Chapter Thank you readers!
Song Yao had a strange dream.
She dreamed that she had become a character in a book, and her son, who was six months old, would become a villain who would commit all kinds of evil deeds in the future. In order to get the female lead, he would use unscrupulous means. Therefore, he became a stumbling block for the male lead and was finally ruthlessly killed by the male lead.
What was even more terrifying was that her husband, Yu Yong, would give her son away tonight! And their family was not so poor that they could not even afford to raise a child.
Her brother and sister-in-law were all working in the brigade and had an income. Her in-laws were in charge of the two acres of land at home and had saved up a lot of savings. The place they lived in was quite spacious and had a large courtyard. They had chickens, ducks, and geese.
As for her husband, Yu Yong, he was born the second son of the Yu family. He joined the army early and was now the head of the brigade.
Yu Yong was often not at home. Occasionally, when he came back, he would bring her some small gifts and never spoke to her loudly. The two of them had always lived comfortably. After two years of marriage, they had a precious son.
Everyone in the village said that Song Yao had married into a good family. Song Yao also thought that she was lucky. She would never believe that Yu Yong would do something like sending her son away.
But this dream was too realistic!
In her dream, Yu Yong had taken her son away and given him to his infertile comrade. He had even calmly told her that his son had been sent to repay his benefactor. After that, she had experienced miscarriage, infertility, betrayal by her husband, and her husband cheating on her...
A series of bad luck came knocking on her door.
In the end, she was pushed down the tall building by the mistress and did not see her son for the last time.
After her son was taken away by Yu Yong, he did not have a good life.
After Yu Yong's comrade died early, his son was kidnapped and sold. It was not easy for him to escape from the human traffickers, but he lived a wandering life without food.
And just when he was at his lowest point, he met the female lead in the book. In order to be worthy of the female lead, he did many illegal and wrong things until he stepped into the abyss.
With not much explanation, the author explained the end of his life.
It shouldn't be like this. She was lucky.
She and her son should not have ended up like this.
"No, no! Baby Xuan, come back quickly!" Song Yao was completely awakened.
Her forehead was covered in sweat as she panted heavily. The scene in front of her was still blurry.
She almost couldn't tell if it was a dream or reality.
But at this moment, someone came from outside the door.
It was late at night. When Song Yao heard the sound, she immediately became vigilant.
When the light from outside shone in, it was so stimulating that Song Yao could not open her eyes. Coupled with the fact that she had a nightmare just now, her mind was dizzy and she could not see who was coming.
Song Yao subconsciously leaned against the cradle at the side. If there was really a thief, she would fight him to death to protect her son.
"It's me." Yu Yong carried a green bag and pushed the door open.
"I just came back and greeted my family. They're all asleep. I came to take a look. I didn't disturb you when I saw that you were asleep. Why are you still awake now? Did you have a nightmare?" Yu Yong said.
His gentle words made Song Yao a little confused. When Yu Yong turned on the lights and she saw who he was, she heaved a sigh of relief.
"Are you hungry after coming back? I'll go heat up some porridge for you." Song Yao patted her chest to reassure herself and was about to get out of bed.
However, Yu Yong was busy rejecting her. "It's late at night. Skip the trouble and go to bed early. I can do it myself."
He helped Song Yao back to bed and tucked her in before putting down his bag to see his son.
Seeing that the child was sleeping soundly with his eyes closed, he could not help but rub his chubby face with his fingers. He only retracted his hand with a silly smile when the child patted him impatiently.
The scene of the father and son getting along harmoniously stunned Song Yao. How could the child's father take the child away just like that?
Song Yao felt that she must be thinking too much. She suddenly got up and hugged Yu Yong's waist, leaning her head against his back.
Yu Yong was clearly shocked by this action. His shoulders shrugged.
"What's wrong?" Yu Yong asked.
"Nothing. I had a bad dream." Song Yao took a deep breath.
Yu Yong pondered for a moment and turned around to hold Song Yao's hand. "The dreams are all fake. Don't think too much."
Yu Yong didn't seem to care about her dream.
Song Yao was a little unhappy, but soon, Yu Yong's expression became nervous. "Why are you having a fever? Quick, lie down. I'll get some water."
Song Yao was stunned. At this moment, Yu Yong had already put his head against hers to check her body temperature. Then, he started to panic.
Song Yao couldn't help but rejoice that Yu Yong still had her and the child in his heart. Indeed, dreams were all fake.
She lay on the bed and chuckled. She did not notice that Yu Yong had stopped wiping her hands.
"It's getting late. Rest early," Yu Yong urged.
Song Yao thought that Yu Yong was concerned about her. In a daze, she muttered, "Yu Yong, will you always be good to me and the child?"
Yu Yong was stunned. He held Song Yao's hand and said affirmatively, "Of course."
Song Yao nodded and closed her eyes in peace.
When Yu Yong saw this, he immediately hid her hand back under the blanket and walked to the child at the side.
Song Yao still couldn't sleep well. She wanted to wake up a few times, but her mind was dizzy, as if she had been kept in the dark.
She could not break free no matter how hard she tried. She could only watch as her son avenged her and was beaten up until he fell in the rain.
Song Yao could only watch and do nothing.
She could not even hug her son and only watched him pass by. Then, she heard a gunshot and was completely separated from him.
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Chapter 2 Thank you readers!
Song Yao woke up again. This time, she felt empty, as if something important was missing.
She quickly looked at the baby's cradle, then retreated in shock and fell onto the bed.
Her son, Baby Xuan, was missing!
"Mom!" Song Yao picked up her cotton clothes and rushed downstairs.
It was winter now. Song Yao had just walked out of the room when a gust of cold wind brushed past the only warmth on her body.
Song Yao shivered. Her head was still dizzy. She couldn't care less and quickly went downstairs to find her son.
"Mom!" Song Yao shouted again, but no one answered.
When she reached the courtyard, she noticed that the sun was already high in the sky. It was already noon.
Ever since Song Yao became sensible, she rarely slept until this time.
She had always been diligent. After she got married, she woke up early every day to help her in-laws do housework.
As time passed, even if she woke up later and missed the crowing of the chicken, her in-laws would urge her to get up and do her work.
Today, her in-laws did not wake her up. Something was amiss.
Song Yao felt even more uneasy.
She ran out of the courtyard and saw Mrs. Zhang coming back with her husband.
"Mrs. Zhang, have you seen my Yu Yong?" Song Yao ran forward and asked anxiously. She didn't care that Mrs. Zhang usually spoke harshly to their family.
Mrs. Zhang exclaimed, "Yao, don't tell me you only woke up now? Mrs. Wang has been working the entire morning. Oh my, it's really different to have a husband who dotes on you. He said that you had a fever last night. Not only did he not ask Aunt Wang to wake you up early, but he also took care of your child for you. How considerate."
When Uncle Zhang heard this, he snorted and turned around to return to his house.
Song Yao looked embarrassed. Mrs. Wang was her mother-in-law.
"Did you see Yu Yong carrying the child out today? Where did he take my son?" Song Yao grabbed the corner of her shirt to pull herself together. Now was not the time to argue with Mrs. Zhang.
"Why are you in such a hurry? How long has it been since the child's father came back? As his mother, can't you let the father and son stay longer?" Mrs. Zhang thought that she could not leave the man, so she deliberately teased her.
When Song Yao heard this, she suddenly felt a ball of anger in her heart, but she did not flare up on the spot because of her pride.
Seeing that she couldn't get anything out of Mrs. Zhang, she hurriedly bade farewell and went to the field.
"Sister-in-law, you're up. You came at the right time. Help me carry this burden. I'm so tired." The eldest sister-in-law of the Yu family, He Xi, did not have to work in the brigade today. She had just collected a basket of vegetables for her mother-in-law.
She had two children with her, and they kept pulling her and calling her Mom.
He Xi could not carry the burden at all.
When Song Yao saw the two children, her heart burned. She was even more worried about Baby Xuan's whereabouts. "Sister-in-law, did you see Yu Yong? He took the children away!"
"Him? He did bring Baby Xuan to town. He didn't tell you. He said he wanted to buy some supplies for the child," He Xi said.
Didn't he still have milk powder and baby supplies at home? What was he going to buy in town?
Song Yao became even more anxious. "I'm sorry, Sister-in-law. I have something to do in town today."
"Alright, I can't count on you." He Xi was helpless. Didn't they run to town one by one because they wanted to slack off and not work?
He Xi shook her head and carried her burden home. As she walked, she scolded the two children beside her to be quiet.
After the separation, her brother and sister-in-law's family had to provide for the three children. Now, the older one was studying in town.
Although it was stressful to rely on the two of them, they did not mention anything about giving any of their child away.
Moreover, she and Yu Yong only had one son.
Song Yao looked back at their backs and felt even more uneasy. She wrapped her cotton clothes tightly around her again and turned to rush back to town.
By the time they reached town, the sun had already set halfway up the mountain.
Most of the ox carts in the village went to town in the morning and returned in the evening.
When Song Yao went there, there was no longer an ox cart in town. She had no choice but to hike all the way over two mountains to the shop where she used to buy baby products in town to ask about Yu Yong's whereabouts.
"Hello, have you seen a man carrying a child to buy things? He's about that tall." Song Yao stretched out her arm and brushed it across the shop assistant's head.
It had been more than half a year since she last came to town. No one in the shop recognized Song Yao's face.
At first, he thought that she was a new customer and treated her warmly. However, when he saw that she was looking for someone, his expression changed. "There are many men passing by. I don't recognize them."
"He's from the army. He's more handsome than ordinary people and is easy to recognize. He's even carrying a six-month-old child." Song Yao was still angry. When she saw the shop assistant chasing her away, she stuttered.
The shop assistant waved his hand. "I've never seen him before. Which man would buy this? Go away, don't disturb our business."
Song Yao still wanted to speak, but she was forced to take a few steps back by the shop assistant's hand. She swallowed the words that were about to come out of her mouth.
The woman carrying the child saw her stunned expression and suddenly patted her back. "Young lady, are you looking for someone?"
Song Yao was shocked by her actions and quickly asked, "Have you seen him?"
"Most of the people who come here to buy things are women. There aren't many men. My family has always said that I have a good memory since I was young. I've been here for almost a day, so I naturally remember." When the woman smiled, wrinkles appeared at the corners of her eyes. She looked very amiable.
The baby on her back waved at her. His fleshy lips opened and closed, looking very cute.
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chapter 3
Song Yao took a deep breath and said, "Do you know where he is?"
"Of course. At noon, I saw a tall and handsome man carrying a child over there," the woman pointed out.
Song Yao followed the woman's finger and recognized the direction of the hospital.
Instantly, Song Yao felt relieved.
She guessed that Baby Xuan was sick and Yu Yong had brought him to see a doctor.
Song Yao planned to visit the father and son in the hospital. If they happened to bump into each other on the way, it would be a good thing to go home together.
Immediately, she thanked the woman repeatedly and was about to rush to the hospital when the woman grabbed her sleeve.
"Hey, do you know how to get to the hospital in town?" the woman asked.
Wasn't the direction she pointed at the hospital just now? Song Yao was surprised.
The woman explained, "You don't know, but there's a reason why I've been here for almost a day. My son is sick and wants to see a doctor. However, I got lost the first time I came to this town. I wanted to ask someone for directions, but I can't find anyone here."
As she spoke, tears welled up in her eyes.
But why did no one pay attention to the warm-hearted woman?
The number of times Song Yao had left the village could be counted on one hand. She did not think too much about it. Since it was on the way, she agreed to the woman's request to lead the way.
Halfway there, the woman suddenly said to Song Yao, "Oh no, Miss, my stomach isn't feeling well. Do you know where there's a toilet nearby?"
"The hospital is right in front. There's a toilet there." Song Yao turned around and saw the woman holding her stomach with an ugly expression as she squatted on the ground.
She went up to help her up, but the woman reached out to stop her. "Oh my, I can't take it anymore. Is there no place closer?"
When Song Yao heard this, she also became anxious. She tried her best to recall for a while. "There's indeed a place nearby, but..." The place was very remote.
She remembered that half a year ago, three female comrades wearing red collars had brought her and her mother-in-law there. They had even specially reminded her that it was best that people traveled together in the remote areas of the town. In this remote area, it was easiest for human traffickers, who targeted women especially, to appear. She had to be careful.
Song Yao recalled this and retracted her hand. "Sister, this hospital is only a few steps away. Why don't we go there? There's a doctor who can take a look at you."
"But I really can't walk anymore. Miss, please bring me there." The woman's forehead was covered in sweat, and she didn't look like she was pretending.
Song Yao was in a dilemma. Seeing her hesitation, the woman cried out again.
"Okay, I'll take you there." Song Yao made up her mind. She was anxious to see Baby Xuan, but she couldn't do anything that would put others in danger. Moreover, she had just given her directions.
Song Yao supported the woman as she staggered forward, not noticing the sly smile on the woman's face when she lowered her head.
It was not until Song Yao had walked a long distance into the alley that she suddenly heard a rustling sound from behind.
She turned around uneasily and saw that there was no one behind her. Her voice also disappeared.
"Miss, what's wrong?" the woman asked when she saw Song Yao stop.
"I'm fine." Song Yao shook her head and the two of them continued walking.
However, she had only taken a few steps when she heard rustling sounds again.
Only then did Song Yao realize that she was being followed. She couldn't help but walk a few steps faster.
"We're here, we're here!" The woman was overjoyed when she saw the toilet surrounded by a low wall.
Song Yao looked at the plants around her uneasily. "Sister, hurry up. I'm afraid something will happen to us in this remote place."
"What are you afraid of? Those rumors are just to scare people." The woman patted the back of Song Yao's hand comfortingly.
Song Yao felt goosebumps all over her body.
The woman continued, "Wait for me. I'll be quick."
With that, Song Yao watched her go in.
At this moment, the rustling sound of footsteps on dead leaves sounded again. Song Yao was so shocked that she immediately hid behind the low wall.
She secretly saw three men in their forties or fifties walking straight over.
They were standing on the empty ground where Song Yao had just stood and scolded angrily, "Where is she?!"
The woman who had been going to the toilet just now also walked out like she was fine. She said to them, "She was here just now. She must be hiding not far away. Look everywhere."
Song Yao was so shocked that she covered her mouth with her hand, not daring to scream.
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chapter 4
It seemed that they had encountered human traffickers!
The three men were approaching step by step. Song Yao knew that she wouldn't be able to avoid them for long with the low wall.
She could only run forward, perhaps in exchange for a chance of survival.
Song Yao raised her head and grabbed a handful of soil with both hands. Before the man approached, she exerted strength in her legs and rushed forward.
"She's there!" When the human trafficker heard the commotion, he immediately reacted and chased after her.
Song Yao was a woman, and her figure was not comparable to the three men. After running a few steps, the three men behind her were about to catch up.
She suddenly turned around and threw the soil in her hand at the man's face. She said angrily, "Get lost!"
The three men didn't expect Song Yao to throw dirt at them. They couldn't even open their eyes.
Song Yao took this opportunity to continue running and shouting, "Help!"
The men were blinded by the mud. When they came back to their senses, they were furious and ran even faster.
Seeing that she couldn't outrun the man, Song Yao rushed down the slope.
With the buffer of her cotton clothes, she didn't feel much pain from the branches growing on the hillside. As soon as her feet touched the ground, she continued running.
The three men behind him were still in hot pursuit.
Song Yao didn't know how long she had been running. Her throat was dry from shouting, and her legs started to go weak.
Coupled with the fact that her fever had just subsided last night, her head was still a little dizzy. Now that she was exercising vigorously, it was even more uncontrollable.
The scene in front of her began to blur. She could vaguely see a truck driving towards her. She rushed forward desperately to ask for help. Just as she shouted for help, she fell to the ground.
The man in the two green military coats got out of the truck and hurried towards her.
One of the men with a golden star emblem on his chest helped her up and said in surprise, "Why are you here?"
Song Yao couldn't see the man's face clearly. The words that were about to come out of her mouth were completely silent. She leaned into the man's arms and fainted.
When she woke up again, she opened her eyes and saw the white ceiling and the IV bag beside her.
"You're awake." The nurse's delicate face appeared in front of Song Yao.
Song Yao coughed dryly. The nurse poured a glass of water right on the heels of that and helped her sit up.
"You really escaped tragedy by a whisker just now. Recently, the human traffickers in the town have been rampant. If it weren't for a kind person passing by and sending you to the hospital, I'm afraid you would have been doomed," the nurse said.
Song Yao gulped down a cup of water. When she heard that she had been saved, she suddenly recalled the scene she had seen before she fainted.
"Nurse, is the person who sent me here still here?" Song Yao asked.
The nurse looked at the IV bag and said, "Isn't he your man? Why don't you know?"
Yu Yong? Song Yao was sure that the person who saved her wasn't Yu Yong.
The body of the man who saved her was not as sturdy as Yu Yong's.
Thinking of this, Song Yao was secretly sad and suddenly thought of something bad.
She had no intention of belittling her husband. Yu Yong was a very famous handsome man in the village. Before he got married, he had countless suitors.
However, her husband didn't like her. It was only because her family had been urging her in recent years that the matchmaker came looking for her, allowing Song Yao, who was of equal status, to take advantage of the loophole.
Behind her back, Song Yao even heard some gossip from the Yu family saying that Song Yao was out of Yu Yong's league.
"You've misunderstood. He's not my lover. My lover brought my son out today. It can't be him." Song Yao took a deep breath and explained with a smile.
The nurse raised her eyebrows. "Really? That man seems to treat you quite well. I thought you two knew each other. He even paid for you."
Song Yao was shocked that a stranger could do this for her. She quickly asked the nurse, "Do you remember what he looked like?"
This question stumped the nurse. She only remembered that he was handsome, but she did not know how to describe his appearance.
She only said, "He's from the army. I took a quick glance at the payment form and knew that his surname is Zuo. As for his name... it seems to be a single word. You should be able to find it quickly if you ask around in the army. There are very few people with the surname Zuo in this area."
After knowing the name of her benefactor, Song Yao found it familiar, but she didn't have time to think about it. She decided to ask Yu Yong when she returned home. She would visit her benefactor another day to thank him and return the medical fees.
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chapter 5
At the thought of this, Song Yao asked again, "Nurse, is there a man called Yu Yong here to treat the child today? The child is six months old and his name is Yu Xuan."
At this moment, someone was calling the female nurse to work. When the female nurse heard this, she frowned. "There are so many people coming to see a doctor today. Why do I remember all of them? But I've never seen someone called Yu Yong."
With that, the female nurse went back to work, ignoring Song Yao's shocked expression.
Song Yao's thoughts were in a mess again. The woman who guided her was a human trafficker. How could she take what she said seriously?
In the chaos, she looked out of the window and saw that it was almost midnight.
Perhaps Yu Yong had already brought the child home? Song Yao was hoping for a fluke.
Immediately, she did not dare to waste anymore time. She asked the nurse to remove the syringe and left the hospital while covering her wound.
As soon as she returned home, the Yu family had already gathered around and was preparing to eat.
Yu Yong was also there, but she didn't see Baby Xuan.
Didn't his mother-in-law usually carry him out for dinner?
"Song Yao, where have you been? You're covered in dirt. Yu Yong said that he didn't see you today." The first person to notice was his sister-in-law, He Xi.
She was still preparing the food on the table when she saw Song Yao return.
The commotion at the dining table did not stop because of He Xi's words. Only Yu Yong raised his head.
"It's good that you're back. Quick, wash your face and come eat." Yu Yong got up and hurriedly wiped his mouth. He came to Song Yao's side and wanted to pull her to wash her face.
Song Yao stood rooted to the ground. "Where's the child?"
Song Yao still didn't believe that the man in front of her, who was devoted to her, would send their only child away. She shook off Yu Yong's hand.
Yu Yong licked his lips and suddenly scolded, "You've already made yourself like this, yet you're still worried about the child."
If it was any other day, Song Yao might have thought that Yu Yong was so considerate when she heard this, but now, she only felt that Yu Yong's words were perfunctory.
Why didn't he answer her question openly? Why didn't he ask her why she was in such a state?
"Let me ask you, where is our child!"
Song Yao had not seen Baby Xuan for the entire day and had almost been kidnapped by human traffickers. She was already furious. Now that she was facing her husband's reproach, she completely exploded.
When the Yu Family heard this angry roar, they fell silent right on the heels of it.
Granny Chen Lian put down her bowl and chopsticks solemnly. "You're back so late. Why are you still shouting? Isn't it a good thing that Baby Xuan went to help his father repay kindness?"
"Help his father to repay kindness?" Song Yao couldn't believe it.
"That's right. Yu Yong told us that back then, when the bullet fell, if not for his comrade saving him, he wouldn't be standing here safely now. Now that his comrade is found to be infertile, Yu Yong sent our Baby Xuan over," Song Yao's father-in-law, Yu Chun, said as he swallowed his food.
His casual tone made it seem like he had specially authorized this.
His eldest brother, Yu Wen, exchanged glances with his wife. Seeing He Xi shake her head silently, he remained silent.
The moment he turned around, he saw the three children poking their heads out curiously. He reached out and patted his eldest son's head. "Have you finished your homework? Don't join in the fun when adults are talking."
The eldest son immediately retracted his gaze but did not ask what had happened.
Seeing that her brother had been reprimanded, the other two children also buried their heads in their food.
Song Yao looked at her family's reaction and her heart turned cold. They had planned to send Baby Xuan away and had not considered her feelings at all!
"Isn't there a lot of ways for you to repay a debt of gratitude?! When your son grows up, can't you tell him that someone saved his father back then and let him acknowledge your comrade as his godfather? Did you get my permission? Why did you take your son away without saying a word? It's not like we can't afford to raise a child!" Song Yao grabbed her arm and questioned Yu Yong hysterically.
He didn't even discuss something as big as taking the child away with her. Now, he even had to tell her through his parents.
In the past, she must have been blind to think that Yu Yong was a good man.
Facing Song Yao's question, Yu Yong was a little impatient.
Why didn't he find the woman in front of him so difficult to deal with in the past?
"Yao, we will have our own children in the future. Also, listen to me. My comrade isn't a bad person." Yu Yong lowered his voice and coaxed Song Yao.