Chapter 20
Xie Dong cried on the phone: "Brother, I want to go home..."
Why is this happening?
Song Youran looked up helplessly at the sky. Besides Xie Dong's sobs, the receiver also contained the sounds of adults arguing and the dull thud of a heavy object falling to the ground.
Why is it always like this?
"Don't cry." Song Youran sighed weakly, but Xie Dong cried even harder, as if he had said something too much.
"Don't cry."
Xie Dong cried out of breath.
Look, who can you influence in this world?
Song Youran imitated Wei Qian's words: "Dongdong, be good, don't cry!"
Xie Dong finally stopped howling and started sobbing.
Song Youran muttered, "Dongdong, tell me where you are now? Are you safe?"
Xie Dong said: "Woo woo, I'm under the table."
Why under the table?
Song Youran tried to relax her tone: "Where's your mother? Is she under the table too?"
"No," Xie Dong said more and more smoothly, "Mom was arguing with Grandpa with Big Beard and Uncle with Small Head."
"Why are you arguing?"
Xie Dong was about to cry again: "I didn't know. The bearded grandfather was so fierce. He even locked up my mother yesterday."
Xie Dong wanted to say that the bearded grandfather was even more ferocious than his brother, but he didn't dare to say it.
Song Youran: "Be good, Dongdong. Just do as I say and I'll take you home."
"Okay, Dongdong wants to go home."
Song Youran instructed Xie Dong to send Wei Qian's phone location and told him, "Brother is coming to find you now, but don't tell anyone else, and don't tell your mother either."
Xie Dong: "Why can't you tell mom?"
Song Youran: "Because this is our secret."
Xie Dong was bypassed: "I understand, I have to keep it a secret."
After Song Youran passed the security check, she received a call from Wen Chu.
Wen Chu heard the airport announcement on his phone and asked Song Youran, "Where are you now?"
Song Youran said calmly, "At a classmate's house."
Wen Chu knew that Song Youran had a very good classmate. He had never met this classmate and didn't know his name, but Song Youran would go to this classmate's house every now and then to eat or sleep.
Wen Chu didn't ask further, but just asked: "When will you come back?"
Song Youran said, "Soon."
If things go well, he can return tonight, if not...
Worried about Wen Chu staying alone in the apartment, Song Youran smiled and suggested, "It's really pitiful for the young master to be alone. Why don't you stay in the villa for a few days?"
"Not one person." Wen Chu said.
Song Youran's smile froze on her face.
Wen Chu continued, "Aren't you coming back soon?"
So that's what he meant. He thought Wen Chu had brought someone back.
Like a spring breeze sweeping across the earth, Song Youran's face once again broke into a smile, and she remained true to her heart. "Alright, just wait for me to come back."
Wen Chu said, "Okay."
Wei Qian's home is in the village below the town. There are houses on both sides of the gravel road, and in the distance are endless fields.
On the mobile map, Song Youran's position and location coincided.
There was an old man sitting under the eaves in front, smoking. Song Youran walked over and asked, "Uncle, is this Wei Qiang's house?"
The old man raised his eyes and asked, "Who are you?"
Song Youran said, "I'm Wei Qiang's friend. I just came from the city and I need help."
The old man put down his pipe and looked at the smiling Song Youran with his cloudy eyes.
The other person was well dressed and looked quite young;
Some time ago, Wei Qiang went to the city to look at cars. He said that he met an acquaintance in the store and that he could save a lot of money by buying a car from this acquaintance.
The old man thought he had figured out Song Youran's identity and stood up and said, "Qiangzi is in the house."
Song Youran followed the old man into the half-open door, passed through the main hall of the small building, and walked into the enclosed courtyard. There was a huge ginkgo tree in the yard, its fan-shaped leaves shaking in the wind, and a child squatted on the ground under the tree playing with fish.
The sturdy woman sat on a low stool, holding a kitchen knife in her hand. Blood was splattered on the log in front of her, and fish scales were everywhere. Some fish were jumping around in the stainless steel basin, while some fish were gutted and bled dry in the bamboo basket.
The child took out a small fish the length of a finger from the basin and said: "I want to raise it, because it makes the biggest bubbles."
The woman said angrily, "If I feed it, I won't feed you. If I don't feed you, you'll starve."
"I need to eat and I also need to feed it," said the child.
The woman opened her thick lips to say something harsh, but the old man interrupted her: "Is Qiangzi in the garden?"
There is another door at the back of the shed that leads to the vegetable garden further outside.
The woman glanced at Song Youran, who was standing behind the old man. Her expression suddenly grew reserved, and her voice softened. "She's working on a loofah trellis in the garden."
The old man said to Song Youran, "The garden has just been fertilized, and it smells bad. Wait here, I'll go call him over."
Song Youran nodded.
The woman turned her head and looked at Song Youran curiously. She was born and raised in the countryside and had never left the countryside in her life. The number of city people she had met could be counted on one hand.
The fish in Xie Dong's hand fell into the basin, and he went to catch other fish. The splashing water wet the woman's trouser legs.
The woman covered the stainless steel basin with one hand, stared at the child's face, and said awkwardly, "Donkey, stop playing. Grandma will make you some fried fish later."
Xie Dong refused, and continued to push his little hand into the crack of the basin: "No, no, no."
Song Youran saw the old man disappear behind the door and strode towards the tree. Xie Dong heard approaching footsteps, looked up and saw Song Youran, and shouted in surprise, "Brother!"
Song Youran picked up the child and turned away.
The woman reacted, raised her knife and chased after him: "What are you doing? Put the child down!"
Song Youran looked back at her, frowned, and quickened her pace.
Xie Dong giggled in Song Youran's arms: "Brother, are we playing games?"
The woman was clumsy and couldn't run fast. She shouted, "Wei Shugen, come quickly! Someone is trying to steal the child!"
As Song Youran entered the small building, the stairs made a thumping sound. Wei Qian's figure flashed around the corner. She ran down the stairs quickly, holding the handrail. Seeing Song Youran holding Xie Dong in her arms, her eyes widened. "Youran, what are you doing?"
Her mother ran after her breathlessly: "Qianqian, he wants to take the child away!"
Song Youran ignored Wei Qian and strode towards the main room with the child in her arms.
Old Man Wei's shout followed closely: "Qianqian, close the door, don't let him go!"
Song Youran suffered from her unfamiliarity with the surrounding environment. In her panic, she bumped into many things, which affected her speed.
Wei Qian rushed to the door and closed it: "You Ran, you can't take Dong Dong away."
Song Youran's teeth chattered in fear: "Wei Qian!"
He wanted to shake her shoulders and ask her loudly: Are you worthy of my mother? Are you worthy of her?
Wei Qiang and Old Man Wei appeared behind Song Youran. Wei Qian, who was leaning against the door panel, continued to slide down, covering her face with her hands. "I'm sorry, Youran, I'm sorry."
Song Youran shook his head uncomfortably. Xie Dong raised his face from his arms and touched his cheek with his fingers: "Brother..."
A line of blood trickled down his forehead.
Xie Dong screamed in horror: "Ah!!!"
Wei Qian let go of her hand and looked at Wei Qiang who had thrown away the stick: "How could you do that?"
Wei Qiang patted the dust off his hands and said, "Who told him to steal the child?"
The child's screams were about to poke a hole in his eardrums. Song Youran used up his last bit of strength to put Xie Dong on the ground. "You..." He wanted to pinch the child's face one last time, but he could no longer lift his hands and fell to the ground.
"Leisurely!"
Wei Qian rolled and crawled over to Song Youran. Feeling the increasingly damp wound in his hair, she could no longer contain her panic. "Call an ambulance, call an ambulance!"
Old Man Wei stopped Wei Qiang from pulling out his cell phone and said, "Don't call an ambulance. If this gets out of hand, the villagers will gossip about you."
Wei Qian trembled all over: "Dad, this is a life."
Old Man Wei bent down to check Song Youran's breath, and after a moment he said, "He won't die."
Wei Qian's palms were covered in blood. She frantically shouted, "If you don't take him to the hospital, I'm going to call the police."
The doctor said that Song Youran’s problem was not serious, she was just overtired and would wake up naturally after getting enough sleep.
Wei Qian sat by the bed waiting for him.
In her dream, Song Youran returned to the time when Xie Xueruo was still alive. At that time, Xie Dong was only five months old. Xie Xueruo squatted beside his crib and watched him for an entire afternoon, just to see him turn over a little.
This child made Xie Xuerou more tolerant. She always told Song Youran, "Xiao Qian also has her difficulties. Youran, no one would be willing to sell themselves out unless they have no other choice."
Wei Qian knew that Xie Xueruo was on her side, so she always followed Xie Xueruo closely and changed her way of addressing Xie Xueruo from Miss Xie to Sister Xueruo.
Xie Xueruo's small house eventually became the home of the three of them.
Song Youran opened her eyes and saw Wei Qian sleeping beside the bed.
This woman was really annoying and caused him a lot of trouble.
The nurse pushed Wei Qian awake: "Where's the patient?"
Wei Qian looked around in confusion: "Where is the patient?"
The bed was empty.
The night is alluring, with a full moon in the sky.
Song Youran kicked over the small dining table, and the golden and crispy fried fish scattered on the dirty ground. Xie Dong licked his fingers regretfully.
The three people under the tree trembled with fear. Song Youran picked up a fallen chair, sat down, and hooked her finger at Xie Dong, who was hiding behind the fat woman, "Come here."
Xie Dong wanted to go over but didn't dare to, and he was tugging at the woman's clothes and was in a dilemma.
Song Youran winked at the burly man beside her, who flexed his muscular arms, veins bulging. The woman quickly stepped aside, leaving Xie Dong exposed to Song Youran.
Before, the big man picked up Wei Qiang like picking up a chicken, but now he easily put Xie Dong into Song Youran's arms with just his little finger.
Song Youran hugged Xie Dong tightly and ordered another big man to show the IOU.
"You," Song Youran looked at Wei Qiang, "you borrowed the down payment for your wedding house and the betrothal gift from me. A total of 890,000 yuan. Sign it."
Old Man Wei stood in front of Wei Qiang and said, "You can't sign! Qianqian got the money back, it can't be counted on you!"
Wei Qiang came to his senses and stopped.
Song Youran didn't want to waste time talking to them.
"It's okay if you don't sign it." He gave Wei Qiang a bloodthirsty smile. "Eight hundred and ninety thousand to cut off your leg, you won't lose anything."
Wei Qiang tried to run, but was lifted off the ground by the big man. He burst into tears: "Dad, Mom, save me!"
Old man Wei went to grab the IOU: "I'll sign it, I'll sign it!"
Song Youran took off her coat and covered Xie Dong's head with it, pressing his trembling little body into her arms. The sound was like a knife cutting bones and flesh.
"You'll be buried in less than two years. Why would I need a dead person's IOU? Stop wasting time. Do you want money or legs? Choose quickly. If you really can't choose, I can help you choose." Song Youran smiled.
The big man took out a forearm-long wrench from behind his waist. Wei Qiang cried out, "I sign, I sign."
Xie Dong fell asleep, nestled in Song Youran's arms like a kitten.
Song Youran picked him up and walked out of the Wei family's door, and bumped into Wei Qian who had rushed back from the city.
Wei Qian knew nothing about what happened in the Wei family. Seeing Song Youran's head wrapped in thick gauze, and his face looking okay under the light of the car lights, she felt relieved. Seeing the small ball wrapped under his clothes in his arms, she frowned.
"You Ran, why do you want to take Dong Dong away again?"
Song Youran said impatiently: "Get lost!"
Two big men walked out from behind him. They wore big gold chains around their necks and their arms exposed outside their vests were covered with scary tattoos. Wei Qian was stunned.
The big men protected Song Youran on both sides and got into the car parked at the door.
Wei Qian knew what this meant, and she rushed towards the closing car door like a madman, shouting hysterically: "Dongdong! Dongdong! Wake up! It's Mommy, Dongdong!"
Xie Dong woke up in Song Youran's arms, lifted his coat, and opened his arms to Wei Qian outside the car door: "Mommy, hold me!"
Song Youran pressed Xie Dong's little hand back, and asked the big man to drag Wei Qian away and close the door.
The car started, Xie Dong broke free from Song Youran's embrace and threw himself against the window: "Mom! Mom!"
Wei Qian knelt on the side of the road: "Dongdong!!"
The car's taillights were obscured by the endless night.
Xie Dong kicked and punched the car door, "Mom! I want Mom! Ahhh! Mom!"
The child's voice was sharp and thin, like a sharp saw dragging back and forth in the brain.
Song Youran stuffed a bag of candy into Xie Dong's hand, and Xie Dong threw the candy on the ground without thinking;
Song Youran stuffed the newly bought toy into his arms. He thought about it and threw the toy away.
Song Youran had a terrible headache and leaned back in her chair. "Go ahead and cry. Let's see how long you can cry."
Xie Dong: "Ah! I want mommy, mommy, mommy, mommy..."
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