"What are you doing? Trying to kick me out?"
He Wen sensed Liu Ming'an's intentions, wrestled free from him, and pointed accusatorily. "You're looking down on me, aren't you? Acting all superior, right? Pretending to be so impressive just because you know a few words, huh? Daring to kick me out!"
Liu Ming'an sighed helplessly, contemplating how to handle the situation at hand.
However, before he could formulate a plan, an emotional He Wen suddenly spun around, seemingly intending to enter the house.
"He Wen, what are you doing?" Liu Ming'an, towering a head taller than He Wen, placed a firm hand on his shoulder, demanding an answer.
He Wen quickly shook off Liu Ming'an's hand and cast him a malicious grin. "What am I doing? I'm going to see that ugly wench you bought. Let's see how hideous she really is so I can tell the guys back home."
Inside the house, Jiang Ning squinted at He Wen, her eyes showing open hostility.
Liu Ming'an's hands pressed against He Wen's chest, preventing him from advancing. Indeed, this drunken brawler was blatantly disregarding all manners, hell-bent on entering the house. Finding Liu Ming'an in his way, He Wen grabbed his collar and violently shoved him back.
Unprepared for this sudden burst of force, Liu Ming'an lost his footing. He fell uncontrollably backward, his head heavily smacking against a stone by the doorstep. Intense pain surged through him, his vision blackening. He felt as if his head would explode. Then he lost consciousness, slipping into a world of endless darkness.
"Hey!" The scene startled He Wen. He hurriedly gave the collapsed Liu Ming'an a nudge with his foot and began to yell. "Hey! Hey, hey! Liu Ming'an, wake up. Don't play dead on me, you hear? Get up!"
Liu Ming'an remained motionless on the ground, causing He Wen to start feeling guilty. He had only intended to shove him aside, not kill him!
He Wen gave Liu Ming'an a few more kicks. The man stayed motionless with his eyes shut, looking entirely dead. This effectively woke He Wen up from his drunken stupor. Shaking, he crouched down and held his finger under Liu Ming'an's nose to check for breathing. Relieved to find Liu Ming'an alive, he exhaled deeply.
"You scared the hell out of me!" He Wen patted his chest, spat contemptuously at the unconscious Liu Ming'an, then staggered away.
The door creaked open from inside. Jiang Ning, her face pale with anger, glared fiercely at He Wen’s retreating figure. It wasn't until he disappeared from sight that she averted her gaze, going over to help Liu Ming'an.
Jiang Ning had watched everything from inside the house; she knew Liu Ming'an's head had hit a stone. So she reached out to feel the back of his head.
Thankfully, there wasn’t any blood, just a swelling bump.
She continued to check
The ears, mouth, nose – no bleeding. His breathing was reasonably steady. He should wake up in a few hours.
Jiang Ning sighed with relief. One arm slipping under Liu Ming'an's knees and the other around his shoulders, she lifted him on her side with effort. This body was weaker compared to her assassin days, and her arm felt slightly sore carrying a grown man. Fortunately, it was just a few steps, so she managed to safely tuck Liu Ming'an into bed.
Jiang Ning arranged the quilt over a seemingly unconscious Liu Ming'an, whispering softly, "Don't worry, I'll help you claim your justice."
After leaving Liu Ming'an's house, He Wen walked through uneven paths towards his own residence. There lied a copse and a pond between He's and Liu's houses, and at the time of noon, villagers were usually seen resting at home, leading to a deserted path.
He Wen aimlessly chewed on foxtail grass, finding his journey quite mundane. He kicked at a tree branch that lay at his feet when he noticed a figure by the pond washing something. On closer inspection, it was He Zhao's mute wife, washing sweet potatoes.
Thud! A stone, launched from afar, plummeted into the water. The splash it created soaked the nearby woman's hair and clothing.
He Wen erupted into laughter, clearly amused, "Deaf-mute, isn't it fun? Hahaha..."
The woman turned around, her small melon-shaped face accompanied by a pair of scared, watery eyes looking at He Wen. The woman, overwhelmed with anxiety, intended to leave the pond with her unwashed sweet potatoes.
"Planning to depart? Heading back home to your man?" Catching sight of her attempting to leave, He Wen briskly approached to block her way, "No wait, isn't your man out carrying rice in the town?"
Her face turned paler, her body quaked slightly. Keeping her head down, she tried to move away.
He Wen caught her arm, pulled her forcefully towards him and growled threateningly, "You deaf-mute, dare to ignore me? Last time I had a few words with you, your cursed husband knocked out one of my teeth. That's a grudge I've had ever since."
The painful grip inflicted on her arm made her struggle as her eyes welled up with tears, making her look pitiful.
The sight seemed to stir unfamiliar desires in He Wen.
Always attracted to the mute woman's beauty and seeming vulnerability, he once took the liberty of making unwelcome advances, which her husband, He Zhao, happened upon quite timely and lashed out at him. His warning for He Wen to stay away still lingered.
This incident was an insult to He Wen and the memory of it made his blood boil every time. But He Zhao was a brute, tall and strong, hence He Wen knew better than to seek revenge directly. However, the grudge was remembered waiting for the right opportunity which presented itself quite fortuitously now.
He Wen chuckled lasciviously, grabbing the mute woman and throwing her on the ground, attempting to strip her clothes while he muttered rotten words of lust, "Deaf-mute, now that your man is gone, serve me and satisfy my needs..."
As Jiang Ning approached, the sight that greeted her was this appalling scene.
He Wen was on top of a woman, spouting dirty words, while beneath him, the woman was crying helplessly, eyes filled with desperation and pleading. It was evident that she was resisting him with all her might, but the physical strength disparity made it impossible for her to break free from He Wen's clutches.
Indifference is a fundamental quality of a killer, Jiang Ning looks on silently, unmoved. Her only focus is on He Wen, she doesn't want to expose herself in order to avoid unnecessary troubles.
"Ah!" He Wen suddenly screams, gets up from the woman beneath him, his face murderous: "You stinking bitch dared to bite me!"
"Slap!" "Slap!"
Two well-placed slaps land forcefully on the tear-streaked face, the woman's cheeks instantly blooming red and swollen. The imprints of five fingers are stark against her skin, and the corner of the mouth drips blood—it is obvious by the severity of He Wen's actions.
"Whore! You will pay for this." He Wen whistles through the wound she bit, his teeth clenched in rage.
