Chapter 119

Chapter 119

The swaddling clothes naturally held no baby, but Huang Yong didn’t even dare to look. Terrified, he darted around like a headless fly, desperate to escape.

Yet the figure behind him appeared like a phantom—one moment it was far away, the next it appeared right before his eyes.

“Get away, get away!” Huang Yong waved his arms, trying to drive Wang Ying off, but as soon as he reached out, the figure vanished into thin air.

“Ahhh!!!” Huang Yong’s legs gave way in fear, and he collapsed to the ground, a foul odor from his trousers—he had wet himself.

“Yong, my love, why did you kill me and our child…?” Wang Ying’s voice whispered eerily from behind him.

Terrified, Huang Yong prostrated himself on the ground, kowtowing frantically. “I’m sorry! But it was my mother who ordered me to beat you! Please, direct your vengeance to her, not me!”

Wang Ying halted and demanded menacingly, “Why did she tell you to beat me?”

“Be… because… Mother disapproved of you…”

“Nonsense! Ever since I married into your family, I’ve worked diligently, bore burdens without complaint, respected the elders, and cared for my younger brother-in-law. What did I do wrong to earn such hatred from her? Tell me!”

“I… I don’t know…”

“If you won’t speak, then pay with your life for our child!” Wang Ying reached out as if to strangle him. Huang Yong’s eyes rolled back, and he passed out completely.

Wang Ying nudged him with his foot and, seeing no response, quickly called Chen Guang in. “Can you wake him up?”

Chen Guang, looking uneasy, nodded and pressed firmly on Huang Yong’s Fengchi acupoint. The man on the ground soon stirred.

Wang Ying hurriedly signaled Chen Qingyan to light the candles on either side, then retreated to the corner, removing his outer garment and putting on a paper-mâché ox-head mask.

The two stood on either side of Uncle Chen, holding iron chains, watching the man lying on the ground.

Huang Yong, sensing the light, opened his eyes—only to wish he hadn’t. Trembling with fear, he shuddered uncontrollably.

“Am I dead…? Have I descended into the underworld?”

“Impudent commoner, how dare you not kneel in the presence of this official!” Uncle Chen suddenly boomed. Huang Yong immediately prostrated himself, not daring to lift his head.

“Do you admit your crimes?”

“I… I don’t know…”

“If you refuse to confess, you shall be condemned to the Tongue-Pulling Hell!”

Wang Ying and Chen Qingyan stepped forward, chains clanking.

“I confess! I’ll confess everything! Please spare me, Judge!”

Trembling, Huang Yong began recounting his wrongdoings, starting from stealing his father’s money as a child, all the way to his unnatural relationship with his mother.

To cover up their scandalous affair, he had married Lin Sui.

After marriage, Ma Shi often grew jealous of Lin Sui. To placate his mother, Huang Yong took his frustrations out on Lin Sui, with beatings and abuse becoming routine. This time, he had gone too far and caused her to suffer a miscarriage.

The onlookers were horrified. Wang Ying had never expected this to be the reason!

In his previous life, he had come across such relationships in short videos, but he had only found them bizarre and dismissed them. Now, encountering it firsthand, he felt nauseated, almost vomiting up his dinner.

Chen Qingyan felt much the same, his hands trembling as he gripped the chains. No wonder they had been so cruel to Lin Sui—this was the reason!

After confessing, Huang Yong’s mind seemed to snap. He alternated between weeping and laughing, muttering, “It was my mother who seduced me! It’s not my fault! Judge, arrest her, not me!”

Chen Qingyan declared, “You and your mother have defied natural order. Your mother bears 60 percent of the blame, and you 40 percent. But you should never have harmed an innocent person. Though your lifespan is not yet over, your crimes are grave. You must atone for your sins to avoid the Tongue-Pulling Hell.”

“H-how do I atone?”

“Kneel outside Lin Sui’s home and confess everything truthfully. Seek her forgiveness. Otherwise, hell’s messengers will come for you tomorrow!”

Huang Yong nodded frantically. “I’ll do anything, just don’t kill me!”

Wang Ying sneered coldly. Death is too lenient for such scum—they deserved to suffer the same pain.

A chill gust swept through, and the candle flames flickered twice before extinguishing completely. Huang Yong cried out in panic, then felt a sharp pain in the back of his neck and collapsed, unconscious.

Chen Qingyan removed his mask. “What now?”

“Take him back first. Let him confess on his own. If he refuses, we’ll find another way to force him.”

*

The next morning, Huang Yong woke up in his own house, lying on the very bed Lin Sui had used before leaving.

Dried bloodstains still marred the sheets, left uncleaned in the rush of her departure.

At the sight of the dark stains, Huang Yong screamed in terror.

His cries quickly drew his family. They pushed the door open to find Huang Yong sitting on the floor, flailing wildly and shouting, “Don’t kill me! Don’t kill me!”

“Yong’er, where have you been? You scared me to death!” Ma Shi, seeing her son safe at home, rushed over to embrace him.

“Get away!” Huang Yong knocked her to the ground and bolted outside.

Ma Shi, too stunned to get up, called after him, “Yong’er, where are you going?”

But Huang Yong couldn’t hear her. His mind was consumed by fear—he had to seek Lin Sui’s forgiveness, or he would be condemned to the Tongue-Pulling Hell!

People in ancient times were deeply superstitious about such matters—sin in life led to suffering in death, a cycle of karmic retribution and cosmic justice. The judge had warned him once; disobedience would bring even greater punishment!

Stumbling, Huang Yong ran to the Cao family’s gate and threw himself to his knees, crying out, “Lin Sui, I wronged you! Please, show mercy and pardon me!”

Inside, Lin Qiu was helping his brother take medicine when Huang Yong’s voice made Lin Sui jump, causing him to drop the bowl.

“He’s here, he’s back…” Lin Sui shrank under the covers, trembling uncontrollably.

Lin Qiu gritted his teeth in fury, grabbing a shovel to charge outside, but Cao Kun stopped him. “Wait! Our cousin’s wife sent word earlier—if Huang Yong shows up, don’t hit him. Let him speak.”

“Say what?”

Cao Kun whispered a few words into his ear, shocking Lin Qiu wide-eyed. “Is it true?!”

“Absolutely. He admitted it himself last night.”

Lin Qiu clutched his chest, tears of relief welling up. “No wonder… no wonder they treated Sui’er so cruelly! Thank goodness for Cousin and his wife’s help, or we’d still be in the dark!”

Outside, Huang Yong began recounting his relationship with his mother. His loud voice soon drew a crowd of neighbors, who gathered around, gawking in shock. Just yesterday, Ma Shi had claimed that the Lin family’s son was having an affair with his brother-in-law—how had it turned into an incestuous relationship with her own son?

In an era with little entertainment, such a scandal was explosive. The crowd listened with relish, and the story spread like wildfire. By afternoon, half the county knew that the Huang family’s second son had a shameful liaison with his mother, and the two had plotted to induce the Lin family’s young son to miscarry.

Ma Shi didn’t hear the news until that afternoon. Disbelieving and overwhelmed with shame, she faced her eldest son’s accusations, fiercely denying everything until she fainted dead away from shock.

The eldest son called for a physician, who spent half a day performing acupuncture to revive him, but he had suffered a stroke, leaving half of his body paralyzed and bedridden, unable to move or speak clearly.

Such a major scandal brought shame upon the entire Huang family, making it impossible for them to show their faces in public. That same day, the eldest son's wife took their two children and returned to her parents' home.

She had long sensed that her mother-in-law and second son had an unusual relationship, though she had never imagined it would be something like this. It was utterly disgraceful!

The other elders of the Huang family convened and agreed that the two had brought disgrace to the family name. They decided to strike both of them from the family registry, and Ma Shi was sent back to the rural estate where her father lived.

On the day she was sent away, Ma Shi begged piteously with her eldest son to stay and take care of her. He spat at her and left without looking back.

Meanwhile, Huang Yong seemed to have gone mad, kneeling daily at the Cao family’s doorstep, begging for Lin Sui’s forgiveness.

Naturally, Lin Sui could never forgive him. Eventually, Cao Kun went to the Huang family to discuss having him removed so he would stop being an eyesore.

Huang Yong’s uncle, a fair-minded man, decided to arrange a divorce for the two. He compensated Lin Sui with thirty guan and returned all his bridal trousseau.

On the day they left the magistrate’s office, Lin Sui seemed much lighter. Though his face was still pale and his body weak, his spirit had returned, and he no longer spoke with the hopelessness of before.

Qing Yun held his hand, genuinely happy for him.

Everyone hosted a banquet with two tables at a restaurant to celebrate Lin Sui’s escape from suffering and his bloody rebirth.

After this ordeal, Lin Sui seemed to have matured suddenly. He walked up to Wang Ying and Chen Qingyan, knelt slowly, and said, "Elder cousin, elder cousin-in-law, please accept my gratitude."

"This won’t do!" Wang Ying quickly held his arm and helped him up.

"My brother told me it was you who helped bring the Huang family’s dirty laundry to light. Without you, I might never have cleared my name in this lifetime. I have nothing to offer and no special skills, so I’ve decided not to marry. Instead, I will serve at your side, cousin-in-law, working hard to repay you."

"What kind of talk is that? We’re family—helping you is only right!"

Nearby, Li Shi also said, "Yes, Sui’er, don’t overthink it. You’re still young; there will be plenty of opportunities to find a good match in the future."

Lin Sui shook his head. On the day he miscarried, the physician had said that Huang Yong’s violent actions had severely injured his abdomen, making it unlikely for him to conceive again.

He no longer placed his hopes in men. Instead, he planned to go into trade with his cousin-in-law, save up to build some family assets, and support his mother and elder brother.

Seeing his determination, Wang Ying said, "If you’re willing, after the county exams, come back to the prefecture city with me to help run the shop. I happen to need an assistant."

Lin Sui nodded eagerly, "I’m willing!"

Chen Rong covered her mouth, choking back tears. Seeing the light return to her son’s eyes, this mother’s heart finally felt at ease. Who knew how worried she had been that Lin Sui might despair and take his own life?

Wang Ying had saved their entire family...

*

This matter was now settled. After the divorce, Huang Yong was never seen again. Some said they spotted him once outside the city, unkempt and and wild-haired, acting completely deranged.

Ma Shi soon died at the estate. No one cared how she died, but rumors about the mother and son’s scandal continued to circulate, becoming the talk of the town.

Wang Ying spent the next few days busy looking for a house. With over ten days left until the county exam, staying at an inn was not only expensive but also inconvenient. With so many people around, there was always the fear of thieves taking advantage.

They ended up renting a three-courtyard compound in the city for a month, costing less than five guan.