Inside the thatched cottage, Tang Min was huddled in the corner of the earthen bed, her clothes in disarray.
A fat man and a thin man surrounded her, reaching out and tearing at her clothes.
Wang Mazhi sat smugly at the table, rubbing a ten-yuan note between his fingers, smacking his lips with satisfaction.
"A wife bought for ten yuan—letting Director Liu and Village Chief Chen each have a turn will earn back the cost. What a deal!"
"They say the Tang family produces beauties, and it's true! Even at her age, this woman still carries herself with charm."
"Mature women are the most exciting! Old Chen, let me go first."
Liu Jianguo couldn't wait to unbuckle his belt.
Chen Guangfa frowned with displeasure. They'd both paid the same money—why should Liu go first?
"Bastards! I'd rather die than let you defile me!"
In a fit of desperation, Tang Min lunged toward the corner, trying to dash her head against the wall, but Chen Guangfa reached out and yanked her back.
Crack!
The belt Liu Jianguo had unbuckled lashed viciously across Tang Min's body, shredding her top instantly.
Rags splattered with blood, a vivid red.
"Want to die? Even if you're dead, I'll still have my way with you!"
Tang Min's screams only fueled Liu Jianguo's excitement, and the belt came down on her again and again.
This was exactly what Qin Qing saw!
Her eyes flew wide, nearly splitting with fury!
No wonder her mother's body had been covered in wounds when it was found in the river back then!
At the time, Wang Mazhi had claimed she'd fallen while chopping wood and then slipped into the water by accident.
Now it was clear—her mother had thrown herself into the river after enduring such humiliation.
Qin Qing clenched her teeth so hard they ached. She glanced at the firewood stacked in front of the house.
"Wang Mazhi, get over here and help Old Chen pin her down!"
Tang Min was incredibly strong, and with her fierce resistance, Liu Jianguo couldn't get close to her.
They needed the other two to help.
Wang Mazhi grinned obsequiously and immediately came over to pin Tang Min's legs.
Chen Guangfa was still resentful, but he was only a village chief while Liu Jianguo was the director of a state-run restaurant in the county town, so he had no choice but to obey.
"Bastards! Ah!! I'll haunt you… I'll haunt you all even as a ghost!"
Tears of humiliation streamed down Tang Min's face.
Liu Jianguo reached out to tear off Tang Min's pants when suddenly—bang!—a heavy blow struck the door.
The three turned to look and saw an axe blade bursting through the wood.
Bang!
Bang! Bang! Bang!
The axe fell relentlessly, and in moments, the entire door was chopped to splinters.
Qin Qing stepped in, axe in hand, eyes burning red.
"Let her go!"
Tang Min looked up with reddened eyes, and the instant she saw Qin Qing, she froze completely.
"Qing'er!"
"Where'd this little girl come from? Even prettier than the widow!"
"Interesting, hehehe. She's walked right into our hands—no reason to pass that up."
The moment Chen and Liu laid eyes on Qin Qing, her alluring gaze and charming brows stirred their desires.
The two immediately had lecherous thoughts about her.
"Qing'er, run! Run!"
Liu Jianguo rose to grab Qin Qing, but Tang Min clung desperately to his leg, screaming with all her might for Qin Qing to flee.
But she couldn't stop Chen Guangfa.
Chen Guangfa stepped forward to seize Qin Qing. She let out a cold laugh and swung the axe without a moment's hesitation.
"Damn it, this little bitch is serious!"
Seeing the axe coming at him without even a flicker of hesitation, Chen Guangfa dodged in terror.
But a hatchet grazed her back, immediately slicing open a bloody gash.
"Wang Mazhi, grab her, and I'll give you another ten-yuan note!"
The moment Chen Guangfa said that, Wang Mazhi perked up and nodded eagerly.
The two of them came at Qin Qing from left and right.
Qin Qing's eyes were resolute as she swung the hatchet straight at them. She struck with ruthless force, and the two men, wary of her, found themselves unable to get close for a time.
"Mom, step back!!"
Qin Qing shouted.
Though Tang Min had no idea what she planned to do, she always put her daughter first.
When told to step back, Tang Min indeed let go and retreated.
Qin Qing raised the hatchet high and hurled it straight at Liu Jianguo with all her might.
The hatchet spun through the air, its razor-sharp blade aimed directly at Liu Jianguo's head.
Liu Jianguo's legs went weak with terror, but thankfully he reacted in time, throwing himself to the right as the hatchet grazed past his waist.
It embedded itself deep into the mud-brick wall.
But a wide, bloody gash had been carved across Liu Jianguo's waist.
Chen Guangfa and Wang Mazhi were utterly stunned by Qin Qing's ferocity.
"Mom, quick!"
Seizing the moment while the two men were distracted, Qin Qing rushed forward and grabbed Tang Min's hand tightly.
Tang Min gritted her teeth and scrambled off the bed with her, and the two of them bolted for the door.
"Damn it, grab her! Grab that little bitch!"
The two had already reached the doorway when Liu Jianguo's shout spurred Chen Guangfa and Wang Mazhi into a frantic chase.
Whoosh!!
A massive tongue of flame burst in through the window, thick black smoke pouring in right behind it.
"Fire! Fire!"
Wang Mazhi's legs nearly gave out from fear.
Seeing how huge the blaze was, Liu Jianguo frantically began pulling on his pants, but the more he panicked, the clumsier he got, and with the wound on his waist, he couldn't get his feet through the legs no matter how he tried.
Only Chen Guangfa, sensing something was wrong, fled at once.
The moment Chen Guangfa burst out of Wang Mazhi's house, he saw that all the firewood had been piled up in front of the house, flames leaping skyward.
The black smoke was visible from miles away.
Wang Mazhi stumbled out, staring at the smoke-scorched earthen house, and knew it was beyond saving.
"It's over, it's all over! My house!!"
"Stop blabbering, chase them!"
Jolted by Chen Guangfa's reminder, Wang Mazhi hurriedly took off running.
"Mom! Quick! Run!"
Qin Qing dragged Tang Min in a desperate sprint, the two of them racing to the Red Water River, where a cold wind blew and a vast stretch of brown-yellow reeds trembled.
She didn't dare stop for a second, and behind them came the sound of chaotic footsteps.
"Little bitch, stop running! Stop!"
Wang Mazhi was closing in, and Qin Qing gritted her teeth, running for her life.
Seeing the mother and daughter still trying to escape, Chen Guangfa picked up a stone from the ground and hurled it forward with vicious force.
He was a seasoned farmer through and through, and that throw carried ninety percent of his strength.
Smack!!
The stone struck Qin Qing square in the back of her knee. She cried out in pain, her leg buckling, and she slammed hard onto the ground.
Qin Qing's face went pale with agony. She struggled to her feet but couldn't run anymore.
"I'll carry you!"
Tang Min gritted her teeth and hoisted Qin Qing onto her back, but suddenly a hand reached out from behind, grabbing Tang Min's hair and yanking her backward with brutal force.
"You rotten whore, daring to run from me?! Run! Run again!"
With that yank, Tang Min and Qin Qing both crashed to the ground, and a pair of leather shoes came stomping down, again and again, with tremendous force.
"Stinking bitch, you burned down my house too. You're a goddamn curse!"
Wang Mazhi flew into a rage, grabbing Qin Qing by the hair and slapping her hard across the face twice, back and forth.
Smack! Smack!
Qin Qing's face swelled up red and high.
"You're bullying innocent women—this is hooliganism, a crime! I'll report you to the police station," Qin Qing spat out fiercely.
"Hooliganism is a serious crime—punishable by execution."
Chen Guangfa let out a cold laugh, crouched down, and stroked Qin Qing's beautiful face. "Do you think I'd give you the chance to report me?"
He flipped his hand over and clamped it directly around Qin Qing's neck, dragging her toward the reeds.
"You! What are you doing! What are you doing! Let her go, let my daughter go!"
Tang Min begged incessantly, and finally, in desperation, fell to her knees, kowtowing and pleading without cease.
Chen Guangfa stopped in his tracks and said coldly:
"Wang Mazhi, this woman's mouth is loose. If you don't want to be executed, drag them in, kill them, and throw them in the river!"