Shen Nian sprinkled a bit of chili powder over her own duck meat while Gu Xiao stared at her intently from the side.
“What are you staring at? Your injuries aren’t healed yet—no chili at all for you.”
Her tone carried a hint of scolding, but to Gu Xiao’s ears it was nothing but genuine concern, warming his heart until it trembled.
“Thank you.”
She was sick of hearing those two words.
What a block of wood.
Built solid and strong, yet you could hit him three times with a stick and he still wouldn’t let out a fart.
Judging by his dull, bottle-gourd-like manner, he’d probably never been married. Whoever married him in the future would likely suffocate from boredom.
She tore off a duck leg and handed it to him, then pulled one off for herself, rolled it in chili powder, and took a bite. The duck was rich and oily, though wild duck meat was a bit tough.
One bite of meat, one bite of steamed bun—protein with carbs, just missing some vitamins.
The area around the thatched hut had been tidied up nicely these past few days. She had always been particular about balanced nutrition.
But when exactly was this guy going to leave?
If he kept hanging around, she’d have to split her rations in half.
Forget it—saving a life was worth more than building seven pagodas. She’d already saved him; the rest could be dealt with later.
Seeing that Gu Xiao still hadn’t eaten his fill, Shen Nian stuffed another big steamed bun into his hands.
“There’s medicine in the pot. Go drink it yourself.”
With that, she picked up the fish basket and the woven trap, shoved the last bite of bun into her mouth, and turned to head out.
Gu Xiao sprang to his feet, urgency in his voice. “It’s dark—where are you going?”
He looked genuinely tense.
A little girl who should have been cherished and protected, yet she had the guts of a bear, fearless of heaven and earth. It made his heart ache.
“To set the fish trap. I’ll collect the fish tomorrow morning and make fish soup.”
Thinking of the danger during the day, Gu Xiao hesitated for a moment, then closed the door loosely behind him and strode after her.
“It’s dark and slippery. The riverbank is dangerous. I’ll go with you.”
Shen Nian stopped, suspicion rising. She felt like he was keeping an eye on her and said coldly, “Are you hiding something from me? Or are you planning to kill me and dump my body in the pond?”
Gu Xiao frowned deeply, his tone turning heavy.
“What nonsense are you talking about? In any case, you can’t leave my sight.”
Shen Nian’s mind spun, and suddenly it clicked.
“Oh, I get it. You’re afraid I’ll go report you and expose the fact that you’re hiding here, right?”
She chattered on with a grin and turned back. In the dim night, her palm-sized face looked especially pure. Gu Xiao’s heart jolted, his cheeks inexplicably heating up.
She was living such a hard life—how could her smile still be so bright, her energy seemingly endless?
Shen Nian didn’t notice his reaction and had already headed down the mountain.
At the riverbank, she tossed the duck innards into the fish trap, then dug a small pit by the shore to let water flow in, placing the trap at a slant.
The bloody smell from the offal would always attract fish.
Gu Xiao reached out to help, but Shen Nian stopped him with a sharp motion, her voice fierce.
“Are you trying to die? I didn’t stitch up that gunshot wound in your chest. Stay put!”
The warning edge in her voice made Gu Xiao freeze.
He was usually the one protecting others. Now being protected by her made his heart inexplicably sweet, and the corners of his lips lifted unconsciously.
He crouched nearby to keep her company, his right hand idly picking at the stones on the ground.
When the sky turned completely dark, the small fishing pool was finally set up.
Shen Nian washed the mud from her hands in the lake, straightened up, wiped the sweat from her brow, and said to him, “You go back first. I need to collect some duck eggs and take them to the county to sell tomorrow morning.”
Gu Xiao was about to stop her when, suddenly, the sound of ducks flapping and taking flight came from the reeds not far away.
His expression hardened. He immediately pulled Shen Nian down into a crouch, his whole body tensing with alertness.
Soon, several people emerged from the reeds, holding flashlights.
“Boss, still no sign of him. He took a bullet to the chest—he’s probably already dead.”
“That bastard knows where our base is, and he even let seven or eight kids go. He got two of our brothers killed! If he’s not dead, I won’t sleep easy. Didn’t you see a thatched hut halfway up the mountain this afternoon? Let’s go check it out. If we really can’t find him, we’ll move the remaining kids first thing tomorrow. If it comes to it, those kids can just—”
As he spoke, he made a vicious throat-slitting gesture.
“Yes, boss!”
With that, three or four figures headed toward the thatched hut halfway up the mountain.
Only after they had gone far away did Shen Nian finally understand. Gu Xiao’s hesitation during dinner—that was what it had been about.
She whispered, “They’re human traffickers?”
Gu Xiao nodded heavily.
From what those men said, it was clear Gu Xiao had also rescued those children.
It seemed her instincts had been right—he wasn’t a bad man.
Gu Xiao lowered his voice to a whisper, his expression grave.
“They have guns. Listen to me—go hide in the village right away. They already came by once this afternoon while you were cutting bamboo. I have to go into the city tonight. I can’t let those scum get away. Don’t worry—your kindness in saving me, I’ll repay it many times over.”
He was about to get up and chase after them when Shen Nian grabbed him back firmly, her tone resolute.
“I’m going with you! I’m strong—I might be able to help.”
“No—”
Gu Xiao tried to refuse, but before he could even say “okay,” Shen Nian had already stood up.
Dragging things out—she wasn’t afraid, so what was he afraid of?
She’d already died once and come back to life. She was clearly chosen by fate.
Life was already bitter enough—she had to sweeten it herself.
Left with no choice, Gu Xiao followed her, reached out, and grabbed her wrist, holding her tightly behind him.
“Don’t act rashly later. Stay close behind me. Don’t run around.”
Looking at her fearless, capable demeanor—braver than most girls—he thought she looked like the kind who would bring prosperity to her husband.
Realizing his thoughts were going off the rails, Gu Xiao’s face burned red in the pitch-black night. Luckily, the darkness hid it.
Shen Nian was focused entirely on the figures ahead and didn’t notice her wrist being held tightly in his grasp.
After only a few steps forward, Gu Xiao’s chest wound suddenly tore open. Warm blood seeped down through the tight, clinging clothes, quickly soaking his chest.
“Hiss—”
He sucked in a sharp breath of pain and halted abruptly.
Sensing something wrong, Shen Nian turned around and saw him clutching his chest, breathing hard, his face pale. She asked anxiously,
“What’s wrong? Did you tear the wound?”
“The wound… split open.”
“I told you not to overdo it!” Shen Nian was both angry and panicked.
“Slow down. I’ll go ahead and check things out first.”
“No! It’s dangerous!”
Gu Xiao’s voice carried an unquestionable command.
In the pitch-dark night, with a treacherous mountain path and traffickers overhead, Shen Nian feared being discovered. She could only support him and slowly climb upward in the dark.
After climbing a bit more, they saw several more flashlight beams on the small path leading to the village, footsteps hurried and heavy.
Shen Nian quickly pulled Gu Xiao down into a crouch. From not far away came Shen Dafú’s vicious voice.
“Move faster! Tonight I’ll strangle that crazy woman myself! If we don’t kill her soon, our whole family won’t be able to live in this village anymore!”
Wang Dàhua’s voice followed, filthy and vile.
“If that doesn’t work, listen to your mother—tie her up and lock her in the pigsty. Let her sleep with three men in one night. Two yuan per man—that’s six yuan a night. In a month, that’s one hundred eighty yuan. Much more profitable than raising pigs.”
Those filthy words stabbed into Shen Nian’s ears like needles. Her grip on Gu Xiao’s wrist tightened sharply, her knuckles turning white, fury and hatred surging uncontrollably in her eyes.