Bai Zhiman instructed Bai Shibao to make sure he found out everything about the apprenticeship upon returning home.

Nowadays, apprentices typically complete their training in three years.

Bai Zhiman knows his own son well; he's definitely not the kind of lazy person who wouldn't learn the craft properly. It must be that his master deliberately wanted to keep him around to help Bai more.

Bai Shibao's master, Yan Xingmin, had a past relationship with Bai Zhiman. At that time, Bai Zhiman had just broken his leg and was thinking of sending Bai Shibao, who had just graduated from junior high school, to Yan Xingmin to learn a trade for a few years, save some money, and then find a wife.

At first, Yan Xingmin's attitude towards Bai Shibao was acceptable, but as the saying goes, help those in urgent need but not those who are poor. Since there was no hope of curing Bai Zhiman's leg, Yan Xingmin gradually lost patience with Bai Shibao.

Knowing that Bai Shibao had no one to rely on, Yan Xingmin naturally looked down on Bai Shibao and bullied him without any worries.

Now three years have passed, and Bai Shibao is twenty-two years old. If he still only earns a few yuan a month and has a father like Bai Zhiman to drag him down, which family would be willing to marry their daughter into his family?

Bai Zhiman had thought this through clearly; he knew he couldn't delay.

The next day, Bai Shiqing saw Bai Shibo off out of the village, still instructing him: "Just do as your father told you. Don't be afraid of him. You're taking him as your master, not selling yourself to him. I'm not asking you to argue with him. We'll just ask him properly what your master plans to do and why you need to study for another two years."

Bai Shibao was a dutiful disciple. Every year during the Spring Festival, he would go to Yan Xingmin's house to deliver New Year's gifts. Even if Yan Xingmin beat him to death, Bai Shibao would never say a bad word about his teacher at home.

"Okay, sis."

Bai Shibao nodded hesitantly. He was about the same age as Bai Shiqing and was raised by his second sister. He had always listened to her since he was a child.

Bai Shiqing patted Bai Shibo on the shoulder and handed him a glass bottle filled with water: "Then I'll leave you here. Be careful on your way."

Bai Shibao nodded: "Sister, you should go back quickly, don't be late for work."

Bai Shiqing watched Bai Shibo walk a long way before setting off back to the village.

At the entrance of the village was a cornfield, which was almost ready for harvest. This year's abundant rainfall had caused the corn to grow very tall, and Bai Shiqing, who was only 1.6 meters tall, could not be seen at all among them. Walking on the road, she felt quite depressed.

Bai Shiqing was used to the roads in the village and could walk them with her eyes closed. She wasn't afraid, but on the way back, she felt her heart was pounding, so she instinctively quickened her pace.

"Xiao Qing, wait a minute."

A male voice suddenly came from behind.

Only Zhu Shengping called her Xiao Qing, and Bai Shiqing froze.

She instinctively took off running, but Zhu Shengping caught up with her after only a couple of steps: "Why are you running? Didn't I tell you to wait?"

With Zhu Shengping gripping her arm tightly, Bai Shiqing looked up at him, her fear outweighing everything else.

After a few days apart, Zhu Shengping had become much thinner, and his once handsome face had inexplicably turned gloomy.

Perhaps this is his true nature.

Bai Shiqing stared into Zhu Shengping's eyes and suddenly had this thought.

"What are you doing? I have nothing to do with you anymore!"

Bai Shiqing couldn't shake off the restraints on her hands. She remembered the day Zhu Shengping choked her neck. She was certain that if Li Shuxian hadn't arrived, she would have died there.

But no one is working in the cornfield today, and Li Shuxian is even less likely to leave the village for no reason, so no one will come to rescue her.

"We've been talking for so many years, and you just say it's over and done with? Bai Shiqing, you're really heartless."

"After what you did to me, do you still expect me to stay with you?"

“If you hadn’t provoked me, I wouldn’t have had this episode,” Zhu Shengping took a deep breath, seemingly calming himself down. His tone softened. “Xiao Qing, you know I had this episode. It wasn’t my intention. You know how good I’ve been to you all these years. Look, my injuries were inflicted by your older brother. Isn’t that enough to get revenge for you? Xiao Qing, I have you in my heart. I can’t live without you.”

As Zhu Shengping spoke, he reached out and hugged Bai Shiqing. Bai Shiqing shouted, "What are you doing?! Help! Help! You're being a pervert!"

She shouted, but no one came over.

Zhu Shengping held Bai Shiqing tightly: "Xiaoqing, you still have me. How can we just cut off our relationship of so many years?"

"I don't like you, so get out!"

Bai Shiqing isn't mentally ill. Zhu Shengping almost killed her, yet she still continues to like Zhu Shengping.

The two were often apart during their relationship, so their feelings for each other weren't particularly strong.

Zhu Shengping has done such outrageous things again. Bai Shiqing now only feels fear and disgust towards Zhu Shengping.

"You don't like me? Then you like that kid Li Shuxian? Hmm?"

Zhu Shengping suddenly changed his tone, and Bai Shiqing noticed that his expression was exactly the same as when he tried to strangle her that day.

What are you trying to do?!

"What are you doing? Today I'm going to show you whose woman you are!"

That day, Li Shuxian helped Bai Shiqing push potatoes, and Zhu Shengping saw it. The two of them were digging the car in the ditch together, and Zhu Shengping saw that too.

But at that time he was still injured and did not act rashly. Now that his wounds have just scabbed over, Zhu Shengping can't wait any longer.

Bai Shiqing was very beautiful; even some city girls couldn't compare to her. Zhu Shengping would never let her go.

"Let me go! Help! Murder!"

Bai Shiqing started howling at the top of her lungs. Zhu Shengping tried to cover her mouth, but Bai Shiqing bit his palm hard.

Bai Shiqing's mouth was immediately filled with a sweet, metallic taste, and her face turned blood red, which further fueled Zhu Shengping's anger.

He dragged Bai Shiqing into the cornfield, where a patch of corn stalks was flattened. Bai Shiqing shouted loudly, but it was too far from where everyone was working, and no one could hear her.

This cornfield was cultivated by everyone with great care. Bai Shiqing's hands grabbed everywhere, but she couldn't find a single sharp stone or anything like that. She was pinned down by Zhu Shengping, and her legs were kicking wildly.

Bai Shiqing grabbed a handful of soil from the corn roots and threw it at Zhu Shengping's face.

"Hold!"

Zhu Shengping cursed loudly, and his actions became even more violent.

Bai Shiqing is the type of person who would rather die than suffer a loss; as long as she has a breath left, she will fight back.

Zhu Shengping grabbed her hands and feet: "If you want to live, you'd better behave yourself. I'm telling you, I'm going to deflower you right here today!"

"Pah!" Bai Shiqing was so frightened that she trembled, but she still spat on Zhu Shengping's face.

Zhu Shengping's strength was absolutely overwhelming for Bai Shiqing; she couldn't resist at all.

Zhu Shengping pressed down, and Bai Shiqing thought in despair, "If I had known, I should have just let him strangle me by the reservoir back then!"

"ah!"

Zhu Shengping suddenly screamed, and a stream of reddish-brown blood flowed down from the top of his head.

Bai Shiqing looked up and saw Li Shuxian's face backlit.

Li Shuxian was holding a hoe, and Zhu Shengping's blood was still sliding down the base of the hoe.