Chapter 182 Human Heart and Human Nature
In Longyang City, Nanyang, a gentle evening breeze swept through Xiaba Village, casting the dim, flickering lights of scattered farmhouses in the night. Some were working by lamplight, others were chatting, some scholars were engrossed in their books, and some bamboo craftsmen skillfully wove bamboo hats…
Inside Erlang's cramped, dilapidated mud house, the oil lamp on the wall flickered and danced uneasily in the air, while a few moths stubbornly fluttered about in the light and shadow, much like the actions of someone at that moment! The old lady, who was in her fifties, sat silently with her son Erlang, who was in his early thirties, around the long-extinguished fire pit, the water in the earthenware pot still warm.
Yi Qingxue sat upright on the creaking wooden bed, still dressed in her light green ruqun (a type of traditional Chinese dress), but the long pink shawl she had worn was now cut in half to serve as a face towel. Erlang's house was bare; even a piece of soft cloth was a luxury. Seeing the mother and son sitting there speechless for a long time, Yi Qingxue thought to herself: My family has been searching for me and hasn't come yet. This old woman is protecting me from her son's bullying, which is actually protecting her son as well. But Erlang is blinded by lust, only thinking about my body… Tonight, no matter what, I must find a way to deal with this, otherwise it will be a disaster for both of us…
"Mother, it's late, you should go and rest." Erlang finally couldn't hold back any longer and broke the silence first, his voice filled with a rough longing as he urged his mother.
The old lady glared at him hatefully: "I'm not going anywhere tonight! If you want to sleep, go lie down in my room, or let this girl sleep with me!" Her words were sharp, full of heartache and disappointment for her good-for-nothing son.
Erlang suddenly stood up and roared, "Mother! Are you even my real mother?! I finally managed to find a wife, but you're always going against me! Do you want me to be a bachelor for the rest of my life and have our family line die out?!" His face turned red, and the veins on his neck stood out.
The old woman frowned, her voice filled with earnest concern: "My son! I'm not trying to oppose you, I'm just thinking of things for you! Ask the girl if she's willing to be with you. We're not those bandits who abduct women!" She paused, letting out a heavy sigh: "Do you know her background? If she's the daughter of some wealthy family, how can you, a mere woodcutter, possibly stand up to her? In that case, even ten heads wouldn't be enough for her to chop off! I don't want to bury my son..." Every word was heavy with worry and fear.
Yi Qingxue listened quietly, and the "compassion" in those words was all for her son's sake. Thinking of this, a bitter feeling welled up in her heart: The hearts of parents are truly selfless... What must my parents be going through? Looking at my clothes... they must be extremely protective of me...
Erlang, hearing his mother's admonition, knew he was in the wrong. But when his gaze fell upon the delicate Yi Qingxue beside him, all his concerns vanished instantly. The girl, sixteen or seventeen, was like a newly blossoming peach or apricot, exuding a shy yet vibrant beauty. Her face was endearing, her eyes like pools of autumn water, her lips moist and slightly upturned, making one yearn to kiss her…
The more he thought about it, the more unbearable the lust in his heart became, and he suddenly felt a noticeable movement between his legs. He was panting heavily, his eyes fixed on her: "I don't care about anything else! For the sake of our family line, I'm going to have a three-hundred-round battle with her tonight! I've stuffed the bed board tightly." He used a high-sounding pretense, his gaze fixed intently on Yi Qingxue.
"You...you..." The old lady trembled with anger, unable to utter a complete sentence for a long time.
Yi Qingxue met his face, which was twisted into a hideous and lewd expression by desire. Her clear voice rang out, carrying an undeniable calmness: "I know you are eager, but unfortunately I have been unwell these past few days and cannot do as you wish." Her tone was neither humble nor arrogant, and her expression was neither joyful nor sorrowful.
Erlang sneered twice, his eyes flashing with malice: "Don't try to fool a three-year-old with these words! No matter what you say, the bed will creak tonight, and your savings of thirty years must be transferred to you!" After saying that, he strode towards the bedside, disregarding his elderly mother's presence, and was about to force himself on Yi Qingxue.
"Erlang, what are you doing?!" The old lady jumped up and rushed forward, trying to stop her son's violence.
"Stop!" Yi Qingxue abruptly stood up, her clear shout like an ice bead falling to the ground. That crisp, sharp cry and fearless aura actually startled Erlang. She coldly glared at him: "You keep talking about carrying on the family line, yet you disregard my wishes and defy your mother's words! In the end, you're just blinded by lust for my body!!" Her sharp gaze seemed to pierce through to the heart.
Erlang's face burned with shame at having his lewd thoughts exposed by a young girl. The old lady's gaze also held a hint of surprise, a touch of awe rising in her for this seemingly frail yet composed woman. She grasped Erlang's hand, her voice softening: "My son! Listen to your mother. If you truly wish to marry her, perhaps you should wait another ten days or half a month. If no one comes looking for her, she's a weak woman with no one to rely on; she'll need a place to stay. Then, your marriage will be perfectly legitimate and you'll have peace of mind."
Yi Qingxue sneered inwardly: What a cunning old woman! She had initially thought the woman had some compassion, but in reality, every step she took was for her own benefit. What she feared was nothing more than the retaliation she would suffer after forcibly taking me. If no one came looking for me after a few days, or if I were just an ordinary woman in tattered clothes, I'd probably already been used as a breeding tool by this mother and son, devoured until nothing was left… I had to find a way to escape…
Having made up her mind, Yi Qingxue saw that Erlang was already wavering, and immediately added fuel to the fire by following the old lady's words: "What you say is absolutely right, aunt. If no one comes looking for me in a few more days, I, a weak woman, will naturally have to find someone to rely on. You saved my life, so it is only right for me to repay your family. But if you act violently today, and my family comes looking for me tomorrow, then... that will be a great disaster, and we will all be destroyed!"
“Yes! That’s exactly right!” The old lady nodded repeatedly upon hearing this. “Son, listen to this! Even teenage girls understand things better than you! Why can’t you understand your mother’s good intentions?!” She looked at her son with a worried expression.
Erlang's eyes flickered uncertainly, his right hand unconsciously clutching the hemp cloth lapel of his shirt. Looking at the pure, refined, and composed Yi Qingxue, the lingering desire in his heart began to falter: If her family truly was a formidable force… then my mother and I might be in grave danger… She didn't seem to be faking it… perhaps he should wait a couple more days? If she were willing then… wouldn't that be even better…
After some deliberation, Erlang, with his neck stiffened, said in a muffled voice, "Fine! I'll wait a few more days and see if anyone comes looking for me!"
Upon hearing this, the tension in Yi Qingxue and the old lady's hearts finally eased slightly. "Son, it's good that you've figured it out! The sky..."
But the laws of the world are strange. Before the old lady could finish speaking, the strange events that rewrote the story began.
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