"Xu Zixin!"
"Where are you..."
The villagers' shouts drifted in the wind.
Tears streamed down Xu Zixin's face in her excitement.
She waved the wooden stick in her hand and shouted back, "I'm here, someone help! Help me!"
Soon, the villagers found her.
"There's someone over there!"
"I heard her yelling for help."
"I heard it too, it's a woman."
"Let's go quickly."
The villagers were overjoyed. They had prepared to search all night, only to find her so soon after reaching the mountain.
This was like finding five hundred yuan for free!
Some even regretted not bringing their entire families.
Five hundred yuan per person, and Han Jiayun was footing the bill. His large vehicle was still in the village, so there was no fear of him reneging on the payment.
"Boss Han, what's wrong?"
The villagers ran forward with excitement.
Only Han Jiayun stood frozen, as if rooted to the spot.
His face was pale, his lips trembling, "How is this possible? How is she still alive?"
"Boss Han!" Tian Mengyao called out.
Han Jiayun trembled violently as if he had seen a ghost.
"What are you thinking about?" Tian Mengyao, caught off guard, was startled by Han Jiayun's intense reaction.
Wu Lei, holding a torch, stepped forward and glared at Han Jiayun, "Are you crazy!"
"I... I..." Han Jiayun didn't know what to say. He wanted to run, but he feared being caught by the villagers.
"Boss Han, are you hiding something from us?" Tian Mengyao calmly blocked Han Jiayun's path.
Wu Lei glanced at Tian Mengyao and also found Han Jiayun suspicious.
He was the one who had sought help from the village, offering a reward, yet he showed no joy upon finding the person.
"No, how could I?" Han Jiayun repeatedly shook his head, then a thought struck him, "Insects! Tell everyone to be careful of insects!"
Hearing this, Wu Lei immediately turned to look around.
If that woman had indeed attracted some insects, it would be troublesome.
Tian Mengyao remained unfazed.
Insects? It was just the Iron-headed Gu raised by Lin Fan.
"Boss Han, don't be so jumpy, there are no insects," Tian Mengyao reprimanded.
"Don't you believe me!" Han Jiayun feigned fear and stomped his foot. "If you don't listen, fine, I'll leave on my own!"
"Where are you going?" Wu Lei drew the sickle from his waist.
He had grabbed this weapon when the loudspeaker first sounded.
Now it seemed useful.
"Secretary Tian, we've brought her back."
"This girl is covered in blood, let's go to Xiao Fan's clinic quickly."
"Boss Han, is this your wife?"
Hearing this, Xu Zixin, who had been listless and carried by the villagers, suddenly took a deep breath and raised her head.
"Han Jiayun!" Xu Zixin's voice was filled with hatred, leaving everyone around dumbfounded.
This didn't look like a married couple at all, but rather mortal enemies.
Han Jiayun's body stiffened. He moved his feet with difficulty and slowly turned around.
"Wife, you're alive, that's great!"
He put on a cheerful facade, "As soon as I came down the mountain, I found people to rescue you, wife, I really..."
"Everyone, don't let him escape!" Xu Zixin pointed at Han Jiayun, wishing she could tear him to shreds.
"He's a murderer!"
"Be careful!"
Amidst Xu Zixin's vehement shouts, everyone was stunned.
"What's going on?"
"A murderer?"
"What did he do?"
The villagers were bewildered and didn't know what to do.
Han Jiayun lowered his head, his mind in turmoil. His wife must hate him intensely, and there was no possibility of them being together anymore.
Moreover, the quarry had a swarm of man-eating insects, and it couldn't be mined for the time being.
In that case, discretion was the better part of valor!
Suddenly!
Before anyone could react, Han Jiayun bolted.
"Catch him!" Tian Mengyao was the first to react.
The villagers snapped back to reality and chased after him.
"Don't let the murderer escape!"
"Catch him!"
"He still owes us five hundred yuan!"
Someone shouted this, and the villagers suddenly accelerated, catching up to Han Jiayun's heels.
In the dark night, Han Jiayun ran with all his might on the rugged mountain path.
All he wanted now was to get back to the village and retrieve his car.
Then, he would drive it to a place where no one knew him and live out the rest of his life in peace.
When he divorced his ex-wife, he had received a sum of money.
Not a lot, but not insignificant, about a million yuan.
Finding a city with low housing prices and spending frugally, he could live carefree for many years.
As for Xu Zixin, she could find whoever she wanted!
He had no intention of sharing his remaining assets with this woman who hated him to the core.
"Stop running!"
"You bastard, pay up!"
The villagers, holding torches, pursued Han Jiayun with all their might.
Even if he was a murderer, even if he was heinous, he should at least pay them the money he promised before going to jail!
Han Jiayun glanced back in his haste. About ten meters behind him, the villagers formed a long line, relentlessly pursuing him.
At this moment, he was filled with regret.
Why did he have to pretend!
The secretary had said fifty yuan per person, and the village committee would pay.
He had wanted to show his anxiety and deep love for Xu Zixin, so he had increased the reward tenfold, only to bring trouble upon himself.
Originally, Han Jiayun thought that if the police investigated, the villagers would speak in his favor, and he would be cleared of suspicion without incident.
He never expected Xu Zixin to be alive!
"Ouch!"
Suddenly, Han Jiayun stepped into a small puddle with his right foot, and his body lurched forward.
With a thud!
He landed heavily on the ground, and being on a slope, he rolled a considerable distance.
The friction of countless pebbles and his skin was agonizing.
"He fell!"
"Everyone, put in more effort!"
"You bastard, I'll beat you to death!"
A few villagers who had been falling behind suddenly regained their spirits, took a deep breath, and quickened their pace to rejoin the group.
"Don't move!"
"If you move again, I'll hit you!"
"Don't move!"
Seven or eight villagers pounced, pressing down heavily on Han Jiayun.
"Crack~" Han Jiayun's ribs creaked, and the air in his lungs was squeezed out.
"Let... let me go... I can't... breathe," Han Jiayun's voice was intermittent.
Tian Mengyao walked over and, seeing so many people piled on the ground, hurriedly shouted, "Get up quickly, don't crush him to death!"
"Secretary Tian, we can't let this old scoundrel escape."
"He toyed with us."
"We can't let him off."
"This bastard wants to welch on the debt!"
The people of Luofeng Village had been poor for too long, and five hundred yuan was not a small sum to them.