It is said that after Zhang Xisheng's daughter in Xiaomaling Village, Zichuan was put into a sack and carried up the mountain that afternoon, the villagers rushed to his house to tell him the unfortunate news.
It’s just that the bandits are numerous and ruthless. No one dares to provoke them easily. This is not because everyone is unwilling to help. In fact, the help is in vain, but only adds to the chaos. Besides, everyone has to take care of their families. I'm afraid that the bandits will come down the mountain to take revenge. If that happens, it will be troublesome.
No matter how troublesome it is, I can't watch my daughter being snatched away and destroyed by bandits. I am too old. Son-in-law Zhao Moyan went to Xihe market and hasn't come back yet. What should we do?
As the saying goes: "'Brothers fighting tigers, father and son go into battle.' At the critical moment, you have to personally take action. Even if you go up mountains of swords and seas of fire, you recognize it." In this way, he took a slender iron rod from home and Run up and up.
Photography: Zhang Yubao of Xiaomaling Village
This iron rod is usually used as a top door fastener. It is long, thin and very strong. Holding it in your hand, it can be used as a walking stick and for self-defense. It feels very useful.
Zhang Xisheng climbed the mountain very quickly at first, but as the mountain road got higher and steeper, he climbed slower and slower. After all, he was older, but he had to climb no matter how slow he was. The one who was kidnapped was his own daughter.
The weather was slowly getting dark. At this time, there was no sign of the girl or the bandits, but I couldn't give up. Just like this, Zhang Xisheng kept stepping deep and shallow on this mountain, walking here and there. Diandian, looking everywhere. Although he knew that it was unlikely to find her like this, and even if she found her, he still wouldn't be able to let his daughter escape, but he still had to find it, even if there was a glimmer of hope.
didn't know how long he had been walking in the dark in the mountains. Since he was familiar with the Maling Mountains in Zichuan, south of Xiaomaling Village where he was, he wanted to find the lair of this group of bandits. It's like finding a needle in a haystack. Think about it, it's hard to find it in the mountains during the day. Where can you find it at night? How many times had he thought about giving up, but he couldn't bear the thought that his daughter might be being tortured at this moment, and he felt stronger all over his body.
was too tired. When he stopped walking, his legs bent and he fell off the cliff. "It's over, it's over!" He closed his eyes, completely disappointed.
Photography: Xiaomaling Village Zhang Yubao
How could I expect that after falling, he did not feel pain, but felt soft, which was puzzling. After regaining his composure, he reached out and touched around, feeling like some quilts.
"Where is this? Is this the lair of the bandits? Why didn't I wake them up with such a loud sound when I fell?" With doubts, he tried to continue to feel around in the dark, and felt that except for bags of food, Just some pots and pans.
Zhang Xisheng immediately understood that this place must be a secret warehouse of the bandits. If he hadn't fallen from the rock cliff and smashed the top of the cave into a hole, few people would have entered. Zhang Xisheng, who came from here, broke into a cold sweat thinking about this.
Is it okay if I know such a secret place? Still not allowed to kill people and silence them? But it doesn’t matter if I die here, what should I do with my daughter? If this hole is not removed and the bandits use it as a base, how many villagers will be harmed? Just like this, Zhang Xisheng wanted to find a way out as soon as possible. Every minute he stayed here would mean he was in danger.
But where does it go out? The hole in the roof of the cave is too high from the ground to climb up. Since it is a hole, it must have an entrance. It is easy to find a way to find the entrance. In this way, Zhang Xisheng groped around bit by bit inside the cave. After hard work, he finally reached the door of the cave, but an iron door was tightly closed and could not be opened at all.
"The foreign devils were dumbfounded this time when they were watching a show." Tired and anxious, Zhang Xisheng leaned hopelessly against the wall of the cave and soon fell asleep in a daze. What happened next will be explained in the next chapter.
(Author: Zhang Yuguo, Zibo, Shandong)
