The Stepmother's Counterattack: Raising a Child in a Bygone Era-Chapter 440 - 439: Even if I Die, I’ll Take You Down with Me

Chapter 440: Chapter 439: Even if I Die, I’ll Take You Down with Me

"Xiaoying, Mingzhu has disappeared, does it have anything to do with you?"

Facing the Zhong Family’s father and son duo, Zhong Ying and Pei Yang who had come to her, Zhong Ying instinctively wanted to deny any involvement, but the next words from Zhong Qing startled her.

"You’d better tell the truth now while you still can. If your cousin-in-law finds out through others that you were involved, or if you intentionally hid it, Uncle Three won’t be able to protect you then."

Desperate to absolve herself from the matter, Zhong Ying blurted out, "Cousin, I have nothing to do with it, it’s Sun Feifei! She wanted to drag me into this, but I ignored her, I never imagined she would actually go through with it."

"Where is Sun Feifei now?"

"I don’t know, I haven’t seen her since I gave her the money."

After saying this, afraid that Zhong Qing would misunderstand and think she was an accomplice, Zhong Ying hurriedly explained, "She blackmailed me for the money. The kidnapping of Shen Mingzhu has nothing to do with me; if I had known she was so crazy, I never would have dealt with her from the start."

Zhong Qing pointed a finger at her, "You’d better be telling the truth, because if anything happens to Mingzhu, I won’t let you off."

Zhong Ying’s complexion was pale with apprehension.

Having received firm information that Shen Mingzhu might have been kidnapped, Zhong Qing immediately reported the case to the police.

With the testimony from Zhong Ying, coupled with the influence of the Zhong Family, the police station took the matter seriously this time, promptly filed the case, and dispatched personnel to investigate.

In those days, without road monitoring, finding someone was akin to looking for a needle in a haystack.

"Pei Yang, you drive to the east side of the city to search. For this kind of matter, Sun Feifei definitely wouldn’t dare to stay in the urban area; she must be heading somewhere less populated. I’ll find others to search the north, south, and west of the city."

"Alright, thank you for your help."

Pei Yang said and was about to leave with Pei Ziheng.

But Pei Ziheng pulled away from his grasp, turned, and ran to Zhong Qing, his voice filled with urgent pleading, "Aunt Qingqing, please, you must help me find my mom. I’ll be as grateful as if I were your ox or horse in the future."

Zhong Qing bent down and raised her hand.

Pei Ziheng instinctively turned his head, wanting to dodge.

He never allowed any woman other than his mom and sister to touch his head.

But thinking of his mother in danger, he suppressed his inner discomfort and dislike, allowing Zhong Qing’s hand to rest on his head.

"Ziheng, I promise you, I will bring your mom home safe."

"Mhm, thank you, Aunt Qingqing!"

After watching the father and son depart, Zhong Qing picked up the telephone in the living room and called Yan Yi’s office.

"Mingzhu’s in trouble."

Ten minutes later.

Two military helicopters, one after the other, flew towards Fengcheng.

...

Realizing that Sun Feifei had accomplices, and that they were two men, it wasn’t a lie to say Shen Mingzhu felt uneasy.

Feifei watched Mingzhu’s panic with satisfaction, haggling with her two accomplices, "What do you think, not bad-looking, huh?"

The two men’s sleazy gazes roamed over Shen Mingzhu’s body as if they were appraising an item, their faces lit with joy.

"You’re really giving her to us?"

"Yes, for free. Just take her back to your hometown, cut off her tongue, then chain her up in a pigsty. From now on, she’ll be a wife to both of you brothers," Sun Feifei said with a cruel laugh.

Tsk, even more malicious than she had imagined.

Not only planning to ruin her purity, but also to sell her off into the mountains to be a shared wife.

Suppressing her disgust and anger, Shen Mingzhu negotiated with the two brothers, "Big brothers, there are two of you, and we’re also two here. Kidnapping one is the same as kidnapping, so why not take us both? Then each of you will have a wife, better than sharing one between two, right?"

"Shut your mouth!"

Sun Feifei rushed forward, aiming to slap Shen Mingzhu.

Experienced by now, Shen Mingzhu promptly sidestepped to avoid it.

Sun Feifei flailed and lost her balance, stumbling heavily to the ground.

"Hurry up, tie her up before she runs away!" Shen Mingzhu yelled at the brothers urgently.

The two brothers, never known for their kindness, immediately surged forward and pinned Sun Feifei down.

"What are you doing, let me go! Ah!!"

Ignoring Sun Feifei’s struggles and screams, one brother held her arms while the other secured her legs, quickly binding her tightly with hemp rope.

Watching from the side, Shen Mingzhu felt more excitement than fear.

The brothers’ sudden betrayal also indirectly showed that their partnership with Sun Feifei was not solid.

"Have you gone mad? Don’t forget, without me to drive you back, you won’t be leaving here safely," she warned.

"I can drive too. Brothers, I can’t escape anyway, just please don’t hurt me, I’m willing to help you drive," Shen Mingzhu quickly offered.

The two brothers could hardly contain their glee.

Having been bachelors for over thirty years, and now suddenly handed two beautiful women on a silver platter, how could they not be elated?

Furious, Sun Feifei writhed and struggled on the ground like a maggot.

"Don’t listen to her, she’s always been full of tricks, she won’t go back with you willingly!"

"Nonsense, I had a good life in the city, of course, I don’t want to slog it out in the mountains. But as the saying goes, a bad life is better than a good death. My hands and feet are tied; what other choice do I have but to go with you?"

The brothers nodded in agreement, one of them lasciviously caressing Shen Mingzhu’s face.

"Girlie, if you behave and bear me a couple of healthy boys, I won’t let you go hungry," one said.

For a remote and impoverished mountain area, a full stomach was considered living the good life.

Shen Mingzhu pretended to wince to avoid the man’s hand, "Ouch, don’t touch, it hurts." fгeewёbnoѵel.cσm

The man’s displeasure was redirected by Shen Mingzhu’s next words, "Brothers, gag her mouth, she’s too loud, she might attract attention."

The men thought Shen Mingzhu had a point, and immediately stuffed Sun Feifei’s mouth with a handful of dry grass.

Muffled sounds came from Sun Feifei’s throat as she glared murderously at Shen Mingzhu.

Shen Mingzhu just smirked back at her, "Sun Feifei, even if I die, I’ll make sure to drag you down with me."

Sun Feifei struggled even more fiercely.

Concerned someone might come looking, the brothers prepared to leave.

They first put Sun Feifei in the car and then came back for Shen Mingzhu.

"Don’t forget her bag, there’s definitely money in it," Shen Mingzhu reminded them.

The brothers hadn’t thought of that until Shen Mingzhu reminded them.

One of them took out the wallet from the bag, opened it, and almost burst into laughter.

"We’ve struck it rich, hit the jackpot!"

The other, seeing the money in the wallet, was equally excited, his eyes gleaming.

Suddenly recalling something, they turned their heads to stare at Shen Mingzhu, their eyes hungry like wolves upon meat.

"Where’s the money on you?" they demanded.

Shen Mingzhu had been waiting for this question.

She had not offered money to entice them from the start, fearing that the brothers would choose her over her money.

In some conservative and old-fashioned rural areas, the crudely chauvinistic men would rather eat dirt than allow their women to work for money, for fear they might run away.

"The money is in the bag," she said.

Eagerly, the brothers took Shen Mingzhu’s handbag from the car. They opened it, searched, but did not find a single penny.

"You wretched woman, where is your money?" they snapped at her.