Chapter 323: Curse of the Shui Lian 309
Meng Shuyan was alone on the narrow path, cold and scared. His legs were sore from running, and he saw no signs of life. But he couldn’t stop—his mom still needed him.
There were too many roads ahead, and the silence in all directions was unnerving. Which way should he go?
Just then, he heard the sound of dogs barking. The barking was not far away. He perked up his ears, listening carefully as he stood in place and tried to identify the direction.
Stepping out of the field, he looked to the right. His moist eyes suddenly lit up, and he ran forward shouting, "Dad!"
Jiang Jinghuai, Fang Tongzhou, Political Commissioner Lin, and their group—six people in total.
When Jiang Jinghuai saw his son, his entire body felt a surge of chills and heat. Squatting down to catch him, his voice was hoarse as he said, "Yanyan." His bloodshot eyes studied him for a moment. Shuyan’s curly and adorable hair was damp, his delicate little face now resembling a mud-streaked kitten, and his clothes and pants bore dried traces of dirt. Thankfully, there was no sign of blood—he was just filthy, but otherwise unharmed.
"Dad." Meng Shuyan threw himself into his embrace, his toughness collapsing the moment he saw his father.
"Dad is here," Jiang Jinghuai patted his small back, coaxing him softly.
After crying for a while, Meng Shuyan wiped away his tears. There was no time to cry for too long now. He hurriedly said, "Dad, Mom is over there, in that school! We have to save her! Mom helped me escape from the window. She’s all alone now—it’s so dangerous!"
Political Commissioner Lin and the others immediately looked in the direction where he pointed, exchanging a glance with Jiang Jinghuai. He said solemnly, "Let’s head there right away. Yanyan, did you see what the bad guys look like? What about Nini?"
"It’s Teacher Shui and that Chen Biao," Meng Shuyan replied. "Nini, like Mom, was also captured."
That was good to know—at least the two were together, making the rescue more manageable.
"Xiaobing, take Yanyan back first," Jiang Jinghuai said, picking up his son and intending to hand him to Chen Xiaobing.
"Yes, Yanyan must be terrified. Let’s send him back first—we’ll save your mom and Nini," Fang Tongzhou said, feeling distressed at the sight of the little boy in such a pitiful state. A rescue mission wouldn’t be suitable for having a child along.
"Dad, I’m not leaving! I want to see Mom," Meng Shuyan shook his head fervently, clinging tightly to Jiang Jinghuai’s neck.
"Be good," Jiang Jinghuai soothed.
"No! They said they were leaving, and I can sense where Mom is," Meng Shuyan insisted.
Jiang Jinghuai hesitated for a moment but ultimately handed him to Chen Xiaobing while deciding to take him along. There were only two opponents, and it was unlikely they had accomplices—the danger seemed manageable.
**
Tian Sangsang and Nini were being dragged along by Shui Lian and Chen Biao as the group passed through a patch of forest.
"Are you sure this path will lead us out?" Shui Lian asked Chen Biao, stepping on the leaves underfoot.
"This is a mountain trail. Once we get through it, we’ll reach the main road," Chen Biao replied. "Those idiots would never guess we’d take this route!"
Tian Sangsang’s heart sank. If Jiang Jinghuai and the others reached the school and found it empty, would they think to search the forest? She wasn’t too worried—Little Milk Tea had a keen nose and could recognize her scent.
Only, what about her son? How was he now?
"Why bother, Teacher Shui?" Tian Sangsang chuckled lightly, trying to stall for time as she was dragged along. "When I first met you, you were such an elegant, dignified person. Now, you’ve fallen to the point of being a fugitive. Isn’t it better to live peacefully? Why go so far as to kidnap us, risking your own life in the process?"
A glimmer of contempt and jealousy flashed in Shui Lian’s eyes. "Peacefully? How pathetic. As long as you’re out there enjoying life, I will never have peace. It’s because of you that I ended up with nothing. Back when we were in the town, you were always against me!"
Tian Sangsang couldn’t help but find it amusing. "When was I ever against you? It was clearly you and Yao Fangfang who kept giving me trouble. Honestly, I never imagined things between us would come to this. Even if we couldn’t be friends, we could’ve just been strangers. If you hadn’t caused so much drama, maybe you and Teacher Xu could’ve ended up together."
"Exactly," Shui Lian sneered. "Without you, none of this would’ve happened—I could have been Qianqian’s mother by now."
Tian Sangsang truly couldn’t understand her twisted logic. Even now, Shui Lian managed to blame everything on her.
"But I should thank you," Shui Lian suddenly pulled a strange smile. "Because of you, I had the chance to meet Jiang Jinghuai. I like your Jinghuai so much more than Teacher Xu."
Ah, women. So complicated, and full of endless chatter. Chen Biao, listening to their conversation, shook his head dismissively. Stupid women—talking about love at a time like this.
"You were my hope, and you were also my downfall. Because of you, I tasted both hope and despair. If you and that little bastard of yours hadn’t shown up, I could have peacefully stayed with Jinghuai in the military. Hahaha..." Shui Lian’s laughter grew shrill and haunting. "Let me tell you something—you don’t really know him. You’re not a good match, and you’ll never be happy together."
"You’ll never be happy together." Classic lines of a side character. Tian Sangsang’s ears felt itchy listening to it. "Do you even know my husband that well?"
"I know him better than you," Shui Lian replied with confidence. "If he really accepted you, why hasn’t he taken you back to Beijing? Why haven’t you met his family?"
Tian Sangsang’s expression turned frosty. There was no doubt Shui Lian had touched a deeply sensitive nerve.
Seeing her sudden silence, Shui Lian smirked with satisfaction and continued. "A restless woman like you will never understand him. He doesn’t need a woman who can’t stay patient. If you insist on being together, you’re courting a curse. Do you believe me?"
"Teacher Shui, you’re supposed to be an educator. What era are we living in, and you’re still going on about curses? Curses? Your curses? Let me tell you something—" Tian Sangsang slowly enunciated three words, "I don’t believe."
"I do," Shui Lian replied airily, casting her a sidelong glance.
In the damp, rain-kissed mountain forest, only the sound of leaves crunching underfoot and the occasional startled birdcalls broke the silence, adding to the melancholy stillness.
Tian Sangsang glanced at Nini. The little girl wasn’t crying or making a fuss, but she was clearly dazed from the ordeal. Her energy was dwindling—likely from not eating for a long time—and she was almost being dragged along by Shui Lian.
"Looks like they’ve already moved," Fang Tongzhou commented as they finished checking the school and found no one there.
"Dad, let’s follow Little Milk Tea—she remembers the scent!" Meng Shuyan suggested.
Political Commissioner Lin nodded. "Indeed, your dog has an amazing nose. If it weren’t for her, we might not have found Yanyan earlier. Maybe she really can help us find Sangsang. Once we find Sangsang, we’ll find Nini too."
Jiang Jinghuai gave a small grunt of agreement, his sharp eyes focusing on Little Milk Tea at their feet.
Little Milk Tea wagged her tail and led them forward. However, the direction she took was completely opposite of where they had been planning to go.
"Looks like they’re cunning, heading for the mountain trails."