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墨書 Inktalez
I sensed something was off when I noticed the looks of confusion and barely concealed excitement in He Granny and A Yong's eyes.
“Ling Feng, come eat more. You’ll recover faster if you’re full,” He Granny said, placing a piece of braised pork into my bowl. The pork glistened with a rich color and melted in the mouth. In the past, I could have devoured an entire plate without a second thought.
But with doubts gnawing at me, as I looked at the braised pork, it suddenly seemed greasy and covered in bristles. My mind raced, and I couldn't help but wonder—what if this wasn’t pork?
The thought made me lose my composure, and I rushed outside to vomit. After emptying my stomach, I felt light-headed, the blue sky spinning like a rapidly rotating top.
As I collapsed to the ground, I saw He Granny and A Yong rushing over. In the brief moments of clarity, I noticed that their eyes reflected not concern but a sense of relief.
I could hear fragmented voices around me…
“Finally passed out. This Young Fellow is in good health; now I can relax…” It was a middle-aged woman’s voice.
“Mom, hurry and get him inside! If others see him, they might get jealous!” came a young man’s voice.
It felt like someone was forcefully dragging my legs, pulling me into the house. My head struck the threshold, sending a sharp pain through me before everything faded to black.
…
“You stubborn child, you should have been more careful! It’s not easy to have someone come by; if anything happens, just wait until I deal with you.” The middle-aged woman’s voice was sharp and grating.
I couldn’t help but let out a groan; my mind was still hazy, overwhelmed by the noise around me.
The young man seemed to be pinching his ear in pain as he exclaimed, “Mom, he moved! I saw him move! Let go of him!”
Was he talking about me?
When I finally regained consciousness, I had no idea how much time had passed; it felt like I had slept for a century. The back of my head throbbed with pain. As I raised my hand to rub it, I realized I was bound with ropes.
Panic surged through me as memories flooded back. Didn’t I faint while eating? How did I end up here, tied up like this?
“Gollum…”
My stomach growled at the most inopportune moment. Fortunately, the hungrier I became, the clearer my mind felt, and everything began to connect.
The voices of the middle-aged woman and the young man I had heard while half-conscious belonged to Granny He and A Yong!
A shiver ran down my spine at this realization. They had been plotting against me all along, and their acting skills were truly remarkable; it would have been a disservice not to reward them for their performance. But what was their purpose?
I shook my head, feeling more awake. Looking around, I noticed a dim light bulb on the wall, probably only fifteen watts, casting a faint glow. It seemed I was in a cellar or a secret room? The space was small, only about two or three square meters.
I struggled against the ropes binding me, but they were tied too tightly. Even my rudimentary skills in contortion were of no use.
Leaning against the wall, I slowly stood up and began to bounce around like a zombie. I searched carefully in this confined space, but the walls were coated with cement; there was not a single protruding object.
Having gone several meals without much food and now bouncing around, I felt dizzy from hunger. I leaned against the wall to catch my breath when suddenly it struck me—how could I have forgotten about Fo Gua?
I focused my thoughts and called out for Fo Gua repeatedly, but after countless attempts, my heart sank. There was no response whatsoever. How deeply was that fellow sleeping?
As I pondered my next move, I heard the sound of chains rattling above me, followed by the creaking of an old iron door being pushed open.
Quickly, I closed my eyes and pretended to remain unconscious.
“Mom, did you give him too much of the drug? It’s been a whole night; why isn’t he awake yet?” It was still the young man’s voice.
The middle-aged woman responded with surprise, “That shouldn’t be! I was careful with the dosage, and besides, with his build, it shouldn’t have affected him this way.”
“Oh?” The young man replied meaningfully. Then he kicked out with his leg, aiming for my chest.
Though my eyes were closed, my senses were heightened. Realizing I couldn’t keep up the act any longer, I shifted my body just in time to avoid his kick.
When I opened my eyes, I was genuinely startled by the two figures standing before me.
He Granny and A Yong!
I was utterly astonished. Their voices had not sounded like this before. He Granny's voice was light yet carried a hint of weariness, while A Yong's voice, although a bit strange, was soft like that of a child.
Were they playing tricks on me?
I stared at them in confusion and asked, "What do you want from me?"
A Yong let out a cold laugh, speaking in the voice of a young man, his expression filled with disdain. "I knew you were just pretending."
For a moment, I thought A Yong might be possessed; how else could I explain the height of a seven or eight-year-old child paired with the voice of a mature man?
But upon closer inspection, I found nothing unusual.
"What's wrong? Are you scared? Those people before you were just like this; you'll get used to it," A Yong continued, seemingly talking to himself since I had no response.
"Those people before?"
My heart sank. So they were habitual offenders! "What do you want from us?"
"Don't worry; we won't do anything to you," said He Granny, her wrinkled face still present but now speaking in the voice of a middle-aged woman. It was somewhat delicate yet very gentle.
He Granny—oh no, should I call her Aunt He instead?
Aunt He took out a bowl of rice and a plate of spicy scrambled eggs from a basket and placed them nearby. "If you're hungry, feel free to eat. We are just a couple of orphans ourselves and can't really do anything to you. Once we're done with our business, I'll untie you."
I cursed inwardly. So in the end, they were the weaker party?
Seeing my furious expression, Aunt He spoke softly, "I didn't poison the food; you can trust me."
Then she sighed and said wistfully, "When I first came here, I was just like you. In time, you'll get used to it."
He Yong expressed his dissatisfaction, saying, "Mom, why bother with him? If he's really hungry, he'll eat on his own."
Aunt He fell silent after giving me a glance and followed He Yong out. Soon, I heard the heavy clang of the iron door being shut and the sound of chains being pulled tight.
It seemed they were quite cautious, locking the door with chains.
From their earlier conversation, I learned that they were actually mother and child rather than grandmother and grandson? But how could that be? He Yong looked to be only in his early teens, while Aunt He appeared to be at least in her fifties, if not older. Of course, there are cases of older women giving birth, but in a rural setting, it seemed unlikely.
The aroma of food wafted toward me, and I struggled to resist. In the end, I couldn't hold back any longer. Even if I were to die, I would at least die with a full stomach. Besides, from what He Yong had said earlier, it didn't seem like they intended to kill me; it felt more like they wanted me to stay in this village.
With my hands and feet bound, I could only lie on the ground to eat a bite of rice and then a bite of vegetables. As I ate, I cursed inwardly!
This meal was incredibly humiliating; I felt like a dog!
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