Chapter 31

Chapter 31

The young man's retching seemed like a signal, and many villagers couldn't help but join in the retching. Fortunately, they didn't vomit inside the house. Despite the freezing cold outside, they scrambled out without a second thought, and the once lively Feng family courtyard quickly fell silent. The villagers even thoughtfully closed the gate behind them—they were genuinely terrified. Li Meihua's condition—it's like that skin disease; what if it was contagious?

Feng Xia stood there with a smile, examining Li Meihua's hand inch by inch with a scrutinizing gaze. Layers of scabs overlapped, and faintly visible beneath were fresh, rotting flesh slowly turning into a grayish-green skin, withered and lifeless.

"Mother, if you wanted something of mine, you could have just said so. Why resort to underhanded deeds? That enamel cup of mine—did it feel good to use?" Feng Xia asked cheerfully, her dimples sweet and charming. She released her grip on Li Meihua's hand, and Li Meihua immediately shoved it back into her pocket, collapsing weakly to the ground.

Zhang Ling and her daughters were still confused. What enamel cup? And Li Meihua's hand—it was truly disgusting.

Feng Xia's eyes crinkled with a smile as she sat down on a chair in the main hall. While pulling items out of her bundle, she said casually, "Look at you all. Tsk, tsk. Don't touch what you shouldn't—even a child knows that. Why don't you get it? I named this poison 'New Life.' Sounds nice, doesn't it? First, it itches, an unbearable itch. Then the flesh rots bit by bit, spreading from the hands to the whole body. After that, the skin grows back, only to rot again. Mother, Grandmother, don't worry. By next spring, your hands will be healed."

Old Mrs. Feng broke out in a cold sweat, panting heavily. Her legs gave way, and she too collapsed to the ground. Her face was covered in a layer of greenish-gray, making her look eerily like a zombie, especially terrifying. Now, as she looked at Feng Xia, her eyes were filled with pure hatred and utter fear. She knew Feng Xia was telling the truth—her hands were indeed festering. At the thought of her entire body rotting in agony, Zhao Yuee could no longer hold on. Using all four limbs like a bloated lizard, she crawled to Feng Xia's feet, sobbing and begging.

"Xia, Grandma knows she was wrong! Please, have pity on my old age and cure me! Xia, I beg you, I beg you!" Old Mrs. Feng prostrated herself, kowtowing repeatedly to Feng Xia. Her exposed hands were more decayed than Li Meihua's, with patches of green spots even spreading to her neck, making her look less like a living person and more like a reanimated corpse.

Feng Jinlian and Feng Jingui stepped back, clinging to their mother's side. The scene before them was absurd. Zhao Yuee, second only to Feng Shizhu in the Feng family and an insurmountable mountain in the eyes of her granddaughters and daughters-in-law, now cowered like a whipped dog before Feng Xia, begging for forgiveness.

Feng Xia kept that same cheerful smile. She ignored Zhao Yuee's kneeling form and Li Meihua's hateful glare, busying herself with taking out her things. Once she finished, she folded the bundle cloth and turned her attention to the two women, her voice crisp and pleasant: "Mother, Grandmother, I just don't like it when people touch my things. Since you've already taken them, fine—you are my elders, after all. But elders should give their juniors some allowance, shouldn't they? I won't ask for much. You decide the amount."

Zhao Yuee wanted to wail and complain, but seeing Feng Xia's curled lips, she dared not speak. Trembling, she pulled out over 30 yuan from her pocket, a mix of bills and coins, and placed it all on the offering table. Feng Xia leisurely counted it: 38 yuan and 62 cents, probably close to everything Old Mrs. Feng had. A cornered beast will still fight, and Feng Xia intended to torment them, but she had to know the limit. If she crossed that line, Zhao Yuee might hang herself at the gate—that wouldn't do.

"Grandma, don't worry. I'll definitely cure you. After all, you're my own grandmother!" Feng Xia straightened out the bills one by one, tucked them into her inner pocket, then turned to Li Meihua. "Mother, Grandma gave me New Year's money. What about you?"

Li Meihua hated this daughter to the bone, wishing she could devour her flesh. She had no intention of giving her money, but a glance at her own grotesque hands filled her with helplessness. She knew Feng Xia was telling the truth—if she didn't get treated, she'd rot into a pile of flesh by next year. Involuntarily shuddering, Li Meihua slowly pulled two ten-yuan bills from her pocket. Her eldest daughter had given them to her, and she'd been reluctant to spend them. If she'd known they'd end up with this little bitch, she would have spent them all.

Li Meihua clutched the money, her arm stiff and mechanical as she placed it on the table. Her eyes were downcast, but deep within, a venomous rage churned.

Feng Xia tucked away the 20 yuan and turned to the three men of the Feng family: "Grandfather, Uncle, Father? What do they think?"

What did they think? They regretted it—regretted taking over Feng Xia's things after she left and developed sores all over their hands. But since they worked the fields more, their sores weren't as severe as Li Meihua's. Others just thought they had frostbite. Still, all three men had experienced that maddening itch, so intense they wanted to chop off their hands. They'd gone to the clinic, but Dr. Zhou's medicine was useless. After a long silence, each pulled out a ten-yuan bill and placed it silently on the table. Their exposed hands were covered in scratch marks, evidence of their suffering.

Feng Xia clapped her hands, her smile widening. "Good. It seems everyone wants to give me New Year's money. I'm very satisfied. And as the older sister, I won't be stingy. Feng Qiu and Feng Chengzong will benefit from your generosity."

As soon as Feng Xia finished speaking, Li Meihua rushed out like a madwoman, dragging back the two children who had been playing in the snow. Sure enough, Feng Chengzong had a fresh sore at the corner of his mouth, and Feng Qiu had one on her hand. The two children stood bewildered in the center of the hall, their eyes fixed longingly on the food their sister had brought back.

They had no idea that misfortune had already befallen them.

Li Meihua hugged her two children, trembling with rage. She wanted to scream at Feng Xia, "These are your goddamn siblings! How can you be so cruel!" But she didn't dare. She was afraid of Feng Xia. She had to admit it—this girl was truly sinister. She was terrified of her own daughter!

Feng Xia turned to Zhang Ling. "Aunt, please boil a pot of water. Sorry for the trouble."

Zhang Ling mechanically went to boil water, her mind in a daze. Everything today had caught her off guard. The domineering in-laws, the violent Feng Aihua, the sharp-tongued Li Meihua—all of them were being toyed with by this little girl, groveling at her feet. Something solid within Zhang Ling shattered with a loud crack.

The wait was agonizing. When Zhang Ling carried a bucket of water into the room, she was met with everyone's anxious stares. She set the bucket before Feng Xia, who unhurriedly pulled out a green pill from her pocket and dropped it into the water. The steaming water immediately cooled, turning into a bucket of dark green liquid. Feng Xia leaned lazily against her chair, scanning the room. "One ladle each. Drink up."

Old Mrs. Feng was the first to rush forward. Just moments ago, she had been lying on the ground, half-dead. Now she sprang up, grabbed the ladle, scooped a full portion, and gulped it down. The medicine was bitter, but she drank it all without stopping. As soon as she finished, a sharp pain shot through her hands, and the skin peeled off, revealing the muscle beneath. The effect was so fast that Zhao Yuee finally felt her heart settle.

Before she could react, a surge in her stomach sent her rushing to the yard, where she leaned against the wall and vomited loudly.

The others followed suit. Even Feng Chengzong was forced to down a full ladle, his eyes rolling back. Li Meihua didn't dare relax until she saw both her children drink every drop, then she gulped down her own ladle. Every single one of the Feng family all went outside to throw up.

Zhao Yuee was the first to return. The greenish-black on her hands had faded, though a few scars remained. But Old Mrs. Feng didn't care about that—survival was enough. Faced with this ruthless granddaughter, she was truly terrified.