In a daze, the thin branches whipped at Yuan Zhuan, making a hissing sound with his eyes closed. He tried to dodge, but his whole body was limp and powerless. His face, neck, feet, hands... were in excruciating pain... Damn it, they're still hitting him, it hurts so much!
Which bastard laid a hand on her? What deep-seated hatred could there be to whip her corpse after she's dead?
I tried to open my eyes to resist, but my eyelids felt like they were weighed down with a weight; I just couldn't open them.
As the pain became clearer, Yuan Zhuan wished he could just rise from the dead on the spot. Damn it, can't even die in peace?
In reality, it really did come back to life!
She used all her strength to open her eyes a tiny crack. In the dim light, she could see three or five blurry figures standing in the distance. The figure closest to her was short and fat, holding a strip-shaped object in his hand. He was cursing and whipping himself with the object. Judging from the voice, he must have been quite old, at least over sixty.
You fucking dare to hit me again? Are you looking for death?!
Just you wait, when I'm strong enough, I'll kill you!
The pain was intense, and with his head spinning, Yuan Zhuan was still unaware of his predicament. He struggled to get up, but it was all in vain; his limbs were completely unresponsive, as limp as noodles.
Damn it! Her physical condition didn't allow it, so Yuan Zhuan could only rage internally. The dryness in her throat prevented her from even yelling back.
The intense pain in her flesh severely stimulated Yuan Zhuan's brain nerves, making her half-conscious, but she still couldn't overcome the weakness brought on by her underlying emptiness. Anxiety and intense emotions of exposure surged up, and her body couldn't withstand it. Her head tilted to the side, and Yuan Zhuan lost consciousness again. Before losing consciousness, she was still thinking that once she recovered, she must pull it back.
"Tiezhu, Zhuanzhuan has a high fever. It's been a whole day and night and she still hasn't woken up. If she keeps burning like this, she might become mentally impaired. You can't just stand by and watch her die! Waaah..." The woman cried very sadly, her choked sobs coming from very close to the bedside, buzzing like flies, making people feel irritable. Yuan Zhuan couldn't sleep soundly.
"No, Zhuanzhuan is lucky, she'll be fine, ah..." If something really happens, isn't there still Yuanzhu?
The man offered words of comfort, but they had no real effect. He showed no intention of taking the woman to the hospital, which only made her cry even harder.
"Tiezhu, no matter what, Zhuanzhuan is still your daughter in name only. Can't you ask me for some money to take her to the clinic for a checkup, considering how much I've done for Xunxun and Minmin all these years?"
“Yuxiang, you know Mom’s temper. She values money more than life itself. Besides, we beat Zhuanzhuan up like this. If she goes to the clinic and outsiders find out, how will Mom live in the village after this?” The man’s words were hesitant and full of difficulty, but his meaning was very clear: his mother was more important than his wife and stepdaughter, and his mother’s reputation was more important than his stepdaughter’s health!
"Wan Tiezhu! You're a terrible person, you have no conscience... Waaah... Why am I so unlucky? Why did I marry such a man... Waaah..." Even when she was angry, the woman suppressed her voice, shouted the man's name sharply, and then fell into weak sobs, blaming the injustice of fate.
The person, driven to near nervous exhaustion by the incessant crying, was filled with resentment.
Where the hell is this?
Didn't she jump into the pool?
Can't we just let her die peacefully?
This kind of man is obviously a scumbag. If we don't beat him to death, why don't we keep him around for a New Year's barbecue?
Crying and crying, what's the use of crying? You can't stand up for yourself, crying yourself to death won't help!
Amidst endless resentment, Yuan Zhuan was pulled into a thin, bony embrace. A cold shard of porcelain pressed against his lips, and he instinctively opened his mouth. Something warm slid into his mouth... Mmm... So hungry...
Her body instincts compelled Yuan Zhuan to swallow deeply. After a burning sensation in her dry, aching stomach, a warm current seemed to flow through her limbs and bones, so warm that she almost sighed out loud.
Ah, that feels so good!
After finishing the porridge, I drifted off to sleep again.
After an unknown amount of time, he woke up groggily. The dim light squeezed into his eyes, and Yuan Zhuan, his mind blank, stared at the tile above his forehead, somewhat bewildered.
The layers upon layers of spiderwebs covering the haphazardly laid beams are enough to make your scalp crawl.
Wow, what era is this house from? Didn't the roof tiles and beams stop being used in the last century?
Was she rescued?
They were sent to some remote mountain forest?
Is this the hunter's house?
My mind was a complete mess, buzzing, and before I could even sort things out, something heavy hit me in the chest.
Yuan Zhuan: ...It hurts! I can't breathe!
There was one swear word she really wanted to say: "Damn it! Which bastard is trying to harm me again?!"
With no time to raise his powerless hand, the physical stress response he had developed in the apocalypse kicked in, and even though he was powerless, he still slammed his head against the unknown object.
"I'll run you over, you son of a bitch! I won't even let you die a quick death! I'll kill you!"
Zhao Yuxiang, clutching her forehead which was throbbing from being bumped by her daughter, stared blankly at Yuan Zhuan, who was radiating a fierce aura, at a loss for what to do.
What, what's going on?
Is Zhuanzhuan confused?
What are you saying? Why can't I understand?
"Zhuanzhuan, Zhuanzhuan, waaaah... What's wrong with you? What's wrong? My Zhuanzhuan... waaaah..."
Yuan Zhuan felt a warmth on her face as she was embraced tightly. Her forehead pressed against the bone that was digging into her sore spot, and hearing the cries beside her, her urge to retaliate paused.
It's not a zombie, that's good, that's good... wait... who is this woman? Why am I hugging her and crying?
“Knock knock...knock knock...sister...sister...mother...mother…” A child’s sharp cry came from outside, and the wooden door was being pounded loudly.
"What are you banging for? What are you shouting for? Did your sister die or something? Are you mourning her? You little brats, none of you are any peace of mind. Do I owe you anything? You never have a moment of peace..." Before the child's innocent screams had ended, the sounds of stools being thrown and spatulas being smashed rang out, accompanied by a woman's cursing. The sounds blended together, severely stimulating Yuan Zhuan's brain.
Oh my god! Can't you just be quiet for a second?!
"Mommy... Sister... Mommy... Ahhh..." The child continued to scream regardless of the consequences. After a couple of screams, the screams turned into a shrill wail, accompanied by punches, kicks, and even louder curses.
It's not hard to imagine what it looks like outside.
Before Yuan Zhuan could vent her anger, the woman holding her screamed and shoved her away, rushing out. The creaking of the wooden door was deafening. "Don't hit my son...don't hit my son..." 'Bang bang bang...'
"You filthy bitch, you dead slut, you seduced people, you seduced people... you bastard... you bastard... I'll beat you all to death, kill one and be done with it, I've earned this, why don't you just die? Living is a waste of food..." The vicious curses, accompanied by the sounds of heavy blows to flesh, the muffled groans of women, and the screams of children, made Yuan Zhuan's heart clench.
The normal state of the apocalypse is something you can imagine without even seeing it. She's already used to it, so why does her heart ache so much? What's with this empathetic pain?
Still confused, Yuan Zhuan struggled to get out of bed, driven by instinct.
A tall man appeared by the door, backlit, his outline and features obscured.
Seeing that Yuan Zhuan had gotten up, he didn't come in. He said, "Zhuan Zhuan, you're still weak, don't move forward~" The man's voice was very familiar; it was the same scumbag's voice she had heard when she was half asleep.
Yuan Zhuan glanced coldly at Wan Tiezhu. Although she couldn't see his face clearly, he exuded an aura that she found repulsive.
I took a deep breath and felt my strength improving a bit.
I wanted to go out and see the world, but I lacked the strength. Just getting up made me feel breathless and uncomfortable.
What the hell is going on? Where is she?
"Want to save someone?" the mechanical electronic voice suddenly asked.
Yuan Zhuan was startled, a chill ran down his spine, he pursed his lips, took a deep breath, and remained silent.
"Want to save someone?" This is not a hallucination!
Looking around, there was no one or anything else besides the man at the door.
"Want to save someone?" the electronic voice repeated.
At the doorway, the man stood with his back to the room, trying to persuade someone.
Yuan Zhuan spoke softly, "Who?" She had not noticed any eerie atmosphere in the room.
"Do you want to save people?" It's the same question again.
"Nonsense!" Whether human or ghost, Yuan Zhuan has never been afraid! Except when she's hungry~
Since they're unwilling to answer, then forget it.
Rolling his eyes inwardly, Yuan Zhuan was too lazy to say anything more, after all, there was still an idiot standing in front of him!
"You don't need to worry about being overheard. Just use your brain. I know what's going on."
Holy crap! What's going on? Has her body been possessed?
Wait, your body!
Yuan Zhuan suddenly woke up and looked down at his hands and feet, which were dark, thin, and dirty, covered with bluish-black bruises—marks from being whipped with a vine!
It wasn't her hands, no, to be precise, it wasn't her body!
Although she rarely had enough to eat in this apocalyptic world and was very thin, at least one thing was certain: she was very fair-skinned, almost glowing white. Therefore, she often smeared herself with dark yellow paint to look tanned, all for the sake of survival.
The applied black and yellow color is naturally different from real black and yellow.
The exposed skin looked dark and yellowish, and dirty...
Recalling her hazy feelings before waking up, how many times had she rolled on the ground?
The important thing is, damn it, she actually got a beating from that bastard!
So the truth is, she possessed someone else's body?
"If you keep dawdling, the mother and brother of this body will die~ and you will have to pay for the consequences."
cause and effect?
Damn it, they weren't her biological mother or brother, and they were beaten to death by someone else, so why should she have to pay for it?
"That's it now~"
Yuan Zhuan: "..."
Damn! Who are you? How do you know so much about this body? Can you restore my strength?
"Yes, I'll give it to you if you want it."
What do you mean by "I want"? Does it mean I can have it just because I want it?
"certainly."
"Then give it to me." Yuan Zhuan didn't waste any more words. The beating outside had been going on for a while, and this scumbag had been standing at the door watching, muttering to himself with a bitter face, but he just wouldn't go up and help. It seemed that he couldn't be relied on.
"Agreed to become a host, system connection in progress!" The mechanical voice finally carried a hint of human emotion, excitement.
System? What is that?
Before I could think, my cold and aching body was enveloped by a warmth that spread from the soles of my feet.
Mmm, that feels so good...
Her strength has returned!
My fingers can move again, I can clench my fist stronger, and the pain in my body is gone!
Unconsciously, Yuan Zhuan entered a meditative state, closing his eyes.
Wan Tiezhu noticed that his stepdaughter was not making any other movements. She was just sitting on the edge of the bed, resting with her eyes closed. He then turned his gaze back to his wife outside the door, who was protecting her stepson and rolling around, trying to avoid her mother's beatings.
He was all too familiar with this scene, so he was numb to it.
Who gave the order for his mother to lay a hand on him?
Yuan Zhuan opened his eyes and saw his cheap, scumbag father watching with great interest the chaotic scene outside the door, where people were dodging and weaving, howling and screaming. He was practically ready to grab a handful of sunflower seeds and sit down to watch.
Damn it, even a passerby would be furious at this scene!
He lightly leaped off the kang (a heated brick bed), and Yuan Zhuan found himself holding a stick as thick as an arm in his hand.
Wan Tiezhu suddenly felt a chill down his back. When he turned around, he was met with a blow to the head!
Bang!
A sharp pain shot through him, and Wan Tiezhu collapsed to the ground, unconscious.
Looking down at the square face of the man on the ground, Yuan Zhuan's eyes were full of disdain.
If she weren't afraid of waking him up, she would definitely have given him a makeover!
Ugly people often cause trouble!
She stomped her bare feet on the man's face, secretly regretting that she didn't have high heels.
Only after confirming that it was filthy beyond belief did Yuan Zhuan feel slightly relieved and stride outside.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com