While Meng Pengtao and Lin Hanqiao were filled with anxiety, Meng Jianhua and Meng Jiao found their situation somewhat easier.
The countryside Meng Jianhua was heading to was a place called Blue Bay Village.
It was said there was a water inlet resembling the sea, hence the name Blue Bay Village.
This was the hometown of Meng Jianhua’s former comrade-in-arms. After his comrade passed away, the elderly family members were left without care.
Every year, Meng Jianhua would make time to visit once, so he was quite familiar with the area.
The train compartment was unbearably crowded, filled with a mixture of odors—sweat, smoke, and food—that made people dizzy.
Meng Jiao leaned against the window, watching the fields rush past outside.
Meng Jianhua, however, adapted well. He chatted animatedly with a worker sitting opposite him.
They talked about all sorts of things, and before long, they became familiar enough that Meng Jianhua even managed to bum a cigarette from him. Though it was the cheapest Harvest Brand, he smoked it with great satisfaction.
“Here, have something to eat, daughter.”
Meng Jianhua pulled a hard steamed bun from his bag, broke it in half, and handed one piece to Meng Jiao. He took the other half and ate it in big bites, washing it down with cold water from his canteen.
Meng Jiao accepted it and ate in small bites.
It wasn’t that Meng Jianhua had no money, but he knew better than to show off his wealth, especially when they hadn’t reached a safe place yet.
The poorer they appeared, the safer they would be.
They needed to transfer trains at a major station along the way, with a layover of about four hours.
This train station was even larger and more crowded than the one they had departed from, filled with all sorts of people.
Travelers hurried by with their bags and luggage, while others with shifty eyes and nothing to do loitered on the platforms and in the square.
Meng Jianhua held Meng Jiao’s hand tightly, shielding her as they made their way to the waiting room.
“Stay close to me. This place is chaotic, full of pickpockets and petty thieves,” he whispered, his usual cheerful expression replaced with caution.
Meng Jiao nodded and pressed closer to her father.
However, as fate would have it, the very thing they feared came to pass.
Just as they were passing through a relatively quiet corridor to take a break, three thuggish young men blocked their path.
The leader had a cigarette dangling from his mouth and eyed the father and daughter with ill intent, his gaze finally settling on Meng Jiao’s relatively decent-looking bundle.
“Hey, buddy, spare some cash?” the young man asked with a slanted head and a roguish tone.
Meng Jianhua pulled Meng Jiao behind him, forced a smile, and took out the half-empty pack of cheap cigarettes from his pocket.
“Brothers, have a smoke, have a smoke. We’re just travelers, broke as can be, with no money to speak of.”
The young man slapped the cigarettes out of Meng Jianhua’s hand and sneered, “Cut the crap! You don’t look broke to me! Hand over the bag!”
The other two young men closed in, their eyes menacing.
Meng Jiao’s heart pounded with fear, her small hand clutching tightly to the hem of Meng Jianhua’s shirt.
The smile vanished from Meng Jianhua’s face. He set the luggage on the ground, fully shielding Meng Jiao behind him, and his voice turned stern. “Brother, life on the road is hard for everyone. Give us a way out.”
“A way out? Leave the money and the bag, and that’s your way out!”
As the young man spoke, he reached out to snatch Meng Jiao’s bundle.
“Dad!” Meng Jiao screamed.
Just as the young man’s hand was about to touch the bundle, Meng Jianhua grabbed his wrist, twisted it forcefully, and simultaneously tripped him with a swift kick!
“Ouch!”
Caught off guard, the young man was thrown to the ground, crying out in pain.
The other two youths, cursing and grumbling, charged forward.
“Jiaojiao, stay hidden!”
Meng Jianhua said in a low voice, advancing instead of retreating to meet them.
He was tall and, though he looked thin, moved with agility. His strikes were vicious and precise, targeting sensitive spots.
For a moment, he grappled with the two youths without losing ground.
If not for his leg injury, the fight would have been over long ago.
Meng Jiao hid in the corner, her heart in her throat as she watched Meng Jianhua fight those thugs to protect her.
She saw him take several punches, his lip split and bleeding, but he stubbornly refused to retreat, standing firmly in front of her.
The youth who had been knocked down earlier got up, his eyes fierce, and pulled a switchblade from his waist!
“Dad! Watch out! He has a knife!”
Meng Jiao immediately shouted.
Meng Jianhua had just kicked one thug away when he heard Meng Jiao’s cry. He turned and saw the gleaming blade thrusting toward him.
His pupils contracted—it was too late to dodge!
In that split second, instead of fully evading, he slammed his shoulder into the knife-wielding youth, simultaneously roaring, “Jiaojiao, get down!”
The blade tore through the fabric on Meng Jianhua’s arm, leaving a trail of blood.
But thanks to his forceful impact, the youth lost his aim, and the knife missed its vital target.
Gritting through the pain, Meng Jianhua seized the moment to deliver a heavy elbow strike to the youth’s chest, wresting the switchblade away and pressing it against the other’s throat.
His eyes were as fierce as an enraged wolf’s: “Damn it! Pulling a knife? You’ve got a death wish!”
His menacing stance, combined with the gleaming blade in his hand, instantly intimidated the three thugs.
The restrained youth turned pale with fear, begging for mercy repeatedly.
“Get lost! If I see you again, I’ll cripple you!”
Meng Jianhua spat a mouthful of blood-tinged saliva and released his grip.
The three thugs scrambled away as if granted a pardon, not daring to look back.
The corridor fell silent, leaving only Meng Jianhua’s heavy panting.
This was a lawless area, chaotic and unruly. Meng Jianhua didn’t want to complicate matters; otherwise, he would have dragged them to the police long ago.
“Dad? You’re bleeding! Are you okay?”
Meng Jiao hurriedly stood up, staring at the wounds on Meng Jianhua.
Meng Jianhua discarded the knife and, though a bit stiff, gently patted her back.
“It’s nothing, it’s nothing. Don’t be scared, Jiaojiao. Your dad’s tough—just a scratch, a minor injury! See? I chased them off, didn’t I?”
He claimed he was fine, but his pale face and the blood seeping from his arm showed he was seriously hurt.
Meng Jiao watched him, injured from protecting her, still forcing himself to comfort her.
“Dad… thank you… I’m sorry…”
Thank you for protecting me.
I’m sorry for ever thinking you were unreliable.
Hearing this, Meng Jianhua felt a bit embarrassed.
“You’ve taken me as your real dad—how could I not protect you? Who else is going to take care of me in my old age?”
“I’m really fine. Come on, get up now.”
He helped Meng Jiao to her feet, briefly tended to the wound on his arm, and wrapped it temporarily with a clean handkerchief.
“Let’s go to the waiting room. It’s not safe here anymore.”
Meng Jianhua picked up their luggage, keeping Meng Jiao close by his side.
In the past, Meng Jianhua never saw much value in starting a family. He figured with his sorry state, marrying someone would only bring them trouble.
But looking at Meng Jiao now, he felt that it would be wonderful if she were truly his own daughter.
Still, it didn’t matter—gaining a daughter out of the blue was something he’d gladly accept.
Meng Jiao also knew that while Meng Jianhua might appear careless and unreliable on the surface, he was in fact the most dependable person.
She swore that in this lifetime, she would definitely help Meng Jianhua cure his leg!