CHAPTER 367: CHAPTER 360: FLEEING THROUGH THE NIGHT

Teacher Xu ignored Professor Ma’s ashen face, turned to the students, and said, "Classmates, I think He Sisi makes sense. I’ve decided to follow her and leave the mountain. Those of you who wish to come with me, hurry up and pack your belongings. If you prefer to stay, you can leave with Professor Ma tomorrow morning. We’ll meet up in town."

After saying this, Teacher Xu began to pack his luggage immediately, moving fast as if he were afraid of not catching up with Sisi and the others. The rest of the students were indecisive, torn inside.

Eventually, about a dozen students also started to pack their luggage and followed Teacher Xu down the slope, including Li Anqi and Song Mengshi.

Thus, only Professor Ma, Liu Xuelian, and about five or six male students remained on the slope.

In truth, Chang Yunhuan really wanted to leave, but Professor Ma had not left, and he was the class monitor. If he left on his own initiative, Professor Ma might be displeased. After all, Professor Ma was a senior professor in the college and commanded considerable respect. Sigh, for the sake of being admitted into the Party, he was willing to go all out!

"Meng Shi, Anqi, why bother? Weren’t those people already beaten and scattered just a moment ago? Who would have the guts to come back? I think you’d be better off staying here safely until daylight and then leave by car. Don’t listen to He Sisi’s alarmist talk."

Liu Xuelian tried to persuade Song Mengshi and Li Anqi to stay. Without any other female classmates around, there would be no one to chat with, and it would be too lonely.

Li Anqi’s expression was ambiguous. She smiled and said, "I think I’ll follow them. Sitting here in the cold wind is not very comfortable. It’s better to walk. Xuelian, I’ll see you in town tomorrow!"

Li Anqi knew well that if they had listened to He Sisi earlier, they wouldn’t have had to endure this unwarranted calamity. Now that He Sisi and Shangguan Feifei had both left, what if something happened again? Who would protect her?

Could she rely on these scholars who couldn’t even truss a chicken?

Liu Xuelian scoffed and couldn’t be bothered to argue any further. She didn’t believe a word He Sisi said, thinking it was all a deliberate ploy by Sisi to make herself the center of attention, making everyone believe they couldn’t do without her. Hmph, was she just trying to show off?

She didn’t want to play into He Sisi’s hands. Didn’t she notice that even Professor Ma hadn’t left?

Liu Xuelian seemed to have forgotten that it was precisely because Professor Ma hadn’t listened to advice in the first place that everyone was now in danger!

Sisi looked back at the students following her, smiled faintly, and thought that there were indeed quite a few people who knew the ways of the world. As for the fate of those who remained, what did it have to do with her, He Sisi?

Don’t blame her for being heartless; she wasn’t obliged to ensure everyone’s safety. Besides, she had already warned them, so what could she do about those who refused to listen?

At Jin San’s place

A middle-aged man reached out to check the breath of Red Sister lying on the ground, sighed, and shook his head, "She’s beyond saving. Inform Red Sister’s family to prepare for the funeral."

"Red Sister, it’s my fault. Why wasn’t it me who died?"

Jin San knelt on the ground, weeping loudly with a throat-rending grief, while his other brothers tried to comfort him.

"Big Brother, this has nothing to do with you. If we’re to blame anyone, it’s those students. They’re the ones who killed Red Sister!"

"Yes, Big Brother, don’t be sad. We still need to take revenge for Red Sister and our other brothers!"

"Big Brother, you also need to take care of yourself, don’t be too heartbroken!"

.....

The barefoot doctor treated the wounds of the other injured people and hurried back, feeling an inexplicable shock in his heart. Trouble was brewing, big trouble, and he had to get his wife and children to his father-in-law’s house to take shelter. He left immediately.

Sisi and Shangguan were walking ahead, avoiding the main road and taking a mountain path instead. Although this path was rougher, it was shorter than the main road. They were lucky tonight; they only heard the howling of wolves but didn’t encounter any large animals.

"Sisi, was what you said before true? Will the villagers really come for revenge?" Zhu Yunxiu asked in a low voice.

Sisi nodded with certainty. In her previous life, the reason for the riot was because one of the robbed tourists, unable to stand his wife being harassed, had beaten up the thug who was doing the harassing. However, he went too far and killed the harasser.

As a result, a riot ensued. The thug’s family demanded the tourist’s life in return and also beat up other tourists, resulting in several deaths. Finally, the first tourist who fought back had some connections; after a life was lost, he made a phone call, and before long, several vehicles of armed police arrived to suppress the village.

Nevertheless, the incident eventually faded without anyone being sentenced or shot; after all, it was the entire village’s doing, and it wouldn’t be possible to arrest the entire population.

Therefore, Sisi understood that the people of Lupanxia Village were incredibly united. A village both fierce and tightly-knit; with so many injured, could they not seek retaliation?

"What about Professor Ma and the others who stayed behind? Might something happen to them?" Zhu Yunxiu was somewhat worried.

"I don’t know. It depends on their luck, right?" Sisi answered crisply.

Zhu Yunxiu was at a loss for words, but Sisi found it amusing. "Do you think I’m being cold-blooded?"

"Not at all, Sisi. Don’t overthink it. I’m just worried about their safety," Zhu Yunxiu quickly waved her hands and explained.

"Don’t worry, we can hardly take care of ourselves right now. Those villagers will definitely come after us; we need to get to town quickly and make a phone call."

Sisi had a bad premonition that this incident was going to escalate. She and Shangguan couldn’t handle it alone; they had to call Tian Xinhua and ask him to find a solution.

Zhu Yunxiu, noticing Sisi’s serious expression, could not help but feel anxious and refrained from asking any further questions, hurriedly following behind Sisi.

"He Sisi, can we rest for a bit?" Li Anqi and Song Mengshi were exhausted. They had been climbing for over an hour, and their feet were nearly giving out.

"Let’s rest for five minutes, then continue our way," Sisi commanded a break, seeing that the others were showing signs of fatigue.

Everyone was tired and hungry. When they heard Sisi suggesting a break, they all sat down on the ground without caring about the dirt.

Sisi’s nose was sensitive, and she smelled the faint scent of fruit. She looked around and spotted an orange grove on the slope nearby, with what seemed to be some persimmons and peach trees as well. She called a few male students to join her in picking fruit to eat, which would help quench their thirst and fill their stomachs.

It was the ripe season for these fruits, and the trees were laden with mature fruit. They picked and ate as they went; everyone was so hungry they didn’t care about the ethics of stealing from someone else’s orchard.

After filling their bellies and packing a good number of fruits, everyone felt reinvigorated. Sisi took ten yuan from her bag, wrapped it in paper, and placed it under a stone at the base of the largest tree, making a conspicuous mark. Surely the orchard guard would find the money this way?

The sky was gradually lightening with the first hints of dawn as they reached the main road; the town was near. The weary group was invigorated by the thought that once they reached town, they could take a bus to the train station and then head back to Beijing, never to return to this dreadful place again.

But unfortunately, things do not always go as planned, and sounds of "da da da" came from behind them.