After delivering the porridge, Mary then returned outside. Some of the rescued women had already finished eating and, despite their exhaustion, quietly helped clean the pots and bowls.
Mary looked at the women sitting on the ground, their faces pale and eyes hollow. If not for this tragedy, some of them would have married by now, had children, lived ordinary lives.
Fate had been cruel to them. And that cruelty left a bitterness in Mary's heart that refused to fade.
Ryan walked over and tightly held Mary's hand, as if grasping it meant holding the entire world steady in his palm.
Around them, pairs of eyes brimmed with anticipation. Everyone was waiting for the security officers to arrive, waiting for the moment they could finally go home, see their families, and escape this nightmare that had trapped them for far too long.
By noon, Albert and William hurried back through the mountain path, bringing with them several security officers, a doctor, and bundles of simple clothing.
"Ryan! It really is you!" A man in uniform jogged over from a distance. "When they said the factory manager's name was Ryan, I thought it was just a coincidence."
Ryan looked up, recognized him, and smiled.
Raymond stepped forward and patted Ryan on the shoulder. The two men exchanged a look of mutual understanding.
Ryan gently pulled Mary closer. "Raymond, this is my wife." Then he turned to her. "This is Raymond. We've worked together before."
Raymond laughed and gave Ryan another friendly pat. "You got married and didn't even tell me. When you have time, you owe me a visit."
Remembering Mary's earlier words, Ryan pulled Raymond aside and explained everything in detail, including what had happened here and his concerns about the future of the rescued women.
In an era where even divorce could drown a family in gossip, women who had suffered something like this might face rejection from their own homes. Some families would never accept them again.
Raymond listened carefully, then glanced at Mary. His gaze sharpened slightly. This woman was not ordinary at all.
Since they were willing to involve themselves in the aftermath, Raymond decided to help them push things forward. This case was unprecedented in the area. So many women had been rescued, and even more had already been sold elsewhere. There was still much work to be done.
"Don't worry," Raymond said solemnly. "I'll stay in contact with you."
Hearing that, Ryan finally felt reassured. After discussing the remaining arrangements, Raymond gathered his people and led everyone away.
Only then did Ryan release a long breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding. He guided everyone back through the mountains toward the army compound.
He first took Albert and William to the clinic for treatment, while Mary returned home ahead of them. Exhaustion crashed over her the moment she stepped inside. She didn't even bother changing properly before collapsing into bed.
When Ryan returned later, he found her already asleep.
He quietly removed his shirt, lay down beside her, and wrapped her in his arms, falling asleep almost instantly.
When Mary woke again, the sky outside was completely dark. She lay still for a moment, looking at Ryan beside her.
The past two days felt unreal, like something pulled straight from a dream. Her stomach growled loudly. Glancing at the clock, she realized it was already nine o'clock.
No wonder she was starving.
She considered waking Ryan but stopped herself. He hadn't slept at all the previous night. Quietly, she got up, washed her face, and went to the kitchen.
She decided to make a simple bowl of soup noodles, another eastern style dish. It was quick, warm, and filling. She mixed the noodles first, then took out the cucumbers and peanuts from her space, preparing to smash the cucumbers for a side dish.
Ryan woke as soon as she moved. The aroma drifting from the kitchen was enough to pull him out of bed.
After getting dressed, he walked over and stopped behind her, wrapping his arms around her waist. "What's my lovely wife making?"
He leaned closer, inhaling softly. The faint scent clinging to her made his chest feel inexplicably full.
"Why are you up?" Mary smiled as she turned to look at him, placing the cucumbers onto a plate. "Why not sleep a little longer?"
She reached for the oil pot and poured soybean oil into the pan. Being held like this was inconvenient, especially near an open flame.
"Let go first," she said lightly. "I'm frying peanuts. If the oil splashes, you'll get burned."
Reluctantly, Ryan released her, standing off to the side and watching her movements with quiet contentment.
As she worked, Mary suddenly remembered something. Back when Ryan had eaten her boiled fish and later bathed, there had been changes. Now that he knew about the mindscape, she didn't need to hide it.
"Ryan," she asked casually, "when you took a shower after eating the boiled fish last time, did you notice anything unusual? Like dirt coming out of your body?"
Ryan paused, memories surfacing. That bath had been… strange.
"Yes," he admitted. "I washed for a long time. What did you put in the food?"
Mary turned to look at him, her expression calm. "The spiritual spring water from the mindscape. It has a purifying effect… and it can improve the body."
Ryan stared at her for a moment, then slowly smiled. "Now that you said it, my strength has indeed increased a lot. Even my hearing seems sharper than before."
"Then tonight, I'll let you drink some more," Mary said casually as she set the peanuts aside and began cooking the noodles. "We don't have a big bathtub at home. It's better to soak directly in the mindscape. The effect is much stronger."
Scallions crackled as they hit the hot oil. Mary took out the kettle filled with spiritual spring water from the mindscape and poured it straight into the pot.
In an instant, a refreshing fragrance spread through the kitchen. It wasn't the smell of food, but something cleaner and purer, making people feel relaxed just by breathing it in.
"I'll buy a wooden tub tomorrow," Mary added. "When we don't need it, we can keep it in the mindscape."
As she dropped the noodles into the boiling water, she continued, "Ryan, my mindscape can grow crops. One minute outside equals a hundred minutes inside. That means one day here is already a hundred days in the mindscape."
Ryan froze for a moment, shock flashing through his eyes. He hadn't expected the mindscape to be this powerful, like straight out of some fantasy fiction.
But then again, the fact that Mary was telling him all this now meant only one thing.
She trusted him completely.
"Wife, leave this to me," he said firmly, placing a fist on his chest. "We can start by supplying the army. Once we have a foothold, we can plan for more."
Mary fished out the noodles and turned to look at him seriously. "Ryan… this won't bring you trouble, will it? I do need money right now, but I don't want anything to happen to you."