Back To The 80s-Chapter 299 - 309: Mountain God Temple (Additional upload at 700 monthly tickets)_1
Gu Xiaobei noticed a serious look on Lu Zhanguo’s face but didn’t ask further, assuming that he was probably discussing matters concerning Qin Ximei with Lu Aiguo.
The next morning after breakfast, Lu Zhanguo and Lu Aiguo left the house, first visiting the Sìwángfǔ Village, where they found a child on a skating rink and asked him to deliver a message to Qin Ximei, informing her that an old acquaintance had returned with Yuan Ye’s child, waiting for her at the rear mountain’s Happy Lands.
On the rear mountain, the snow-white scene complimented the dilapidated condition of the Mountain God Temple, making the name "Happy Lands" seem rather ill-fitted.
Lu Aiguo asked worriedly, "Do you think she will come?"
"She will. She’s likely still under the illusion that whoever brought Yuan Ye’s child back could take her away too. She probably isn’t having a good time at home, and I am sure she got a good thrashing when Uncle Yuan took her back yesterday. Now, given the slightest chance, she would want to escape," replied Lu Zhanguo with certainty. People, under panic, don’t bother distinguishing between truth and deception.
Sure enough, Qin Ximei sneaked out of her home after receiving the message. Yuan Dahai almost broke her leg after her return yesterday, which was still painfully fresh in her mind. So, when she heard that someone wanted to meet her and had come with Yuan Ye’s child, she assumed the person must be someone close to Yuan Ye.
As for why the meeting was set in the Happy Lands, she believed it was due to Yuan Ye’s imprisonment, and the stranger probably wanted to keep the meeting low-key and hence chose a remote location.
Despite her half-broken leg, Qin Ximei managed to hobble towards the Happy Lands.
She found the Mountain God Temple completely deserted. As she gazed into the pitch-black entrance of the shrine, she timidly called out twice but received no response.
Just as she gathered courage and entered the temple, a sudden slamming of the door from behind startled her. As she was about to turn and leave, she faintly heard someone mutter, "Aunt Yuan, I’m Yuanchao. My death was a tragedy."
Qin Ximei paused, then spat in disgust, "Who is trying to scare me by acting mysterious? I am not easily frightened."
"Aunt Yuan, I am indeed Yuanchao. Look up," the voice persisted.
As Qin Ximei raised her gaze towards the ceiling beams of the Mountain God Temple, she was horrified by the sight of a pale face juxtaposed against a glimmering red glow. She leaned on the door, feeling a dampness in her pants, and stammered, "Yuanchao, it wasn’t my fault. You ran away. How can you blame me for your death?"
Before her words could fade away, a hand reached out and grabbed her by the throat, firmly pinning her against the door, and coldly asked, "How did you wrong me that year?"
Under the dim light, Qin Ximei recognized the face. Wasn’t this Lu Zhanguo? But then she saw a stake on his left ear and gasped, "Yuanchao, is it really you? I didn’t harm you. In fact, I saved you back then."
"If not for you, how could I have almost drowned in that piss pot?" muttered Lu Zhanguo, in a low voice.
Confused, Qin Ximei blurted out, "But didn’t you survive?" Suddenly, it dawned on her. "No, you’re not Yuanchao. Lu Zhanguo, you bastard, you thought you could trick me."
Before Qin Ximei could finish her words, a fist landed on her stomach. Lu Aiguo emerged from a corner, landing a series of blows on Qin Ximei, who shrieked for help. However, in the depth of winter, Happy Lands were deserted, and her cries for help fell on deaf ears.
Lu Zhanguo pulled Lu Aiguo back and coldly asked Qin Ximei, "Tell me, where did you dump my elder brother?"
Crumpled on the ground, clutching her head, Qin Ximei replied, "I don’t know. I gave him to a family named Song. When I later met them, they told me that Yuanchao had left home at the age of sixteen and never returned. They didn’t know if he had starved to death outside."
Hearing this, Lu Aiguo lunged at Qin Ximei, grabbing her neck, saying angrily, "I’ll rip open your chest to see what color your heart is. You’ve destroyed our family all these years."
Lu Zhanguo restrained Lu Aiguo, "Aiguo, it’s not worth getting involved in murder and subsequent legal issues for her."
Only then did Lu Aiguo release his grip. Lu Zhanguo took out a hemp rope, tied Qin Ximei to a statue, ignited a candle, and placed it beneath the rope. He coldly remarked, "You may leave when the candle burns through the rope. But if the wind, by mischance, puts out the candle, then you are on your own."
On hearing this, Qin Ximei cried out, "Zhanguo, I apologize. Let me go. I will never dare again. Zhanguo, don’t you forget, I have helped your family before."
Lu Aiguo sneered, "Helped? You were waiting for a chance to strike at our family, weren’t you? I don’t understand. What grudge did my mother hold against you that led you to harm us like this?"
With her tears and mucus flowing freely, Qin Ximei cried, "Why did I have to give birth to a dead son, while your mother was blessed with two boys?"
Infuriated, Lu Aiguo slapped her, "If this were a time of chaos, I’d hack you to pieces. And if you manage to escape alive today, feel free to report me to the police. I’ll be waiting at my home."
Vigorously shaking her head, Qin Ximei sobbed, "If you let me go, I promise I won’t report you."
Tired of listening to her, Lu Zhanguo motioned Lu Aiguo to leave.
While the brothers were descending the mountain, Lu Aiguo voiced his worry, "That old hag won’t freeze to death up there, will she?"
"She won’t. Even if the candle flame doesn’t burn through the rope, the Rangers will pass through the area within a few hours," replied Lu Zhanguo. Earlier in the day, he had found a cigarette butt and some dry food there and deduced that Rangers ate their lunch at the site daily.
Lu Zhanguo wasn’t worried about Qin Ximei going to the police. He believed she would rather devise an excuse than report the incident.
Lu Aiguo sighed, looking at Lu Zhanguo, "Second Brother, should we tell mom about big brother still being alive?"
Gazing at the winding mountain road, Lu Zhanguo removed the bubble gum stuck to his ear. After a while, he finally replied, "Let’s not mention it for now. We have no idea about big brother’s whereabouts. Telling her would only make her yearn for him more and bring false hope."
Lu Aiguo lowered his head, his mood heavy. He couldn’t comprehend how Qin Ximei had single-handedly destroyed their family, leaving his hatred for her even deeper.
Gu Xiaobei and Wen Xiuqing were sitting in the living room, holding their children. Gu Xiaobei knew from the moment Lu Zhanguo and his brother left early in the morning, that they had gone to settle scores with Qin Ximei, which made her feel somewhat anxious.
As for Wen Xiuqing, she seemed healthier after yesterday’s incident. Despite her hesitation, she held Mo Wang but did not say a word to Gu Xiaobei as she didn’t know how to face everyone else. Being able to hold Mo Wang even for a short time brought her immense satisfaction. Moreover, for the first time in forever, she hadn’t experienced insomnia and slept soundly through the night without any dreams.
Thus, the two women sat in the living room, each absorbed in their thoughts. Gu Xiaobei occasionally played with Xiaopang’s fingers. As her mind dwelled on Lu Zhanguo’s affairs, she kept a vigilant ear on any noises from the entrance.
Wen Xiuqing held gazes with Mo Wang from time to time. Seeing Mo Wang occasionally break into a goofy smile made her eyes moist.
Upon hearing the villa’s entrance door, Gu Xiaobei quickly stood up, clutching Xiaopang.
