7
The scene, accompanied by the still-playing music and shrill laughter, struck Zhuang Xiaodie as absurd. It was amidst this video that the man had suddenly stood up and struck his wife, seemingly unfazed. Zhuang Xiaodie, still clutching the hammer, didn't move, didn't urge him on. For a moment, she even wondered if her boss would suddenly leap up, grab her by the collar, and scold and curse her—there were plenty of such people. She waited patiently.
But the boss suddenly sat up and looked at her, his tear-stained cheeks gleaming slightly in the moonlight. The boss said, "What are you going to do?"
This was unexpected. Zhuang Xiaodie asked, "What should we do?"
"What should you do after calling the police?"
Zhuang Xiaodie looked at her for a moment and said, "He beat you before. Did you call the police?"
The boss said, “I reported it once.”
"You only reported it once, and he continued to beat you afterwards," Zhuang Xiaodie said. "Will anyone come after him now that he's dead? For example, his gambling debtors?"
"I don't know if he owes money, or how much..." The boss shook his head, suddenly running into the store, grabbing the man's phone, and turning off the video. The annoying music and laughter stopped abruptly. The phone showed a purchase history, but it wasn't clear how much was owed. The boss suddenly remembered something and ran to another room, probably their bedroom, and pulled out a stack of IOUs. They ranged from a few hundred to tens of thousands, nearly a hundred thousand. The boss counted them, his hands shaking and tears streaming down his face.
"Did he use the money he gambled for his family?"
The boss shook his head.
"Then this isn't your debt." Zhuang Xiaodie took a deep breath. "I want to ask you for a favor. Don't call the police."
"So what about this?"
"Just think of him as going out to work," Zhuang Xiaodie said. "We'll need your help with the disposal of the body, too."
Life in the countryside is better now, and the yards are paved with cement, so digging a hole on the spot is impossible, but there are still some on the back mountain. Zhuang Xiaodie raised the hammer, thinking about how to bury it more appropriately.
"Go away." the boss said suddenly.
Zhuang Xiaodie was stunned for a moment, then said, "If I leave, what will happen to the body? Or do you still want to call the police?"
The boss shook his head and said, "You've already helped me the most. Let me take care of the rest."
"It's hard for you to handle such a big person alone." Zhuang Xiaodie said.
"When he beat me before, I'd wonder when he'd die. At first, I hoped he'd drink himself to death, or get into a fight with someone and get beaten to death. Later, when the beatings became unbearable, I started thinking about how to kill him," the boss said. "But I never really put my foot down."
"This is indeed something that requires a lot of courage." Zhuang Xiaodie comforted her.
"You saved my life, sister." The boss said, "Go away, you've helped enough, don't stay here any longer, or you'll be seen by passers-by."
Zhuang Xiaodie never expected to hear her speak like this. On the way here, she thought she would be scolded for meddling in other people's business, and would be caught and the police would be called to not let her leave, but she never expected this woman to react like this.
Seeing that she didn't move, the boss pushed her again: "Let's go, girl." Tears welled up in the boss's eyes. Zhuang Xiaodie looked at her for a long time before walking out.
"You have to be careful." Zhuang Xiaodie said.
The boss just waved her away.
There was no one outside the restaurant. The car was parked with the headlights on. Zhuang Xiaodie didn't stop and drove back. After driving a short distance, she glanced in the rearview mirror and saw that the sign for the Farmhouse Restaurant was off.
Before coming here, she hadn't considered what killing this woman's husband would bring her. She simply believed that this man deserved to die, and now that he was dead, she wouldn't have to suddenly see the news about this woman being beaten to death, like she suddenly saw the news of Wei Yuling's death. She hadn't thought about being thanked or anything else, and she had made this decision just to make herself feel better.
Ultimately, killing the man was just to make myself feel better. But the boss said, "You saved my life."
Her vision blurred. Zhuang Xiaodie activated the windshield wipers, but they were useless. She touched her face, only to find it was soaked. Silent tears streamed down her face. Zhuang Xiaodie pulled over and covered her face with her hands. Her throat was so tight it ached. She covered her face, tears quickly soaking her palms. Finally, she let out a low roar, like an animal caught in a trap, unsure how to escape.
-
Nian Jinsi was lying on the railing by the river, lost in thought. Ke Yan came over and asked where he was taking her. The child had already fallen asleep in the car. After a whole day of playing, her expression became relaxed. She no longer glanced at Nian Jinsi cautiously. Ke Yan cared for her and loved her so well. In addition to their blood relationship, she quickly became familiar with this uncle and had already developed a certain attachment to him.
Children are like that; they cherish whoever treats them well. This is actually the simplest and most harmless concept. Children this age don't yet understand that some good things are just like a knife covered in honey. Nian Jinsi is more pessimistic than Zhuang Xiaodie, and doesn't believe that good things are unchanging. However, no matter what Ke Yan becomes in the future, at this moment, he is the best choice for children.
Nian Jinsi looked at Ke Yan. The man was tall, more than half a head taller than her, about 1.8 meters tall, with well-developed forearms and large fists. With a body like that, if a fight broke out, how likely would a child be able to dodge it?
The conclusion is zero.
She held her face and asked casually, "Will you hit him?"
Ke Yan was stunned for a moment and said, "Are you afraid that I will beat the child?"
"You didn't answer my question."
Ke Yan was silent for a moment, then said, "I can't say I won't. After all, it's hard to predict the future, but I can promise that I won't act rashly, let alone intentionally hurt him."
Nian Jinsi shook her head. Such an answer sounded too grandiose. Unfortunately, the question she asked was useless. Who could be sure of the future? In the past, she had chosen Kong Yanchen, believing him to be a good match. Who could have known that in the end, there would be such a mess, and her hands would be stained with blood again?
Ke Yan looked at her expression and said, "I know what you are asking."
"oh?"
"You're afraid I'll commit domestic violence, right?" Ke Yan said. "You want to know if I can be a good uncle."
"Is the term 'domestic violence' really justified?" Nian Jinsi asked. "Because within the shell of family, violence and harm suddenly become acceptable. It's not the perpetrators or the victims, but the word 'family' – isn't that absurd?"
Ke Yan didn't immediately agree with her, nor did he refute her. He just said, "I do hate his father, but he is my sister's child. She followed me around when we were little, asking me to help her catch dragonflies and fish. She passed away, and I didn't even get to see her for the last time. If you were in her place, what would you think of this child?"
"I'm the only one in my family." Nian Jinsi replied.
"His eyes and nose are very similar to my sister's," Ke Yan said. "He only has me now, and I only have him."
His expression was so sincere that Nian Jinsi was almost moved by him. After a moment of silence, she finally said, "Then take good care of him. If you feel emotional in the future, think about what you said tonight." She paused and said, "If you are a rational person, this will be a good thing for both you and him."
After saying this, she turned back to the river and waved to Ke Yan, saying goodbye. Ke Yan nodded slightly and got into the car. Ke Yan's family had already prepared most of the child's supplies. He had made preparations after receiving Zhuang Xiaodie's call. Perhaps he was a responsible person.
Ke Yan drove away, and Nian Jinsi turned around and happened to see the back of the car merging into the traffic flow.
The breeze from the river brushed against her face, and people were walking in groups of three or four on the riverbank. Nian Jinsi leaned on the railing with her head resting on her arms, just like she was waiting for Zhuang Xiaodie to come find her after high school.
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