On her way to seek help, Nan Sheng ran into Zhang Hengyi and his group.
As soon as they heard a child had gone missing, they immediately joined the search—otherwise, Nan Sheng, a woman alone, would have taken forever to find them.
Nan Sheng had originally planned to ask for assistance at the military compound gate, but before she could even speak, Zhang Hengyi went back inside and called out, quickly gathering a crowd to help.
They all reassured Nan Sheng not to worry. One young soldier even hoisted Little Tao onto his back and ran ahead, outpacing Nan Sheng on her bicycle.
Shen Wen and Shen Wu hadn’t taken the children too far. With someone leading the way, the three kids were found quickly—gagged and unable to cry out when discovered.
Qiqi had been crying nonstop, her face purple with distress.
Even after being placed in Nan Sheng’s arms, her tiny body still trembled. Seeing her pitiful state, Nan Sheng’s eyes welled up—what a terrible ordeal.
The scene twisted the hearts of the grown men around them. At a loss for how to comfort the children, Zhang Hengyi suggested Nan Sheng take them to the military doctor first.
Nan Sheng brought the three children back into the military compound. While they were being examined, Luo Hao and the others rushed over.
“What happened, sister-in-law? I heard the kids were in trouble!”
Though Nan Sheng had wiped her tears, the traces were still visible. Not wanting to stir trouble in the compound, she brushed it off.
“It’s nothing, just kids being reckless.”
But there was no hiding the truth. Everyone who had joined the search knew exactly what had happened—one question and the whole story came out.
Nan Sheng had just sent Little Hou to deliver care packages to the injured soldiers, and their gratitude was still fresh. Now, hearing that while Regiment Leader Lin was away, his wife and children had been bullied? Unacceptable.
Not just unacceptable—they were ready to fight back hard.
They clamored to confront the soldiers under Shen’s command. One thing was clear: messing with their regiment leader’s wife was off-limits.
Sizhe and Xu Baoliang were covered in injuries and mosquito bites, looking utterly miserable. Siqi’s face, arms, and legs were also swollen with bites. Thankfully, the military doctor applied ointment, giving them some relief.
“Sister-in-law, keep an eye on the kids when you get home. If they develop a fever, give them medicine right away. Here’s some antidote—have them take it after dinner.”
After thanking them, Nan Sheng took her two children home, refusing Luo Hao’s offer to escort her.
She entrusted Xu Baoliang to Zhang Hengyi, but halfway there, they ran into Baoliang’s parents coming to fetch him.
Seeing her son in such a state, Gui Fang was furious. Every touch made Xu Baoliang wail—though he wasn’t in that much pain. He was just egging Gui Fang on to pick a fight with the Shen family.
If those two idiots didn’t get beaten today, he’d stop being a Xu!
Sure enough, Gui Fang exploded.
“Old Xu, I’m going to the Shen family to settle this. Don’t try to stop me. If Regiment Leader Shen doesn’t whip Shen Wen and Shen Wu, this isn’t over!”
Would Regiment Leader Xu dare stop her? His wife looked ready to tear someone apart. Fine, let her go—a good thrashing might finally teach those boys a lesson. This had gone too far.
Back home, Nan Sheng didn’t immediately confront the Shen family. Instead, she focused on comforting the children.
Neighbors came by to check on them and offer Nan Sheng words of comfort. Sizhe was consumed with guilt—the woods had been dark, and he’d failed to protect his sister.
Tearfully, he said, “Mom, it’s my fault. I didn’t take care of Qiqi. Punish me!”
They’d been outnumbered—there was no escape.
Holding Siqi, Nan Sheng soothed her son. “This isn’t your fault. It’s because of me you suffered. But I promise, the Shen family won’t get away with this!”
Hua Fen nudged Nan Sheng, signaling her to watch her words in front of others. But what Hua Fen didn’t know was that Nan Sheng never delayed her revenge.
It took nearly an hour to calm Siqi down. Nan Sheng washed her face, reheated dinner, and made sure she ate—she needed food before taking medicine.
Siqi clung to Nan Sheng’s hand. “Mom, don’t leave. Stay with me, okay?”
Nan Sheng shook her head. Seeing Siqi’s tears well up again, she quickly added, “Mom has to go teach Shen Wen and Shen Wu a lesson. I’ll beat them until they regret ever hurting our Qiqi. How’s that?”
Siqi knew her mother’s strength. After a moment, she sniffled, “That might get smelly. Don’t hit them too hard… and don’t get hurt, Mom.”
Even now, the little one worried about Nan Sheng, making her heart ache. Sizhe wanted to go with her, but she refused.
“You’re hurt worse than your sister. Rest—I’ll be back soon. Don’t be afraid.”
Sizhe shook his head. He wasn’t scared. With his mother around, he felt safe. His tears weren’t for himself—they were for Qiqi.
Nan Sheng grabbed her stun baton and went downstairs, asking Hua Fen to watch the kids.
“Sister-in-law, I need to step out. Could you stay with them? I’m worried they might spike a fever from the shock. The fever medicine’s on the table.”
Hua Fen agreed immediately, then hesitated. “You’re not going to the Shen family now, are you? Let’s deal with this tomorrow—I’ll go with you.”
Hua Fen also thought the Shen family was out of line. How could they not know about this? Why hadn’t they come to check on the kids? Terrible manners.
“No need, sister-in-law. It’s better if I go alone. I won’t be long.”
Hua Fen wouldn’t hear of it. She sent her husband upstairs to watch the kids and insisted on accompanying Nan Sheng.
At least Nan Sheng wasn’t carrying a kitchen knife—just a baton. Hua Fen assumed she only meant to reason with them.
Meanwhile, the Shen household was in chaos.
Regiment Leader Shen only learned of his sons’ misdeeds through Gui Fang’s outburst. He and his wife rushed to apologize.
Regiment Leader Xu hadn’t come—too ashamed. He’d taken his son home.
“Sister-in-law, we’re so sorry. How’s Baoliang?”
“How is he? Your sons beat him up, tied him, and left him covered in injuries!
If it weren’t for the other kids alerting the Lin family, they’d have been stuck outside all night. What kind of parenting is this? Don’t you teach them right from wrong?”
