Read Novel Full Chapter 20.1 – Xiao Feng Makes a New Friend (I)
Chapter 20.1 – Xiao Feng Makes a New Friend (I)
The next day after breakfast, seeing that the weather was cool, Xia Mian thought it was a good day to go out. She took Xiao Feng and got on the bus to the city center, their destination was the National Bank where she rented a safe deposit box to keep Xia Chun’s stamp albums. Setting aside the fact that she now lived at the Zhang family home where she had no privacy, wasn’t it better to keep valuable things in the safest place possible?
Xia Mian was a little skeptical. Although Zhang Qiming was very cunning, he was not well educated and had no idea about safety deposit boxes.
After finishing her errand, Xia Mian planned to take Xiao Feng to the zoo for a fun outing. This boy had never really been out before. However, halfway there, a sudden downpour started. The awnings of the shops on the street were narrow and quickly filled with people seeking shelter. Xia Mian, holding Xiao Feng, hurried toward the nearby train station.
As they passed a narrow alley, she suddenly heard an angry shout, “What are you doing?!” followed by the short screams of a child and a woman.
The shout, a distinctive bass resonating in the rain, caught Xia Mian’s attention. She had never heard such a pleasant voice except from Ning Shaobai.
Turning back, Xia Mian saw a few men a short distance away trying to force a child and a woman into a car. Both were tightly gagged, and the woman, holding the child tightly around the waist, kicked against the car door, refusing to get in. Meanwhile, a tall young man nearby was surrounded by four or five other men, completely unable to approach.
These men were obviously very experienced. Surveillance cameras were not yet widespread, and since it was before the implementation of real-name systems, it was possible to purchase train tickets under false names, making train stations rather disorderly places. Once they got the victims into the car, they could quickly escape, and the increasing downpour would cover all traces of their actions.
Seeing the urgency of the situation, Xia Mian couldn’t hold back and suddenly shouted, “Mr. Polices, over here! A child is being kidnapped!” Her sharp, youthful voice carried well, startling the kidnappers.
Their momentary pause gave Ning Shaoyun and Ning Shaobai a chance to regroup, protecting the child between them and gaining some allowance.
A few passersby who had stopped to watch the commotion also halted.
After the initial shock and not hearing any police sirens, the kidnappers realized they had been deceived and quickly resumed their attempt to snatch the child from the woman’s arms.
But Ning Shaobai was prepared; even though they were outnumbered, the kidnappers couldn’t overpower them for the moment. The child, terrified, began to cry loudly, and Ning Shaoyun started shouting for help.
Some bystanders intervened, yelling, “Stop! What are you doing?”
A dark, burly man wielding an iron rod turned to the bystander and said, “What’s it to you? This is my boss’ wife and son. They were going to run off with that pretty boy. Mind your own business, kid!”
The bystander hesitated at this.
“I know that child, he’s from our neighborhood. They are human traffickers!” Xia Mian shouted, “Brother, could you please call the police?”
The burly man glared at Xia Mian, threatening, “Mind your own business, little girl, or you might find yourself in the car too!”
Seeing the previous bystander run toward a phone booth, one of the kidnappers broke off to chase him. The man, seeing the kidnapper had a weapon in hand, ran away in fear.
The returning kidnapper and the burly man closed in on Xia Mian from both sides. Seeing her put down the child and pick up a brick, they laughed mockingly, “Oh, trying to save them with that? You’re quite the brave girl, even offering us a little bonus?”
Their gaze fell on Xiao Feng, their tone turning sinister as they clearly planned to seize another opportunity.
Although Xia Mian had no children in her previous life, she still hated human traffickers deeply, especially today when she was forced to use violence again. The more she thought about it, the angrier she became, and she shouted at the top of her lungs, “Catch the human traffickers! Twenty yuan for stopping the car, and a hundred for joining the chase!” Saying this, she led the way by hurling the brick at the windshield of the car.
The two kidnappers were completely taken aback by her actions and momentarily froze. As people nearby heard there was money to be made, they reacted swiftly. A young man ran over to confirm, “Are you serious?! You’ll pay?”
Xia Mian didn’t bother to explain and directly pulled a stack of large bills from her bag, “I just need twenty adults, count yourselves, no more than twenty, or there won’t be enough money.”
As soon as Xia Mian finished speaking, more than a dozen people emerged from all directions. Those who couldn’t fight picked up bricks like Xia Mian to smash the car, while others who were more capable assisted Ning Shaobai.
The kidnapper who had previously chased the passerby away furiously charged at Xia Mian with a knife, thinking she was just a weak ordinary girl. However, Xia Mian disarmed him in one smooth movement and mercilessly slashed his tendons.
The agonizing screams drowned the sound of the rain, unsettling the rest of the kidnappers. After Ning Shaobai managed to grab an iron rod, he too unleashed his ferocity, and soon two more fell, causing the remaining kidnappers to strongly consider retreating.
However, under Xia Mian’s promise of a ‘heavy reward,’ they had no way out. The flimsy car, under the assault of a dozen bricks, was wrecked in no time, and someone even scattered iron nails around the wheels…
The sound of police sirens finally arrived late. Those frightened earlier jumped out of the car, shouting, “The police are here!”
Several kidnappers were quickly put into police cars, while Ning Shaoyun collapsed on the ground holding her child, both crying out loud…
…
It was already evening when they left the police station. The sky was filled with a spectacular sunset, but no one was in the mood to admire the scenery.
Ning Shaoyun’s eyes were red, clinging tightly to her son Huo Yuchen, both were still in shock. The little guy, whose nickname was Chenchen, was sobbing non-stop.
Ning Shaoyun thanked Xia Mian profusely, “I really can’t thank you enough for today. If it weren’t for you… I can’t even imagine… You are our lifesaver!” she said, her eyes brimming with tears.
In the midst of the pouring rain, everyone looked soaked to the bone, just like drenched rats, yet Xia Mian couldn’t help but notice the slender and flawless figure of Dr. Ning’s older sister. Now, facing the bare-faced exquisite beauty, she couldn’t help but be amazed – it was exactly what one would expect from the mother of the main character in a romance novel!
In front of the tear-stained beauty, Xia Mian subconsciously softened her voice, “It’s okay, Sister. Such traffickers deserve to be beaten to death, it’s only right for me to help. Plus, I’m neighbors with Teacher Mi.”
Ning Shaobai, clutching his arm, also sincerely said, “Thank you.” Without Xia Mian’s reminder yesterday, he wouldn’t have thought to call his sister, and would have been unaware that she had argued with Huo Xuewen and secretly bought a train ticket to see him.
If he hadn’t come to pick them up… Ning Shaobai couldn’t imagine the consequences.