Hearing this, Su Nanyue immediately became highly alert.
Didn’t the soldier say the person meeting with the human traffickers was on the train?
Could it be they were going to get off the train now?
She began to regret her decision, wondering why she had agreed to this when she knew the two hundred yuan wouldn’t be easy money.
But it was too late now – she was surrounded by these human traffickers.
Da Bao and Xiao Bao had been drugged unconscious by the group not long ago, leaving her no choice but to pin her hopes on them.
Soon she was picked up and thrown into a wooden crate.
Her body hit a protruding edge of the wood, the pain so sharp it brought tears to her eyes. To avoid detection, she suppressed the urge to grimace in pain.
Fortunately, the traffickers were packing two or three people per crate. In her crate were herself, Da Bao, Xiao Bao, and that young boy.
The train came to a stop, and shortly after, the door connecting the freight compartments opened. Several men entered from outside.
Leading them was a man in his forties wearing a brown leather jacket. He had an upright appearance but cunning eyes.
Old Liu and his group hurried forward to converse with them.
From their dialogue, Su Nanyue learned these were the higher-ups of the human trafficking ring.
Peering through the cracks in the wooden crate, she searched for any sign of Jiang Yan.
She didn’t see Jiang Yan, only noticed two men standing guard by the door who had come with the leather-jacketed man – both with noticeable bulges at their waists.
Realizing what those were, Su Nanyue held her breath nervously.
No way!
No one mentioned the traffickers would be armed!
And with the compartment sealed shut, escape was impossible.
Not to mention Da Bao and Xiao Bao were still unconscious.
She had no idea when backup would arrive.
Just as anxiety gripped her, she saw Old Liu leading the leather-jacketed man toward her crate.
The moment the crate opened, she quickly closed her eyes, pretending to still be unconscious.
She could feel their gazes on her – cold and snake-like, putting her entire body on high alert.
Her heart pounded violently, toes curling tightly inside her shoes as she struggled to maintain composure and avoid raising suspicion.
Fortunately, the two men didn’t look for long. As the crate lid closed, Su Nanyue breathed a sigh of relief.
From outside came the leather-jacketed man’s pleased voice: “This batch looks good! Don’t worry, I’ll make sure you’re properly compensated.”
No sooner had he spoken than the connecting door burst open and a group of people rushed in.
Su Nanyue quickly pressed against the crate’s cracks to look outside. The next moment, her crate was opened and Zhang Zhaodi jumped in.
Their eyes met, surprise flashing in Zhang Zhaodi’s eyes before turning vicious.
Zhang reached out to grab Su Nanyue’s hand.
Reacting instantly, Su Nanyue thrust forward with the small knife in her hand.
Caught off guard by the weapon, Zhang Zhaodi was stabbed.
Not giving her time to recover, Su Nanyue hooked an arm around her neck and pressed the blade against her throat.
The commotion attracted attention from outside.
The crate opened again.
Su Nanyue looked up and saw Jiang Yan.
That face – it amazed her every time she saw it.
But with a hostage in hand, she quickly explained: “She’s working with the people outside. She’s the one who drugged me.”
Jiang Yan raised his hand, and soon someone came forward to take Zhang Zhaodi from her.
The sound of Da Bao’s milky voice reached her ears, “Mom, are we safe now?”
Su Nanyue turned her head in disbelief.
“Da Bao, you weren’t affected by the anesthetic?”
Earlier, after they were brought here, Zhang Zhaodi had taken towels soaked with anesthetic and pressed them over Da Bao and Xiao Bao’s noses and mouths.
She had seen it with her own eyes, so how was it that Xiao Bao still hadn’t woken up, while Da Bao was already awake and looking so alert, as if he had never been unconscious at all?
Da Bao nodded, “When she covered me with the towel, I held my breath.”
Su Nanyue looked at him in surprise, reaching out to rub his tender little face. “You’re amazing!”
Da Bao blushed at her praise, his ears turning red immediately, though his eyes sparkled brightly.
Jiang Yan also heard what he said and reached out to lift him from the wooden crate, looking at him with admiration. “You did very well. Who taught you that method?”
“I heard it when Grandma was talking to Brother.”
This was indeed something he had overheard from Wang Xiu Lan. Earlier this year, a child had gone missing in the neighboring village, and everyone said it was the work of human traffickers.
During that period, people were panicked. Worried that Jiang Jing Zhou might be kidnapped, Wang Xiu Lan had specifically instructed him not to accept food from strangers and to hold his breath if anyone ever pressed a towel over his nose and mouth.
Da Bao had been cooking at the time, but he remembered those words firmly and made sure Xiao Bao remembered them too.
Jiang Yan wasn’t aware of what had happened to Da Bao, but upon hearing this, he said, “Your grandmother was right.”
As they spoke, Su Nanyue slowly stood up from the crate. Having maintained the same position for too long, half of her body had gone numb.
Once the numbness finally subsided, she bent down and picked up Xiao Bao, who was still unconscious.
Jiang Yan had already set Da Bao down and, seeing this, reached out to take Xiao Bao from her arms.
Su Nanyue didn’t hesitate. She bent down again and picked up the little boy.
Soon, someone stepped forward and took the little boy from her arms.
Leaning on the wooden crate for support, she stepped out and reached out to take Xiao Bao back from Jiang Yan.
Jiang Yan glanced at her pale face and said, “I’ll have someone escort you back to your carriage.”
He raised his hand and called for Wang Kai Ping, instructing him to take Su Nanyue back.
Su Nanyue truly wasn’t feeling well at the moment. Her body had long suffered from malnutrition, and coupled with the intense stress earlier, she was completely exhausted.
Had it not been for sheer willpower, she would have collapsed from fatigue long ago.
So she didn’t refuse. Picking up her bundle and holding Da Bao’s hand, she prepared to leave.
Da Bao looked at Xiao Bao, who was still unconscious.
His small face couldn’t hide his worry. “Mom, why hasn’t Brother woken up yet? Will he be okay?”
Su Nanyue also looked at Xiao Bao in Jiang Yan’s arms with concern.
Jiang Yan reassured them, “Don’t worry, the child is fine. He’ll wake up soon.”
Hearing that Xiao Bao was okay, Da Bao finally breathed a sigh of relief.
Jiang Yan handed Xiao Bao to Wang Kai Ping and said to Su Nanyue, “Later, give him your address and name. Once we wrap up here, I’ll report to my superiors. The reward we promised you will be sent to your address.”
At the mention of the reward, Su Nanyue’s eyes lit up, and she suddenly felt a surge of energy.
“Okay, no problem.”
She looked at Jiang Yan somewhat sheepishly and asked cautiously, “Comrade, um… besides the reward, could you also write me a letter of commendation?”
Fearing the other party might refuse, she quickly waved her hand, “If it’s not possible, just forget it.”
Despite saying this, she let out a soft sigh, her tone dejected, “I’m not being materialistic. I’m actually going to the military base to find my husband.”
“He returned to the army the day after our wedding and hasn’t come home all these years. I know he looks down on me for being a rural woman.”
“I thought that with a letter of commendation, he might be willing to build a proper life with me in the future.”
After speaking, she discreetly signaled to Da Bao standing beside her.
Da Bao’s eyes darted around, then he looked up, his large eyes gazing pitifully at Jiang Yan.
“Grandma and Grandpa don’t like us either – they even want to sell me and my brother. The injury on Mom’s head happened when they pushed her during an argument.”
His eyes welled up with tears, “If Dad doesn’t want us either, we’ll have nowhere to go.”
Wang Kaiping, holding Xiao Bao, spoke up angrily upon hearing this, “That’s just too much.”
No wonder this delicate, pretty, and injured young woman was traveling alone with two children.
She had been forced into this situation.
Jiang Yan stood nearby, glancing at Da Bao’s thin, small figure before turning to the frail Su Nanyue. “I’ll help you,” he said.
Then he added, “Military marriages are protected by law. If you encounter any unresolved issues at the base, you can directly approach the leadership.”