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墨書 Inktalez
The winter here is very cold, and if there are no pressing matters, the villagers generally stay home to rest. There are few people outside, and even fewer near the Cattle Shed.
Wang Zhaoran carefully made his way around the Cattle Shed and arrived at the dilapidated house. The place was truly in ruins, with nearly half of the courtyard wall collapsed. Being an old house, there were no glass windows; instead, they were covered with paper. The paper had several small holes patched up haphazardly with plastic.
Wang Zhaoran poked a small hole in the window paper with his finger, just enough to see the interior of the house. The furnishings inside were very simple, or rather, there were none at all. On the floor sat a small stove with a kettle on top. In one corner, a table was cluttered with various items—clothes and food all mixed together.
On the kang lay a quilt, and at that moment, Wang Xiuli was wrapped in it, leaning against the wall while fiddling with her hair. She looked considerably thinner than before, almost emaciated. Her face was made up but appeared pale and lifeless. Her cheeks were deeply sunken due to her extreme thinness, which not only lacked any beauty but also evoked a sense of fear.
She wasn't even wearing a cotton jacket; it hung loosely on her shoulders. From Wang Zhaoran's angle, he could even see that she wore nothing underneath her cotton clothing. A wave of sadness washed over him; this woman could have avoided such a pitiful state, but now she had brought this upon herself.
With a soft sigh, he turned to leave but suddenly heard the creaking sound of footsteps on the snow outside—the unmistakable sound of someone approaching. He paused, deciding to wait until the person entered before he left. However, curiosity got the better of him, and he stole a few more glances inside.
The newcomer was someone he recognized—Chen Mazi, who lived at the west end of the village. Chen Mazi was in his forties or fifties and was a genuine local from Shi Gou Village. Years ago, his mother had found him a simple-minded woman to be his daughter-in-law. After she came to their home, she bore him six children.
The family of eight relied on a few acres of thin land to get by, making life extremely difficult.
The man rushed into the room and yanked down most of the woman's clothing, exposing her fair skin. Wang Zhaoran quickly lowered his head, not wanting to look any further.
"You always do this. Did you bring the things?"
Wang Xiuli tugged at her clothes, her voice tinged with displeasure.
"Yes, yes, I brought it! You little woman only recognize money and not people, right? How many times have I made you feel good, and you still play this game with me!"
The man's loud voice echoed as he reached into his pocket, pulling out a coin and stuffing it into the woman's hand.
"Your family is so poor; where did this money come from?"
"Hehe, I stole it!"
"Stole it? Everyone is struggling; that money is as precious as an eye. How could you steal it?"
"That's none of your business. Little chicks don’t pee; everyone has their own way. Anyway, the money is for you!"
The man laughed as he reached into the woman's cotton jacket and grabbed a handful.
"Hey, be gentle; that hurts! Just tell me what’s going on!"
"Tsk, why are you so chatty? Hurry up and let me feel good!"
Chen Mazi would never forget that one time when he was with Wang Xiuli, and suddenly someone kicked the door open. Both he and Wang Xiuli jumped in fright, only to see that it was Liu Yiqiang, the village hunter.
Why do they call him Liu Yiqiang? It’s said that every time he goes hunting in the mountains, no matter what kind of prey it is, he only needs to fire one shot to bring it down instantly. That’s why he earned the nickname Liu Yiqiang.
Liu Yiqiang was a tough character; hardly anyone in the village dared to provoke him. Chen Mazi was so scared at that moment that he didn’t even put on his pants before running away.
Now that he was back, he had no intention of chatting with Wang Xiuli; he just wanted to finish quickly and leave before running into that living hell.
"Are you going to tell me or not? If not, get lost!"
At this moment, Wang Xiuli's curiosity was piqued as well; if there was a way to make money, who wouldn’t want to know?
"Ah! It’s about Wang Erlai, you know?"
Upon hearing the name Wang Erlai, Wang Xiuli's body stiffened.
"What happened?" she asked, her voice laced with concern.
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