She abandoned her husband first, then her children, and was ecstatic after the divorce.

Chapter 176 When was he kidnapped?

She had been calling Fu Xiuheng sick, but it turned out to be true.

Lu An sighed helplessly upon hearing Lin Qingran's reaction.

"Moreover, when I was with him today, he not only behaved very strangely, but also showed signs of temporary amnesia, not even remembering what happened not long ago. And when he had an episode, he kept saying things like, 'Don't come over, don't lock me up, neither of us can escape.' I suspect that the kidnapping back then may have left him with extremely serious psychological trauma, which is why he has mental problems now."

Lin Qingran's heart skipped a beat, and the coldness on her face was instantly replaced by tension.

She unconsciously raised her voice and spoke urgently into the phone.

"You said he might have gotten sick because he was kidnapped as a teenager? Then what year was the kidnapping, and where did it happen?"

Seeing Lin Qingran suddenly become emotional, Lu An was startled and dared not hide anything any longer, so he quickly spoke.

"I only heard about it by chance. It was said that when the president was twelve or thirteen years old, he was kidnapped and taken to a mountainous area in a neighboring province while traveling. Although the two places are not far apart, it still took quite a few days to find his whereabouts. By the time they found him, the kidnapper had already died and was judged to have committed suicide out of fear of punishment."

At this point, Lu An paused, a hint of doubt and contemplation flashing across his face.

In his memory, he had never heard of Fu Xiuheng experiencing any psychological problems after being rescued.

Lin Qingran was stunned after hearing this. Her memory suddenly flashed back, and some long-forgotten fragments surfaced in her mind.

"You wretched girl, all you know how to do is eat, you don't know how to work! Get your ass up and go do the laundry!"

Ten-year-old Lin Qingran, thin and frail, stood timidly in the dimly lit and simple room, dressed in tattered and ill-fitting clothes.

The foster mother's face was contorted with rage, her features twisted with fury. She stared wide-eyed at Lin Qingran, pointing her finger and spewing vicious words.

"You useless thing, you can't even do laundry?"

Lin Qingran lowered her head, not daring to utter a sound, tears welling up in her eyes, but she forced herself not to let them fall.

There was a bruise on her calf, which was from being kicked by her foster mother.

At this moment, every step I take causes a sharp pain in my wound.

Lin Qingran silently picked up the large basin full of dirty clothes, moved laboriously, and limped towards the door.

The sunlight outside shone on Lin Qingran, but it brought her no warmth.

The wind blew, lifting her disheveled hair. She hugged the large basin tightly and continued her arduous journey towards the river.

Lin Qingran slowly immersed her small, scarred hands in the icy river water. The chill of the water instantly spread from her fingertips throughout her body, and she couldn't help but shiver.

She gritted her teeth and struggled to wash the clothes in the basin. With each rub, the river water stung the wounds on her hands.

"You little bitch, hurry up and get going! What are you dawdling for? Are you trying to die?"

Just then, a fierce shout came from afar. Lin Qingran subconsciously turned her head and saw the village's detestable old widower dragging a boy whose hands were tied and whose mouth was gagged, hurrying towards home.

Lin Qingran took a closer look and noticed that the boy's clothes and appearance were completely different from those of the villagers.

His clothes were made of exquisite fabric and had a novel design; they were clearly not something an ordinary family could afford.

Lin Qingran was startled.

I heard that many women and children in this village were bought, including herself.

It seems this boy suffered the same fate.

Lin Qingran's eyes widened, her hand unconsciously stopping in the water, and she didn't even notice her clothes floating away with the current.

She muttered to herself, "His family must be very rich, why would he be here?"

The old widower pulled the boy along while cursing and swearing.

"You're the son I bought with my own money, so you have to take care of me in my old age and see me off when I die. I'll lock you up as soon as I get home, you little brat, let's see where you can run now!"

The boy struggled desperately, trying to break free, making "woo-woo" sounds.

Lin Qingran watched this scene with her heart pounding, but she dared not stop it and watched helplessly as the old widower pulled the boy away.

Lin Qingran finished washing the clothes, her brows furrowed, and walked home with a heavy heart.

Her steps were heavy, and the pitiful image of the rich boy kept flashing through her mind. She was torn about what to do.

As she walked, Lin Qingran became completely absorbed in her own thoughts and bumped into her adoptive mother who was walking towards her.

The laundry basin in my hand fell to the ground with a clatter, and the clothes that I had just washed got dirty again.

The foster mother's face instantly turned ashen. Her eyes widened, and she raised her hand to deliver a resounding slap to Lin Qingran, roaring angrily.

"You brat, you can't even hold your own clothes properly, what use are you to me!"

As she spoke, her foster mother picked up a broom from the side and struck Lin Qingran hard.

Lin Qingran was so frightened that she curled up on the ground, covering her head with her hands and begging for mercy.

"Mom, I was wrong, I didn't mean to."

But her foster mother wouldn't listen at all, and kept hitting Lin Qingran with the broom.

Under the relentless beatings from her adoptive mother, Lin Qingran bit her lip, enduring the pain and daring not to utter a sound.

The beating finally ended when the adoptive mother got tired of hitting her.

Lin Qingran's body was covered with red and swollen wounds. She was sobbing, and tears kept sliding down her cheeks, mingling with the dust on her face, making her look extremely disheveled.

The foster mother pointed fiercely at the door and roared, "Go to the river and wash your clothes again. If you don't wash them clean, you won't get any dinner tonight!"

Lin Qingran shakily got up from the ground, picked up the laundry basin, and limped towards the river.

When they reached the river, Lin Qingran put her clothes back into the water. Her hands trembled uncontrollably, and tears continued to flow, dripping into the river.

Lin Qingran endured the pain; every movement of her body brought excruciating agony to the spot where she had just been hit.

But she bit her lip tightly, trying not to cry out loud.

In her heart, she secretly encouraged herself: "I must grow up quickly, escape from this village, and find my biological parents. Then everything will be alright."

Her gaze gradually hardened, as if she saw a glimmer of hope for escaping her misery.

Her hands continued washing clothes, stirring the river water and creating ripples, just like her restless emotions at that moment.

"I can do it, I definitely can!"

She repeated it to herself over and over again, giving herself strength.

But as she thought about it, Lin Qingran remembered the villagers' gossip.