Flip the table and divide the family property! Take his wife and daughter into the mountains and eat

The night was as deep as an unyielding blob of ink.

The wind and snow outside grew stronger and stronger, howling like a dull knife sawing against the window frame, making people feel uneasy.

The dilapidated forest watchman's hut at the west end of the village, however, exuded a warm, dim glow.

The fire in the stove was still flickering red, barely extinguished.

Lin Xiu sat on a small stool, holding a chipped rough porcelain bowl in her hands, carefully feeding Niu Niu.

The bowl contained white noodle soup, which Zhao Shanhe had specially left before going into the mountains, repeatedly telling her not to skimp on it and to make sure the child was well-fed.

These days, white flour is a precious commodity; it's only eaten during the Lunar New Year.

"Mommy, it smells good..." Although Niu Niu's face was still a little red from the cold, her eyes were bright and sparkling.

She swallowed a mouthful of slippery noodles, then suddenly pushed the small spoon towards Lin Xiu's mouth: "Mom eats too. Dad said Mom needs to eat her fill too."

Lin Xiu felt a pang of sadness, and her eyes instantly reddened.

She gently pushed the spoon back, smiling as she lied, "Mommy isn't hungry. I just ate something by the stove, and my tummy is full. Niu Niu, eat quickly. Once you're full, you'll stay warm and won't be afraid of the cold."

Actually, she hadn't eaten at all. Her bowl was still on the stove—it was a bowl of dark, mushy wild vegetable porridge mixed with some chicken feed bran, with only a few drops of oil left over from cooking the dumpling soup floating on the surface.

This was the only dinner she prepared for herself. Her husband had gone into the mountains to risk his life, and the little bit of flour and salted meat at home was their lifeline.

She's an adult; it's okay for her to eat less. She has to save some for the man and the child.

If Shanhe is injured and returns, he will need this fine food to recover.

"Eat quickly, and Mom will warm your feet after you finish." Lin Xiu lovingly stroked her daughter's dry, yellow hair, then turned to look out the dark window, her eyes filled with barely concealed anxiety.

Zhao Shanhe has been in the mountains for a full day and night.

If it were before, and I had only hunted a rabbit near the edge of the woods, I would have been back by now.

But this time he took that old foreign cannon, saying he was going to go deep into the mountains...

Looking at the swirling snow outside, Lin Xiu's heart clenched.

"Honey... please don't let anything happen to you..."

She murmured softly, her hand unconsciously pressing against the small cloth bag that was placed close to her chest.

That was the money Shanhe had left over from selling the roe deer skin, a total of thirty-two yuan and fifty cents. This was the last bit of security this family had.

Just then.

boom! boom! boom!

The old wooden door was suddenly smashed with a deafening roar, and dust fell from the door frame.

"Open the door! Lin Xiu! Stop playing dead! I know you're home!"

Outside came the hoarse, raspy voice of the third brother, Zhao Shanlin, filled with a chilling ferocity.

Lin Xiu's hand trembled, and she almost dropped the bowl.

Niu Niu burst into tears, clinging tightly to Lin Xiu's waist, crying, "Mommy... I'm scared..."

"Don't be afraid, Mother is here."

Lin Xiu quickly carried Niu Niu onto the kang (a heated brick bed), tucked her into the quilt, grabbed a fire poker from beside the stove, and called out in a trembling voice, "Who is it? It's so late... Shanhe isn't home, we can talk about it tomorrow!"

"Tomorrow? I can't wait until tomorrow!"

A menacing voice came from outside the door: "My second brother said that bastard Zhao Shanhe sold a roe deer skin and has fifty yuan in his hand! Hand over the money right now so I can treat my hand! Otherwise, I'll burn this dilapidated house down today!"

It really was all about the money! They even found out exactly what kind of skin they sold and how much they made!

Clang!

The door latch, which was already flimsy, could hardly withstand the force of a strong adult man's kick.

With a loud bang, the wooden door was violently kicked open, and a cold wind carrying heavy snow instantly filled the entire room.

Two menacing figures barged in.

One was her mother-in-law, Li Cuihua, whose old face drooped and whose eyes were like knives, piercing Lin Xiu.

The other one was Zhao Shanlin, the third brother, with his right arm in a sling and a ferocious expression.

"Mother...Third son..."

Lin Xiu gripped the fire poker tightly, her body trembling. "What...what are you doing?"

"What are you doing?"

Li Cuihua snorted coldly, kicked aside the small stool on the ground, and without even glancing at her granddaughter huddled in the corner of the kang, pointed at Lin Xiu and cursed, "You jinx! You still have the nerve to ask? Your man went crazy yesterday and broke your third brother's wrist! Don't you need to settle that score?"

"The third son just went to the clinic. The bone setting and medicine cost over ten yuan! The doctor said he needs to eat good food to help him recover!"

Zhao Shanlin took another step forward, pulled a crumpled piece of paper from his pocket with his left hand, and slapped it on the kang (a heated brick bed): "Look carefully! This is what my second brother asked me to deliver!"

"Zhao Shanhe's family's dispute over dividing the family property has caused a stir in the whole village! Now the woman's family has heard that our brothers are at odds and they have a problem with our second brother. If this marriage falls through, it'll be all your fault!"

"My second brother said this is called 'damage to reputation'! Adding my 'medical expenses' and 'nutritional expenses,' it's fifty yuan in total! Not a penny less!"

What a fine charge of damages for reputation! What a fine charge of medical expenses!

They were the ones who bullied us first, and now they're brazenly coming to our door to extort money!

And this amount—fifty yuan—is exactly what they're going to cut off from the money they'd get from selling the roe deer skin! This is practically driving this family of three to their doom!

"No! Not a single penny!"

Lin Xiu trembled with rage, tears welling in her eyes, but her tone remained unusually firm: "That's money Shanhe risked his life for! We're starving, are you trying to force my son and me to our deaths? The third son got what he deserved!"

"Damn it, you're asking for it, aren't you?"

Zhao Shanlin was enraged by the words "serves him right".

If Zhao Shanhe were home, he wouldn't dare to act recklessly even if he had two lives.

But now? All that's left in this house is a weak and easily bullied young woman!

"I'll show you how stubborn you are."

Zhao Shanlin swung his left hand, knocking the fire stick out of Lin Xiu's hand, and then slapped her across the face!

*Slap!* The slap landed squarely on Lin Xiu's face.

Lin Xiu screamed in pain as she was hit, her body slamming into the stove. Her forehead struck a sharp stone corner, and blood instantly flowed down, blurring her vision.

"mother!!"

Niu Niu, lying on the kang (heated brick bed), cried and tried to climb down, shouting, "Bad people! Don't hit my mother! I'm going to tell my father! I'll have him beat you all to death!"

"Your dad?"

Zhao Shanlin grinned maliciously, stepping on Lin Xiu's hand as she tried to protect the cloth bag, grinding it forcefully: "You little brat, your father's probably already turned into shit inside a wolf's belly!"

"A place like Heixiazi Gully, he can go in but he can't come out! From now on, I'm the boss of this house!"

After saying that, Zhao Shanlin grabbed Lin Xiu's hair and dragged her up from the ground. His greedy eyes were fixed on the bulging spot in Lin Xiu's arms: "The money is in your arms, isn't it? Give it to me!"

"I won't give it to you... I'd rather die than give it to you..."

Lin Xiu's face was covered in blood, but she gritted her teeth, crossed her arms over her chest, and struggled desperately. This was the hard-earned money that Shanhe had risked her life to earn; even if she were beaten to death, she would not let go!

"If she won't listen to reason, she'll have to suffer the consequences! Mom, hold her down!"

Zhao Shanlin became anxious and started tearing at Lin Xiu's clothes while calling for Li Cuihua's help.

Li Cuihua not only didn't stop her, but instead stepped forward to help hold down Lin Xiu's legs: "You little brat, you're pretty strong! Third brother, strip her clothes off, let's see where she can hide!"

The room was in complete chaos.

Niu Niu's heart-wrenching cries, Lin Xiu's desperate screams, and the greedy curses of Zhao Shanlin and his mother.

Just as Zhao Shanlin's hand was about to touch the cloth bag, a triumphant grin spread across his face.

Boom! ...

That broken door, which had just been kicked down, suffered a complete disaster this time.

It flew straight into the house, still attached to the door frame, as if it had been hit by a charging bison!

Bang! The heavy door slammed onto the ground, kicking up a cloud of dust.

The blizzard suddenly poured in, and the temperature inside the house plummeted to freezing.

Zhao Shanlin's hand trembled in fright, and Li Cuihua screamed and shrank back.

Everyone looked toward the dark, gaping doorway.

There stood a person. A person who didn't look like a living person.

Zhao Shanhe's entire body was almost completely covered in dark red scabs, the color of wild boar blood, wolf blood, mud, and frost.

He carried the old foreign-made cannon in his hand and a heavy, dripping, basket on his back. His breathing was heavy, each breath exhaling thick white vapor.

That face was as cold as a demon who had just crawled out of hell.

He did not go inside immediately.

He stood there, his bloodshot eyes first glancing at Lin Xiu, whose face was covered in blood and whose clothes were disheveled.

I glanced again at Niu Niu, who was huddled on the kang (a heated brick bed) with her voice hoarse from crying.

Finally, their gaze fell on Zhao Shanlin's hand, which was still gripping Lin Xiu's collar.

Deathly silence, a suffocating silence.

Zhao Shanlin felt as if he were being stared at by a top-tier beast; the hairs on his body stood on end, and his intact left hand began to tremble uncontrollably.

"Big...Big brother? You...you're back?"

Zhao Shanhe did not answer.

He stepped across the threshold.

The leather boots underfoot made a creaking sound as they stepped on the door.

Seeing everything that was happening inside, the string of "reason" in his mind snapped completely.

At that moment, he forgot the law and the consequences.

His pupils instantly became bloodshot, turning a dark red.

That's the look in the eyes of someone who's gone berserk in a real battleground.

"ah--!!!"

Zhao Shanhe let out a roar like that of a wounded beast.

There was no sadness in that voice, only overwhelming, pure killing intent!

Thump! He took a step, and the ground trembled three times.

Zhao Shanlin was so frightened that his legs went weak, and before he could react, a large hand had already gripped his throat tightly.

It was like pinching a chick. The immense inertia propelled him backward.

Bang! Zhao Shanlin's head slammed hard against the earthen wall, causing plaster to fall like rain.

That was too brutal. Zhao Shanlin didn't even have time to scream before his eyes bulged out and his tongue stuck out.

But this is just the beginning.

Zhao Shanhe pinned him to the wall, slowly pulled his right hand open, and then clenched his fist tightly.

Crack! That wasn't just the sound of a clenched fist; it was the popping sound of a dislocated joint.

"You dare touch my wife?"

"You dare touch my daughter?"

Whoosh—! The force of the punch tore through the air, emitting a piercing shriek.

Bang! ! !

The punch landed squarely on Zhao Shanlin's nose.

Zhao Shanlin's entire face looked like dough that had been hit by a heavy hammer, instantly collapsing inward.

His nasal bone shattered, and blood mixed with bone fragments gushed out like a fountain from his nostrils and the corners of his eyes, splattering all over Zhao Shanhe's face.

"Ooh... cluck..."

Zhao Shanlin tried to shout, but his mouth was full of blood and foam, and he could only make indistinct gurgling sounds.

"You don't even deserve to be called a human being?"

Zhao Shanhe gave him no chance to catch his breath.

He grabbed Zhao Shanlin's hair with his left hand and pressed him down. His right knee shot up like a cannonball, slamming into Zhao Shanlin's face!

Boom! ! !

A dull thud that made your teeth ache. Half of Zhao Shanlin's teeth were shattered by that knee strike.

Several yellow teeth, streaked with blood and mixed with saliva, flew out and hit the nearby cupboard with a clanging sound.

Zhao Shanlin is already rotten.

His entire face was a bloody mess, making it impossible to distinguish his nose from his eyes.

His body slid down like a puddle of mud, but Zhao Shanhe wouldn't let him fall.

Zhao Shanhe grabbed him by the collar and lifted him up.

His gaze was as cold as if he were looking at a corpse.

"You want to die, huh?"

"I'll grant your wish!"

Zhao Shanhe swung his fist at Zhao Shanlin's stomach, ribs, and chest.

boom! boom! boom!

Punch after punch! Every punch lands squarely! Every punch shatters bones!

With each punch, Zhao Shanlin's body convulsed violently, and he spat out a mouthful of blood.

The cracking sound of ribs breaking echoed like popping beans in the deathly still night.

This isn't a fight; this is a massacre!

"Boss! Stop hitting him! Stop hitting him! You're going to kill him!!"

Li Cuihua, who was standing nearby, finally reacted, screamed, and rushed over, trying to grab Zhao Shanhe's arm.

"He's your own brother! Are you crazy?!"

Zhao Shanhe suddenly turned his head.

His face was covered in blood, and he looked more like a demon than a monster at that moment. His scarlet eyes were fixed on Li Cuihua.

"roll!!!"

Zhao Shanhe waved his arm.

Bang! Li Cuihua was flung away like a scarecrow, crashing heavily onto the edge of the kang (a heated brick bed), and was in so much pain that she couldn't get up for a long time.

Without interference, the killing intent in Zhao Shanhe's eyes intensified.

He looked at Zhao Shanlin in his hands, whose eyes had rolled back and who was only exhaling and not inhaling.

Their gaze fell on Zhao Shanlin's intact left hand—the same hand that had just grabbed Lin Xiu's hair.

"This hand isn't clean either."

Zhao Shanhe threw Zhao Shanlin to the ground, then picked up the large leather boot that was covered in wolf blood and mud.

Aiming at the left hand, without any hesitation, he stomped down hard! And then, with force, he ground it!

Click—Sizzle—

The bones shattered into pieces, and the fingernails were forcibly torn off.

"Ughh ...

Zhao Shanlin, who had been unconscious, woke up in excruciating pain and let out a shrill, inhuman scream.

His body thrashed about on the ground like a dying fish, his legs kicking wildly, and the ground was covered in blood.

But Zhao Shanhe did not stop.

The red light in his eyes didn't fade; instead, it burned even brighter. What's a broken arm or leg?

This beast who dared to poison his wife and daughters while he was away is a menace to the world!

Zhao Shanhe was panting heavily as he slowly lifted his heavy leather boots.

This time, it's neither hands nor legs.

Instead, it aimed at Zhao Shanlin's vulnerable throat.

If that kick lands squarely, even a celestial being couldn't save you!

"Die!!!"

Zhao Shanhe let out a beast-like roar, and stomped down hard!

"Honey!! No!!!"

A piercing cry suddenly broke through the murderous aura that filled the room.

A pair of thin arms suddenly grabbed Zhao Shanhe's thigh.

Lin Xiu, drawing strength from who-knows-where, lunged at him from the ground, clinging tightly to his leg, crying her heart out: "Shanhe! Don't kill anyone! Please, don't kill anyone!"

"It's not worth paying with your life for this beast! If you go to jail, how are Niu Niu and I supposed to live?! Waaaaah..."

"Daddy...Daddy...Niu Niu is scared..."

On the kang (heated brick bed), Niu Niu was also frightened by the terrifying scene and cried, reaching out her little hands to reach him.

That cry of "Niu Niu is afraid" was like a bucket of ice water poured over Zhao Shanhe's head.

Zhao Shanhe's foot, which was dangling in mid-air, came to an abrupt stop.

It was less than half an inch away from Zhao Shanlin's throat.

The mud from the soles of his boots had even fallen onto Zhao Shanlin's neck.

Killing him would be a relief, but killing him would mean paying with my own life.

What will happen to Lin Xiu? What will happen to Niu Niu? Are we just going to let them escape from the wolf's den only to become orphans and widows again, suffering from bullying?

huh... huh...

Zhao Shanhe was breathing heavily, his chest heaving like a bellows.

The crimson in his eyes gradually faded, and that suffocating, manic energy finally dissipated.

He looked down at his wife, whose face was covered in tears and who was clinging tightly to his leg, and then at his daughter, who was trembling with fear on the kang (a heated brick bed).

The fire in my heart turned into endless sorrow.

He slowly lowered his foot.

Like kicking away trash, he threw the barely recognizable Zhao Shanlin out.

Then, he slowly turned around.

The lingering murderous aura emanating from him forced Li Cuihua, who was huddled in the corner and already pale with fright, to scream and nearly faint.

"Big...eldest brother...I'm your mother..."

Li Cuihua trembled violently, her teeth chattering.

"mother?"

Zhao Shanhe tugged at the corner of his blood-stained mouth, revealing a smile that was more like a grimace.

He took a step forward, but did not make a move.

He simply looked down at the old woman who had given him life but had drained his blood for two lifetimes.

"This is the last time I'll call you 'Mother'."

Zhao Shanhe's voice was soft and hoarse, conveying a sense of utter despair and exhaustion, yet it was even more chilling than his earlier roar.

"I started collecting firewood on the mountain when I was six, and I started earning work points in the fields when I was eight."

"The money for my second son's schooling was earned by me carrying heavy loads; the money for my third son's troubles was raised by me hunting in the mountains."

"For the sake of this family, I, Zhao Shanhe, have treated myself like an animal for thirty years."

"I don't ask you to remember my good deeds, but how have you treated me?"

Zhao Shanhe pointed at Lin Xiu, whose face was covered in blood, and then at the thin Niu Niu on the kang (a heated brick bed). Tears welled up in his eyes, but he stubbornly refused to let them fall.

"I risked my life in the mountains to earn money, and you came to my door to bully orphans and widows."

"Robbery, assault, and cursing me to die."

"Mom, is your heart made of stone?"

Li Cuihua opened her mouth, wanting to explain, but was choked speechless by Zhao Shanhe's desperate and cold gaze.

Zhao Shanhe took a deep breath, as if he wanted to inhale all the kinship and grudges from these two lifetimes into his lungs and then exhale them forcefully.

He turned away and stopped looking at her.

He pointed to the broken door, his voice as indifferent as a passerby's:

"Get out of here with your useless son."

"From this day forward, our two families are no longer bound by any ties."

"You're old now. Even if you beg for food all the way to my doorstep, I won't give you a drop of water."

"roll!!!"

The final shout of "Get out!" carried the resolute force of thunder, causing dust to fall from the roof.

Li Cuihua knew that she had completely lost her eldest son.

That hardworking, devoted ox is dead. Now, Zhao Shanhe is a lone wolf who only recognizes his wife and daughters, and disregards all his relatives.

How could she dare to linger? She scrambled to her feet, dragging the lifeless Zhao Shanlin from the ground, and rushed into the swirling snow.