Chapter 427: News
Chapter 427: Chapter 427: News
"Are you... Jiamu?"
Su Qing was taking Jiamu back to Xiuma Village when, before they even entered, they ran into a familiar villager. The man naturally recognized Su Qing and was thrilled she had returned from Xiqing Mountain. But then he noticed the man she was pulling on a stretcher looked a bit familiar. After taking a closer look, he asked uncertainly.
"Are you... Duo Ji?" Jiamu looked at the villager and said excitedly, "I’m Jiamu! It’s me, Jiamu!"
"Oh my god, Jiamu, you’re still alive!" Once Duo Ji confirmed it was him, he couldn’t help but cry out in astonishment. "This is wonderful! This is truly wonderful!"
As he spoke, Duo Ji moved to help Su Qing with the stretcher, but she said, "Uncle Duo Ji, why don’t you go tell the village chief first? I can manage the stretcher by myself."
Duo Ji saw that Su Qing was indeed handling it with ease, so he immediately nodded. "Alright, alright. I’ll go inform the village chief now."
With that, Duo Ji scrambled off and ran toward the village.
Su Qing smiled at Jiamu. "You’ll see your family soon."
"Thank you. Thank you so much." Jiamu was overwhelmed with gratitude for Su Qing. ’If I hadn’t met her, I not only wouldn’t have made it back to the village, I probably would have died in the mountains.’
Before long, Su Qing saw a crowd of people surging toward them from the direction of Xiuma Village. Supported by his eldest son and grandson, the Xiuma Village chief hurried over anxiously. "Jiamu! Jiamu, is it really you?"
"Dad!" Lying on the stretcher, Jiamu looked at his elderly father as tears began to stream down his face. "I’ve been a terrible son! I’m so sorry for making you worry all these years," he cried out.
"As long as you’re back, that’s all that matters. As long as you’re back." Tears streamed down the old village chief’s face. His son, whom he had long thought dead, had suddenly returned. ’This is truly a gift from the heavens!’
And Su Qing had made it all happen.
The Xiuma Village chief, trembling, was about to kneel before Su Qing. "Su, we will never forget this incredible kindness you’ve shown our family for as long as we live."
There was no way Su Qing would let an old man kneel to her. She quickly stepped forward to help the Xiuma Village chief up, saying, "Village Chief, I just happened to run into Uncle Jiamu by chance. You don’t have to do this. It must be fate that we met."
Jiamu’s return was a joyous surprise for everyone in Xiuma Village. Seeing that the villagers had arrived, Su Qing planned to hand Jiamu over to them and hurry back into the mountains. "Alright, I’ll leave Uncle Jiamu in your care. His injuries need to be treated at a hospital. I should get going now."
To avoid arousing suspicion, Su Qing hadn’t completely healed Jiamu’s injuries. She had only ensured he wouldn’t suffer any permanent damage. As for his external wounds, she’d leave those to the hospital.
"Su, since you’ve come out of the mountains, why don’t you stay in the village for a few days? Let us express our gratitude," the Xiuma Village chief said quickly when he heard her words.
Su Qing was Jiamu’s savior, which made her the savior of their entire family. ’How could the Xiuma Village chief possibly let her leave just like that?’
Su Qing smiled. "No, thank you. I’m not finished with my business in the mountains. I have to go back in."
"You’re going back into the mountains?" someone said in surprise. "The weather’s getting colder and colder. It’ll be even colder in the mountains."
"I’ll come down once I’ve finished my business." Anxious to get back, Su Qing said to Jiamu, "Uncle Jiamu, you should tell the village chief and the others about that matter."
"Okay, Miss Su Qing, don’t worry. I will definitely explain everything about those tomb raiders to the police," Jiamu said, nodding quickly.
What?!
Tomb raiders!
The village chief’s family and the few villagers who had rushed over looked at Su Qing and Jiamu in utter confusion. How had this matter suddenly come to involve tomb raiders?
Su Qing nodded at Jiamu. ’Jiamu will explain the details, anyway. I shouldn’t get involved.’ After bidding farewell to the Xiuma villagers, Su Qing hurried back toward the mountains.
Watching Su Qing’s departing figure, the Xiuma Village chief committed her kindness to memory. He then said to his eldest son and grandson, "Hurry, take Jiamu home."
Once they were back in the village and had heard about Jiamu’s experiences over the past three years, the villagers of Xiuma Village were furious. To think that the reason Jiamu hadn’t returned was that he’d been trapped in the mountains by those damned tomb raiders. If he hadn’t met Su Qing, his chances of survival would have been slim to none.
The villagers of Xiuma Village immediately volunteered to help the chief’s family take Jiamu to the county hospital. At the same time, they went to the public security bureau to file a report.
After receiving the report, the Maqu County Public Security officers were astonished when they learned the full story. They hadn’t expected to receive news about Su Qing at the same time they were receiving a report about tomb raiders in Xiqing Mountain.
A few days ago, the bureau had received a request to find Su Qing. Several officers had grumbled to themselves, thinking ’some kid from the big compounds in Beijing must have too much time on her hands.’ A young woman daring to enter Xiqing Mountain alone... even the locals rarely dared to go in by themselves, let alone a girl.
Some of them had been quite displeased about the matter, feeling that Su Qing was just looking for trouble. ’Not only is she putting herself in danger, but she’s also creating problems for everyone else.’
But after receiving the report today, they never would have imagined that the girl named Su Qing had not only entered Xiqing Mountain and emerged unscathed, but had also rescued someone from inside.
’That’s just too incredible.’
Immediately, quite a few of them became curious about Su Qing.
Soon after, this news about Su Qing quickly made its way back to Beijing.
Upon receiving the news about Su Qing, the members of the Li family were, one and all, both excited and worried, while also feeling a secret pride.
"That girl is my granddaughter, through and through." Mr. Li was thrilled. He felt incredibly proud that Su Qing had rescued someone in the mountains. ’Across the entire compound, forget granddaughters—is there a single grandson out there who’s more capable than my granddaughter? If word of this gets out, I’ll be able to hold my chin high and grin in front of all my old buddies in the compound. I’ll make those old geezers green with envy.’
"You old coot, Qingqing is still in the mountains," Mrs. Li said, glaring at Mr. Li. The report from Maqu County, based on what the Xiuma villagers said, was that Su Qing had gone back into the mountains after bringing the man down.
The thought that Su Qing was still in the mountains made Mrs. Li’s heart leap into her throat.
"I was just feeling proud, that’s all," Mr. Li said, rubbing his nose a little sheepishly.
"Hmph." Mrs. Li shot Mr. Li another glare, then asked Li Fenghuo, "Did Maqu County say anything else?"
"Nothing else," Li Fenghuo said. "This is all the news we have on Qingqing for now."
"Oh, that child," Mrs. Li said worriedly. "There are still tomb raiders in those mountains. What if she runs into them? What would we do?"
"Mom, don’t worry. Xiqing Mountain is huge. It’s not that easy to just run into them," Li Fenghuo quickly reassured her.