Chapter 1: Back to the Millennium (Please Collect)
July 28, 2024, 8:00 p.m.
A scream pierced the night sky, waking up the sleeping stray cats and birds on the branches.
"Stop hitting me! I beg you, please stop hitting me!"
In a cramped rental house in the urban village, Tian Xin was pinned to the ground and a group of people were taking turns beating her crazily.
She screamed and looked angrily at the person sitting opposite her - her former best friend, Li Ke.
Now they have turned from best friends into enemies, and the person who caused all this was none other than her husband Liu Bo, a gambler who owed a huge amount of usury!
Li Ke is the creditor!
Liu Bo had borrowed hundreds of thousands of yuan from Li Ke without her knowledge, and today Li Ke had come to collect the debt. She had brought a dozen thugs with her, threatening to kill them both if they couldn't pay back the money.
Tian Xin was caught off guard. She never expected that her former best friend would force her like this today!
"What, have you figured it out? If you have, go find it. Don't waste your time here!"
Li Ke sat on the sofa, crossed his legs, and looked down at Tian Xin, who was beaten black and blue. He deliberately spat the melon seed shells in his mouth on her face, just to see her angry but unable to move.
"How did you become like this?" She looked at Li Ke and felt heartbroken.
"What?" Li Ke sneered: "Stop looking at me like that, it's disgusting!"
nausea?
That’s all!
She lowered her head in anger and said nothing.
Liu Bo was rummaging through the drawers and cabinets in the room. The house was in such a mess that it was unbearable to look at, with the floor in a disarray.
He searched for a long time but found nothing. He also knew that the only property left for the two of them was a shop, which was their only source of income.
But in order to avoid being killed by Li Ke, he had to take over this shop!
He also knew what Li Ke was thinking. In order to humiliate Tian Xin, she said that as long as she got the property certificate and transferred it to her, she could offset the debts.
To him, it made sense.
But for Tian Xin, this is the logic of a robber.
She bought the shop 10 years ago for 500,000 yuan. Over the past few years, the price has at least doubled. Furthermore, the shop is perfectly located in the heart of downtown. Even if she doesn't do anything else, renting it out would still be enough to support her for the year.
How could she possibly use this only asset to pay off her debts now?
Besides... she is pregnant now and can't continue working. She depends on this shop for her livelihood. How can she let them get away with it?
So she refused no matter what, and the scene at the beginning happened.
Liu Bo searched for a long time but couldn't find the property certificate. He ran over in rage and kicked her in the stomach.
"You...you..." She was in so much pain that she couldn't speak.
This kick to the stomach could kill her instantly.
"Liu Bo...I...I'm pregnant!"
"Pregnant? Stop pretending. You haven't laid eggs in all these years, and now you're telling me you're pregnant. Are you kidding me?"
Obviously, Liu Bo didn't believe it. Not only did he not believe it, he even shamelessly said something even more outrageous:
"Don't think I don't know what you're up to. If you can't produce the property deed today, we'll both die. Go find it for me."
A trick?
This is her man, the father of her child.
"Do you still have any humanity? This is your own flesh and blood! Do you want to watch him die? You are the child's father! Liu Bo!"
Cruel and evil people probably have no conscience. If Tian Xin knew this, she probably wouldn't have suffered so much.
Seeing that she was in so much pain that she couldn't stand up, Liu Bo was still thinking about the house deed which he didn't know where it was.
He ignored her painful groans and her fragile curled up on the ground, raised his foot, and kicked her in the stomach again: "Stop pretending, get up now!"
This kick was even heavier than the last one. She clutched her belly, grabbed Liu Bo's trouser leg, and desperately pleaded for help: "Please save me... send me to the hospital... I'm really... really pregnant. If I have another abortion, I won't be able to keep the baby! Please!"
Li Ke couldn't help it.
"I say, can you please stop acting? Don't you think this is disgusting? Pregnant? How old are you? Even if you get pregnant, can you give birth to the baby?"
"Besides, how many years have we known each other? How could I not know who you are? I advise you to be smart and hand over the property deed immediately! Otherwise, when I lose my patience and the interest accumulates, the price will be much higher than today's!"
There was a sinister look on her face, and her voice was thin and sharp. She was completely different from the sweet and lovely person in my impression.
Tian Xin looked at her and felt an inexplicable despair in her heart!
Why? Why you? She cried in her heart - what sin have I committed? Why do I have to suffer this punishment?
Since she was eighteen, she has lost all her relatives, and only these two people are the light of her life.
But they were forcing her to die...
Why? Why on earth?
However, before she could figure it out, Liu Bo dragged her away by her hair.
Yes - very cool.
She felt a burning pain on her scalp, but she heard Liu Bo say, "You have to know what's good for you. I'm the only one in this world who treats you well. If I die, who will protect you? Who will raise you and your children?"
After saying that, he threw her next to the cabinet like trash and slammed her heavily against the cabinet door!
The severe abdominal pain made her unable to stand up, and blood had already begun to seep out of her skirt. The collision made her dizzy and she couldn't see the direction. She felt like she was about to faint.
If you don't go to the hospital, the child will definitely die.
She took a deep breath and struggled to stand up, her stomach aching like a knife.
My child, you have to hold on. Mom will definitely...will protect you!
She trembled and struggled to get up, her legs shaking and trembling uncontrollably.
But just as he got up a little, Liu Bo grabbed his hair and stood up again: "Did you hear me? Hurry and find it!"
"Yeah! Find it quickly, Tian Xin, I don't have much patience anymore." Li Ke added fuel to the fire.
"How could you do this?"
She leaned against the cabinet and trembled: "We grew up together, and I always regarded you as my best friend, but why did you push me like this today?
Liu Bo borrowed the money from you, but you didn't ask him for it back. Instead, you came to my house and watched him try to beat me to death. He also wanted to take away the last of my remaining life-saving money. I want to know how I offended you to make you so heartless that you had to force me to die."
"I forced you? How did I force you?"
Li Ke sneered: "It was obviously your Liu Bo who owed the money first. As a creditor, it is only natural for me to come and collect the debt. How can it be considered as forcing you? If anyone forced you, it was your Liu Bo, not me!
What kind of pathetic drama are you putting on here? I hate you like this, it's disgusting. Liu Bo, I advise you to hurry up and find a place, otherwise you won't be able to find just this shop. These guys are not easy to mess with, be careful that you won't be able to keep your hand."
This sentence is fatal!
Liu Bo had seen the cruelty of those thugs. If they were serious, he would definitely be killed here today.
He turned around and immediately knelt on the ground, kowtowing frantically to Li Ke: "I beg you, let me go! Let me go! I promise to pay it back. Give me a few more days, and I promise to pay it back! Please!"
"Haha, it's not that I won't let you go, it's that your wife refuses to help you. You should kowtow to her!" Li Ke pointed at her and smiled charmingly.
"Wife, wife, please find it quickly! Find it quickly! If you don't take it out, we will both die! Find it quickly, wife, I beg you!" He turned around and lay on the ground, kowtowed to Tian Xin again.
One hit after another, his head was broken and bleeding, and he looked in a miserable state.
Blood flowed down his legs, as if to indicate that the child would not be born.
But as a mother, how could she not fight for her children?
So, while everyone wasn't paying attention, she struggled to get up, clutched her stomach, ran to the kitchen, got a kitchen knife, and excitedly yelled at everyone, "Get out of my way, let me go."
Seeing this, several thugs surrounded her and tried to grab the knife. She took the opportunity to put the knife to her neck and said, "Get out of the way and let me go, or I will die here and none of you can escape."
"Want to die? It's not that easy!"
Li Ke stepped closer to her step by step in her high heels.
"I advise you not to waste your energy. If you wanted to fight me, you lost decades ago. Let's not even talk about being good friends. You've never considered me a good friend. You act so arrogant all day long, and it makes me angry."
"Tell me, where is the property certificate?"
"Get out of here, I'll never tell you even if I die!"
"Okay, you won't tell me, right? Fine, then I'll let you die knowingly today!"
Li Ke turned around and gestured to the thugs: "Hold her down!"
A dozen thugs then rushed over, snatched the knife from her hand, and pushed her to the ground.
"you……"
"Stop it!" Li Ke was a little impatient and asked her: "Do you know why I hate you so much?"
“…”
"Because my name now is also Tian Xin!"
“…”
"What did you say?"
"I said, I am now—it is you."
Li Ke squatted down, pinched her chin with both hands, gritted his teeth and said: "So, every day you live now is my nightmare!"
"Do you know why?"
“…”
Tian Xin did not answer, she answered to herself:
"That year, you were the only one in the village who got into university, but I failed! Do you know how they pushed me?"
“…”
"Ever since my senior year of high school, you've become what my parents call a good girl. No matter how hard I try, I can't win my dad's favor. Do you know why?"
“…”
"Because they only want a promising child. You always surpass me and embarrass me. And you even pretend to be my friend! Do you think I'm worth anything?"
"What do you mean...I passed the exam?"
Tian Xin felt like her head exploded, and only three words echoed in her ears: I passed the exam!
She passed the exam!
"But I clearly didn't receive an acceptance letter..." She suddenly realized something halfway through her words.
She said, I am you!
"It was you...what did you do? Why did you do it?"
"Why? You still ask why?"
Li Ke slowly reached out his hand, grabbed her hair, and put his face close to her: "Because I want to prove to them that you will never be as good as me! Look at you now, like a drowned dog! It's so satisfying!"
After saying that, she let go of his hand, sat on the chair brought by the thugs, crossed her legs and lit a cigarette.
"How's it going? Can you still bear it? If not, tell me where the property certificate is."
"Why...why did you do this?"
"Did you kill Xiaoxu...did you?"
Her younger brother died unexpectedly while she was waiting for the admission letter.
What if this was all her?
So……
"Yes! What happened?" Li Ke admitted directly: "Do you know how much effort I put into getting him there?
Accident, haha, everyone thought your brother died in an accident! But why did he stop me? I was just picking up a notice, why did he stop me?
You deserve to die! You all deserve it! If you dare to stand in my way, I won’t let any of you go!”
"You are shameless!"
How can there be such vicious people in the world!
"I'll kill you...you beast. He was only six years old, and you killed him and our whole family just to let him go to college. Are you still a human being? Why don't you just die?"
Tian Xin suddenly struggled like crazy.
But how could a woman like her fight against a dozen thugs? She could do nothing but cry and scream.
Perhaps because the noise was too loud, the neighbor came up and knocked on the door and asked, "What's going on?"
"Help...ah!" She was about to ask for help when a towel was stuffed into her mouth.
This blockage completely killed her last bit of hope.
ah! ! ! ! ! !
Her desperate cries went unheard.
“Da-da-da-da-”
When no one responded, the knocks on the door grew louder.
Li Ke was worried about being discovered, so he signaled a few thugs to go out and deal with it.
As soon as a few people left, she took advantage of the loose space, struggled to break free, took the towel out of her mouth, rushed over and was about to chop Li Ke with a knife!
Li Ke dodged the knife, grabbed Liu Bo who was standing nearby, and pushed her towards him!
A group of thugs took the opportunity to snatch the knife from her hand and surrounded the two people.
Li Ke ran over in a rage, grabbed Liu Bo by the collar and said fiercely: "Liu, I don't want this money. Kill her right now! Damn it, you dare to chop me? If she doesn't die today, I will kill you!"
Liu Bo looked around terrified, his legs shaking like sieves. A few seconds later, he raised his head, his eyes filled with viciousness.
He moved slowly, step by step, towards Tian Xin, his fists clenched so tightly that they made a clicking sound.
"What are you doing? Don't come over here, don't come over here!! Liu Bo! I'm pregnant, we have a child, don't hit me, don't! Don't!!!!"
She screamed in horror!
However - it's no use!
Fists as dense as raindrops fell on her without any scruples, and soon she stopped moving!
Bright red blood kept flowing out from her lower body, staining her skirt and the floor red.
She was lying on the ground dying!
Finally, I couldn't stand it anymore...
"Li Ke, you beast... I will never forgive you in this life... If I could do it again, I would never let you off easily... And you, Liu Bo, don't let me meet you again in my next life. If I do, I will make you pay the price. Just wait for me..."
I said this with all my might.
She turned her head weakly and glanced in the direction of the flowerpot. Inside was a cell phone she had secretly hidden. She had wanted to leave evidence to expose them!
I didn’t expect…I can’t do it!
Tian Xin died with her eyes open, miserably and desperately!
————
"Xinxin, wake up! Wake up quickly!"
A hurried voice called her in her ear, and Tian Xin struggled to open her eyes.
…
Where is this?
who is she?
There stood a woman in front of me who looked like my mother.
She opened her eyes wide in shock: "Is it you, Mom?"
Without waiting for the man to answer, she cried out, "Mom, don't leave me! They're beating me! Don't leave!"
The intense stimulation made her unable to distinguish whether it was a dream or reality. She just held on tightly to the person in front of her, praying to hold on to the last glimmer of hope.
"Xinxin, what's wrong with you? Mommy is here, don't be afraid, don't be afraid, Mommy is here, Mommy is here!"
The man hugged her and comforted her gently!
"Mom, why are you here... Are we meeting in the underworld?" She burst into tears!
"What nonsense are you talking about? What about the underworld? Why are you talking nonsense? Do you have a fever?" The woman touched her forehead. "I don't have a fever!"
"Look at mom! We're alive and well!"
Alive...well?
She gasped for breath, raised her head in horror, and looked at the woman's face.
Is it really mom? But...what's going on?
My mother still looks like she was when she was young.
She had short hair, wore coarse clothes, and her feet were covered in mud, as if she had just come back from the fields.
"Mom, where is this? Am I not dead? Are you dead too?" she asked tentatively.
The woman smiled and said, "This is our home! What nonsense are you talking about? What's the point of living or dying? We are all alive and well!"
Still alive? Not dead? At home?
you do not say!
She looked around. Wasn't everything she saw home? The cabinets, the desk, the old Yellow River brand TV, the newspapers covering the walls, and the rocking chair her father had made just for her.
This was her previous room at her parents' home.
But wasn't he already dead? How could he be here?
"Mom, what year is it?"
“2000!
"2000? Not... 2024?"
"What nonsense are you talking about? It's still a long way from 24 years! How old are you?"
She quickly glanced at the calendar on the wall. It was indeed July 28, 2000.
2000, the millennium. July 28th?
Could it be... that she is still alive?
Is it... reborn?
Wait, July 28th!
"Mom, where's my brother?"
She suddenly realized—
In my previous life, my younger brother died on this day!
"Mom, where is Xiaoxu? Where is Xiaoxu?" She excitedly grabbed her mother and shouted.
"He was still in the yard at that time?" Mom looked out the window and saw no one.
"Maybe he went out to play. Don't worry about him..." Mom said with a smile: "You just woke up, rest first. Hey... where are you going?"
"Mom, hurry up, go to the old house! Go save Xiaoxu. It will be too late if you are late!"
She put on her shoes and ran out regardless of anything.
My mother followed up and asked, "What's going on? Where are you going?"
"Don't ask, Mom, find someone quickly, find more people, go to the old house!"
After saying that, he walked out the door and disappeared...
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