Chapter 183 Willow Branch's Past - Pi Xiukang Urges Manuscript
Liu Zhi was born into an ordinary family. It is said that when she was too young to remember, her family was quite wealthy. However, after her father became addicted to opium, he squandered the family fortune. After Liu Zhi had memories, the dim and dilapidated house and her father lying on the bed smoking were the constant images in her home.
Because all three thousand nails on the broken ship had to be replaced with the soil from the horseshoes, Liu Zhi had been helping her mother with housework since she was a child, and she also had to take on some jobs outside to supplement the family income. Liu's mother was a typical woman of the old era. Even though she had never had a good life because of Liu's father, she would never let herself or her daughter say a bad word about her husband.
But while putting her husband first, Liu's mother also did her best to raise her daughter. She would secretly save money to buy delicious food for Liu, and would stand in front of Liu when her husband beat people. In winter, she would wrap all her thick clothes around Liu. When her daughter was sick, she would kowtow to the doctor to beg for medicine, and then risk her life to go to the mountains to find valuable medicinal herbs to pay off her debts.
Because her mother's love for her daughter was genuine, Liu Zhi couldn't completely escape this family. In the end, she accepted her fate and only planned to find a formidable husband when she was old enough to get married, using poison to fight poison and control her father—until her father had nothing left to sell and turned his attention to his daughter.
Liu Zhi still remembers that day: a man's scream pierced the sky, her mother, covered in blood, walked out holding a chipped woodcutter's knife in one hand and her swaying braid in the other. The neighbors who used to lament their misfortune huddled together like chicks, the old man who used to talk badly about them trembled like a leaf in the wind, and the yamen runners or the police surrounded her mother, but no one dared to step forward.
The mother was very thin, but she walked very steadily. Her eyes seemed to be burning with fire. She seemed to want to open her arms and hug the willow branch, but the weight in her hands stopped her. In the end, she only whispered a few words to her daughter.
"This house belongs to our family, and the deed is in the place where you keep your money."
Liu Zhi understood her mother's meaning. She didn't cry or shout, but simply nodded firmly. Her mother had risked her life to pave a path for her, and she would never again entrust herself to someone else.
"Mom, don't worry, I've grown up and I can protect our home."
Because she was always hungry, thirteen-year-old Liu Zhi looked like she was only ten years old. Her size was often proportional to her intimidating presence, but Liu Zhi was not worried. Her mother had already shown her how to protect the family fortune by showing her human heads.
"If relatives or friends come over and ask to stay under the guise of being elders..."
Liu's mother didn't continue, and Liu Zhi didn't let her finish. The thin girl put her hands, which had been behind her back, in front of her. The moonlight shone brightly on the objects—she was also holding a gleaming kitchen knife in her hand.
“People die from being burned, from being poisoned, and from losing their heads. If they really do that, Mother, please go slowly on your way to the underworld. I will take everyone down with me, and we will all go together.”
The tough are afraid of the stubborn, and the stubborn are afraid of the reckless. Not to mention that Liu Zhi's family has a house, they don't even have a complete pair of pants. Thirteen-year-old Liu Zhi herself is a kind of property. If she doesn't act tough, no sooner will her mother be taken away than someone will break in, and she might be sold off in a couple of days.
"Good girl, live a good life from now on."
Liu's mother was stunned for a moment, then finally smiled with relief. Her daughter never lied and could be ruthless, so she, as her mother, could close her eyes and rest assured.
"Be more discerning when choosing a husband in the future, and don't choose one who's addicted to opium."
Liu's mother casually tossed her braid, still attached to her head, toward the officials, stuck the wood-chopping knife into the mud beside her daughter, left a final word, and followed the officials away. Liu Zhi pulled out the wood-chopping knife, frowned at the slippery feel of it, picked up the two kitchen knives, went to the well, and scooped out a small bucket of water.
The well was dug by Grandpa Liu's generation for convenience. By the time Liu Zhi grew up, it had become the family's source of income. In the city, apart from a few deep wells, the rest were all bitter water. It was fine for washing clothes and cleaning, but when everyone ate, they had to buy water from outside. Liu Zhi's family had a sweet water well, and they also had a few guests.
"Splash—"
Liu Zhi scooped water with her hands and splashed it on the wood-chopping knife. Under the bright moonlight, she wiped away the bloodstains with a cloth. Once the knife only bore the marks of chopping, she took out a whetstone and began to sharpen it. The sound of the sharpening knife, which had been intended to gather information, silenced the crowd, who eventually dispersed in twos and threes. In her dream, the sound of the sharpening knife continued to ring out rhythmically...
The headless body of Liu's father was still in the room. Liu's mother showed no intention of running away from beginning to end. The government's verdict came down quickly: the wife killed her husband and was to be executed in the autumn.
Then, three days later, Liu's mother died in prison.
The government, which has always adhered to the principle of "no money, no entry," has actually done absolutely nothing this time: ...
"...I saw a doctor...I'm completely exhausted...it's only a matter of days."
Hearing the official explanation, Liu Zhi silently carried her mother's body back. She consulted both traditional Chinese medicine and Western medicine doctors, and after confirming that it was the same as what the government said, she accepted reality and held a funeral for her parents.
Well, my mother was laid to rest, but my father was just thrown into a mass grave. It wasn't that I didn't want to throw him in a stinking ditch, but mainly because I was afraid it would cause illness.
Liu Zhi lived a peaceful life afterward. Although many relatives and friends coveted her family property, after Liu Zhi burned down a few houses and sharpened knives at the door of several houses, leaving a declaration that she would kill everyone, people suddenly realized that Liu Zhi was an independent woman who could protect her property, and wisely stopped disturbing her life.
Later, Liu Zhi got married. Her husband was very poor, but she liked him very much. His ancestors were soldiers who followed Lord Lin in the burning of opium at Humen, and he had said that he would never touch opium even if he died.
Two years of peaceful life passed, and her husband made several friends in the area, but Liu Zhi still did not get pregnant. She appeared calm but was worried inside and could not sleep at night. She then discovered that her husband had started smoking opium. After confirming that she had not mistaken the figure puffing out smoke, Liu Zhi's first thought was to be thankful that she was not pregnant.
Liu Zhi didn't understand any grand principles, but she knew that bad seeds couldn't sprout good seedlings. There was a young master in town who was addicted to opium and was on his last breath. Because he was the only son in his family, his family spent a lot of money to find someone to carry on the family line. The woman they found was also very capable. She got pregnant before the young master died and gave birth to a son after ten months of pregnancy.
Because this child was the only son of his family, he was naturally raised like a treasure, with only one strict rule: he was absolutely forbidden from touching opium.
But the more it is forbidden, the more curious people become. This child tried it once when he was a teenager, and just that one time, he became addicted—the offspring of drug addicts are more likely to become addicted when they come into contact with drugs again.
Liu Zhi didn't want to have a child with an opium addict, nor did she want to have such a child. The fact that the two of them had no offspring was the best thing ever.
At that time, she had no intention of shedding blood on the blade; she simply sat down at the table by the oil lamp, preparing to divorce her rotten husband.
But the man disagreed. After his soft words, pleas, and promises to kneel down were all ineffective, he actually reached out and grabbed Liu Zhi's neck—and then his own neck was slashed open.
Unwilling to separate peacefully, and unwilling to accept the so-called tragic ending of dying for love, Liu Zhi could only ask her husband to cross the Bridge of Helplessness alone.
Perhaps it's true that people always have to say something before they die. In the end, the man didn't say anything about regret. He only talked about the cause and effect of his first fall into the abyss: his four friends were the descendants of drug dealers from back then. But unlike his ancestors who had fallen on hard times, these people's families had changed their appearance and were now in official positions.
The man was always proud of his identity until he learned who these people were, and his faith crumbled.
Finally, the man breathed his last while calling out Liu Zhi's nickname. Taking advantage of the freezing weather, Liu Zhi temporarily placed his body in a secluded spot and secretly inquired about the four friends. After confirming that what the man said was true, she found an opportunity to sell him.
Because it was her first time doing dental work, she had little experience and accidentally sterilized someone before she finished. She didn't want to stay in this sad place any longer, so she sold her valuables and bought a train ticket, traveling all the way to Shanghai. Although she didn't lose any money except for what she used herself, living in Shanghai was not easy, so she still had to look for work. That's when Ge Dali recommended her to this job.
Heaven knows how surprised she was when she saw the treatment here. Although her parents left her a house, there were few jobs in remote areas. Apart from sewing and embroidery, there was almost no way for women to earn money. When her husband came, although there was one more person to earn money, there was also one more person to feed, and they still lived a miserable life.
Even after arriving in Shanghai, Liu Zhi didn't dare to spend her meager savings, as she could only earn enough to make ends meet. She lived frugally, and it's no exaggeration to say that she only had her first full meal after arriving here.
***
As Ge Dali lay in bed, he still couldn't believe that everything he had experienced was real, and not a dream.
"Ouch, Mom, why are you pinching me!"
Ge Mingya protested softly. She had her own room. Yao Xiaoyu had prepared a fully furnished room with all the necessities according to the plan of Aunt Pang who had two apprentices. However, Aunt Pang only had one apprentice, so the room was given to the little girl Ge Mingya. But the little girl used to sleep next to her mother. She was too afraid to close her eyes by herself, so she ended up sleeping with her mother.
"I heard that pinching flesh in your dreams doesn't hurt..."
Ge Dali said somewhat embarrassedly. Ge Mingya rolled her eyes, thinking that the saying that names affect temperament is sometimes really true: her mother used to be quite smart, but after changing her name, she became more and more simple-minded.
"Then pinch yourself, why are you pinching me?"
That's what they say, but the little girl could understand her mother's feelings very well, because today was like a dream for her too, no, it was a dream that couldn't be this good.
As soon as she arrived, she was given a full bath and medicine. Then she was given a set of new clothes and shoes, her own private room, and the bedding was also brand new provided by the host. Not only were the meals provided, but the cook also said that the host could provide meat once every ten days... When Ge Mingya lay on the bed, she really felt that she would be willing to die right away!
The moon sets and the sun rises; darkness turns to light.
Awakened by her biological clock, Yao Xiaoyu got up to wash up. Before she could even look forward to Aunt Pang's breakfast, she was greeted by an important person—Pi Kangxiu, who came to her door to urge her to finish her manuscript as soon as he heard the news of Yao Xiaoyu's move!
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