Chapter 64: Chapter 64: The Wicked Village Chief Comes Demanding Someone
Yu Shuzhen sat down to the side and pushed two pieces of firewood into the stove.
"I wasn’t the one who got her out. She earned it herself." Yu Shuzhen began to recall the events of the past.
When she was first trafficked here, Jiang Li had already been in this place for a year. She would be huddled in a corner, filthy, but with a smile on her face, laughing and chatting with the empty air in front of her.
She was the one who spread the word that Jiang Li could see ghosts. Since those men all had their own demons, they would run away guiltily whenever they saw Jiang Li.
Jiang Li was very good to her, too. Whenever that bastard wouldn’t give her anything, Jiang Li would steal things from Jiang Dewang for her.
Later, she started teaching Jiang Li how to read. Jiang Li was very smart. She found a way to send her to school, and Jiang Li placed first on her very first exam, drawing a great deal of attention from her teachers.
Jiang Dewang was even invited to speak at a parent-teacher conference, which gradually brought the village into the public eye.
Because of that, they had to tone things down. Fortunately, Jiang Li’s grades were always excellent, and Jiang Dewang reveled in the vanity of it all. He never laid a hand on her, afraid she might expose what was happening in the village.
This continued until Jiang Li tested into a high school in the city after junior high. Jiang Dewang had no choice but to leave with her. Once Jiang Dewang was gone, these kinds of incidents in the village became less frequent.
After that, she lost contact with Jiang Li. But she knew that she had gotten out—that she had left this place for good.
But she never expected that she would actually come back.
Yu Huannian listened with a mix of admiration and a chilling fear. "Mom, then... were those really ghosts that Jiang Li saw?"
Yu Shuzhen shook her head. "It’s a type of mental illness. When faced with pain that’s too much to bear, the subconscious creates a second self to share the emotional burden."
Yu Huannian nodded. "I understand, Mom. But Mom, are you sure you don’t want to leave with us?
The police will never be able to find out about those things. If we leave this place, we can have a better life."
Yu Shuzhen shook her head. ’She had died in this place long ago; all that remained was an empty shell.’
"Tonight, go up the mountain and check on those beehives. Make sure you starve them well for the next few days."
As Yu Shuzhen said this, a smile finally appeared on her face.
"Okay, I will."
Yu Huannian placed the food on the table and called toward the inner room, "Time to eat."
Jiang Li came out, leading Ning Rou by the hand.
At the dinner table, Yu Shuzhen once again brought up the subject of Jiang Li leaving.
Jiang Li paused, her chopsticks hovering over the food. "Alright, Aunt Yu. I’ll listen to you."
That night, Jiang Li insisted on sleeping with Yu Shuzhen.
Yu Shuzhen looked at her with a helpless but fond expression. "Alright. Tomorrow, Xiao Nian will take you to the bus station."
Jiang Li pressed her lips together, not replying, and put her arm around Yu Shuzhen as they walked toward the bedroom.
"Xiao Li, don’t forget you promised me back then. That you wouldn’t call the police after you got out." Yu Shuzhen looked at her after they entered the room.
"I didn’t tell the police anything," Jiang Li said, moving closer to Yu Shuzhen and hugging her arm again.
Back when Yu Shuzhen first sent her to school, she had constantly told her not to tell anyone, that they wouldn’t do anything about it, that it would be useless.
Later, on the day she left with Jiang Dewang, Yu Shuzhen had only one thing to say to her: "Don’t tell anyone, and don’t call the police. No one will help."
"Good, as long as you remember." Yu Shuzhen patted her head. ’The people here are a den of vipers.’
’Besides, letting them go to prison would be getting off too easy.’
Meanwhile, at the village chief’s house, the lights were blazing. A group of people sat in the courtyard, all talking at once.
"Village Chief, Jiang Dewang’s girl, Jiang Li, is back. What if she tells people about what goes on here?"
"Yeah, I saw her go straight to that crazy hag’s house today."
The village chief, Liu Deceng, took a drag from his long-stemmed pipe, listening to the villagers’ clamor. He narrowed his eyes. ’Jiang Dewang’s girl?’
’He could barely remember what she looked like.’
"That Jiang Dewang, honestly. How could he let Jiang Li come back?"
"It was Zhang Shufang and those other women who brought her back. Otherwise, Jiang Li would never have found the way in."
To keep the police from finding this place, they change the route out of the village every so often. The old path gets overgrown with weeds, so who would ever know it was there?
"Alright, that’s enough. Stop your squawking. I’ll go check on the situation tomorrow."
The group finally quieted down. They chattered for a little while longer before getting up and leaving the chief’s house.
「The next day」
A thunderous banging echoed from the door of Yu Huannian’s house.
Yu Huannian went to open the door, his face dark. "What do you want?"
Seeing the intimidating Yu Huannian, the crowd flinched and took a step back.
Liu Deceng looked at the big man before him. "Xiao Nian, I heard Jiang Li came back. She’s returned to the village, so why didn’t you tell everyone?
I heard she’s here, so I’ve come looking for her about something."
"Looking for her? I already kicked her out last night."
Yu Shuzhen emerged from the shadows. Seeing her, the crowd recoiled in fear, backing away again.
’This Yu Shuzhen used to be such a beautiful woman, but now she looks like a ghost. It’s terrifying.’
Liu Deceng’s face darkened as he stared at the madwoman. "Yu Shuzhen! What, are you trying to break the rules?"
Hearing Liu Deceng speak, the crowd watched Yu Shuzhen with unconcealed glee. They’d long since found her to be an eyesore.
But this Yu Shuzhen was nothing like the woman who had just arrived. Nowadays, no one dared to provoke her.
"Village Chief, were you looking for me?"
Jiang Li had heard the commotion outside and decided to come out. ’If this many people barge in and find out about Ning Rou, it’ll be disastrous.’
Liu Deceng looked at the fair-skinned, clean woman before him. ’This is Jiang Li?’
A sinister glint flashed in Liu Deceng’s eyes. "Jiang Li, since you’re back, you have to follow the village rules. Hand over your phone."
Jiang Li took out a powered-off phone and handed it to him.
Hiding behind the door, Ning Rou gripped the doorframe tightly. ’Doesn’t that mean I can’t contact my brother anymore?’
"Little Rou, don’t be afraid. We’ll still be able to leave in a few days." Yu Huannian appeared from behind and patted her shoulder reassuringly.
Thinking of their plan, Ning Rou nodded with tears in her eyes.
Outside, Liu Deceng looked at the phone in his hand. "Just one?"
Jiang Li frowned. "Village Chief, that’s not a fair thing to say. I only make a little over two thousand a month, and I have to give most of it to my dad. It’s a wonder I can even afford one phone."
Hearing her mention Jiang Dewang, Liu Deceng snorted. ’It doesn’t seem like she has the guts anyway.’
Liu Deceng’s gaze lingered on Jiang Li for a few moments. "Jiang Li, come with me to my house. I have something to tell you."
The eyes of the men behind him instantly lit up. ’If the village chief is the first one to make a move...’
Yu Shuzhen tightened her grip on her walking stick.
Jiang Li smiled. "Of course, Village Chief. In fact, my dad sent me back with a message for you."
Liu Deceng frowned. ’What business could Jiang Dewang possibly have with me?’
"Fine."
Liu Deceng led Jiang Li toward his house.
Yu Shuzhen stared intently at Liu Deceng’s back.
"Mom, calm down. Jiang Li isn’t that foolish." Yu Huannian quickly came out and pulled his mother back inside.
「At Liu Deceng’s house.」
"Jiang Li, come on, have some water first. Whatever it is, we can talk about it slowly." Liu Deceng placed a cup of freshly poured water in front of her.
’This water is the village’s treasure.’
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