Chi Yin deliberately hammered every single word into Wei Chengliang's heart, making sure he heard every detail clearly.
She did it on purpose, intentionally using the mind-boggling, morally depraved relationship between a brother-in-law and a sister-in-law to disgust him.
Watching the expression on Wei Chengliang's face instantly freeze, as if he had been struck by lightning, Chi Yin felt every ounce of tightness in her chest melt away.
Still, this was not enough.
She suddenly changed direction and resolutely turned toward the County Committee Compound.
Chi Yin did not walk fast. Knowing Wei Chengliang from her past life, she knew that saving face meant more to him than anything else in the world.
Her words would provoke him, but only for a moment; once he recovered his senses, he would certainly chase after her to pick a fight.
Sure enough, before she had walked far, Wei Chengliang caught up with her and grabbed her wrist hard. "Chi Yin, stop right there!"
Chi Yin was yanked off balance, but once she steadied herself, she violently shook off Wei Chengliang's hand.
Wei Chengliang's eyes were bloodshot with rage. "Well, well, Chi Yin! Out of all the men in Yanhe County, you just had to set your sights on my younger brother! What on earth did I ever do to you that you have to shit all over my head and make me a laughingstock?!"
Yet Chi Yin only looked at him coldly, her gaze resembling one fixed on a jumping clown.
This attitude made Wei Chengliang completely lose control. He rolled up his sleeves as if to strike Chi Yin.
However,
Crack!
Chi Yin delivered a crisp, resounding slap across Wei Chengliang's face first.
The blow knocked Wei Chengliang's head to the side, leaving him completely stunned.
Clutching his face, he gritted his teeth. "Chi Yin, how dare you—"
Before he could finish, Chi Yin raised her foot and kicked him viciously in the crotch.
Wei Chengliang let out a sharp gasp, hurriedly clutching his lower body as he collapsed to the ground, his face twisted in agony.
Chi Yin took heavy breaths, her eyes glaring at Wei Chengliang filled with pure hatred!
It was a pity that murder was illegal; otherwise, she would have used the most vicious methods to slice this hypocritical beast of a man into pieces!
Still, looking at Wei Chengliang's miserable, half-dead state, Chi Yin was quite satisfied.
Her misfortune in her past life was due to her own cowardice, incompetence, and blindness. In this life, she wanted to see who dared to cross her—when it came to going crazy and losing one's mind, who couldn't play that game?
Unwilling to look at this beastly scumbag any longer, Chi Yin turned and walked away.
Two kerosene lamps hung at the entrance of the County Committee Compound as night fell, and the large characters reading "Serve the People" above the gate looked solemn in the lamplight.
Chi Yin knocked on the glass of the guard booth, and the elderly guard raised his head upon hearing the sound.
Chi Yin briefly explained her purpose, and after receiving permission, she walked purposefully toward the two-story red brick building marked "Police Station".
Half an hour later.
When Chi Yin walked out of the Police Station, she was holding a receipt form.
Looking at the thin piece of paper, the corners of Chi Yin's lips curled up slightly, and her mood was quite pleasant.
Carefully folding the receipt form and putting it into her dacron pocket, she quickened her pace toward Xiangshui Village.
Xiangshui Village was five or six kilometers away from Yanhe County, a half-hour walk, but just as she reached the outside of the Wei Family courtyard gate, the smile on Chi Yin's face vanished.
At her husband's family, she was treated as nothing more than a free laborer, expected to handle all the heavy and exhausting work.
Toward her mother-in-law Zhang Xiufen, whose husband had died years ago, she had waited on her more attentively than she would her own mother, but what had she gotten in return?
On the day her twin daughters met with disaster, Zhang Xiufen claimed she had gone out to play cards, but police investigations later revealed that Zhang Xiufen's statements were full of contradictions.
When Zhang Xiufen was summoned again, she had gone stark naked like a wild dog off its leash, running amok all over the village.
No one knew whether she had truly gone mad or was only faking it.The mongrel dog in the yard began to bark. Woken by the sound, Chi Yin then heard familiar shouts drifting into the room.
"Is that Mom?"
"Mom's back!"
It was Chi Yin’s twin daughters, Xixi and Wanwan.
Chi Yin patted her face, trying to shake away the lingering resentment, and forced her crimson lips into a sweet, practiced smile. Heaven had granted her this chance at rebirth. She must cherish it. But now was not the time to clash with Zhang Xiufen; taking the children and leaving the Wei Family was the only sound strategy.
As Chi Yin pushed the door open, the two girls flew into her arms like little cannonballs. Chi Yin gathered them in, one in each arm. Despite her best efforts to remain composed, the overwhelming emotion of having them back caused tears to well up uncontrollably.
Xixi tilted her head back. "Mom, why are you crying?"
Chi Yin quickly sniffled, swallowing the bitterness in her heart, and offered a gentle, faint smile. "The wind blew into Mommy's eyes."
Xixi leaned in closer. "I’ll blow it away for you, Mom."
Wanwan leaned in too. "I’ll blow it away for you too, Mom!"
The two little ones scrambled to stand on their tiptoes, their tiny mouths pursed high, blowing puffs of air—and spit—onto Chi Yin’s eyes. Their earnest, adorable behavior warmed Chi Yin’s heart so much that she almost burst into tears again. She planted kisses on their chubby cheeks, one after the other, making the children giggle with delight.
After playing with them for a moment, she told them to go play in the yard. Chi Yin went to the living room, took the kerosene lamp hanging on the wall, and held it high as she walked into her bedroom. Against the wall stood an old wooden bed, and beside it, a chest of drawers with peeling paint. Chi Yin opened the drawer and took out two faded baby carriers.
Before she could leave, someone entered the living room. Zhang Xiufen strode in carrying a pot. "Oh my, the soup is ready, time to eat—"
Before she could finish, Zhang Xiufen noticed Chi Yin’s bedroom door was open. She peeked inside and started in surprise. "Oh, isn't that Chi Yin?"
Chi Yin was equally startled to see Zhang Xiufen. At this hour, Zhang Xiufen was usually in the backyard kitchen, warming herself by the fire and listening to the radio. Her original plan had been to strap the twins to her back one by one and leave; Zhang Xiufen’s appearance made that plan much less feasible.
Chi Yin quietly placed the carriers back on the bed and covered them with a quilt. She pretended to be casually tidying things up. Zhang Xiufen was a troublemaker; if she found out Chi Yin was trying to run away with the children, she would undoubtedly throw a tantrum and cause a scene.
The living room was filled with the rich aroma of chicken soup, enough to make anyone’s mouth water. Zhang Xiufen began setting out bowls and chopsticks, asking Chi Yin, "Why are you here by yourself? Where’s Xiaoliang?"
Chi Yin feigned a relaxed tone. "Working overtime."
Zhang Xiufen continued, "You must have eaten already, right? I’ve got pig feed cooking in the back. Go add some firewood to the stove."
She was clearly trying to keep her away from the food and shoo her outside. Chi Yin couldn't believe she had been so blind to Zhang Xiufen’s petty schemes in her previous life. But right now, she just wanted Zhang Xiufen to hurry up and finish eating so she would stay in the backyard.
Unexpectedly, the twins ran inside, each grabbing one of Chi Yin’s wrists. "Mom, Mom, let's eat together! We’re going to eat with Uncle Chengan."
The corners of Chi Yin’s mouth curled up, and just as she was about to explain that she had already eaten, her smile froze on her face.
Chengan... Wei Chengan?
Her brother-in-law, Wei Chengan!