Chapter 621
Chapter 621: Chapter 613: It’s Good to Be Alive Chapter 621: Chapter 613: It’s Good to Be Alive “`
It was when these people shifted their attention away and started heading towards the kitchen that she finally let out a sigh of relief.
Taking advantage of the lack of attention, she wiped her hands on her clothes from time to time.
She thought no one noticed, but in fact, every move she made, every glance, every subtle change in her expression, was crystal clear to those who were observant.
She even glanced several times at the locked room, regretting that she had not gone in to check it earlier.
Had she known, she would have checked; the person inside was probably already dead.
If dead, one could simply dig a hole and bury her.
Fortunately, these people didn’t suspect anything.
If they had become suspicious and insisted on entering by force, and if a living person was found, at worst, they could just abandon them.
But if a dead body was discovered, it would spell disaster for her.
Murder is a crime, and even though it was a remote area, there were still soldiers around, and the more she thought about it, the more panicked she grew, with her complexion gradually showing her distress.
Old Madame Song’s mental state was clearly very poor, almost to the point that one didn’t even need to scare her into confessing without being prompted.
In truth, a saying might really apply here.
“Those who do nothing wrong don’t fear the knock at midnight.” Clearly, she was worried, scared, and feeling guilty.
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If there was nothing inside, no one would believe it.
As for what exactly was so terrifying inside that it threw her into such disarray, that would only be known once the door was opened.
The man made a gesture to someone next to him; the others understood and nodded, instantly moving towards Old Madame Song, tugging her forward.
Even before old Madame Song could let out a scream, she watched in horror as people stood in front of the door to her storage room, and they hadn’t even asked her for the key.
Then she heard a clunk, the sound of the lock being opened, though she didn’t know how they managed it.
Next moment, with a creak, the door swung open, and a heavy cloud of dust assaulted their senses, prompting a round of coughing.
“You can’t go in.”
Old Madame Song cried out repeatedly, her voice shrill and piercing, which not only shocked the villagers standing outside but also unified them in a single thought—perhaps encapsulated in just two words.
It was over.
“Mr.
Gu, there’s someone inside.”
The first person to enter immediately shouted upon seeing the person huddled in the corner.
His voice not only made Old Madame Song’s piercing cries subside but also woke the person inside.
Tang Yuxin had just fallen asleep, increasingly convinced she was going to die.
She had run out of water, eaten all the crackers, and despite conserving as much as she could, she knew she couldn’t hold out much longer.
She was so thirsty and hungry, and her strength was ebbing away.
At first, in the moments when she was alone, she tried to find a way out, but there was nothing but a locked door and not even a window.
Eventually, she didn’t dare to move, nor could she muster the strength anymore.
The lack of food weakened her so much that, towards the end, she even began to hallucinate.
She thought she could hear many voices outside the door, including Old Madame Song’s and others’.
But whatever they were saying, her consciousness was fading, and she could barely make out the words.
It was only when she heard that sentence—”Captain, there’s someone inside”—that she perked up.
Sir,
Sir.
What sir?
Had someone come to rescue her?
Struggling to open her eyes, the light in front of her seemed shrouded in mist, and she couldn’t see or hear clearly.
Footsteps seemed to draw near to her ear.
Very familiar.
“`
It felt so familiar.
She felt as though she had heard it somewhere before.
A sense of tranquility.
At that moment, a hand was placed above her forehead.
The hand was large, warm, and one could tell its skin was tough and calloused; it was a man’s hand, the hand of a laborer, and possibly much more, yet it would never belong to someone who had led a life of luxury.
Her long lashes trembled, and in their ashen fringes, her pupils shone brightly too, as if the wind outside had brought in fresh air, or as if the light from outside had dispelled the white glare before her eyes.
Guess what she saw.
Guess what she dreamed about.
Guess what she imagined.
“Uncle Gu…”
She opened her lips, which were nearly split with sores, silent, leaving only the shape of her mouth to guess what she was saying.
She said Uncle Gu.
“It’s me…”
The man smiled, and in that instant, it was as if the ice of the Arctic had melted, lending a hint of warmth among the coolness.
It was like so many years before, on a night when a young man had saved a young child.
It was a dream.
Tang Yuxin smiled too.
Yes, if she could die like this, then there would be no regrets.
After all, she had lived a second life, one longer than most.
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Her life was actually perfect.
She had experienced everything this world had to offer; she had felt pain, agony, heartbreak, she even experienced death.
She had loved, hated, walked, and more importantly, she had lived.
So, no regrets, it was enough.
The large palm on her forehead continued to transmit warmth, not only smoothing out her forehead but gradually warming up her cold body.
Once again, she opened her eyes, and finally, a tear formed in the corner of her eye, stealthily sliding down from her chin.
It wasn’t a dream, after all.
She smiled with parted lips, though no sound came out, although without a voice, her smile was pure, unforced, and far from bleak.
Gu Ning brought out his water bottle from his waist and placed it in front of Tang Yuxin.
Tang Yuxin took a sip of water; it was sweet, the tastiest water she had ever drunk in her life.
Clasping the water bottle with both hands, she drank eagerly, the water nourishing every drop of blood in her body, every inch of her flesh, and every part of her soul.
She squinted her eyes and from the direction of the door, she could also glimpse a stretch of azure sky.
It seemed she could even smell something like the air of freedom.
Could she, perhaps, go home now?
Gu Ning took out biscuits from his own supply to feed Tang Yuxin, who clearly looked starved and dehydrated.
But no matter what hardships she had endured, no matter what suffering she had gone through, she was still alive.
Being alive was good.
Yes, being alive was good.