My chat group is full of female losers

Chapter 286 Si Ren
The night was as dark as water, and Xiao Jiu tossed and turned in his mansion, unable to sleep.

The Spring Hunt was approaching, which was the key point in her plan to turn the tide, capture the leader of the group, and gain great credit. However, she was still at a loss as to how to use the Spring Hunt. If she simply followed the original plot, she always felt a little uneasy, as if she might fail.

After thinking it over, Xiao Jiu still had no clue. He became more and more anxious and couldn't help but open the temporary group again.

Xiao Jiu: "Everyone, is there any safe way to do the Spring Hunt? I always feel that it is too risky to do it according to the original book."

After the message was sent, there was silence in the group for a moment.

Concubine Wan replied first: "This matter is indeed difficult. Spring hunting is not like the palace. There are many people and many variables. We are in the harem and can't really help much."

Concubine Li followed up, "Yes, if they put drugs in the palace or something, we can still think of a way. We don't even have the qualifications to participate in the spring hunting, so how can we give you advice?"

Concubine Zhuang and Concubine Xian expressed similar helplessness.

Xiao Jiu looked at their replies, and his heart became heavier. These imperial concubines are indeed fakes. They are so decent on weekdays, but when it comes to this critical moment when they need advice, none of them can be relied on. As the heroine, can't she even solve this little trouble?

Just when Xiao Jiu was upset, a notification came from the chat group interface that someone had tagged her in the chat group. Xiao Jiu frowned and opened the chat group to see that the person who tagged her was Si Ren!

When Fei Wu was choosing a temporary person in charge, she first chose the third princess, but found that the other party was far away in the border. Then she chose Si Ren and Chang Hong, but they were both too late, so she had to choose herself.

In other words, in Fei Wu's eyes, these three people are her confidants, and she is just the one she chose out of helplessness.

Si Ren: "Xiao Jiu, how is your progress?"

Xiao Jiu's heart sank. This Si Ren didn't come earlier or later, but came to ask at this time. There must be something fishy.

Xiao Jiu suppressed his doubts and replied cautiously: "It's still according to plan. Everything is going well."

Si Ren replied almost immediately, with an oppressive tone: "Smooth? I heard that your plan failed and you made a big joke, not even hurting the emperor. If you are not capable, hand in the task as soon as possible, so as not to delay the organization's important matters. I am almost in the capital, so I can take over."

Xiao Jiu's pupils suddenly shrank! Someone is here to steal the credit! She immediately realized that Si Ren was not here to inquire about the situation, but to seize power!

She forced herself to remain calm, and immediately informed Concubine Wan and the others in the temporary small group chat, and deliberately asked: "Senior Si Ren suddenly contacted me and said he wanted to take over this matter. I wonder what the other two colleagues think?"

She wanted to bring the three princesses and others together to resist Si Ren.

However, Si Ren's message came again, with sarcasm: "Don't waste your efforts. Changhong and the third princess are far away, out of reach, and they have agreed that as long as I can arrive first, they will not compete with me. Don't expect them to help you."

Xiao Jiu's heart sank. Sure enough, these three people had already communicated secretly! Changhong and the third princess would rather give the credit to Si Ren than let her, an ordinary organization specialist, make a breakthrough overnight!
But how could Xiao Jiu be willing to give up the credit she had achieved to others?

Xiao Jiu took a deep breath and replied, "Senior Si Ren, you are joking. We are following orders and naturally each of us is doing our job. Everything is going well on my side, and the spring hunt is the time to close the net, so there is no need for you to worry."

Si Ren was silent for a few seconds, then he sent a series of questions, his tone becoming increasingly harsh.

"Everything went smoothly? What you call smooth sailing is letting that male emperor live and roam under your nose and continue to bully others. Don't forget that you are also a woman, representing the dignity of us women. Are you going to let that pig man defile our dignity?!"

Xiao Jiu's forehead was covered with sweat, and he quickly explained: "Don't be angry! The emperor seems to be safe and sound, but in fact he is already trapped! I have made a plan, and I will go hunting in one fell swoop when the time comes..."

"The spring hunt is coming to an end?" Si Ren interrupted her mercilessly, "Do you have any foolproof plan? Tell me about it, or you will fail miserably like last time."

Seeing Si Ren's aggressive look, Xiao Jiu knew that the other party would not give up unless he came up with some specific plans, so he could only make up a story: "There were indeed some omissions last time. But I have learned my lesson and made a detailed plan for this spring hunt. First, we will take advantage of the chaos of the spring hunt and create a few accidents, such as frightened beasts ramming the imperial carriage, separating the emperor from his guards and leaving him isolated and helpless."

Si Ren sneered: "Accident? Xiao Jiu, tell me, with so many guards, how can you ensure that the male emperor is accurately divided? What do you mean by isolated and helpless? Don't you even have a capable pig man by his side?"

Xiao Jiu's heart tightened, and he quickly added: "Of course it won't be that simple. In addition, we have bribed several experienced old hunters. At that time, they will pretend to pass by by chance, and then lead the emperor away from the herd under the pretext of guiding him to a secret valley we set up in advance. The valley is in a dangerous terrain with only one narrow passage, which is easy to defend but difficult to attack. As long as the emperor enters, we will act immediately!"

Si Ren's tone was still full of suspicion: "Old hunters? They were hired temporarily. Xiao Jiu, how can you guarantee their abilities? These hunters are all men. What abilities can pig men have? What if they get too nervous and reveal their true colors?"

Xiao Jiu suppressed the panic in his heart and continued to explain: "You...you worry too much!"

"Overthinking?" Si Ren's words were full of sarcasm. "Is that the only way you can get rid of me?"

Xiao Jiu's forehead was covered with cold sweat. She felt that her thoughts were about to be completely disrupted by Si Ren's repeated questioning. She took a deep breath and said almost incoherently: "I... I have naturally considered these possibilities! So, we still have... we still have a third layer of protection! If the emperor is lucky enough to see through our arrangement, we will immediately activate the backup plan!
We have already planted an insider in the Spring Hunting Camp. We can create a larger-scale chaos in the camp, such as arson, or put a kind of... a strange itchy poison in the drinking water source that can cause large-scale panic! By then, the entire hunting ground will be in chaos, and everyone will be in danger. The emperor will be more relaxed in the chaos, and we... we can take advantage of the chaos to organize another assassination and make sure to kill him!"

"Arson? Poisoning?" Si Ren's tone was full of disdain. "What on earth are you talking about? With such a mess, you still have the nerve to guarantee the success of the plan?"

Xiao Jiu was criticized thoroughly and felt helpless, but it was impossible for him to give in here.

She gritted her teeth and simply acted like a rogue: "As the heroine, we are so powerful, so determined, so wise, and so capable of responding to emergencies. Others can't guarantee it, but we can!"

Then Xiao Jiu did not wait for Si Ren to reply and sent another message: "We are still busy preparing plans, so let's leave it at that for now. Goodbye!"

After closing the chat group, Xiao Jiu felt his whole body soaked in cold sweat.

"This senior Si Ren..." Imperial Concubine Wan said with lingering fear, "His aura is quite terrifying."

"It's more than just her aura that's terrifying." Xiao Jiu's face turned pale. "You joined the organization too late and don't know her well. You have no idea what kind of person Si Ren is. Once she arrives in the capital and forcibly seizes the dominant position, I'm afraid all of us will be forced to work for her. By then, our fate... won't be good."

Upon hearing this, Concubine Li and others became curious and asked what the secret was.

However, Xiao Jiu did not answer. She looked at the full moon outside the window and recalled all the horrible rumors about Si Ren. The most chilling one was that a heroine who had carried out a mission with Si Ren went crazy after the mission was over. She became stupid and foolish, and kept muttering nonsense like "Pig men should die, and gatekeepers should be executed" to everyone she met.

Xiao Jiu couldn't help but shudder at the thought of how he might end up.

A hint of ruthlessness flashed in her eyes: "There is no way back. Spring Hunting must succeed! We must not let that lunatic Si Ren succeed!"

At the same time, on an official road hundreds of miles away from the capital.

Si Ren closed the chat group interface with satisfaction, a sneer of contempt on his lips.

Beside her, a young woman named Xiao Cui was carefully holding the reins for her.

"Humph, that loser Xiao Jiu is really no good." Si Ren said to Xiao Cui with a tone full of disdain, "She found out with just a few words that she didn't have any decent plan. Fortunately, we acted decisively and set off immediately, otherwise we would have missed this opportunity."

Xiao Cui quickly complimented: "Sister Ying..."

Si Ren immediately glanced at her and asked coldly, "What did you call me?"

Xiao Cui was suddenly awakened and quickly corrected her: "Grandma Tai is wise."

Si Ren was satisfied when he heard this, and then he said complacently: "Of course! How dare a coward like him be so presumptuous! When I get to the capital, I will let him know how powerful we women are!"

Xiao Cui could only continue to respond. In fact, she didn't know what Si Ren was talking about, or even what she was going to do. It was just that Si Ren was her only support now, so she just did whatever she said.

The two of them rode as fast as they could, traveling day and night, and soon arrived at a small village called Xinghua Village.

Seeing that the horses were tired, Si Ren decided to rest here for a day and continue their journey tomorrow.

They found the only inn in the village, asked for a room upstairs, and ordered some wine and food.

However, after the dish was served, Si Ren only took one bite and his eyebrows raised.

"Bah! What kind of pig food is this!" She spat the food in her mouth on the ground and said angrily, "It's so salty and bitter, so bland, and it smells like burnt food! Is this cook dead?"

Several other guests at the table, both men and women, also frowned and complained in low voices that the dishes were indeed inedible.

Si Ren listened to the discussions around him, sneered, and said to Xiao Cui: "Look, this must be the dish made by some stupid pig man! Obviously, women cook in every household, but they insist that women are not suitable to be cooks. As a result, nine out of ten cooks in the world are these pig men! They have no real skills, but they insist on stealing our women's jobs! Ha, a bunch of rubbish that only wastes food!"

Xiao Cui responded timidly.

At this time, the chef of the inn came out from the kitchen. She was a slightly plump woman with a simple face. As soon as she came out, she bowed and apologized to everyone: "Dear guests, I am really sorry! Something happened at home today, and I was distracted for a while. My cooking skills have lost their accuracy, and I have made you eat unpleasantly."

A thin man with a pointed face and monkey cheeks curled his lips and said loudly: "Cook, your dish is more than just off the mark! I have never eaten such salty meat in my life! Doesn't your salt cost money?"

A woman beside him in coarse cloth also chimed in, "That's right! And the greens are fried so black that they're almost charcoal-like! How can we eat them?"

At another table, an old man with a goatee pointed at a plate of fish in front of him and said, shaking his head, "Shopkeeper, I'm afraid this fish is not cooked enough? There's blood in it! What if I get an upset stomach?"

Faced with these accusations, the cook was speechless and could only continue to apologize. She added: "So, today's meals will be discounted by 20% for everyone, as an apology to everyone!"

The complaining customers around were still somewhat dissatisfied when they heard this, but seeing that the chef was sincere and offered a discount, they did not say anything more and just grumbled softly and accepted it reluctantly.

However, when Si Renyi saw that the chef was a woman, her attitude suddenly changed. The anger on her face instantly disappeared, replaced by a look of righteous indignation. She slammed the table, pointed at the sharp-nosed and monkey-faced man who had complained about the salty food, and shouted: "You pig man! How dare you pick on me and slander the hard work of us women! I think you are deliberately looking for trouble and want to eat for free!"

The sharp-nosed and monkey-faced man was startled by her sudden scolding, and then he became annoyed: "The food is indeed not well cooked, and you can't let people say it? You are so unreasonable, woman!"

Si Ren ignored him and turned to the cook. She put on a caring tone and said softly, "My dear sister, don't listen to her nonsense! In my opinion, your dishes are pure and simple, unlike those stupid chefs who only use heavy seasonings to cover up the staleness of the ingredients! This is the real way to stay healthy! How can those ordinary people appreciate it?"

When the cook heard this, she was stunned at first, then a grateful smile appeared on her face.

The male guest was so angry that he blew his beard and glared: "You, you are just making up stories! You are confusing right and wrong!"

Si Ren raised his eyebrows, a vicious sneer appeared on the corner of his mouth, and he fired a string of vicious words at the male guest with a pointed face and monkey cheeks: "Ha! You are a fat-headed pig who only knows how to eat and drink. What do you know about right and wrong? I see that your sharp mouth can do nothing but criticize the fruits of our hard work. Are you just like an uncivilized fool, and can only eat pig food made by pigs to satisfy your lowly taste buds?"

"You still dare to accuse me of provoking you? The real provocation is from you, a little nitpicker who doesn't know what's good for you! The dishes we women cook emphasize natural flavors and are good for our health. How can you, who have been fed with heavy oil and salt by inferior male chefs, appreciate them? If you don't know how to appreciate them, go back to your mother's womb and be reborn! Don't embarrass yourself here and pollute the eyes of us women!"

The male guest with a pointed face and monkey cheeks was usually an easy-going person who rarely lost his temper. However, today, when Si Ren pointed at him and humiliated him in public, he felt an unprecedented fire rising from the soles of his feet to the top of his head. The anger in his heart seemed to be ignited by some invisible fuse, and it instantly expanded to the point of being completely out of control, and the string of reason snapped.

"You...you...crazy woman! How dare you...how dare you insult me ​​like this!" His eyes were bloodshot, veins bulged on his forehead, his voice became hoarse and sharp due to extreme anger, and his chest heaved violently, as if a usually docile working ox was suddenly enraged and turned into a man-eating beast.

However, there was a hint of strangeness in his rage, he vaguely felt that he would never get so angry just because of a few words of quarrel, but at this moment, the violent emotion was like a flood that broke through the dam, completely drowning all his clarity of mind.

"Today... Today I must fight with you, this vicious woman!" He suddenly stood up from his seat and pretended to pounce on Si Ren.

However, as soon as he took a step, he felt the world spinning in front of his eyes, and a tearing pain came from his chest, as if his heart was being tightly grasped by an invisible big hand and then suddenly crushed. He opened his mouth and wanted to say something, but only made a vague hoarse sound, and then his legs softened, and the whole person fell straight backwards, hitting the ground with a "bang", his hands and feet twitched a few times, and then there was no sound.

The scene suddenly became dead silent, and then there was even greater chaos. The waiter and the male guest's companion surrounded him in panic, pinching his Ren Zhong and calling him, but there was no response at all. The male guest was so angry that he fainted!
The waiter and the male customer's companion hurriedly carried him to the back hall for treatment.

Seeing that Si Ren had helped her out of the predicament, the cook was even more grateful and hurried forward to thank her: "Thank you, little sister, for speaking up for justice! I, an old woman..."

She looked at the dishes on the table a little embarrassedly, "But this dish, is it really... is it really as good as you said?"

Si Ren laughed heartily, patted the cook's hand and said, "Good sister, if I say good, then it is excellent! The taste buds of those pig men have long been spoiled by inferior seasonings, how can they understand the real deliciousness? Your cooking skills are not theirs to enjoy!"

The cook was delighted by what she said and nodded repeatedly: "As long as you like it, as long as you like it! But don't worry, I will still give you the discount I mentioned before."

The smile on Si Ren's face suddenly disappeared, and he looked at the cook coldly: "What did you say?"

The cook was stunned by her look and repeated in confusion: "The old woman said that she will still give you a 20% discount..."

"Hmph!" Si Ren snorted heavily, his tone icy, "I just stood up for you, repelled those unreasonable pig men, and saved your reputation. Now you have the nerve to ask me for money? Shouldn't you give me this meal for free as a token of your gratitude?"

The cook immediately looked embarrassed: "This... I am also a small business owner, with elderly parents and young children to take care of..."

"Shut up!" Si Ren was furious. "I think you have already been corrupted by the perverse theories of those pig men! Your mind is full of money and you don't even care about the most basic sisterhood! For a few stinky dollars, you don't even recognize your benefactor! A woman like you who has been completely enslaved by men is a waste of food!"

Si Ren scolded the cook so much that her face turned from red to white, and from white to blue. Finally, she was so angry that she was shaking all over. She pointed at Si Ren and kept saying "you, you..." for a long time, but she ran out of breath, her eyes rolled back, and she fainted.

The inn suddenly became chaotic again, with screams and cries for help rang out one after another.

Si Ren, however, turned a blind eye to this. Instead, he showed a smug smile, pulled up the stunned Xiao Cui, and leisurely left this chaotic place.

When they got outside the inn, Si Ren saw that it was still early, so he said to Xiao Cui, "Since we are bored, why not walk around the village to kill some time."

Xiao Cui nodded in agreement. The two wandered aimlessly in the village. Halfway through the walk, Xiao Cui had a stomachache due to the improperly cooked food she had eaten at the inn, and she urgently needed to go to the toilet. However, Si Ren frowned and said with disgust, "The toilets in the countryside are filthy and smelly. I won't go there. Find a place to go by yourself, I'll wait for you here."

Xiao Cui did not dare to disobey, so she had to find a secluded corner by herself. When she came out after finishing her work, she slipped unexpectedly. Although she stood up in time, the silk handkerchief fell from her sleeve and landed on the bluestone slab.

She was about to bend down to pick it up, but a bony hand got there first and gently picked up the handkerchief.

Xiao Cui was startled and looked up, only to see a young man in his early twenties standing in front of her. He was wearing a clean blue shirt, with a handsome face and a pair of bright eyes, looking at her with a gentle smile. This man was Li Lang from the village.

"Girl, your handkerchief." Li Lang's voice was clear and pleasant. He handed the handkerchief over, and his fingertips accidentally touched Xiao Cui's slightly cold fingers. Both of them felt their hearts skip a beat, as if a tiny electric current passed through them.

Xiao Cui's cheeks suddenly turned red. She quickly took the handkerchief and whispered, "Thank...thank you very much, sir." She didn't dare to look into Li Lang's eyes again. She felt her heart beating wildly, as if there was a little rabbit in her heart.

Li Lang saw her embarrassed look, which made her look even more shy and cute, and the smile on his face deepened. He asked softly, "Miss, you look unfamiliar, are you from another place? What's the important matter that brought you to our Xinghua Village?"

Xiao Cui heard his gentle tone, unlike the rude and direct tone of ordinary villagers, and the tension in her heart was slightly relieved. She whispered: "We...we are passing by here, and my grandmother...sister wants to rest here."

She subconsciously called Si Ren "sister", not wanting to mention the inexplicable title of "grandma" in front of outsiders.

Li Lang's eyes flashed with understanding when he heard this, and then he said enthusiastically: "I see. If you want to stay here, there is a spring at the east end of the village with sweet water. Aunt Wang's house at the west end of the village sells some homemade food, which tastes pretty good. If you don't mind, I can show you the way."

Xiao Cui felt the kindness in his eyes, and her heart warmed. She raised her head and met Li Lang's eyes. When their eyes met, she felt that Li Lang's eyes were like the sunshine in the afternoon of spring, warm and bright, which made her want to get closer involuntarily.

"No, I still have to go find my sister." Xiao Cui's voice was soft, with a hint of regret that she herself was not aware of.

There was also a hint of disappointment in Li Lang's eyes: "It doesn't matter. My name is Li Lang, what's your name, young lady?"

"My name is Xiao Cui."

"Miss Xiao Cui." Li Lang whispered the name and thought it sounded very nice. Then he smiled and said, "Then we will meet again if we are destined to."

After parting with Li Lang, Xiao Cui went out to look for Si Ren, but she couldn't find him anywhere. She was anxious and searched for a long time in the village before she found Si Ren in a crowded place.

Xiao Cui squeezed into the crowd and saw Si Ren with his hands on his hips, looking angry.

"Grandma, I'm back." Xiao Cui stepped forward and said.

Si Ren nodded without turning his head.

Xiao Cui asked curiously: "Grandma, what happened here?"

Si Ren turned his head, his face full of anger and contempt: "Humph! In broad daylight, a man dared to beat a weak girl in the street! There is simply no justice! This hell of heroes is full of oppression against us women everywhere!"

Xiao Cui was also surprised when she heard this: "Grandma, what you said before is indeed true. There really is no good man in this world!"

As she spoke, she leaned over to look at the center of the crowd. She saw a little boy, about seven or eight years old, sitting on the ground crying loudly, his face covered with snot and tears. In front of him stood a sturdy woman in her forties, pointing at the little boy and cursing him, spit flying everywhere.

The villagers watching nearby were whispering. Xiao Cui pricked up her ears and listened for a while before she roughly understood what had happened. It turned out that the little boy had just been chasing and playing in the street and accidentally bumped into the woman. The woman saw that the little boy was in rags and knew that he only had an old grandfather with limited mobility and no parents to take care of him, so she refused to give in and started to insult him in the street.

Xiao Cui was stunned and couldn't help whispering, "Grandma, that... that's not a man at all, it's clearly just a boy."

Si Ren corrected him seriously, "Humph, boys are also men! Their bad nature is engraved in their cowardly genes!"

Xiao Cui pointed at the woman who was cursing and said hesitantly, "That... that's not a girl, right? Judging from her age, she must be at least 40 or 50 years old. She can be the grandmother of the boy."

Si Ren was still serious and said firmly: "Even if she is over fifty, she is still a girl! As long as she is female, no matter old or young, she should be respected and cared for! How can we allow pig men to bully her!"

Xiao Cui opened her mouth and wanted to say something, but she heard Si Ren pointing at the crying boy and saying, "Look at how ferocious he is! He is crying and waving his fists to hit the poor girl. Isn't this beating?"

Xiao Cui looked in the direction of her finger and saw that the boy was indeed crying and weakly beating the woman's legs with his muddy little fists. It was more like a childish cry than a beating.

Xiao Cui: "..."

At this moment, an old man with a cane squeezed in from behind the crowd. It was the boy's grandfather. When he saw this, he hurried forward, bowed to the scolding woman, and begged for mercy for his grandson in a humble voice. The woman was already dry from scolding, and seeing the old man's respectful attitude, her anger was mostly gone. She scolded a few more words in a domineering manner and was ready to stop.

But Si Ren was unhappy. He suddenly rushed out, pointed at the old man, and cursed him: "What a hypocritical old pig! Why are you pretending to be pitiful here? It was you who allowed your little bastard grandson to bump into and humiliate our poor girl in the street. Seeing that I am here today and you can't get any good, you pretend to be hypocritical again, trying to win sympathy and get away with it? I tell you, don't even think about it!"

"I'm going to make this clear. If you don't kowtow seven or eight times today and pay me all your property as compensation, you can't leave here!"

The old man was already old and weak, and was extremely anxious about his grandson's affairs. At this moment, he was humiliated in public by Si Ren, and he felt that his breath was stuck in his chest, unable to go up or down. He trembled all over, pointed at Si Ren, and tried to defend himself with trembling lips, but found that he could not even say a complete sentence. He only felt that his eyes were black and the world was spinning.

"You...you are talking...nonsense..." He squeezed out a few words with difficulty, and then his eyes went dark, and he fell straight back, dying of anger.

There was another commotion in the crowd. The little boy cried even more miserably when he saw his grandfather fall to the ground. However, Si Ren seemed to be fine. He snorted coldly, pulled Xiao Cui and turned away.

Si Ren continued to curse the man as he walked towards the inn. Xiao Cui listened with a heavy heart, and felt that the "grandmother" who saved her life was becoming more and more crazy and frightening. Although she was grateful to Si Ren for saving her from the unfortunate arranged marriage, she just wanted to escape from her. In her mind, the gentle and friendly face of Li Lang just now appeared involuntarily, and she felt a little inexplicably shaken in her heart.

After Si Ren finished denouncing "all men are bad" with spit flying, he changed the subject and extended the conversation to the topic of theft.

"Xiao Cui, do you know what's wrong with what this thief said?" Si Ren asked.

Xiao Cui shook her head blankly.

Si Ren sneered, "That's because only men in this world would steal! We women are kindhearted by nature, hardworking and dutiful, so why would we do such despicable things? So, in my opinion, they shouldn't be called thieves at all, they should be called male thieves!"

Xiao Cui heard this and thought it was too extreme. She grew up in the countryside and although she had not seen much of the world, she had heard that many women stole because of their livelihood or greed. But she did not dare to refute Si Ren for fear of angering her.

Si Ren seemed to see through her thoughts, and his face turned slightly cold. At this moment, a loud noise suddenly came from not far ahead, as if someone was shouting "Catch the thief".

Si Ren immediately became interested and pulled Xiao Cui forward: "Let's go and take a look! I bet it must be a male thief!"

The two men squeezed to the front of the crowd and saw a woman being pinned to the ground by several strong villagers, with some stolen property scattered around her.

Xiao Cui subconsciously looked at Si Ren. She wanted to say something like "This is just a coincidence, it is true that most of the thefts are done by men" to smooth things over, so as not to irritate Si Ren.

Unexpectedly, Si Ren remained calm and pointed at the captured woman, saying firmly: "See! It's really a male thief!"

Xiao Cui was completely stunned and couldn't help but say, "Grandma, that's obviously a woman..."

Si Ren said confidently, "Humph! I've said it before, no woman would steal things on her own initiative! She must have been forced into a desperate situation by that useless pig man at home, with no food to eat and no clothes to wear. She had no other choice but to resort to such a desperate measure! The culprit, in the final analysis, is still those men! In this case, she should naturally be considered a male thief!"

Xiao Cui was dumbfounded and didn't know how to respond for a moment.

At this moment, a man with a sad face squeezed in from behind the crowd. It was the husband of the female thief.

When he saw his wife being pinned to the ground by the crowd, his face turned pale and he quickly stepped forward, fell to his knees with a plop, and kowtowed to the owner and the surrounding villagers, begging for mercy: "Fellow villagers, please have mercy! It's all my fault... it's all my fault! I'm incompetent and made her suffer, so I made such a mistake in a moment of confusion! Please forgive her this time!"

When Si Renyi saw the man, a trace of disdain flashed in his eyes, and he immediately spoke in a sarcastic tone: "Hey, look who's here? It turns out that it's the pig man who forced his woman to cheat and now pretends to admit his mistakes? What's the matter, now you know how to pretend to be a good person? What were you doing before?"

The husband froze when he heard that. He looked up at Si Ren with a trace of confusion in his eyes, but he still held back his anger and continued to plead with everyone, "My wife...she was really confused for a moment! We are willing to compensate! We only ask that the villagers, for the sake of our elderly and young children, please do not take this matter to the government office and leave her a way out!"

Si Ren sneered, "Leave a way out? That sounds nice! I think you are a lazy pig who puts the burden of supporting the family on your woman, forcing her to have nowhere to go and not have enough food to eat. She can only resort to this last resort and steal some property for you to supplement the family expenses? Now that the truth has been revealed, you come out to act out this drama of deep love between husband and wife? How hypocritical!"

The surrounding villagers already hated thieves, and after hearing Si Ren's analysis, they became even more furious, and the look they gave the husband became even more ferocious.

The husband was so anxious that he was sweating profusely. He didn't care about the family shame for a moment and told the truth: "No! It's not like that! I didn't force her! She is just dishonest. She is good at... stealing..."

"Nonsense!" Si Ren interrupted him immediately, "I think you, the castrated pig, are confusing right and wrong here, trying to shift the blame onto our poor woman! It must be you who forced her to take this crooked path!"

When the female thief saw this, a hint of joy flashed in her eyes. She even pretended to be bullied and started to sob.

The husband was so angry at Si Ren's distortion of the facts that his face turned red. Finally, he could no longer bear it. He turned around and glared at Si Ren, asking, "What grudge do you have against me, woman? Why are you slandering me like this and defaming my innocence?"

Seeing this, Si Ren sneered and slowly opened his mouth.

Then, of course, there was another fierce argument. Si Ren, like before, turned right and wrong, and used sarcastic words, which once again succeeded in making the husband tremble all over with anger. Like the previous victims, he rolled his eyes and died of anger.

The crowd fell into chaos again. Si Renze once again triumphantly dragged Xiao Cui away in the chaos.

After returning to the inn, Si Ren was finally tired from shopping. She sat at the table, drank a sip of tea, and began to summarize today's "brilliant achievements", and then taught Xiao Cui a lesson.

"Xiao Cui, you saw everything today, right?" Si Ren said with a smug smile, "These ignorant pig men, and those stupid women who have been completely brainwashed by them, are so hypocritical, so cruel, and so vulnerable! If we women want to have a chance of survival in this male hell, we must always be vigilant, keep our eyes open, learn to question the narratives they fabricate, and bravely resist and fight!"

Xiao Cui lowered her head and remained silent. Her fear and disgust towards Si Ren had accumulated to an unprecedented level, but she dared not show it at all and could only bury all her emotions deep in her heart.

Si Ren was completely unaware of this and just kept on talking big, sharing her experiences.

After a while, Si Ren smacked his lips and suddenly said to Xiao Cui, "Xiao Cui, I'm a little thirsty. Go buy me a bowl of herbal tea. Remember, get the cheapest kind so that we don't let those stupid shopkeepers make too much money from us. By the way, find out for me how far it is from here to the next larger town, is there anything I need to pay attention to on the way, and whether there are any carriages available for rent in the village."

Xiao Cui felt as if she had been pardoned when she heard this. She immediately obeyed the order and fled from Si Ren's room. She walked cautiously towards the village entrance. Perhaps because of the mental tension and depression in recent days, she was a little absent-minded. She stumbled and the few copper coins in her hand fell to the ground with a clink.

Just as Xiao Cui hurriedly bent down to pick up the scattered coins, a somewhat familiar hand got there first and picked up a few coins that had rolled farther away.

"Girl, we meet again."

Xiao Cui raised her head and the person she saw was the Li Lang she had met before.

When their eyes met, both of them felt a slight movement in their hearts.

Li Lang handed the copper coin to Xiao Cui and asked gently, "Where are you going, young lady?"

Xiao Cui told Si Ren's instructions truthfully.

After hearing this, Li Lang smiled gently and said, "I happen to be familiar with all these things. Why don't I go with you? It will save you some effort and prevent you from making unnecessary journeys."

Xiao Cui wanted to decline, but seeing Li Lang's sincere eyes and thinking that she was indeed unfamiliar with the village, she blushed and nodded, saying softly, "Then... then I'll have to trouble you, Mr. Li."

So, the two of them walked together to the teahouse and several houses at the entrance of the village. Along the way, Li Lang carefully showed Xiao Cui the way, patiently asked the teahouse owner about the distance and road conditions of the next town, and helped her find out which family in the village had a carriage for rent, and his words were full of consideration and thoughtfulness.

Xiao Cui was a little reserved at first, but gradually, she was also infected by Li Lang's gentleness and humor, and she started to talk more. She talked to Li Lang about interesting things in the countryside and their experiences. She felt very relaxed and comfortable with him, as if the depression and fear she had felt in the past few days had dissipated a lot.

Li Lang also vaguely felt from Xiao Cui's sporadic description that she seemed to be helpless, and felt more sympathy for her situation.

After everything was done, the two walked side by side on the way back to the inn, the afterglow of the setting sun stretched their shadows very long. The air was filled with the faint scent of grass and an indescribable warmth.

At the intersection not far from the inn, the two stopped.

"Thank you, Mr. Li, for your help today. If it weren't for you, I don't know how long I would have been delayed." Xiao Cui thanked him sincerely with gratitude in her eyes.

Li Lang waved his hand, his eyes fell on Xiao Cui's sleeves which were a little worn due to days of running around. With an idea in mind, he took out a small piece of clean linen from his arms and handed it to Xiao Cui, saying, "Miss, I see your sleeves are torn. If you don't mind, you can use them to block the wind first, or find some needle and thread to mend them."

It was just an ordinary piece of linen, and even had a slightly salty smell from a little sweat. But this insignificant kindness came so abruptly and without any warning that Xiao Cui was deeply touched.

She took the sackcloth, whispered her thanks, and felt mixed emotions.

Li Lang looked at her, his eyes filled with reluctance. The two of them were silent, and the atmosphere was a little subtle. Finally, Li Lang took a deep breath, as if he had made up his mind, and mustered up his courage, looking at Xiao Cui with burning eyes, his voice trembling: "Miss Xiao Cui, I am very happy to be with you today. I know that it may be a little abrupt, but I am pleased with you. I wonder if you are willing to marry me?"

When Xiao Cui heard this, she felt a buzzing in her head, as if something had gently tapped her. Then a hot current rushed to her cheeks, instantly burning red, and her heart began to beat wildly. She had always had a good impression of Li Lang, and now she would be lying if she said she wasn't moved by his sincere confession.

However, after the brief surprise, a series of worries surged into her heart like a tide. She bit her lower lip, twisted the corner of her clothes in a somewhat helpless manner, and said nervously: "Mr. Li, are you...are you telling the truth?"

After getting Li Lang's affirmative nod, the blush on her face deepened, but she frowned again and said softly: "But we have only known each other for a short time, isn't this... isn't this too hasty?"

She paused, then couldn't help but whispered, "Besides, will your mother... agree? I'm just a helpless foreign girl, and I'm traveling around with my sister..."

The more she spoke, the softer her voice became, with a hint of inferiority and uneasiness.

Li Lang felt a pain in his heart when he saw this, and he said in a firm tone: "Miss Xiao Cui, don't worry! I will go home and tell my mother! My mother is a very reasonable person. If she knew that you are so good, she would definitely agree to our marriage! You just need to wait for me here for a few days. Once I get your mother's approval, I will immediately prepare a generous gift and formally propose to you!"

Xiao Cui looked at Li Lang's sparkling eyes, and her heart was filled with warmth and she was deeply moved. If it were in the past, she would be so happy that she would not know what to do if she could be treated so seriously by such a good man, and she should wait patiently.

However, when she thought about leaving with Si Ren tomorrow, the uncertain road ahead and the prospect of never seeing him again, the flame of hope that had just ignited in her heart was like being poured with a basin of cold water and dimmed in an instant.

She suppressed her grief and shook her head gently: "Mr. Li...thank you for your kindness. But to be honest, my sister and I...will leave here early tomorrow morning, so I'm afraid we won't be able to wait for you to propose marriage."

"You're leaving tomorrow?!" Li Lang was struck by lightning when he heard that, with a look of surprise on his face.

Seeing Li Lang's face turn pale in an instant, Xiao Cui's heart tightened. Didn't she want to stay?
At this moment, a trace of determination flashed in Li Lang's eyes. He stepped forward, tightly grasped Xiao Cui's hand, and said in a trembling voice: "Miss Xiao Cui! If you trust me, Li Lang! Let's go to my house now! I will take you to see my mother now! I will definitely convince my mother to agree to our marriage!"

Xiao Cui was stunned by Li Lang's words. She looked at Li Lang's red face due to excitement, and the earnestness in his eyes that tried desperately to grasp happiness. Then she thought of Si Ren's twisted and extreme remarks and outrageous behavior, and thought that she might have to live under such a shadow forever.

For a moment, all worries were thrown out of the window.

She took a deep breath and nodded vigorously: "Okay! Mr. Li! I'll go with you!"

Li Lang was overjoyed when he heard this, and he kept saying, "Okay! Okay! Miss Xiao Cui, let's go now! Don't worry, my mother will definitely like you!"

He knew very well that Xiao Cui, a girl, had to muster up a lot of courage and trust to agree to his almost reckless request. His love and cherishment for her were beyond words.

The two of them immediately did not delay any longer, holding hands and heading towards Li's house. When they arrived at the door of Li's house, Li Lang was still very excited, and he asked Xiao Cui to wait outside the door for a while, and he rushed in.

As soon as he saw his mother washing clothes in the yard, Li Lang fell to his knees and begged his mother to agree to their marriage.

Li's mother was a kind-hearted woman. Seeing her son's sincere feelings, she believed him halfway. Then she asked about Xiao Cui's life and learned that Xiao Cui was alone and helpless. She was abused by her family and even sold to an old man. She finally escaped with the help of her sister. She felt pity for her son. Moreover, she felt that her son was old enough to get married. So, after a little thought, she nodded and agreed to the marriage.

Li Lang was overjoyed and immediately invited Xiao Cui in. Li's mother took Xiao Cui's hand and looked at her carefully. The more she looked, the more she liked her, and she immediately accepted this daughter-in-law.

Xiao Cui cried with joy. She then said that she would tell her sister Si Ren who saved her life. Li Lang would naturally go with her and repeatedly expressed his willingness to take Si Ren home to take care of her and never let her suffer any grievances.

Although Xiao Cui felt a little uneasy in her heart, she changed her mind and thought that although Si Ren's words and actions were crazy, he had saved her life after all, and he had always taken good care of her. She thought that he should not object to this marriage.

However, when she happily returned to the inn with Li Lang, Si Ren's face suddenly turned dark.

"Huh? Why is there one more person? Who is he?" Si Ren pointed at Li Lang and questioned Xiao Cui harshly.

Xiao Cui was startled by her aura, but she still mustered up her courage and said innocently, "Sister Ren, this is Li's eldest son. He just proposed to me, and Aunt Li has agreed. Li is a very nice person."

However, Si Ren's reaction made her feel like she was falling into an icy cave.

"Very good?" Si Ren's face was so gloomy that water could drip out of it. "A pig man, who showed you a little kindness and a bit of so-called goodwill, is just trying to lure you into the cage he has carefully woven! Do you want to be his private property? Do you want to be a container for his dirty cowardly genes? Do you want to get a certificate representing stupidity and slavery, and declare your humbleness to the world?"

Xiao Cui was flustered by the scolding and wanted to defend herself, but she found that she couldn't even say a complete sentence in front of Si Ren.

Li Lang was uneasy but not angry when he saw this. He just thought that Sister Ren didn't trust him and was worried that Xiao Cui was deceived, so he wanted to explain and prove his sincerity.

At this moment, Xiao Cui suddenly remembered those people who were pissed off or fainted by Si Ren, and quickly grabbed him, crying, "Li Lang, don't say anything! Go back first! My sister is here, I will talk to her properly! Don't worry!"

Li Lang also felt that the current atmosphere was not right. If he stayed here, it would only make Si Ren more disgusted, which would be detrimental to the resolution of the matter. So he nodded and said to Xiao Cui, "Okay, I'll step aside for now. Girl, don't argue with your sister. Let's discuss everything in a good way."

After saying that, he left with a heavy heart.

After Li Lang left, the atmosphere in the inn room instantly dropped to freezing point.

Si Ren's voice was extremely cold: "Xiao Cui, do you have any brains? I kindly rescued you from those cannibalistic gatekeepers, hoping that you could see their ugly faces, but what happened? You were fooled by a pig man with a few sweet words in a blink of an eye! You even want to take the initiative to get into their cage?!"

Xiao Cui felt cold all over when she was looked at by her. She couldn't help but shrink back, lowered her head, and whispered in defense: "Grandma... Mr. Li is not a bad person..."

"Not a bad guy?" Si Ren sneered harshly, "Xiao Cui, you are hopelessly stupid! The kindness of the pig men is nothing but poison wrapped in honey! They are nice to you just to lure you into their clutches. Once you enter their home, do you think you will have a good life?"

Si Ren walked in front of Xiao Cui, looked down at her, and his tone became more and more severe: "These days, I have earnestly taught you the hypocrisy of men and the meanness of males. Have you ignored it? Ah?! Have you forgotten those bloody lessons and those sisters who were tortured by them to the point of living a life worse than death?"

Xiao Cui was scolded so much that tears welled up in her eyes. She shook her head desperately and choked up, "No, grandma...it's just that Mr. Li is really...different from others..."

"Different? What's the difference?" Si Ren suddenly raised his voice, "Isn't it a male? All men in the world are cut from the same mold! Their essence is selfish, hypocritical, and cruel! They will never treat us women sincerely! They will only use us and exploit us!"

She stretched out her finger, almost poking Xiao Cui's forehead: "If you dare to step out of this door today and hang out with that pig man, you will be depraved! When that happens, don't blame me for not remembering our old friendship and cleaning up the mess myself!"

Xiao Cui was so frightened that she stepped back repeatedly. She could no longer hold back her tears, which rolled down like beads from a broken string.

She sobbed and burst into tears. In the end, she could only nod slowly in endless fear and sadness: "Grandma... I understand. I will never associate with him again..."

Si Ren looked at her completely submissive expression and a satisfied sneer appeared on his face.

However, when it was late at night and everyone was asleep, Xiao Cui tossed and turned, unable to sleep. The more she thought about it, the more unwilling she became, and the more she thought about it, the more she felt that she couldn't just give up her hard-earned happiness.

So she quietly got up, and while Si Ren was sleeping, she sneaked out of the inn, found Li Lang's house, and gently knocked on the door.

Soon, there were rustling footsteps in the courtyard, followed by Li Lang's somewhat alert voice: "Who is it? It's so late."

"Mr. Li...it's me, Xiao Cui..." Xiao Cui's voice was filled with tears.

The courtyard door creaked open, revealing Li Lang's surprised face. When he saw that it was Xiao Cui, he quickly pulled her in and said in a low voice, "Miss Xiao Cui! Why are you here so late?"

As soon as he entered the yard, with the faint moonlight, Li Lang could see that Xiao Cui's face was covered with tears and she looked haggard. He couldn't help but feel a pain in his heart and asked hurriedly, "Miss Xiao Cui, what happened?"

Xiao Cui couldn't hold back any longer, tears streaming down her face, she choked and said, "Mr. Li, Sister Ren won't agree to our marriage no matter what... I really have no choice but to sneak away..."

She looked at Li Lang: "Mr. Li, can you find a secret place for me to hide for a few days? I will come out after Sister Ren leaves. Then everything will be fine..."

Li Lang listened to Xiao Cui's crying and felt his heart break: "Miss Xiao Cui, you have been wronged... It's all my fault. If it weren't for me..."

"I don't blame you." Xiao Cui quickly shook her head and sobbed, "I wanted to do it myself...it's just that Sister Ren is too scary..."

Li Lang looked at her frightened look and immediately made up his mind. He said firmly, "Don't be afraid, Miss Xiao Cui! I, Li Lang, will never let you suffer any injustice again! Come with me. I know a place that is both secret and safe."

As he said this, he took Xiao Cui's hand, walked quietly through the yard, and came to the entrance of an abandoned cellar in the backyard of his house, which was usually used to store firewood and sundries. The entrance to the cellar was covered with a thick wooden board, and it was not easy to find if you didn't look carefully.

Li Lang moved the wooden board with great effort, revealing the dark entrance to the cellar. He said to Xiao Cui, "Miss Xiao Cui, although this cellar is a bit shabby, it is still clean and few people know about it. You should just stay here for a few days."

He lit the oil lamp he brought with him and led Xiao Cui down to the cellar. The cellar was a little cool, but tidy, with some clean straw piled in the corner.

Li Lang placed the oil lamp on the stone steps nearby and said softly, "Miss Xiao Cui, you can stay here without any worries. From tomorrow on, I will bring you food and water on time every morning, noon and evening. I will never let you go hungry or cold. If there is any movement, I will notify you immediately."

Xiao Cui watched Li Lang running around for her, and listened to his considerate arrangements. She was filled with gratitude and choked up, saying, "Mr. Li, you treat me so well... Xiao Cui really doesn't know how to repay you..."

Li Lang just smiled gently and said, "Miss Xiao Cui, what are you talking about? Since we are in sync, it is only natural for me to take care of you. Just rest and don't let your imagination run wild."

Xiao Cui thanked him profusely and watched Li Lang help her spread the straw. He then gave her a few more careful instructions before she left reluctantly and resealed the cellar entrance.

The cellar returned to darkness and silence, with only the tiny light of the oil lamp flickering. Xiao Cui curled up on the straw and gradually fell asleep.

Not knowing how long she had slept in the cellar, Xiao Cui was awakened by a soft and regular knocking sound.

"Knock, knock, knock..." The sound was very light, like someone was gently knocking on the wooden door of the cellar.

Xiao Cui opened her eyes dazedly. The cellar was still dark, with only the remaining flame of the oil lamp flickering slightly. She rubbed her sleepy eyes, and the first thought in her mind was - it was Li Lang!

It must be Li Lang coming to deliver breakfast!

This thought sobered her up instantly, and a sense of inexplicable expectation surged in her heart. She remembered that Li Lang said that he would deliver meals every morning, noon and evening. Now listening to the noise, it must be early morning.

She listened carefully and heard the knock on the door a few more times, still so gentle, with a kind of consideration for not wanting to disturb her.

Xiao Cui couldn't help but smile and thought to herself: Mr. Li is such a thoughtful person.

Although her body was a little sore and her mind was still very sleepy, as if she had not slept for long, she still managed to get up from the straw pile when she thought about meeting Li Lang. She simply tidied up her messy clothes and hair, took a deep breath, and walked towards the cellar door with a bit of shyness.

She even wondered what she should say to Li Lang when she saw him later. Should she thank him first, or ask about the situation outside? Or should she just look at him quietly?
Her steps were a little shaky, but her heart was full of joy. She walked to the heavy wooden door, put her hand on the cold bolt, and her heart was pounding.

She gently, with a feeling that could be called joy, opened the wooden door that isolated her from the outside world and danger.

Then, a strong and pungent smell of blood came in.

Si Ren stood expressionlessly at the entrance of the cellar, the moonlight shining from behind her, outlining a strange figure on the ground. Her clothes were stained with blood, but her face was calm.

Xiao Cui's heart suddenly sank and she took two steps back, subconsciously wanting to ask Si Ren why he was here.

Suddenly she caught a glimpse of something out of the corner of her eye, and she instinctively looked at Si Ren's hand hanging by his side.

In that hand, there was a head that was still dripping with blood. The eyes were wide open and filled with fear, and the familiar face still had a painful expression...

That's Li Lang's head!
Xiao Cui only felt a loud "bang" in her head, and her whole body froze in place, unable to even scream.

Si Ren looked at her calmly: "Xiao Cui, I'm here to save you. I've already dealt with that pig man. He won't bother you again."

Xiao Cui stared blankly at the head with eyes wide open, tears streaming down her face. Her lips trembled as she repeated incoherently, "No... He didn't want to hurt me... No..."

Seeing this, Si Ren sighed softly, with a trace of pity in his eyes: "Alas, you have been confused by them and can no longer see the truth of this world. Don't you understand? These pig men will only destroy you, enslave you, and drag you into an endless sea of ​​suffering. Only I am truly thinking about your liberation and letting you find your true self."

Xiao Cui seemed not to hear anything. She just kept shaking her head and crying, "No... No..."

Si Ren looked at Xiao Cui with impatience on his face.

"That's enough!" she shouted, "If you still insist on being obsessed with the false illusions they have created for you and refuse my salvation, then you are truly hopeless. Your soul has been completely polluted by this filthy male hell! Even if you are alive, you are nothing more than a walking corpse, a loyal slave of the male path! In this case, then you will die with them!"

Xiao Cui looked up suddenly when she heard this. She looked into Si Ren's cold and ruthless eyes and the head in her hands. A strong fear rose from the bottom of her heart. At this moment, Xiao Cui finally understood that she had no choice. She could never escape from Si Ren's palm.

She stared into Li Lang's equally empty eyes with empty eyes, nodded silently, and whispered: "I'll go with you."

Si Ren finally showed a satisfied smile on her face. She reached out her hand and gently stroked Xiao Cui's head like a docile puppy, saying softly, "That's right. Xiao Cui, you must remember that in this world, you can only rely on me. I am the only one who truly treats you well."

Xiao Cui nodded woodenly, as if she had lost her soul.

(End of this chapter)