Lao Yu and the others took us out of the village.
After a bumpy ride, we finally arrived at the town.
Lao Yu pointed to the market not far ahead and said, "There are many people here, so be careful."
"You two go buy what you need; we'll wait outside."
Chen Li and I got out of the car and headed towards the market.
Chen Li stayed close to me and whispered, "What should I do?"
I looked around and said, "We'll split up in a moment."
"I'll go west, and you go east."
"Remember, don't look back."
Chen Li's eyes turned red, and she choked up, saying, "Lin Ran, I'm sorry."
"I owe you this life; in the next life, I'll repay you by working like an ox or a horse."
I smiled faintly and took out twenty yuan from my pocket, handing it to her.
"Hurry up; we don't have much time left."
With that, I turned and ran west.
Chen Li wiped her tears and ran east.
I reached a secluded spot and stopped to rest.
After waiting for about ten minutes, I estimated it was time to head back, so I walked towards the market.
As soon as I stepped out of the market, I pretended to be anxious and said to the villagers, "Not good! Chen Li has run away!"
The villagers immediately panicked.
"What?"
"She ran away?"
"When did she leave?"
I pointed to the east and said, "They ran that way."
Upon hearing this, the villagers immediately disregarded me and several of them ran towards the east.
Two others stayed behind to prevent me from escaping as well.
I led the two of them on a circuit around the town,
and finally found Chen Li on a bus.
She was huddled in the corner like a frightened rabbit.
The villagers approached and dragged her down.
She struggled desperately, shouting, "Help! I was kidnapped!"
However, no one paid her any attention.
Not even a single person called the police.
The villagers beat her with their fists and kicked her, dragging her away like a dead dog.
Her eyes were filled with despair and fear.
When we returned home that night, Lao Yu gave Chen Li another severe beating.
Afterward, he locked her in the cellar.
I took the initiative to bring food to Chen Li.
When she saw me, she knelt before me, crying and confessing.
"Lin Ran, I'm sorry for what I did to you."
"I shouldn't have harmed you."
"I'm being punished now; I deserve it!"
I looked at her in surprise, not expecting her to repent.
"Don't you blame me?"
She shook her head with a bitter smile: "If there's blame, it can only be on my bad luck."
"I'm already very grateful that you're willing to help me."
"Don't blame yourself."
I sighed, unsure of what to say.
She grabbed my hand and whispered, "You need to run quickly, don't worry about me."
"Lao Yu is a madman. If he catches you, your fate will be worse than mine!"
I nodded, saying nothing.
Coming out of the Cellar, my emotions were complicated.
I had thought Chen Li was hopeless, but unexpectedly, she had shown remorse.
This made me feel a bit reluctant.
In the following days, Chen Li's attitude underwent a significant change.
She no longer resisted and became submissive.
Lao Yu was very pleased with her.
He began to visit the Cellar every few days, coming out looking refreshed each time.
As for me, I continued to bring meals to Chen Li.
Chen Li started to walk freely around the village.
She became very docile and obedient.
No longer attempting to escape.
It seemed she had resigned herself to her fate.
Occasionally, she would help the villagers with various tasks.
With her excellent eloquence and beautiful face, she quickly won the villagers' affection.
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