Jiang Yan scanned the area as she climbed down the cliff, trying to spot any sign of her grandmother. Suddenly, she heard a scream coming from the side of the cliff.
"Help!" cried a small voice.
Jiang Yan quickly made her way towards the sound and saw a little boy hanging onto a small tree branch, his feet dangling off the edge of the cliff.
"Don't worry, I'm coming," Jiang Yan reassured him as she slowly approached.
She reached out and grabbed the boy's arm, pulling him to safety.
"Thank you, thank you so much," the little boy gasped, tears streaming down his face.
Jiang Yan smiled at him, relieved that he was okay.
"Are you hurt?" she asked, checking him over.
The little boy shook his head, still trembling with fear.
Jiang Yan noticed him frantically pointing towards the bottom of the cliff.
"What is it?" she asked.
"A grandmother, she fell there," the little boy cried.
Jiang Yan's heart sank as she followed the boy's gaze and saw her unconscious grandmother lying on the rocks below.
"Stay here," she told the little boy firmly. "I need to go down and check on her."
The little boy was terrified but he nodded as Jiang Yan made her way down the cliff.
Ignoring the pain in her own body, she quickly descended. When she reached her grandmother, she saw that grandmother lying on the rocks, barely conscious. She checked her pulse and was relieved to find her breathing. Her body was battered and bruised, but she was still alive.
Jiang Yan scooped her up in her back and began to climb back up the cliff, her muscles burning with exertion. She had to get her grandmother to safety.
Jiang Yan's muscles ached as she carried her grandmother up the mountain, and her heart felt heavy with worry. When they finally reached the top, she laid her grandmother on the ground and gently shook her, but there was no response.
"Grandma, please wake up," Jiang Yan said, her voice trembling with fear.
The little boy watched on, tears streaming down his face. "Is she going to be okay?" he asked.
"I don't know," Jiang Yan replied, her voice barely above a whisper. "But we have to leave this place now. It's not safe here."
The little boy nodded, prompting Jiang Yan to take a closer look. She observed that he appeared to be barely four years old with distinct, adorable features that seemed oddly familiar to her. However, she couldn't quite pinpoint where she had seen him before. Nevertheless, reaching the village was her top priority now.
Jiang Yan gently asked him, "Can you walk?"
The little boy nodded. Jiang Yan scooped her grandmother behind her back and held the little boy's hand tightly as they began their descent down the mountain.
Every step was painful, and Jiang Yan winced with each movement. "We have to keep going," she said to herself, gritting her teeth through the pain. "We have to get to the village."
The little boy stumbled a few times on the rocky terrain, but Jiang Yan was there to catch him each time. "Hold on tight," she told him. "We're almost there."
As they made their way down the mountain, Jiang Yan couldn't help but worry about her grandmother's condition. She kept checking her pulse, hoping for some sign of improvement, but there was none.
Suddenly, they heard a rustling in the bushes far behind them. Jiang Yan's heart raced with fear as she thought about the kidnappers who had held her captive in the mountain.
"Keep walking," she told the boy, her voice urgent. "Don't stop, don't look behind, no matter what."
The rustling grew louder, and Jiang Yan could hear footsteps behind them. She pushed herself harder, ignoring the pain in her body, and urged the boy to move faster.
As they approached the mountain's edge, Jiang Yan could feel her breathing becoming heavier. Despite their progress, the village was still far off in the distance, and she knew that they were not yet out of danger.
As they neared the edge of the mountain, Jiang Yan could feel a sense of relief wash over her. But just as they were about to reach safety, they heard footsteps behind them. She turned around to see the kidnapper and his men approaching.
Jiang Yan's heart raced as she realized they were in grave danger. The little boy clung to her, terrified by the menacing, burly-looking men. Jiang Yan tried to remain calm and strong for the boy, but inside, she was filled with worry.
The kidnapper and his men surrounded them, blocking their path. Her body was reaching its last stage of strength, and she could barely hold on.
Jiang Yan knew she had to act fast if they wanted to escape. She slowly put her grandmother down, supporting her back against a tree. She took a deep breath and tried to reason with the kidnapper.
"Please, let us go," she pleaded. "We haven't done anything wrong. We're just innocent villagers."
But the kidnapper was not swayed by her words. He had already accepted the money in advance and would only get the rest of the payment after completing his mission.
The kidnapper leader chuckled menacingly as he approached Jiang Yan, a wicked glint in his eye. She stood her ground, shielding the little boy behind her. The leader stopped in front of her, towering over her petite frame.
"What a brave little girl," he sneered. "But your bravery won't save you."
Jiang Yan's mind raced as she tried to come up with a plan. "I can offer you money," she said, her voice quivering slightly.
The leader laughed, a cold, harsh sound. "No amount of money can save you now. We already accepted the advance to do this, and so you have to suffer."
Jiang Yan's heart sank as she realized that this wasn't just a random kidnapping. Someone had planned this, someone who didn't want her to return to the Jiang family. She clenched her fists, determined not to give up without a fight.
With a signal from the leader, three men rushed toward Jiang Yan. She quickly dodged their attacks and knocked two of them to the ground. The third man stumbled backwards, surprised by her agility.
But Jiang Yan knew she couldn't keep this up forever. She was already exhausted, and more kidnappers were still coming at her. She had to protect the little boy and her grandmother, no matter what.
Suddenly, one of the kidnappers pulled out a knife, and Jiang Yan's heart skipped a beat. She backed away, narrowly avoiding the blade as it slashed through the air. She knew she had to act fast.
With lightning-fast reflexes, Jiang Yan dodged the kidnapper's next few attacks, waiting for an opening. When she saw it, she lunged forward, knocking the knife out of the kidnapper's hand.
Seeing his men falling one by one, the leader was angry. He quickly closed in towards her from behind. But Jiang Yan had already seen him from her peripheral vision.
She abruptly turned around and dodged the leader's sneak attack, throwing him over her shoulder, and completely immobilizing him. The leader was shocked and felt humiliated. This was the first time he had been defeated by a young girl. The leader shouted for his men.
"All of you get her!"
Soon, the men surrounded Jiang Yan. Some even tried to capture the little boy. Throwing off a few more kidnappers, Jiang Yan leapt forward and wrapped her arms around the little boy, shielding him from harm. She could feel her heart pounding in her chest as the kidnappers closed in around her.
Although more than half of the men had already been defeated by her, Jiang Yan refused to give up. She used all her strength to fight, punching and kicking her way through the remaining crowd of kidnappers. Despite being covered in sweat, she persevered, knowing that if she stopped, her grandmother and the little boy would be in danger.
Just as she landed a powerful punch on one of the kidnappers, she heard a loud clicking sound behind her. She turned around and saw that another one of the kidnappers had pulled out a gun and was pointing it towards the little boy. "No!" she yelled, her heart sinking.
She knew that she had to act fast, but her body froze in fear. "Don't move, or the kid gets it," one of the kidnappers said, his voice cold and menacing. Jiang Yan's mind was racing as she tried to come up with a plan.
Suddenly, a rustling sound emanated from the trees, causing the kidnapper to shift his gaze in its direction. Jiang Yan seized the opportunity. The kidnapper holding the gun had momentarily let his guard down. Without hesitation, Jiang Yan leapt towards the little boy, pushing him out of harm's way just as the kidnapper pulled the trigger.
A loud gunshot echoed.
***