“You came so suddenly and are leaving in such a hurry—we didn’t even have time to properly host you.”
Xiaolan’s uncle apologized.
“I killed one of our big roosters early this morning. Take it back with you—it’s a free-range chicken, perfect for stewing with mushrooms!”
Yu Miaomiao quickly declined, “Uncle, I’m afraid I won’t be able to take it on the plane. You should keep it for yourselves.”
Poor rooster, died for nothing.
The man wasn’t willing to give up. He brought her some dried mushrooms and other mountain goods, and even tried to return the two thousand yuan to her.
“Just making the old lady happy is enough—we can’t really take your money.”
Yu Miaomiao genuinely wanted to give it, so she lied and said it was money she owed Xiaolan.
“She’s gone now, and I can’t repay her. It’s only right to give it to you.”
“Grandma is getting older—buy her some good food with it. Xiaolan would be happy to see that!”
Although she really wanted to stay longer and keep Grandma company for Xiaolan’s sake, her flight was already booked, and she had to leave early.
Xiaolan’s uncle walked her to the village entrance. “The minibus to town passes by here. Wait here—there’s one around nine o’clock and another around eleven.”
He couldn’t wait with her, as he didn’t feel comfortable leaving the elderly woman with dementia alone at home.
Yu Miaomiao stood by the roadside at the village entrance waiting for the bus. It was a bit sunny, so she moved to the shade of a large poplar tree across the road.
Burp~ Ate too much this morning.
The minibus was nowhere in sight—she waited and waited, but it still didn’t come. It was already 9:40. Could the morning bus have already left?
Yu Miaomiao shielded her eyes with her right hand and peered into the distance. No minibus in sight, but a dump truck was approaching.
The driver slowed down and sized her up.
“You from out of town, miss?”
Yu Miaomiao glanced at him—he didn’t seem like a bad person—and nodded.
“The minibus already passed. You’ll have to wait until noon. How about you give me twenty yuan, and I’ll give you a ride to town?”
When she came, she took a three-wheeled motorcycle, which cost her thirty yuan.
Twenty for the return trip seemed reasonable—not expensive.
Yu Miaomiao didn’t want to bake under the sun until noon, so she immediately nodded in agreement.
“Thank you! Should I transfer the money to you now?”
“Hop in first, no rush. You can pay when we get there!”
What a straightforward brother.
Yu Miaomiao thanked him again, then climbed into the passenger seat with some effort—the small truck was quite high.
She was already feeling a bit dazed from the sun.
The brother drove while she rolled down the window to enjoy the breeze. It felt wonderful.
However, this brother wasn’t much of a talker. He drove silently and quite fast.
At first, Yu Miaomiao didn’t think much of it—maybe he was in a hurry.
But after a while, she began to feel something was off. Was this really the road to town? It seemed to be getting narrower and more remote…
“The road doesn’t seem right, does it?” she asked nervously.
“I’m taking a shortcut,” the brother replied without looking at her, continuing to press the accelerator.
Yu Miaomiao turned back and didn’t ask further, but her gut told her she was in trouble!
The man looked kind, but he might not actually be a good person!
What did he want? Could he be planning to sell her off in the mountains…
Yu Miaomiao’s heart raced, and her mind spun frantically. What to do, what to do—she had to save herself.
“I need to use the bathroom.”
She didn’t know what to do next, but getting out of the car was the first step.
The man glanced at her, his expression completely different from before.
“Hold it in for a bit!”
“How can I hold it in when I need to use the bathroom? I had porridge this morning—I really can’t hold it anymore!”
The man scowled and stayed silent, refusing to stop the car.
Yu Miaomiao was now certain he was a bad person, but to keep him from suspecting anything, she continued to play dumb.
“Big brother, my flight is in the evening, no need to be in such a hurry!”
The man glanced at her once more, finally pulling the car over beside a stretch of woods.
“Give me your phone!” he commanded.
Yu Miaomiao had been too afraid to take out her phone, worried he might snatch it away.
In a critical moment, that was her vital tool for calling for help!
“What do you want my phone for?” she continued, feigning ignorance.