Chapter 3, The Captured Flower Thief

The old lady, driven by a tense and anxious mood, did not even take her cane as she hurriedly made her way to the second young lady's room

I knew that beautiful women must have kind hearts; with looks as good as yours, even the Seven Fairies would pale in comparison. Oh dear girl, I was hoping you could help me untie this, but why have you tightened it instead..." Just as Yue Kang was about to charm the young girl, he realized that not only had she not loosened the ropes on her hands, but she had actually tightened them even more than before.

It is rare for the old lady to show mercy and allow me to take the rag out of your mouth, but she has said that you had better behave yourself. She needs peace and does not want to hear any sounds she does not wish to hear. If you shout, the old lady has said that for every shout, you will be thrown into the oil pot to be fried; shout twice, and you will be fried twice, until you are too exhausted to shout. You should not even think about trying to escape; there are people watching you in this woodshed. If they see you trying to run away, they will break one of your legs. You can try it and see how many legs you can afford to lose. The crisp voice, however, was anything but pleasant to Yue Kang's ears.

What? The old lady felt dizzy, almost breathless. Fortunately, Sister Rong supported her, preventing her from collapsing to the ground

Sister Rong and Xiao Cui both tactfully exited the room

Bai Miao Xi's current state of mind is very calm, or more accurately, numb. The events of tonight have struck her too deeply, more profoundly than the incident from three years ago, piercing her soul with greater pain.

After Sister Rong opened the door, she asked, "What happened to Xiaocui? Where is the second young lady?" Sister Rong also had a look of anxiety on her face

The maid, known as Xiaocui, wept with tears like falling pear blossoms, "The second young lady has hanged herself."

The old lady's face turned pale as soon as she heard the shouting

There are indeed very few that can be discarded; including the one about life, root, and offspring, there are only three.

Your attitude is so arrogant; once I get out, I will strip you bare and deal with you on the spot. I will have my way with you in the haystack, making you cry out that you want it, and then we will see if you can still act so tough in front of me

The old lady felt a weight lift from her heart upon hearing that the second young lady was safe, yet she remained anxious. She knew she should not have left Xi'er, but unfortunately, she still had to settle this disgraceful matter. In just a short while, she nearly lost her composure. The old lady shot a reproachful glare at Xiaocui, who lowered her head in grievance.

Escape? My hands and feet are tied up, how can I run? From the sound, there is someone guarding this woodshed.

Given the current situation, Yue Kang is immediately feeling downcast. Not to mention the prospect of immediate execution, he probably doesn't even have the heart to muster any resolve right now. At this moment, he is more concerned with how to get that bowl of rice into his mouth!

At that moment, the face was grimacing and fiercely glaring at Yue Kang, holding a basket in her hand. Yue Kang recognized this woman; she was one of the individuals holding a torch at the scene of the incident last night

Looking at her elderly grandmother's weary face, she felt the urge to cry and wanted to hold her grandmother tightly and weep.

There was a commotion outside the door, the sound of footsteps, and soon Yue Kang heard the clinking of iron chains. Then the door was pushed open. Sunlight flooded into the woodshed, and Yue Kang looked over to see a young boy of about seventeen or eighteen standing at the door. The youth was dressed in a long skirt of white and red stripes, with his hair styled into a bow. Upon closer inspection, his features were delicate and refined; while his overall appearance was not particularly stunning, he was blessed with the vitality of youth, exuding a lively and energetic presence.

Sister Rong quickly caught up.

"This beautiful young lady, could you please untie my hands? I am unable to eat like this!" Yue Kang pleaded with a question.

Quick... quick... take me to see Xi'er... The old lady's heart was like a knife twisting, her insides were in agony

Wow... Bai Miaoxi could no longer control herself and began to cry heart-wrenchingly

After a while, Yue Kang was finally able to endure the pain and close his mouth. He tried to open it a couple of times but then closed it again. Fortunately, there were no lasting effects, as he was truly afraid that his jaw would dislocate and he would never be able to close his mouth again

Xi Er seemed to have heard a tremendous joke, and inexplicably chuckled, saying, "Alright," before turning to stand behind Yue Kang

The spring of March is still somewhat cold. Yue Kang is only wearing a pair of shorts and has been locked in the woodshed. There is not even a blanket, let alone a place to shield from the wind. The walls are drafty on all sides.

After a long time without food, Yue Kang was already feeling his stomach pressed against his back, his belly growling incessantly. He wished he could stew the mice that kept bothering him alive. A large piece of rag was stuffed in his mouth; at first, it didn't feel like much, but after a night passed, the soreness was truly unbearable.

"In the past, it was Grandma's fault, it was Grandma's fault. If the child wants to cry, just cry out loud!" The elderly woman gently sat on the bed and softly placed Bai Miaoxi's head on her shoulder

Xiao Cui is currently unable to intervene, as her mistake nearly cost the second young lady her life. She is anxious about whether the old lady will hold her accountable later. Her greatest concern now is for the second young lady, who treats her like a sister. She is willing to accept punishment afterward, but for now, she only hopes for the second young lady's safety. She picked up the old lady's cane and followed after her.

Sitting there in a daze, completely still, her eyes never leaving the red gauze curtain, she had a myriad of questions in her heart, yet she could find no one to confide in. All the pain accumulated in her chest, feeling like needles pricking and even more like knives stabbing, penetrating to the marrow, causing a numbness from the pain.

Grandmother https://m.hetushu.com, in the past, feeling wronged... the voice choked with emotion, that face already disfigured was covered with a layer of red gauze, revealing only her tearful eyes that quietly reddened again. Her eyes, once bright like stars, had lost all luster, appearing dull and sorrowful

After shivering all night, I have finally made it to dawn

"Xier, how can you think this way? Do you want to abandon your grandmother? Xier..." The old lady, supporting her outwardly strong yet inwardly fragile granddaughter, also shed tears.

"I really don't understand what the old lady is thinking. Instead of killing you, this scoundrel, with a single sword, she still wants me to bring you food," Xi'er mumbled, then heavily placed the basket on the ground. "You heartless and despicable scoundrel, your great-aunt has brought you food. The old lady is afraid you might starve to death, so she wants to fill you up before sending you off to the afterlife." After finishing her words, Xi'er couldn't help but snort.

"Without the Communist Party, there would be no New China" is a steadfast and loyal supporter. Under the party's banner, Mr. Yue Kangyue feels that this is the most embarrassing meal he has had in over twenty years of glorious history. He cannot use his hands and feet in a proper eating posture; it is truly ungraceful, exceedingly ungraceful, and utterly ungraceful!

When the rag was pulled out from his mouth, it was very tight. Xi'er exerted herself to pull it out, and Yue Kang, whose mouth was finally freed, felt that the moment of pulling out the rag was quite similar to opening a bottle of wine with a corkscrew—first twisting it vigorously, then pulling it hard, and finally with a pop, it was opened.

I rely on the beheaded meal, as Yue Kang looks down with a whimpering gaze, wanting the woman to help him remove the cloth from his mouth, regardless of whether it is a beheaded meal or not; he just wants to eat first.

Both Sister Rong outside the door and Xiao Cui quietly shed tears upon hearing this

I have no idea what that old lady intends to do with me. Is she going to skin me alive? Bury me alive? Or perhaps cook me? Just thinking about it sends a chill down my spine. Surely it can't be that cruel! The answer is, I don't know.

The sunlight pierced through the clouds and refracted into the woodshed. With both hands and feet bound, Yue Kang crawled like a worm, inching his body toward the spot where the sunlight fell.

Xi Er clapped her hands and said, "You big lecher, you bastard, thinking you can have me untie you, go ahead and dream on! The food has already been placed here for you, my task is complete, whether you eat or not is no longer my concern, and how you eat is even less my concern."

Basking in the sunlight, Yue Kang felt enveloped by warmth all at once. It was quite comfortable

After Xi Er finished speaking, she placed a bowl of rice, a bowl of vegetables, and a small pot of water from the basket onto the ground, picked up the basket, and went out. She then locked the door with an iron chain, making a clattering sound.

Xiao Cui also came to her senses and hurriedly said: "Madam, please do not be anxious. The second young lady is now safe; I have already rescued her."