Chapter 16
At around eight o'clock in the evening, Zhong Xing returned to the small kiln where the Lin family had let him and Yu Hangyuan stay overnight. His clothes were soaked by the snow and he was very cold. He had just changed into dry clothes when he heard a faint voice outside the door.
"Brother Zhong Xing, are you there?"
Zhong Xing opened the door and saw Jiang Jiang with her hair disheveled and her eyes and face swollen. He was shocked and quickly squatted down to check the injuries on her face.
"Jiang Jiang, what happened? Who hit you?"
Zhong Xing pushed her hair behind her ears, revealing her red and swollen face. Red blood vessels were faintly visible on her face, and there were signs of broken skin and bleeding. It was obvious that the person who beat her was ruthless and did not use any strength at all.
"Brother, can you take me to find my father?" Jiang Jiang looked up and asked in a low voice.
In the kitchen, Old Mrs. Lin was still angry. She didn't want to go to He Guijuan and cause more trouble for her. Jiang Jiang pinched the corner of her clothes, feeling very confused and at a loss.
Jiang Jiang knew that Old Lady Lin hated her. She had been here for two days and had worked hard every day just to make Old Lady Lin think she was less annoying.
"Was it Old Lady Lin who hit you?" Zhong Xing was so angry that his voice was shaking.
He had been here for a few days and had heard about Jiang Jiang's past. He also knew that she had just been adopted by Lin Youqing and his wife. At first, he thought that Jiang Jiang was finally blessed by God and had parents who loved her, but he didn't expect that her life in the Lin family was so difficult.
This old lady Lin is too much. She could actually do such a cruel thing to a child.
"Come on, brother will take you to ask for an explanation." A nameless anger rose in his heart. Zhong Xing picked up the child and stood up to settle the score with Old Lady Lin.
"Brother, don't go. I don't want to bother with anything else. I want to go find my dad. Can you go with me?"
"Okay, I'll take you to find your father."
But where can I find it at this late hour?
Where to find it? The road from Dongxi Village to Luling Commune is so long, and avalanches have hit so many places. Where would Lin Youqing be?
Zhong Xing went back to the kiln to pack up his things, stuffing all the biscuits, matches and ropes into his bag. He also carried a military water bottle and went out with his child. The road from Dongxi Village to the commune was completely blocked by snow. When he went back, the team leader counted the number of people. All the people buried in the snow had been rescued, but the damaged houses had to be repaired tomorrow.
It was pitch black outside, with the pale moonlight reflecting on the snow. The temperature in the mountains was so low that it could freeze people to death. Zhong Xing held a flashlight and shivered as he felt the cold wind blowing from all directions.
Zhong Xing looked at the snow-capped mountain blocking his way. He couldn't climb over it by himself, let alone carrying a child.
"Brother Zhong Xing, I remember there is a small path at the foot of the mountain over there that can go around."
The path that Jiang Jiang mentioned can only be said to be the only trace left of a path that once existed in this place. The weeds are taller than people, and are so dense and tall, and the branches are spread all over the place. It is definitely not an easy task to pass through. There are several layers of thick rotting leaves everywhere, and if you are not careful, you will probably step into a deep pit.
It was difficult to walk in the snow, so Zhong Xing squatted down and said, "Jiang Jiang, come up. I'll carry you on my back."
Jiang Jiang shook his head and said, "Brother, I can walk by myself."
Zhong Xing insisted, and Jiang Jiang had no choice but to climb up.
"Lie down on your face, don't let the branches scratch your face."
After being blown by the cold wind all the way, Jiang Jiang's face, which was hit by Old Lady Lin, had been frozen numb. She covered her face with her hands and lay down, resting her head on his back.
Zhong Xing picked up a branch, held a flashlight in his mouth, held the child in one hand, and used the other hand to hold a crutch made of the branch, and walked through the overgrown path with difficulty.
The two searched in the snow for half the night. By the time they found the place, they were completely numb. Their feet were stepping on the snow, one deep and one shallow. The battery of the flashlight was almost out of power and it was flickering. Zhong Xing took a picture and Jiang Jiang noticed with his sharp eyes that there seemed to be a figure in the snow not far away.
"dad--"
Jiang Jiang opened her mouth. She wanted to shout, but she didn't dare to. Zhong Xing had just said that talking too loudly could easily cause a second avalanche.
Zhong Xing also noticed it and hurried over with Jiang Jiang.
"Secretary Lin, are you okay?"
Lin Youqing was holding his stomach in agony. He had stomach problems for many years. When it came back, it was excruciatingly painful. When he saw the people coming, he thought he was hallucinating, "Xiao Zhong, Jiang Jiang? How did you get here..."
"It was Jiang Jiang who led me out of a path that was almost blocked by weeds. Secretary Lin, are you feeling sick in your stomach?" Zhong Xing took out some biscuits from his bag. "These are calcium milk biscuits. Try some and see if they can help."
Jiang Jiang broke the biscuits into pieces and fed them to Lin Youqing.
Lin Youqing touched the child's head lovingly.
When he rushed back, he happened to encounter an avalanche. Fortunately, he mastered some survival skills and avoided being buried by the snow. He wanted to return to the commune, but found that the roads in front and behind were blocked.
At night, the temperature dropped sharply. He wanted to move his body as much as possible, but his stomach problems came back and the pain was so severe that he couldn't straighten his back.
After eating a few biscuits, Zhong Xing remembered that he was carrying a water bottle. He touched the water in the military water bottle, but the water was already cold. Jiang Jiang unscrewed the kettle and carefully poured some water out to feed him.
"Dad, this water is a little cold, hold it in your mouth for a while before swallowing it."
In this weather close to zero degrees, cold sweat broke out on Lin Youqing's forehead. Jiang Jiang couldn't help but feel heartbroken, thinking that his father must be in pain.
With food in his stomach, Lin Youqing felt that his stomachache was slightly relieved.
"Jiang Jiang, what's wrong with your face?" Lin Youqing's eyes fell on her face and his expression immediately became gloomy.
Jiang Jiang was stunned for a moment, "It was scratched by a branch just now."
"It was Old Madam Lin who hit me." Zhong Xing couldn't help but say.
Sensing Lin Youqing's guilty and distressed emotions, Jiang Jiang shook his head and said, "Dad, I'm fine. It doesn't hurt at all."
"Where is your mother?" Lin Youqing touched the child's swollen face.
It was his fault as a father and husband that his wife was beaten by their own mother, and his daughter was also beaten by their own mother.
"Someone was buried in the village, and my mother helped organize the rescue work at the brigade."
"You two just ran out like that?" Lin Youqing frowned.
"I left a note for my classmate, and he will explain the situation to Dr. He."
"We can't stay here for long, Secretary Lin, let's go back to the village first." As the night deepened, the temperature only got lower and breathing became more difficult. Zhong Xing glanced at the two people in front of him, one big and one small, and said, "Jiang Jiang, can you walk by yourself?"
When they came here, they also opened a road. They could return to Dongxi Village by the same route they had just taken.
Jiang Jiang nodded, "Okay."
"Then you hold the flashlight."
"Secretary Lin, I'll carry you."
Lin Youqing pressed his stomach and took a deep breath. "Ahem... I'm much better now. I can walk by myself. Just give me a hand."
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