Su Qianli looked at Liu Fang’s smile, keeping silent all the while.
Liu Fang began to feel that her smile looked a bit strained, and she noticed that the girl’s expression across from her had grown cold.
Having no other choice, Liu Fang took the initiative to speak: "Li, your uncle got hurt yesterday. I know you’re skilled at hunting, so could I trouble you to head up the mountain today and catch some game? I want to make something nourishing for your uncle."
From childhood, Su Qianli had been raised by Grandpa Su and Grandma Su to be polite. In the past, whenever she heard someone needed help, she never refused, even if she disliked her aunt.
Su Qianli stood in the doorway, thinking it over, and decided to accept.
Although the villagers of Wansheng Village were wary of her, whenever her uncle’s family tried to pick fights or target her, the villagers would often step in to take her side.
Su Qianli knew full well that if she refused even such a small request, given Liu Fang’s penchant for spreading gossip, there was no telling what kind of stories she would make up about her around the village.
*Sigh.* While she wasn’t afraid, it was still repulsive.
Besides, Grandpa Su and Grandma Su had only one son left, Su Jianguo. In her memories, she recalled Grandma Su mentioning they once had a younger son, but he had died of illness when he was very small, which was why they were so protective of her, determined to see her cared for no matter what.
And so, now that her uncle was ill, she could not simply ignore it; she had to do something, if only for appearances.
Consequently, Su Qianli replied, "Alright!" With that, she closed the door and turned back into the house to wash up.
Liu Fang, left standing outside the door, glowered at the entrance before walking away, muttering under her breath, "Little brat, just you wait; you’ll get what's coming to you."
Su Qianli tidied up efficiently, took a small stool in one hand and a bamboo basket in the other, and stepped out.
Upon arriving at the mountain, she first went to check the traps she had set earlier. They were empty; even if there had been anything, with her not having come up for several days, any catch would have been taken by other animals.
Su Qianli headed straight into the deeper parts of the forest—a place ordinary people dared not tread.
Once, someone had rashly ventured into these deep woods, and by the time they were discovered, only half of their body remained, a gruesome end.
Therefore, only the most experienced hunters dared to go that far in.
As for Su Qianli, having received the true teachings of Grandpa Su since she was small, she often traveled through these deep mountains all by herself with ease; for her, those complex terrains were as familiar as daily meals.However, this time, she had not gone far before Su Qianli acutely sensed that something was amiss.
Behind her, she heard the faint sound of footsteps. Though the noise was subtle, it stood out sharply in the quiet of the forest.
In an instant, her body tensed instinctively, every nerve pulled taut.
Su Qianli began to quicken her pace, subconsciously attempting to lose these uninvited guests by relying on her familiarity with the terrain.
But before long, there was movement in the thicket ahead. Two men suddenly blocked her path.
Meanwhile, behind her, three more men emerged from different directions, all carrying tools.
Clubs and shovels, perhaps, but sickles, axes, and a large burlap sack? What on earth?
Dismemberment?
That seemed unlikely, as two of the men were clearly well-dressed and even wore wristwatches.
Since they were people who clearly didn't struggle for food or clothing, why would they take such a risk?
Therefore, if they were going to such lengths, she must be profitable to them in some way.
In this day and age, the most common way to profit from a woman was human trafficking—it was quick to offload and highly lucrative.
In a short span of time, Su Qianli analyzed the situation and concluded that these men had clearly plotted to sell her off.
And her aunt, Liu Fang, was definitely involved!
Yet, Su Qianli was at a loss for words. She was only eighteen, and a woman at that.
A woman!
Was it really necessary to go to such trouble? They had actually sent five grown men!
It seemed her dear aunt had provided a detailed account of her, terrified that a smaller group might fail to get the job done.
On the other side, the five men had initially been full of trepidation regarding Su Qianli. After all, when Liu Kun had described her, he had repeatedly emphasized that she was difficult to handle.
At the time, none of them had wanted to come; she was rumored to be crazy, unhinged, and a capable fighter, and if things went wrong, it would be too easy to get into trouble.
But Liu Kun had promised them, with absolute certainty, that Su Qianli was exceptionally beautiful.
And now, seeing Su Qianli’s face, they knew this trip had been worth it.Among the group, Li Tianming, a bald man dressed in flashy clothes, stepped forward first. He leered at Su Qianli. "Little girl, be a good girl and come with me, and I won't have to get rough. But if you don't listen, well, that's a different story. I’m quite the expert at crushing delicate flowers."
Su Qianli sighed, looked up at the sky, and remarked, "Hasn't anyone ever told you that you and I are very much alike?"
Li Tianming chuckled, thinking Su Qianli was trying to cozy up to him. "Oh, and how is that?"
The corners of Su Qianli’s mouth curled up. "We're both thick-headed!"
Li Tianming’s face turned as dark as a soot-covered pot. Gritting his teeth, he snarled, "How dare you insult me! You’re looking for death! Today, I’ll show you what I’m made of! Get her!"
Su Qianli had been observing the five men from the start, calculating her chances of escape. As of now, the skinny guy with the stick seemed to be the easiest weak point, and directly behind him lay a patch of thicket. If she could make it there, she had a good chance of using the original owner’s familiarity with the deep woods to find a way out.
The five men approached. Clearly, they didn't want her dead, or even injured, as that would ruin her market value. The two men holding sticks struck first, mostly as a show of force.
Relying on her nimble body, Su Qianli dodged one of them and simultaneously smashed her small wooden stool hard against the skinny man. With a loud "thud," he stumbled backward and landed on the ground. As the stool fell, blood began gushing from his forehead. He reached up to touch it, saw the red on his hand, and promptly passed out.
Everything happened so quickly that the other four were left completely stunned, their faces frozen in shock. In that split second, Su Qianli seized the chance to snatch the wooden stick from another man’s hand. Gathering all her strength, she swung the stick and brought it down hard on his arm. Thanks to the original owner’s natural superhuman strength, the blow was heavy and powerful. With a sharp "crack," the man’s arm bent at an unnatural angle. A shrill, agonizing scream tore through the mountain forest, startling the birds into flight.
Seeing her opening, and while the others were still in shock, Su Qianli turned and bolted. She sprinted toward the thicket like an agile leopard, feet light and fast.
Seeing his brother suffer such a blow, Li Tianming roared in fury, "Dammit, catch her! Don't let her get away!"
The commotion caught the attention of another group nearby, who began closing in rapidly. Su Qianli could already see the thicket ahead. Even if she got scratched up, it was better than being captured and sold.
Then, an unexpected obstacle appeared: a man suddenly blocked her path. She recognized him from the original owner’s memories—it was Liu Kun, the younger brother of Liu Fang. He had once tried to lure the original owner into a small grove with candy. When she had snapped the finger he used to try and grab her, Liu Fang had raised such a ruckus that she extorted 100 yuan from Grandpa Su and Grandma Su to settle the matter.
*Very well,* Su Qianli thought. *Even if I don't escape today, I’m settling that old debt.*
Instead of slowing down, Su Qianli accelerated, charging straight at Liu Kun. Seeing her fleeing in a panic, he had been mocking her internally, thinking that a woman would always be a woman. He intended to toy with her until his friends behind her could complete the pincer maneuver. He never expected this crazy girl not only to maintain her speed but to look at him with such intense, ferocious eyes.
A chill ran down his spine. He remembered that when she broke his finger last time, she had looked at him just like that—like a wolf.
Liu Kun panicked. Before he could scramble away, Su Qianli raised the stick and swung it horizontally. The stick whistled through the air and struck Liu Kun across the back with a resounding "thwack." The impact was so forceful that Liu Kun staggered and nearly collapsed to the ground.
Now, he was within inches of her, close enough to feel the heat radiating from her body. His throat went dry, and he swallowed hard. In his eyes, the Su Qianli before him was like a vengeful ghost crawled up from hell, ready to shatter his very soul.
Su Qianli: *...Well, at least he's smart enough to know that.*