Old Madam Liu realized she had hit the wrong person. She raised the sole of her shoe high again and swung it hard toward Liu Ye’s head. Before Liu Second Aunt could react, Liu Ye pushed her forward again, and she ended up taking another solid hit from the old lady’s shoe sole.
“Smack!”“Ouch! Oh my goodness! Why did you hit me again? You did that on purpose, didn’t you!”
Old Madam Liu shouted angrily, “Your mother’s ass! Hurry up and help me grab that stupid girl! Today I’m going to skin her alive! A born fool like her—none of them are any good!”
Liu Ye thought to herself, You’re the old fool. Liu Second Aunt turned around to grab her, but Liu Ye kicked her hard in the stomach. Liu Second Aunt just happened to fall backward right onto Old Madam Liu, nearly sitting the old lady’s breath out of her.
“Ah! You filthy woman! Are you trying to sit me to death?! You damned thing!”
Old Madam Liu was so furious that she grabbed her shoe and slapped Liu Second Aunt on the head again and again. “You shameless woman! You useless wretch!”
Liu Second Aunt clutched her head, struggling up from the old lady, one hand holding her stomach and the other clawing at Liu Ye with gritted teeth. “You damn fool! How dare you hit your elders! I’ll kill you, you stupid—!”
Liu Ye ran straight out the gate.
Liu Second Aunt, still clutching her stomach, chased after her. “Stop right there! You idiot! Stop!”
The more she shouted, the faster Liu Ye ran. Soon she disappeared into the village. Furious and breathless, Liu Second Aunt squatted down, gasping. “Damn fool… just you wait… I’ll skin you alive when you come back!”
After resting a bit, she stood up and went home, still clutching her aching stomach, cursing under her breath. That kick really hurt—just like her wild mother.
Liu Ye saw that she wasn’t being chased anymore and stopped running. But she knew she couldn’t go back to the Liu family house. That whole family were beasts who only bullied the silly girl.
It was already night, and she couldn’t go up the mountain either. There were wolves up there… maybe even tigers.
She looked around. Every house in the village had its doors tightly shut, not a single light on. Even after such a loud fight, no one came out to watch. Strange.
Where could she stay tonight?
Then she remembered—there were a few abandoned old houses at the entrance of the village. The original foolish girl often stayed there. She could go there too.
Following the girl’s memories, Liu Ye quickly found the place. The house was so tilted it looked like it might collapse at any moment.
“No way I’m staying there,” she muttered. “If it collapses and buries me, I’ll be my own grave.”
She walked behind the house and found a pile of firewood. Climbing onto the straw stack, she found it soft and warm.
She lay down—but suddenly felt something odd. She sat up.
“What’s this?”
She felt around and discovered a hollow pit. Pulling aside the straw, she saw it clearly in the moonlight—a nest full of eggs.
“Oh my heavens!”
“One, two, three… thirty-five eggs!”
“Would they spoil in this heat?”
“Forget it, I’ll take them first.”
She stored all 35 eggs into her space and lay back down to sleep.
But just as she was drifting off, she heard noises from the house next door—doors opening, closing, pots and bowls clinking. Soon, the smell of meat drifted over.
Liu Ye wiped her drool and sat up. They’re cooking meat this late?
Next door, the Bai family was eating rabbit meat.
Bai Zilin brought the cooked rabbit to his parents’ room. “Father, Mother, Bai Zimei, dinner is ready.”
The family sat around the table. Bai Zimei had already grabbed a piece and started eating. “Brother, this rabbit is so skinny. There’s barely any meat.”
Bai Laoda, the father, glared at her. “At least you have food! Still complaining? Useless girl!”
Bai Zimei shrank her neck but kept eating.
Bai Wangshi, the mother, looked longingly at the meat but didn’t dare take any. Bai Zilin placed a piece into her bowl. “Mother, you eat too.”
Bai Laoda shot her a fierce look, and she quickly put the meat back into his bowl. “I’m not hungry… I’ll just drink some soup.”
He snorted and ate the biggest piece—the rabbit leg. “Not much meat. Bai Zilin, go up the mountain early tomorrow. Maybe you’ll catch a fat rabbit, maybe even a roe deer or wild boar. If you’re lucky, even a black bear. Then we’ll have enough silver to go south.”
Bai Zilin said nothing, quietly eating a small piece of bone. When he finished and reached for more, the pot was already almost empty.
Satisfied, Bai Laoda patted his stomach. “Meat really is good. Tomorrow use the rabbit broth to cook porridge.”
Bai Wangshi nodded weakly.
Bai Zilin stood up. “It’s late. I’ll go rest.”
“Go, go,” Bai Laoda waved. “And don’t forget to go up the mountain early tomorrow. You useless girl, clean the table!”
“Yes…” Bai Zimei quickly got up.
Bai Zilin went to the back yard, planning to use the latrine. Suddenly, his sharp gaze fixed on the firewood pile next door.
That pile of firewood belonged to their house—and there, sitting on top of it, seemed to be a person.
Without a sound, he leapt onto the wall.
His eyes met directly with Liu Ye sitting on the straw stack.