Chapter 55

Chapter 55

"What do you want me to do?"

Widow Li was no fool. Though she wasn't particularly clever either, having lived through many experiences, she could naturally discern certain things from the other party's attitude.

"I don't want you to do anything," Zhao Quan said honestly. "Although I do indeed want you to do something and hope you can do something, when you ask me like this, I can't really give you an answer."

Hearing this, Widow Li couldn't help but glare at him. Why were his words so full of hot air? One moment he wanted her to do something, the next he didn't. Was he making fun of her? Did he really think a widow was easy to bully?

"Don't misunderstand, I'm not joking with you," Zhao Quan said with an awkward smile. "To be honest, if we hadn't run into you and your sons, Yong Zi and I would already be in the mountains by now. We need to hurry and continue setting up ambushes, waiting for the second batch of refugees... But since we met you, and considering we're not very familiar with the situation down here, I thought having you as inside help in the village would give us a better chance when we come down later to fight them..."

After saying this, he felt rather embarrassed himself. After all, he had overheard the conversation between her and her sons earlier. It was clear Widow Li's life in the village wasn't easy. Asking her to be an ally... she was just a weak woman. His idea was truly asking too much.

Zhao Quan's voice grew softer and softer as he spoke, until he finally shut his mouth, feeling his idea was cowardly.

Widow Li, however, had a flicker in her eyes. After thinking for a moment, she quickly recounted what she had learned about Scarface and his two brothers during her time in the village these past few days. Then she said, "You're right. Refugees are like weeds in a field. If you don't pull them out by the roots, they'll sprout again in no time. Scarface, Black Spot, Severed Finger—these three brothers are extremely close. From their accents, I can tell they're from the same place, but I don't know the specifics. They don't avoid me when they talk, confident I can't understand them. However, there are two people in the refugee band from our Qingzhou Prefecture. Though they have a bit of an accent, I can understand them. They don't avoid me when chatting privately either, which is how I learned there are many more marauders like them out there. Even the authorities can't do anything about them anymore. At first, villages that were looted would report to the county, but now they've given up hope. The troops in Qingzhou Prefecture are fighting fiercely with the refugees and can't spare any soldiers to help us. We can only rely on ourselves to find a way out."

Her explanation was messy, mainly because the fragments she had overheard were also chaotic. The gist was that there were many, many villages like theirs that had been looted by refugee bands. Larger, more formidable villages, where people were united, could not only drive the marauders away but even kill them in retaliation.

But small villages like their Wanxia Village, with few people and no unity, were like meat on a chopping block, left to the refugees to slaughter at will.

Those two refugees from Qingzhou Prefecture were from a village looted by another group of bandits. Due to various reasons, they survived and eventually joined this group. Driven by Scarface and his brothers, they transformed from wronged commoners into refugees wielding butcher knives.

It was all for survival. If it hadn't been their village that was looted, Widow Li might have felt some sympathy. But since it was her own village, she wished she could hack them to pieces. It would be better if they all died!

She sneered coldly and said to Zhao Quan and Er Lai's father, "Killing this group isn't actually that difficult. Our village ended up in this state entirely because we were too useless, scared out of our wits the moment we heard the refugees were coming." As she spoke, she cast a disdainful glance at Zhao Quan and Zhao Yong. If she were a man, she certainly wouldn't be as cowardly as them. Fortunately, the old Zhao family was clever and reacted in time. Now, with several families joining forces to kill the refugees, especially since Severed Finger was likely already dead and the dozen or so men he took into the mountains probably wouldn't survive either, only about twenty refugees remained in the village. Why couldn't they be killed?

Widow Li knew deeply that now was the best opportunity. Frowning in thought for a moment, she suddenly looked up and asked, "If I can help, if I can actually accomplish something, can I join your group too?"

Zhao Quan was stunned. He exchanged a look with Er Lai's father. "What do you mean?"

"Heh." Widow Li knew they understood. "My family is weak in the village. You've all seen how hard life is for a widow and her orphans! I, Widow Li, may not have any great skills, but as long as I can survive and raise my two sons, I'd do anything to survive and raise my sons. Serve the refugees? Sleep with the whole village? I'd do it!"

"You men can pick up a knife and fight—that's your skill. But what's between my legs isn't just for bearing sons. I've got other uses for it too." She was holding nothing back. Even if it meant slandering herself to secure benefits, she didn't care. "I need a firm promise from you right now. If I can help you, will your group accept my family? I'm not asking for much. Just that in the future, if my sons and I ever face a life-threatening crisis, you'll step up and lend us a hand."

Zhao Quan hadn't expected a woman to say such things. He was not only shocked but also somewhat impressed, without a trace of disdain. Er Lai's father felt the same, but he was clumsy with words. He nudged Quan Zi with his elbow, urging him to speak.

After thinking it over, Zhao Quan said seriously, "Our families are all risking our lives. You say you can help us. First, tell us how you plan to do it. As long as you can lay out a plan, Yong Zi, Da Gen's family, and our family—we definitely have no problem with it." He didn't dare speak for the other families, though. After all, this Widow Li was truly bold in both action and speech!

"Around dusk, Scarface will probably send two men into the mountains to look for Severed Finger and the others." She hadn't been sleeping idly these past few days. Even though she couldn't understand their language, Widow Li was a clever woman, as evidenced by her ability to protect her two sons and even coax Scarface into letting her send them into the mountains. "Don't expect more people. Killing two more from the second batch was only possible because Severed Finger was the one who went into the mountains first. Otherwise, once they realize their men have been ambushed in the mountains, Scarface and the others would immediately burn the houses, take the grain, and flee."

Those who weren't afraid of death were already dead. It was precisely because they feared death that they went to great lengths to survive. Don't think the refugees were fools. Once they knew the villagers were banding together against them, they wouldn't waste any more time here. They were drifters and looters by nature—here today, gone tomorrow. They could simply move on to the next village without taking risks here.

Fight villagers hiding in the mountains, waiting for them in who-knows-what trap? Not a chance.

If they were even more vicious, they might burn the crops in the fields before leaving. If they couldn't have it, the villagers shouldn't either.

So, to kill them, they had to stop them completely before the refugees realized the mountain villagers were banding together against them—before they burned houses and fields, killed the captives, and fled.

Widow Li said a lot in one breath. Zhao Quan and Zhao Yong listened, repeatedly sucking in cold air. Only then did they start to really see her for what she was. She was so clever, her thinking far more thorough than theirs.

They had only thought about luring one batch to kill, then coming down to kill more. They hadn't considered that the refugees might not engage them head-on at all. They might come down with knives sharpened, only to find not a fight to the death, but burned houses and fields.

At that point, there'd be no one to turn to, with nowhere to go even if they wanted to kill someone!

"At the latest, by nightfall, once Scarface and Black Spot realize something is wrong, they will kill everyone, take the grain, and leave." Widow Li appeared very calm, even though she was among those to be killed. These bandits had looted countless villages, yet they had no women with them. That spoke volumes. They must have occupied, looted, and killed wherever they went, never keeping burdens or dangers around. "So you need to hurry into the mountains to notify Uncle Zhao and the others. Then, before nightfall, come down and set up an ambush. Only by killing them all when Scarface and the others try to flee can we protect our houses and fields. Otherwise, we'll have no grain for autumn and no shelter for winter. This is our only chance to survive."

After hearing this, Er Lai's father grew anxious and urged, "Quan Zi, then we shouldn't set up any more ambushes. We need to hurry into the mountains to notify Da Shan and the others! Any later and it'll be too late!" It was already late afternoon, the light was fading fast!

"What do you plan to do?" Zhao Quan looked at Widow Li, his rubbing hands showing his anxiety.

"Severed Finger was cautious. He always made me taste the food first before he would eat it." Widow Li smiled. "The refugees are all men. What kind of food can they make? It's almost like pig slop. I've been the one preparing the meals these past few days. But they're wary of me too. Besides making me taste the food, I can only choose from what's in the kitchen to eat each day, and someone is always watching me."

"You want to poison them?" Zhao Quan frowned. Poisoning was a good idea—knocking them out directly would save trouble. But if she poisoned them, she'd have to eat the food too. He quickly shook his head. "No, no. Dead men are no use to us. Let's think of another way."

Widow Li rolled her eyes at him. "Even if I wanted to poison them, I don't have any poison." Where would country bumpkins get such things? Even hunters only soaked their arrowheads overnight in herbs that made prey go limp. And even if she did, she was the one cooking. If Scarface tasted something off, he'd probably draw his knife and kill her on the spot.

She didn't want to die.

"Then what's your plan?"

"Scarface and the others eat their evening meal around dusk. If you trust me, set up an ambush here a little before then. Once you see the kitchen in the village chief's house catch fire, bring your men over immediately. Scarface and Black Spot live in the village chief's house; the rest live in nearby houses. Attacking them separately is to our advantage." Widow Li wrung her hands, her mind racing. "I can't guarantee I'll knock them out. After all, I don't have poison, unless you can provide colorless, odorless poison. Otherwise, I'll have to use my own method."

She didn't hide it from them either, leaning in to whisper a few words in their ears.

...

Widow Li slowly made her way back to the former village chief's house.

The village chief had the most farmland in their village. Even after the earthquake, the rebuilt house was the most impressive in the village. It wasn't a blue-brick tile house, but it had many spacious rooms. Even the pigpen was larger than her main room.

On the day the refugees entered the village, the village chief's pigs were slaughtered. The thirty or forty captured people were all crammed into the pigpen, eating, drinking, and relieving themselves inside. From a distance, you could smell the overwhelming stench.

"Li Er's wife, give... give me a steamed bun. I'm starving." A filthy hand reached out from between the railings. It belonged to an old man with graying hair, who was actually the uncle of Widow Li's late husband. He usually couldn't stand her loose ways. He was captured because he couldn't bear to leave his pig behind. With his old arms and legs, he couldn't manage it himself. When fleeing, he insisted his son and daughter-in-law go fetch it. His son was blindly obedient, listening to him in everything. Fortunately, the daughter-in-law was clever. Without a word, she grabbed her son and daughter and ran. In the end, it was this father and son who were caught.

This old man was the first to suggest drowning her in a pig cage.

Of the thirty-some households in the village, most of those now living in the pigpen were surnamed Li. Served them right. Back when the village advised everyone to wait a year before raising pigs again, the Zhao clan listened. Most of them didn't raise pigs, only a few chickens. When it was time to flee, they could just grab them and go.

But the Lis wouldn't listen. They raised pigs as usual. So, when disaster struck, they couldn't bear to leave this or that behind, and ended up accompanying their pigs to the end. At their age, they even got to sleep in a pigpen.

"Li Er's wife, I'm talking to you. You, you..."

Widow Li really wanted to roll her eyes. When her sons were around, she had to put up with his attitude to some extent. But now that her sons had been taken into the mountains by Zhao Quan and the others, she couldn't be bothered with them.

"Slut! You whore! You sell yourself..."

"I sold it, so what?! So what?!" A sudden surge of anger rose in Widow Li's heart. She turned on her heel and rushed over like a madwoman, one foot on the railing, pointing at her crotch. "Your nephew died young! If I didn't sell, how could I raise his two sons?! If you're so capable, why is your son sleeping in a pigpen like an animal with you? You're all a bunch of filthy animals! Did I flirt with anyone or something? Calling me a whore, shameless, with every breath! You want face? Now you're sleeping in a pigpen, begging me for steamed buns! Ha! Begging me for steamed buns? What, old man, aren't you afraid it's dirty? Can you eat a steamed bun tainted by a whore's crotch?!"

She pointed at the limp, defeated figures sitting or lying inside. Every single one of them had privately cursed her or bullied her two sons. Her own clan wanted to drown her in a pig cage; outsiders clapped in agreement. The adults were bad enough, but even the children beat her boys and stole the meager food she managed to get.

This pigpen was meant for animals. They should be locked in here forever, never to come out and harm people again.

A light flashed in Widow Li's eyes. She lowered her leg, a sudden smile appearing on her face.

"Well, well... Uncle, brothers, sisters-in-law, nephews... we're all family. Since I entered the Li family, I'm part of the Li family now." Widow Li turned with a chuckle and headed toward the kitchen. "Wait here. I'll bring you steamed buns later."

The old man she called "Uncle" felt an inexplicable, deep chill seep into the very marrow of his bones.

Originally planning to go to the kitchen first, Widow Li reconsidered and went to the main room instead.

Scarface was lying on the bed, wiping down his sword. When she entered, he didn't even lift an eyelid. Widow Li, however, familiarly climbed onto the bed.

They hardly spoke, mainly because they couldn't understand each other. But Widow Li was clever. With one look from Scarface, she could roughly gauge his mood. Like now, lying in his arms, doing things to please him, she could tell he was quite satisfied and didn't question her long absence.

As for why she didn't escape with the others? To be honest, she had thought about it, but only briefly. Compared to the potential dangers, she preferred to let her sons escape while she stayed behind to placate him.

She couldn't afford to gamble.

Of course, there was no such worry now. Sensing his satisfaction, Widow Li was also quite pleased. It was over quicker than she'd expected. She drew it out a bit on purpose, which made him stroke her head continuously, like petting an obedient dog. Widow Li feigned ignorance and only got off the bed after a long while.

She stood meekly to the side, pointed toward the kitchen, and indicated she was going to prepare the evening meal.

Scarface picked up the knife beside him again, nodded, and said something. Widow Li took it to mean "Go ahead." She nodded carefully, not daring to disturb him, and turned to leave with light steps.

On her way to the kitchen, anyone could reach out and grope her. She didn't dare resist, only twisting her body to avoid it, which only made them bolder.

Thankfully, she was now considered Scarface's woman. While they might sneak a grope, no one dared to actually lay a hand on her. Anyone who had followed Scarface and raided two villages knew that whenever they arrived at a new place, Scarface would first pick the prettiest woman. Once chosen, if any of his men dared to touch her, he would kill them without a second thought.

It wasn't that he valued the woman much, but he wouldn't tolerate his men challenging his authority.

The kitchen was piled high with supplies—heaps of pork, some already starting to smell. This was one of the reasons Widow Li was convinced these refugees would flee immediately if danger arose. From the first day they entered the village, they had slaughtered all the pigs, chickens, and ducks they had seized, clearly prepared to run at any moment.

Otherwise, they could have slaughtered them as needed. In this hot weather, fresh meat that hadn't been cured wouldn't last long.

They used the kitchen as a half-storeroom, piling all the looted food inside. When she cooked, two refugees would keep an eye on her. This was why Widow Li, despite preparing every meal, had never considered poisoning the food.

But today was different. She rummaged through a sack buried under other things and pulled out a bag of mushrooms.

This bag of mushrooms had been seized from Zhou Chunya's house. Old Lady Zhou loved going into the mountains to forage for mushrooms but couldn't tell the good from the bad. Several times, the whole family had suffered vomiting and diarrhea from eating them. The most severe incident reportedly had every family member seeing their own great-grandmothers.

After waking up, they swore they had truly seen them, with their great-grandmothers waving at them.

Whether the villagers believed it or not, Widow Li was a believer. She knew there were several types of mushrooms that could cause hallucinations when eaten—knowledge she had learned from a close childhood friend when she was a girl.

Among the mushrooms in the Zhou family's bag were several poisonous varieties, and quite a few at that. The only regret was that none were the kind that could kill immediately upon ingestion. But it would serve her purpose. Some of the most poisonous mushrooms were also the most delicious. Widow Li decided to prepare a braised rice with cured meat and mushrooms, mushroom chicken soup, and stir-fried mushrooms with meat for Scarface and Hei Ban tonight...

As dusk gradually fell, Widow Li bustled about in the kitchen. The two refugees squatting nearby, as usual, leered at her from head to toe, inside and out, occasionally letting out lewd chuckles.

Widow Li pretended not to notice. She washed, chopped, braised, stewed, and stir-fried the mushrooms, working methodically and in an orderly manner. As long as she didn't add anything suspicious, these two lookouts would never notice anything amiss.

At the first quarter of the You hour, Scarface's angry shouts echoed through the courtyard. As expected, this time he only sent two men into the mountains.

Thin smoke rose from the kitchen chimney, and the fragrant aroma of the delicious mushroom chicken soup had already wafted through several rooms.

When the wooden lid was lifted, the sight and smell of the full pot of braised rice with mushrooms and cured meat were so enticing that the two refugees couldn't tear themselves away. They guarded the stove, drooling, but didn't dare reach out to grab any. This woman only cooked for Scarface and his two brothers. They ate their own slop, though they would be rewarded with the leftovers. Tonight, with such a large pot of braised rice with mushrooms and cured meat, there was no way Scarface and the others could finish it all. Heh heh, they were in for a treat tonight.

The air was slightly damp, with the scent of twilight and the impending heavy rain arriving simultaneously.

At the third quarter of the You hour, raindrops the size of beans began hitting the ground. In moments, the earth released a wave of scorching heat, making everyone feel like steamed buns in a steamer, breaking out in sweat, followed by a sudden chill.

Duan Zhi, who had gone into the mountains, hadn't returned, and neither had the two refugees later sent to find them. Just as the downpour began, Scarface flew into a rage in the main hall.

At the sixth quarter of the You hour, Widow Li served all the evening's dishes on the table. Under the watchful eyes of Scarface and Hei Ban, she first ate some of the braised rice, then drank a small bowl of chicken soup, and finally picked up a slice of cured meat...

After the tasting, about a dozen breaths later, Scarface waved his hand, and Widow Li silently withdrew.

Outside, the rain poured down. She stood under the eaves, gazing in the direction of Zhao Yong's house, listening to the sounds of Scarface and Hei Ban wolfing down their food and gulping soup. A faint smile suddenly curled at the corner of her mouth.

She went to the kitchen. The two refugees who had been guarding the door were nowhere to be seen. She picked up the kitchen knife on the chopping board and checked the pot. The leftover braised rice she had intentionally saved had been scraped clean, and even the chicken soup in the clay pot had been poured out, not a drop remaining.

This was the time when the refugees usually ate. The humiliation she had endured these past few days wasn't for nothing. At least, when she pulled the burning firewood from the stove, threw it onto the woodpile stacked outside, and then quietly hid in the outhouse with the kitchen knife, no one noticed—not the refugees, nor even the villagers lying in the pigpen.

It wasn't until the end of the You hour, the beginning of the Xu hour, that the sound of bowls and chopsticks hitting the floor in the main hall echoed simultaneously with a series of hurried footsteps outside.

"Ah—my stomach hurts so much!"

"Big brother, I... I'm so dizzy, and I feel like vomiting..."

"That damn woman poisoned us—" Scarface grabbed the knife beside him, intending to go kill Widow Li. But as soon as he stood up, he felt dizzy and disoriented. His stomach suddenly churned, and he vomited the delicious evening meal he had just eaten all over the still-seated Hei Ban's head.

Once something has been in the mouth, it's no different from having rolled in a cesspit. The smell was indescribable. Hei Ban, nauseated, rolled his eyes. Already woozy, he collapsed to the ground.

"Go, call everyone, we need to leave now!" The unease in Scarface's heart grew heavier. Their original plan had been to eat this meal, and if Third Brother still hadn't returned, they would leave without waiting, taking their things and burning the houses.

But he had never anticipated that the woman would dare to poison them! How the hell had his men been keeping watch?! Those two idiots, he'd kill them all later!

"Where is everyone?! Are you all fucking dead?!" Scarface, fighting his discomfort, rushed out of the main hall gripping his large knife, only to suddenly see thick smoke billowing from the direction of the kitchen. He charged over and saw that someone had started a fire! Because of the heavy rain, it hadn't fully caught, but with too much dry firewood piled under the kitchen eaves, it was a battle between burning and being doused, flickering on and off, particularly conspicuous in the pitch-black night.

What else was there to understand?

It must be that woman's doing!

The heavy rain extinguished the flames but also masked the sounds. To display their status, only Scarface and his two brothers could live in the village chief's large house, with only the two Axe Men allowed in the side rooms. Everyone else had to stay in the nearest few households.

When Zhao Dashan, Zhao Quan, and the others climbed over the wall and entered, Scarface didn't notice them immediately. Mainly because it was pitch dark and, damn it, raining. Even though he was on high alert, he couldn't react instantly.

He was from the north. Having grown up never eating mushrooms, he had no experience being poisoned by them. Even if this stuff couldn't kill him, the dizziness and nausea came on fast and fierce. His stomach ached, and he staggered as he walked.

"Someone! Where the hell is everyone?!"

"Go! Pack up and leave now!!"

"Bitch, don't let me catch you, or I'll throw you into a crowd of men..."

The only response was the sound of pouring rain and Zhao Dashan's tiger-like, agile figure.

"Who the hell do you think you're throwing?!" Zhao Dashan's face was twisted with ferocity as he raised his knife and swung it down at him. "You burned my father's house? You die first!!"

Scarface was shocked and frightened, hurriedly swinging his knife to block. The clash of blades produced a clear, resonant ring. Zhao Dashan felt the shock vibrate painfully through the base of his thumb, thinking to himself that this bandit leader was indeed different from Duan Zhi, that flashy but useless pretty boy.

Scarface was taller and more robust than Zhao Dashan by a fair margin. His natural height advantage had allowed him to burn, kill, and plunder his way through Qingzhou Prefecture as if walking on flat ground. The men here were truly weaklings; he could lift them with one hand and throw them several meters away. One slash from his knife could neatly sever a neck. Ordinary people not only dared not oppose him but felt immense pressure just standing before him.

Zhao Dashan was one of the few brawny men Scarface had encountered since arriving in Qingzhou Prefecture who could trade blows with him. One was a bandit, the other a peasant. Their fighting had no technique; all their strikes aimed for fatal spots like the head, neck, or heart.

Hei Ban stumbled out. His poisoning symptoms were even more severe than Scarface's. As he walked, he foamed at the mouth. Zhao Quan and Zhao Yong, who had initially feared his large knife, seeing his pitiful state and noticing he could barely hold the weapon steady, harassed him from front and back with hoes. The hoes were long, more effective than axes. Being hit by one was also deadly. Under their assault, Hei Ban gained no advantage.

"I'll kill you all!!" They were like two unkillable mosquitoes, infuriating Hei Ban into wildly swinging his knife, hacking at them.

The rain poured down. In the courtyard, rainwater mixed with blood, and roars shook the sky.

The households nearest to the village chief's house were also rivers of blood. Old Man Zhao and the others had gone berserk, cutting down anyone they saw, regardless of whether they resisted or begged for mercy. These refugees, without sharp weapons, were ultimately no different from them—perhaps even worse. At least the villagers had a clear goal, driven by a fierce determination to slaughter the enemy cleanly.

The momentum was one-sided; as one side waned, the other waxed.

These refugees were essentially a ragtag group thrown together along the way. With a leader and someone giving orders, they might have amounted to something. But now they were like ants whose nest had been destroyed. Without their leader, their hands holding sickles trembled, and they only knew how to hide.

They had neither the heart nor the ability to resist.

Among them, Zhao Bai and Wu Dazhu struck the most viciously. If not for these refugees, how would their brothers have been injured? These two fought recklessly. Even if they were cut by knives, their flesh gouged by sickles until bits flew, they still fiercely brought their own cleavers down on the enemies' necks.

Severing their carotid arteries, then tossing them into the courtyard like rags.

Letting the blood spread, letting life fade away.

...

In the pigpen, one figure after another fell.

Widow Li had become a woman drenched in blood. With each swing of her blade, members of the Li family who had wanted to drown her in the pond fell before her, and not a single villager who had echoed their calls was spared.

A flash of lightning illuminated the pitch-black night, revealing her face smeared with blood.

"Boom—"

A thunderclap roared. She grabbed Elder Li by the collar, lifting the old man, frail from days of hunger, like a limp chicken.

"You... you..." His teeth chattered uncontrollably, and he had already pissed himself in terror.

This widow had suddenly emerged from the outhouse, wielding a kitchen knife and killing without a word. Everyone was terrified out of their wits, begging for mercy, but she paid no heed. She had cut her way from one end of the pigsty to the other. They had screamed for help, but the heavy rain outside drowned out their cries—no one heard, no one came to their rescue.

They wanted to fight back but had no strength left, not even enough to lift their hands.

The hand holding the kitchen knife trembled. She looked at Elder Li and let out a cold, mirthless laugh, which to him was no different from the King of Hell demanding his life. "Elder, since I married into your Li family, have I ever wronged you in any way?"

Elder Li, terrified, was about to shake his head when the blood-stained kitchen knife slapped against his face. He was instantly scared out of his wits, not daring to move a muscle.

"My father-in-law and mother-in-law died early. Li Er and I had no elders, so I respected you distant relatives from the bottom of my heart. Whether it was planting rice in spring or rushing to harvest in summer, I never failed to help with the work. Do you remember the year Big Radish was born? My husband and I didn't even have time to harvest our own fields before rushing to help your families. Then, a thunderstorm hit. While Li Er and I were cutting rice in the fields, not only did none of you come to help, you even made endless excuses to avoid having your wife watch Big Radish for me."

Widow Li had years of pent-up grievances to pour out. As she spoke, tears streamed down her face. "Later, when Li Er fell ill and we had no money, I took Big Radish and knelt in the courtyards of your families, begging you to lend me money to take him to a doctor. How did you respond? 'No money!' 'You've asked the wrong people!' Did your families really have no money? If it had been me who was sick, I would have deserved to die—after all, I'm an outsider. But Li Er was your nephew! How heartless could you be to watch him die right before your eyes?! My boys, Big and Little Radish, lost their father when they were so young. They are members of the Li family too!!"

Gnashing her teeth, her eyes red with hatred, she ignored his struggles and slapped his face repeatedly with the flat of the kitchen knife. "At the beginning of the year, when the earthquake hit and every family scrambled for shelter, you, our so-called kin, abandoned my two sons. In the bitter cold of winter, the two children were freezing and hopping from foot to foot. If it hadn't been for Auntie Wang's kindness in looking after this widow and her orphans, the three of us would have died that very night!"

"Kin, kin—what kind of kin are you?!"

"When disaster strikes, who isn't just trying to survive? What did I do wrong by fighting for my two sons? You called me a whore, a cheap slut selling herself, and wanted to drown me in a pig basket!" She raised the kitchen knife and brought it down hard on the neck of the frantically struggling old man, letting the blood splatter all over her face.

"Then I'll kill you first! Let's see who dares to drown me in a pig cage after that!"