Chapter 141: Chapter 141

Chapter 141: Chapter 141

◎Die for me, grandpa!◎

The men on watch noticed them whispering from afar and only then did they realize that there was another person squatting at the foot of the slope. Perhaps he was another cousin of Liu Straw?

"The Black Bud has quite a few cousins." The men winked at each other, chuckling nonstop.

"I wonder what Old Lady Huang is thinking, her daughter is already of age yet she hasn't found her a match. Black Bud is so plain-looking, if she gets any older, she'll have to settle as a second wife for someone else," said the young man who went to knock on the door, smacking his lips.

"You say she's so plain, who among the village men would want her?" Another bumped his shoulder in jest, "If I offered her to you, would you take her? Afraid that with the lights out at night, you wouldn't even see your wife lying beside you?"

This remark elicited a chorus of laughter.

As they spoke, Black Ya, the subject of their ridicule, appeared walking towards them with her two "cousins," seemingly intent on entering the village. The merriment ceased abruptly as they hurried to block her path: "We're just talking business, why do you need to enter the village?"

"Do you visit relatives at the village entrance?" Liu Straw rolled his eyes at them, waving for Da Hu and his companion to proceed inside.

"Are they really your blood relatives?" The group stared in disbelief, having assumed they were the family seeking Midwife Huang's services, who would simply agree on a time at the village entrance. They couldn't fathom why they would need to enter the village, "When did this new kinship appear in your family? We've never seen them before. Liu Straw, we're not trying to scare you, but you should be aware of the current situation. There's a rule in our village: we don't let outsiders in lightly. If anything goes wrong, we'll be coming to your house for answers."

"I know all too well how bothersome you can be, now move aside." Liu Straw pushed Chen Sanshi away, who was blocking her with his rabbit scarf covering his face, mumbling about nothing in particular. "What could possibly go wrong visiting relatives? Don't tell me your family doesn't have any? The other day, I saw your sister-in-law's family come to the village, and they even took half a bag of rice with them. Are you out of food at home, coming here for provisions from your daughter? Your family has plenty of grain, while my supply is rather tight. I'll shamelessly ask to borrow a few bushels from you, and when the harvest comes next year, I'll surely pay you back!"

The man's face darkened instantly. "What grain? My family has no surplus to lend to outsiders. You must have seen wrong!"

"Oh, then let's say I did see wrong," Liu Straw snorted with a smile, pushing open the courtyard gate and stepping aside to let her two "cousins" enter first. Before closing the gate, she flashed a grin with her white teeth at the man, infuriating him so much that he kicked the ground, sending pebbles flying far.

Black Bud really is annoying, no wonder she can't find a husband!

As soon as the courtyard gate closed, the smile vanished from Liu Straw's face. Seeing the two standing in the yard, she couldn't help but marvel at the hunter cousin of Big Bud Sister. She had never seen such a tall and robust man; it was no wonder those few people were uneasy. This kind of person would make anyone feel uneasy wherever he went.

"Come in," Old Lady Huang said to them from the doorway of the main room.

Wei Dahu led his brother inside, the anger on his face fading but unable to muster a smile, he thanked her with clasped hands: "Thank you for delivering the message. If not for you and this young lady, we brothers would only have learned about the troubles she endured at the Wu household when it was time to collect her remains."

Old Lady Huang waved her hand, inviting them to sit down. She was reluctant to take credit, candidly saying: "I won't pretend with you two. Honestly, I wasn't keen on getting involved in this matter. The Wus are good at putting up a facade; they love to cultivate a good reputation in front of outsiders, but what really goes on behind closed doors, we villagers know all too well. I felt for her because she was truly pitiful, and it made me think of my own daughter. Putting myself in her shoes, if my daughter were in that situation, I'd hope someone would lend her a hand and give her a chance to live."

Recalling Chen Daya's pitiful wails as she lay in bed, Old Lady Huang felt a pang of sorrow. As a woman herself, how could she truly ignore her plea? Women, by nature, have soft hearts because they easily empathize with others' suffering, imagining whether such misfortune might one day befall them.

She didn't know how far the Chen family would go for Daya, but she was glad they had come. It was hard for her to blame them for not caring more for their sister, for allowing her to suffer so much at the Wu household before finally taking action.

Indeed, it's hard to talk about such matters. When it comes to that kind of thing, if a young maiden is naive, she can easily be coaxed by a man into believing that those greasy trades are normal marital pleasures. When she returns to her mother's house and her mother asks if her son-in-law treats her well and if their marital relations are harmonious, the girl, with her delicate face, wouldn't dare to speak so candidly. She'd likely stammer with a red face, and her own mother would think it's just her daughter's shyness preventing her from speaking more.

Wu Erlang, that beast worse than an animal, is adept at pretending to be a good person. Aside from stripping her naked for a thorough examination, who could tell that Chen Daya, who appears as fair-skinned and plump as a young lady living comfortably at home, actually bears unspoken injuries all over her body?

So in this matter, if blame must be placed, it can only be on Wu Laoer, who is less than human.

Guests are to be treated kindly, so although Liu Straw was quite displeased with the Chen family's tardiness, he still poured them two bowls of hot water. Chen Sanshi had been parched, his throat nearly smoking, and without any pretense, he chuckled in thanks and downed the bowl in gulps, which only infuriated Liu Straw more. This simple-minded fellow.

"Has Straw told you everything?" Old Lady Huang looked at them, focusing mainly on Wei Dahǔ, knowing he was the one who made decisions, while Daya's younger brother seemed incapable of handling matters, "What do you brothers think? Divorce or take her back to your mother's house for a while? Do you have any plans? Can you make a decision, or do you need to go home and inform your parents?" The last question was directed at Chen Sanshi.

Today, it was the two brothers who came instead of her own parents, and this made her heart flutter with anxiety. She feared they might act on their own accord; whether it was to take the girl back home or to negotiate a divorce, if her parents deemed it shameful and refused, it would surely lead to another tumultuous episode.

Trapped in a no-win situation, her every good intention backfired.

Assisting Chen Daya in delivering the message and then ushering her brothers inside, she had already steeled herself for the consequences of crossing the Wu family. Thus, this matter had to be handled with finesse; if she was to offend, let it be done willingly. But if she were careless and neglected the aftermath, she would find herself infested with metaphorical lice, having offended both parties without gaining any advantage.

Wei Dahu's face darkened, and he muttered in a low voice, "Aunt Huang, I can make the call on this matter. Second Uncle and Second Aunt haven't come because they haven't received the message yet. They're still unaware of my sister's situation."

The old Mrs. Huang nodded, refraining from probing further into why they hadn't received any news. She had always been one to avoid meddling in others' family affairs; it sufficed for her to know that he could make decisions on his own. "So, what's your plan? I've seen firsthand the state Little Li is in. There are things that aren't appropriate for me to discuss with you men, but I can only tell you that her situation is worse than you imagine. Wu Erlang is no good—he inflicts pain where outsiders can't see. If you're determined to stand up for Little Li, it would be best to..."

She paused for a moment, then said, "Help her escape this sea of suffering."

As the saying goes, "It's better to demolish ten temples than to ruin one marriage," and being a midwife, she's in the business of bringing joy to families. The fact that she would utter such words reveals just how dire Big Girl's situation must be.

Wei Dahu nodded, not specifying whether it was for a divorce or to take her back, and turned his head to survey the main room. It was spacious and bright, the courtyard meticulously tidy. Beneath the eaves, two pairs of cotton shoes sat, their sizes not too dissimilar. Beside them, a stack of firewood was arranged with perfect order. There were no signs of a man's life in the home; even the handle of the hoe appeared smaller than usual, and the wooden buckets used for carrying water were a size smaller than what one would typically find in other households.

Sanshi remarked that the mother and daughter relied solely on each other for support, and it was indeed true.

Having said their piece, they naturally didn't overstay their welcome. Liu Daocao escorted them to the door, hesitant to speak further. Uncertain whether they intended to head to the Wu family's immediately or had other plans, he couldn't help but say, "You should hurry along. Elder Sister Daya took a tumble, and while Mother says the child in her womb is unharmed and that rest and nourishment for both mother and child will suffice, who knows if Old Lady Wu will take it seriously? She has a multitude of grandchildren already and won't be short one if something were to happen to this one."

Wu Da Hu nodded and, before leaving, hesitated for a moment but still said, "Don't sleep too soundly tonight. If you hear a knock on the door, open it."

Liu Straw's heart skipped a beat. "What, what do you mean?"

"Sis, this matter has involved your mother and daughter because of our Chen family, I apologize to you both here. When I have the chance, I'll definitely make my brother kowtow to you." Wu Da Hu was never an easy-going person; if one didn't offend him, that was fine, but if they did and thought they could easily settle things, there was no such thing. Wu Erlang had wronged his sister, and he would not let him off the hook, but if something happened to the Wu family, the Huang old lady and her daughter who had welcomed them in were bound to be implicated. He understood this in his heart, which is why he was so hesitant, unsure of what to do.

Although at first when he heard that Old Lady Huang was a midwife and quite skilled, he had considered asking her to come up to the mountains when his wife was due to give birth. A woman giving birth was like having one foot in the gates of hell; his own mother had died giving birth to him, how could he not be afraid?

Ever since he found out that his wife was pregnant, he had been thinking about finding a midwife.

It was merely a stroke of coincidence that everything happened to converge at once.

If the mother and daughter, Huang Pozi, were destitute and living in misery, what harm would there be in leading them to the mountains? Although he never intended to deceive them, events had progressed to a point where a benevolent outcome was no longer feasible.

Yet, mother and daughter seemed to be living quite comfortably. Their courtyard was more spacious and bright than their two uncles' homes. Old Lady Huang, despite her advanced age, had a rosy complexion, clearly not appearing to have suffered any hardships. How could he have the audacity to claim that he led them into the mountains for refuge?

Hesitating, they didn't dare to say in front of Aunt Huang that it was their family who had acted unscrupulously. The mother and daughter were purely acting with good intentions, yet they ended up in an undeserved predicament.

"What on earth do you intend to do?" Liu Daocao instinctively lowered her voice, a hint of fear finally appearing on her face, "I, I, I, and my mother, we've been kind enough to help you, you mustn't implicate us!" She didn't even mention the day she delivered the message, how she was hiding here and there, constantly on edge, fearful of encountering bandits. Although she was dark-skinned, she was a girl, and delivering messages for them was a risk for both her and her mother.

"But the damage has already been done." Wei Dahu sighed; ever since he started shouting that Old Lady Huang was his cousin, there was no turning back.

Liu Straw thought about how he never mentioned whether it was separation or reunion, and now with these words, a possibility struck her, causing her complexion to change instantly.

Wei Dahu reached out to press down on San Shi's head, making him bow to them first, and they would kowtow later. He whispered to Liu Straw, "Sis, your kindness to Aunt Huang, our Chen family will remember in our hearts. It's a life-saving grace, but we didn't handle this properly. Though unintentional, it could be considered as biting the hand that feeds us. But things have come to this point, and no amount of talking will change anything. You're both smart people, you know what choices to make. Listen carefully tonight, I have a place to settle you both, please rest assured."

Without daring to look at Liu Straw's unpleasant expression, he pulled San Shi away and left in large strides.

They left the village, but didn't go far, finding a spot where no one could see them, squatting down. Without others around, Wei Dahu's face was so grim that even Chen Sanshi didn't dare to look at him, his heart pounding fiercely.

At the hour of Dog, every household in Xiaogou Village had their doors tightly shut. It was so cold that even the dogs refused to lie under the eaves, instead huddling by the firewood pile in the kitchen. In this pitch-black night where one couldn't see their hand before their face, two figures silently scaled the wall into the Wu family's courtyard.

Although the villagers jokingly referred to the Wus as petty landlords with a large courtyard and many rooms due to their sizable family, to Wei Dahu who had even been to Fu City, it was nothing special. It didn't even compare to an ordinary courtyard in the county. Sneaking over the wall was as easy as pie.

He wasn't familiar with the Wu family and didn't know which room Big Sister Ya lived in, but it didn't matter since Chen Sanshi did. After landing, he led him through a series of twists and turns to a particular room, pointed at the door, and was about to say that his sister was inside when suddenly they heard a cry that was both pained and joyful. The sound made one's bones tremble—it was a woman's voice, but not her sister's.

"Pain, ah, pain…"

"Don't you like it when I hurt you like this, my darling? Come, let me drip another drop of wax."

Chen Sanshi's expression changed, and he was about to kick the door open when Wei Dahu kicked him back and pulled him away.

He struggled fiercely, feeling indignant. This was his sister's room—how dare Wu Erlang bring another woman to sleep on that bed! And to do such things?! He was shameless!

Wei Dahu slapped him across the forehead, the dull sound awakening Chen Sanshi. Without a word, Wei Dahu pointed to the side. Chen Sanshi nodded, understanding that his brother was asking if his sister was in another room. His heart felt heavy; there were only three rooms in the second branch—one for Wu Laoer and his sister, one for the nephew, and one for storage. Now that Wu Laoer and that woman were engaging in their lewd activities in the main room, only two rooms remained.

He guessed his sister might be in the nephew's room, so he tiptoed to it. Before he could raise his hand to open the door, his brother pulled him away.

Now he understood why. His face darkened even more.

Whenever he visited the Wu family in the past and stayed overnight, he would sleep with his nephew. The storage room was old, small, and drafty. How could the Wus treat his sister like this, especially when she was pregnant, making her sleep here?

Standing outside the window, Wei Dahu raised his hand and tapped on the window frame.

"Tap tap."

After waiting for about two breaths, a muffled tapping sound came from inside.

"Tap tap."

Wei Dahu sighed in relief, about to speak when the window opened. Chen Daya's thin, pale face appeared in his field of vision, tears streaming down before she could even speak: "Dahua, is it Dahua?"

"Yes, it's me," Wei Dahua whispered softly, his throat choking with emotion. While Daya couldn't see clearly outside, he could see inside. His sister used to be plump, but now she was so thin. She sat on the bed with difficulty, one hand supporting her belly and the other grasping the windowsill, her face wet with tears.

Tapping on the window was a habit from his childhood. When playing hide-and-seek, he was foolish and loved hiding in the house. His sister would stand outside and tap on the window, and he couldn't resist tapping back, always giving himself away.

It was like a secret code. Whenever he tapped on the window, Daya knew he was there.

Having found her, they circled around to the front door and discovered it was locked. This time, Wei Dahua was even angrier than Chen Sanshi, his face more livid than ever. He took out a dagger from his chest and fiddled with it a few times, and the door opened. Chen Sanshi pushed past him and darted inside.

Now that they truly saw her, although the room was pitch black, Wei Dahua had good eyesight and scrutinized his sister from head to toe. He was speechless. What kind of man had she married, to live such a miserable life? Did she have no brothers or what? Why didn't she send a message home when she sensed something was wrong? To be locked up like this!

Daya shed silent tears upon seeing them. The three siblings stood in silence, a suffocating quietness enveloping them.

"Dahua, Sanshi…" Daya threw off the covers and was about to get out of bed. Wei Dahua took a big step forward, pressing her shoulders down and wrapping her tightly in the blankets.

He turned to glare at Chen Sanshi: "Aren't you coming over?"

Chen Sanshi sniffled and hurried over, carefully wrapping his sister up to keep the wind out. Although unreliable, he had great strength and lifted Daya in a horizontal embrace, carrying her out with a grim face.

In just a few breaths, Daya hadn't fully reacted yet, but she instinctively knew she shouldn't speak or make any noise to avoid attracting attention. She didn't dare think about why her brothers had come at night—were they going to take her back home? She didn't know. Carried by Sanshi, she was taken to the backyard, where there was a small door. Dahua opened it, and Sanshi carried her out without looking back, leaving the Wu family behind.

"Dahua…" Leaving the Wu family so easily, Daya couldn't quite believe it. She had been confined in that small space for so long that it had bound her heart. She had seen the Wu family as an inescapable prison, never expecting to escape so easily.

"Sister, don't worry about it, and you definitely can't feel sorry for him—he deserves death!" Chen Sanshi's eyes were bloodshot. His pregnant sister was so light in his arms, lighter than a basket of grain. At this moment, he wished he could turn back and kill Wu Laoer!

The main room's door wasn't locked; it opened with a push.

Inside, the room was bright, illuminated by four or five candles. The couple on the bed laughed and screamed, engrossed in their activities, completely unaware that the door had opened and a large shadow had fallen.

The woman on the bed was in an awkward position, tied like a beast with ropes around her neck. Wu Laoer held a red candle, his usually gentle face twisted into a sinister grin. He tilted the wax-filled candle slightly, allowing the scorching hot wax to drip onto the woman's back, drop by drop.

Screams accompanied by violent impacts created a lurid scene.

Unaware of the danger, the couple facing away from the door continued their activities, oblivious to the fact that the Grim Reaper had raised his blade.

A flash of white light, followed by something falling to the ground.

Suddenly, everything stopped. The woman wriggled, feeling the rope around her neck loosen. Confused, she turned to urge, "Dead ghost, you're not… able…"

Her eyes widened as she stared at the all-too-familiar head on the floor.

A tall man stood at the foot of the bed. She maintained her awkward position, feeling the headless body slide off her, which had been intimate moments ago. Now, she felt her entire body shudder.

She opened her mouth to scream, but a porcelain bowl struck her forehead, causing her to faint with a roll of her eyes.

Wei Dahua looked expressionlessly at the couple on the bed, kicking the head on the ground onto the bed. He wrapped them in the blankets, tossed a red candle, and flames instantly licked at the exquisite bedding.

He glanced at the blood droplets on the tip of his knife, bathed in the flickering firelight, then calmly turned and left.

"Words from the Author"