Chapter 53 Late-night rescue
  Liu Xiuxiu's eyes were evasive, and she pushed Fang Qing to leave. But Fang Qing had a hunch that she was hiding something from him, and after repeated questioning, Liu Xiuxiu finally gave in, "Your friend may have been captured by those people, but I don't know where he is. You should be careful these days."

  After that, without waiting for Fang Qing to ask, Liu Xiuxiu pushed her away, turned around and ran away.

  Fang Qing didn't catch up with the person, so he had to squat at the street corner where Liu Xiuxiu often appeared. In the evening, Fang Qing saw Liu Xiuxiu again, chased her all the way to the back door of a dance hall, and then unexpectedly saw the men who beat Liu Xiuxiu.

  "Bitch, how have you done what I asked you to do? I asked you to bring the person over, where is she?"

  The men punched and kicked her, and Liu Xiuxiu curled up with her head in her hands. "Brother, I can't find her. She and I have never had a good relationship. I really tried my best. Stop hitting her, stop hitting her..."

  One of the men nodded, "Brother, this woman didn't lie. I heard that girl has a very bad temper. I really don't have a good relationship with her."

  The man stopped kicking and hitting after hearing this, "You useless thing, why didn't you say so earlier? You're wasting my time!" He turned to look at his brothers, "How many do you have now? Are they enough for one shipment?"

  The tall and thin man next to him immediately replied, "Brother, including the girl from yesterday, it's enough. Although not as pretty as that one, she's also very hot and should be able to fetch a good price."

  Fang Qing, who was hiding in the dark, thought of Wen Ling the moment she heard this. She wanted to go back and call the police, but was afraid that she would lose her in the process of going back and forth. Gritting her teeth, Fang Qing quietly followed the group, tearing the hem of her skirt to mark the path as she went. She followed them out of the county town and into a nearby village.

  By then, it was completely dark. Concerned that her light-colored skirt would be too conspicuous in the darkness, Fang Qing swished through the black mud of the riverbank as she passed, staining her clothes completely. Passing a villager's fenced yard, she grabbed a piece of black cloth and covered her face with it, then cautiously followed.

  Fang Qing was thankful that the group's base wasn't far from the county town, otherwise she would have been hard-pressed to catch up on foot.

  The group twisted and turned until they reached a modest house in the village.

  Not daring to enter, Fang Qing quietly climbed the wall and finally spotted a group of young girls in a small room. The dim light inside made it difficult for Fang Qing to discern how many people there were, let alone Wen Ling. Watching the men abduct a young girl, Fang Qing felt a chill in her heart.

  She clenched her fists tightly as she watched the girl being knocked unconscious. She could only close her eyes and silently confess, "I'm sorry, I'm alone, I can't save her." Several men led the girl out of the courtyard and into another house nearby, then locked the door behind them. Outside the courtyard where the girls were being held, only two men remained, drinking in the hallway.

  Fang Qing pondered a plan, debating whether to ask for help from the surrounding villagers. But before she could figure out how, a nearby villager opened the door and offered food to the two men guarding the girls.

  Seeing the villagers' fawning expressions, Fang Qing felt as if she had fallen into an icy cave. Fortunately, she hadn't asked for help. Now it seemed the entire village was in cahoots! They were all protecting this group!

  Fang Qing's heart was in turmoil, secretly regretting not having brought her own weapon. Looking up, she saw the haystack in the neighboring yard and the sickle in the corner. Her eyes lit up!
  Fang Qing squatted outside the yard until everyone turned off the lights and went to sleep. Then, holding onto the wall, she slowly stood up.

  In those days, rural courtyards were built of low earthen walls, making it easy for Fang Qing to climb inside. Relying on her memory, she found a sickle and a bundle of straw rope, feeling a sense of security.

  As Fang Qing entered the village, she observed the surrounding terrain and discovered that there was only one road leading in, surrounded by residential areas. If she escaped with her men, she would likely be blocked before she even left the village. However, behind the house, there was a road leading directly to the back mountain. If she simply crossed the mountain and headed east, she would be heading back to the county town, and she would eventually find her way home.

  In the darkness, no one noticed Fang Qing.

  Frightened yet excited, she replayed her plan numerous times in her mind, quietly exploring the village until she finally found a suitable opportunity. She discovered a meadow northwest of the village, adjacent to a granary, and a relatively uninhabited area.

  She rummaged in her pockets and found the box of matches she had used to light the candles in the dance hall that day. She took a deep breath. Although she knew her actions weren't right, saving people meant she didn't care. The village dogs barked at her footsteps. Fearing discovery, Fang Qing quickly ran to the haystacks, struck a match, and saw a fire ignite before she ran back. She whispered, "It's on fire! Put it out!"

  Then, swiftly hiding in the darkness, she made her way around the back of the house back to the courtyard where the girl was imprisoned, finding a secluded corner to hide.

  Watching the surrounding residents rush out to put out the fire, Fang Qing knew her chance had come.

  But after a while, Fang Qing realized the two guards hadn't come forward, completely surprising her. Seeing the fire dwindling in the village, Fang Qing gritted her teeth and scrambled through the back of the house. Spotting a sack and rope in the corner, she quietly grabbed one. One of the gatekeepers had drunkenly gone out to urinate, while the other dozed off in a chair. After the other left, Fang Qing attacked them from behind, wielding a club and beating them.

  After the person on the ground stopped making any sound, Fang Qing straightened him up and hid behind the door. The person who had gone out was hit by a club as soon as he entered the room and never woke up. Fang Qing immediately tied up the two people's hands and feet. Then he dug out the key, opened the door and rescued the girls in the house. Fortunately, Fang Qing found the weak Wen Ling in the haystack.

  Fang Qing carried Wen Ling on his back and said to the group of girls behind him, "If you want to live, run away quickly. I can only help you up to this point." Then Fang Qing took advantage of the fact that the people had not come back yet and quickly left with Wen Ling.

  The fire in the distance gradually died down. Fang Qing realized that he didn't have much time left, so he quickly followed the mountain road into the forest.

  But after Fang Qing walked for a while, he found that the girls behind him were actually following him. Fang Qing had a headache. With so many people following him, he would soon be discovered. But seeing the girl behind her following closely, she swallowed the rebuke that was on the tip of her tongue. If she were in his place, she would also run after the person who saved her. So she lowered her voice and instructed, "Since you are following me, don't make any noise. I will do my best to get you to a safe place."

  (End of this chapter)