Siheyuan: tomb robbing? I am serious about hunting.

Chapter 498: Impulsive Action

The whole family mobilized their neighbors to look for Xiaodang together.

It was getting dark, and Xiaodang was still nowhere to be found. Jia Zhang cried bitterly, and Qin Huairu became more and more worried.

Just then, an old man walked in.

"Uncle, have you...have you found Xiaodang?" Jia Zhang asked hurriedly.

The uncle shook his head, "Not yet, but...but I heard..."

The old man wanted to say something but stopped himself. He looked at Qin Huairu and then at Jia Zhangshi, not knowing whether he should say it or not.

"Uncle, just say whatever you want to say." Qin Huairu said.

The old man sighed, "I...I heard that Xiaodang...Xiaodang might have been..."

The old man stammered, "I... I heard that Xiaodang... Xiaodang might have been taken away by a rag collector..."

"A rag collector?" Jia Zhang suddenly collapsed to the ground, slapping her thigh and crying, "My little Pang! What shall I do? Why is my life so miserable?"

Qin Huairu's face turned pale, her lips trembled, and she couldn't speak for a long time. She clutched the bed sheet tightly, and her knuckles turned white. Sha Zhu quickly supported her, "Huairu, don't worry, we will definitely find Xiaodang!"

Xu Damao was also very anxious. "Uncle, do you know which direction the rag collector went? What are his characteristics?"

The old man shook his head. "I don't know either. I just heard from the neighbors that he seemed to be pushing a cart full of rags, and he was wearing a tattered straw hat..."

"This...where can I find this!" Sha Zhu punched the wall, feeling very frustrated.

Xu Damao's eyes rolled, and he suddenly thought of something. "Uncle, do you think the junk collector will go to the scrap collection station? Let's go there and ask!"

"Yes! Let's go!" Sha Zhu also reacted and immediately pulled Xu Damao out.

An old man followed him and said, "Wait for me, I'll go with you!"

The three of them ran all the way to a nearby scrap collection station. The owner of the collection station was sitting on a chair smoking a cigarette, and when he saw them running in breathlessly, he couldn't help but feel curious.

"Guys, what's the matter?"

"Boss, have you ever seen a rag collector pushing a cart full of rags and wearing a tattered straw hat?" Sha Zhu asked anxiously.

The boss thought for a moment and said, "It seems... it seems there is such a person. He seemed to have come here just now and sold some waste paper shells."

"Which direction did he go?"

The boss pointed to the west and said, "It seems...it seems to be heading that way. He said he was going to collect junk outside the city."

"Thank you, boss!" After expressing their gratitude, the three men immediately chased towards the west.

It was already completely dark, and there were almost no pedestrians on the road. The three of them followed the path to the west, becoming more and more anxious.

"It's...it's dark here, where can I find it?" Sha Zhu said breathlessly.

"Don't give up, Xiaodang must be nearby!" Xu Damao was also very tired, but he still gritted his teeth and persevered.

Suddenly, a faint cry came from the front.

"Listen!" The old man pricked up his ears.

The three held their breath and listened carefully. The crying sound became clearer and clearer, as if it came from the bushes by the roadside.

"It's Xiaodang!" Sha Zhu shouted excitedly and immediately rushed into the bushes.

Xu Damao and an old man followed closely behind.

Pushing aside the dense grass, they saw Xiaodang curled up on the ground, shivering, with tears all over his face.

"Xiaodang!" Sha Zhu picked up Xiaodang and held him tightly in his arms.

When Xiao Dang saw Sha Zhu, he burst into tears, "Uncle Sha, I... I'm scared..."

"Don't be afraid, don't be afraid, Uncle Sha is here!" Sha Zhu patted Xiaodang's back gently to comfort her.

Xu Damao and the old man also breathed a sigh of relief.

"Xiaodang, why are you here?" asked Sha Zhu.

Xiao Dang sobbed and said, "I... After school, I saw a rag collector. He... He gave me a piece of candy, and then... Then I followed him..."

"Silly child, don't follow strangers casually in the future, okay?" Sha Zhu said with concern.

Xiao Dang nodded, "I understand, silly uncle."

"Where is the rag collector?" Xu Damao asked.

Xiao Dang pointed to the front and said, "He...he brought me here and then...left..."

Sha Zhu and Xu Damao looked at each other and were both scared. Fortunately, Xiao Dang did not encounter any danger.

They took Xiaodang back to the hospital. Qin Huairu was so excited that she hugged her and cried when she saw that Xiaodang was safe and sound.

Jia Zhang also burst into laughter and hugged Xiaodang and kissed him non-stop.

After a false alarm, the ward was filled with joy of surviving the disaster.

However, Xu Damao noticed that Qin Huairu looked at him with a strange look. It was a complex look, with gratitude, guilt, and a hint of...inexplicable emotion.

Xu Damao's heart skipped a beat. Could it be that Qin Huairu had noticed something? He didn't dare to think about it any further, and hurriedly left the hospital under the pretext of going home.

After returning home, Xu Damao lay in bed, tossing and turning, unable to sleep. Qin Huairu's eyes kept appearing in his mind, as well as her weak words "Thank you, Damao" when she said to him while lying on the hospital bed.

He remembered that he had hit the stick in impulse, and also remembered that he carried Qin Huairu to the hospital and the feeling of her sticking tightly to his back all the way.

He suddenly realized that his feelings for Qin Huairu seemed to be more than just simple sympathy and pity.

This feeling frightened him, but also excited him. He didn't know how to deal with this feeling, nor did he know where it would lead him.

The night was dark, like a huge black curtain covering the courtyard. Xu Damao lay on the bed, but couldn't fall asleep. Qin Huairu's eyes lingered in his mind, like a fog, making him upset.

He sat up suddenly, lit a cigarette, and took a deep puff. In the smoke, he thought of everything that happened during the day. He was very nervous and carried Qin Huairu to the hospital. On the way, Qin Huairu's soft body was pressed tightly against his back. He could feel her rapid breathing and slightly trembling body.

"Damn it!" Xu Damao cursed in a low voice and extinguished the cigarette butt fiercely in the ashtray. He scratched his hair irritably, feeling like a cat was scratching his heart, making him restless.

He stood up and walked to the window, opened it, and a cool breeze blew in, making him a little more awake. He looked out the window at the dark night sky, his mind full of thoughts.

He always thought that his feelings for Qin Huairu were just sympathy and pity. After all, it was not easy for a widow to have three children and a mother-in-law. However, the look in Qin Huairu's eyes today made him begin to doubt his judgment.

In those eyes, besides gratitude and guilt, there seemed to be something else mixed in, something that made him dare not delve into it.