Hong Mountain Hollow was likely known by everyone as they were searching for someone.
"Hmm," Song Jiyun said warmly to the young girl, "In recent days, there have been lots of strangers coming and going in the hollow; make sure you keep an eye on the young children at home, so they don’t go missing."
The little girl seemed greatly encouraged by his words and spoke more fluently, "Boss Song, my mother secretly raises rabbits on the back mountain. Last night, someone quietly asked to buy two rabbits from me." As she spoke, she pulled out a piece of silver, "Look, this is the money that person paid for the rabbits."
Song Jiyun was startled and quickly pulled the little girl aside, his voice trembling as he quietly said, "Little girl, thank you for telling me this. What did that person look like? When did he buy the rabbits from you? Does anyone else know he bought rabbits from you? After he bought the rabbits, do you know where he went?"
The little girl obediently replied, "My father always lends our family money to my great-uncle. My mother was so angry that she started raising rabbits on the back mountain to sell. I take care of the rabbits every morning and evening. Last night, when I went to tidy up the rabbit den, a very handsome gentleman appeared out of nowhere, saying he wanted to buy two rabbits.
"My mother usually also goes down the mountain to sell rabbits, so I sold them to him.
"He told me not to tell anyone, and I didn’t tell anyone. I was planning to tell my mother when I got back, but by the time I got home, my mother and father had followed some other people into the mountain, and I didn’t even have a chance to tell her.
"He bought my rabbits and then headed towards the back mountain, but as for where he went, I don’t know."
Song Jiyun urgently asked, "Do you remember what kind of clothes he was wearing? How tall was he?"
The little girl shook her head, "It was too dark, I don’t remember what his clothes looked like. But," she glanced around at the people nearby and pointed at Zheng Quan, "he was about as tall as him."
A wave of excitement surged in Song Jiyun’s heart as he said to the little girl, "Could you lead us later?"
The little girl nodded in agreement.
Song Jiyun promised, "If we find something, I will give you ten pieces of silver as a reward, just like the others."
The little girl shyly said in a low voice, "I, I’m willing to guide you; you don’t have to give me silver. You have already given my younger brother some reward money."
Song Jiyun did not argue with her over this, called Zheng Quan over, told him about what happened, and said, "Quickly organize a few people; we’ll check out the back mountain."
Zheng Quan complied, called a few kiln workers transferred from the Song Family Kiln Factory, and alerted people, including Magistrate Jiang.
After hearing the details, Magistrate Jiang laughed bitterly.
Both looking for someone, Song Jiyun kept making discoveries, while they were like headless flies. It was unclear whether Song Jiyun was just very lucky or if it was something else.
Magistrate Jiang said, "I will go with you."
The more, the merrier.
Song Jiyun did not refuse.
A group of people went to the back mountain.
The little girl pointed at one of the narrow sheep trails and said, "That person went this way."
A villager who had been picked from the mountain crowd, upon seeing it, called out loudly, "I remember there’s a cave up there."
Everyone became excited upon hearing this.
They all, as if they had taken Strength God Pills, quickly climbed up and found the cave, and also discovered a pathway marker at the entrance of the cave, similar to one in Hong Mountain Hollow.
"We’ve found it, we’ve found it!" Someone couldn’t help but shout out in joy.
Song Jiyun and Magistrate Jiang, as well as others, couldn’t help but smile.
Shao Qing took the lead and sprinted into the cave.
Song Jiyun followed right behind.
The cave was like a jar, with a small entrance but spacious and damp inside. The cave walls were covered with various types of mosses and vines. There was a large hole at the top of the cave, and the morning light shined through it brightly, allowing a clear view of the inside of the cave.
There was no one!
Nor were there any remnants of a campfire or the like.
Song Jiyun’s heart was filled with disappointment as she looked around the cave, hoping for a discovery.
Shao Qing was walking around inside the cave.
Magistrate Jiang, Deng Chen, and Xu Guangzeng walked in one by one and asked, "How’s it going? Any discoveries?"
Shao Qing, feeling down, replied while continuing to walk around the cave, "No! Nothing..."
But before he could finish his sentence, it seemed like he stepped on something, his body tilted as if he were about to fall.
"Be careful!" everyone exclaimed, but he quickly grabbed a vine on the nearby cave wall to steady himself and looked down at his feet.
"There’s, there’s a hole here!" he said in shock.
Deng Chen had already run over.
The two of them cleared the vines on the ground, revealing a dark hole the size of a millstone.
Everyone was stunned.
Shao Qing shouted loudly, "Bring the airflow lamp."
Immediately, someone brought over a lit airflow lamp.
Shao Qing and Deng Chen held the lamp and looked down.
"There’s someone down there!" Shao Qing said excitedly. "I see a white robe. Young master, young master, is that you?"
Song Jiyun quickly squeezed through to listen.
The white silk gleamed in the darkness, and a large figure could faintly be seen lying prone on the damp rocks below.
"Quick, quick, rescue him!" Song Jiyun heard herself stammer until Zheng Quan helped her to the side. Shao Qing and others organized a rescue. Only then did Song Jiyun realize her limbs were weak and she could barely stand.
Zheng Quan helped her sit on a rock in the cave and then ran over to help.
The hole was too small, even Shao Qing had difficulty getting through.
They called a man of smaller stature and suspended him down with a rope.
Despite all the activity above, there was still no sound from below.
Song Jiyun felt bone-chilling cold and saw Magistrate Jiang approaching. She murmured to him, "That girl said she saw him last night, we’re not too late, are we? It’s time to find a doctor, and prepare some trauma medication."
As she spoke, she suddenly knew what she should do, stood up abruptly, and called out "Zheng Quan" to have him quickly arrange a doctor, and also arrange for a sedan to carry the person down the mountain comfortably when the time came. She insisted on having clean clothes and blankets prepared, given the weather and the mere robe he wore, it would be unbearable.
Zheng Quan looked at her, paused, and then hurried to arrange the doctor.
Magistrate Jiang hesitated for a moment, then wrapped a blanket, found from who knows where, around her.
Song Jiyun still felt cold, clutched her neckline tightly, and sat down again.
The man of small stature shouted from below, "How do we get the person up? He’s not breathing!"
The people in the cave suddenly fell silent as if their throats had been cut, all noise abruptly stopped.
"Impossible?!" Song Jiyun clutched the nearby vines, trying several times to stand up but failing.
Magistrate Jiang, too, couldn’t care for her anymore and ran to the hole.
Shao Qing was the first to lay down at the hole, "What nonsense are you spouting? Try checking his breath again? It must just be too cold down there, he’s probably frozen."
The small man said quietly, "Why are you losing your temper? Do you think I don’t want him to be alive? If he lives, we all might get some reward money."
The echo made his voice inescapably reach everyone’s ears.
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