The autumn in her memory was nothing short of a lifelong nightmare for Bai Yu.
With its mud walls, grey tiles, dilapidated wooden windows, and a front gate leaning precariously as if to collapse, the house could barely shield them from a few stray southern gusts.
A slightly plump young girl came sprinting in, breathless and red-faced, and with a loud "bang," she collided directly with Bai Yu's front door, knocking it right off its frame.
As dust billowed up, Xia Mimi covered her mouth and coughed, "Xiaobai, hurry to the village entrance! Your grandmother is being beaten to the brink of death by Black Fatty and his crew."
Hearing this, Bai Yu ripped off her apron, her face turning ghastly pale as she dashed out of the house.
At the village entrance, a few local ruffians were kicking a white-haired grandmother, who wailed incessantly on the ground.
"You old hag, you bought a piece of meat and tried to hide it away—it would be better spent in my stomach than wasted on someone already half in the grave!"
"Fatty, isn't this Bai Yu's grandmother? I thought you were trying to woo her?"
"Woo her? What kind of woman can't a man like Black Fatty have? That Bai Yu, relying on a bit of good looks, won't even spare me a glance. I have to vent this frustration one way or another. From now on, every time I see her, I'm going to beat her."
Bai Yu had run for several kilometers in one breath, the taste of metallic blood rising in her throat. Seeing Black Fatty and his lackeys kicking her grandmother from a distance, the rage inside her felt as though it were about to burst from her chest."Stop right there! Black Fatty, I've already called the police!"
The young girl stood entirely alone, exploding like a firecracker right behind a pack of local thugs.
Black Fatty turned around, and upon seeing Bai Yu's fair and delicate face, he couldn't help marveling once more. She was so completely different from the coarse-featured village girls. His throat grew dry, and he licked the corner of his lips.
"Bai Yu, you actually had the guts to come here all by yourself?"
Black Fatty smiled broadly, unable to conceal the lust in his eyes.
Paying no mind to the wicked grins plastered across the thugs' faces, the girl picked up a stone from the roadside and hurled it at them.
Her aim was nothing short of perfection, hitting its mark every single time.
In less than no time, Black Fatty and his henchmen, nursing bumps all over their heads, were forced to retreat several yards.
Bai Yu hurried forward to help her grandmother up.
"Grandma? I'm taking you to the health clinic, don't be afraid."
"You think you can just beat me up and run? Where in the world is there a deal that sweet?" Black Fatty covered his swollen forehead and exchanged a glance with his henchmen.Grandmother’s trembling hands clutched Bai Yu. "Xiaobai, don't worry about me. Run!"
"Grandmother, it's alright. I'm not afraid." The young girl helped her grandmother to the side. Though she claimed not to be afraid, her eyes were wet, and her whole body was visibly shaking.
It was a gloomy day after the autumn harvest.
A young girl with frail shoulders stood facing four local thugs, her fists clenched tight.
She knew she couldn't win, but she was prepared to fight to the death. She understood that cowardice would not bring peace; it would only embolden these bullying scoundrels.
So, she stood her ground, ready to face her end. Even when she was violently thrown to the ground, she scrambled back up immediately. She didn't cry out in pain, even as half her face was scraped raw against the earth.
Just as the thugs were pinning her down on the muddy road at the village entrance, a piercing cat’s cry rang out.
It was Daju!
He arrived in a fury, leading his wife and children. They attacked immediately, clawing Black Fatty’s face until it was a mess of bloody streaks.
"Ouch! What the hell! Where did all these stray cats come from?"
"Fatty, we can't let them bite us. We’ll have to get rabies shots later, and I hate needles!"
"Run! Run!"
Sharp cat claws were agonizing, and within a few quick strikes, the cats sent them retreating.
Daju sat down beside Bai Yu, letting out a series of "meows" as if scolding her for not calling him before leaving the house.
The police arrived very late that day, but based on the medical reports of the injuries sustained by Bai Yu and her grandmother, the few thugs from the village were hauled off to the station to "have tea" for half a month.
The matter did not end there.
Grandmother was already in poor health; after being beaten, she fell bedridden. All their money went toward medicine, and Bai Yu couldn't even bring herself to buy a single bandage for her own wounds.
Every day, Daju would rush to the mountains and return with bunches of medicinal herbs.
Bai Yu smelled the herbs, then crushed them and applied them to her grandmother’s wounds.
Daju gave her head a couple of light taps with his paw, then slipped away to the mountains alone once night fell.
When he returned, he brought not just herbs, but fresh mushrooms as well.
From time to time, Daju’s wives would also trot over, carrying a fish in their mouths.Although they weren't big, their sheer number made up for it.
Struggling to make ends meet, Bai Yu occasionally managed to have some fish and mushroom soup to keep her strength up.
Ignoring the injuries on her body, Bai Yu went out to plant carrots every day, watching as the rice jar hit bottom and the money in her pocket vanished.
The setting sun slanted into the courtyard, bathing the yellow earth in a golden glow.
Dahuang the yellow dog lay at the doorway, only to be caught off guard by a sudden slap from Daju the orange cat as it sauntered past.
Dahuang was simple-minded and always getting bullied by Daju. The two had grown up playing together, and Bai Yu was long used to it.
The young girl took a cold shower and sat on the threshold, staring blankly at the three chickens in the yard.
She had originally planned to eat one for her grandmother’s birthday, one for her own, and save the last one for the Lunar New Year.
Now, the family was so poor they could barely keep the stove running. If she didn't eat some meat soon, Bai Yu wouldn't have the strength to even plant carrots.
After much hesitation, Bai Yu fed the last bowl of porridge to her grandmother, leaving herself to endure the hunger through the night.
She had decided she would slaughter a chicken the very next day.
But unexpectedly, when she woke up, the chickens and the dog were all gone.
In the middle of the night, Bai Yu had faintly heard Daju yowling frantically, but her body felt so heavy she couldn't muster the strength to get up.
When she awoke, her world collapsed.
"Daju, where are our chickens and the dog?"
Without even putting her shoes on properly, Bai Yu saw a piece of nylon fabric hanging from the chicken coop.
She immediately followed Daju, sprinting toward Black Fatty’s house.
Even through the mud wall, she could smell the aroma of chicken.
"Eat up, brothers! Three chickens in the pot, and if that’s not enough, there’s a yellow dog waiting later."
Black Fatty’s voice was thick and boisterous. His lips were rimmed with grease, and his mouth was stuffed with chicken.
Five or six of his cronies were drinking and eating, clearly in high spirits.
A loud crash rang out at the door.
With a bang, Bai Yu stormed inside, seething with rage. When she saw Dahuang lying in the corner, covered in blood and gasping for its final breaths, she nearly shattered her teeth from clenching her jaw.
"Black Fatty, you’ve only just been released, and you’re already back to your thieving ways!"
"Bai Yu, don't go throwing false accusations around. I have my own chickens and dogs at home—what makes you think these three chickens and this dog belong to you?"
His cronies chimed in with sneers. "That’s right! Don't think that just because you’re pretty, you can act however you want. Our boss here was locked up for fifteen days; he hasn't even settled the score with you yet, and here you are, coming to his doorstep."
"Who else in this village but you wears this kind of nylon fabric?" Bai Yu held up the piece of cloth she had pulled from the chicken coop.
It was identical to the fabric Black Fatty was wearing right now.
Anyone could see who had stolen her chickens and the dog.
"So what if it is? Bai Yu, it's just three chickens and a dog—how much is that worth? You think you can call the police to arrest me over this?"
"Give them back." Bai Yu’s almond eyes were rimmed with red as she clenched her fists. "My grandmother is bedridden and needs to eat. Give me back my chickens and the dog!"
"What does your grandmother’s illness have to do with us? Honestly, you should be disappointed—we should have beaten your grandmother to death that day. Then, with the little compensation we’d pay you, you wouldn't have to toil in the fields planting carrots all day or worry about taking care of her."
As soon as Black Fatty finished, his cronies erupted into laughter, raising their glasses in a toast, clearly delighted with themselves.
Bai Yu realized then that they had no intention of returning anything. They were determined to eat, and she couldn't call the police.
The police wouldn't respond to a report about three chickens and a dog.
Overcome with fury as she looked at their greasy, bloated faces, the girl lunged forward and slammed the table over.
Hot oil and boiling water splashed all over Black Fatty, and the pot containing the three chickens spilled out, feeding the yellow earth instead.
Bai Yu scooped up the little yellow dog from the corner, which was clinging to its final breath.
Its fur was soaked through with blood, and its whimpering grew fainter and fainter.
She had raised Dahuang since it was a puppy; it was no different from family to her.
Those heartless, degenerate scum had actually wanted to eat it.
Behind the house, Bai Yu dug a small pit and placed the now-lifeless dog inside.
"I’m sorry, Dahuang. I failed to protect you."