140

cuffs and handcuffed Liu Haomin, pulling her outside. Fang Meijia cried behind her, shouting "Mom," and tugged at Liu Haomin, as if she didn't want her to be taken away.Lin Meng then turned her questi...Even if hope is slim, as long as there is a glimmer of strength, we should tirelessly seek out a way forward. (..tw's good-looking novel) Following the winding mountain road, around one hill after another, Lin Meng didn't even know how far she had walked. She could only feel the water in her body being lost, and her throat felt like it was burning, thirsty to the extreme. As the sun gradually moved westward, the temperature on this loess slope became increasingly lower. By the time heaven and earth were completely covered by darkness, the north wind began to howl, blowing up yellow sand everywhere, stinging when it hit one's face. Lin Meng could hardly open her eyes!

She was exhausted, weary to the bone, and freezing cold. She couldn't go on any further. She had no idea where she was; she had been walking for hours but hadn't seen a single soul. As night fell, accompanied by swirling sandstorms, the path became invisible. If she kept going, she would only be blindly stumbling through the darkness, wasting her energy.

She thought for a moment, then found a spot that offered some protection from the wind and sat down. After sitting in silence for a while, she looked up at the dark sky and listened to the howling north wind. She let out a long sigh, then leaned back, curled up into a ball, and closed her eyes.

The ground beneath her was hard and unyielding, nothing like the softness of a bed. She had no covering whatsoever, and the cold was biting. She shivered uncontrollably for a long time, her teeth chattering with the chill, but finally, she couldn't fight off the overwhelming fatigue any longer and fell into a deep sleep.

The next day, she was woken up by the cold.

Although the sun was out by then, the warmth it brought couldn't relieve the chill. My nose felt itchy and runny, and my throat seemed to be burning up. Even without moving, I could feel a sharp pain in my throat.

Her body, stiff from a night of curling up, felt quite numb. She endured the pain and slowly stretched her limbs to ease the stiffness and numbness. After a long time, she felt better and used her hands to prop herself up off the ground and stood. As soon as she was half-way up, she felt a darkness before her eyes and her body began to sweat profusely. Her legs went weak and she almost collapsed onto the floor. She struggled to stay upright, gritted her teeth, and endured the discomfort, sitting back down again. She hugged her knees with one hand and buried her head deep between her legs. She sat like that for a while before finally shaking off the cold dizziness.

When she opened her eyes, her little face was as white as a sheet, devoid of any color. She reached out and wiped her face, smearing it with cold water. She froze for a moment, then started sneezing repeatedly. Her body grew colder and colder, sweat clinging to her skin, the icy sensation seeping through her flesh and chilling her very bones.

She thought, she probably had a cold!

Thus, we must not allow weakness to crush her any further, or else she will truly be left with only death as an option!

Gritting her teeth, she stood up and continued in the direction she had traveled yesterday. The hillside rose and fell before her eyes, stretching endlessly into the distance. However, she could still faintly see a mountain path winding its way up. She thought to herself that if she followed the path, persevering all the way, she would surely come across people. All she hoped for now was that no dangerous beasts beyond her capabilities would cross her path.

Although it was a barren yellow-earth hillside, there were still some signs of green. Lin Meng had no wilderness survival skills. Her education focused more on social practice and she was extremely thirsty, but she didn't dare touch the weeds growing on the ground that looked very refreshing. Until the final moment of crisis, she didn't want to die from eating the wrong plants.

The cold made her head heavy and weak, which was really uncomfortable. Her body felt so heavy that her steps slowed considerably. When she was extremely thirsty, she even wished she could lie down on the ground and graze like a cow. But a sliver of reason urged her to keep moving forward and not do anything foolish. On the road, she saw a small sapling, barely half a meter tall, with sparse leaves. She found it somewhat familiar, as if she had seen it in the park. It excited her immensely. She immediately crouched down, grabbed the leaves, and began stuffing them into her mouth. In an instant, she crammed her mouth full of yellow sand. The feeling of the sand swirling in her mouth was unpleasant, and a wave of nausea washed over her. She spat out the sand forcefully, muttering "呸" several times, before finally getting rid of the disgusting feeling.

Looking at the leaf she had vomited on, her eyes suddenly stung and blurred. Warm tears slowly slid out of her eyes, wetting her somewhat dirty little face.

In her lifetime, she had never imagined that one day she would experience such things!

Tears streamed silently down her face as she trembled, plucking another leaf and wiping it against her shorts. She then shivered, putting the damp, salty leaf into her mouth and chewing with difficulty, extracting the nutrients from its core. The taste of the leaf was anything but sweet; instead, it was bitter and astringent with a distinct earthy smell. But she could only bear the nausea and force herself to swallow, at least this way, she would feel full for a while.

Finally, all the leaves on the sapling were pulled off by her, leaving only bare branches. She no longer had the energy to think about whether the sapling could survive or not; she could only stagger to her feet and continue walking forward.

>At noon, the weather suddenly became scorching hot, perhaps because it was too close to the sky, making the heat so intense. But strangely enough, the cold wind didn't let up. She would often just begin to sweat a little when the cold wind would blow on her, chilling her instantly, leaving her body feeling icy and shivering uncontrollably.

That feeling, it's really terrible!

Her legs, heavy as lead, felt like they were filled with weights, making it impossible to lift them. Her head spun dizzily, the world around her blurred and swirled, and then she collapsed!

Such a fragile and tender body, it's simply unbearable right now!

Her world turned black, she sank into an icy and fiery torment, falling into a pitch-black dream!

When she woke up, her eyes still closed, she felt the bumps and sway, like being on a car. Opening her eyes, she saw several cold stars blinking at her one by one. All around her, it was black!

It's night again!

She was stunned, unsure of her whereabouts!

She twitched her fingers and realized that something was covering her, making her feel warm.

Beside my ear, a clear and crisp camel bell rang, echoing over and over, spreading out peacefully and making me feel empty and distant. Yet, I also felt an unusual calm. It seemed that all the noise could be settled and cast aside in this sound of the camel bells.

She hummed softly, and immediately a hearty male voice responded.

"Awake!"

Suddenly, a face appeared, hovering just above hers.

In the darkness, one could hardly see his face, just feeling that he seemed to be an elderly man. His voice also sounded aged, raspy, tinged with the weariness of years.

“I saw you fainted in the street, so I brought you up…”

He explained in a rambling way, his voice calm and slightly raspy. His slow, measured tone was like a slowly ringing camel bell, with an indescribable power to soothe the soul.

It turned out that she had fainted by the roadside. This man named Da Tubo, who was driving a donkey cart, happened to pass by and took her onto his cart. He then gave her some water. The things covering her body were just the clothes he had bought for his wife and children at home.

The man said she was a villager from Xin Cun. This time, she came out to buy groceries for her family in the distant town and also bought some things for other villagers. It takes about five days to get to the town by donkey cart from his home, and it takes ten days to come back and forth. This time, he happened to find Lin Meng fainted, otherwise, Lin Meng would have been left to rot in the wilderness. Because few people walk this road, ordinary villagers only go out once every month or so to buy things in town.

Big Tu'er was curious as to how Lin Meng had gotten here! At one glance at Lin Meng's attire and appearance, he knew she wasn't from the countryside. It was simply too unbelievable that she was alone, walking on this desolate path!

Lin Meng sensed that this man posed no threat. Listening to him speak, and considering what he had done for her, she knew he was a traditional farmer, someone who was honest and kind. She smiled faintly and offered an explanation, saying she probably inadvertently offended someone and was brought here as a result.

Da Tubo didn't ask her who she had offended, he simply took out two large steamed buns and a pot of water, offering them to her. Lin Meng gratefully accepted them and ate slowly. Though her throat hurt terribly, each swallow felt like cutting into the flesh inside her throat, but she knew she had to eat!

This is for survival!

Over there, Old Man Tu gave a general introduction to their village, stating that it was a new village, built not long ago. Everyone were local residents. Some residents who were originally separated by three or four days' journey came together because they wanted to work in the mine and formed this Hope New Village. The name "Hope" also stemmed from the fact that the mine had brought them income now, making their lives slightly more affluent. As a result, they could afford to come to town to buy supplies every few days.

Lin Meng was rather disappointed to know that there was no phone service at Taotu's place. This meant she couldn't contact anyone outside. She would have to wait until the next time Hope Village residents came out for supplies, which wouldn't be until a month later. However, Taotu said that trucks frequently transported ore out of the mine. If she was really eager to leave, he could report her situation to his superiors and see if they could take her along.

Lin Meng was very grateful, and she also understood that Ku Xia was a formidable opponent. The fact that he had left her in this place showed that he had anticipated her inability to easily escape. If not for her luck this time, she might have been buried on this vast expanse of loess plateau.

Shaking and swaying after a long day of travel, they finally reached Hope New Village. What met their eyes were yellow earthen houses, standing in rows or haphazardly arranged, looking incredibly simple. Lin Meng looked at them, worried that these earthen houses might collapse under strong winds or heavy rain. However, Lao Tu burst into laughter, explaining that although these earthen houses looked flimsy, they actually had a very strong resistance to shocks. Generally, unless there was a major accident, they wouldn't collapse easily.

Lin Meng, upon hearing this, was taken aback for a moment. For a fleeting second, she seemed to understand something.

Because Lin Meng was alone and penniless, Da Tubo enthusiastically invited him to stay at his home first. At this time, Lin Meng couldn't be pretentious and gratefully nodded.

As soon as Big Farmer's donkey cart came to a stop, many children ran out of the earthen house. They chattered excitedly and ran towards the cart, shouting and asking Big Farmer what delicious treats he had brought back.

The children's laughter was clear and bright, filled with carefree innocence. Listening to it, Lin Meng's heart softened as well.

The children surrounded him instantly. Seeing that a living person had appeared on the donkey cart, they were all stunned. Among them, a little girl with slightly dark hair tilted her head and blinked at Lin Meng. She turned to her father and asked in a coquettish voice, "Father, did you buy this big doll for me It's so pretty! But Sister seems unable to hold it, it's too big!"

Lin Meng, upon hearing this, instantly relaxed her tense body which had been on edge due to the unfamiliar surroundings. She covered her mouth and let out a giggle, startling the children who stared at her with their big, black eyes full of curiosity.

Old Man Da Tu jumped down from the donkey cart and scooped up the little girl, chuckling as he explained, "My dear, that's not a big doll. That's a guest Dad invited to our home to play!"

The farmer's rusticity was undeniable at this moment.

The children, upon hearing that the visitor was a guest, immediately cast aside their last shred of fear and swarmed around Lin Meng. They widened their eyes, stared at Lin Meng with fervor, and buzzed with excited chatter.

"So pretty..."

"Sister, your skin is so white..."

"Hair so black…"

"Sister, you are so beautiful..."

"Sister, where are you from..."

……

All the wives of the village also came, each taking from Big Uncle's hands the goods their families had come to buy. They then stood aside, watching Lin Meng with curiosity. So many mouths peppered her with questions, but Lin Meng wasn't good at answering them, she just smiled faintly and looked at all the little heads of cabbages.

Da Tubo led Lin Meng back home, and the curious children followed eagerly. The beautiful Lin Meng was more captivating to them than their newly acquired toys.

The people here face the yellow soil and their backs to the sky, so their skin is dark and yellow, making them look much older than they actually are. Their hair is dry and withered like straw due to a lack of moisture and nutrition. They had never seen a woman like Lin Meng before - with hair as black as ink, skin as white as snow, and bright eyes and teeth! Her elegant aura made people wonder if they had encountered a fairy!

For a time, Big Tuer's house became the most lively place. The children were fearless and surrounded her. Even when Lin Meng said she had a cold and was afraid of infecting them, they refused to leave. They stared at her with innocent and eager eyes. Some even boldly reached out their dirty little hands and started touching Lin Meng's arms, waist, and back, as if trying to see if she was a real person or the legendary lifelike doll!

Lin Meng also likes children. Seeing everyone gathered around, she smiled and started talking to the kids. Although a cold made her uncomfortable, talking to these innocent children also put her in a good mood. After getting to know these children a little, she picked up some stories she had read before and began to tell them. Her soft tone and standard Mandarin Chinese captivated the listeners. The children giggled and listened intently to one story after another!

Because she was accepted by the children, she quickly integrated into this Hope New Village! Thus, she moved in with Old Man Tu and waited for an opportunity to leave.

Big Earth Uncle had two children, an older son named Gen'er and a younger daughter named Niuer. The elder was six years old, and the younger was five. So to speak, Big Earth Uncle should be considered young. When asked, it turned out that he really was young; he was only twenty-six years old now. His wife was a year younger than him. But the two of them looked unusually aged, as if they were almost forty.

It was later learned that the harsh living environment made people here age faster.

When talking about this, Da Tuhun laughed and said that she is currently saving money. When she has the means in the future, she will take her two children to live in the town. There, life won't be so difficult. In this village of hope, many villagers have such thoughts. Therefore, everyone is working hard and diligently saving money!

The old woman still smiled and said that things were much better now than a few years ago. Because the big boss was investing in mining here, they could easily get water and electricity. It was much more comfortable than before when there was no water or electricity and they had to walk more than ten miles to fetch water. Her words were full of gratitude for Mr. Li, the big boss.

At the table, there were only a few pancakes and a large pot of vegetable soup with scattered leaves and bits of meat, yet Gen and Niuniu ate with gusto, as if it were the finest delicacy. With this extra guest, Datun even cracked two eggs and made a big bowl of egg custard, which delighted the two children.

However, from a simple encounter, Lin Meng understood: the people here lived lives of hardship that surpassed her imagination. Compared to them, her past decade-plus, which she had considered somewhat bitter, seemed like a period of bliss.

These people, although in hardship, always hold onto hope and live optimistically. Life has given them too many trials, yet they remain so strong, still holding onto that innocence deep within them. They do not blame heaven or earth, living contentedly!

She was somewhat stunned!

Suddenly, I felt that what I had been through was insignificant compared to theirs!

Those things that had troubled her for so long, making her feel sad or happy, bitter or sweet, worried or annoyed, were slowly drifting away.

She's starting to like this place a bit!

Poverty, yet peace -- that inner peace!

After resting for two days, that afternoon, the eldest son of Old Tuz, Gen'er, excitedly squeezed into Lin Meng's hut, saying he wanted to take her to see a big airplane. The child exaggeratedly showed her how the plane flew in the air, waving his little arms and legs, making airplane noises with his mouth, so lively that it made people smile from the bottom of their hearts.

When she came out, several children laughed and jostled each other, clamoring to take her to see the big airplane. The big airplane was the most longed-for thing in these children's hearts.

She followed the children's little hands and looked up at the sky. Sure enough, there was a gray dot in the air, slowly moving towards them.

"Come on, hurry up, the plane will be here soon!"

The little girl, Gen'er, blushed with excitement and reached out to pull Lin Meng's hand. Lin Meng smiled, cooperated by taking a step forward, and was pulled along by Gen'er. Finally, they arrived in a large open space. Around the open space, many children had already gathered, looking up at the sky with their heads tilted. Some watched with reverence as the plane gradually descended from the sky!

The helicopter spun its blades, with a loud roar, slowly descending. It must have been some big shot on board, the kids probably had been warned by their adults, so they just watched from afar around the large open space, not daring to get closer!

Gen'er shouted that the boss of Boss Li had arrived. When the boss of Boss Li came, he flew here in a plane, so handsome and cool!

"Hehehe, it's rare to hear such trendy vocabulary from this remote place," Lin Meng chuckled softly. It seems that because of the contact with the mine workers, the residents here have also gained a lot of knowledge.

Lin Meng had seen many helicopters on TV before, so she wouldn't act like a child jumping and shouting excitedly, as if she couldn't wait to rush over and give the plane two kisses. However, this was her first time seeing a real helicopter, so she squinted her eyes and watched it from afar.

As the plane landed, it kicked up a huge cloud of dust. When the dust finally settled, people started disembarking one by one. Their attire and demeanor immediately revealed that they were no ordinary folks; they were likely urban elites through and through. Then, another person stepped off the plane. The wind slightly ruffled his collar, and Lin Meng suddenly felt something flash before her eyes, followed by a moment of blankness in her mind!

Even though there was a distance between them, the man's tall and handsome figure, and his aloof and elegant face, were impossible to ignore. There are some people who, no matter when or where they appear, once they do, their brilliance is undeniable. Even in a crowd of thousands, you could spot them instantly!

"Hee hee, Mengjie, look here, it's the big boss!"

The little one's hand, waving randomly at the people who came from the airplane, was filled with envy and an indescribable adoration and longing!

Lin Meng was pulled back to her senses by Gen'er's small hand. Her heart skipped a beat, and she hurriedly turned her face away. Feeling that it wasn't safe enough, she hastily turned around again, facing the man with her back to him!

Are you… a lingering spirit!

Her brain was so muddled that she started using idioms incorrectly!

Gen'er didn't understand why Lin Meng wasn't looking at the airplane, but turned away instead. He was getting anxious now. This was an airplane, after all! It was the thing that children in the village yearned for the most. Why wasn't Meng Jie looking He grabbed Lin Meng's hand, raised one hand high, and pointed his tiny fingers straight at the plane. His face flushed red, and he shouted excitedly.

"Airplane, dream sister, look, it's an airplane!"

In the collective silence of the watching children, their eyes wide and hungry with fascination as they gazed at the airplane, Root's voice, slightly excited, rang out with a particularly sharp, piercing quality, drilling into everyone's eardrums.

Several children watching saw Lin Meng, waddling over with their short legs, giggling and crowding around Lin Meng. They reached out, tugging at his pant legs, or the sleeves of his half-length shirt, or his arms. They all raised their little arms, pointing at the plane, and calling out after it.

Plane, big plane, Mengjie, look at the big plane, big plane...

It has a bit of a flattering air, and also the feeling of offering a treasure!

A few children began clamoring, scaring Lin Meng so badly that she wanted to leave hurriedly. But the children were too eager to share their excitement with Lin Meng; they surrounded her and even pushed her small frame, urging her to turn around and look at the plane. They also wanted Lin Meng to see what they considered their greatest treasure.

The children's commotion caused the footsteps of several men talking in the distance to pause. They all glanced towards where the commotion was coming from. A few of them caught sight of a woman's figure, but they just smiled and looked away. These men who came to this place had extraordinary temperament and wealth, and often young ladies would sneak glances at them. They estimated that it was some girls with youthful hearts. These people were used to it, thinking that Lin Meng was also one of them, so they didn't look closely and just walked past.

Well, why did the CEO suddenly stop!

The accompanying few felt a tinge of surprise. To be able to attract the attention of the CEO, who looked down upon ordinary things and was high above them all, was no small feat. They turned their heads again, intending to take a closer look. However, they were met with an unexpected sight: the CEO, surrounded by them like the moon by stars, pushed aside one person standing beside him with one hand and strode past.

The accompanying person was startled and quickly followed behind.

The children were still clamoring for Lin Meng to see the airplane, but when they saw those bosses on board being led by a cool and handsome uncle towards them, they were a little frightened. Although the children didn't know much, under the influence of their parents, they also knew that the people on the plane were those who were forever out of reach for them.

Never be disrespectful in front of the big boss, this is what our parents always remind us!

The children were speechless, starting to nervously cross their arms and legs, closing their mouths tightly. They stood rigidly in place, heads slightly bowed, peering at the approaching bosses with a mixture of awe and apprehension.

The sudden silence made Lin Meng feel something was terribly wrong. Especially the several gazes fixed on her, which made her shiver with unease. One in particular, intensely hot, made her want to run away.

Her breathing quickened, becoming somewhat rapid. A wave of dizziness followed, and she wondered if her cold had worsened!

Then, a pair of hands that felt unnaturally warm suddenly rested on her shoulders.

She froze!

At that moment, she didn't know if it was fear, anxiety, or some other emotion that drove her. In any case, she fled, like a startled rabbit, darting out suddenly.

As a result, there's absolutely no predictability!

Naturally, Lin Meng was caught by Rong Ling. He grabbed her from behind, pulling her into his arms with such force that she had no choice but to fall into his embrace. She struggled like a pitiful kite, desperately trying to fly high and escape, but the moment the string was pulled, she was forced to descend obediently back into her master's hands.

He encircled her slender waist with one hand, gazing at her lying in his arms. He met her somewhat pale face and sneered, raising an eyebrow menacingly as he roared in anger.

"Run from what!"fident radiance, like fireworks blooming in splendor, was captivating and stole one's heart.He chuckled softly.This is his woman.She giggled uncontrollably, her arms wrapped around his neck. A burst o...