Quadrangle Courtyard!
Rear Courtyard!
Second Aunt Liu had just opened her eyes when she realized something was wrong. Where was Liu Haizhong? Usually, she was the one who had to wake him up, but today, seeing the empty space beside her, she was filled with disbelief. Had the sun risen from the west today?
Shaking her head, she didn't dwell on it and got up to make breakfast for Liu Haizhong.
"Mom, where's Dad?"
The commotion Second Aunt Liu made woke up her sons. Liu Guangyuan, the eldest, rubbed his sleepy eyes and looked at his mother standing alone in the main room, puzzled.
"I don't know. I didn't see him when I got up. I'm just as baffled. Why don't you go outside and look for him?"
Look for him? Liu Guangyuan shook his head. "Mom, Dad is a grown man. He can't get lost. No need to look; maybe he went out to buy breakfast!"
Although she felt a bit dissatisfied with her son’s words, Second Aunt Liu didn't say anything. Her son had a point—Liu Haizhong wasn't a child; surely he couldn't just get lost.
Realizing he might have spoken too bluntly, Liu Guangyuan grabbed a washbasin and headed for the door. "Anyway, Mom, I’m going to wash up now."
Without waiting for a response, he pushed the door open and stepped out.
"Ouch!"
As soon as Liu Guangyuan stepped outside, he stumbled and fell face-first onto the ground.
"Damn it! Who’s so malicious? Putting a rock right at our doorway! Show yourself! If I catch you, I’ll skin you alive!"
Liu Guangyuan didn't even check the situation before he started cursing. His outburst immediately drew the other residents of the Rear Courtyard out. The Chinese people’s love for a good spectacle was deeply ingrained. Since Liu Guangyuan was spewing such foul language, they naturally wanted to see if they were involved in any way.
At that moment, Second Aunt Liu, who had been preparing to cook, also came out upon hearing the noise.
"Eldest, what’s wrong? Why are you cursing like that first thing in the morning?"
Hearing his mother’s voice, Liu Guangyuan tried to warn her, but it was too late. Just like him, Second Aunt Liu tripped over something, staggered, and fell directly onto him.
"Ah!"
The sudden impact caused Liu Guangyuan to curl up, letting out a sharp, piercing scream that shattered the morning silence of the Quadrangle Courtyard.
What happened? What’s going on in the Rear Courtyard?
In the Middle Courtyard, a group of residents washing up by the water tap lifted their heads in confusion, looking toward the Rear Courtyard. What kind of trouble were they causing there this early?
Yi Zhonghai frowned. He wiped his hands, stood up, and walked toward the Rear Courtyard. Seeing this, the others followed, driven by curiosity rather than genuine concern.
But when they entered the Rear Courtyard, they were immediately shocked by the sight: all three members of the Liu family were sprawled on the ground, looking thoroughly miserable.
Yi Zhonghai was baffled. He looked at Second Aunt Liu, who was groaning as she tried to stand up. "Second Aunt, what happened to you? Why are you all on the ground? And Old Liu, why isn't he moving?"
What? Old Liu?
Second Aunt Liu, still disoriented, looked up at Yi Zhonghai in a daze. "First Uncle, what are you saying? Old Liu? My Old Liu isn't here!"
What?
Yi Zhonghai and the others were stunned by her words. The Second Uncle wasn't there? Then who was that fat pig lying on the ground? There were only two fat pigs in the whole courtyard—one female, Mrs. Jia, and one male, Liu Haizhong. That large heap on the ground had to be Liu Haizhong.
Yi Zhonghai, speechless, pointed behind her. "Isn't that your Old Liu?"
Only then did Second Aunt Liu turn around. When she saw the figure lying on the ground, her face darkened. She had been worried about him earlier, only to find him sprawled right at their doorstep—and he had even tripped her.
"Liu Haizhong, get up!"
Second Aunt Liu stood up angrily, ignoring her son, and went to shove Liu Haizhong. She wanted to know what he was thinking. But as she reached him and was about to touch him, she was frozen by what she saw.
Blood. She saw blood.
Earlier, because of the poor light and obstructions, neither Yi Zhonghai nor the neighbors had noticed anything unusual, and they had simply assumed Liu Haizhong was drunk. But Second Aunt Liu knew whether or not he had been drinking. When she saw the blood on her husband's face, she collapsed onto the ground in terror.
"Blood! Blood! Something's happened! Something's happened to my Old Liu!"
What?
Yi Zhonghai and the others, who had been watching the scene, suddenly changed color. Yi Zhonghai stepped forward and struggled to flip Liu Haizhong over. When he saw the swollen, bruised, and purple face, his own expression turned grim.
Liu Haizhong had been beaten—and badly. The injuries on his face were clearly from an assault; even Yi Zhonghai could tell that much.
The others crowded around, full of curiosity. Could something really have happened? But when they saw Liu Haizhong’s condition, they all recoiled in horror.
It... it was real! But why? Who did this? They had beaten him so severely that if he hadn't been breathing, they would have thought he was dead.
An invisible weight settled over everyone’s hearts. The attacker was ruthless; they had clearly been aiming to kill. How could they not be afraid?
At this point, Liu Guangyuan had recovered enough to stand. Ignoring his own pain, he rushed over and grabbed his mother. "Mom, what happened to Dad?"
"Your Dad... your Dad..."
Second Aunt Liu stared at her eldest son, empty-eyed, unable to find the words. For a housewife like her, facing such a sudden catastrophe without fainting was already a testament to her strength.
Yi Zhonghai regained his composure and said in a deep voice to the anxious Liu Guangyuan, "Guangyuan, don't panic. Your dad isn't in critical danger; he seems to have been knocked unconscious. Hurry up and get him to the hospital. If you wait too long, it might become dangerous!"
"Yes, yes... Guangyuan, hurry and take your dad to the hospital!" Second Aunt Liu finally snapped back to reality.
Only then did Liu Guangyuan see his father’s condition. He gasped, his face twisted with rage. Who was it? Who was so ruthless as to beat his father like this?
Without delay, Liu Guangyuan called his two younger brothers, grabbed the courtyard’s handcart, and rushed toward the hospital. He was truly afraid of being too late—after all, their entire family relied on Liu Haizhong’s wages to survive.