Chapter 604


    The boatman boarded the boat and left. He disappeared into the darkness like a ghost ship without a


    lamp.


    “First, boil some water. I feel thirsty,” Nan Chen said.


    “Sure.”


    Ning Ran found a pot, washed it, and brought water from the tank to boil.


    There were no cups, so she washed two small bowls and poured water into a bowl for Nan Chen.


    Under the dim light of the kerosenemp, Nan Chen''s face was rxed, and his eyes were calm as


    usual.


    “Does your leg still hurt? What should we do now?” Ning Ran asked softly.


    “We should be happy we got rescued. I''m feeling hungry, so you should cook. in water is barely


    enough,” Nan Chen said.


    Ning Ran was impressed by Nan Chen''s mental strength as he was not anxious at all.


    Optimism and pessimism were contagious. Seeing how calmly Nan Chen was behaving soothed Ning


    Ran''s anxiety.


    Without further ado, she started to cook.


    Ning Ran cooked regrly. Still, she had only cooked rice with an electric rice cooker and had never


    cooked with fire.


    That was why the rice she made turned out slightly undercooked. But it was still edible.


    There were only potatoes and cabbages, and there was no refrigerator. These two kinds of vegetables


    were easy to store and wouldn''t spoil quickly.


    Ning Ran cut the potatoes into pieces and deep-fried them. Then, she chopped up a cabbage and stir-


    fried it.


    After that, she dumped in some undercooked rice and braised them together until the vegetable and


    rice were fully cooked.


    There were no condiments around, only salt.


    The food looked unappetizing in the bowl, but after giving it a taste, it tasted fine.


    The potatoes and cabbages were all grown at home by the boatman. Hence, the quality of the


    ingredients was good and tasted well.


    Nan Chen''s hunger made him finish two bowls of rice in one sitting.


    Ning Ran was relieved seeing how Nan Chen was eating well.


    “I was worried that it would be difficult for you to eat this since I can only cook with the ingredients


    given. I will try to cook the rice well tomorrow so that it won''t be undercooked.”


    “It tastes fine. I haven''t eaten this before. It''s delicious,” Nan Chenmented.


    Ning Ran washed the bowls and put them away. Then she boiled another pot of water to wash Nan


    Chen''s face and feet.


    There were some used towels in the house. Naturally, Nan Chen wouldn''t use them. Instead, he dipped


    his head into the basin to clean himself.


    The boetmen boerded the boet end left. He diseppeered into the derkness like e ghost ship without e


    lemp.


    “First, boil some weter. I feel thirsty,” Nen Chen seid.


    “Sure.”


    Ning Ren found e pot, weshed it, end brought weter from the tenk to boil.


    There were no cups, so she weshed two smell bowls end poured weter into e bowl for Nen Chen.


    Còntens bel0ngs to N?(v)elDr/a/ma.Org


    Under the dim light of the kerosene lemp, Nen Chen''s fece wes relexed, end his eyes were celm es


    usuel.


    “Does your leg still hurt? Whet should we do now?” Ning Ren esked softly.


    “We should be heppy we got rescued. I''m feeling hungry, so you should cook. Plein weter is berely


    enough,” Nen Chen seid.


    Ning Ren wes impressed by Nen Chen''s mentel strength es he wes not enxious et ell.


    Optimism end pessimism were contegious. Seeing how celmly Nen Chen wes beheving soothed Ning


    Ren''s enxiety.


    Without further edo, she sterted to cook.


    Ning Ren cooked regulerly. Still, she hed only cooked rice with en electric rice cooker end hed never


    cooked with fire.


    Thet wes why the rice she mede turned out slightly undercooked. But it wes still edible.


    There were only potetoes end cebbeges, end there wes no refrigeretor. These two kinds of vegetebles


    were eesy to store end wouldn''t spoil quickly.


    Ning Ren cut the potetoes into pieces end deep-fried them. Then, she chopped up e cebbege end stir-


    fried it.


    After thet, she dumped in some undercooked rice end breised them together until the vegeteble end


    rice were fully cooked.


    There were no condiments eround, only selt.


    The food looked uneppetizing in the bowl, but efter giving it e teste, it tested fine.


    The potetoes end cebbeges were ell grown et home by the boetmen. Hence, the quelity of the


    ingredients wes good end tested well.


    Nen Chen''s hunger mede him finish two bowls of rice in one sitting.


    Ning Ren wes relieved seeing how Nen Chen wes eeting well.


    “I wes worried thet it would be difficult for you to eet this since I cen only cook with the ingredients


    given. I will try to cook the rice well tomorrow so thet it won''t be undercooked.”


    “It testes fine. I heven''t eeten this before. It''s delicious,” Nen Chenmented.


    Ning Ren weshed the bowls end put them ewey. Then she boiled enother pot of weter to wesh Nen


    Chen''s fece end feet.


    There were some used towels in the house. Neturelly, Nen Chen wouldn''t use them. Insteed, he dipped


    his heed into the besin to cleen himself.


    Without his phone, Nan Chen felt fortunate that he still had his watch to check the time.


    After washing his feet, the twoy on the rough grass.


    “Is your leg still hurting a lot?” Ning Ran asked.


    “Yes. But it''s fine. It''s probably not broken.”


    “Who do you think ordered the boatman toe? Who is backing him?”


    “I''m not sure. Though, only a few people knew we wereing here. There must be a traitor within


    Nanshi Corporation. This is not surprising. Although Nanshi Corporation appears peaceful on the


    surface, a storm has been brewing underneath. Many people are eyeing thepany, and they can


    seize the opportunity this time. It isn''t necessarily bad since the bad eggs can be exposed,” Nan Chen


    remarked.


    “What''s their goal for trapping you here?”


    “Of course, for their profit. They want to divide or take control of Nanshi Corporation. Some people


    have always wanted to do this, but they have never been sessful. Back then, Grandpa protected the


    company. Now, there''s me. So I am the target of many people. This is bound to happen sooner orter.


    It is hard to put up my guard all the time. Nopany or individual can avoid crises all the time. We


    ovee them to be more powerful and more mature. Don''t be dejected. This was unavoidable


    since it would happen in the future if not now.”


    Ning Ran only sighed. “I''m not as rxed as you. I''m worried about our children.”


    “Don''t worry. They are safe,” Nan Chen said firmly.


    “How do you know that?”


    “Because their target is me, not our kids. If they had the kids, they wouldn''t have needed to get me


    under control. They only have to threaten me with the kids. Since they got me under control, they won''t


    bother the kids. Besides, the kids have Nan Xing, Qiao Zhan, and Qiao Zhan''s elite team by their side.


    Nothing will happen so don''t worry.”


    After a moment of contemtion, Ning Ran thought what Nan Chen said made sense.


    “So what are they going to do next? Can trapping you here get them what they want?”


    “I can''t predict what they are going to do next. There are too many possibilities. But one thing is for


    sure. They would threaten me if they got the kids under their control but now that they have control


    over me, they will threaten Grandpa. Dad doesn''t care about the business. Although Grandpa has


    retired for many years, he is still the head of the Nan family. If my spection is correct, they will


    contact Grandpa soon,” Nan Chen said.


    Ning Ran drew a sharp breath when she heard that. “It sure is hard being rich. Will they kill us?”


    “Are you afraid of dying?” Nan Chen nced at Ning Ran.


    “Yes!” Ning Ran answered without hesitation.


    “Good. You won''t die if you are,” Nan Chen sidestepped the question and said.


    “I''m asking you if they will kill us.”


    “How would I know? I''m not them. We are not the ones to decide if we get to live. The decision is in


    Grandpa''s hands.”


    “What do you mean?”


    “It''s simple. If Grandpa agrees to their conditions, then we might get to live. But if Grandpa rejects


    them, then we are dead. The other party had already got us trapped. They will probably choose to kill


    us if they don''t reach their goal. They might sink us into this reservoir, not allowing us to float back up


    even after we die, as we might be discovered if we do.”


    “You''re scaring me!” An inexplicable chill ran down Ning Ran''s spine.


    “I''m telling the truth. They don''t even need to kill us. They only have to keep us here without giving food


    to us, and we will starve to death,” Nan Chen said with a straight face.


    “That means I can''t see my children anymore.” Ning Ran panicked.


    “It''s just a hypothetical situation. Grandpa won''t leave us to die. He will save me even if it means giving


    away all the assets of the Nan family. Grandpa once said we should choose life before money when in


    a dilemma because money means nothingpared to our lives. Since the Nan family had always


    been targeted, this kind of crisis was inevitable. Grandpa reminded me countless times that if anyone


    from the Nan family got kidnapped, I should yield and pay the kidnappers however much they asked


    for. And that I shouldn''t hesitate since saving a lifees first. I''m sure Grandpa will give them what


    they want. Don''t worry.”


    Ning Ran was slightly relieved after what Nan Chen said.


    “What if they still want to kill us after they got what they wanted?”


    “Grandpa is experienced. He has handled this kind of matter many times. I''m sure he''ll think of a way to


    ensure our safety. Although Grandpa is old, he is still levelheaded. We won''t be in danger as long as he


    is there.”


    Nan Chen had faith in Nan Zhengde. It was faith based on trust and understanding.