Not far away, San San was pressing her ear against the door, listening for any sounds outside. Seeing that Chen Yunqi was awake, she quickly ran back to his side and squatted down, saying anxiously, "Brother, I heard some noise outside. It sounds like a lot of people have come. Do you think it's Teacher Tang and the others coming back?"
Chen Yunqi's spirits lifted instantly, as if all the pain in his body had vanished. Without a second thought, he immediately stood up and rushed over, excitedly muttering to himself as he pushed open the door with one hand, "It must be him! It must be him! Brother Tao is reliable!"
After struggling for a while, he finally came to his senses and realized that he couldn't open the door. He then turned to the group of people in the corner and shouted, "Come and help us! Someone is coming to rescue us!"
Although the two men didn't understand at first, they instantly grasped his meaning and immediately got up to join in. The commotion outside grew clearer, with shouts and shouts mixed with sounds of fighting, which gave the group a glimmer of hope and made them excited as well. But the door was locked with an iron lock, and no matter how hard the four men pushed, it wouldn't budge. Just when everyone was at a loss, footsteps approached the door, followed by frantic banging, and a familiar voice came through the door.
"Old Chen!? San San!? Are you inside?! Are you there?!"
It's Tang Yutao!
Before Chen Yunqi could answer, Li Hui shouted from outside, "Chen Yunqi! San San! I'm here!"
The noisy, hoarse voice had never sounded so warm and touching. Chen Yunqi rushed to the door and shouted back, "It's me! Brother Tao! Li Hui! San San and I are here! We're here!"
"San San! Old Chen! Get out of the way! I'm going to smash the door!!"
As soon as he finished speaking, Chen Yunqi pulled San San and the others back a few steps. After a series of violent kicks, the door collapsed to the ground with a "bang," and large patches of light illuminated the entire room in an instant, making everyone in the room unable to open their eyes.
In the instant of the light, Tang Yutao, wielding a hoe, and Li Hui, who had just withdrawn his legs, appeared as valiant warriors draped in golden light, tall and imposing like never before.
Before Chen Yunqi could even cover San San's eyes, Tang Yutao pounced on him and pulled him into a bear hug. He clung tightly to Chen Yunqi and screamed at the top of his lungs, "Fuck your mother! Chen Yunqi, are you still alive?! You guys are really going to fucking kill me! Waaaaaah..."
Chen Yunqi was caught off guard by his sudden attack and then startled by his heart-wrenching cries, leaving him momentarily at a loss. Suddenly remembering the dream he had just had, he wanted to push him away. However, this crying and cursing "tough girl" had just saved his life, so he had no choice but to suppress his unease and comfort him instead.
"Okay, okay, it's alright now... really, it's alright. Hey, hey, hey, can you stop fucking touching my back...?"
Tang Yutao clung tightly to Chen Yunqi, wiping his snot on his coat and complaining, "What's wrong with touching him?! I almost never touched him again... Waaaaah..."
Chen Yunqi was both amused and exasperated. He pushed him away forcefully and said with feigned disgust, "Touch my ass! Even if I were dead, you can't touch me! Stop wailing and get away from me. My wife is still here. Please, buddy, avoid me."
Tang Yutao finally let go. Li Hui, seeing Chen Yunqi clutching his arm, asked, "Are you hurt? Let's go, let's get out of here. I don't want to stay in this godforsaken place for another minute!"
Finally emerging from the small house, Chen Yunqi saw that the village was filled with heavily armed police officers outside the courtyard gate. Most of the villagers had been gathered together, and the police were searching for evidence and detaining suspicious individuals house by house. Two police cars with flashing lights were parked at the village entrance. Tang Yutao found a short, stout police officer, pointed at him, and said to Chen Yunqi, "This is Captain Liu from the Narcotics Control Team of Jiaoyuan County Public Security Bureau."
Captain Liu looked Chen Yunqi over with a stern expression, shook hands with him using the hand that wasn't holding the gun, and said solemnly, "Thank you for your hard work, teachers. You've been a great help to us. Come with us to Jiaoyuan to make your police report. The comrades from Haiyuan County are on their way. Once you've made your reports, we'll take you home."
Chen Yunqi finally felt relieved. He smiled and said, "You flatter us. We just stumbled upon this by sheer luck. It's all thanks to your quick arrival that we were able to leave here alive."
After exchanging pleasantries, he recounted the entire story of his visit to Captain Liu, then tentatively asked, "Captain Liu, what's Huang Youzheng's whereabouts...?"
Captain Liu knew what he wanted to ask and said seriously, "The main culprit hasn't been caught yet, and the arrest and interrogation work will be a long process. From what we can see so far, the people in this village are not only involved in drug use and trafficking, but also suspected of human trafficking. The case is serious in nature and has a wide reach. I estimate that it may be transferred to the Municipal Bureau. We will notify you when there are results in the investigation, so don't worry."
Captain Liu turned and waved to the other officers, signaling them to come over. He sighed and continued, "You've already done enough. Young people still don't know the gravity of the situation. Dealing with drug dealers is no joke..."
Captain Liu didn't reprimand them too much for their reckless behavior. He called his men to take the three hostages away first, and then arranged for Chen Yunqi and San San to be taken to the ambulance to check their injuries. After a careful examination, the doctor determined that Chen Yunqi's arm was probably not fractured, but a fracture could not be ruled out, and he needed to return to the hospital for further examination and diagnosis.
The village chief abandoned his accomplices and fled before the police arrived. Officer Liu and his team dug up about two kilograms of drugs in his farmland and also found a large quantity of drug paraphernalia in several other homes. Some officers were deployed to the follow-up search, while the rest, along with the arrested suspects and witnesses, began their return journey.
Everyone boarded the bus one after another. The bus started, and Chen Yunqi looked out the window. Suddenly, he saw under the eaves in the distance, the thin Aji holding a child standing in the chaotic crowd, looking at him with her bright eyes. She wanted to wave, but her arms were too heavy to lift.
The police car swayed and rattled along the bumpy country road. When talking about their experiences after they parted ways, Tang Yutao was in tears. He first condemned the willful San San, and then tearfully recounted his and Li Hui's unbearable emotional journey.
After separating from San San, Tang Yutao and Li Hui ran frantically along the path like headless flies, relying on intuition and vague memories to navigate several forks in the road. They made phone calls as they ran, but the signal was poor in the mountains, and they lost count of how many times they connected and disconnected before finally reaching Officer Zheng. After understanding what had happened, Officer Zheng immediately reported the situation to his superiors and contacted other units in Jiaoyuan County. Upon receiving instructions, the anti-drug squad immediately drove to Heihai Township, finally meeting up with the two who had managed to escape the mountains at 3:00 AM. They immediately gathered information from them, devised an arrest plan, and rushed to Agoyiz Village without stopping.
After a harrowing night, everyone felt a sense of relief, as if they had escaped a disaster. Li Hui and San San were already asleep, exhausted, but Tang Yutao was still full of energy, using his silver tongue to recount his humiliating escape as if it were a traditional storytelling performance. Chen Yunqi, supporting his arm, watched Tang Yutao's disheveled and animated expression, and suddenly felt a lump in his throat. He swallowed the bitterness rising in his throat and interrupted him with a smile, saying, "Brother Tao, thanks."
"Tch, give me a break! Who the hell is your brother? Anyone who is your brother will lose ten years of their life," Tang Yutao rolled his eyes, momentarily speechless. "I'm fed up. Ever since I officially met you, one weird thing after another has happened. You've completely destroyed my flawless worldview! When your novelty wears off, just leave. Go back to being a carefree young master. My little temple can't hold a Buddha like you anymore. I still want to stay alive, get married, have kids, and enjoy my old age..."
"Brother Tao, really, thank you." Chen Yunqi interrupted him again, "Not just thank you for yesterday and today, thank you for everything."
Tang Yutao finally understood the sentiment in Chen Yunqi's words. He seemed a little uncomfortable and awkwardly turned to look out the car window. After a long while, he spoke again: "You're welcome. It's better for you and San San to be well. Don't forget Tianyun Village when you go back. Don't forget the good and the bad. Always remember these people and things, and remember to cherish them."
Looking at Tang Yutao's greasy, messy hair at the back of his head, Chen Yunqi closed his eyes and said softly, "Okay, don't worry, I will never forget it."
Chapter Fifty-Four Jealousy
Jiaoyuan County police had been keeping an eye on Agoyiz Village for some time. This time, following the clues, they quickly launched an operation with the cooperation of police forces from various places, gradually uncovering a cross-provincial drug trafficking chain.
Due to its remote location, widespread poverty, low level of education, and lack of awareness of the dangers of drugs, Jiaoyuan County and its surrounding villages and towns are not only a major area for drug use and trafficking in the entire southwest region, but also an important transit route for drug trafficking in Yunnan, Guizhou and Sichuan provinces.
In recent years, drugs have been spreading from big cities to small towns in the form of "urban infiltration into rural areas". Agoyiz Village is not an isolated case. There are many other villages in the entire southwest region that have been ravaged by drugs, and one tragedy after another continues to unfold.
Despite the increasing number of people dying silently from drug addiction, more and more people continue to embark on this path of no return. To earn money for drugs, they are willing to sell their own children and wives, and even take desperate measures when they are at their wits' end, abducting innocent passersby or people with intellectual disabilities to sell to illegal labor brokers. Those who cannot be sold are detained at home and forced into manual labor.
A year ago, Huang Youzheng suffered this misfortune because he coveted the so-called "easy work and high pay" that his relatives talked about. First, he was crippled in one leg, and later he was sold by a black market intermediary to work as a laborer in a mine thousands of kilometers away.
Police found Huang Youzheng during the rescue operation, but because the incident occurred in another province, according to regulations, Huang Youzheng had to remain there for a period of time for investigation before he could be repatriated. Lan Fuming, who also went missing, was not so lucky. He had died six months earlier in a staged mining accident. His coworker who killed him had someone impersonate his family member and collect his compensation money, while his body was abandoned in the wilderness and its whereabouts remain unknown.
When they learned of this news, half a month had passed since Chen Yunqi and his group left Agoyiz Village.
Upon returning to Jiaoyuan County that day, they were taken to the police station and made a statement overnight. Due to extreme fatigue, external injuries, and a cold, Chen Yunqi had a persistent high fever. With the coordination and assistance of Officer Zheng, he returned to Haiyuan County People's Hospital, where he lay in bed receiving intravenous drips for three days before recovering.
Tang Yutao and Li Hui have been staying in a hotel for the past few days. During the day, they are busy running between various units to coordinate and resolve the issue of where Sheng Qinyong and his two siblings will find a place to live. In the evening, they will come to the hospital to visit Chen Yunqi, bring him food and drinks, and keep him company by chatting and laughing to pass the time.
San San stayed at the hospital without leaving for a moment. During the day, he imitated other family members accompanying Chen Yunqi, washing him, helping him get out of bed to move around, getting him meals from the cafeteria, calling for a nurse from the duty room when his IV drip was almost finished, holding his coat and waiting outside the radiology department, queuing up at the window to pay the fees alone, and boldly asking others questions when he encountered something he didn't understand. After a few days, the nurses and doctors all remembered this simple and hardworking boy, and when they came to check on him, they would praise Chen Yunqi, this sensible and considerate younger brother, highly.
After the lights were turned off and the curtains between the hospital beds were drawn at night, and everyone was fast asleep, San San would climb onto the bed, lie on Chen Yunqi's left side, and secretly cuddle with him for a while, hugging his neck. They would kiss silently, their lips lingering on each other.
For the first two days, Chen Yunqi suffered from a burning fever, so San San opened his collar and let him bury his head against his chest, using his cool body to soothe the burning heat on his forehead. Just like in the woodshed, he gently stroked Chen Yunqi's back repeatedly to lull him to sleep. Only after Chen Yunqi was sound asleep did San San return to the folding bed next to him for a short rest. San San dared not sleep too soundly. If Chen Yunqi made any slight sound of discomfort, he would immediately get up to check on him, pour him water, and constantly comfort him.
Besides the various minor and major abrasions, Chen Yunqi suffered a minor fracture of the right hand's bony protuberance. He felt it wouldn't be a problem, but under San San's insistence, he reluctantly cooperated with the doctor to have a cast put on. After his arm was treated and he returned to his ward, he sat on the hospital bed, looking at his right hand, which was wrapped up tightly, and sighed, "This is it, I can't do anything now."
San San sat by the hospital bed with a bowl in her hand. She gently blew away the oil on the surface of the soup, first scooped up a spoonful and tested the temperature with her lower lip, then brought it to Chen Yunqi's lips. She looked up at him and said, "What do you want to do instead of taking good care of your injury?"
Chen Yunqi swallowed a mouthful of hot soup, and a warm feeling instantly surged in his stomach. His injuries were seven or eight parts better. He sighed comfortably, raised his eyebrows arrogantly, and said, "Besides wanting to do you, there's nothing else I particularly want to do."
Despite his disability, Mr. Chen, with his right hand in a cast and an IV drip in his left, sat cross-legged on the hospital bed. His faded hospital gown was wrinkled beyond recognition, and his hair, unwashed for two days, was a tangled mess. Completely oblivious to his disheveled appearance, he smugly began teasing San San. San San watched, wanting to laugh but unable to bring herself to, and helpless against his antics. She could only blush and softly scold him, "Shameless!"
Chen Yunqi puffed out his cheeks and said aggrievedly, "You didn't want to at all? I'm so upset. Is it because my technique is bad?"
San San kept feeding him chicken soup, scolding him gently, "You can't even shut your mouth while drinking soup. Don't be so indecent in broad daylight!"
Chen Yunqi looked at his flushed cheeks, grinned and said, "My wife is right to teach me a lesson. I need to reflect deeply. If my wife doesn't need me, then I don't need her. But if my wife needs me, even if my bones are broken, even if both my hands are broken, I will go through fire and water for her."
The more he talked, the more shameless he became. San San almost suspected he was possessed by Tang Yutao. Seeing Chen Yunqi open his mouth again, seemingly wanting to say something, San San quickly picked up a steamed bun from the lunchbox on the bedside table and stuffed it into his mouth, finally shutting him up from his incoherent ramblings. Chen Yunqi grinned from ear to ear with the bun in his mouth, his shoulders shaking uncontrollably, which made San San giggle along with him.
The two of them just looked at each other and laughed for a long time. The anxiety and tension of the past few days completely dissipated at this moment, and the atmosphere finally became relaxed and comfortable.
His smile gradually softened with affection. Chen Yunqi had no hands to use, so he leaned forward and brought his face close, blinking his eyes and pleading humbly, "Good San San, can I kiss you? I've wanted to kiss you so much ever since you came back to the woodshed. It's been too long, I can't wait even a second longer."
Every time Teacher Chen spoke sweet nothings, it was both sincere and raw. San San glanced shyly at the closed door, gently licked her chapped lips with the tip of her tongue, put down her bowl, and obediently pressed her lips against the bed railing. Taking advantage of the fact that no one else was in the room, she shared a soft, lingering, wet kiss with him, until her hands involuntarily rested on his shoulders. He closed his eyes, gently nuzzling Chen Yunqi's nose, and breathlessly said between breaths, "I love you... never push me away again for any reason. If we can't die together, let's separate now."
"I'll remember, and it won't happen again," Chen Yunqi's heart ached upon hearing his direct confession. Though they had never shared life and death, the bond they formed was equally profound. Faced with such a pure and beautiful San San, who could bear to let him give his heart to the wrong person? They only wanted to accept everything about him and cherish it like a precious treasure.
Under San San's meticulous care, Chen Yunqi recovered quickly. After being cooped up in the hospital for three days, his fever subsided and he was eager to be discharged for a smoke. San San, being accommodating, gave in to his wishes, running around to complete the discharge procedures and bustling around the ward like a dutiful wife.
After everything was almost ready, Tang Yutao and Li Hui arrived. As soon as they entered, they exclaimed, "Old Chen, I brought you a friend!"
Chen Yunqi, his arm in a sling, was peering out the window at the small shops selling Sichuan peppercorns below when he heard this. Turning his head, he saw a familiar face smiling sheepishly as he entered the ward. Seeing his outdoor attire, Chen Yunqi suddenly remembered him and asked in surprise, "Brother Yan? What brings you here?"
Yan Dong placed a bag of fruit on his bedside table, walked over, patted him on the shoulder, and said with a smile, "Xiao Tang called me and said you were in trouble. I wanted to rush over that night to see if there was anything I could do to help, but something came up at home that day, and Xiaxia wasn't feeling well, so I was delayed. When Xiao Tang called again, he said you were already at the police station. How are you? Are you alright? I heard you did something big! Amazing!"
It turned out that Tang Yutao and Li Hui had not only contacted Officer Zheng during their escape that night, but also called all the emergency contacts they had prepared beforehand. Yan Dong was the only person Chen Yunqi knew in City C. He hesitated for a long time before leaving his phone number to Tang Yutao, because his intuition told him that Yan Dong was a reliable man and would definitely not ignore him if he needed help in a critical moment.
His guess proved correct. Chen Yunqi was deeply moved and, unusually a little embarrassed, scratched his eyebrows and said with a smile, "Nothing of the sort. I ended up in the hospital myself. Thanks, Brother Yan."
Yan Dong laughed heartily, "Oh, no need to thank me, I didn't help at all. Xia Xia was so worried when she heard you were in danger, she was like an ant on a hot pan. If Xiao Jie and I hadn't held her back, she probably would have run faster than me."
Upon hearing this, Chen Yunqi quickly asked, "Is Yan Xia sick? Is she alright?"
"It's nothing, it's nothing," Yan Dong waved his hand, sat down on the plastic stool that San San had brought over, made a gesture of reaching for a cigarette, then suddenly realized that he was in a hospital room, took his hand out of his pocket and said, "I sprained my ankle when I went out with my classmates half a month ago, it'll be fine after some rest."
Seeing the backpack that San San had packed on the hospital bed, Yan Dong asked again, "Are you leaving?"
Chen Yunqi said, "Yes, I'm being discharged from the hospital today, and it's time to go back. School will start in a few days."
Yan Dong stood up, nodded, and said, "I drove here, so I can give you a ride."
Chen Yunqi felt embarrassed to trouble him and politely declined. Yan Dong snatched the backpack and carried it, saying, "Don't be so formal with me. I'm free anyway, a little while will do. I'll also familiarize myself with the route. I've already promised Xiaxia that I'll take her to Tianyun Mountain before school starts, once her foot injury heals." He looked at Chen Yunqi meaningfully and asked, "I don't know what's wrong with this girl, she keeps talking about going. Teacher Chen, would you be welcome?"
Chen Yunqi put his hand on Tang Yutao's shoulder and said with a smile, "Welcome, we all welcome you. There are only a few of us men at school, we're all used to being rough around the edges, don't scare Yan Xia later."
Tang Yutao slapped his hand away and cleared his throat to argue, "Hey, hey, how can you talk like that? Who's rough?" He turned to Yan Dong and said, "Brother, don't listen to his nonsense. I'm not rough. If you're coming, just tell me in advance and I'll take the horse down to pick up our sister. Don't let her twist her ankle again."
A group of people left the ward, joking and laughing. As they went downstairs, San San carefully helped Chen Yunqi, watching his step. Yan Dong followed behind and said to Tang Yutao and Li Hui, "It's true that poor children learn to be independent early. Little Chen is such a sensible brother."
Tang Yutao and Li Hui smiled awkwardly, nodded repeatedly in agreement, and quickly changed the subject by asking Yan Dong's outdoor club all sorts of questions.
Yan Dong drove a dusty Land Cruiser for more than three hours to take the group to the foot of the mountain. When they parted, he made an appointment with Chen Yunqi for the day to go up the mountain. He also forced a few new windproof jackets in the trunk to Chen Yunqi before getting in the car, starting the engine, and driving away in a cloud of dust.
Chen Yunqi, being a flag bearer, walked slowly and didn't return to the village until afternoon. Without pausing, the group quickly took San San back to his home to let him know they were safe. Afraid of worrying San San's parents, they didn't tell him everything, only that they had found some information and that the police had located Huang Youzheng and would be bringing him back soon.
As for his injuries, Chen Yunqi could only say that he had gotten into a fight with some locals because of the language barrier. San San's father shook his head, repeatedly advising him to control his impulsive temper. Seeing that Chen's injured arm made movement difficult, he suggested that Mr. Chen stay at his home to recuperate for a while. Chen Yunqi politely said it was nothing, but inwardly he was overjoyed. This suggestion was exactly what he wanted; he couldn't have been happier.
San San's father, concerned with his reputation, turned around and began to criticize San San for his poor handling of the situation, failing to coordinate and communicate effectively, and blaming him for being useless and causing Teacher Chen's injury. San San listened silently without rebuttal, but Chen Yunqi felt extremely guilty. After Tang Yutao and Li Hui returned to school, entered San San's room, closed the door, and impatiently hugged him from behind with one arm, rubbing against the back of his neck while saying, "My darling, you've suffered."
San San shrank her neck and didn't respond. She gently broke free from his embrace, went to make the bed, picked up her own quilt, and walked out while whispering, "Go to sleep early... I'll help you wash up when it's warmer during the day."
Chen Yunqi sensitively noticed the change in his mood and reached out to pull him back, asking, "Why are you unhappy? Are you angry with me? I'll go explain to your father now, okay? It's not your fault, it's all my fault. I should have made things clear earlier."
San San shook her head and lowered her eyes, saying, "No... I'm not angry about this... I'm fine, I'm just... tired."
Chen Yunqi immediately realized what was going on, frowned, and asked again, "Not because of this? Then it's because of something else?"
San San kept her head down and didn't say anything. Chen Yunqi got anxious and pulled her back into his arms with a little force, gently coaxing her, "Tell me if I did something wrong, and I'll change. Don't ignore me, okay? San San is the best girl, tell me, okay?"
San San was most susceptible to his charms, but afraid of touching his injured arm, she dared not struggle anymore. She buried her head in his chest for a long time before squeezing out a barely audible sentence through her teeth.
"Brother...why did Yan Xia come to see you?"
"Huh?" Chen Yunqi couldn't connect his unhappiness with Yan Xia at all, and said without thinking, "Didn't she say to Brother Yan last time that she wanted to come? They usually like hiking and such, so it's not surprising that they wanted to come. What's wrong? You don't like her coming?"
“I don’t like her,” San San said in a muffled voice, though she was unhappy. She couldn’t help but reach out and wrap her arms around Chen Yunqi’s waist, leaning against his chest. “I don’t like her… she likes you.”
Chen Yunqi wasn't stupid; he could tell that Yan Xia had feelings for him. He hadn't taken Yan Xia's feelings seriously, but he hadn't expected San San to mind. Realizing San San was jealous, he felt a mix of guilt and pride. So he lifted San San's head, making her look at him, and said seriously, "It's her business if she likes me, I don't like her. I only like you, now and in the future, I will only like you, love only you. If you're worried, I'll explain it to her when she comes."
Hearing him say that, San San breathed a sigh of relief. After thinking for a moment, she said, "Never mind... She has never confessed to you. Rejecting her for no reason will hurt her feelings."
Chen Yunqi laughed, pinched San San's cheek and gritted his teeth, saying, "You're quite the chivalrous one. You're so ruthless to me. Now it's my turn to be jealous."
San San curled her lip and said, "You're not jade, and you don't smell good. You're a bad person."
Chen Yunqi pretended to be aggrieved, let go and took half a step back, saying, "Sigh, you've already started to dislike me so quickly. I wish I could smell nice, but I can't take a bath by myself, and no one pities me or helps me, so I can only stay smelly."
San San knew he was always clean and tidy, and thought she had hurt his pride with her words, so she quickly chased after him, grabbed his sleeve, and explained, "I didn't mean to be disgusted with you. Didn't I say I'd give you a wash when the sun comes out tomorrow? Don't take it seriously!"
Chen Yunqi was amused by his serious expression and laughed out loud. Before he realized he was doing it on purpose, he hugged him and said, "Okay, I'll listen to you, as long as you're not unhappy. If you're unhappy, my world will collapse."
He kissed San San from her forehead to her lips and whispered, "Is it all right now?"
San San nodded, then suddenly remembered something, looked up at Chen Yunqi with her big, watery eyes, and asked, "Then... who is Yu Xiaosong...?"
Chen Yunqi was just trying to create the right atmosphere and get closer to the other person when a new problem suddenly popped up. He immediately deflated like a punctured balloon and complained helplessly, "My God... are you going to interrogate her all night tonight? Did you learn this husband-taming technique at the Jiaoyuan Public Security Bureau?!"