Chapter 40

Chapter 40

As night fell, dinner was over. Miao Qiulian had just finished preparing the hog feed and was about to head to the backyard with a wooden bucket when she heard an unusual noise at the entrance. It sounded like wailing. She set down the bucket and rushed to the gate, only to find Ye Jinrong sobbing at her doorstep with a handkerchief covering her face.

Miao Qiulian was furious. Who was this woman trying to provoke? Taking a deep breath to calm herself, she erupted like a lit firecracker, "Bitch, you don't go home to tend to your crippled husband and son, but instead come here to make a scene and mourn. Are you mourning for your son Pei Sheng in advance? If he's going to die, why don't you take his place? You heartless bastard, dare to create a ruckus at my doorstep!"

No one would welcome such an unexpected and ominous occurrence at their front door.

Ye Jinrong's intentions were far from innocent, and Miao Qiulian's anger grew with each passing insult.

"Sniffle... sniffle..." Tears and snot flowed down Ye Jinrong's face. The scolding pierced her heart, turning her face red with fury. She retaliated, "You're the one who'll die a miserable death. Your son and daughter are already ghosts, haunting you every day to scatter ghost money."

"You dare to talk back!" Miao Qiulian lunged forward, attempting to grab Ye Jinrong's mouth, and the two women instantly engaged in a physical altercation.

As neighbors, Liu Guihua leaned towards Miao Qiulian when trying to break up the fight, calling out for the Gu family to intervene.

Bamboo Boy was the first to arrive. Miao Qiulian shouted, "Grab a stick!"

He hastily fetched a wooden rod from behind the door. Miao Qiulian freed her hand to take it, gripping it tightly, and began raining blows on Ye Jinrong's body. Even Liu Guihua hesitated to step in now, fearing accidental injury.

In a fight, Ye Jinrong might not be at a disadvantage, but without any weapon in hand, she was quickly defeated. Miao Qiulian was infuriated by her deliberate wailing and lost control of her strikes.

Gu Lan and Gu Lan Yi arrived one after the other. Ye Jinrong had already received several blows and abandoned her intention to bring bad luck. Yelping in pain, she fled the scene.

Miao Qiulian shouted behind her, "Bastard! If you dare show your face again, I'll beat you until your organs come out! Let me tell you, we're marrying into the Pei family, not yours! Stay out of our business!"

This was the third time attempting an arranged marriage. She couldn't tolerate anyone disrupting Gu Lan Shi's engagement. If it failed again, even the most insensitive person would be utterly defeated, hence her blazing anger.

Upon hearing that Pei Yan had arrived, Miao Qiulian stood menacingly at the entrance.

Seeing all the villagers looking at him, Pei Yan, who had just returned from the fields with his hoe, felt a chill run down his spine. His cold demeanor discouraged anyone who had intended to approach him to explain the situation.

"Yan boy, come here," Miao Qiulian commanded with the air of a strict mother-in-law, showing no courtesy towards Pei Yan due to her anger.

Once he was within reach, she crossed her arms and said bitterly, "That Ye woman just came by, wailing at the door. I know you've broken off the engagement, but unless you put out their fire, how can I trust you with Lan Boy? We can't have them bothering us every few days. How are we supposed to live?"

Her anger remained unchecked, implying that she wouldn't rest until Pei Yan resolved the issue.

Pei Yan's face was icy cold. After listening to the story, he leaned his hoe against the wall of the Gu family's yard and lifted his gaze to Gu Lan Yi, saying, "Bring me an ax."

Gu Lan Yu was taken aback, unable to follow his train of thought.

Pei Yan didn't glance at Gu Lan Shi but fixed his gaze on Gu Lan Yu, saying, "A knife would do as well."

This time, even Miao Qiulian was stunned. Recalling Lou Jin's miserable state and the blood-stained axe that still haunted her mind, she quickly regained her composure and ceased her anger. She tried to reason, "Enough, enough. I've already sent them away. There's no need to cause more trouble."

To her surprise, Pei Yan seemed not to have heard her. Seeing that the Gu family members were hesitant, he proceeded to enter the house to retrieve one himself.

Miao Qiulian's face turned pale. It had been such an effort to arrange this marriage. If someone were killed, how could they possibly carry on with their lives? What if the Pei family reported the incident to the authorities?

In the courtyard, a long-handled ax was propped against a stack of firewood. The blade was lengthy and sharp at first glance. Pei Yan picked it up effortlessly; the weight felt just right in his hand. He weighed it for a moment before turning to leave.

Gu Lan hurriedly spoke, "Pei Yan, please, don't go."

"Yes, Brother Yan, it's just a verbal dispute. There's no need to escalate it," Gu Lan Yu also tried to persuade him.

Unlike other situations, Ye Jinrong was merely being obnoxious – all they needed to do was chase him away. There was no reason to bring out weapons.

Shaking off the hands of the Gu family members trying to stop him, Pei Yan ignored their pleas. His cold expression made him appear fiercely intimidating, deterring anyone from approaching. With long strides, he headed towards the Pei family residence, leaving Gu Lan and the others trailing behind, too scared to advise him further but determined to see what he would do next.

Miao Qiulian was so terrified that she urged Gu Lan to immediately call for her husband, Gu Tieshan, who had gone to the old residence for a chat and hadn't returned yet.

Pei Yan strode swiftly, entering the Pei family's gate. Upon seeing Pei Sheng eating in the courtyard, he kicked the table over, sending bowls and chopsticks crashing to the ground.

Pei Sheng, with his injured leg, barely managed to dodge the falling table. Witnessing the soup spill and the rough bread getting soiled with mud, he clenched his fists in anger, veins bulging on his neck. However, his genuine fear of Pei Yan held him back, allowing him to stand there fuming but silent.

"Let the one named Ye come out," Pei Yan demanded, slicing off a leg of the table.

Pei Sheng trembled, calling out for his mother in a quivering voice.

Ye Jinrong, hiding in her room, dared not show her face. Still recovering from the beating, she was in no mood to see Pei Yan enter with a knife. Spotting Pei Huzi in the main hall, she gestured for her youngest son to step outside and inquire.

Pei Huzi cautiously poked his head out, his legs trembling as his eyes met Pei Yan's. Terrified at the thought of ending up crippled like Pei Sheng, he remained stationary, afraid of provoking the ominous figure in the yard.

As children, Pei Sheng had bullied him countless times. Back then, Pei Huzi could only follow his parents in cursing Pei Sheng as a calamity, retaliating if provoked. Even if he got beaten by Pei Xingwang later, he would fight back. Now, as Pei Yan's gaze shifted away from Pei Huzi and back to Pei Sheng, Pei Huzi held his breath.

Hiding in the room with her two sons, Fang Yun dared not daydream. Through a crack in the window, she witnessed Pei Yan raising his knife to strike Pei Sheng, causing her to scream in terror.

Pei Sheng, utterly terrified, fled for his life, rolling on the ground and crawling after falling. Incoherent apologies escaped his lips as Ye Jinrong, both startled and scared, heard their chained dog barking wildly in the backyard. She called for Pei Huzi to unleash the dog.

Indeed, the canine.

Pei Huzi was deathly afraid; if Pei Yan finished off Pei Sheng and turned his blade on him, he would still muster the strength to limp to the backyard and release the dogs, his legs as wobbly as noodles.

The yellow dog bared its teeth, its eyes gleaming with aggression as it lunged at Pei Yan on its master's command.

The moment Gu Lan saw that Pei Yan was about to suffer, her mind went blank with worry. Seizing a piece of firewood from the Pei family's courtyard, she intended to strike the dog. Fearful that he might get hurt in the process, Miao Qiulian hurriedly held her back, preventing her from advancing any further.

Pei Yan ceased his assault on Pei Sheng's broken limb, and as he turned, his gaze grew fiercer than that of a golden retriever.

A soldier who had crawled out of the heaps of corpses on a battlefield was bound to have some skills. He was swift and agile, dodging the charging mongrel before advancing with a step. Seizing his opportunity, he swung the chopping blade directly into the dog's face.

The dog yelped in agony, its earlier ferocity gone as it tucked its tail between its legs, submitting in weakness. Pei Yan showed no mercy, drawing his blade and striking forcefully at the dog's neck. Blood gushed out, and after four or five ruthless blows, the dog lay lifeless, its head nearly severed.

A scene of crimson sprawled before them, with Pei Yan's body and face smeared in blood.

Outside the Pei family's gate, a timid person inadvertently locked eyes with the unblinking dog, a ghastly and terrifying sight that made them turn away and vomit.

Gu Lan wasn't that daring. The pungent smell of blood made his face turn ashen. When Gu Tieshan arrived and saw the scene, he was at a loss on how to react. Rural men might be fierce, but in their brawls, they usually knew their limits. It was only when there were many participants that accidental fatalities occurred.

Pei Yan's madness was terrifying. Anyone who approached him risked being ruthlessly slashed, so the surroundings fell silent, with no one daring to step forward and intervene.

Pei Huzi nearly collapsed from fear, but fortunately, Pei Yan didn't pay him any attention.

Fang Yun's wails ceased abruptly after the dog was killed. Pei Sheng was struck dumb with terror, almost losing all will to resist as his arm was pinned to the ground. When Pei Yan's blade descended, his vision turned crimson, witnessing his right pinky and ring finger severed from his palm. The pain only hit him once he was released.

Pei Yan's strength and accuracy were such that he accomplished the task with a single stroke. Standing up, he glanced at the main house's window and declared, "Next time, it won't just be fingers."

Xu Cheng'an arrived on the scene, relieved that no lives had been lost. Being older, he couldn't bear the sight of blood.

Pei Yan, covered in blood, looked like a harbinger of doom. Xu Cheng'an felt a twinge of fear and waved for everyone to disperse. He called for Pei Huzi to take Pei Sheng to see a doctor and, hesitating, tried to speak to Pei Yan before finally shaking his head and sighing, "Don't act so impulsively."

Knowing that Ye Jinrong had instigated the situation with her cries, he couldn't blame Pei Yan too harshly. Looking into Pei Yan's eyes, Xu Cheng'an understood that if he had been truly impulsive, more than just fingers would have been severed.

"Let's go, back home," Gu Tieshan shouted, putting aside his dignity. Pei Yan gave him a glance before leaving with the knife in hand.

Gu Lan, though scared, followed behind.

Annoyed by Ye Jinrong's foolishness, Xu Cheng'an vented his anger in the courtyard, scolding her for provoking the Gu family and Pei Yan unnecessarily. After severing ties with Pei Yan, she should avoid causing trouble, sparing the village from further chaos and violence. Today's incident was fortunate, with no lives lost, but if someone had died, regret would come too late.

With his tirade concluded, he left, leaving Pei Huzi to reluctantly accompany Pei Sheng to see the herbalist. Pei Xingwang remained on his bed, his body significantly weakened and appearing withered. The dizziness intensified, forcing him to tightly shut his eyes, now seemingly incapable of any action.

The sight of the lifeless dog in the yard was horrifying; Ye Jinrong stood frozen at the entrance of the main hall, unable to move for quite some time.

Fang Yun instructed her two sons to stay inside while she came out, weeping and scolding, "Oh, you're so capable, crying at someone else's doorstep to disturb them. Now look, it's your turn to cry. If Shengzi were to die because of you today, how would you have the face to live on?"

Arriving at Gu Lan's house, Pei Yan glanced down at the bloodied machete. He wiped it clean with his sleeve and handed it to Gu Lan before casually picking up the hoe leaning against the wall and walking away.

Gu Lan opened his mouth, then closed it, looking worriedly at Miao Qiulian. He was slightly apprehensive that his family might perceive Pei Yan as too menacing.

Miao Qiulian now regretted it so deeply that she felt her intestines turn green. Unlike her affair with Lin Dengzi, though Ye Jinrong was detestable, a scolding or a slap would have sufficed, not leading to such extremes. It was her own impulsiveness that had driven her to demand an explanation from Pei Yan, despite knowing he was someone who didn't recognize even the closest of kin. Fortunately, only a finger had been severed, and no life was lost.

Given the circumstances, it would be inappropriate to blame anyone. Standing at the entrance of the courtyard, she glanced at Pei Yan as he walked away and said, "His father, pluck some cypress leaves for him to take. Young people often don't understand the gravity of things and might not take it to heart. You bring them to him and let him boil them for a wash. It'll help dispel any bad luck. He's about to get married, oh dear."

Though it was late in the day, the hills were dotted with Chinese juniper trees, and Gu Tieshan readily agreed to go pick some.

At the thought of Pei Yan covered in blood, a heavy feeling settled in Gu Lan's heart.

The author has something to say:

To clarify, prior to receiving the complaint, I was unaware of the real-life social incident in Liao City involving dog killing. Inspiration for my story did not stem from that event in any way.

Up to this point in the serial, there has been no intention to promote bloody violence. The protagonist is clearly just trying to live his life peacefully, not seeking trouble or harming others. My aim was to write a simple rural tale. However, as with any story, there are twists and conflicts. It's evident that Pei Yan is merely striving to survive and looking forward to the prospect of marriage.

The dog-killing scene in this chapter is not a mimicry of the news where someone killed a dog to intimidate their girlfriend. The dog attacks the protagonist, forcing him to defend himself, not an act of premeditated cruelty or revenge. This can be clearly understood upon reading the text. There is no intention to incite minors towards malevolence.

In addition to the disturbing news, there are also real cases of dangerous dogs being put down after attacking people. If one were to draw parallels, the scenario of a dog attacking and being put down is more akin to my story's plot. So why not associate it that way? Moreover, the core socialist values emphasize positivity and clarity, not as a cover for some to distort specific details and make malicious reports.

As I am unaware of who made the complaint, I cannot unjustly accuse anyone. I share these explanations solely to address the potentially controversial scene. Upon reading, I hope readers will understand. Remember always to abide by laws and regulations, and let's all be good citizens together.