Chapter 24 Sophomore Year
In this backward place, a woman's reputation is more important than her life. Zhenmin's shirt was torn. Nanjiu wasn't really a friend of Zhenmin. She could just ignore her and walk away, or hide away and call the police. Either way, she'd leave this 22-year-old girl among the evildoers, waiting for them to strip her naked and throw her on the street. She couldn't guarantee that the gossip, the ridicule, and the strange looks wouldn't drive this young woman to her own grave.
She could be an indifferent bystander, or she could prevent a strangulation. Nanjiu chose the latter.
When confronting several people in the alley, Nan Jiu noticed their concerns about Song Ting, so she used this identity to cover up Zhen Min's escape first.
However, when Nanjiu threw a brick at them and took the opportunity to escape, several people suddenly changed their minds, forcibly dragged Nanjiu into the car, and took him back to the village.
On the way, Zhu Erhai snatched Nanjiu's phone and grasped her chin. Her face, forced from her hair, was like a frightened she-wolf, her eyes blazing and alert, piercing the air with untamed wildness. Her face was so beautiful it defied gentleness, even possessing a touch of aggression, yet it was impossible to look away.
Nan Jiu violently shook off Zhu Erhai's hand. Zhu Erhai was about to attack again, but was stopped by Zhu Dahai. He warned Erhai, "Don't touch her."
After getting out of the car, several men came to drag her away. Nan Jiu shouted, "Don't touch me. Where are you going? I can walk by myself."
They brought Nanjiu back to Zhu Dahai's home. Old Zhu Gui learned of Nanjiu's identity and, fearing that he would attract the people from Ganjing Village, asked his son what he planned to do.
Zhu Dahai said that he was waiting for them, and the money for building the house could not be thrown into the water in vain, so he wanted to get it back.
Old Zhu Gui reminded him that people cannot stay in the house.
Zhu Dahai immediately decided to hide Nanjiu at the foot of the mountain and locked her in a thatched house. When he returned home, Zhu Erhai was making a fuss at home, saying that he wanted to take Nanjiu back as his wife. He had never seen such a delicate and tender girl.
Zhu Dahai slapped Erhai on the back of the head and said that he couldn't touch her until he got the money.
Zhu's mother echoed: "Listen to your eldest brother. When you get the money, ask your eldest brother to find a way to get that girl back. She won't dare to run away after having a child."
Zhu Erhai ignored his mother and elder brother's words, only the idea of having children. He was just over twenty, full of vigor and vitality, yet he still couldn't find a wife. Lying in bed, thinking of Nanjiu's lithe figure and fair skin, the heat in his body surged, rushing into his brain, and his behavior began to spiral out of control.
He climbed out of bed as if possessed by a ghost, and went around to the foot of the mountain through the back door of the house.
......
Zhu Dahai locked the door of the thatched hut, and as soon as he walked away, Nan Jiu instantly climbed out of the straw and kicked the door vigorously. However, a copper lock locked the door from the outside, and no matter how hard she kicked, the door remained motionless.
After trying in vain, Nanjiu returned to the house and looked around for something that could be used.
Besides straw and cow dung, there was a grain jar in the corner. She grasped the rim with both hands, trying to lift it. But it was too heavy, and despite her best efforts, she couldn't budge it even a bit. She turned her gaze to the abandoned stove, built of bricks and mud. She tried desperately to pick at it, but couldn't dislodge a single brick or stone. Nan Jiu circled behind the stove, but there was still a pile of useless straw, not even a single piece of firewood.
Suddenly, Nanjiu's gaze returned to the pile of straw. In front of the stove stood an old wooden stool, covered by the straw, with only one leg exposed.
Nanjiu quickly pushed aside the straw, picked up the stool, and swung it onto the ground. The ground was covered in dirt, which softened the impact. Nanjiu picked up the stool and slammed it against the stove again. The stool finally broke, but it didn't achieve the desired effect.
She used brute force, smashing and throwing it, until the stool broke into pieces. She bent down and picked up the sharpest leg of the stool, rubbing it against the rough wall to polish it.
There was movement outside again, the sound of hurried and chaotic footsteps returning. Nanjiu quickly hid the stick in the straw and squatted down, his back pressed against the wall.
The copper lock slammed against the door, and light from outside poured in, only to be locked out again. Zhu Erhai's sturdy figure appeared at the door, his breathing fluctuating and with strange gasps, he stared blankly at Nan Jiu.
Nan Jiu curled up his knees and asked coldly, "What are you going to do?"
Zhu Erhai arched his back, his voice trembling with excitement: "No one will come here, don't resist, it will be over soon."
He quickly unbuckled his belt, panting with excitement, and rushed towards Nanjiu.
Nanjiu raised his foot to kick him, but Zhu Erhai grabbed his ankle and pulled his shoe off. Nanjiu immediately raised his other foot and kicked at his left leg. Erhai lost his balance and fell awkwardly to the ground.
The air was thick with the stench of livestock, squeezing out the thin oxygen. Nanjiu's heart pounded in her chest, nearly breaking her ribs. She screamed at Zhu Erhai, "My dad is the captain of the Criminal Investigation Corps of the Fengshi Provincial Public Security Department. He's a division-level cadre and has sent countless people to prison. If you dare touch me, my dad will make sure you stay in jail for the rest of your life!"
This was the most glorious time in Nan Zhendong's life when his daughter praised him.
Zhu Erhai was shocked by Nan Jiu's unstoppable momentum. His rationality returned to his brain briefly and his movements slowed down.
At this moment, Nanjiu reached under the straw and touched the sharpened wooden stick.
She only has one chance. If she fails, she will lose all her defenses and completely infuriate the other party.
The air felt like a thick, viscous gel. Every second seemed to freeze. Her gaze was fixed on the ugly figure before her, the fear and determination in her body coalescing into a ruthless, suicidal force.
After a brief hesitation, Zhu Erhai's desire finally overcame his reason, and he pressed forward to Nan Jiu again with lust in his head.
......
When everyone reached the foot of the mountain, Zhu Dahai spotted the fallen copper lock. It could only be opened from the outside, and he immediately realized something, his face turning pale. Before he could react, Song Ting had already kicked the door open.
In the dim, smelly room, Nan Jiu, covered in blood, huddled behind the stove. His vision narrowed dramatically as a bone-breaking weight struck his temples, instantly subjecting all his senses to an unprecedented torture.
Song Ting strode towards Nan Jiu. Her disheveled clothes, torn-off shoes, tangled hair mixed with straw, and the shocking bloodstain were like sharp blades, cutting a piece from his heart with every step he took.
He stopped in front of Nanjiu, squatted down, and his voice became hoarse and dry, "Where are you hurt?"
"It's not my blood." She raised her head, her broken eyes as if washed by a rainstorm, and slammed into Song Ting's chest.
He lifted his shirt to cover Nan Jiu, turned around, and glared at Zhu Erhai who was leaning against the wall on the other side.
Zhu Erhai's short-sleeved shirt was stained with blood. The tip of the wooden stick had pierced his abdomen, and sawdust still clung to his skin. His pants had fallen to his knees, revealing his dark thighs. Zhu Erhai saw his eldest brother and tried to walk out, holding onto the wall.
In the dim light, Song Ting's bare back resembled a wall of violence. As Zhu Erhai took a step, Song Ting was already behind him, gripping his neck with murderous, bloodthirsty force and slamming him to the ground. Without waiting for Zhu Erhai to resist, his hard fist smashed down, splashing bloody liquid. Zhu Erhai clutched his head in his arms, writhing on the ground in agony.
Song Ting's fists slammed into Zhu Erhai again and again, and every naked muscle was stretched into a hard lump, filled with terrifying power.
Zhu Dahai led his men to pull his brother away. Old Eighth Uncle and the others also rushed in, persuading Song Ting: "Stop fighting, someone's going to die." But as Zhu Erhai was dragged away, Old Eighth Uncle couldn't help but kick him.
Song Ting helped Nan Jiu, whose legs were weak, to her feet. With Song Ting's strength, Nan Jiu stood up from the straw pile, supporting herself on one leg. Song Ting glanced down and asked her, "What's wrong?"
"Twisted ankle."
Song Ting put her back on the straw, found her shoes and put them on her, picked up Nan Jiu and carried him sideways, and strode towards the village entrance.
Nan Jiu leaned on Song Ting's bare chest, listening to his heavy breathing and strong heartbeat. His body, which had been tense all night, finally relaxed, and he even felt a little exhausted.
When they were almost in front of the car, Song Ting walked sideways to Director Liu and said to him in a low voice: "I'll put Xiao Jiu in your car. You take the others and go. Wait for me at the mountain road entrance of Ganjing Village."
Song Ting stuffed Nanjiu into the back seat of the black car, opened the door of the SUV and let Zhenmin move into Director Liu's car. He patted the roof of the car and the car drove away from Heishiwa Village at a high speed.
Only after watching the rear of the car drive away did Song Ting turn around, open the car door, take out a screwdriver from the storage compartment, hold it in his palm, and say to Uncle Eight and Xiang Zhiyang, "Get in the car and wait for me. Don't get out."
The moon was trapped in the sky by thick clouds, with only a few pale rays of light occasionally shining through. The dirt road meandered like a snake in the dim light.
Nan Jiu turned around, her eyes glued to the rear window of the car. She saw Song Ting walk around the car and head towards the group of vicious villagers again.
The car jolted suddenly, ran over some rocks, and turned out of the village. Nanjiu's vision gradually became blurred.
......
Several villagers who had been standing at the Zhu family's gate ran to the village clinic to call a doctor to treat their wounds. The rest of the group surrounded Zhu Erhai. Song Ting picked up one of them and threw him aside, then rushed into the crowd, pressing towards Zhu Erhai. Before the villagers could react, the sharp screwdriver reached Zhu Erhai's throat.
"Did you touch her?" Song Ting's gaze was like an icicle, piercing Zhu Erhai's bones. The cold screwdriver was like a loaded gun, holding Zhu Erhai's life firmly in its grasp.
Under such a powerful pressure, Zhu Erhai was so frightened that his whole body was convulsing, and his voice was distorted and trembling: "No, no, really no..."
Song Ting turned his gaze towards the villagers, and his bone-chilled voice grazed everyone's ears: "If I hear any of you talking nonsense about what happened tonight, no one in your village will have a good life!"
His naked upper body looked like a ferocious beast under the pale, silky moonlight. As he released Zhu Erhai, he turned around and walked towards Zhu Dahai. With a "bang," the sound of his fist hitting bone was returned.
Old Zhu Gui reacted and picked up his farm tools and ran towards him.
Song Ting didn't hesitate, opening the car door and leaping in. The heavy door shut out the swarming villagers. The engine roared, the tires scraped against the road, and the car accelerated sharply, leaving the village behind.
The stone hit the back of the car, making a violent vibration and following it. Song Ting steadied the steering wheel, without looking back or hesitation, and stepped on the accelerator to the bottom.
Director Liu's car stopped at the edge of the mountain road. Nan Jiu opened the door and got out, gazing at the pitch-black mountain road behind her. The boundless darkness sucked away the remaining light in her eyes until the headlights of a car turning at the end of the mountain road rekindled them.
The SUV pierced the darkness and sped towards her. The car stopped in front of Nan Jiu. Song Ting rolled down the window and looked at her: "Get in."
Nanjiu opened the car door and got in with Zhenmin. The car slowly moved forward and drove next to Director Liu's car. Director Liu rolled down the window, and Song Ting turned his head and said, "Submit all evidence to the police and prosecute directly."
Director Liu responded, and the two cars closed their windows at the same time and went their separate ways at the village entrance.
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