She abandoned her husband first, then her children, and was ecstatic after the divorce.

Chapter 179 We'll Help You

Her eyes became empty and lifeless, and her once pretty face was now covered in dust, making her look disheveled.

Every minute and every second was torture for Lin Qingran. She didn't know how much longer she could endure it, or whether she would ever see the light of day again.

Time passed slowly, and in the dark and cramped woodshed, Lin Qingran's consciousness gradually became clearer.

She knew perfectly well that if she didn't escape, she would be beaten to death sooner or later.

Finally, on a quiet night, while her foster mother and the others were fast asleep, Lin Qingran laboriously climbed up the wall using the clutter in the woodshed.

She fell down several times, but Lin Qingran endured the pain and climbed back up.

Finally, she touched the small window above, carefully pushed it open, and climbed out with all her might, only to fall heavily to the ground.

Ignoring the pain, Lin Qingran stumbled out of the village, afraid to get up.

The moonlight was faint, barely illuminating the path ahead. The mountain path was rugged and uneven, and Lin Qingran ran with uneven steps, as weeds and branches occasionally scratched her skin, leaving tiny marks.

Her heart was pounding, as if a drum was constantly beating inside her chest.

Every rustle of wind filled her with terror, fearing that her adoptive mother and the others had caught up with her.

Lin Qingran didn't dare to look back, she just ran desperately, all she could hear was her own rapid breathing and footsteps.

She didn't know where she was going, she only knew that she had to get away from that terrible village.

Sweat soaked through her clothes, and her hair was plastered messily to her face.

Her legs felt as heavy as lead, but fear kept her from stopping.

Lin Qingran had been running for a whole day and night, and her feet were already covered in blisters. Every step she took felt like walking on a knife's edge.

She dared not take the main road, but deliberately went around on those secluded paths, through thorny forests, and waded through icy streams, just to make sure she was not discovered.

At age 55, Lin Qingran ran into a small village.

The villagers at the village entrance cast curious glances at the disheveled stranger, but Lin Qingran was too exhausted to explain anything, and the scene before her eyes grew increasingly blurry.

She felt dizzy, her legs went weak, and she fell straight forward, completely losing consciousness.

The surrounding villagers gasped and rushed over, lifting her up and taking her to the village's only clinic.

When Lin Qingran slowly opened her eyes, she was greeted by a group of unfamiliar villagers. The unfamiliar faces made her instantly alert, and she retreated in fright until her back hit the wall.

A young man approached. "Little girl, don't be afraid, we won't hurt you. I'm the village secretary, and also a college graduate serving as a village official. Calm down and tell us what happened. Where do you live?"

Lin Qingran's eyes were filled with fear and defensiveness, her body trembled uncontrollably, and her lips were tightly closed, hesitating whether she should trust the person in front of her.

The young man noticed her hesitation and spoke softly.

"Don't worry, young lady, you're safe here. No matter what difficulties you encounter, we'll do our best to help you."

Lin Qingran raised her head and looked into his sincere eyes. Her fear lessened slightly, but she still didn't dare to speak easily.

Lin Qingran huddled in the corner, hugging her legs tightly, burying her head between her knees, not daring to utter a single word.

The atmosphere in the room became somewhat heavy, and everyone watched her quietly, waiting for her to speak.

Suddenly, someone spoke up, breaking the silence.

"Was this girl abducted?"

These words caused an uproar among the crowd.

Lin Qingran's body trembled violently. She raised her head, a hint of panic and pain flashing in her eyes.

She opened her mouth, but then hesitated to speak.

The young village party secretary frowned, looked at the person who spoke, and gestured for him not to make wild guesses.

Then he turned to Lin Qingran again and said softly.

"Young lady, whether it's true or not, you can tell us. We really want to help you."

Lin Qingran bit her lip, tears welling up in her eyes.

Seeing that Lin Qingran still refused to speak, the village secretary strode forward and said with a serious expression.

"Young lady, if you were trafficked, we will definitely call the police and seek justice for you!"

Upon hearing this, Lin Qingran's face showed no relief, but rather was filled with fear.

She feared that these people would act like the villagers in her own village, outwardly showing sympathy but secretly sending her back to that terrible place.

Lin Qingran's gaze suddenly fell on the IV bottle beside her. She didn't know where the strength came from, but she quickly tore it off and smashed it on the ground. Lin Qingran swiftly picked up a sharp shard, held it against her neck, and screamed at the top of her lungs.

"Let me call the police myself, or I'll die here!"

Everyone was quite startled by her sudden action, and even the village secretary was stunned, unsure of what to do.

Seeing blood seeping from Lin Qingran's neck, the village secretary felt a pang of anxiety and quickly shouted to stop her.

"Young lady, don't be impulsive, please don't do anything foolish!"

Without further hesitation, the village secretary quickly took out his phone from his pocket, handed it to Lin Qingran, and said urgently.

"Here you go, young lady, call the police!"

A hint of surprise flashed in Lin Qingran's eyes. She took the phone with trembling hands and frantically pressed the familiar yet unfamiliar numbers.

The moment the call connected, Lin Qingran felt as if she had grasped at the last straw, and cried out in a sob-filled voice.

"Help me, I..."

Everyone in the room held their breath, watching Lin Qingran with bated breath; the air seemed to freeze at that moment.

In the afternoon, several police cars, with flashing lights and sirens, finally arrived after traversing mountains and valleys.

With the help of the police, Lin Qingran got into the police car.

The police car sped along, taking Lin Qingran back to that nightmarish village.

Upon entering the village, Lin Qingran's body began to tremble uncontrollably, but she suppressed her fear and, under her guidance, the police officers acted swiftly.

They arrived at the old widower's house and successfully found the little boy who had also been abducted.

Subsequently, the police conducted a further search in the village and rescued several other abducted women and children.

Lin Qingran and the little boy were taken back to the town's hospital for treatment.

Lin Qingran was filled with worry. When the police weren't paying attention, she secretly hid next to them, wanting to hear what the doctor had to say.

The doctor said gravely, "This child's condition is not optimistic. He was drugged before being brought back to the village, which may have damaged his brain."

Lin Qingran's heart sank. She never imagined that the despicable old widower would be so cruel as to do such a terrible thing to an innocent child.