Chapter 57: Refusing to See Reason

Chen Huaihai shot Ahong an irritated look.

“Stop making a fuss. We’re taking you so you can have a better life.”

“If you stay with this group, your son will starve to death.”

In truth, no one believed Pang Ziyuan could survive.

Although Pang Zhenggong could still find food, he was bringing home less and less as time went on.

With the price of water skyrocketing, food that could actually be eaten was becoming even scarcer.

Most of the food had to be traded for water.

On top of that, everyone knew Pang Zhenggong could find food.

So, many people would come to borrow food and drink from him.

But no one ever paid him back.

Especially Wei Lingxia—she borrowed the most.

Because of her family ties to Ahong, and because she was often beaten by her husband Chen Huaihai and had her food withheld, Wei Lingxia would come crying to Ahong whenever she was hungry.

And she’d eat and drink at the Pang family’s home.

But as Pang Zhenggong brought home less and less food, Pang Ziyuan went hungry more and more often.

Once Ahong had no extra food to give Wei Lingxia, Wei Lingxia stopped coming.

Later, Ahong even went to Wei Lingxia a few times, begging her to give Pang Ziyuan a little food.

But Wei Lingxia refused.

Well, not exactly refused.

It was that Chen Huaihai wanted Ahong to sleep with him a few times, and would give her food each time.

He made his intentions clear to Wei Lingxia.

Wei Lingxia grew to resent Ahong and deliberately turned her away.

After all, whether Pang Ziyuan lived or died didn’t really matter to her.

Now that Chen Huaihai had run into Ahong, Wei Lingxia could only curse Ahong as a shameless seductress in her heart, while helping Chen Huaihai drag Ahong away.

Ahong cried out, hoping someone nearby would help her.

Calling out to Shi Yuebai was just a desperate move.

The people around looked on with numb expressions. Back when the Chen family caused trouble for the Shi family, they hadn’t dared to intervene.

When Shi Yuebai beat up Chen Huaihai, they hadn’t dared to step in either.

Now, as Chen Huaihai and Wei Lingxia dragged Ahong away together, they still didn’t dare to interfere.

Tears streamed down Ahong’s face as she looked at the blank faces around her, and she couldn’t help but let out a bitter laugh.

“All of you have borrowed food from my family—why can’t you help me?”

If just a few people, even just a few, stepped forward to block Chen Huaihai and Wei Lingxia, it would be enough.

Chen Huaihai and Wei Lingxia weren’t scary at all.

The women and children standing in front of their tarps watched as Ahong was dragged farther and farther away.

How could they help?

They were hungry too, and every day was a struggle just to survive.

If they got beaten to death by Chen Huaihai and Wei Lingxia, who would take care of their children?

Human life was as cheap as grass, yet everyone clung to their own.

Just as Ahong was falling into despair, ahead of her, Shi Yuebai’s figure in a wheelchair slowly turned around.

She was spotlessly clean, her face round and plump like a giant steamed bun, but her eyes were especially bright.

Chen Huaihai and Wei Lingxia stopped in their tracks.

They glanced back.

Wasn’t Shi Yuebai behind them just now?

If they remembered right, she’d been talking to Guai Guai.

Why was she suddenly here?

“If you’re willing to give your life to me, then this person belongs to me now,” Shi Yuebai said.

She held a long stick in her hand.

It looked just like an ordinary bamboo pole, about two meters long.

It seemed flimsy, as if it would snap with a little force.

But Chen Huaihai’s eyes grew wary, and he took two steps back.

He’d been hit by that stick before.

“Fatty, we mind our own business. I’m just taking this foolish girl away, that’s all,” Chen Huaihai said stiffly.

“I haven’t messed with you this time.”

He kicked Wei Lingxia.

Wei Lingxia caught on. “Right, I’m Ahong’s aunt. We’re leaving here, I’m taking her with me—is that not allowed?”

Ahong, her wrists gripped by the two of them, shook her head desperately.

“No, I don’t want to go! Yuebai, save me!”

“If you save me, my life is yours. I’ll do anything for you—even kill or set fires.”

Shi Yuebai pointed her stick at Ahong and said to Chen Huaihai,

“You see? That’s what she says. And I just happen to need someone to kill and set fires for me.”

“So, either you let her go right now, or you die here.”

Chen Huaihai’s eyes darkened. One hand gripped Ahong, the other slid behind his back, reaching for the knife at his waist.

Suddenly, he lunged at Shi Yuebai.

“Let your mother go!”

But before Chen Huaihai’s knife could stab Shi Yuebai, she grabbed his wrist.

With a twist—

To the onlookers, it was as if the knife in Chen Huaihai’s hand had somehow ended up in Shi Yuebai’s.

With practiced ease, she kicked Chen Huaihai, spun him around, and forced him to his knees, his arms pinned behind his back.

“I’ll give you a chance, Ahong,” Shi Yuebai said, holding out the knife she’d confiscated.

“Didn’t you say you’d kill and set fires for me?”

“Well, here—kill him, and you’ll be one of us.”

Shi Yuebai even thoughtfully handed her the knife by the handle.

Ahong’s other hand was still being held by Wei Lingxia.

She and Wei Lingxia hadn’t even processed what had just happened.

From Shi Yuebai’s appearance to Chen Huaihai being disarmed and subdued, it had all happened so fast that most people didn’t even see how she did it.

Wei Lingxia snapped out of it and yanked Ahong back.

“Don’t listen to her!”

“Get away!”

Tears streaming down her face, Ahong shook off Wei Lingxia’s hand.

She walked toward Shi Yuebai, trembling, and took the knife.

She didn’t dare to kill.

But—

Ahong slashed at Chen Huaihai’s neck.

If she didn’t kill Chen Huaihai, he would kill her and Pang Ziyuan.

He wouldn’t spare Pang Zhenggong, either.

“Too shallow,” Shi Yuebai said, tilting her head to look at the thin line of blood on Chen Huaihai’s neck.

It was barely a scratch—not even enough to kill a chicken, let alone a person.

Chen Huaihai’s eyes bulged as he struggled to get up, rage and a strange fear warring inside him.

“Ahong, you bitch! I’m your uncle! How dare you hurt me, you—”

Before he could finish, Ahong, hands shaking, stabbed the knife into his throat again.

Blood gushed out.

Chen Huaihai stared at Ahong in disbelief.

Her eyes were already blurred with tears; she couldn’t even see the blood.

Wei Lingxia screamed, “Husband!!”

She tried to rush over.

Shi Yuebai jabbed her in the stomach with her stick.

“Still refusing to see reason!”

Her giant, white, bun-like face was full of exasperation.

“You’re still helping this man, even now?”

Wei Lingxia’s body was covered in bruises—all from Chen Huaihai’s beatings.

Shi Yuebai hadn’t even used much force, but Wei Lingxia curled up on the ground in pain.

She glared at Ahong with hatred.

“How dare you kill my man?”

“Ahhh!!!”

[I’m planning to move to a new place, and I started dealing with it during summer break.

Today I had to meet with a project manager, so this update is late.]"