Chapter x9 Violence My husband can come pick me up.
“Oh…” Liang Minghe hesitated for once, “Then you go ahead with your work.”
He was about to leave as if nothing had happened, but then he remembered something, squatted down, and took out a beautifully packaged long box from the drawer of the TV cabinet. Inside was a pair of unopened rubber gloves.
He tore off the plastic seal and handed it to Zhou Jinqin: "This can be used."
Zhou Jinqin wanted to say that even if the water was cold at this temperature, it wouldn't be that cold, so there was no need for such a thing. However, faced with the other person's sincere gaze, she couldn't bring herself to say anything that would offend them, so she reached out and took it.
The rubber gloves are not the usual household style, but rather designed with reference to the shape of a duck's foot. When they enter the water, they have a charming effect of red feet paddling through the clear waves, which is indeed something that Liang Minghe would buy to collect.
Zhou Jinqin carefully put on the duck feet, raised them and waved to him. She smiled gently and said, "Thank you. You should get some rest. I'll be fine soon and will try not to bother you too much."
She was very thin, almost like a sheet of paper when viewed from the side, and her face was even smaller, appearing even more delicate against the backdrop of her large gloves. Her fair face also reflected a rosy glow.
Looking at her gentle smile, Liang Minghe's gaze wandered, then he stared at the fish fins on her feet and softly replied, "Okay, I'll go back to my room now."
When Zhou Jinqin returned after washing the clothes, a bedside lamp was still on in the room. Liang Minghe was not asleep. He was sitting on the headboard, holding Tuantuan, who looked utterly hopeless, and was telling it a story from a children's picture book.
Seeing her come in, Liang Ming patted the cat's bottom and closed the book: "Alright, that's all for today's story. Go to sleep early."
I don't know who insisted on reading this book, but the moment I let go, Tuantuan went back to her nest without looking back.
Zhou Jinqin was both amused and exasperated, yet a warmth welled up in her heart. She knew he was waiting for her.
"You've worked hard," she said.
Liang Minghe didn't pay attention, and just pointed to the hot water and medicine on the bedside table: "All the painkillers in the house are here, see if there's anything you can take."
Ibuprofen, diclofenac sodium, acetaminophen, aspirin... all sorts of medicines piled up like a small mountain.
He probably dug out all the painkillers he could find, and there were quite a few that could be used, but Zhou Jinqin didn't need them at the moment.
She nodded and then shook her head, only taking a sip of the hot water: "This is enough for now, thank you."
Liang Minghe rested his chin on his hand, observing her expression, and asked curiously, "Will your emotions be affected?"
Zhou Jinqin nodded: "Generally speaking, yes, hormonal fluctuations can easily lead to irritability or depression."
“However,” she said, a smile playing on her lips, “I’m very happy this time.”
"Huh?" Liang Minghe didn't understand.
"Regular menstruation is a luxury for me."
Zhou Jinqin's menstrual cycle is irregular, sometimes coming every two months, sometimes every three months, and sometimes not at all. She has tried to regulate it many times, but without much success.
Whether it was the male hormones from Liang Minghe at work or a change in mindset after leaving home, Zhou Jinqin's period was unusually punctual this time, so much so that she was completely unprepared and thus caused the whole incident.
"Really? Congratulations." Liang Minghe smiled, gesturing for her to lie down, then gently tapped the small lamp on the bedside table twice with his well-defined knuckles. His voice was very soft, "Go to sleep."
The bedside lamp is a mushroom lamp. When you tap it, the sleep-inducing fragrance inside will spray out like spores. The light will slowly go out as the "spores" fall, like falling fireworks.
Perhaps because of the loss of sight, hearing suddenly became particularly sensitive in dim environments.
Liang Minghe heard a faint hint of joy in Zhou Jinqin's voice: "Goodnight."
This excitement lasted until dawn. Zhou Jinqin, unusually, lingered in bed. When she woke up at 7:30, she was still somewhat unsatisfied.
My roommate in the next bed is no longer there; he was probably kept away by the cat to open a can of cat food.
Zhou Jinqin hugged the quilt and dozed off for a while before putting on her slippers and walking out of the room. On the gas stove in the kitchen was a big-bellied pig pot, which was bubbling away.
Liang Minghe was on the balcony making and receiving phone calls. The wind billowed his thin shirt, which also subtly outlined the curves of his body, a sensible feature of a mature man.
He noticed their gaze, and while talking on the phone, he smiled and waved to Zhou Jinqin with a flourish.
"Grandma, I'll bring my wife back for you to see, but not now." Liang Minghe looked at the woman's gentle face and smiled at her. "Take it slow, give her some time to adjust."
Liang Minghe said a few more sweet words to appease his grandmother. He hung up the phone and sat down at the dining table. Zhou Jinqin had already served the pumpkin porridge he had cooked. There were also several dishes of tea snacks that their neighbor, Aunt Zhou, had brought in the morning, saying that she was congratulating them on their marriage.
"What are your plans for today?" Liang Minghe picked up a shrimp dumpling and put it in his mouth.
For some reason, Zhou Jinqin didn't receive a friend request from the person with the indistinct cat-and-dog avatar. Instead, the old woman added her herself, insisting on transferring money to her for cleaning fees.
The clothes she wore that day were bought for 69 yuan during Uniqlo's sale season. Faced with a thank-you fee of up to four figures, Zhou Jinqin could not bring herself to accept it against her conscience.
Zhou Jinqin did not click to receive payment, intending to wait for the system to automatically refund after 24 hours.
She put down her phone and looked at the man opposite her: "I have three interviews scheduled today, in three different districts, so I probably won't be home during the day."
Although Liang Minghe didn't put any pressure on her, their marriage was a partnership, and Zhou Jinqin couldn't depend on him. She had to have the ability to support herself no matter what.
Liang Minghe nodded understandingly: "Then I'll be your personal driver today."
“No need, I can manage on my own. I’ve already planned the route.” Zhou Jinqin blushed. “I’ll have to get used to going to work alone from now on. You’ve also said that marriage isn’t about one of us having to change. You don’t have to accommodate me staying at home all the time. Just continue living as you always have.”
She thought that Liang Minghe was a free bird, and soaring in the vast sky was his true nature.
Liang Minghe didn't insist, but just smiled and praised her, "Is that so? That's really amazing."
Zhou Jinqin felt a little embarrassed by his words and quickly changed the subject, saying, "I'll probably be late today, so remember to eat. Don't wait for me."
"Okay." Liang Minghe nodded. "Contact me anytime if you need anything."
Zhou Jinqin originally thought it was just a polite remark, but she never expected that she would actually need to contact him.
Due to various delays, Zhou Jinqin's last interview ended at 7:30 pm, when it was already quite dark.
This company is a pharmaceutical manufacturing enterprise, and its factory is located in a relatively remote suburb, requiring a nearly 20-minute walk to reach the nearest subway station.
This area is mostly comprised of factories and large clusters of old residential buildings slated for demolition, with few commercial facilities besides a few small private shops.
The surroundings were relatively quiet. As Zhou Jinqin walked, she reviewed the day's interview. Suddenly, she heard a sharp cry for help from a woman.
Her thoughts were abruptly interrupted, and after a brief moment of blankness, Zhou Jinqin quickly looked up and scanned her surroundings, finally finding a trace of sound among a group of abandoned buildings marked with the word "demolish".
In the dim light, a shirtless man straddled a woman, cursing filthy language and relentlessly punching her in the face.
Standing under the streetlight, Zhou Jinqin looked at the exhausted woman as if she had seen a savior. Her cloudy eyes shone with a glimmer of light, and she reached out her hand, silently pleading with Zhou Jinqin to save her.
Although there was no sound, the man quickly noticed the abnormality. He turned his head and met Zhou Jinqin's gaze.
The man had dark skin and was not tall, but his arms were muscular and strong, clearly not someone a woman could easily take down.
When Zhou Jinqin met his gloomy, bloodshot eyes, she couldn't help but shiver. She quickly lowered her head, pretended not to see him, and left.
The woman on the ground was like a deflated balloon, her eyes devoid of any light, as the man brutally punched and kicked her.
"You dare ask for help, huh? I'll beat you to death!"
Her heart pounded. Zhou Jinqin closed her eyes and took a deep breath. Her mind was filled with the image of a woman's eyes, a mixture of fear and resignation as she faced death, and...
The man touched the brick!
Can't!
Zhou Jinqin quickly turned around and ran back, shouting, "Stop!"
The woman, her eyes smeared with blood, suddenly opened them. The brick with a budding splinter was just an inch away from her temple.
The man picked up a brick, stood up, pointed at her, and yelled, "Mind your own business, huh? I'll make you regret this!"
Zhou Jinqin's hands trembled so badly that she almost pressed the wrong numbers for 110. After the call was connected, she rushed to explain the situation before the operator could answer. Since there were no obvious landmarks around, she gave the number of the nearest utility pole as a substitute address.
The operator said officers would arrive within five minutes and reminded her to take good care of herself.
Zhou Jinqin said "Okay," her voice trembling.
The man's eyes were bloodshot as he roared and charged toward her.
Zhou Jinqin staggered backward, constantly reminding herself that the police would arrive soon, and all she had to do was stall for time.
But right now, the other party is clearly not someone to be trifled with. The man must have been drinking, and his rationality is completely nonexistent. At this moment, saying anything more will be of no use.
But because he was drunk, he was not very agile, and the woman tripped him and made him fall to the ground.
Taking advantage of the moment, Zhou Jinqin quickly squatted down and picked up a rusty steel bar from the ground to use for defense.
But clearly, the man who had been drinking was as bold as a bear, and he was not afraid of her powerful weapon. He kicked the woman who was clinging to his leg hard, and then quickly broke free and walked towards Zhou Jinqin.
Zhou Jinqin clearly overestimated her ambition to "kill ruthlessly." When the man approached, she couldn't attack with the same reckless abandon as he did, only daring to strike at insignificant spots, thus giving him an opportunity to take advantage.
The man grabbed her arm, his fingernails, still covered in black mud, digging into Zhou Jinqin's skin and leaving a long, bloody gash.
Zhou Jinqin hissed in pain. She hardened her heart and used a short steel bar to stab the other man's stomach. The woman who had been kicked down earlier also staggered to her feet and cooperated with her to restrain and lock the man from behind.
The man fell to the ground in pain, howling and struggling. Just then, police sirens sounded, and the police arrived. Zhou Jinqin breathed a heavy sigh of relief.
On the way to the police station, a doctor gave me some basic first aid.
Although Zhou Jinqin had several bloody scratches, fortunately they were only superficial wounds and could be treated with simple disinfection.
The woman who was beaten was in much worse condition; she had a large hole in her forehead that was bleeding profusely, and Zhou Jinqin estimated that she would need at least a dozen stitches.
The woman ignored the police's advice to go to the hospital to treat her wounds and instead chose to go to the police station with them. The police had no choice but to have someone clean her wounds and stop the bleeding.
Upon arriving at the police station, the police quickly took a statement.
It's actually a very common domestic violence issue. The woman and the man are husband and wife. The woman had just given birth at the beginning of the year and had no breast milk because she was weak. So she wanted to ask her husband for 200 yuan to buy milk powder. At that time, the man had just lost at cards and took his anger out on her, which led to what just happened.
The woman's eyes were calm, and she still had old wounds on her body that hadn't fully healed. Clearly, domestic violence was not a one-off occurrence for her, and she had long since become numb to it.
Calling for help is an instinct for survival, or perhaps a tether to a child; love often becomes a shackle that binds people.
The police asked Zhou Jinqin, "Looking at your ID card, you're from out of town. Do you have any relatives or friends here who can come and pick you up?"
Zhou Jinqin looked away from the woman, paused for a moment, and subconsciously replied, "My husband can come pick me up."
A note from the author:
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Thank you everyone for the nutrient solution!
You have a new police report (Jin) (Qin). Please check!
This is a romanticized version of a novel. In reality, please don't act impulsively. Your own safety must be guaranteed before you can act as a hero!
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