Li Hong had just picked up some corn husks and hadn’t even started braiding when the wooden door of the room creaked open.
Her hand tightened around the husks as a tall figure suddenly appeared in front of her.
Seeing who it was, a flash of panic crossed her eyes. She opened her mouth to speak, but it was immediately covered by a hand.
“Shh! If you don’t want the children to see, don’t make a sound.”
Li Hong froze, tears welling up in her eyes.
The corn husks in her hands were snatched away, and the man lifted her off the kang in one motion.
“Here, or the usual place?”
She glanced at her two sleeping children, resentment and anger flashing in her eyes. In a sudden act of defiance, she bit down hard on the man’s hand.
The man seemed unfazed, holding her even tighter.
She forced the words out through her teeth.
“Beast! Let me go!”
Seeing that she was as stubborn as before, the man pressed her against the wall, leaving her unable to move.
“Why are you still so defiant? Your second brother is gone. Am I here to see what’s wrong with you?”
Hearing this, Li Hong’s heart filled with grievance. She raised her hand and slapped toward the man’s face.
Before her palm could touch his cheek, he grabbed her wrist.
“Honghong, listen. You’re a woman with two children. Life ahead won’t be easy. I’m your eldest brother; it’s my duty to look after the three of you. Stop resisting, okay?”
If these words came from another Chen family member, Li Hong might have believed them. But from Chen Jun? She didn’t.
“I beg you, leave. Don’t bother me anymore.”
Tears streamed down her face, and in the dim candlelight, Li Hong’s face looked even more haggard.
Looking at the pile of corn husks on the kang and her rough, chapped hands, Chen Jun finally hesitated.
Without further thought, he leaned down and kissed her.
Li Hong struggled silently. There was no point in resisting; he lifted her from the bed and carried her to the adjacent room.
Soon, faint moaning sounds came from the other room.
At some point, Li Hong’s crying had exhausted her, and she stopped struggling.
Chen Jun got up, rustled into his clothes, and helped Li Hong back onto the bed.
The room was pitch dark, and he couldn’t see her expression clearly.
He lit a cigarette and pulled her into his arms.
“Don’t braid corn husks anymore; your hands are cracked. Your second brother is gone, but I’m still here. As long as I’m around, I won’t let the three of you suffer.
“Here’s ten yuan. I bought you two bottles of snow cream. Don’t skimp on using the light; turn it on when you need it.”
He gave her a few instructions, placing the money and cream nearby. The only response was the soft sound of her quiet sobbing.
“Alright, stop crying. You know how I feel about you. I’ll take responsibility.”
“Go…”
Li Hong seethed with hatred, wishing she could strangle him. When Chen Jun reached out to touch her head, she coldly swatted his hand away.
“It’s late. I’ll go first. If anything happens, let me know.”
After Chen Jun left, Li Hong angrily threw the snow cream to the floor.
Bastard!
Beast!
She cursed endlessly in her mind, but it did no good.
Chen Jun climbed out of the yard, squatted at the doorway to smoke a cigarette, and finally left.
Li Hong was overwhelmed with frustration and wanted nothing more than to take her children and leave this broken place immediately.
But…
Her natal family had no land to support her, and her marital family certainly wouldn’t take them in.
Where could she even go?
Meanwhile, Shen Nian slept soundly through the night. The next morning, she set out with her baskets, weaving through the reeds.
In these times, wild chickens and ducks were abundant. The reed marshes were filled with thousands of wild ducks. A diligent person could catch a few to satisfy their hunger, and as long as it wasn’t excessive, villagers usually wouldn’t complain.
The day before, she had collected over two hundred wild duck eggs. Today, she could try again.
As soon as she entered the reeds, a large flock of ducks was startled by her sudden presence, flapping and flying away.
Shen Nian went around the marsh, collecting more than sixty duck eggs and a dozen small wild ducks.
Just as she reached for another duckling, a large hand suddenly shot out from the reeds, grabbing her wrist tightly.
“Ah—”
A piercing scream ripped through the marsh. Startled, Shen Nian yanked her hand back and saw a man with sharp features, pale and haggard, lying wet in the water.
His brows were furrowed, lips cracked. He tried to speak, but before he could, Shen Nian punched him in the eye.
Damn!
In broad daylight, people shouldn’t be so scary. Even if he was handsome, it didn’t mean he could frighten someone to death.
“Hiss—”
The man gasped, struggling to stand in the water. His gaze faltered.
Goodness, he must be almost 1.9 meters tall.
His build was solid, his face—maybe a solid nine out of ten. From his posture and aura, he didn’t look like a villager.
Shen Nian had been running around the nearby villages all her life. She knew the area well, but she’d never seen anyone like this.
She looked up, her gaze traveling from his face to his chest. He wore a white shirt, slashed across the chest, blood spreading over a large area.
Could he be a human trafficker?
Shen Nian instinctively stepped back, intending to run, but he yanked her back.
Panicked, her basket clattered to the reeds. The man’s hoarse voice said:
“Help me!”
Help… help you? Shen Nian thought, “Yeah, right! You scared me half to death!”
Before she could utter a word of refusal, two more male voices came from outside the marsh.
“Strange! I saw him clearly last night. He disappeared around here. We shot him, how could he have gotten away?”
“Damn it! If he escapes, the boss will kill us. This is a village; we can’t be discovered.”
The rough voices pricked her ears. Her sixth sense as a woman told her they weren’t good people.
What bad luck!
Beauty brings trouble; men risk their lives!
As soon as the voices outside faded, she had to move fast. Who knew what these men were here for?
If they were human traffickers, it would be even worse.
Just then, the tall man behind her pressed a large hand tightly over her mouth. A sharp object pressed against her lower back, cold against her skin.
Warm breath fanned her neck, and his hoarse voice was barely audible.
“Don’t make a sound! If you do, I’ll kill you.”
Shen Nian felt as if she’d been electrocuted.
Bastard, how dare he threaten her!
Yeah right, like I’m going to save you!
It seemed the two men outside were here to find him.
The man behind her was tall, but she was strong and could probably handle him alone.
But the two outside had guns.
Shen Nian’s mind was buzzing. She was thinking of a plan when she heard one of the men outside say:
“Boss, what do we do now?”
“Search! Keep searching! Alive or dead, we’ll find them!”
Their footsteps drew closer, heading straight toward Shen Nian.