Ye Wan’s pupils contracted.
Little San Ya was sent flying by a kick to the stomach. With a cry, she spat out a mouthful of blood, twitched on the ground for a moment, and then went still.
“Are you an animal? What did a child this small do to provoke you!” Ye Wan glared at Ye Yaozu, her eyes filled with fury.
Even in the apocalypse, children were instinctively protected. Only a depraved animal would lay a hand on a child.
“Bitch, let’s go!” Ye Yaozu was also startled. Fearing Lin An Yuan would return for revenge, he grabbed Ye Wan, trying to drag her away.
He had to get his hands on those fifty taels, no matter what.
Seething with rage, Ye Wan punched Ye Yaozu in the eye.
“You’re the fucking bitch! You animal!”
“You money-losing baggage, how dare you hit your younger brother! I’ll beat you to death!”
Seeing this, Granny Qian grabbed a handful of Ye Wan’s hair from behind.
Temporarily restrained, Ye Wan was forcefully pulled and dragged by the two.
“Father, you’re back!”
In her desperation, Da Ya shouted toward the doorway.
Granny Qian and Ye Yaozu jumped in fright. Ye Wan seized the opportunity to break free, snatched the sickle from Er Ya’s hand, and swung it at Ye Yaozu.
“Ah—”
A blood-curdling scream rang out. Ye Yaozu clutched his bleeding arm, howling in agony.
Granny Qian’s hand was also injured. Staring at Ye Wan, who seemed possessed, she trembled in fear. “You wretched girl, you’re insane, insane!”
“Either get lost immediately, or we die together!” Ye Wan gripped the sickle, her gaze icy as she stared at the two.
She had even killed zombies; was she afraid of killing people? If it weren’t for the trouble killing would cause in this place, she would have chopped these two into mincemeat tonight.
Ye Yaozu was in so much pain that snot and tears streamed down his face. “Mother, it hurts so much. I think my arm is gone, my arm!”
“You little bitch, may you be struck by lightning! Just you wait!”
Granny Qian was finally scared. She was afraid of this wretched girl, and also afraid her son’s arm would be crippled. She grabbed Ye Yaozu and ran.
“San Ya, San Ya.”
Once they were gone, Ye Wan hurriedly cradled San Ya in her arms, calling her name softly.
San Ya’s tiny body was limp and completely unresponsive, making Ye Wan’s nose tingle with an impending sob.
“This is all your fault! If you hadn’t brought your mother and brother here, my sister wouldn’t have been beaten! You’re a jinx! When my father gets back, he’ll sell you to an old bachelor!”
Er Ya didn’t dare to touch San Ya. She cursed at Ye Wan while wiping away her tears.
“Er Ya,” Da Ya shouted, her body trembling. She said to Ye Wan, “I’ll go get a doctor. I’m begging you, please take care of my sister.”
Er Ya was still young, and they didn’t know when their father would be back. The only person they could rely on at home right now was Ye Wan.
Ye Wan nodded.
“Where are you going to find a doctor this late at night? Besides, we don’t have any money. Would a doctor even come?” Er Ya wiped her tears nonstop.
“Don’t worry about it. Just lock the door,” Da Ya said and ran outside.
With no time to spare, Ye Wan carried San Ya into the house and placed her on the earthen kang bed. Before Er Ya came in, she quickly fed San Ya some spiritual spring water from her space.
Fortunately, the water could flow from her fingertips at her will.
San Ya swallowed unconsciously, streaks of dried blood still on her small, dark, and thin face.
“Mother… it hurts…”
In her unconscious state, San Ya curled into a small ball, calling for her mother again and again.
Ye Wan couldn’t help the sting in her nose. She gently patted San Ya. “Don’t be afraid, Mother is here.”
As if she had heard, San Ya’s small hand tightly gripped Ye Wan’s clothes and wouldn’t let go.
Er Ya came in with a basin of water. She wanted to yell at Ye Wan, but the moment she opened her mouth, tears streamed down her face.
For the entire night, Ye Wan and Er Ya sat by the kang, watching over San Ya.
After what felt like an eternity, the sky finally brightened.
The courtyard gate creaked open.
“Father, you’re back?”
Er Ya, who had been dozing off, shot up and ran into the courtyard.
The sound jolted Ye Wan awake as well. She checked San Ya and saw that her color was normal and her breathing was steady, and only then did she breathe a sigh of relief.
“Is Lin An Yuan home? Did something happen to your Da Ya?”
Just as Ye Wan stepped out, she saw a woman of about forty standing at the gate.
“Something happened? What happened?”
How could something happen to Da Ya right after San Ya got better?
“Who are you? Er Ya, when did your family get another woman?” The woman sized up Ye Wan suspiciously.
Ye Wan opened her mouth, glanced at Er Ya, and said in a low voice, “I am the three girls’ mother. I arrived yesterday.”
She had to establish a reasonable identity first. The indenture contract was still in Lin An Yuan’s hands.
She had searched for it last night while Er Ya was asleep but couldn’t find it. Lin An Yuan must have hidden it or taken it with him.
Er Ya was too worried about Da Ya to bother refuting Ye Wan. “Wang Danniang, please tell me, what happened to my big sister!”
Wang Danniang said, “Your Da Ya fell into a ditch sometime last night. Zhang Erniu discovered her when he was heading to town early this morning and took her to the clinic. He asked me to let you all know, so you should hurry to the clinic with some money.”
The village was quite a distance from Lin An Yuan’s house, and his reputation wasn’t good. It was only because these three girls were sensible and pitiful, and had helped her with laundry before, that she was willing to make this trip.
“What? Is my big sister badly hurt?” Er Ya’s eyes, already swollen like walnuts, turned red again.
“That I don’t know. You should hurry and find your father. I’ll help you watch your mother and make sure she doesn’t run away,” Wang Danniang said, looking at Ye Wan warily.
Ye Wan was speechless.
“Auntie, could I trouble you to look after San Ya in the house? Er Ya and I will go to town to see Da Ya. Don’t worry, I won’t run. Lin An Yuan is my savior; I’m staying with him to repay his kindness,” Ye Wan offered an excuse.
“Really?” Wang Danniang’s eyes were filled with disbelief.
Ye Wan took a breath. “My indenture contract is with Lin An Yuan. I can’t run away.”
With the indenture contract in Lin An Yuan’s hands, if she ran, he only needed to report her to the authorities, and she would be a runaway slave.
For a woman with some looks, the fate of being caught was worse than death.
This was one of the reasons Ye Wan hadn’t left last night.
Only then did Wang Danniang nod, muttering, “That explains it. So she’s a bought woman.”
Ye Wan looked at the dazed Er Ya. “Do you know the way to town? Lead the way.”
She had been unconscious when Lin An Yuan brought her back yesterday and didn’t remember the route.
The corners of Er Ya’s swollen eyes lifted. “You…”
Ye Wan cut her off. “Stop. San Ya is fine now. Let’s hurry and see your big sister.”
As long as the injuries weren’t too severe, her spiritual spring water would surely work.
Thinking of the three figures who had stood in front of her last night, Ye Wan let out a long breath.
Fine, just this once. She would do it out of pity for these three little girls.
It was a long way to town. Ye Wan’s legs ached from running. The sun came out, making them sweat profusely.
Er Ya was panting heavily, her face a dark shade of red. Her voice trembled, “The clinic is just ahead. It’s the only one in town. But I don’t have any money. What do we do?”
“You go in and see Da Ya first. I’ll figure something out.”
Without waiting for Er Ya to react, Ye Wan walked away.
Once she reached an empty corner, she focused her thoughts and took out several pears from her space.