This time, she didn’t turn around rashly like before. Instead, she walked forward slowly. At the moment she reached the corner, she suddenly whipped her head back!
At the end of her line of sight, in the shadow by the wall, stood a tall man.
His figure was upright and powerfully built, an undisguised aura of danger surrounding him like a hunter lurking in the dark.
The instant their eyes met, the man glanced at her. The corner of his lips curved into an extremely faint smile so quick it felt like an illusion.
The next second, he pushed off lightly with his toes, vaulted neatly over the courtyard wall, and vanished without a trace in the blink of an eye.
A chill ran down Lin Yinyin’s spine. This tiny Lin Family Village really was hiding crouching tigers and concealed dragons.
But clearly, that man meant her no harm.
Otherwise, he would have acted already.
That realization eased her somewhat.
The sun was high overhead as the villagers returned home one after another from the fields, carrying their farm tools.
Lin Dayong dragged his legs as if they were filled with lead. When he reached his courtyard gate, he noticed the wooden doors standing wide open. Inside and outside were eerily silent.
His brows furrowed at once, and he shouted, “Lin Yinyin! You wretched girl, where the hell did you die off to?
Leaving the door open to invite thieves don’t you know how to shut it?”
When there was no response, he yelled toward the house again, “Xiulan! I’m back! Is the meal ready? I’m exhausted!”
As he stepped inside, a sudden unease crept up on him.
He pushed open the door and was greeted by an empty stove.
The pots, bowls, ladles everything was gone. Only a chipped basin used for washing bottoms sat alone in the corner, glaringly out of place.
“My kang chest!” Lin Dayong cried out and rushed into the inner room like a madman.
The wooden chests against the wall stood open. The rice, flour, sugar, and liquor that should have been inside had all vanished!
“My money! And my white flour…” His voice trembled.
“Wait the pig! My” He suddenly reacted. The yard was too quiet. Scrambling and stumbling, he rushed outside.
“Ahhh—”
When he saw the empty pigsty, he clutched his chest and let out a heart-wrenching howl.
“Who stole my house?!”
Next door.
Widow Liu returned from work and frowned at the drawn curtains. She clearly remembered not closing them when she left.
Puzzled, she stepped inside and saw a naked man lying on her kang bed.
Her whole body stiffened. She saw her floral underpants covering the man’s head…
At that very moment, Lin Dayong’s agonized roar sounded from next door.
Instinctively, she shut the door.
If anyone saw a naked man in her room, it would be a disaster.
Steadying herself, Widow Liu tiptoed toward the kang.
Just as she was about to lift her underpants to see whose face was beneath, Lin Baogui was jolted awake by the shouting.
He felt unbearably hot all over, especially in one particular part of his body, swollen and aching as if about to explode.
“Lin Baogui! What are you doing here?!” Widow Liu staggered back in shock.
She smelled the alcohol on him and saw his glazed eyes, and panic rose in her chest.
Old Man Lin would be coming soon to bring her food. If he saw his grandson lying naked on her kang, it would be catastrophic.
“You little bastard, get dressed right now and get out!”
But before she could say another word, Lin Baogui lunged at her the moment he saw her.
“Ah!” Widow Liu screamed, then hurriedly covered her mouth.
This noise must not be heard next door.
As she wished, the next moment, all her sounds were blocked by Lin Baogui.
Meanwhile, Lin Yinyin had gone to the back mountain.
The midday sun was just right. The mountain breeze carried the faint fragrance of wildflowers clean and vibrant.
She took a deep breath. It was completely different from the bloody apocalypse. Birds chirped, insects hummed, the world was peaceful. How wonderful.
She didn’t dare linger and quickly began cutting pig fodder. The good show was about to begin.
Sure enough, before long, footsteps sounded behind her.
She looked up it was Lin Dani from Wang Erhua’s family, probably just back from work.
She stood half a meter away, hesitant, her eyes carrying a trace of complexity.
Lin Yinyin understood clearly Lin Dani was eighteen and of marriageable age. She was afraid Lin Yinyin was a “jinx” and that getting too close would bring misfortune.
“Lin Yinyin, hurry home! Your dad is looking for you everywhere!”
“Huh? What for? I haven’t cut enough pig fodder yet!”
“Who cares about pig fodder? Your dad is furious. If you don’t go back, you’ll probably get beaten again.”
Lin Dani knew her mother and Lin Yinyin’s late mother had once been close friends. So she did what she could to help this unlucky girl.
…
At that moment, many villagers had gathered outside Lin Dayong’s house.
Lin Dayong sat on the ground, dejected.
As soon as Lin Yinyin appeared, many people instinctively stepped back, distancing themselves from this “jinx.”
Lin Dayong, however, rushed over excitedly and grabbed her arm. “Lin Yinyin! Where did you go? Where’s our stuff?!”
She shook off his large hand, her voice trembling timidly. “Dad… what stuff? I don’t know…”
“Don’t know? How can you not know?! The rice, flour, money, ration coupons did you steal them?”
“I didn’t…” As she spoke, her eyes instantly reddened.
“I don’t even dare enter your room. I’ve never seen any rice or ration tickets.
This morning Mom told me to cut pig fodder. I was slow, and she even slapped me.
I’ve been on the back mountain the whole time. How could I steal anything? Look at my pig fodder!”
An old woman nearby, noticing the slap mark on her face, spoke up. “Dayong, she may be unlucky, but she’s timid. How could she possibly empty the whole house?”
“Exactly,” someone else chimed in. “Look at the pig fodder she cut. It probably wasn’t her!”
Lin Yinyin lowered her head and asked pitifully, “Dad, what exactly did we lose?
When I left, big brother and Mom were still home. Why don’t you ask them?”
“Yeah, where’s your Xiulan? Could she have taken it back to her maiden home?” someone suggested.
“Impossible!” Lin Dayong shot back immediately.
Only he had the key. Xiulan didn’t.
But the lock had been smashed open… Wait! Where was Lin Xiulan?
Wasn’t today the day Wang the Fool was supposed to fetch the bride?
“Where’s your mom?!” Lin Dayong demanded angrily.
Lin Yinyin shook her head, her body trembling slightly in fear.
“I don’t know!
I only know that before I left, Mom said she’d find me a good man to marry. I refused. She scolded me for being ungrateful and said the man was strong and well-endowed, skilled in bed. She said I had no fortune for such a match, then told me to go cut pig fodder.”
The crowd: “……”
Strong body, well-endowed, skilled in bed…
Several aunties subconsciously glanced at Lin Dayong. Could it be that Lin Xiulan wasn’t satisfied with her current situation?
Lin Dayong’s face flushed under their stares.
Then he heard Lin Yinyin ask innocently, “Dad, what does ‘well-endowed and skilled’ mean? I don’t understand. When Mom said it, she looked so envious. I was just curious what kind of weapon is big and works well…”
Some of the aunties couldn’t help turning away to snicker. The men pretended to look at the sky.
“Ahem!” Lin Dayong’s face turned crimson as he coughed hurriedly.
“Don’t spout nonsense! I’m asking if you did this!”
“I really didn’t!”
She waved her hands frantically. “Even if you gave me ten times the courage, I wouldn’t dare! Where would I get the strength? Dad, look”
She rolled up her sleeves, revealing the handkerchiefs wrapped around her arms, still stained with dried blood.
“Mom said my fate was too hard and that I bring misfortune. She stabbed four needles into my arms and wrists to seal my bad luck.
It hurt so much while I worked that I had to pull them out myself.
I have no strength left now. I feel faint just walking how could I move things?”
She took out four needles wrapped in cloth from her pocket and held them up for everyone to see. “These are the needles I pulled out. Look…”
“My heavens!” The crowd erupted immediately.
“How could Lin Xiulan dare to do that? Isn’t that abuse?”
“It’s been years since the new society began, and she’s still practicing feudal superstition by sticking needles in someone! That’s harming people!”
“No wonder this girl is always so careful and light-handed. So she’s been suffering like this behind the scenes!”
“Four needles stuck in her body just thinking about it hurts. That’s too cruel!”
“Exactly. Even if Lin Dayong and his wife think she’s unlucky, they can’t torture her like that. That’s inhuman!”
The murmurs rose and fell. Seeing the extracted needles, Lin Dayong instinctively stepped back as well.
A trace of mockery flashed in Lin Yinyin’s eyes. “Dad, come closer and look. These four needles were stuck in my arms and wrists. At night the pain made me roll around. During work, I couldn’t even hold a hoe.”
She stepped forward slightly. Lin Dayong, however, recoiled as if burned.
“Dad, are you afraid of me?”
She blinked, tears suddenly rolling down. “But back then you promised my mother you didn’t care that I was a jinx, that you weren’t afraid of my ‘hard fate,’ right?”
Suddenly, as if remembering something, she continued, “Wait…
All these years you never let me eat at the table and made me sleep on firewood in the kitchen. When you got sick and coughed, you punished me by making me kneel in the rain…
But ever since I was stabbed with the needles, you allowed me to eat at the table!
Could it be… could it be…”
She stared at Lin Dayong in disbelief. “The idea of sticking needles in me—was that something you and my stepmother came up with together? Wasn’t it?!”
Lin Dayong was struck speechless. Seeing the villagers pointing and whispering, resentment gnawed at him. These same people used to curse Lin Yinyin as a disaster star. Now they were pretending to be good people and blaming him.
Out of the corner of his eye, he spotted a figure approaching from the village entrance.
He immediately rushed forward. “Brigade Leader! You’re finally here!
My house was robbed! The grain and liquor in the chest are all gone there’s nothing left!”