Chapter 39 Kneeling Request

Chapter 39 Kneeling Request

Cheng Lanzhou's eyes flickered, and his fingers unconsciously tapped his knee. He remained silent, seemingly lost in thought.

Lin, standing to the side, shook her head regretfully and said, "Things have changed, but at this critical juncture, what's the use of change?"

She let out a soft sigh, her gaze falling on the pile of medicine in the bundle.

"If things had changed earlier, we wouldn't have ended up in the state of ruin for both families. It's a pity that my son, who clearly had a bright future, was implicated."

Seeing Lin Shi's dejected appearance, Cheng Dai'er couldn't help but feel sad as well, and she stroked Lin Shi's hand, saying, "Mother..."

As night deepened, most of the campfires in the camp had gone out, leaving only a few scattered embers flickering in the darkness.

Jiang Yutang's family sat around the last remaining small fire, eating flatbread and porridge while it was still warm.

I originally planned to cook noodles today and rest after eating them in the evening, but because of the incident involving the refugees causing trouble and the ginger soup, I only managed to have my dinner now.

Jiang Songzhi stared blankly at the pancake in his hand, his face full of solemnity: "Although today's matter is over, what should we do next?"

Madam Yun frowned, put down the pancake in her hand, and complained, "Yes, if we have to serve so many people every day, how will we have the energy to travel? In my opinion, we should just throw that pot away to avoid making people envious and causing so much trouble!"

Jiang Yutang held half a pancake in her hand, not having much of an appetite. She listened to her family's words and remained silent for a long time.

She slowly raised her head and gently shook her head: "Throwing the blame is not the point." Her voice was soft, but it carried an undeniable certainty.

"The refugees' illness will get better sooner or later. It seems we're being targeted. The man who started this today was clearly after our family."

Upon hearing this, everyone present was stunned, and the weariness on their faces was instantly replaced by shock.

A gentle breeze blew through the campsite, carrying a hint of coolness, instantly making the atmosphere heavy.

After a long silence, Jiang Shengan suddenly slapped his knee hard, his face flushed red, and his voice trembled slightly with anger: "Outrageous! We've already been exiled, and they still won't let us go!"

Jiang Jiuze frowned, his face turning even uglier as he recalled the events of the day. He then recounted how Zhu Shi had been nearly knocked down earlier that day.

"What?!" Upon hearing this, Madam Yun panicked and grabbed Madam Zhu tightly beside her. "If that's the case, they definitely won't let this go! Master, what should we do?"

Jiang Shengan frowned, tapping his fingers lightly on the armrest of his wheelchair. He remained silent for a long time, seemingly pondering a solution. Just as he was about to speak, Jiang Huaiyu interrupted him.

Jiang Huaiyu stood up, patted his chest, and said firmly, "Father, don't worry! I'm here!"

A sense of warmth rose in their hearts, but they also knew that Jiang Huaiyu alone could not withstand the schemes lurking in the shadows.

It was late at night, and everyone in the family was fast asleep, but Jiang Yutang tossed and turned, unable to fall asleep.

She thought about it again and again, but she felt uneasy, as if some danger was quietly approaching.

After hesitating for a moment, she quietly got up, trying not to make a sound, and left her family's house, heading towards the direction where another group of refugees were resting.

She had only taken a few steps when Jiang Songzhi's deep voice came from behind her: "Little sister, why aren't you asleep so late? What are you doing?"

She paused, turned around, and saw Jiang Yutang standing in the moonlight wearing only a thin shirt, her eyes full of worry.

There was no need to hide this matter, so Jiang Yutang said truthfully, "I plan to go to Cheng Lanzhou's family and talk to them."

Jiang Songzhi looked at her quietly for a few seconds, then bent down and picked up the clothes on the mat and put them on: "I'll go with you."

The two siblings walked side by side through the refugees' rest area, looking around, and spotted Cheng Lanzhou's family in a quiet corner some distance away.

Cheng Lanzhou, Cheng Daier, and Lin Shi were all awake, sitting around the fire, seemingly having anticipated their arrival and having waited for a long time.

Seeing them approach, Cheng Daier got up and moved to the side, making room for two people. Lin Shi didn't say anything, just quietly looked at the fire.

Jiang Yutang didn't beat around the bush and went straight to the point: "You must have seen the trouble caused by the refugees today. This isn't just a simple provocation; someone is deliberately targeting our family."

Cheng Lanzhou leaned against the tree trunk, a piece of unlit dry grass between her fingers, and simply responded with a soft "Mm".

He looked up at Jiang Yutang, his eyes sharp: "When the two teams met at noon, I noticed that there were a few people in the other team who were not right. They couldn't hide the murderous aura on their faces, and the muscle lines on their arms were not something that could be developed from years of hard labor. They looked like they were trained martial artists. In my opinion, someone deliberately arranged for them to be here."

"I'm afraid..."

Jiang Yutang and Jiang Songzhi exchanged a glance, their expressions instantly becoming even more somber.

They had only felt that they were being watched, but they never expected that the other party's goal was to take their lives.

Jiang Yutang took a deep breath and offered his opinion: "The situation is clear now. Our two families are in cahoots. Since they can target the Jiang family, they might target you in the future. If one family gets into trouble, the other probably won't escape either. Why don't we join forces, look after each other on the way, and get to Danzhou safely together first?"

Before she could finish speaking, Cheng Lanzhou suddenly looked up, his cold gaze fixed on her, a faint sneer playing on his lips: "Why should we help you?"

He leaned back slightly, his tone somewhat distant: "The Cheng family only has three people. Fewer people means less of a target, making them easier to defend. Cooperating with your family would only drag us into trouble."

Upon hearing this, Jiang Songzhi's face darkened. He took a step forward, his tone urgent: "Cheng Lanzhou, you can't say that! Sitting and waiting for death will only lead to our demise. Joining forces is the safest option!"

Cheng Lanzhou slowly rose from the rock, leaning slightly forward towards the brother and sister. The firelight cast flickering shadows on his face, making his eyes appear complex and unreadable.

"I am good at analyzing battle situations, and experience tells me that cooperating with you is not a good idea."

The air fell silent instantly, with only the rustling of leaves in the wind and the occasional snores of migrants in the distance, bringing the late-night negotiations to a stalemate.

Just as Jiang Yutang was about to speak again to persuade him, she caught a glimpse of Jiang Songzhi's actions out of the corner of her eye.

He actually knelt down on one knee in front of Cheng Lanzhou's family, his hands slightly clenched into fists, clearly in a posture of begging for help.

"Big brother! What are you doing!" Jiang Yutang's pupils shrank, and before she could even be shocked, she reached out to grab his arm, her voice full of urgency and panic, "Get up! Let's talk this out, there's no need for this!"

Jiang Songzhi remained motionless, one arm being forcefully pulled by Jiang Yutang, the other hand supporting him on the ground, his body leaning slightly forward, his gaze sincere and serious as he looked at Cheng Lanzhou, his tone filled with suppressed pleading.

“I know that our Jiang family is now in dire straits and has no right to ask your Gu family for help. But this time, I beg you to lend a helping hand. As long as you can ensure my family’s safe arrival in Danzhou, I am willing to bear all the past misunderstandings and grievances. I will accept whatever punishment you may give me in the future!”