My Wandering Swordsman

What? !

Uncle-in-law?

I stood at the bedroom door, completely unable to move.

"Auntie, what exactly happened?" I asked with difficulty.

My aunt walked into the room on her own, sat down on a chair by the bed, and her gaze fell on the man on the bed. Her eyes were very calm, almost too calm.

"His name is Chen Yongnian, and he's a local from Hengdian."

"We've been married for two years, and he's fifteen years older than me..."

I stood at the door, feeling a little awkward.

The scene before me was truly bizarre. I, an outsider, stood at the doorway of someone's bedroom, watching the husband lying in a hospital bed, talking face-to-face with his wife.

The scene was so awkward to think about. If the person in the bed suddenly woke up and saw this, I would be in deep trouble.

"Auntie, how about we go outside to talk?" I tentatively suggested, my gaze involuntarily drifting towards the man on the bed.

My aunt shook her head, her tone unusually calm: "No need, he can't hear or feel anything."

Can't you hear me?

I paused for a moment, then my gaze returned to my so-called uncle.

His breathing was very weak under the bandage, and the waveform on the electrocardiogram was smooth. How to describe him? He was almost like a corpse that was still warm.

"What's wrong with him?" I couldn't help but ask.

My aunt lowered her eyes, remained silent for a few seconds, and then said, "A year ago, he was cornered at the entrance of an alley. When I arrived at the hospital after receiving the news, he was already in the ICU, covered in blood. The doctor said his skull was fractured and three vertebrae were broken."

"The doctor said there was little point in continuing treatment, so I took him home."

After hearing that, I felt like I'd been hit by a hammer.

A year ago? That means my aunt has been taking care of this living dead person for a whole year?

A young and beautiful woman spends her days caring for an unconscious, vegetative patient, wiping his body, feeding him liquid food, turning him over, and cleaning up his excrement...

Just thinking about it makes my scalp tingle.

"Was he beaten up?" I asked tentatively.

My aunt nodded: "Yes."

"He was struck on the back of the head with a blunt object, suffering multiple skull fractures and a broken spine. It's a miracle he survived. Later, I asked around and found out that there were at least two people who attacked him, using an iron pipe and a baseball bat."

I frowned, my temper flaring up instantly: "Then why didn't you call the police?"

My aunt's lips moved slightly, and she lowered her head, her fingers unconsciously twisting together as if she was hesitating about something.

Seeing her hesitant and awkward manner, I couldn't help but speak up, my tone somewhat sharp:

"Auntie, this is wrong of you. It's a matter of life and death. Beating someone up like this is intentional assault, no, it wouldn't be an exaggeration to call it murder. How could you not call the police?"

My aunt looked up at me and sighed.

"Xiao Ji, you don't understand. He's not a clean person."

I was taken aback: "What do you mean?"

"Your aunt's husband started out selling pirated videotapes." Aunt said this in a low voice. "Back then, the film studios were just starting out, and that's how he made his fortune. Later, he gradually cleaned up his act and started doing legitimate business."

I was stunned.

Pirated videotapes?

No wonder, no wonder my aunt knew so much about the prices of pirated videotapes when she was with Lü Guodong; now she knew the reason.

But my aunt said it's been cleared up?

I don't quite believe that. Those years in 1999 were a time of economic explosion, and prices were changing at a rate that was like diarrhea, unstoppable.

The prices my aunt quoted were all from the most recent experts; otherwise, she wouldn't have been able to fool Lü Guodong. So it's quite obvious...

Not only did my uncle not clear his name, but even after he became this terrible person, my aunt was still handling his business in this area.

However, she didn't bring it up, so I didn't want to bring it up.

So I changed the subject and asked, "Who hit him?"

"The man who hit him is named Zhou Zheng, also a local from Hengdian. He used to be in the same business as your aunt's husband. Later, they couldn't reach an agreement on a business deal, and Zhou Zheng held a grudge, so..."

My aunt stopped there.

But I guessed pretty much what happened next.

Zhou Zheng attacked his aunt's husband, but his aunt was afraid that he would expose her family's secrets, so she swallowed her anger and has remained silent ever since.

He's been looking for a chance to get revenge. He knows everything about your aunt's husband, including all the shady things he did over the years.

I was silent for a moment, then asked, "You want... me to teach Zhou Zheng a lesson?"

The aunt nodded: "Yes, I can only ask you. If I ask anyone else, I'm worried that Zhou Jianguo will go crazy and bring up everything from the past."

Her voice was as soft as a mosquito's buzz.

"Xiao Ji, you're good at kung fu, dealing with Zhou Zheng won't be a problem at all. Don't worry, as long as you're willing to teach him a lesson, your aunt will... give you a chance."

I didn't speak.

Seeing that I hadn't said anything for a while, my aunt paused, then with a "snap," she unbuttoned her shirt, her fingers trembling slightly: "Yes, Auntie can give it to you now."

"Right here."

What's wrong?!

I caught a glimpse of white out of the corner of my eye, and my heart skipped a beat. I quickly stepped forward and pressed my aunt's hand down.

I wanted my aunt, but to get her in front of her husband, in her own home, and through this method...

I can't do it.

Ji Xiaosong wasn't that thirsty.

"Auntie, please don't do this." My voice trembled slightly.

My aunt then looked up at me, a complex emotion flashing in her eyes.

I didn't dare meet her gaze, silently looking away, a sense of indescribable dejection lingering in my heart: "Auntie, you've taken care of Uncle for a year, and yet you're willing to go to such lengths to make me teach Zhou Zheng a lesson. I want to ask you a question..."

My aunt murmured softly, "You say it."

Do you love him?

Upon hearing this, the aunt was stunned.

The room remained quiet for a long time.

After a long while, my aunt laughed, a very desolate laugh.

"Love? Xiao Ji, is there love in Hengdian?"

I was taken aback, not understanding what she meant.

My aunt changed to a more direct statement: "I... I never loved him."

I was completely dumbfounded. In my understanding, the most basic prerequisite for a man and woman to get together and become husband and wife is love, right? Besides, my aunt is still by my uncle's side despite his current condition. She deserves to be recognized as a model couple.

Now my aunt is telling me that she doesn't love him at all?

Seeing my bewildered expression, my aunt sighed again and then dropped a bombshell:

"It's better to be manipulated by one person than to be manipulated by a group of people in turns."