An eight-year-old kid emptied his scumbag father's warehouse and followed his grandparents into

"elder sister!"

Little Tianbao was tied to Jing Chunxi's back, with only a thick hemp rope between them. At this moment, Little Tianbao couldn't cling to her sister as tightly as usual. She could only raise her head and call out to Jing Chunxi in a sobbing voice.

She saw that the people chasing them on both sides were ferocious, some holding knives and some holding sticks. She was obviously a little scared, and her voice was trembling when she called out "sister". Her eyes were full of fear and anxiety, and her small hands tightly grasped the hemp rope in front of her, as if it was her only support.

"Don't be afraid!" Jing Chunxi would not tell her such words. She knew that no matter how young Xiao Tianbao was, if she ran here without caring about herself, she should bear the consequences.

She knew that comforting Xiao Tianbao would only make her more dependent, and what they needed now was strength and courage. So, she just tilted her head slightly, gave Xiao Tianbao a hint of encouragement with her eyes, and whispered, "Be brave and keep up."

The way up the mountain was so long that when they reached the top of the first mountain, they thought that was their destination and they could rest there. However, when they reached the top, they found that the road was still very long and led to another mountain, so they had no choice but to keep going up.

The mountain road was rugged and uneven, and the dirt road underfoot had been hardened by the footsteps of countless people, making every step seem extremely difficult.

Xiao Tianbao was obviously a little tired. Her steps were getting slower and slower, and her face was flushed due to exhaustion. Jing Chunxi saw it and felt pain in her heart. She wanted to distract Xiao Tianbao and was also curious about the situation at her home.

So she asked, "Why were your two brothers arrested? Where are your father and your mother?" She didn't understand what kind of life-threatening reason must have to make a child of such a few years old take such a risk to come and find her family.

"My father and mother live in Jian'an City. We own a few tea shops." Little Tianbao clearly trusted Jing Chunxi, so she opened up as soon as Jing Chunxi asked. She raised her head and said in a childish voice, "Our shop is on Tea Street in Jian'an City. We used to sell tea grown right here. My father and mother usually run the business in the city."

Speaking of the tea plantation on the mountain, Jing Chunxi thought of the tea pickers she had seen along the way. So, curiously, she asked, "How's the tea growing on your farm? Are you also being forced to pay taxes? Or do tea farmers have to pick tea every day and still be forced to hand it over to the government?"

"If tea farmers don't deliver enough tea, they'll be arrested." Xiao Tianbao's voice was a little low. She continued, "To survive, people from nearby villages and the city went to the mountains to pick tea leaves and took the opportunity to hide. Many people hid in our tea tree farm. During those days, the people in the farm were in constant fear, afraid that the government would suddenly burst in. They didn't dare to sleep in their houses."

"Then your two brothers were arrested because they didn't pay enough tea?" Jing Chunxi asked again, feeling a little uneasy.

The little girl shook her head, but continued to walk with difficulty, keeping up with Jing Chunxi so that she wouldn't fall behind. She continued, "My family grows hundreds of acres of tea, and our shop has a stock of aged tea from years gone by, so we never run out of supplies. It's just that my two brothers were naughty and disobedient. They followed the steward into town and disappeared."

"Do your parents know about this? How long have your brothers been missing?" Jing Chunxi pressed on. She knew these details might lead to clues to solving the problem.

Little Sweetie is so young, if I don’t help her myself, who else can help her?

"After my brother was captured, the steward sent a message to the city right away, but he told my father and mother they couldn't come back, saying it would be dangerous for the whole family. Now, we have to save as many as we can." Little Sweetie's voice trailed off, as if she were recalling those terrifying scenes. A tear flashed in her eyes, but she quickly held it back.

"So you came out to find your brother by yourself? And you didn't even let our parents know?" Jing Chunxi looked at Xiao Tianbao with a bit of annoyance, thinking that she was so troublesome.

Having lost two sons at once, the parents must have been mad with worry. If they knew that little sweet boy was so reckless and was arrested again, they would definitely be furious.

If little sweet baby hadn't come out, one could have been saved. But now he ran out so recklessly. If he hadn't met them, I'm afraid all three would have been killed.

"My brothers have only been captured for two days. I'm sure we can find them." Little Tianbao raised her head, her eyes revealing a stubborn and determined look. She continued, "Grandma said that by the time my parents come back, it will be too late. My eldest and second brothers will definitely be sent to Japan."

This mother-in-law is so talkative and never thinks of making a big deal out of her words. Just with this one sentence, the little girl risked her life and rushed to save people. If she was a servant of a wealthy family, she would have been beaten to death.

Jing Chunxi was a bit annoyed by Tianbao's impulsive behavior, but she also felt deeply for the family's misery. She imagined the despair and heartbreaking pain Tianbao's parents felt upon learning their children had been arrested, and it made her feel a pang of sadness. If Tianbao and her two brothers couldn't return, it would be like a catastrophe for their family, and her parents would likely die.

They had already climbed three hills in a row. With each climb, the road seemed to become more rugged, and the uneasiness in their hearts grew stronger. The further they went into the mountains, the colder their hearts became, as if enveloped by an invisible chill.

At first, sporadic complaints could be heard from the team, but as the mountain road extended, the silence around them became increasingly depressing.

Some people began to ask in a low voice: "Where is this place? We have walked so far, are we still in Minqing County? I have lived here for more than 20 years, and I have never heard that there are such rolling, remote mountains and forests in Minqing County!" There was a slight tremor in his voice, as if he was trying to hide his inner fear.

"That's because you live in the city and don't know. In Minqing County, there's a mountain range that stretches endlessly, called Jianfeng Mountain. It's at the junction of three counties and faces the sea, and it's the most chaotic place. I think it's here," another person whispered, his tone firm but also revealing a hint of worry. He seemed to have heard of this forest, but he wasn't sure.

"There used to be many bandits in this area of ​​Jianfeng Mountain. Now there are no bandits, but people say it is the Japanese who are causing trouble. But look, these are not Japanese at all, they are clearly..." He was interrupted by a harsh rebuke before he could finish his words.

"No talking, no noise! ​​Hurry up and leave." A gleaming broadsword was placed between the two men who had just spoken, the blade reflecting a dazzling glare in the sunlight. The two men shuddered in fear, and they quickly apologized and walked away.

The team behind them was also thrown into chaos by this sudden change. The people in front quickened their pace, causing the people behind them to stagger, and the people behind them almost fell down.

Someone screamed, and then there was the sound of a whip hitting someone's body. The sound was crisp and harsh, making people terrified.

The team continued their arduous journey, climbing four mountains. Starting from the second mountain, each hill was dotted with a few simple bamboo huts. These huts looked crude, clearly hastily constructed. Miscellaneous items were usually piled at the door, and some even had a few sets of clothes hanging out to dry, swaying gently in the breeze.

There is a two-story bamboo building on the top of the mountain, with soldiers on duty. The soldiers are looking around vigilantly, obviously observing the movements of the entire mountain.

However, when they saw dozens of civilians being escorted up the mountain, they did not pay much attention to them. They did not stop them, did not say hello, and did not even come down from the bamboo building. They had long been accustomed to it.