76 - Cinderella’s Dream: Together Forever

The afternoon quickly arrived, and Hong Mao hastily made his way to where Chen Wan and her group were staying. As soon as Chen Wan saw him, she stood up in a hurry, and Jiang Yan Xin quickly went over to join them. "How is it? Did you find the person?" Chen Wan asked anxiously. "Sis, we found her, but Jiang Wan Ning has caught the eye of a thug from District D. Her situation isn't looking good," Hong Mao said cautiously. Jiang Yan Xin wavered at the news of her sister's plight. Chen Wan quickly steadied Jiang Yan Xin, and with a stern expression, she turned to Hong Mao. "Where is she? What's wrong exactly? Tell me clearly." "She's staying near Tent 982 in District D. A thug named Kai Zi has taken a liking to her and has been causing her a lot of trouble. However, from what I gathered, she's had a significant allergic reaction with hives all over her body. Kai Zi thinks she looks unattractive because of it, so he hasn't acted yet, but he continues to harass Jiang Wan Ning and her parents," Hong Mao explained cautiously, all the while watching Chen Wan and Jiang Yan Xin's expressions. Chen Wan breathed a slight sigh of relief and quickly followed up with, "How many people does this Kai Zi have with him? How strong are they?" "Kai Zi has about seven to eight men. They're not the strongest thugs in the base, but Kai Zi has someone powerful backing him in District A. That's why he's bold in his actions. Essentially, any woman he sets his eyes on can't escape. Sis, you need to be careful. Dealing with Kai Zi is manageable, but the influential people in District A are not to be messed with," Hong Mao swallowed hard before continuing. He didn't want to make enemies on either side, as he wasn't ready to give up his life yet. "Alright, just take us to the place. After that, you won't be involved in this," Chen Wan said with a cold tone, and then she turned to Qin Ke and the others. "Let's get our things and go look for her." "Okay," Qin Ke and Yi Yi started gathering their belongings, and Chen Wan and Jiang Yan Xin also began to pack their bags. Hong Mao felt relieved. He didn't want to draw the ire of people from District A. After all, he and his brothers were doing quite well in the safe zone and he didn't want to be kicked out, or worse, lose his life. Hong Mao was familiar with District D and quickly navigated Chen Wan and her group through the maze of tents, reaching Tent 982 in about five to six minutes. "Sis, we're here. What do you think?" As Chen Wan spoke with Hong Mao, Jiang Yan Xin had already rushed into the tent, followed quickly by Qin Ke and Yi Yi, worried she might encounter trouble. Chen Wan cast a glance at Hong Mao, "Alright, you can go." "Thank you, Sis, thank you," Hong Mao was just waiting for this moment. After expressing his gratitude twice, he was about to leave when Chen Wan called out again. "Wait." Hong Mao's knees nearly gave out. He really didn't want to get involved in any trouble! He wasn't ready to give up his life, but he couldn't refuse Chen Wan. So, with a strained smile, he asked, "Sis, is there anything else you need?" Chen Wan snorted lightly, "Look at you, so lacking in composure." With that, Chen Wan took off a backpack from behind her, which belonged to the men they had previously dealt with, and she pulled out an unopened bottle of white liquor, handing it to Hong Mao. Hong Mao carefully examined it for a while, unsure of what this meant. "Sis, what is this for?" "It's for you. After all, you helped us find the person, so take it and be on your way," Chen Wan slightly furrowed her brow. While Hong Mao wasn't exactly a good person, he had helped locate Jiang Wan Ning, and giving him a bottle of liquor seemed reasonable. Hong Mao had thought he had volunteered his efforts for nothing, but he hadn't expected to receive something. In the base, a bottle of liquor cost a hefty 20 points and was a scarce commodity. Seeing Chen Wan growing impatient, Hong Mao quickly accepted the bottle. "Thank you, Sis, thank you. On behalf of my brothers, thank you. I'll be off then, Sis." Chen Wan waved him off, and Hong Mao disappeared like a shadow. Chen Wan frowned slightly and entered the tent. Inside, the air was even more unpleasant, like something rotten. Jiang Yan Xin scanned the tent. There weren't many people inside at the moment, and those present were lying on the ground to rest, presumably due to poor health. It was hard to make out the individuals' faces. With reddened eyes, Jiang Yan Xin called out urgently, "Wan Ning? Wan Ning, are you here? It's your sister." In the corner of the tent, Jiang Wan Ning heard her sister's voice. But how could that be possible? Her sister was far away in Weibei City, a long distance from Funan. In these challenging times of the apocalypse, it was uncertain if her sister was even safe, let alone coming all this way to find her. Besides, if they did come, Wan Ning would only be a burden. She had already gotten into trouble with District D's thugs, and she didn't want to drag her sister into it. "Wan Ning? Jiang Wan Ning, are you there?" Hearing no response, Jiang Yan Xin's tone grew more urgent. A grandmother lying in the center of the tent, upon seeing that Jiang Yan Xin and her group didn't seem like bad people, propped herself up and pointed toward a figure in the corner. "What's your relationship with young Jiang?" "I'm her sister," Jiang Yan Xin replied promptly, noticing that the grandmother might be aware of her sister's situation, and crouched down, asking, "Do you know where my sister is?" "So, you're her sister? That poor child, there in the corner," the grandmother sighed heavily after looking at the composition of Jiang Yan Xin’s group, hesitating to say more. Such good young women, why can't they find peace in this base? Jiang Yan Xin moved to the side of the tent where a person lay curled up, face buried in their clothes, obscuring their features. Not certain if it was her sister, Jiang Yan Xin was driven by a fervent desire to find her and gently pushed the huddled figure. "Wan Ning, is that you? I'm your sister," Jiang Yan Xin said, tears unwittingly rolling down. She had promised herself to be strong no matter her sister's condition once found, but being so close now, she couldn’t help but feel afraid. Ethereally, Jiang Wan Ning heard her sister’s voice again and felt someone nudging her. Her mind was foggy, unsure if this was a dream or reality. Jiang Wan Ning slowly revealed a part of her face, glancing at the one nudging her. In a daze, she seemed to see her sister, along with her sister's wife, Chen Wan, and niece, Yang Yang, plus two unfamiliar women. Startled, Jiang Wan Ning touched her forehead, realizing she was once again burning with fever. Her recent allergies often came with fever, with her parents having no choice but to physically cool her down. This method at least kept her from being violated by those beasts, even if she's to die from fever or allergies, which was preferable to being violated to death. Confirming her fever, Jiang Wan Ning believed everything before her was merely a dream. Her sister had told her before the apocalypse about a divorce with Chen Wan, so how could they possibly be there together? And why would her sister take the risk to bring Yang Yang into such danger to find her? It must be her imagination, possibly a momentary clarity before death. Thinking of this being her last lucid moment, Jiang Wan Ning thought seeing her beloved family was a blessing, though worried her parents would be shattered by losing her. After all, no parents should endure their child's death. Jiang Yan Xin, tears unrestrained, embraced her sister, "Wan Ning, why is your health this frail? Why the allergy? You're burning up!" Jiang Wan Ning, eyes moist, leaned weakly against Jiang Yan Xin's shoulder, tears tracing her cheeks but her expression held a smile, "Sis, I'm okay. I didn't expect to dream of you all. Maybe it's really my time. It's so good to see you, though I fear it'll grieve Mom and Dad. They've suffered because of me. Without me, perhaps they'd find it easier in the base." Jiang Yan Xin sniffled and hastily interrupted, "Don't say such foolish things. How could anything happen to you with your sister here?" "Sis, I've wanted to have a good cry these past days, but I didn't dare to. I was afraid it would make Mom and Dad sad too. Do you remember I'm allergic to beef? To avoid being bullied by those scumbags, I’ve secretly been eating beef jerky. Every time the allergic symptoms start to subside, I'd eat a little more. That piece of jerky is almost gone now. I'd rather die this way; otherwise, I have no idea what else to do." Jiang Wan Ning’s voice was choked with tears, as if she truly believed she was dreaming, pouring out her heart to Jiang Yan Xin. Hearing this, Jiang Yan Xin felt an overwhelming sense of distress. She held her sister tightly, "Don't worry, as long as I'm here, nothing will happen to you. I won't let anything happen to you or Mom and Dad. Where are they now?" "Mom and Dad are doing hard labor in the base. They never say it, but I know. I can’t go out to work in this condition, so they find whatever work they can just to earn a few points for food," Jiang Wan Ning said, her voice filled with sorrow. She believed that if it weren't for getting entangled with those people, their family wouldn't be having such a hard time.