Chapter 67: Chapter 67: Human Swine
Liu Deceng was filled with doubt. ’Jiang Li was only twelve or thirteen when she left, wasn’t she? She boarded at school for junior high, so how could she know about all this? Did Jiang Dewang tell her?’
"Oh, well, what can you do? That’s just what the teacher said." Jiang Li sneered, looking at the nervous Liu Deceng.
’Anyone with a brain could see it at a glance.’
Liu Deceng fixed Jiang Li with a piercing stare. He knew the village’s dirty secrets better than anyone. If what Jiang Li said was true, wouldn’t that mean the entire village was cursed to have no heirs?
’To him, this Jiang Li was a walking disaster, a scourge!’
Liu Deceng shot Jiang Li a look, let out a cold snort, and turned to leave without another word.
Jiang Li watched his retreating back. She knew they wouldn’t let this go so easily.
She pulled her gaze away and headed back into the house. Aunt Yu was gone when she had woken up.
She saw Yu Huannian busy in the kitchen and walked toward him.
"Xiao Nian, where is Aunt Yu?"
Yu Huannian paused his chopping. "She had to go into the mountains for something."
The sound of chopping resumed. Jiang Li’s eyes fell on the cleaver in his hand. Maybe it was because of her constant dreams about murder cases, but she had a strange feeling.
’She felt Yu Huannian’s technique was strangely similar to Jiang Dewang’s.’
Yu Huannian, seeing Jiang Li was still standing there, set down his cleaver and turned to face her. "Something else?"
"Can you tell me what you and Aunt Yu have gone through all these years?" The words were barely out of Jiang Li’s mouth before Yu Huannian’s expression darkened, and he stared at her grimly.
"That’s not for you to ask. I have to cook. Please get out!" Yu Huannian tossed the cleaver onto the chopping block.
Noting the precise force he used, Jiang Li’s eyes shifted slightly. "Then I won’t disturb you."
Jiang Li went out with a smile, glancing at the tightly locked door to one side. It was as if she could see Ning Rou, imprisoned within.
She entered Yu Shuzhen’s room. As for Ning Rou, she didn’t dare meddle, afraid she would only cause more trouble for them.
Back in the room, Jiang Li looked around the familiar little space and felt a sense of warmth, of home. She sat on the edge of the bed and pulled out the notebook she had swiped from Liu Deceng’s house.
Jiang Li opened it.
Some year, the fourth day of the first lunar month: Another real beauty arrived in the village today. Heard she’s even a college student. This is great. If she has a baby, maybe it’ll be a scholar.
The tenth day of the first lunar month: She was with Zhang Daqiang from the village. A bunch of us were crowded outside, waiting our turn in line.
That bastard Zhang Daqiang charged twice as much as usual. Scum!
Jiang Li nearly tore the notebook to shreds. A vague memory surfaced—she had heard horrifying screams from next door. When she’d tried to go see what was happening, Jiang Dewang had beaten her to within an inch of her life. By the time she woke up...
...Yu Shuzhen was sitting in the courtyard, covered in bruises, with a look on her face like she had nothing left to live for. She was holding something in her hands.
The twenty-eighth of the twelfth lunar month: Yu Shuzhen is pregnant. No idea who the father is, but it can only be registered as Zhang Daqiang’s. I didn’t go, but I know Liu Quan Gui and his cronies from the village went again.
Jiang Li trembled as she continued reading. The next year, Yu Shuzhen gave birth to fraternal twins. The girl was taken away by Jiang Dewang. The third year, a boy. The fourth year, a girl, who also disappeared. The fifth year... the sixth year...
CLANG!
The notebook in Jiang Li’s hands dropped to the floor. Her hands wouldn’t stop shaking, and her eyes were bloodshot with fury. ’Animals! They’re all a bunch of fucking animals!’
Jiang Li pushed herself up, but her vision went black and she collapsed back onto the bed. The names from the notebook flashed through her mind.
She pulled the door open and went out, just as Yu Shuzhen was coming back with a basket. Looking at Aunt Yu’s frail, aged figure, a dull ache throbbed in Jiang Li’s chest.
"Xiao Li, are you going out?" Yu Shuzhen stopped and looked at her.
"Yeah." Jiang Li mumbled an affirmation and walked past her, heading out. If she stayed any longer, she was afraid she’d lose control.
Yu Shuzhen watched Jiang Li’s departing back, then looked up at Yu Huannian inside the house. "What did you say to her?"
"Nothing. She asked me something, but I didn’t tell her. She just went back to her room."
Yu Huannian walked out of the kitchen, wiping the blood from his hands. "Mom, they’ve been hungry for seven days."
Yu Shuzhen glanced outside. "Soon. In three days, take Ning Rou and Jiang Li to town."
Yu Huannian looked at his mother with reluctance, but in the end, he nodded obediently.
After Jiang Li went out, she headed for Liu Quan Gui’s house. Little Li appeared in front to lead the way.
After winding through the paths, she arrived at a dilapidated house. Through a hole in the rotten door, she could see a man in his forties or fifties lying inside, smoking a hand-rolled cigarette.
Jiang Li clenched her fists, pushed open the door, and walked in.
Liu Quan Gui heard the noise and immediately looked over at her. When he saw who it was, his eyes lit up. "Well, well, if it isn’t the recently returned Jiang Li. What brings you to Uncle Liu’s place?"
Jiang Li looked at the man before her. "You’re Liu Quan Gui."
"That’s me. What about it?" Liu Quan Gui tapped the ash out of his pipe and started walking toward her. ’This little minx, coming to find me... surely she’s not...’
Jiang Li slammed Liu Quan Gui to the ground. She landed a punch, and before he could even cry out, two of his teeth were gone. He opened his mouth to scream, but a cold, sharp blade was pressed to his face, its reflection flashing in his eyes.
Jiang Li’s face was cold and vicious. "Shut up!"
The scream died in Liu Quan Gui’s throat. He trembled in fear as he stared at her. "Wh-what do you, what do you want?"
As Liu Quan Gui spoke, he accidentally swallowed a tooth and started to choke, his eyes rolling back in his head.
"Besides you and Liu Deceng, who else tormented Aunt Yu over the years?"
Liu Quan Gui’s eyes widened in terror as he looked at her. He’d never imagined she was here for Yu Shuzhen.
While he hesitated, a searing pain shot through his hand. Without a single word, Jiang Li had severed one of his fingers.
Jiang Li clamped her hand firmly over Liu Quan Gui’s mouth, watching him twitch in agony, his eyes rolling into his head. Yet, she felt none of the triumphant thrill of revenge.
"Are you going to talk, or not?"
Hearing Jiang Li’s demonic whisper, the dizzy and disoriented Liu Quan Gui frantically nodded.
Only then did Jiang Li let go of his mouth. She took out a pen and a notebook. "Talk."
Clutching his bleeding hand, Liu Quan Gui stammered out the names.
Jiang Li’s expression grew even colder.
"I-I told you everything. You... you’ll let me go, right? I swear I won’t tell anyone," Liu Quan Gui pleaded, scrambling backward in fear.
’Jiang Li is back for revenge.’
Jiang Li looked at the list of twenty or thirty names. Half of them were already dead.
"Where were they buried after they died? Do you know?"
Liu Quan Gui shuddered. "I don’t know about all of them. Some are on the back hill." ’Some of them, I don’t even know how they died.’
Jiang Li packed away her notebook and flashed him a smile. "Don’t worry. I’m not going to kill you. Killing is against the law, after all."
Liu Quan Gui breathed a sigh of relief, but the next second, a fresh wave of agony shot through him. He stared at Jiang Li, his face ashen. ’Didn’t... didn’t you say you wouldn’t kill me?’
"But here in Zhaozi Village, murder isn’t a crime."
Jiang Li hacked off his limbs, smashed out his teeth, and threw him into a large earthen jar. This was a trick she had learned from Cao Tianwang. It was a shame, though; she didn’t have any venomous insects.
Jiang Li looked down at Liu Quan Gui in the jar. "Death would be too good for you. And don’t you worry. I won’t spare the living, and I won’t spare the dead, either.
I’ll dig them all up to keep you company."
With his bloodshot eyes, Liu Quan Gui could only watch as Jiang Li shut the door. Nothing in his body could move but his own mind.
He let out a despairing whimper. All he could do was listen as silence fell outside, punctuated by the occasional sound of passing footsteps. He didn’t even have the ability to call for help.
Jiang Li grabbed a hoe from Liu Quan Gui’s house, slung it over her shoulder, and headed toward the hills.
When Jiang Li didn’t return, Yu Shuzhen grew increasingly anxious, pacing back and forth in the courtyard.
"Xiao Nian, you stay here. I’m going to go look for Jiang Li. I’m worried something’s happened."
"Mom, let me go. It’s not easy for you to get around." Yu Huannian held Yu Shuzhen back, then went outside and activated some kind of mechanism by the door.
With a cleaver tucked at his waist, Yu Huannian walked through the village, listening for any stirrings from the houses, until he arrived at Liu Quan Gui’s place.
He drew the cleaver from his belt and crept closer, straining his ears. He thought he could hear a faint, subtle noise.
Yu Huannian glanced around before vaulting the wall. He followed the sound to a doorway. Gripping the cleaver tightly in one hand, he pushed the door open with the other.
CREAK—
When Liu Quan Gui heard the door creak open, a glimmer of hope sparked in his eyes. ’Thank god! I’m saved!’
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