. She understood Zhenmin's desire to make money and the struggle in her eyes when she had spoken to her earlier.
Survival is the prerequisite for all desires and dreams.
......
Nanjiu spent her 19th birthday at school. She bought herself a palm-sized cake, borrowed a thin, long candle from a roommate, and lit it on the dormitory balcony. Then, someone reported her for arson. She ran to the dormitory manager with the cake in her hand to explain, but on the way, it fell to the ground and she stepped on it, crushing it to pieces.
That night, Nanjiu lay on her bed in the dorm and made three wishes to the ceiling. The first two were about tuition and her future. But the third was simple and unpretentious: she hoped to not spend her 20th birthday alone.
Song Ting went out for a bit in the afternoon and returned just as the sun had set. His house, nestled in the tea garden, had a perfect view of the warehouse on the hilltop. A few nights ago, the lights in the little house on the hilltop were always on. Even when Nan Jiu went to Aunt Qin's house for dinner, the lights in the house were usually on to illuminate the way back.
Today, however, the mountaintop was pitch black, and the lights were off in the house, which seemed a bit unusual. Song Ting pulled out his phone and sent a message to Nanjiu: "Where are you?"
There was no reply to the message for a long time, so Song Ting simply made a phone call. The call was connected, but no one answered.
His face darkened slightly. He opened the door and continued to call Nanjiu while walking towards the top of the mountain.
At the top of the hill, Da Huang was guarding the door. Seeing Song Ting, he wagged his tail. Song Ting knocked on the door, but there was no response. He took out his cell phone and called, but there was no ringing.
Song Ting turned and walked towards Aunt Qin's house, knocking on the door. Old Uncle Eight poked his head in and asked, "Why are you here so late?"
Song Ting's eyes swept around the main room without leaving any trace. He was about to ask something, but when it came to his mouth, he changed it to: "I need to borrow a wrench from you."
"I gave it to Sanwaizi." Lao Ba replied.
Sanwaizi was referring to Junzi's father. Junzi's father had asked Song Ting if he had a box wrench that day, and Song Ting had told him that Lao Ba had one. Of course, Song Ting knew where Lao Ba's box wrench was, but he was just trying to make conversation, and mentioned, "Has Xiaojiu been here for dinner?"
"He said he had a poor appetite today and went back after eating half a bowl," said Aunt Qin.
Song Ting didn't stay any longer and said he was going to Sanwaizi's house to get a wrench.
The nights in the village are always quieter earlier than outside the mountains. Before midnight, every household has closed their doors and windows, and the dirt road is dark without a single street light.
Song Ting groped his way to Sanwaizi's house. Sanwaizi opened the door in slippers and saw Song Ting standing outside at this time. He asked in surprise, "What happened?"
"Nothing's wrong. Something's broken in the house. I'm here to get a wrench."
Sanwaizi breathed a sigh of relief and ran back to the yard to dig out the box wrench. Song Ting glanced at Junzi's room. The lights were off. As Sanwaizi handed the wrench to Song Ting, he asked, "Is Junzi not home?"
"I don't know if he's with Zhang Jiang and the others. He hasn't come back yet."
Song Ting took the wrench, helped Sanwaizi close the gate, and stepped into the night again.
After Junzi's grandfather passed away, the old house had been empty. It was located on the east side of the village, a sparsely populated area. Sanwaizi planned to renovate the house before Junzi got married and use it as his wedding room.
Since the family had this plan, Junzi regarded the old house as his second home. He would run to the old house when he had nothing to do, stay there alone, hide away for a while, and enjoy the leisure and comfort.
The old house was temporarily unoccupied and the electricity was out. Only the light from the mobile phone illuminated the roof intermittently.
Nan Jiu was half lying on the old rocking chair. The chair made a regular creaking sound, like a lullaby, rocking her to sleep.
Junzi glanced at the name displayed on the phone screen again: "Are you really not going to answer it?"
Nan Jiu half closed his eyes and said nothing.
Song Ting pushed her away, left her hanging, and sent her away. He made her feel bad, so no one should feel good.
Junzi huddled on the small bench next to Nanjiu: "But he probably doesn't know this place. I only brought Zhang Jiang here..."
Nanjiu suddenly raised his hand to stop Junzi from speaking.
The soles of his shoes rustled over the dead leaves, making a faint rustling sound. After a few seconds, Junzi could clearly hear footsteps outside the house. They paused in front of the door, and through the window covered with old newspapers, he could vaguely see a tall figure outside.
Junzi sat up straight, held his breath, looked at Nanjiu, and moved his lips: "What should I do?"
Nan Jiu didn't respond, not even blinking.
The black screen on the table lit up again, and the ringing of a mobile phone echoed throughout the room.
The sudden ringing of the bell in his ear startled Junzi, and he was so anxious that he wanted to find a place to hide. Nanjiu saw his panic and made a gesture to him to keep quiet, telling him not to panic.
The ringing stopped, and Song Ting's suppressed and low voice came from outside the room: "Are you coming out by yourself, or do you want me to come in?"
Nan Jiu still didn't move. The creaking sound of the old rocking chair became a death talisman in the night, pressing on Song Ting's beating nerves.
"What are you doing in there?" He slapped his hand on the locked wooden door.
The old wooden door couldn't withstand the brutal force and was almost shattered. Junzi huddled beside Nanjiu, constantly pulling at her: "Think of a way, I'm afraid he'll rush in and beat me up."
"Have you done something wrong?" Nan Jiu was not afraid at all and turned to make fun of Junzi.
"No."
"What are you afraid of without you?"
The slaps from outside the door turned into fists, hitting the wooden door. The abnormal silence in the house continued to challenge Song Ting's bottom line. He grabbed the wrench and smashed it against the door lock.
The moment the door was pushed open, Nan Jiu tilted her body slightly, and the strap on her right shoulder slipped off. She ignored it and raised her watery eyes.
Nan Jiu has been competing with Song Ting in wits and courage since she was a child. Although she may not be able to defeat him, she knows how to accurately hit his pain points.
The walls of the old house were bleak. Moonlight streamed through the door, drifting across the dust. Nan Jiu lay in a rocking chair, its body groaning rhythmically with her breathing. Her arms dangled over the side, her fingertips resting on a half-empty can of beer. The cool, black, woven sling wrapped around her body in an almost feral manner, one side slipping over her shoulder, the thin strap hanging loosely from her arm. The line of her neck extended to her shoulder, a visually striking sight that instantly took Song Ting's breath away. His eyes, like a hawk lurking in the darkness, fixed on Junzi, who clung to Nan Jiu's side.
Junzi had never seen Boss Song like this before, and was so frightened that he couldn't breathe. Song Ting walked over, snatched the beer from Nanjiu's hand, threw it in front of Junzi, grabbed Nanjiu's wrist, and unceremoniously lifted her from the rocking chair. His undisguised anger was even more terrifying than when he caught her in the internet cafe a few years ago.
Nanjiu was dragged out by him. He pulled her arm and she pulled back. The two of them pulled, entangled, and dragged all the way to the tea garden.
Song Ting turned around suddenly: "Do you have to make trouble with me outside?"
"I'm not making trouble with you, I just don't want to go with you." There was an unruly look in her eyes that burned people's hearts.
He stared at her, the veins on his neck throbbing. "Why are you not sleeping in the middle of the night and running to be with him in the house?"
"What do you think?"
"Nanjiu!" He suppressed his anger, his voice hoarse and cold, "What on earth do you want to do?"
She raised her eyes, a few strands of hair broke free on the way back, rising and falling with her breathing, and her wet eyes looked at him, like the pupils of a small animal in the mountains that suddenly opened, ready to pounce and bite at any time.
"You saw what happened in the village a while ago. Two young people went out for a while at night, were discovered, and had to get married. Didn't you consider the consequences?"
Nan Jiu craned her neck and looked him straight in the eye. "What could the consequences be?" She pressed forward. "Are you going to hold me here and marry Junzi?"
She kept getting closer, and her eyes were filled with restless light and shadow: "Will you allow it?"
Song Ting's eyes caught the light as her white neck drifted towards him. Her fragrance lingered as she approached. It wasn't perfume, but the body odor that seeped from within her body, from beneath her skin. He had tasted this scent before; it was addictive, but like a poisoned apple, it could also be fatal.
Her eyes flicked across his lips, and her delicate fingertips lifted them gently, brushing across his heaving chest with lazy provocation.
Song Ting grabbed her wrist with such force that it almost broke her bones. Nan Jiu lowered her head and bit his forearm, not retreating but attacking.
His muscles tensed suddenly, only to tighten their grip on hers. A silent struggle filled the night. Like a savage beast, she bit at his vulnerable spots from all sides, trying to tear through his steel and iron bones and burrow into his flesh. But Song Ting always kept her at bay, sealing her thoughts with one lock after another.
The teeth pierced her skin, and the taste of fresh rust spread on her tongue. The sudden stinging pain made the fire in his eyes burn even more fiercely. He grabbed the back of her neck, pulling her apart, and his fingers dug into her hair like iron clamps, forcing her head up.
"What do you want from me? A long-term relationship or a one-night stand? Tell me."
Nan Jiu was stunned by his blunt questioning. She had never envisioned a long-term relationship with Song Ting. She was drawn to him like a deep-sea fish to light. He evoked a heart-pounding mixture of danger and allure, awakening the dormant ambition in her blood. She bared her fangs, approached him, and attempted to devour him. It was instinct, a biological desire to capture prey. She relished this game of hunting, savoring the flicker in his eyes and the quickening of his pulse as she closed in on him.
A long-term relationship means commitment, responsibility, equality, reciprocity and a shared future, which is completely contrary to her subconscious hunting mentality.
Her silence replaced the answer. What she wanted was destined to go against the creed he adhered to.
Song Ting tightened his knuckles, pinched her neck, pressed down, and warned her with an overwhelming aura: "Don't expect me to let you do whatever you want. I don't have time to play with you."
A villager near the tea garden heard the commotion and turned on a light. The customs in the village were different from those outside. Song Ting had gone through so much trouble to find her because he was concerned about the possible consequences.
Nanjiu, however, paid no attention to these restrictions and concerns. Having grown up in a big city, she was open-minded, avant-garde, and independent, so she didn't care at all. But he had brought her with him, and even if she didn't care, he couldn't just sit back and watch.
Song Ting simply lifted her up onto his shoulders, stopping her from making any more noise. His arms, like iron, clamped around her knees, his palms firmly gripping the outside of her thighs, giving her absolute control.
Nan Jiu felt the world spinning, her vision suddenly rising. His bulging trapezius muscles pressed against her abdomen, mixing with the unique sense of security he possessed. The entire starry sky above her head seemed to be turned upside down over his shoulders.
Song Ting carried Nan Jiu all the way back to the top of the mountain, threw him into the house, and closed the door from outside.
Nan Jiu kicked the door hard. Through the door panel, her voice was angry and irritable: "You will regret it!"
......
That morning, the first message Nanjiu received was from Old Man Nan. He'd remembered her birthday and transferred her a thousand yuan. A little later, Nanjiu received six hundred yuan from her mother, along with a phone call. She briefly wished her a happy birthday and hung up. And then, nothing happened.
When Nanjiu went to Aunt Qin's house, there was a crowd of people gathered at the door. The village was short of supplies, and some women's products and clothes could only be bought in town.
It's not easy to get out of the mountains; you can only catch a bus when the weather is good, and today's bus is one of those. Zhenmin was going to town to do some shopping, and many of the village women came to Aunt Qin's house, asking her to bring them things. Zhenmin grabbed a pen and paper and wrote down everything everyone wanted to buy.
The list was too much. Zhenmin frowned slightly as she looked at it. She could only carry so much, but with the whole village surrounding her, it would be awkward to refuse anyone. Zhenmin's situation in the village was already difficult due to her in-laws' affairs, and if she offended anyone else, her life would be even more difficult. Furthermore, the rainstorm had just stopped, and they needed to hurry up and plow the trees while the weather was clear to restore their vigor. In the tea garden, each radish had its own hole, and if one went, someone else would have to fill it. She didn't want to bother anyone else to go with her.
Nan Jiu saw her dilemma, glanced at the list Zhen Min had written, and asked, "When can you come back?"
"Around noon." Zhenmin replied.
Nan Jiu figured someone would come pick her up in the afternoon, and since she had nothing to do in the morning, she said, "I'll go with you."
Jane nodded gratefully.
Before leaving, Nan Jiu asked Aunt Qin to help give a message to Song Ting in case the person who was supposed to pick her up arrived but she hadn't returned yet.
Today, the relevant departments were going to conduct a routine inspection of the tea factory to check on the standardization of industrial regulations. Song Ting had originally arranged for Director Liu to receive them. After Aunt Qin conveyed Nan Jiu's words, Song Ting suddenly changed his mind and drove to the tea factory himself.
By the time Song Ting returned, it was already past two in the afternoon. He drove straight to the warehouse, but when he didn't see Nan Jiu, he went to Aunt Qin's house. Aunt Qin said they hadn't returned yet, and that they had a lot of shopping to do today, so they were probably delayed for a while.
Song Ting returned to the tea garden and called Nan Jiu on the way. Perhaps he hadn't heard her on the way, so the call went unanswered.
The sun quietly slid to the west, the shadows of the tea bushes overlapped, and the mountains in the distance showed different shades of green, one layer after another.
At the end of the tea ridge, a figure stumbled back. Her hair was sticky to her forehead and cheeks with sweat, her collar was torn and crooked, and her footsteps seemed to be entangled by hooks, one deep step, one shallow step.
Zhen Min's disheveled figure suddenly caught Song Ting's sight. His aura suddenly stagnated. He pushed Zhang Jiang away from him and walked quickly through the tea bushes to meet him.
The moment Zhen Min saw Song Ting, tears welled up in her eyes and her voice trembled uncontrollably: "Nan Jiu... "
As soon as she said this, her knees went weak and she almost fell to her knees in front of Song Ting. The clear slap marks on her face looked like several eye-catching bloodstains.
Blood burned in Song Ting's body, and an uncontrollable roar tore through his throat: "Where is Xiaojiu?"
Zhenmin's eyes were filled with fear, and her lips trembled constantly: "Nanjiu was kidnapped by Zhu Dahai and his men..."
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