Chapter 359 Cui Mei and Zhou Xing

I had just finished one class in the afternoon when I saw Gao Mingxia and Peng Juan running in from outside the school gate through the window, braving the drizzle.

"You're back, that's great."

The two went back to their dormitory first, and after class ended more than half an hour later, they rushed back to the classroom.

Panting from running, the first thing he said to Xiaojiu was, "Hongqi, sigh, I guess she won't be able to take the college entrance exam."

Because her eldest sister, who was devoted to the cause of the Red Flag, suffered a difficult childbirth and was delayed by the man's family, she and her unborn child died.

Hongqi ran to the man's house to seek justice for her sister, but was beaten badly. Unfortunately, her parents were weak and always hid behind her sister in everything.

This resulted in the older sister becoming assertive, but she married a selfish and domineering mama's boy, ruining her life.

She had two younger sisters under the red flag. She didn't want to become the second older sister, but she couldn't get rid of them.

I have no money, I have no money, and I still have no money.

She couldn't live off borrowed money for alcohol forever, so she gave up and planned to get a high school diploma after graduating high school, then find a temporary job. That was her only thought.

Mingxia put the money that Xiaojiu had taken before they left back into her hand.

"She doesn't want it, saying she hasn't paid back what she owes you."

Xiao Jiu sighed regretfully, but ultimately said nothing and returned to her seat.

It was incredibly difficult for girls in those days to get an education. Once you missed your chance, it was gone forever, because those dark years brought utter despair.

Even if she gets a high school diploma, without a city household registration, she won't be able to find a decent job.

In a few years, when the educated youth are sent to the countryside, there will be plenty of high school students, and they will no longer have any advantage.

——

Hanshiqiao Wetland Park in the suburbs of Beijing

Tang Cuimei, looking annoyed, was being dragged deeper into the wetlands by a tall, burly thug who had his elbow around her neck.

Gunfights continued not far ahead; some of her classmates were injured, while others were shot by the assailants for struggling too much, and their fates were unknown.

She and two other male classmates were unlucky; they were only a little slow when they were taken hostage.

Judging from their equipment, they must be someone important, otherwise we wouldn't have sent such a well-equipped helicopter assault team to chase them.

The assault team, dressed in jungle combat gear, moved very quickly, giving them no chance to escape. The two sides engaged in combat as soon as they met.

Those in front had already been killed or captured alive, and only these few remained, hiding behind the hostages.

A gun was pointed at her temple, and the thug's harsh, cold voice rang in her ears.

"Put down your guns and get out of the wetlands, or we can't guarantee these three will survive. I'm only giving you ten minutes."

They were just having a meal together on the weekend when this accident happened; they were really unlucky.

Each member of the commando team was extremely agile, their faces were camouflaged, but their eyes were extremely sharp.

Tang Cuimei noticed that they were observing their surroundings, which made her more vigilant.

Without making a sound, he transferred a scalpel from his spatial storage and quietly slipped it into his sleeve.

This is a wetland park that has not been developed much, with reeds everywhere. Since this group of people retreated here, it is very likely that they hid their escape boats here. They just did not expect the assault team to catch up so quickly, and even to arrive by helicopter.

Even though he was holding a gun to his temple, she could feel his hand trembling and his heart pounding.

Suddenly, two birds chirped, and two egrets darted out from the reeds not far away. Startled, the thugs turned around sharply to look for the source of the sound. Tang Cuimei seized the opportunity and forcefully stabbed the scalpel into the arm of the thug who was holding her neck. Just as he screamed and tried to shoot her again, she rolled on the spot and kicked the gun out of his hand.

Everything happened so fast that even the commando team didn't realize how fierce she was. By the time she rolled around in the wetlands and safely hid in the reeds, the commando team members had already used the sudden chain reaction to successfully rescue her and two other male classmates.

As Tang Cuimei was panting heavily, hiding in the reeds, the reeds on both sides were parted, revealing a face painted with oil, colorful yet with distinct features.

He was dressed in a well-fitting military uniform, wearing a properly sized military cap, with a belt around his waist and a gun in his hand. But when she looked at him, he subconsciously covered the gun barrel with his left hand, while his right hand was fiddling with the reeds. A strange smile played on his lips as he quietly watched Tang Cuimei.

Tang Cuimei subconsciously swallowed, "What, what are you doing?"

"Are you alright, Cui Mei?"

Seeing that she didn't recognize him, the young soldier's dark face showed a hint of helplessness, and then he extended his right hand to her.

Upon hearing the somewhat familiar voice, Tang Cuimei was first taken aback, then rubbed her eyes, and only after confirming that the person in front of her was indeed someone she knew.

His eyes immediately reddened. "Zhou, Zhou Xing?"

"Thank goodness, you weren't scared out of your wits and recognized me?"

"Ah, is it really you? Weren't you in Chongqing? What are you doing in Beijing?"

"Hmm, it's back to normal. How is it? Is it still soft? If it's not, get up now. Isn't the water cold? Why are you still lying in the water?"

Tang Cuimei blushed and quickly stood up with his right hand. Only when she stood up did she realize that they were surrounded by a dense crowd of their people.

Zhou Xing couldn't exchange many pleasantries with her, so he whispered his instructions.

"You should follow our people first; they will take you to the hospital. I will visit you at school during my vacation."

Tang Cuimei stared at his tense face, followed a soldier for a few steps, and then suddenly ran back.

"If you're looking for something, look in the water at the eight o'clock direction. There seemed to be some unusual activity there before we were taken hostage."

Tang Cuimei then covered herself up tightly and ran a few steps to find her classmates. At this moment, she was more worried about their situation.

As soon as she left, the man next to Zhou Xing walked over with great interest.

"Oh, you two know each other? No wonder you've been pressing me so hard, leaving me no room to maneuver."

Zhou Xing glanced at the other person sideways.

"It's not like I'd kill anyone without a second thought if it were someone else. What are you standing there for? Go find them!"

After the man turned around and started making arrangements, she, still unwilling to give up, chased after him again to ask.

"The people who were investigating just came to report that they are top students from Peking University's medical school. How did you, someone who hasn't studied much, know them? Not only are they good-looking and smart, but they are also brave and decisive, even better than those male students. If it weren't for her help, we might not have ended the battle so quickly."