Chapter 2: Chapter 1: The Hero Saves the Beauty
Chen Yanyan felt waves of pain coming from her head, her body being jostled by someone.
"Mother dear, waaa, mother wake up, Dabao can't be without mother..." came a soft voice.
"Sister, sister, you can't die..." said an older boy's voice.
Chen Yanyan opened her eyes, finding herself lying on the ground. A boy of three or four and another who seemed to be eight or nine were shakily holding her and crying. Both children were dressed in ancient attire, one with a skyrocket hairstyle, the other with simple twin hair buns on the side, their dirty faces tear-stained.
She was stunned.
Noticing her eyes open, the young boy broke into a grin that made his teeth gleam whiter, and his eyes brighter, as he joyfully said, "Mother's awake, thank goodness."
Then he stood up, knelt in front of a son of wealthy parents on a tall horse, and kowtowed, saying, "Thank you, sir, for saving my mother. Your kindness, we will remember forever." His articulation was clear, his voice crisp.
Only then did Chen Yanyan realize that she wasn't alone in her surroundings; there were several people standing around watching and a few sitting on the ground groaning loudly in pain. Some meters away, a group of men in ancient attire were on horseback.
Was she on the set of a TV drama?
Among the men on horses, the one on a white horse seemed to be the lord to which the boy was showing deference.
The man was extraordinarily handsome, exuding an air of grandeur. However, he seemed too aloof, his eyes as cold as blocks of ice, chilling wherever his gaze fell.
With the help of the older boy, Chen Yanyan managed to sit up with effort and stared blankly at the high and mighty man. Her mouth was overflowing with saliva, she wanted to swallow it but her tongue felt numb. Contrary to her intentions, the saliva seeped down from the corner of her mouth. She attempted to lift her arm to wipe it off but found her arm stiff. Before her hand could even get there, the older boy had quickly used his sleeve to wipe it off for her, as if well accustomed to such actions.
The young man glanced at the boy who had just kowtowed to him and then at Chen Yanyan. Seeing her vacant gaze and saliva drooling like a silver thread, he frowned. If she hadn't turned out to be a fool, he would have whipped her half to death.
He hated women who looked at him with such a gaze.
He shifted his gaze and looked at the bruised people. They were sitting on the ground haphazardly, crying out in pain. One of them, a fat man in fine clothes which were now torn, appeared to be the most severely beaten and was screaming the loudest. He trembled all over when he saw the man's icy gaze.
The well-dressed young man pointed at the fat man with his whip and said coldly, "If you dare to oppress the good people at your whim again, I will take your dog life." He then instructed his servant, "Take my note to County Lieutenant Ding, tell him I've taught Mr. Ding a lesson. If Ding Hong doesn't discipline his family strictly, every time I see them, I will assist him in disciplining them."
The men prostrated themselves, repeating incessantly, "Spare us, sir, we dare not, we dare not ever again."
The well-dressed young man let out a cold humph, leading his men away on their horses.
Once the well-dressed young man was out of sight, the men crawled, limping away, supporting each other.
Onlookers commented, "God sees everything. It's about time someone taught that brat a lesson."
"So satisfying, Mr. Ding, relying on being the son of a county lieutenant, bullies men and oppresses women, commits all sorts of evil."
"Who was that young man who beat up the others? He even dares to mess with County Lieutenant Ding?"
"Don't know, certainly not from our Sanqing County. Judging by his aura, if he's not an official from the capital city or provincial city, he might even be one from Capital City."
Another good Samaritan advised the young boy, "Quick, get back home. Your mother's mind is not clear, so try not to take her out as much as possible. Today you were lucky, running into a noble who was brave enough to teach Mr. Ding a lesson. Otherwise, your mother would have a tough time."
The little boy bowed to everyone around, saying, "I understand, thank you uncles and aunts for your help."
The spectators disbanded gradually.
The little boy came over, patting Chen Yanyan's back to comfort her, his voice soft as he said, "Mother dear, uncle, it's ok, let's go find grandma."
This was the moment that Chen Yanyan truly woke up. Not a moment ago, she was entrapped in a severe car accident. Her car, wrecked by a large truck, was pinned under it. Other than her head, stuck in a tight space, her limbs and body must have been contorted, or crushed under a pile.
But at this moment, her limbs were intact, and the setting was an antique street she had never seen. The houses were made of grey bricks and black tiles forming swooping roofs. On the road, there were loads of people passing by: porters, basket carriers, cattle cart drivers, donkey riders, and the occasional horse-drawn carriage. There were also tea houses, taverns and pawnshops. In open spaces, there were also small merchants under large umbrellas, the sound of selling echoed continuously...
As far as her eyes could see, the whole street was like this, not just a small scene, and there were no cameras.
Chen Yanyan, an avid reader of time-travelling novels, was now certain that she had hit the jackpot; she had travelled back in time. But her mind was still a blur, without any memory of this life.
From the way this boy called her "Mother dear", it seemed like she was not only a married woman but a mother as well. However, someone had just called her mind unclear, and she had no control over her drooling, so the original owner must have been a bit of a fool.
Just now, it seemed like the classic "hero saving a beauty," and she was the distressed heroine. Only, the story did not evolve the way some scripts did, with the hero and the beauty falling for each other at first sight. Rather, she was the muddy ground, and the hero was a god above the clouds. Even if they had met, it was just a fleeting moment, no chance of meeting again.
She tried to speak, but her throat tightened and her tongue was immobile. With a "Ugh ugh," she felt her saliva flowing out again.
The young boy used his small, thin hand to wipe, then wiped it on his own clothes, saying, "Don't be scared, mother dear. The bad guys were driven away."
The older boy also said, "The gentlemen just now beat up those bad guys and saved you, big sister."
The two boys tried to help her stand, as did Chen Yanyan, but despite all their strength, they couldn't help her get up.
Just then, a middle-aged woman who looked to be in her forties rushed over. Falling to Chen Yanyan's side, she held her and said anxiously, "Afu, how could the three of you disappear the moment I turned my back?"
The young boy said shyly, "Grandma, my little uncle and I followed mother, walking and walking, and somehow we ended up here. We ran into some ruffians, but luckily some kind-hearted men saved us."
The middle-aged woman became more worried and asked Chen Yanyan, "Afu, tell mother, you're alright, aren't you?"
Chen Yanyan, no, Chen Afu now, raised her arm with difficulty, touched her head, and said, "Head... hurts." Her voice was hoarse.
Not only the hostess's brain was unclear, but her movements and speech were also rigid, and even turning her eyeballs seemed to be a bit of a strain.
Mrs. Wang felt a bump the size of a finger on the back of Chen Afu's head. Seeing that there was no bleeding, only a small bump, she relaxed and said, "Good girl Afu, go home and mother will rub it for you and it will be alright." Her tone was like coaxing a child. Then she helped Chen Afu stand.
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