No one responded to Jiang Beiyang anymore.
Xie Zhongming’s Phoenix bicycle carrying Qiao Xingyue had long since ridden far away, weaving through the dirt road flanked by undulating waves of cornfields.
Cornstalks rustled on both sides as their figures, accompanied by the turning wheels, gradually merged into the breezy countryside. The bumpy, pothole-ridden dirt road jolted Qiao Xingyue against Xie Zhongming’s firm back several times, each time prompting her to quickly pull away, causing Xie Zhongming’s back to stiffen tightly.
His hands gripping the bicycle handlebars clenched firmly, yet his voice remained as steady as ever, “Comrade Qiao, you must have been terrified today?”
“Not really, I’m used to it.”
Qiao Xingyue on the back seat grasped the metal frame beneath the seat and responded indifferently. She had encountered such dangerous situations more than once and no longer panicked.
“You’re really brave.The calm voice carried Xie Zhongming’s admiration, his lingering fear after the incident, and an unconscious tenderness even he hadn’t noticed. Most female comrades would have been utterly distraught encountering such a situation.
But Comrade Qiao was different—not only had she prevented that scoundrel from humiliating her in the slightest, she had beaten him up and sent him directly to the police station. This female comrade practically treated herself like a male comrade. Yet how many difficulties and dangers, how many instances of tough endurance had forged such resilience and courage?
Those three words—”I’m used to it”—who knew how much hardship they concealed?
Xie Zhongming pedaled more steadily, unaware that the admiration in his eyes had long since transformed into unconcealed heartache.
…
Outside the Xie family courtyard, Huang Guilan stood alone, pacing back and forth.
The sun was nearly setting—why was there still no news of Xingyue? Her heart was in turmoil. When someone passed by and greeted her, calling out “Aunt Huang,”
and asked, “Aunt Huang, who are you waiting for here? You look so anxious,”
Huang Guilan didn’t even hear them speaking to her.
Her mind was wholly preoccupied with Xingyue’s safety, as if her soul had departed. Only after being called twice more did she absently respond.
Xingyue had gone out at noon to bring lunch to her Old Xie and hadn’t returned. Xie Zhongming had come back earlier and revealed a bit—that scoundrel Jiang Yongqiang had been following Xingyue, her bicycle was found overturned in the cornfield, and there were signs of dragging, but Xingyue was nowhere to be found.
Huang Guilan’s heart was in knots, yet she didn’t dare show it in front of the children. She could only have her elder daughter-in-law’s two sons, Zhiyuan and Mingyuan, play with An An and Ningning inside the house.
If anything happened to Xingyue… An An and Ningning had lost their father at birth—how pitiful they would be if they suddenly lost their mother too.
Huang Guilan’s eyes reddened multiple times. Hiding alone outside the courtyard, she didn’t know how many times she wiped her tears.
“Ding ling ling!”
A Phoenix bicycle approached from the distance.
Through her tear-blurred vision, Huang Guilan saw Xie Zhongming pedaling the Phoenix bicycle with Qiao Xingyue on the back, returning slowly in the twilight glow.
Before the bicycle could get close, Huang Guilan ran to meet them, “Xingyue, you scared Aunt Lan to death!”
Tears streamed down her face.
Seeing how worried Aunt Lan was, Qiao Xingyue didn’t wait for Xie Zhongming to fully stop the bicycle. With an agile leap, she dismounted and was immediately grasped tightly by Huang Guilan’s hands.
She could feel Huang Guilan’s hand trembling as it tightly held hers. Aunt Lan was genuinely worried about her, cared for her, and was concerned for her. Her own eyes reddened as well. “Aunt Lan, I’m fine. I’ve made you worry!”
“That Jiang Yongqiang…” Huang Guilan’s throat tightened, and a suffocating feeling rose in her chest. The words “took advantage of you” were too frightening for her to voice.
Seeing this, Qiao Xingyue quickly reassured her, “Aunt Lan, that scoundrel Jiang Yongqiang has been sent to the police station by me. He didn’t take advantage of me—instead, I gave him a good beating.”
“Mom, it’s true,” Xie Zhongming added. “With just one silver needle, Xingyue made even my arm go numb and useless.”
Back when Xie Zhongming had injured his vital parts, Huang Guilan had later asked Jiang Beiyang about the entire process of Xingyue performing surgery on Zhongming. If Xingyue could make her fourth child’s hand go numb and useless with one needle, she could certainly do the same to Jiang Yongqiang.
Only then did Huang Guilan breathe a sigh of relief, though she still felt lingering fear. “Xingyue, even though you’re brave and know how to target xue wei, starting tomorrow, you’re not allowed to bring food to your Uncle Xie anymore. I should have realized earlier that the cornfield wasn’t safe. It’s all my fault—I almost got you harmed.”
Even now, Huang Guilan’s heart was still racing with fear!
…
Inside the room, Deng Yingying sat at the square table, picking celery.
Jiang Chunyan sat nearby, cracking melon seeds. “Yingying, why are you picking vegetables? Let that little maid come back to cook later—these chores are her job.”
Deng Yingying snorted inwardly: Hah! If Qiao Xingyue could come back to cook, she would have been back long ago. She’s probably been violated by my Yongqiang ge and is hiding by some riverbank crying her eyes out. Or maybe she’s even jumped into the river in despair.
Even if Qiao Xingyue had the nerve to come back, she’d be completely finished with Zhongming ge anyway.
Hearing footsteps approaching from outside the main hall, Deng Yingying continued picking vegetables and deliberately said, “Mom, since Aunt Lan is kind enough to let us stay here, you should be more proactive with chores. Don’t always expect Sister Xingyue to do everything. Also, Aunt Lan likes cleanliness—could you please stop spitting melon seed shells on the floor?”
As soon as she finished speaking, Huang Guilan entered the main hall holding Qiao Xingyue’s hand, followed by a stern-faced Xie Zhongming.
Noticing the several bloody scratches from corn leaves on Qiao Xingyue’s face, her messy hair, and her clothes covered in mud and grass stains—dirty and disheveled—Deng Yingying felt a secret delight. So she’s already been slept with by Yongqiang ge. But she put on a concerned expression and asked anxiously, “Sister Xingyue, what happened to you? Did you fall off your bike? Come sit down, let me treat your wounds.”
With that, Deng Yingying put down the half-picked celery, stood up, and reached for Qiao Xingyue’s hand, trying to make her sit.
Qiao Xingyue brushed Deng Yingying’s hand away decisively and asked coldly, “Comrade Deng, did you see Jiang Yongqiang today?”
That Jiang Yongqiang could ambush her in the cornfield meant someone must have told him her whereabouts.
There were two possibilities.
First, Deng Yingying knew Jiang Yongqiang was a repeat offender who took advantage of women and deliberately told him her route, waiting to watch the drama unfold.
Second, Deng Yingying instigated Jiang Yongqiang to assault her.
Qiao Xingyue guessed it was probably the former.
Deng Yingying replied openly, “Yes, I did. Oh, that’s right—Yongqiang ge even brought you a package of brown sugar today and specifically asked me to pass it on to you.”
As she spoke, Deng Yingying turned to fetch the brown sugar bundle tied with hemp rope and handed it to her. “When Yongqiang brought the brown sugar, I told him you’d gone to deliver a meal to Uncle Xie. Then he left the brown sugar and went on his way. What’s wrong, Xingyue?”
Hmph! She’s hiding it so well!
So it seems Deng Yingying deliberately revealed her whereabouts to Jiang Yongqiang, because she knew he was a repeat offender. Who knows if Jiang Yongqiang had already assaulted other female comrades back in their hometown—he’s just been lucky enough not to get caught until now.
Deng Yingying harbors such malicious intent, yet she acts completely innocent and righteous. She had truly underestimated her.
Qiao Xingyue replied bluntly, “I sent Jiang Yongqiang to the police station!”
“What happened?” Jiang Chunyan looked puzzled, glancing between her daughter and Qiao Xingyue. “Qiao Xingyue, why did you send my nephew to the police station? He just brought you some brown sugar, wanting to court you. How could you be so cruel? What exactly did you do to Yongqiang?”
It seemed Jiang Chunyan was unaware.
Qiao Xingyue snorted. “You should ask your precious daughter Deng Yingying what Jiang Yongqiang did.”
Hearing this, Deng Yingying put on an innocent face. “Sister Xingyue, what are you talking about? I don’t understand any of this. What did Yongqiang do to offend you, that you’d send him to the police station?”
Huang Guilan, who had been silently observing, thought carefully and suddenly realized what had happened.
Xingyue had just left to deliver a meal to Zhongming’s father when Jiang Yongqiang showed up. Deng Yingying was the one who opened the door for him, and the two had whispered by the front gate for quite some time.
“Yingying, was it you who gave Jiang Yongqiang the wicked idea to target Xingyue and drag her into the cornfield?”
Realizing this, Huang Guilan suddenly found Deng Yingying unfamiliar and terrifying. This girl, just so she could marry the fourth child after his divorce, dared to harm Xingyue like this.
“Yingying, Aunt Lan never knew you had such a malicious heart.Deng Yingying was on the verge of tears, her red eyes brimming with grievance. “Aunt Lan, I don’t understand what you’re saying. I didn’t do anything. I just accepted a bundle of brown sugar that Yongqiang brought for Sister Xingyue…”
Tears welled up and fell.
Drip, drip.
If Deng Yingying had cried like this before, Huang Guilan would have softened. But now, the more she thought about it, the more something felt off. “Yingying, are you still pretending?”
“Aunt Lan, I… I’m not pretending. What did I even do to make you so angry?”
Xie Zhongming, who had remained silent until now, thought it over carefully and fixed a stern, cold gaze on Deng Yingying. “Did you deliberately tell Jiang Yongqiang that Comrade Qiao was going to deliver a meal to my father and would pass through that cornfield?”
Deng Yingying, wearing an innocent expression, let tears stream down her face. “Brother Zhongming, I did tell Yongqiang that Sister Xingyue went to deliver a meal to Uncle Xie, but that was only because he asked me.”
After all, as long as she stubbornly denied any ulterior motives, even if the police comrades called her in for questioning, she wouldn’t be breaking any law.
Then, feigning concern, she added, “Sister Xingyue, what exactly happened? Did Yongqiang go to the cornfield to find you and… harass you?”
Her crying grew more intense, laden with pretense and guilt. “Sister Xingyue, I’m sorry. I had no idea Yongqiang would target you like this. Did he… did he really drag you into the cornfield?”
Ha!
Perfect!
Qiao Xingyue had already been raped by Yongqiang.
Even if Zhongming, Aunt Lan, and Uncle Xie liked her so much, they would never accept her now. How could a respectable regiment leader marry a ruined woman? The Xie family cared about their reputation too.
“Sister Xingyue, I truly didn’t know this would happen.”
“Sister Xingyue, I’m sorry!”
“Sister Xingyue, don’t be afraid. Jiang Yongqiang is nothing but a beast. I’ll definitely seek justice for you later.”
Acting as if it were all real!
How disgusting.
Qiao Xingyue truly disliked dealing with such a scheming woman. She couldn’t let herself be manipulated by this cunning girl for nothing. Keeping her composure, she said, “Sister Yingying, as you can see, I’m injured. Could you come to my room and help me treat my wounds?”
“Of course, of course!” Deng Yingying nodded repeatedly.
The two went upstairs.
At the doorway, Qiao Xingyue forcefully shoved the still-acting Deng Yingying into the room.
She closed the door behind them.
After sliding the bolt lock, she turned around, her sharp gaze scanning Deng Yingying inch by inch.
Seeing this situation, Deng Yingying felt a chill run down her spine. “Sister Xingyue, are you badly hurt?”
Qiao Xingyue stepped closer. “There’s no one else here now. Stop acting.”
Deng Yingying retreated step by step. “Sister Xingyue, wh-what are you talking about?”
In the next instant, a silver needle appeared in Qiao Xingyue’s hand, instantly piercing Deng Yingying’s Tiantu acupoint.
This acupoint is located at the human vocal cords.
With that one needle, Deng Yingying felt her throat go numb. She tried to speak, but her voice came out hoarse and unintelligible. Terrified, she stumbled back several steps before collapsing to the ground. Her panicked, fearful eyes seemed to say: You… you… what are you doing?
But no matter how hard Deng Yingying strained her throat, she couldn’t utter a single word.
“You knew perfectly well that Jiang Yongqiang was a repeat offender who raped female comrades, yet you deliberately told him I’d be passing through the cornfield to deliver lunch to Uncle Xie.”
“What, did you want to see me get raped by him?”
“Let me tell you very clearly—Jiang Yongqiang didn’t lay a single finger on me. On the contrary, I beat him up badly. When I was thrashing him, he looked just as cowardly and scared as you do now.”
The silver needle in her hand pierced different acupoints on Deng Yingying’s body, especially her Shaoshang, Shangyang, and Taichong acupoints…
These acupoints have low pain tolerance, and the sensation of needle insertion is amplified infinitely. In mere moments, Deng Yingying was sweating from the pain, completely unable to fight back or even cry out.
Seeing Deng Yingying sweating profusely and crying from the pain, Qiao Xingyue finally vented her pent-up anger. Only then did she insert another needle, allowing Deng Yingying to regain her voice.
“Qiao Xingyue, aren’t you afraid I’ll tell Aunt Lan and Brother Zhongming that you bullied me?”
“How did I bully you? Did I hit you? Beat you? Do you have any injuries on your body? Do you have any proof?”
Deng Yingying saw that she indeed had no visible injuries and turned green with rage. “You…”
Qiao Xingyue took out a small round mirror encased in a plastic shell with the Red Plum brand, applying iodine to the wound on her face while speaking decisively, “If you have evidence, go report me to the police station.”
Deng Yingying indeed had no evidence to accuse her. The earlier needle pricks had been swift and fine, leaving no trace of needle marks, so she could only swallow her anger.
When Qiao Xingyue went downstairs later and deliberately praised Deng Yingying for being meticulous in treating wounds, Deng Yingying felt so stifled in front of Xie Zhongming and Huang Guilan that she couldn’t utter a single word. The spots where Qiao Xingyue had pricked her still ached as if ants were gnawing at them. She had no idea what kind of powerful needle technique Qiao Xingyue had used, and just thinking about it made Deng Yingying reluctant to provoke her like this again in the future.
At that moment, Jiang Beiyang called out from outside the courtyard of the Xie family’s two-story small building, “Zhongming, come out for a moment.”
At noon, Jiang Beiyang had mentioned that there was news about Pang Ya in Kun City. Xie Zhongming walked out alone into the courtyard and asked, “What news have you heard about Pang Ya?”
“Before I tell you about Pang Ya, Zhongming, answer one question first.”
“What question? Hurry up and ask—don’t keep me in suspense.”
Jiang Beiyang looked serious. “Zhongming, you need to answer me honestly. Do you have feelings for Comrade Qiao now?”
This man had grown up with him since childhood, and Jiang Beiyang knew him inside out.
The question made Xie Zhongming ponder for a few seconds. He was a married man. “…Comrade Qiao is like family to the Xies. What nonsense are you thinking?”
Ah! Jiang Beiyang shook his head. His friend was just too upright, unable to even confront his own feelings for Comrade Qiao. If it weren’t for being tricked by Pang Ya’s family five years ago, Zhongming’s love life wouldn’t have been so rocky.
“Zhongming, about Pang Ya—I’ve thought it over, and I have to tell you. How you weigh this is up to you. Four and a half years ago, someone saw Pang Ya visiting the obstetrics department at a hospital in Kun City. At the time, she had a large belly, about five or six months pregnant. Calculating the timing, the child should be yours.”
Jiang Beiyang added, “If Pang Ya is still alive, she should have given birth to your child.”
Standing under the setting sun, Xie Zhongming’s mind went blank. It took him a long moment to process this. “…What? Pang Ya gave birth to my child?”