Chapter 20 Kidnapping for Convenience
"Impossible." Zhou Yiming said firmly: "Something must have happened to your mother."
Seeing Zhou Tinglan's doubtful expression, Zhou Yiming became increasingly flustered. He gestured with his hands and said, "When your mother went out this morning, she asked me to reorganize the clothes at home. She said she would be home early."
After listening to this, Zhou Tinglan glanced at the sky outside through the window. It was soft and bright. She thought it was almost noon.
My mother is always punctual. If she told my father she would be home early, she would definitely come home on time. But my father is so anxious now. Could it be...
Zhou Tinglan suddenly looked at Zhou Yiming and asked, "Father, isn't Mother home yet?"
Could it really be what she thought?
"I just didn't go home!" Zhou Yiming said anxiously.
Seeing that Zhou Yiming seemed to be on the verge of a mental breakdown, Zhou Tinglan quickly winked at Xie Zechuan, "What are you standing there for? Come over here and help him talk it over."
Xie Zechuan understood and supported Zhou Yiming on his other side, saying, "Uncle, don't be anxious. Let's talk things over. I will send soldiers to search the city."
"How can I not be anxious!" Zhou Yiming shook off Zhou Tinglan and their hands, took a few steps forward, turned around and grabbed Zhou Tinglan's hand and said, "Lan'er, do you know how helpless I felt when I learned about your mother's disappearance on the street just now!"
Zhou Tinglan asked in a deep voice, "Father, what exactly happened? How did you know that mother was missing?"
"I saw it was almost noon, and thought your mother might have been delayed by something, so I went out to look for her. But I searched the entire street and couldn't find her."
"Have you asked the stalls where your mother often buys vegetables?" Zhou Tinglan asked.
Ouch——
When Zhou Yiming heard Zhou Tinglan mention several stalls that the Qiao family often visited, he clapped his hands, which scared Zhou Tinglan.
He said sadly, "How do you think I was so sure your mother was missing? I've been Prime Minister for many years. How could I dare to say such nonsense if I didn't have solid information? I've asked all the stalls. Lan'er, I've seen your mother's menu for today. She's already bought all the vegetables. Where can a woman like her go after buying the vegetables?"
Xie Zechuan immediately realized the seriousness of the matter and immediately walked out of the tent and sent his soldiers to search the entire city.
Zhou Tinglan helped Zhou Yiming to a chair: "Father, drink some water. Xie Zechuan has sent people to look for mother. She will be fine."
Having said that, Zhou Tinglan was still unsure.
Xie Zechuan came back soon with a vegetable basket in his hand. When Zhou Yiming saw the basket, his eyes went dark and he fainted immediately.
Zhou Tinglan took it and checked it, and found that it was his mother Qiao's vegetable basket.
“Where did you find it?”
She was shocked. The god of luck did not favor their family. Something really happened to the Qiao family!
"Where did you get this basket, and what happened to my mother?"
Xie Zechuan looked at Zhou Yiming who was standing beside Zhou Tinglan. "The soldiers found the basket at the corner of my family's vegetable stall. We haven't found any trace of my aunt yet. I have a reasonable suspicion that she was abducted."
Abducted, that means being kidnapped...
"Lan'er, let's help uncle to the chair."
Xie Zechuan put almost all of Zhou Yiming's weight on himself. Zhou Tinglan followed behind him and looked at Zhou Yiming worriedly.
After settling Zhou Yiming down, Zhou Tinglan asked, "What should I do now?"
"Don't worry, Lan'er. I have arranged soldiers to search everywhere in the city. I believe there will be news about your aunt soon." Xie Zechuan comforted her.
Zhou Tinglan frowned. Now they knew nothing except that Qiao was kidnapped. How could she feel at ease?
There was a quarrel outside the tent, and Zhou Tinglan was puzzled as to who was making such a noise.
She looked at Xie Zechuan, then stood up and walked out of the tent.
Zhou Tinglan looked at the scene in front of him. Qin Sinian and Su Mingyan were arguing outside the tent.
Qin Sinian looked at the girl in front of him: "I have already apologized to you, what else do you want?
"I won't accept your apology. I will scold you every time I see you." Su Mingyan retorted.
Zhou Tinglan looked at the two people arguing, then looked at Su Mingzhuo who was standing helplessly beside them: "What are they doing?"
"My sister seems to have a grudge against Deputy General Qin. They started arguing as soon as they met, and I couldn't stop them.
Zhou Tinglan thought that the last time he had seen a similar scene was yesterday with the Su brothers and sisters, but Qin Sinian and Zhou Mingyan?
She found it quite amusing to see the two of them tilting their heads awkwardly, unwilling to look at each other.
Then she looked at Su Mingzhuo and said apologetically, "Mr. Su, there's an emergency at home. I'm afraid I can't invite you to stay for lunch."
"That's fine. If you need any help, just ask."
Zhou Tinglan looked back in the direction of the tent. There was no movement. He guessed that Zhou Yiming had not woken up yet.
Now there are no clues, how can she find her mother?
She looked at the distant sky, thunder suddenly sounded, and the rain washed away all traces.
**
The clouds were very low, lightning streaked across the sky, and heavy rain poured down, hitting the branches fiercely.
In a remote and dilapidated temple somewhere in the city, Qiao was tied to a stone pillar in the temple. Her mouth was covered with cloth and she made whimpering sounds of struggle. She looked in horror at the kidnapper who was sharpening a knife not far away.
Help, Lan'er, husband, who, who can come and save her, she is so scared!
How could this happen?
She had just bought the ingredients she needed for the day and was about to go home, but after she had walked a few steps out onto the street, someone covered her mouth and nose and she completely lost consciousness.
When she woke up, she found herself in this dilapidated temple. She cursed the kidnappers but they blocked her mouth.
Now she couldn't escape, and her stomach, which had not eaten for a long time, began to rumble.
What should she do?
The kidnapper had a Taoist scar on his face, which made him look even more sinister in the dim and dilapidated temple.
He put down the knife in his hand and walked up to Qiao: "Your daughter is now the wife of Xie Zechuan's bastard Sun Wei. I didn't expect his mother-in-law to be so beautiful."
Disgusting sound of "tsk tsk" kept coming out of his mouth. Qiao tilted her head and tried hard to suppress the nausea in her heart. It was so disgusting that she almost vomited out the food she had eaten the night before.
Seeing Qiao's frightened look, the kidnapper's face flashed with pleasure. He laughed wildly, and his laughter echoed throughout the ruined temple.
That's really interesting.
Suddenly, a curse was heard from the darkness: "Shut up, you're making so much noise."
Qiao was horrified. There was actually another kidnapper in the dilapidated temple. She became even more frightened.
The kidnapper heard the voice in the dark and his laughter stopped abruptly. He saluted the person in the dark and asked, "Do you think Xie Zechuan and the others will take the bait?"
If after doing so much, Xie Zechuan and the others still don't take the bait, then wouldn't all their careful work be in vain?
A cold snort was heard, and the person in the dark said: "Although I don't know his wife, but based on my understanding of Xie Zechuan, he will definitely take the bait."
There was a sound of fabric rubbing against each other, and Qiao felt that the person in the dark seemed to stand up, and her body trembled slightly.
"Is everything done?"
She heard the kidnapper in front of her say, "It's all done. The note has long been delivered to the soldiers in Beijiang City. I believe Xie Zechuan and the others have already received the news and are waiting for the young lady to come to the inn in person tonight."
"Remember to get things done." The man seemed to drill into the ground and left the dilapidated temple.
Qiao heard the kidnapper spit after the man left and said angrily, "Do you really think you are still as high and mighty as before? Don't you see what you look like now?"
He fanned his nose and finally left. What was that smell? It was so stinky that it killed him.
The kidnapper picked up the longbow and arrow from the corner, chuckled twice, and took out a bottle from his pocket, in which a purple-black liquid was faintly visible.
"Such a good thing is sold cheaply to Xie Zechuan and others, what a shame!"
Qiao saw him pour the liquid on the arrow and look at it for a long time, then he laughed wildly again.
"See how you survive this time!"
The kidnappers soon left the dilapidated temple, leaving behind Qiao, who was tied up tightly.
Qiao stared at the gate of the dilapidated temple in despair, praying in her heart that General Xie could protect Zhou Tinglan.
Lan'er, don't be fooled. Mother is not in that inn. I'm here!
**
Late at night, there was a crowd outside the Su's Inn. Zhou Tinglan nodded to Xie Zechuan who was standing beside the inn, then walked into the inn's door.
Entering the east wing of the second floor designated by the note, Zhou Tinglan looked around the entire wing. Seeing that there was no one in the room, she walked to the table and sat down.
Thinking of the note Xin Ping sent them this morning, she felt terrified. The note told her to come to the east wing on the second floor of Su's Inn. If she didn't come, her mother's life would be in danger.
Zhou Tinglan couldn't imagine how his father would react if he learned the bad news about his mother.
The note was sent by a famous beggar in the city. He said that the person who was looking for him was tall and did not look like a native of Beijiang City.
At noon, Su Mingzhuo brought the guest registration book of Su's Inn.
After Zhou Tinglan flipped through it, he found out that the occupant of the wing room was a jade merchant. He told the inn's waiter yesterday that he had something urgent to do and needed to leave the inn for a few days, so he asked the waiter to leave the wing room for him and pay the room fee in advance.
Without any more clues, Zhou Tinglan finally decided to go to Su's Inn alone at night to meet this person.
After Xie Zechuan learned of Zhou Tinglan's plan, he expressed strong resistance: "Lan'er, it's too dangerous for you to go alone, you can't!"
Nothing must happen to Lan'er. Damn it, why am I so useless?
Xie Zechuan felt deeply powerless. Although he controlled the entire Beijiang City, he was unable to stop Zhou Tinglan from falling into the trap.
Zhou Tinglan consoled him, "We don't know their purpose yet. They specifically asked me to go. Nothing ventured, nothing gained."
She knew in her heart how dangerous it was to face the kidnappers head-on, but she was determined to go this time.
Xie Zechuan knew that he could not change Zhou Tinglan's mind. After thinking for a moment, he asked, "Master Su, can you do me a favor?"
"Of course, I can help Miss Zhou with anything."
When these words were spoken, even Zhou Tinglan couldn't help but frown. Su Mingzhuo's words were ambiguous.
Hearing Su Mingzhuo's words, Xie Zechuan said, "I'm just asking you to do me a favor. Just answer yes or no. Why are you saying so much?"
Su Mingzhuo really likes my Lan'er. He is so attentive to her every day, which really makes him angry.
"General Xie, what favor do you want me to do for you?" Su Mingzhuo asked, ignoring Xie Zechuan's warning.
"I will secretly lead the soldiers to surround the Su's Inn and disguise myself as a guest to blend in. I hope Master Su will do me a favor."
Xie Zechuan gritted his teeth. If he didn't want to protect Lan'er's safety or ask him for help, he wouldn't have spoken to him like that.
Su Mingzhuo naturally agreed to Xie Zechuan's request.
When Zhou Tinglan was about to go to the Su's Inn, Xie Zechuan was still worried and reminded her: "Lan'er, if there is anything unusual, I will rush in to save you immediately."
"knew."
At this time, Zhou Tinglan was sitting at the table in the east wing, waiting quietly. There were only a few candles lit in the room. In the dim light, the white bed curtains in the room looked eerie and terrifying under the reflection of the candlelight.
"That's the downside of the ancient times. There weren't modern conveniences like bright lights everywhere at night."
There was wind blowing outside the window, the curtains were blown up, and there seemed to be some movement outside the door.
Zhou Tinglan sat up straight and stared at the door of the wing room.
Are the kidnappers finally coming?
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