For half a mile, she didn’t see a single "living thing," and this eerie feeling plunged her once again into hell.
She turned to look at the Yin Family’s resort. Was there really not a single person in such a large house? Could it be a haunted mansion...
Su Xiaomeng sniffed, helplessly looking around, not knowing which way to go.
But she absolutely refused to stand there waiting to starve!
With her heart pounding, she chose a small path and tentatively walked forward...
The pain she could endure, but hunger she couldn’t...
Su Xiaomeng clutched her stomach, feeling light-headed.
Looking at the wild grass and dry tree trunks around...
If she didn’t have two babies inside her belly, she would have surely plucked the grass and stuffed it in her mouth.
Being poisoned is better than starving to death.
Though it was already late March, Beijing’s winter was always long, and the temperature hadn’t really risen, while the mountains were a few degrees colder than the city.
Su Xiaomeng was shivering with cold, truly feeling her eyelids drooping...
Her head was dizzy, and her body felt terrible.
If she fell down in the next second and died in the mountains, when would she be discovered?
Even if she were discovered, would they know those two bad guys were the culprits?
Step by step, she walked down the uneven stairs, holding onto the belief of "wanting to find those two bad guys for revenge!"
But...
When would she reach the end?
Su Xiaomeng looked ahead, sniffing, and pressed her lips tightly.
Maybe one more step and she’ll meet someone, one more step and there’ll be food, one more step and she’ll reach the foot of the mountain...
She silently chanted in her heart, encouraging herself almost like hypnosis.
She walked for nearly forty minutes, reaching her limit, her legs too weak to support her frame...
Tears dropped again from her eyes.
It would be great if there was a public phone nearby...
No, she really couldn’t walk any further, didn’t want to walk anymore...
Her stomach was cramping from hunger, contracting painfully, causing sweat to break out on her forehead, just as she felt she could move no more, her blurry vision suddenly saw a person.
She quickly focused and confirmed that there was an elderly man with white hair fishing by the stream.
Su Xiaomeng summoned her strength, biting her lip, not knowing where the energy came from, and quickened her pace towards him.
"Grandpa... Grandpa..."
Su Xiaomeng started shouting while still twenty steps away from the elder.
The elderly man turned at the sound and, seeing Su Xiaomeng, a look of surprise flashed across his face, and he quickly stood up, "Little girl, what is this..."
The white-haired grandpa had kind eyes and a handsome appearance! Even more handsome than Yin Shixiu!
Upon hearing a human voice, Su Xiaomeng couldn’t hold back, crying as she spoke, "Gra- Grandpa... Do you know where this is... Where can I go d-down the mountain?"
She wiped tears as her little shoulders shuddered.
Her clothes were filthy, and traces of bloodstains were faintly visible on her little hands.
A dirty little face with red-rimmed eyes, looking terribly pale, as pitiful as could be.
Seeing her like this made the old man’s heart ache terribly.
"This is Jiuling Mountain, little girl, are you lost? How did you end up like this? What happened to your hand? It’s all scratched, does it hurt?"
The elderly man furrowed his brow in concern.
Su Xiaomeng, hearing his care for her, broke down emotionally.
The stranger before her was her lifeline, she sobbed and spoke intermittently, "Grandpa... Uh uh... Someone, someone wants to starve me to death here... Uh uh! Grandpa..."
Upon hearing this, the elderly man’s white eyebrows furrowed again.
Oh dear, his old heart was further pained by the cries of this poor little girl.
"Alright alright, it’s okay now... Come, let’s first go to Grandpa’s house, I’ll drive you down the mountain."
"I’m hungry... The babies are hungry too..."
Su Xiaomeng pointed at her stomach.
"Babies...?"
Su Xiaomeng sniffed and nodded, "Twins."
Even at this point, Su Xiaomeng couldn’t forget to boast about being pregnant with twins.
The white-haired grandpa paused in surprise, then suddenly laughed, affectionately patting her head, before turning to pack up his fishing gear and small stool.
"Let’s go."
"Grandpa... Let me help you carry them..."
"It’s alright, you don’t have to."
The white-haired grandpa shook his head, seeing how weak she was, yet still wanting to help carry things...
If he were ten years younger, he’d have to carry this girl back himself.
"Grandpa... Thank you... I almost thought I’d die here..."
"My surname is Bai, what about yours?"
"Grandpa Bai, my name is Su Xiaomeng, Xiaomeng as in ’Xiao,’ and Meng as in ’Meng dada...’"
"Xiao Meng..."
Mr. Bai quietly recited the name, revealing a kindly smile, "Cute name."
"...Uh! My dad gave it to me."
Su Xiaomeng walked beside Grandpa Bai, perhaps clinging to her lifeline, her spirits lifted a bit.
Mr. Bai lived in another villa on Jiuling Mountain.
The garden was large, but the house was a three-story villa.
As she followed Mr. Bai inside, a large dog suddenly bounded out, startling Su Xiaomeng. Upon closer inspection, it was a beige Labrador.
"Ah Bu, this is a new friend grandpa just met, no biting, okay?"
Mr. Bai patted Ah Bu’s head and then said to Xiao Meng, "Don’t be afraid, he’ll just sniff you, so next time he won’t bark at you."
Su Xiaomeng stood still while the dog called Ah Bu sniffed her.
Though she wasn’t afraid of dogs, survival instincts kept her cautious, making sure it wasn’t aggressive before she reached out to pet its head.
Who knew that her touch would excite Ah Bu!
The dog’s eyes shone as it suddenly jumped at her!
Luckily, Mr. Bai was quick-witted and shouted, and Ah Bu paused, no longer jumping at Su Xiaomeng.
Su Xiaomeng held her large belly, truly frightened.
Still, she gave Ah Bu a smile; now even Ah Bu looked more handsome than Yin Shixiu in Su Xiaomeng’s eyes!
Entering the living room with Mr. Bai, she saw the fruits on the coffee table, and her stomach grumbled loudly...
"Go wash your hands and face in the washroom, I’ll heat up the leftover porridge from lunch."
Mr. Bai said.
Su Xiaomeng nodded in agreement, and after cleaning up, she sat down briefly before Mr. Bai brought her steaming porridge.
"Eat, be careful not to burn yourself, take it slow."
"Uh-huh!"
Su Xiaomeng immediately lowered her head and started eating!
"It’s really good!"
Su Xiaomeng quickly said!
Mr. Bai sighed, it was just plain porridge... But.
Seeing this little girl, she truly had suffered a lot.
Apart from his place, there was only the Yin Family’s resort on Jiuling Mountain...
But could the Yin Family have mistreated a little girl like this? Unlikely, right?
Su Xiaomeng swallowed a few warm spoonfuls of porridge, her eyes reddening again, and tears falling into her bowl...
"Little girl, who wants to starve you?"
Su Xiaomeng sniffed and wiped her tears, "Two bad guys I don’t even know..."
"...Why would they do this to you?"
"They don’t like me..."
"Don’t like you?"
"Uh-huh," Su Xiaomeng pulled a tissue to wipe her mouth, then looked at Mr. Bai, "Grandpa, could you...lend me your phone? I want to call my mom."
"Oh, okay."
Mr. Bai handed her his mobile phone.
Su Xiaomeng swiped open the phone and said, "I’ll make a long-distance call, mind?"
"No problem, where are you from?"
"Chengdu."
Su Xiaomeng grabbed a tissue again to wipe her tears and nose.