Sugar coating hides evil intentions
A wisp of light, carried by a gentle breeze and the warmth of a clever monkey, quietly seeps into the heart atop the mountain.
It carried a sense of tranquility after surviving a catastrophe.
The moment Ling Zhan approached the new house, he was completely frozen and crushed into dust by the bizarre and absurd scene before him!
The heartwarming scene of children peering through the crack in the door, eagerly awaiting their arrival, was completely gone.
Instead, a scene of "peace" that was nauseating and exaggerated to the point of being glaring was presented: the place was bustling with activity and filled with noise!
The deafening noise almost blew the roof off the simple house!
The open space in front of the new house, originally reserved for the defense against wild animals, was now brazenly occupied by a crooked and dilapidated shed that looked like it might fall apart at any moment! Under the shed were several broken tables and rickety benches with missing arms and legs, and no less than twenty or thirty villagers from Kaoshan Village were sitting around them!
It was no longer the fearful or hostile prying and dodging of before, but a... naked, obsequious, greedy, and even fanatical clamor!
The faces, etched with the marks of mountain winds and poverty, were now filled with almost distorted smiles.
At the heart of all this clamor, flattery, and greed is aversion.
At this moment, he was truly "radiant," dazzling enough to dazzle anyone who saw him for the first time!
His old, patched-up clothes, which he had worn for who knows how many years, were nowhere to be seen. In their place was a brand-new silk robe, which looked fairly soft, but was garish and glaring in color, as if a dye shop had been overturned!
The gaudy bright purple and garish emerald green trim looked completely out of place against the rough backdrop of the mountains and fields.
He wore a wide belt with a cheap, reflective gold thread embroidered on it, the pattern of which was blurry, tied around his waist with great fanfare!
Perhaps two fat ducks were impersonating mandarin ducks?
His greasy hair was combed until it was shiny and smooth, and it was neatly plastered to his scalp. It was held in place by a long silver hairpin that was inlaid with cheap, colorful glass beads and looked like it was about to fall off at any moment. The beads reflected a cheap halo in the sunlight.
What was particularly striking was his posture—
He leaned back on a chair covered with a worn-out, garishly patterned cloth that had clearly been "transferred" from some young woman in the village. One foot was casually placed on a small wooden stool next to him, while the other leg was shaking.
He was holding a tattered palm-leaf fan with worn-out edges.
The fan made his new silk shirt flutter.
Of course, that rough material couldn't possibly float.
That demeanor was exactly like that of a nouveau riche who had just crawled out of the mud and wanted to show off all his possessions by wearing them on his body!
It was both comical and jarring.
This "generous and magnanimous" but disdainful little landlord?
On the small table in front of me.
It was piled high with roasted peanuts that were black and burnt, and sunflower seeds that smelled distinctly musty.
There were also several jars of cheap, locally made liquor that emitted a pungent, sour smell!
The wine jar was open, and the smell of cheap alcohol mixed with the greasy, burnt smell of peanuts and melon seeds permeated the air.
He was boasting, his face flushed, occasionally slamming his hand on the table with a jarring "bang," making the already precarious cups and plates on the table jump around. The surrounding villagers, including Wang Fugui, who had been terrified of Ling Zhan earlier, Qian Youcai's farmhand, and even several gaudily dressed women with shifty eyes who loved to gossip, all rushed to pour him wine and offer him dirty pipes they'd somehow acquired, their voices rising higher and higher, as if afraid "Master Shen" wouldn't hear them.
"Oh my! Uncle Chen! Your bearing is truly magnificent! Your entire presence is unparalleled in our Kaoshan Village!"
Wang Fugui was hunched over, his face crinkled into a deep smile.
"Uncle Shen is so kind! He's truly a reincarnation of a Bodhisattva! He's made a fortune and still remembers to help us poor folks. He's accumulated a great virtue!"
The farmhands at Qian Youcai's house bowed and scraped, practically wanting to press their faces to the table.
"Look at Master Chen's figure! His attire! Tsk tsk tsk, those pretentious scholars in the city aren't even worthy to carry your shoes! They're all so poor and shabby!" A woman in a floral jacket flattered him in a shrill voice, drawing a chorus of agreement.
"Exactly! Mr. Chen, tell us again, how did that bear pelt sell for so much silver? Did the town's head shopkeeper have to bow and scrape before you?..."
What made Ling Zhan's pupils suddenly contract, and a chill instantly shot from his spine to the top of his head, so piercingly cold, was the children!
Tiger was wearing a short, indigo-blue jacket that was clearly two sizes too big, with the cuffs and trouser legs rolled up high several times. The fabric was brand new but felt cheap and stiff. He was brandishing a small, crudely made wooden sword painted with glaringly cheap red paint, and he was showing off to a few village children who were surrounding him, spitting as he spoke arrogantly.
"See that? Bought from the best shop in town! It can cut through iron like mud! My dad said it's worth the price!"
He proudly held up a few fingers, his little face filled with extreme vanity, as if he had already become a "young hero" who commanded a region.
Douya's new clothes pockets were bulging, almost bursting at the seams, filled with greasy peanuts and melon seeds. He ate them until his mouth was greasy and his clothes were covered in crumbs, then deliberately mimicked a disgusted tone, grabbing a few seeds and, like an adult, tossing them with a "plop" to the younger village boy next to him, who was watching expectantly with a runny nose.
"Here you go! This is a reward from me! From now on, follow me, and I guarantee you'll have meat to eat!"
That smug look on his face, the smug face of a petty thug in the making, made Ling Zhan's heart sink.
The girl's condition was even more appalling, almost stinging Ling Zhan's eyes.
Two gaudy, garish red silk flowers, their petals stiff and unnatural, were forcibly stuck into her hair—clearly the cheapest goods Shen Yan had bought from a peddler on the street. Her face was haphazardly smeared with cheap, pungent rouge, making her look as red as a monkey's bottom, and even her neck wasn't spared.
She was wearing a new, equally gaudy and garish pink dress. The fabric was as stiff as cardboard and didn't fit her at all, making her small body very uncomfortable. She was clutching the hem of the dress with extreme awkwardness, embarrassment, and helplessness, as if it were a torture device.
Several women surrounded her, praising her in an extremely exaggerated and shrill tone:
"Oh my, look at this little guy, he's as handsome as a fairy child who stepped out of a painting!"
"Indeed! With those eyebrows and eyes, that figure, he's destined for a life of great wealth and happiness! Master Shen is so lucky!"
As they manipulated her, Da Niu's face flushed even redder, her eyes filled with panic and shame, and she was almost in tears.
The other children, who were smaller, also changed into new clothes of different sizes and colors, all of which looked cheap. Although they were obviously ill-fitting, with long sleeves and short legs, the children seemed to be completely immersed in the primal joy brought by the "newness".
Clutching various cheap snacks and low-quality toys, they screamed, ran and chased each other through the gaps in the crowded throng, comparing and showing off what they had. Their little faces showed only excitement and pride from the intense stimulation of material possessions, completely devoid of the heartbreaking vigilance, precociousness, and understanding that Ling Zhan had honed on the edge of life and death before he left!
That wolf cub-like survival instinct seemed to have been completely corroded and melted away by this cheap sugar coating!
Standing in the shade of a tree not far away, Ling Zhan resembled a black volcanic rock that had suddenly cooled and solidified from molten lava.
Cold, hard, silent, yet containing within it energy powerful enough to destroy everything.
On the drying rack—that thick, precious, glossy black bear pelt, which was originally the family's last barrier to survive the coming harsh winter… has vanished! Only a few empty ropes remain, whistling in the wind!
On the smoked meat rack, only a few pieces of the worst-looking, skinny, withered jerky hung forlornly! The place that used to be full of meat, almost bending the bar, was now glaringly empty!
Like a gaping maw of hunger!
The pile of bones in the corner—the hard animal bones that she had painstakingly processed, the tough tendons that could be used as bowstring traps—had mostly disappeared! Only a few small, broken bones remained, lying pitifully in the dust!
The cold emptiness brought by the silence was instantly swallowed up and submerged by a more violent and intense rage called "betrayal" and "utter stupidity"!
Shen Yan was spitting and gesticulating wildly as he boasted about how he had "keen insight" and "overruled all opposition" to sell the bear pelt for an "astronomical price" at the town's largest fur shop; how he was "charitable" and "kind-hearted," giving money and grain to "help the poor villagers"; and how he "strategized" to lift his entire family out of poverty overnight, making them live a life of luxury...
Just as he was speaking fluently, he suddenly caught a glimpse of a figure under the shadow of a tree, radiating a terrifyingly low pressure, as if he had just returned from hell.
The smug, cloud-like smile on his face instantly froze and cracked, like the cheapest mask!
His whole face contorted.
The tattered palm-leaf fan he used for showing off fell with a "thud" onto the muddy ground covered with peanut shells and melon seed husks.
The effects of the alcohol instantly evaporated, turning into cold sweat, and a bone-chilling cold shot straight up from the soles of my feet to the top of my head!
He tried to stand up abruptly, but stumbled forward in a disheveled manner and almost fell onto the table.
The noisy crowd seemed to be instantly gripped by an invisible giant hand, all sounds came to an abrupt halt, and a deathly silence descended!
Ling Zhan stepped out of the shadows step by step.
She was travel-worn, her animal-skin coat still stained with dew, mud, and thorns from the mountains and forests. The heavy animal-skin bag on her shoulder was stuffed with various medicinal herbs, plant roots and seeds—her preparations for the future.
Her face was expressionless, as calm as a bottomless, icy pool—terrifying.
"Mother...my wife...you...you're back?"
Shen Yan was the first to react, using her body to block the pile of "evidence" on the table. She then frantically tried to pull out the ridiculous glass bead hairpin from her head, her movements clumsy, comical, and utterly pathetic.
Ling Zhan did not respond.
Without pausing, she walked straight to the pergola, her cold gaze sweeping over the ridiculous, cheap goods like a searchlight... Finally, her gaze returned to Shen Yan's face, swollen from fear and debauchery.
"Where's the bear skin?" she asked.
“Sold…sold…” Shen Yan was drenched in cold sweat, which streamed down his temples and soaked the collar of his brand-new silk shirt.
"Where's the meat?"
“I exchanged…exchanged some…money…and…and…these things…” His voice trailed off, his finger unconsciously pointing to the things on the table and on the children.
"What about the bones and tendons?"
"Yes...yes...the family is short of...food...and...and...salt...seasonings..." he stammered, trying to find a reasonable excuse.
"Where's the money?" Ling Zhan abruptly interrupted him, his voice rising sharply. "You exchanged it for these?"
Her fingers, like a judge's scepter, carried immense force, relentlessly and heavily striking each point, each movement like a heavy hammer blow to Shen Yan's heart!
Shen Yan's face instantly turned a deep liver color, then quickly faded to a deathly pale under Ling Zhan's all-seeing, icy gaze.
All the carefully crafted excuses and fantasies of "good days" melt away without a trace under this gaze, like ice and snow under the sun.
His lips trembled as he tried to force a fawning smile, but it looked worse than a grimace: "Wife...look...isn't everything good? The children...they're happy! They have new clothes...snacks...isn't that wonderful? I...I just bought some...some decent clothes...we have money now! We don't have to live like before..."
"You're rich now?"
Ling Zhan's lips curled into a cold, emotionless smile. She took a step forward, her powerful aura almost tangible, causing Chen Yan to involuntarily retreat, bumping into the crooked table. "What about winter?"
Her voice wasn't loud, but every word was like an icicle.
Shen Yan suddenly choked: "Huh?"
"Heavy snow has sealed off the mountains, and birds and beasts have vanished?" Ling Zhan took another step closer.
"..." Shen Yan opened his mouth, but was speechless.
"Are the jackals, smelling your stench of wine, meat, and money, coming to your door again?" Ling Zhan's voice seemed to come from the depths of hell as he swept his gaze over the crowd.
"..." Cold sweat soaked through Shen Yan's back.
"Relying on these?" Ling Zhan's gaze swept over the trash on the table. "Or relying on your... opera costume?!"
Before he finished speaking, Ling Zhan suddenly grabbed the jar of cheap, sour liquor that was emitting a pungent, acidic smell from the table!
"Bang—!!!!!!!!!" A deafening explosion!
She smashed the wine jar with all her might at Shen Yan's feet! The shattered black ceramic shards scattered like exploding shrapnel! The murky, sour wine, like filthy blood, sprayed out violently! The pungent odor instantly overwhelmed all other smells!
"ah--!"
"My goodness!"
The surrounding villagers were terrified, screaming and running away in panic!
The peanuts and melon seeds on the table were knocked over and scattered all over the floor.
The children were terrified by the sudden loud noise and flying debris, bursting into tears. The silk flower on Da Niu's head was shaken off and instantly stained with wine and dirt. Chen Yan was splashed with the icy, foul-smelling wine, her face burning with pain, unsure whether it was from the cuts from the flying debris or the searing shame.
He looked at the mess of broken pieces and flowing filth at his feet, and then met Ling Zhan's eyes with undisguised, volcanic-like anger and deep disappointment. The grievances that had been suppressed for a long time exploded like ignited explosives!
"Ling Zhan!!"
He suddenly straightened up, his legs still trembling, but he stiffened his neck and roared hysterically, his face contorted with agitation and anger: "You fucking shut up here! I've risked my life to protect this home! To protect these little brats! I almost got killed by a bear! Finally... finally managed to earn a little money! To buy the kids some new clothes! To give them some snacks! To live like humans for a few days, what's wrong with that?! To buy a few clothes, what's wrong with that?! To have a drink, what's wrong with that?! You think everyone's like you! All you do is fight and kill like a savage! Eat raw meat and drink blood! Sleep in straw huts?! I've had enough! I'm rich now! I want to live a good life! The kids want to live a good life too! You..."
"puff--!!!!!"
A dull, heart-stopping thud, like a heavy hammer shattering a drumhead, abruptly interrupted Shen Yan's frenzied roar!
Ling Zhan's kick was as fast as lightning!
Shen Yan was like a tattered sack that had been flung away by a tremendous force, spinning 360 degrees on the spot, and then with a "thud," he slammed face down onto the cold, muddy ground! Half of his cheek swelled up at a visible speed, turning a horrifying purplish-red, and a streak of glaring blood instantly spilled from the corner of his mouth!
That ridiculous glass bead hairpin flew straight out.
With a "crack," the colorful glass bead shattered on the stone, appearing cheap and desolate against the muddy ground.
The whole world was deathly silent!
All sounds—the villagers' exclamations, the children's cries, the sullen roars—came to an abrupt halt!
All that remained were heavy breathing and the frantic pounding of the heart. Time itself seemed to stand still!
Ling Zhan looked down at Shen Yan, who was curled up like a shrimp on the ground, groaning in pain and seeing stars, as if he were looking down at an ant.
Her voice struck everyone's hearts heavily, penetrating to the very depths of their weariness: "A good day?"
"Your good days were spent selling your family's lifeline to survive the winter, just to buy this ridiculous costume you're wearing?"
"Is the goal to turn children into a bunch of arrogant hooligans who are ignorant of their place and still brag even when they're about to die?"
"Are you just sitting here, waiting for jackals to smell the stench of money and alcohol on you, gleefully rush in, and chew you up to dust, leaving not a trace?"
Her gaze, like a cold searchlight, swept over the pale-faced, trembling villagers! Over the children, their faces ashen with fear, too terrified to cry! Finally, like two red-hot branding irons, it seared back onto Shen Yan's face, contorted with pain and fear, carrying an almost cruel, bloody clarity:
"Money can't buy life or respect."
"The sugar coating is actually poison that burns through the intestines."
"If you don't discipline them for a day, they'll be climbing on the roof and tearing off the tiles!"
She paused, her gaze falling as if on a pile of vomit, onto Shen Yan's silk robe, stained with mud, wine, and blood, its original color long since obscured:
"Even if you wear the dragon robe, you will never become the crown prince."
"You've forgotten who you are!"
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