PNB Chapter 135 The warmth and warmth of human relationships
Chapter 135 The warmth and warmth of human relationships
Wei Yu and his group left the city gate at sunset, heading straight for Wutong Temple. This Wutong Temple was 80% outside the city walls, yet it was called a temple within the city. This was simply because the enclosed green hills were mostly within the city walls.
However, to get to Wutong Temple, one must exit through the South Gate and cross the bridge on the official road outside Xinzhou Village. Unfortunately, the southern slope of Qingshan Mountain is the side of Wutong Temple that is enclosed within the city walls.
There was a forbidden gate leading into the city, but it was always locked, only open on the last two days of the month. Unfortunately, today was the last day of the month. Wei Yu and the others' only worry now was that those who had kidnapped Li Xiaonuan would take her away before the temple gates closed.
After all, the gate of Wutong Temple was equivalent to the fifth city gate of Yongzhou Prefecture. Wutong Temple got its name from this.
Just as Wei Yu and his group were hurrying towards Wutong Temple, Li's father and the others had also obtained quite a few clues. Among them, they learned from a carriage driver:
This morning, two little girls were indeed seen carrying their older sister, saying they were sick and needed to go to Wutong Temple for medical treatment. The kind driver even took them all the way to the entrance of Wutong Temple, where two men met them.
After clearly identifying the sick woman's face and clothing, Li's father immediately concluded that it was Li Xiaonuan. He rushed off to Wutong Temple to find her. The village head, who was with him, advised him against it:
"Little Nuan's father, I think your body can't take it anymore. Why don't you go back and tell Little Nuan's mother and the others that we've found some clues and are on our way to look for them? That way, they can relax a bit, and you can get some rest. Otherwise, what will Little Nuan's mother and the others do if you collapse again?"
Li Dagong and Li Dali also advised their father, "Brother, with us here, aren't you worried? You should go back and rest first. I think Xiaonuan will definitely be found tonight. Go back and tell Mother the good news, so they won't be too anxious."
Mao's two older brothers also advised, "Uncle, it's not that we're criticizing you, but your health isn't good. If you manage to find Xiao Nuan, but then you collapse, what will Xiao Nuan think? She'll be heartbroken. Have you forgotten how she almost got harmed while trying to get you medical treatment?" They were referring to the rumors.
Only then did Father Li realize that Li Xiaonuan was still entangled in trouble because she had sought medical treatment for him. So he stopped trying and agreed to go home and rest. But before leaving, he instructed:
"After you find Xiaonuan, no matter what happened to her, you must bring her back safely. If she has really been harmed, tell her that our family doesn't despise her and doesn't care about what happened to her. Let her come back in peace, and we will take good care of her for the rest of her life."
When Li's father said this, his eyes were red and his voice was choked with emotion. The village head and the others were moved and assured him that they would bring Li Xiaonuan back safely. Only after receiving this promise did Li's father return to the village with seven parts worry and three parts unease.
Under the large banyan tree at the entrance of Xinzhou Village, Xiaogang clutched his two large mountain tortoises tightly, his eyes brimming with tears as he gazed at the official road outside the village. Su Shi sat beside Xiaogang, distraught, wiping away tears from time to time.
As night fell, Xiao Gang finally began to sob. Su Shi pulled him close and patted his back repeatedly. The mother and son sat there in the darkness, weeping silently.
When Xiao Yang returned to the village entrance with a torch, this was the scene he saw.
"Mom, Xiaogang, what happened?" He couldn't believe it. He had only gone back to Niushan County to give his aunt's family some chili seeds, and now this had happened.
With teary eyes, Madam Su looked at Xiao Yang, who was holding a torch, and asked him, "Xiao Yang, why are you back? Your sister is missing. She's been kidnapped. Your father and your uncles are looking for her outside."
Su Shi clung to Xiao Yang as if he were a lifeline. Xiao Gang, too, seemed to have found his pillar of support, crying as he asked, "Brother, sister won't get hurt, right? She'll come back, won't she?"
Upon hearing the news that Li Xiaonuan had been abducted, a string in Xiaoyang's mind snapped. He stood there, stunned, his mind blank. It wasn't until Xiaogang's crying startled him awake.
Xiao Yang then realized that he was now the eldest son in the family, the pillar of support for his mother and younger brother. And now, besides comforting his mother and brother, he also had to shoulder the responsibilities of the eldest son. He had to find his sister; he absolutely had to find her.
Xiao Yang stepped forward and pulled Su Shi and Xiao Gang up, saying to them, "Mom, Xiao Gang, let's go home first. It's too dark, it's not safe for you to stay here. Let's go home first, and I'll go find my sister after I eat something."
Su clung to Xiao Yang's arm, feeling a sense of relief. Xiao Gang, holding the mountain tortoise, stood on Xiao Yang's other side, reaching out to take Xiao Yang's hand that wasn't holding the torch. The three of them returned to the farmhouse courtyard in the dim firelight.
Tonight was destined to be an eventful night. The Li family's courtyard was filled with the sounds of people and bright lights. When Xiao Yang and the others entered, they overheard Granny Zhou advising the old lady: "I tell you, you're so stubborn. If Xiao Nuan were home, you would surely drive her crazy. Hurry up and eat some porridge, lest Xiao Nuan comes back and you're still in bed."
"Yes, think about your eldest son's health. If he falls apart like you, Xiao Nuan will have to run around looking for doctors for you all when she comes back." That was Grandma Yu's voice.
Besides them, there were many elderly villagers inside. Among them was the village head's mother. Seeing Xiao Yang and the others enter, she quickly invited them to sit at the table and have something to eat. The food on the table was all made by the village head's wife, and it looked quite good.
Ms. Su sat down at the table with trepidation, greeted each of them, and thanked them apologetically. They all advised her not to overthink things, to eat well, and that taking care of her health was the most important thing.
Looking at the room full of people, the Li family members felt for the first time how warm this village was. Xiao Gang was taken by the village head's wife to wash his hands and face, and when he came back, he sat at the table, watching Su Shi and the old lady looking like they were about to cry.
Xiao Yang reached out and patted Xiao Gang's head, saying, "Xiao Yang thanks all the grandmas and aunties in advance. Once I find my sister, I will definitely visit her in person to express my gratitude. I won't say anything more; I need to eat my fill first before I go out to look for my sister."
Those people secretly wiped away their tears, urging Xiaoyang and the others to eat more. Although Xiaoyang found the food tasteless, he forced himself to eat two whole bowls of rice and a bowl of stewed chicken soup. He also urged the old lady and the others to eat more. Seeing that they had eaten something, he was satisfied and prepared to go out to find someone.
Just as Xiaoyang was getting ready to leave, Li's father finally returned home. Seeing his tired yet restrained expression, the Li family knew that his health was failing and he needed to rest.