The principal looked at Xu Li and said sincerely: "Child, you can't hear about a person's quality from other people's mouths. You have to feel it yourself. Look at Zhou Tianxing and Zhou Yang. They have changed over this period of time. They are cheerful, lively, and learning. They have also made progress, and their bodies are getting stronger. If their mother is as mean and vicious as the rumors say, how can they get better and better?
When she decided to sponsor you, she told me, "Don't tell you. She didn't do these things to make anyone grateful. She just did it because she felt it should be done. But, my child, people should know how to be grateful." "
After the principal finished speaking, he slowly walked away with his hands behind his back, leaving Xu Li in a daze.
Zhou Yang and Qing'er had been sitting on the small bench at the door and looking around, although the adults didn't say anything.
But seeing the panicked expressions of my brother-in-law and the neighbors, they also guessed at a young age that something had happened. Since my mother never came home, something must have happened to her.
It was getting dark, Xiuhua persuaded the two of them to go home.
They shook their heads: "We are waiting for mother."
Xiuhua looked at their pitiful looks and felt sour in her heart. How kind of a stepmother must this be to make her children miss her so much?
Huzi looked at Qing'er, turned around and went home, moved a small bench out and sat next to Qing'er: "Sister Qing'er, I'll wait with you."
Qing'er looked into the distance, with a sad face, and asked word by word: "Brother, does this mother not want us anymore? Am I not good?"
Zhou Yang took his sister into his arms: "No, mom must have gone to buy us delicious food and will be back soon."
Zhou Yang comforted his sister, but in fact he was not sure what he said.
"Look, it's auntie." Suddenly Huzi pointed forward and shouted.
Qing'er and Zhou Yang stood up at the same time and looked over.
"Mom." Qing'er called out and ran towards Cheng Xiang without hesitation.
Zhou Yang also ran behind him: "Mom is back."
Cheng Xiang reached out and hugged Qing'er who rushed towards her. Qing'er crawled into her arms and cried loudly, sobbing and saying: "Mom...Mom...Mom, I... .Still...thought you wouldn't come back."
Zhou Yang also rushed over, wiping his tears with the back of his hand, and pretending to be strong, he said, "I just said mommy would come back." He looked up at Cheng Xiang with red eyes.
Cheng wanted to hold the two of them in his arms and said softly: "Fool, why won't mom come back? Mom won't let you two go."
He wiped Qing'er's tears, held her hand and said, "Let's go home."
When Xiuhua and Huzi saw Cheng Xiang at the door of their house, they were very happy. Xiuhua said with tears in her eyes, "I miss you, girl. It'll be good to come back. It'll be good to come back."
Originally, Xiuhua didn't like Cheng Xiang. A city girl must be high-spirited and look down on others. She couldn't stay here and would leave sooner or later. She was just waiting to see the Zhou family's jokes.
Who would have known that after being in contact with her for so long, I would find that this girl is beautiful and kind-hearted, good to children and tigers, and very polite to her neighbors. I couldn't help but slowly fall in love with her.
Today I heard that she got lost up the mountain, and she was really worried. If she didn't have to watch the children, she would have gone up the mountain to find someone.
Cheng Xiang took the children back home, and the sky was completely dark.
Qing'er hugged Cheng and didn't want to let go, for fear that her mother would get lost again.
Qing'er said in a sweet voice: "Mom, I didn't go to school with you today, so you got lost. I will accompany you to school from now on. If I take you, you won't get lost."
Cheng Xiang suddenly smiled: "No, we really can't do it without Qing'er."
Zhou Yang pouted and muttered: "I can also take my mother with me."
Cheng Xiang smiled and said: "Okay, I will definitely not lose it if you protect me from now on."
Cheng Xiang raised his head and glanced at Zhou Tianlei, who was standing beside him and watching them.
His face has been gloomy since he came down the mountain, without any relief.
The kids were freaking out and he must have been too.
"I'm going to cook." Zhou Tianlei turned around and went to the kitchen.
Cheng wanted to comfort Qing'er and followed him to the kitchen. Looking at the man's generous back, she slowly walked up, stretched out her arms to hug him, and said softly: "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have run around by myself."
Zhou Tianlei was startled, turned around, and held her tightly in his arms.
God knows, he experienced the darkest moment of his life on this day.
On the surface, he calmly arranged his personnel and planned a search and rescue, but in fact, his internal organs were already on fire in his chest.
He didn't dare to think about what he would do if he couldn't find her? That panicked mood was unprecedented and so torturous.
He slowly let go of Cheng Xiang, who was choked so hard that he could hardly breathe.
He held her hand and looked at the bloodshot red mark on her wrist.
He raised his eyes, met Cheng Xiang's avoidant eyes, and said in a deep voice: "Eat first."
At night, it was quiet and the children were asleep.
Cheng Xiang walked into the bathroom. Hot water was already filled in the tub and was steaming.
After taking off his clothes and soaking in the hot water, Cheng Xiang let out a sigh of contentment. Looking back on today, it was quite thrilling.
Fortunately, Zhou Tianlei took people up the mountain. The woman knew that she could not escape and was greedy for profit, so she gave up and wanted to come back.
If she hadn't been moved by Cheng Xiang's proposal and was forced to escape, I don't know what she would have done with her.
Outside the bathroom, Zhou Tianlei was leaning against the wall with a cigarette in his mouth. At this moment, listening to the sound of water in the bathroom made him feel completely at ease.
After taking a shower, he returned to the living room. Zhou Tianlei helped Cheng Xiang wipe his hair, but neither of them spoke.
After a while, Zhou Tianlei put down the towel, walked to the cabinet, took out a box of ointment, and sat next to Cheng Xiang.
He took her arm and carefully applied medicine to her wrist.
At first glance, the red marks were caused by rough hemp ropes. The skin was worn and stained with scarlet dots.
Cheng wanted to know that he was lost and couldn't hide it from him.
"Do you have anything to ask?" Cheng Xiang said softly.
"Do you want to say it?" Zhou Tianlei asked in a deep voice while applying the medicine.
Cheng Xiang lowered his head and pondered for a moment and said, "I'm not lost, but I was kidnapped."
Zhou Tianlei's hand trembling when applying medicine, he raised his eyes to look at her, as he expected, but when he heard her answer, he was still frightened in his heart.
"It's a human trafficker." Cheng Xiang's words completely touched the fear in Zhou Tianlei's heart, and he increased the strength on his hands.
Cheng Xiang cried out in pain.
Zhou Tianlei let go of her wrist, stared at her intently and asked, "What's going on?"
Cheng wanted to tell Zhou Tianlei the whole story, including the deal with the trafficker. How could he keep it a secret if he was as alert as he was? And he also needs his help.
Zhou Tianlei frowned as he listened. Is this woman too naive or too courageous to dare to deal with human traffickers?
