Chapter 174: “great Merit”
“……It’s Man Yue Shen Zi from Li Da Niang’s family. She carried away Qian Bao.” Gu Lan, lying on the bed, struggled to sit up. She had lost too much blood, so her voice was somewhat weak now. “Third Aunt, I saw her carrying Qian Bao toward the back mountain. I tried to stop her, but I couldn’t……”
The “Man Yue Shen Zi” in Gu Lan’s mouth was Li Da Niang’s daughter-in-law, the famously bullied daughter-in-law of Fengshou Brigade—
After marrying into the Li Family for many years without bearing a child, she endured the Brigade Leader’s gossiping wife’s Bai Yan and tongue-wagging, and was stuck with a mother-in-law Li Da Niang who treated granddaughters like grass and only doted on grandsons, tormented day after day. She got up the earliest every day, did the most work, ate the least…… Even the Li Family children could “step” on her, and her days were extremely bitter.
Gu Lan hated her own uselessness, her eyes instantly reddened, her face full of guilt. “Third Aunt, I’m sorry. I didn’t save Qian Bao.”
She had let down Third Aunt’s kindness to her.
The little girl’s forehead wound was wrapped tightly, fresh red faintly seeping through the gauze underneath, her lips dry and cracked with white skin, without a trace of blood color.
She was only twelve years old, with a frail body, lying on the big bed covered in wounds, appearing even more small and helpless.
Seeing her daughter full of guilt, Huang Xiulan rubbed her eye corner, unable to hold back and spoke for her: “How old are you? Just a child, how could you overpower a woman like Zhang Man Yue who does rough labor all day and has the strength of an ox? A thousand wrongs and ten thousand wrongs are all that black-hearted lunatic’s evil deeds! Why take the blame on yourself?!”
These words were also specially said for Third Son’s Wife to hear.
Huang Xiulan recalled the scene she had seen before—her daughter lying silently on the ground, a big pool of blood on the ground, her little face deathly pale like she was dead, scaring her so much she almost fell to the ground!
So close, so close her family would have been broken!
These words were not exaggerated…… If Alan were gone, even if she knew this matter wasn’t the Third Branch’s fault, she couldn’t possibly get along with Third Son’s Wife without resentment as before. A mother who lost her daughter, what reason would she have left?
Gu Mu had suffered one shock after another today. Her little grandson was stolen away, her eldest granddaughter almost smashed to death. When she heard the news, she couldn’t catch her breath, her vision went black and she keeled over. She had only just recovered now.
The men in the family had all gone up the mountain to search.
The women stayed behind, guarding the children at home.
“Third Son’s Wife, don’t blame Alan. This matter really isn’t Alan’s fault! Alan risked her life! She went all out to stop them, even herself……” Gu Mu’s voice trembled severely. A strong person her whole life, today her tears hadn’t stopped, her eyes red and swollen, her head throbbing with pain.
“Your father they…… the village’s old and young men…… all went into the mountains to chase. Heaven open your eyes…… surely my good grandson can be found! Surely……” Her lips trembled, thinking of the little grandson whose whereabouts were unknown, old tears flowed down again, her heart like being scraped by a dull knife.
“……I understand.” Lin Zhao’s eyes ached and swelled.
She sat on the bedside, grasping Gu Lan’s ice-cold little hand, her voice slightly hoarse but striving to stay steady: “Not blaming Alan. Third Aunt thanks you…… for risking your life to save Qian Bao.”
Her gaze swept over the scratches on the little girl’s arm, her gaze pausing slightly, a look of heartache appearing in her eyes. “Our Alan has suffered.”
Gu Lan lightly curled her fingers, subconsciously wanting to pull back her wounded arm, her soft voice carrying a bit of comfort.
“Third Aunt, don’t worry too much. Grandfather, Father they…… all went to look. Qian Bao…… will definitely be fine.”
Lin Zhao barely tugged the corner of her mouth, helped Alan lie down, and instructed her to close her eyes and rest. She gestured for Gu Mu and the others to go out.
Several people came to the yard.
“Mom, what did the Li Family say?” Lin Zhao’s voice was very flat, yet couldn’t hide the chill.
Gu Mu got angry at the mention of the Li Family now, and along with it hated that annoying Old Woman Li, who had brought in such a mad dog that bites without barking!
Usually acting like a quail, meek and submissive, but behind the scenes capable of such a vicious act of abducting someone’s child!
What a waste of her good intentions, pah!
“The Li Family put out the word……” Gu Mu glanced at Lin Zhao’s expression, her mouth not stopping. “They said as soon as that mad woman dares step into the house, they’ll immediately sweep her out the door! The Li Family Members have also gone into the mountains to help search now.”
Lin Zhao sneered coldly. “Shouldn’t they go? Shouldn’t they be the first to rush up the mountain?!”
Her eyes were covered in cold frost, saying word by word: “If anything happens to Qian Bao, I won’t spare the Li Family.”
With those words, she turned and left the yard.
Gu Mu trotted after a few steps, hurriedly calling out: “Third Son’s Wife, where are you going?”
“Up the mountain.”
Two light words fell.
Lin Zhao took a deep breath, lifted her legs and dashed madly toward the foot of the mountain, her figure quickly disappearing around the bend ahead.
The twins wanted to chase, but were pulled into Gu Mu’s bosom by her.
“You two don’t go. So many people up the mountain, the wild beasts in the mountains are all startled, coming down now to forage. With your little bodies, not enough to fill their teeth.”
Yu Bao desperately lifted his head, his swollen eyelids almost covering his eyes. “What about Qian Bao? Qian Bao is still in the mountains.”
He stared dead at the direction Lin Zhao left, biting his lip, the whole person sunk into huge regret and sadness, unable to even lift his head. “It’s all my fault. I’m the eldest brother, I didn’t watch Qian Bao.”
Gu Mu’s heart twisted into a fried dough twist. “Why blame you little doll? You’re only a bit taller than the stove. If blame, it’s me, I as grandma didn’t watch Qian Bao.”
“Not grandma’s fault, not brother’s fault!” Heng Bao’s little fists clenched tight, a gloom not belonging to his age bursting from his eyes. “Blame that bad woman! It’s all her doing!”
He was the little friend who, upon hearing his brother was carried up the mountain, could immediately think to bring Amber, sickle, and food（ dry pancakes and water）…… to go up the mountain to save his brother.
He had ideas and action, just too young. A bit older and he’d be formidable. Maybe Qian Bao would have been brought back early!
“Right, blame the bad guys. Everyone knows how you two cried like this.” Gu Mu went along.
“Go home first. Grandma will apply something to your eyes. Swollen like this, when Qian Bao comes back, he won’t recognize eldest brother and second brother.”
Yu Bao looked toward the mountain direction again and again, only retracting his gaze after entering the door. “I’m afraid…… afraid Qian Bao can’t come back, also afraid he’s scared. Grandma, will Qian Bao cry? Just thinking of Qian Bao crying makes me want to cry……”
In the mountains.
Qian Bao didn’t cry. The little dumpling was scared silly.
A gray-black fierce wolf with bared fangs bit dead onto Zhang Man Yue’s arm, tearing and dragging her into the woods.
Just a few steps away, there were several more wolves with green-glowing eyes and drooling mouths. Their greedy and ferocious gazes were like tangible things, firmly locked on the tender white child firmly protected by Da Huang, drooling with desire.
Another skinny wolf charged up, straight for the young child.
Da Huang let out a warning low growl from its throat, baring its gleaming sharp teeth. In the instant the wolf approached, its front paw full of power lashed out like lightning, smashing fiercely toward the wolf’s head.
“Awoo!”
That wolf flew backward, its body smashing into an old pine tree, then tucking its tail, howling miserably as it fled wolfishly deep into the woods.
Qian Bao’s small body stood on the yellowed dry grass, his back pressed tight against the cold hard cliff wall.
He touched Da Huang’s fluffy powerful tail, as if only then coming back to his senses, softly saying with dependence: “Da Huang is awesome.”
“Woof!” Da Huang responded, not daring to relax for a moment, its cold gaze firmly fixed on the several hungry wolves ahead, several deterrent woofs overflowing from its throat.
It was fed three meals a day by Lin Zhao, its fur glossy and smooth, limbs strong, fangs sharp as blades, right at the peak of its fighting power……
Even facing fierce hungry wolves, it had the power to fight.
Protect the little master well—this was Da Huang’s only thought!
Beside in the bushes came a hair-raising chewing sound. Originally mixed with shrill crying howls, now there were none.
Suddenly—
“Qian Bao……”
“Da Huang……”
Faint familiar anxious calling voices were carried over by the mountain wind.
Da Huang’s ears perked up sharply, then it barked madly woof woof, each louder than the last.
Gu Chenghuai carried the hunting rifle, shuttling through narrow mountain paths, from time to time checking traces in broken branches and grass leaves on the ground, tracking swiftly forward along the newest marks.
Behind him, the Neighborhood Committee men carried hoes and shovels, all running huffing and puffing, sweat streaming, their stamina compared to constantly training warriors, far inferior.
“Hey! Wait! Dog barking—” Neighborhood Committee Captain Zhang Yongqiang suddenly stopped, listening sideways for a few breaths, uncertainly saying: “You all hear, this…… isn’t it the sound of that Da Huang dog raised by the Gu Family……?”
Words not yet fallen.
A figure flashed before his eyes.
Gu Chenghuai was already like an arrow off the string, without hesitation diving down a nearly vertical steep path covered by bushes beside…… straight toward the source of the barking.
His agile figure vanished into the dense bushes below in the blink of an eye.
Zhang Yongqiang witnessed this, heart leaping to his throat, anxiously shouting: “……Danger! Can’t go down that side!” His voice sharpened to a change in tone.
That nearly cliff-like “path” was a death spot that all villagers detoured. Below the slope connected to a hundred-foot deep cliff; a person falling would leave no bones.
Zhang Yongqiang’s scalp exploded, decisively leading people to continue rushing forward along the relatively safe main path.
“Don’t go that way! Follow me around! Quick!”
After shouting, he gritted his teeth, mustered spirits to lead his men to accelerate.
Gu Chenghuai’s body continued sliding down the steep slope, huge inertia nearly throwing him off the cliff.
At the critical moment, his long legs hooked a bowl-thick tree stump beside, forcibly steadying himself.
Then borrowing force to swing, flexibly pouncing toward the gentle slope beside.
After dashing a few more minutes, Gu Chenghuai stopped at a slightly higher cliff edge.
His sharp gaze swept downward, capturing the small, safe and sound figure in the valley below.
He breathed a sigh of relief, his suspended heart finally settling halfway.
His sight focused on Da Huang.
Several hungry gray shadows were snarling low at it, forming an encirclement to hunt.
Da Huang’s fur all over exploded, but its stance resolute, dead standing half a step in front of the young child, not retreating a half step!
Without the slightest hesitation.
Gu Chenghuai raised the hunting rifle in his hand, the muzzle instantly locking the target, decisively pulling the trigger.
“Bang!”
That wolf fell accordingly.
“Bang!”
The second one down.
The wolf king hidden in the dark was startled by the gunshots, just lifting its head when the third bullet whistled over.
The remaining wolves lost their backbone, fleeing hurriedly.
Gu Chenghuai knew wolves held grudges, didn’t let them go. Bang bang bang several shots, those wolves all fell.
Having dealt with the beasts that saw his family’s Qian Bao as ration, he observed the terrain around, quickly found a gentle slope, and slid down.
His legs just landed.
Da Huang excitedly pounced over. “Woof woof woof, woof woof woof!”（ Why’d you only just come, the cub was almost scared to tears!）
Gu Chenghuai rubbed Da Huang’s head, praising: “Big merit, tomorrow reward you with meat bone!”
The three words meat bone instantly lit up Da Huang.
It excitedly circled the male master, tail wagging joyfully, humming woo woo from its throat.
Gu Chenghuai took three steps as two to rush to Qian Bao, bending to scoop the little body into his bosom, his warm big palm covering the little son’s head, warmly saying: “Scared, right? Don’t be afraid, Daddy’s here.”
Qian Bao never spoke, only tightly clinging to Daddy’s neck. Gu Chenghuai felt wetness on his shoulder; that instant, his hard calm heart was like pricked by a needle.
Big hand rubbed the round little head, the child’s soft hair making his heart soften.
Seeing little master not speaking, Da Huang anxiously spun in place, its paw that slapped a hungry wolf placed on the male master’s waist, standing straight, straining to stretch its dog face to look at little master. “Woo…… woof woof……” The bark soft almost like coaxing, with a tone, as if coaxing its own cubs.
Gu Chenghuai: “……”
His heart couldn’t help surging with a absurd feeling. Those who didn’t know would think it was the dad!
Gu Chenghuai quickly shook off this inexplicable thought, tone extremely gentle. “Want a rabbit?”
Rabbit?
Qian Bao’s long, water-vapor stained eyelashes trembled lightly, teardrops falling on his dad’s shoulder.
He lifted his little head, eyes bright as if washed with water, milky voice saying: “Want.”
Able to speak meant not scared dumb. Gu Chenghuai’s brows relaxed, single-handedly holding his son, other hand carrying the gun, rushing up the slope. In a patch of wild grass, he rummaged out a snow-white rabbit tied up.
This was one he casually caught on the way, to coax his son.
See, wasn’t it put to use!
“Rabbit!” The childish little voice carried thick surprise.
Qian Bao hugged the rabbit, his small short hands wanting to untie the bindings on the bunny, discovering he couldn’t, looking to Daddy for help.
Gu Chenghuai slowed his voice: “Untie when back home. Untie now, rabbit kicks its legs and runs off.”
Qian Bao obediently nodded.
Just then, a chaotic footsteps sound approached from far to near.
Zhang Yongqiang panting arrived with the crowd, also coming were the Gu Family Members anxious as if on fire.
Gu Fu stumbled over several steps, old eyes glued to the little grandson, looking him up and down. Seeing Qian Bao with no missing arms or legs, he let out a long turbid breath.
“Good that you’re fine, good that you’re fine.”
Lovingly touched the little grandson’s head. “Our little Qian Bao got a big scare.”
Good that he’s fine.
Qian Bao grinned his little mouth at Grandfather, softly saying: “Grandpa.”
Gu Fu’s anxious heart, “Ayy! Grandpa’s here, your Uncle and Second Uncle are here too. Don’t be afraid, no one can hurt our Qian Bao.”
Meng Jiusi was also there, pulled to help in the emergency.
He wanted to hug his little nephew, but thought Qian Bao didn’t know him, afraid to startle the child, so gave up the idea, planning to quietly check the child’s pulse once his emotions stabilized.
Zhang Yongqiang had just caught his breath, gaze turning over Gu Chenghuai and little Qian Bao, suddenly frowning to ask: “Hey, right! Where’s that Man Yue girl?”
Noticing his gaze on himself, Gu Chenghuai raised a brow, counter-asking: “Who’s this? Didn’t see.”
“What?” Shock and doubt filled Zhang Yongqiang’s eyes, voice involuntarily rising eight degrees. “How possible not to see? Isn’t it that Li Family wife from our brigade who can’t bear children who carried Qian Bao up the mountain?!”
“She carried my family’s Qian Bao up the mountain? Reason!” Gu Chenghuai’s gaze displeased, expression slightly cold, chest filled with anger ready to erupt anytime.
“This…… don’t know yet, gotta find her first.” Zhang Yongqiang felt a cold blast whistling toward him, limbs nearly freezing, hurriedly explaining.
“Woof woof……” Da Huang suddenly low-barked toward not far away.
It first warily walked a few steps that way, then stopped, twisting its head to look at the crowd. Seeing no one following, it barked louder and more urgently.
Gu Yuanshan’s heart stirred, speaking: “Da Huang wants us to follow it?”
