Chapter 29

  Wang Xiaoyan walked into her father's room, hanging her head and not saying a word, as if she had a big worry. Her mother was anxious and asked her daughter: "Yan, what's wrong with you? Are you worried about your homework again?"

  "No!" Xiao Yan shook her head, furrowing her brow, looking even more mature than usual.

  "What's wrong? Tell us."

  Xiao Yan put her head on the table and still didn't speak.

  Professor Wang walked over, lifted up 'Nü'er's head, and affectionately nodded: "Xiaoyan doesn't hide anything from Daddy - good child, what's troubling you? Tell Daddy!"

  "Dad, you must help me!" Xiaoyan looked at her father and then glanced at her mother, with a worried expression on her face.

  "Come on, kid, what's troubling you so much?"

  "Lin Daojing called the Kuomintang a bad egg, 'forcing' her very urgently. She doesn't have any relatives, I feel sorry for her. Dad, we must save her..." Xiaoyan said, tears falling down.

  The professor and his wife stared at their daughter in unison, straining to discern what they had just heard with their own ears.

  "Dad, I've already promised her that we'll help. Just look at what happened to her, it's infuriating!" She then told her parents about Daojing's experience from start to finish. After listening, Professor Wang Hongbin took off his glasses and slammed his fist on the table, exclaiming, "How can this be! This is absolutely outrageous!" It seemed like he felt he had been too impulsive, so he held back his words, thought for a moment, and then calmly said, "Okay, Xiaoyan, don't worry! Tell Lin Daojing not to worry either. We'll think of a good solution."

  Wang Xiaoyan smiled. Everything she and Xu Hui had planned had come true. She knew that her aunt, who was the principal of a primary school in Ding County, was short-staffed, so instead of asking her father directly, she deliberately went around in circles to arouse his sympathy and sense of justice. Sure enough, before Xiaoyan even asked, Professor Wang suggested introducing Daojing to his sister. Later, at Xiaoyan's request, he also agreed to escort Daojing out of Beiping. However, after they had finalized all the arrangements, Professor Wang cautioned his daughter with a worried expression and slight hesitation: "Yan, this is Lin Daojing, we have no choice but to help him. But from now on, don't get involved in these trivial matters again. We'd better not interfere with political affairs. Studying - that's your only duty."

  Xiao Yan nodded repeatedly and said: "Dad, you're right! I don't understand politics, I just pity Lin Daojing."

  The next day, Wang Xiaoyan came to see Dao Jing with a big basket of fruit. She changed her usual calm demeanor and shouted before entering the house: "Xiao Lin! Why haven't you come to my house for lessons in two days? Are you sick? My mom asked me to come see you."

  As soon as Dao Jing saw her, his eyes turned red. The two of them hugged each other tightly and couldn't speak for a long time. After a while, Xiao Yan wiped away her tears and whispered in Dao Jing's ear: "Tonight at 7 o'clock, you prepare to leave Beiping. You can go to Dingxian to teach at my aunt's place. Look, this fruit basket has a set of boys' clothes. At 6 o'clock, some classmates will come to Li Huaiying and other students' rooms to play, inviting each other to watch movies together. Take advantage of them rushing out of the door, you change into your clothes, put on a hat, and mix in with them to leave." Xiao Yan said all this in one breath. She was panting, looked out the window, and continued to whisper: "At 7 o'clock, it's just getting dark, there are many people and it's chaotic, you can easily blend in. Be careful! Dress up well, pretend to be a boy with your chest out. We can't tell, but Xu Hui knows that there is an investigator outside the apartment door, she told us to be careful." When she said this, she looked at Dao Jing and smiled, took a deep breath, and then raised her voice: "Xiao Lin, Mom is very worried about you, today she was busy and couldn't come see you."

  "I'm fine, just a day or two and I'll be okay." Jing said with furrowed brows, lowering her voice, "You've got so many people here to help, and Xu Hui... if we can't get away, what will happen to all of you?"

  "Don't worry about these things anymore." Xu Hui said, "If you can't give up on your child, you can't hit the wolf." Wang Xiaoyan had never been so excited before. She held Dao Jing's cold hand and looked at her pale face with concern, saying, "You look terrible, I'm sure you haven't eaten anything for several days. Let's go to the small restaurant at the entrance to eat something! Won't you?" She lowered her voice again, "Xu Hui told me to tell you to eat! If you don't eat, you'll really get sick... Oh no, I almost forgot the most important thing: when you walk out of the big gate and head towards the beach near the red building's corner, there's a car parked there. My dad and mom are all sitting in the car waiting for you - they will take you to the train station immediately."

  After finishing, Xiaoyan was about to leave. Dao Jing pulled her back and took out the letter she had written to Lu Jiachuan overnight from her pocket, saying: "You hand it over to Xu Hui, please ask Xu Hui to think of a way to hand it over to Lu Jiachuan."

  "Lu Jia-chuan?" Hsiao-yen repeated in slight surprise.

  "Right! Don't forget and don't lose it either."

  Xiao Yan looked at him and smiled slightly, then walked away without saying another word.

  After Dawn left, the puzzling question still puzzled Lin Daojing. The fruit basket that helped her escape was placed on the stool: but could she escape? ... Three days, Hu Meng'an's limited three days are about to arrive. Tomorrow, it will be an unimaginable day, everything will be decided at 7 o'clock tonight...

  "Kobayashi, what are you thinking about?" A low voice startled her out of her daydream. She looked up to see: Taira wearing a half-worn-out casual outfit, holding a newspaper package standing in front of her. She quickly got up from the chair by the desk and pushed the fruit basket under the table, letting him sit on the stool.

  "Lao Dai, you've come. I really hoped you would." Due to yesterday's speculations, Dao Jing began to have some reservations about this person. However, these reservations were not enough to overcome her enthusiasm and trust towards friends, so she still warmly shook his hand and enthusiastically invited him to sit down.

  Dai Yu sat down, lit a cigarette and stared at Dao Jing for a while before speaking. "How's life been these past few days? Still teaching?"

  "Hmm." Dao Jing's heart became uneasy, should she tell him about her recent encounter or not? Before she could think carefully, Dai Yu lit a cigarette and continued speaking: "I see you don't look well, are you sick?"

  "No, I've encountered extremely bad luck." Dao Jing felt that such a change had occurred, and it was wrong to hide from a comrade who cared about him, even though his behavior was a bit unusual.

  "What's wrong?" Dai Yu's nearsighted eyes stared at Dao Jing, looking very concerned.

  She briefly told him about her capture and Hu Meng'an's entanglement, as she was worried about the 7 o'clock appointment tonight, so she didn't have the heart to talk to him more.

  "Ah! Is this really happening?" Dai Yu stared at Dao Jing in surprise and said, "How can this be? The reactionaries are truly shameless!"

  "Lao Dai, what should I do? There are only three days - two have already passed."

  Dai Yu bowed her head in contemplation. After a while, she slowly tapped on the table and asked anxiously: "Xiao Lin, what do you plan to do? Things are indeed very serious."

  "Lao Dai, …" Dao Jing almost told him about Xu Hui's plan. But the words "no one should know" took effect. She thought for a moment and made up her mind, changing her tone. "Lao Dai, I have no solution at all. I've been so worried that I haven't eaten for three days."

  "Is that so?" Dai Yu raised her head, her tone becoming very heavy. "Then, think of a way - have you thought of a way to escape?"

  "No. There's nowhere and no way. You don't know, there are detectives outside our 'door', I simply dare not go out of the big 'door' either, haven't gone to teach classes for several days."

  Dai Yu didn't show any interest in Dao Jing's words, but instead lowered his head to smoke, seemingly deep in thought, and didn't speak for a long time.

  Da Jing Bai fiddled with the pencil on the table, feeling annoyed and disappointed - why didn't he help himself as enthusiastically as Xu Hui? Why was he so cold?

  She didn't say a word, just stared at him with her eyes. After a while, he stood up, patted the dirt off his body, and said to Dao Jing in a low voice: "Xiao Lin, don't worry. First, let's deal with Hu for now, I'll go back and think of a way for you. When I've thought of one, I'll come tell you."

  "Thank you," Jing said softly, her heart suddenly filled with great sorrow.

  Dai Yu grasped Dai's icy cold hand and then turned around to walk out of the main gate.

  "Maybe he can think of a way for me too? —— But maybe it's already too late." Dao Jing sat on the edge of the 'bed' and started daydreaming again, forgetting that she was about to escape.

  Suddenly, she saw the fruit basket on the ground and remembered that she should prepare to escape. So she stopped thinking about it and quickly took out a set of men's suits. At this time, it was already past four o'clock in the afternoon, and there were only two hours left before Xiaoyan's scheduled escape time. Daojing was nervously trying on the suit when Lindao Feng suddenly walked back in. He looked panicked and dejected, his hair disheveled, his clothes wrinkled, and his tie gone. He didn't care about whether the chair was clean or not, nor did he notice what his sister was putting into the box. He sat down on the chair, his eyes red, and said to Daojing: "Sister, I've been caught! Save me!"

  Dào Jìng was shocked: "What? You'll be caught too?"

  "It's true. I left your place not long ago - just two hours later, the police caught me and beat me up, saying that both you and I are *** Party members, inciting ***, it's so unjust!" Dao Feng took out his handkerchief, this time not picking his nose but wiping away tears, "Sister, save me! Only you can save me..."

  "What? I can save you?"

  Dào Fēng lowered his head and wiped away a string of tears, saying in a choked voice: "I thought I was going to be beaten to death, but then a Mr. Hu came and saved me. He said he knew you, and kindly told me that you could save me... He said you know how to save me, so he had me come here."

  Dào Jìng lowered her head and thought for a while. After being educated by Xú Huī and also after the lesson from meeting her brother for the first time, she became more cautious. She didn't lecture her brother again or scold Hú Méng ān loudly. After a moment of silence, she lifted her head and said to her brother with a gentle smile: "Little brother, don't be sad. Mr. Hu asked me to save you? Of course, you're my brother, how could I not save you? However..."

  "But what?" Dao Feng asked excitedly and closely.

  "But that guy with the surname Hu is too 'aggressive', too rough. The day before yesterday, he threatened me with a gun; these past two days, he's been having detectives follow me. I'm so scared that I don't even dare to eat or sleep. If his attitude was a bit better, I...I might..." Dao Jing smiled faintly at her brother and stopped talking.

  Daofeng's worry on his face disappeared instantly. He pulled up Daojing's arm, shaking it joyfully: "Sister, thank you! I also represent Lingling to thank you! You're so good, you say Mr. Hu is rough? But I think he's quite gentle and courteous." Daofeng smiled slyly and whispered in his sister's ear, "It seems like he loves you a lot. He's also very rich."

  Dào Jìng's face suddenly turned red. She tried to hold back her anger, shaking her head: "Don't talk nonsense! That guy is not a good thing - uh, I ask you: what did the surname Hu call me to save you?"

  "He said that as long as you agree, he will be happy. He said that he has told you before and you will understand. I think that if you get closer to him, it would be better for him."

  "Am I to answer?" Tao Jing said in a low voice with a puzzled expression, "He gave me three whole days, and there is still one more day left, I need to think carefully. You can go tell him now, if he wants to *** me again, and always asks the detective to follow me, I will simply refuse; If he treats me with some respect, then I will definitely give him an answer the day after tomorrow."

  "What did you reply to him?" Dao Feng became somewhat anxious again, "Sister, for my sake, for the sake of our parents who only have me as their son, and also for your own sake, you must agree!"

  "Don't worry." Dao Jing pushed Dao Feng away and said, "Anyway, I won't let you suffer, and I have to save myself too... You go tell him."

  "Thank you, sister. Lingling thanks you too. Then I'll go tell Mr. Hu and reply to him the day after tomorrow." Dao Feng revealed a pitiful smile, walking away while bowing to his sister.

  "Alright, don't worry." Dao Jing sent Dao Feng to the gate, where she saw two plainclothesmen taking him away in a rickshaw. They sandwiched the rickshaw Dao Feng was sitting in between theirs and quickly pulled it away. Dao Jing stood at the gate watching her brother's back as he sat in the rickshaw, when suddenly he turned around and gave her a glance with eyes like those of a dying lamb. Dao Jing's heart immediately softened, and she suddenly felt sorry for her innocent brother. Walking back into the house, she sat at the table with a heavy heart. "Keep fighting! Don't look back!"

  She suddenly stood up, revealing a determined look on her face. Her decision had just been made, and the chaotic footsteps and laughter in the courtyard started to sound. One after another, several neighbors' homes were filled with guests. The students laughed loudly and shouted. The small apartment suddenly became lively in the twilight.

  She rushed to change her clothes. She put on two of her own dresses, one on top of the other, and then covered herself with a Western-style suit jacket and pants. She combed her hair up high... At seven o'clock, she looked at the clock again, and her heart began racing violently.