nucmednet Chapter 37 Letting the Wolf In
Chapter 37 Letting the Wolf In
The sun hung scorching high in the sky, baking the earth until it emitted white smoke.
On the dirt road leading to the Red Star Brigade, dust swirled, as if a thousand horses were galloping.
The one leading the group was a burly old woman with a fierce face; it was Niu Guihua.
She held the cleaver, still covered in vegetable scraps, upside down in her hand, and walked with a fierce, menacing gait.
Behind him followed a dozen or so burly men, the male members of the Li family. Some carried hoes, others carried carrying poles, their sleeves rolled up, the veins on their exposed arms bulging, looking like a group of bandits who were about to tear a hole in the sky.
Caught in the middle, Aunt Zhao was like a lamb being chased by a pack of wolves. Her legs were as weak as noodles, and she was only able to stay upright in the scorching hot earthen pit because the Li family members on both sides were supporting her.
Little did she know that this is what they mean by "it's easy to invite a god, but hard to send him away!"
Sun Laowai's original idea was to have the Li family go into the mountains to search for people, so that they could at least make a show of it, and even if they couldn't find them, they could blame it on "human traffickers".
But Niu Guihua is not one to play by the rules!
Halfway there, this woman made an excuse that the sun was too strong, the mountain road was difficult to walk, and there might be an ambush. With a quick glance and a wave of her hand, she led this bunch of plagues directly towards the Red Star Brigade!
In Niu Guihua's words, "You can run away, but you can't hide! Since the person was lost from the Zhao family, we have to demand an explanation from them! Either hand over the person, or pay up, or... Hmph, bring that little slut who can be sold for money back to me!"
Aunt Zhao was filled with regret. This wasn't looking for help; it was inviting trouble and inviting a bunch of living devils into her house!
At the entrance of Hongxing Brigade village, several stray dogs that were panting under the big locust tree suddenly started barking wildly, then tucked their tails between their legs and whimpered as they scurried into the woodpile.
Before the villagers, who were resting and chatting in the fields, could react, they saw a large group of people rushing towards the Zhao family's dilapidated courtyard like a dark cloud looming over the city.
"Oh my! Are those people from Xiahe Village? What's with all this commotion?"
"Looks like they're going to fight! Come on, this is going to be interesting!"
Those resting in the fields or sewing shoe soles under the big locust tree, upon seeing this scene, even forgot about their work.
These days life is tough, and what we lack most is fun. Today's show is even more exciting than shadow puppetry.
No one seemed to mind the scorching sun. Carrying their large black porcelain bowls, they followed behind in a massive swarm, running faster than the commune was distributing grain, afraid of missing out on a good spot.
When the dilapidated gate of the Zhao family was kicked open, Li Xianglian was sitting on the stone mill in the courtyard, picking vegetables.
The two door panels were not sturdy to begin with, and with that kick, half of the door came off its hinges, hanging crookedly on the door frame, raising a cloud of choking dust.
With a loud crash, the sparrows in the tree were startled and flew away in all directions.
Li Xianglian was sitting on the stone millstone in the courtyard, picking chives.
The sudden noise startled her so much that her hand trembled, and the bunch of chives she had just picked fell to the ground, covering her in dirt.
Before she could even straighten up, the pungent smell of sweat mixed with the odor of tobacco wafted into the yard.
Leading the group was her stepmother, Niu Guihua.
As soon as she entered the courtyard, her triangular eyes, like searchlights, first swept around the dilapidated courtyard, spat out a spit in disgust, and finally fixed their gaze on Li Xianglian.
"Well, you jinx, still hiding at home!"
Niu Guihua's voice was as loud as a broken gong, making everyone's eardrums buzz. "I thought you'd run off with that crazy woman too!"
Li Xianglian's face turned deathly pale instantly, and the chives in her hand fell to the ground.
Looking at the burly men swarming around the courtyard, then at Aunt Zhao, who was being held in the middle like a dead dog, and at her younger brother Li Dabao, who was staring at her with a lewd look while holding a carrying pole, a chill ran down her spine.
Her original plan was to have Aunt Zhao cause trouble at the Li family's house, hoping that the two families would fight like dogs and neither of them would have any peace.
But despite all her calculations, she never expected that Niu Guihua, that greedy old hag, would dare to bring so many people to her door in broad daylight to snatch her away!
They're going to tear her apart alive!
"Mother...why did you bring so many uncles and elders here?"
Li Xianglian suppressed her fear and took a step back, her back pressing against the cold millstone.
"Don't call me 'Mom'! I couldn't have given birth to such a useless, money-losing brat like you!"
Niu Guihua rushed forward, grabbed Li Xianglian's hair, and pulled it down forcefully.
A tearing pain shot through her scalp, forcing Li Xianglian to tilt her head back and meet Niu Guihua's ferocious face.
"You heartless ingrate! You didn't know Xiaoyun was missing? What were you doing at the Zhao family? You watched your own sister-in-law get kidnapped, and you didn't even bother to send a word? I bet you just wanted Xiaoyun to die out there so you could take all the Zhao family's assets, didn't you!"
That's a perfect and ruthless way to pin this blame on someone.
"I didn't..." Li Xianglian was about to defend herself.
"Not a damn thing!"
Niu Guihua didn't give her a chance to speak. Her large, fan-like hand was about to slap Li Xianglian across the face. "Today I'm going to teach you a lesson for your dead mother, you traitor!"
Li Xianglian subconsciously turned her head to the side.
The slap whistled past her ear and landed hard on her shoulder, causing a burning pain.
"Oh, you dare to hide?"
Li Dabao, who had been unable to contain himself for a while, came over.
This man was in his mid-twenties, idle all day long, with a pointed face and monkey-like features. His beady green eyes lingered on Li Xianglian's faded polyester shirt.
"Mother, why waste your breath on this brat!"
Li Dabao slammed his carrying pole on the ground and reached out to grab Li Xianglian's arm. "The Zhao family lost my wife, so they have to compensate us! This girl may be a virgin, but that butcher Zhang has a thing for her! Taking her back will make up for the three hundred yuan dowry!"
Before Li Dabao's hand even touched anyone, the nauseating stench of his breath hit Li Xianglian's face first.
Li Xianglian's hair stood on end.
That fear wasn't feigned; it was ingrained in my very bones.
When Li Dabao was little, whenever she cried, Niu Guihua would hit her with a broom handle; in the dead of winter, while Li Dabao slept on a warm kang (heated brick bed), she could only curl up in a pile of firewood full of rat droppings.
She finally escaped that hellhole, but now these people want to drag her back and sell her again!
Sell it to that widower Zhang, the butcher with a fierce face, who I heard also beats women!
"Da Bao! I'm your own sister!"
Li Xianglian gripped her collar tightly, her voice trembling, tears welling in her eyes but refusing to fall. "You're breaking the law! This is a new society; human trafficking is illegal!"
"Breaking the law? In Old Li's family, I am the law!"
Li Dabao scoffed, his mud-covered fingernails digging hard into Li Xianglian's wrist, causing her to gasp in pain. "What kind of 'sister'? If I hadn't switched you with Zhao Gang, would I have been able to marry Xiaoyun? Now that Xiaoyun is gone, of course you have to go and find me another wife! This is your fate!"
"That's right! Aunt Guihua, let's get started!"
"Why waste time arguing with this girl? Just tie her up and take her back!"
The Li family's relatives around them also joined in the commotion, each with a sinister grin on their face, as if they were enjoying the spectacle. Some of them had even untied the straw ropes from their waists.
Aunt Zhao huddled in the corner, watching Li Xianglian surrounded by several people, not daring to utter a sound.
She even felt a little smug.
Arrest them, it's good that you've taken them.
As long as these plagues don't ask her for money, what does it matter if a daughter-in-law dies?
Anyway, it's not like it fell from her body.
Li Xianglian felt utterly disheartened when she saw Zhao Da Niang's cowardly appearance, as if she wanted to bury her head in her crotch.
This is human nature.
When faced with self-interest, these people are not human; they are a bunch of ghosts in human skin!
Looking at Li Xianglian's fair and delicate face, even in her panic, Niu Guihua felt a surge of jealousy that grew like poisonous weeds.
Why is it that while she toils away in the dirt, this little brat gets more and more beautiful?
"Da Bao! Do it! Tie her up!"
With a command from Niu Guihua, "Since the Zhao family won't take care of her, I'll take her away! Go back and wash her clean, then put her on Zhang the butcher's bed!"
Li Dabao chuckled, his calloused hand reaching for Li Xianglian's chest. "Sister, just behave yourself. Aside from his liking to beat people up, Butcher Zhang's food is pretty good; he has meat at every meal..."
Just then, the dirty hand was about to touch Li Xianglian's collar.
Li Xianglian closed her eyes in despair, clutching the small knife she used for picking vegetables tightly in her hand, thinking that she might as well fight these beasts to the death!
Just then.
"Bang!!!"
A loud bang, like a muffled thunderclap in a clear sky.