Zhang Chunsheng’s knees buckled, and he slumped onto the ground. How could he have been so blind? If he had used his brain, he would have put a huge question mark over Liao Minliang’s sudden arrival! Even if they were acquainted, how could Liao Minliang show up without receiving a distress call? Upon closer reflection, Liao Minliang had been subtly guarding Chen Qilan the whole time—they were in cahoots!
Suddenly, Zhang Chunsheng recalled a rumor he had once overheard. Supposedly, the wife of a certain Beijing high-ranking official was a native of Tuoshan County. Due to the political instability at the time, the official’s only son was brought to Tuoshan County by his maternal grandmother and raised there. Zhang Chunsheng had dismissed it completely. “How could a top official with that kind of status let his only son live in this wretched place?” But now…
Before Zhang Chunsheng could fully process the situation, a group of people swiftly entered the small courtyard. The man leading them wore a Military Uniform, and the rank insignia on his shoulder proclaimed him a Major General. Zhang Chunsheng recognized the commander’s photo from military reports: Lu Jinzhong, the Commander of a Group Army.
“Chen Qilan, get your butt over here!” Lu Jinzhong unbuckled his military belt the moment he stepped inside, his eyes burning with rage.
Chen Qilan, whose face had been so resolute earlier, was now hiding behind Qin Shuyao, refusing to peek out. “Ouch! Ouch! I’m wounded! Quick, Uncle Liao, hurry and find a military doctor to save me!”
Liao Minliang moved to the side with a look of resignation. “I’m not getting involved; I’m terrified when your uncle loses his temper too!” He paused, then addressed Qin Shuyao: “Well, the Commander never hits women, so Miss Qin, you absolutely must shield A-Lan, or he’ll be beaten to death!”
“Exactly, Uncle Liao, you hit the nail on the head!” Chen Qilan shamelessly pressed further into Qin Shuyao’s back, practically trying to fuse with her.
Was Qin Shuyao moved? No, she was too stunned to move!
“Step aside!” Lu Jinzhong strode closer. A veteran of countless campaigns, he exuded a powerful, naturally intimidating aura that filled Qin Shuyao with dread. But seeing the leather belt in his hand, she couldn’t move.
“Commander, this all began because of me. If you insist on punishment, please punish me instead!” Qin Shuyao spoke with the resolve and courage of someone prepared to sacrifice herself.
She had no doubt about the force behind that belt; with her slight build, she might very well be seriously injured on the spot. Despite this, she still refused to let Chen Qilan be punished in her stead. It was unthinkable to let her benefactor suffer or bleed further.
“You…” Lu Jinzhong hadn’t anticipated such defiance from the seemingly fragile girl. He had assumed one look from him would reduce her to a trembling quail.
“Jinzhong, stop frightening the young lady!” An elderly voice sounded from the doorway. Qin Shuyao looked up to see Chen Qilan’s maternal grandmother, Jiang Baoping, entering, supported by a middle-aged woman.
“You’re nearly fifty, can’t you tame that foul temper?” Jiang Baoping turned to the woman assisting her. “Luoying, having to endure Lu Jinzhong’s grim face for twenty years has truly been a hardship for you!”
The middle-aged woman was Pei Luoying, Lu Jinzhong’s wife and Chen Qilan’s aunt. Hearing the elderly woman’s comment, she burst out laughing. “I’ve only tolerated him all these years because of you, Mother. I could easily part with him, but I couldn’t bear to lose such a rare and wonderful mother-in-law!”
Lu Jinzhong, thoroughly slighted by his wife, looked exasperated. “Didn’t I tell you two to wait in the car? I can just take this brat back myself!”
“Don’t bother, you’re completely unreliable!” Jiang Baoping knew her biological son’s character intimately. He was adequate for military command, but when it came to interpersonal matters, he was hopelessly obstinate—a stinking, hard rock.
When Chen Qilan saw Jiang Baoping, he reacted like a monkey spotting a savior, immediately pulling Qin Shuyao to race toward them. “Aunt, please restrain my uncle, he’s trying to hit a woman!”
This was peak Chen Qilan style—tattling! His talent for spouting nonsense without a flicker of expression or a change in his heartbeat infuriated Lu Jinzhong so much that he nearly laughed.
“Who said I was going to hit a woman? Liao Minliang, did you see me trying to hit a woman?”
Liao Minliang, having been called out, wished he could crawl into a sinkhole. *What the hell? You’re having a family squabble, why drag a minor figure like me into it? How am I supposed to answer? Just shoot me and be done with it!*
Pei Luoying stepped forward and snatched the belt from her husband’s grasp. “You dare to strike A-Lan in front of Mother and me? Lu Jinzhong, you’ve truly grown ambitious!” Saying this, she smiled warmly at Qin Shuyao, whom Chen Qilan had kept close. When she noticed the mottled marks beneath Qin Shuyao’s disheveled collar, Pei Luoying’s eyes narrowed slightly, and subtly, she fastened the girl’s top button.
Qin Shuyao came to her senses, her expression panicked and uneasy. “I’m sorry, I…” She didn’t know why she felt compelled to apologize; she was the victim, and in matters of intimacy, it was always the girl who suffered the loss of reputation.
“Why apologize? You did nothing wrong. They are the ones who owe an apology!” Pei Luoying took Qin Shuyao’s hand, her voice soft yet resolute. “Don’t be afraid, child. We’ve got your back.”
Although Pei Luoying’s voice was quiet, and she appeared slender and frail, in that moment, Qin Shuyao saw a towering mountain standing before her, instantly calming her fear.
The people Liao Minliang had dispatched successfully unearthed the iron box containing one thousand yuan in the Zhang family’s backyard. Zhang Runsheng’s psychological defenses had long since collapsed, and amidst his confused babbling, he confessed to the crime of child trafficking. Since these were serious criminal offenses, Liao Minliang had already notified the local police, who had taken the Zhang family into custody. Severe legal punishment awaited them!
Watching the demons who had tormented her in her previous life being loaded into the police car, Qin Shuyao felt the profound satisfaction of vengeance achieved. Her eyes filled uncontrollably with tears. Heaven had not abandoned her after all; she had found salvation! Chen Qilan was truly her savior!
***
The crowds dispersed, and the small courtyard settled into a quiet calm. Lu Jinzhong led Chen Qilan outside for a private interrogation.
“What exactly happened last night?”
Chen Qilan declared, “Everything that should have happened, happened. I must take responsibility. I will marry her!”
“Preposterous! What if this was a setup orchestrated by her? Women will resort to any despicable trick to marry you—it’s not like you haven’t witnessed that in Beijing!” Lu Jinzhong stated coldly. “I will arrange the best medical treatment for her grandmother, and I will secure a good path for her future. You must return to your unit immediately and never see her again!”
“I will return to my unit, but only on the condition that I marry her and take her with me!” Chen Qilan insisted firmly. “I can guarantee that nothing that happened last night was a setup by her. But even if, hypothetically, she had schemed to trap me, I would welcome it wholeheartedly!”
Noticing his uncle’s furious, ashen face, Chen Qilan softened his tone. “Uncle, I know you love and care for me. When my mother passed away, she entrusted me to you. You and Aunt have treated me like your own son all these years, and I never forget your kindness!”
The mention of his deceased sister brought a trace of sorrow to Lu Jinzhong’s eyes. Just as he was about to speak, Pei Luoying walked over and whispered something into his ear.
“What did you say? Is she truly the shepherd girl who saved A-Lan back then?”