Xue Niang did not wish to discuss further with him. She adjusted the bundle on her shoulder and took a few steps forward, intending to rest, but her body had reached its limit, and she stumbled again.
Liu Donghuai was about to step forward to help her when a person suddenly lunged from behind and caught Xue Niang in his arms.
"You, who are you?"
He was startled by the man's imposing height and enraged by his actions.
In broad daylight, to be so presumptuous with a woman, could he be a mountain bandit?
"You, didn't you go up the mountain?" Xue Niang looked at the man in shock.
How could he suddenly appear?
Didn't he say he would return tomorrow?
"Disappointed?"
Xiao Shan's gaze was as cold as frost, with a swirling storm within.
He was angry!
Xue Niang felt a chill all over her body and couldn't help but tremble.
The next second, the man had already hoisted her onto his shoulder. Her stomach was pressed against his hard shoulder, her head hanging down. Her already dizzy head began to throb, making her feel extremely uncomfortable.
"Let me go!"
She kicked her legs, but what strength did her slight frame possess to break free from such a robust man? All her efforts were in vain.
"Put her down!"
Liu Donghuai extended his arm, his frail body blocking Xiao Shan. The young face was still unable to conceal his fear and apprehension.
Yet, it was also imbued with the righteousness and innocence characteristic of his age.
Xiao Shan smiled coldly, overestimating himself!
"Didn't your teacher tell you not to meddle in other people's affairs?"
With that, he kicked Liu Donghuai, sending him sprawling to the ground.
If it weren't for the fact that he had been studying for so many years with difficulty, he would have crippled the hand that had touched Xue Niang!
Xiao Shan strode away with Xue Niang in his arms as if carried by the wind, quickly returning to the thatched courtyard. Xue Niang was already half-dazed from the jostling and was unceremoniously dropped onto the bed by Xiao Shan.
He looked down at her, like a bloodthirsty beast gazing at the prey in its territory.
"Before, I tamed a wild horse. I named it 'Solitary,' bathed it, stroked it, and used every means to make it strong and healthy.
It seemed docile, but I overlooked its other instinct – escape.
It turned out it had an owner. To find its former master, it abandoned me. Tell me, what should I do with it?"
Xiao Shan's expression held a trace of cruelty and wickedness. Xue Niang's face gradually paled. He leaned closer, his voice chilling to the bone.
"Of course, dismember it and feed its flesh to my brothers."
Would he hand over a fine warhorse to an enemy? A spirit that refused to yield should be killed.
"And you? Who is your former master?"
She knew he would be angry, but she hadn't expected him to be so terrifying, as if he had completely changed.
Was he intentionally trying to scare her, or was this his true nature?
She lay on the bed, looking at him blankly, and asked foolishly, "Do you also consider me an animal?"
At this very question, Xiao Shan's expression changed drastically.
He froze, the ferocity on his face collapsing like a mountain, receding like a tide.
He turned abruptly and left, fearing that his powerful self-control would break down in the next moment.
Beneath the large willow tree outside the courtyard, he furiously beat the trunk, venting the pent-up frustration in his heart.
An animal?!
Who would worry so much about an animal!
He was truly going mad!
He couldn't hit her, he couldn't scold her. Women were truly the most troublesome things in the world.
His hand was beaten until it bled profusely. Xiao Shan let out a wry smile and slowly leaned against the tree, sitting down.
...
Xue Niang rested for a while, regaining some strength. Although she hadn't even walked out of the village path before being carried back, it was nearly summer, and walking under the sun had made her sweat. Her whip wounds were healing but also itchy, making her feel uncomfortable all over.
She wanted to take a good bath. In the past, the man would always prepare hot water for her, and she would just need to undress and get into the wooden tub. Now, since he was so angry, he would definitely not bother with her.
Outside, she heard a commotion, sounding like people arguing. She got out of bed.
As soon as she stepped out, she saw Xiao Shan walking into the courtyard with a somber face. A circle of people was gathered outside the fence, all peering in, men and women alike.
"It's that girl! The girl is mine—"
Liu Donghuai, already pale, clutched his stomach and waved at Xue Niang after being kicked.
"Did he really snatch her?"
"The girl looks quite young. How could he do such a thing?"
"What is he incapable of? He used to be a bandit."
"Keep your voices down, or he'll hear you. Someone who can beat a black bear to death..."
"That's right. Look at his hands, they're still bloody. I wonder what he did just now?"
...
The villagers whispered amongst themselves. The village chief cleared his throat and shouted, "Xiao Shan, tell us what's going on here?"
Xiao Shan glanced at Xue Niang, a hint of sarcasm appearing on his face. Since she had come out, there was no need to call her.
He turned to face the villagers, especially that pale-faced young man, who looked anxious, as if his woman had been stolen.
"This is a woman I bought with money. Is there a problem?"
Xue Niang's hair fell to the sides of her face, revealing little of her small face. The crowd hadn't seen her features clearly. Hearing this, she understood what was happening.
A strange bitterness welled up in her heart.
But he was right; she was a bought slave.
With a slight step, she bypassed Xiao Shan and walked to the courtyard entrance. She tucked her hair behind her ear, exposing the terrifying black markings to everyone.
She stood tall, with no trace of discomfort or inferiority. Her composure stood in stark contrast to the villagers' exclamations.
"Yes, I was bought by him for half a tael of silver."
The village chief, over fifty and still quite steady, felt embarrassed after the initial shock. He glanced at the dejected Liu Donghuai and chuckled awkwardly, "Then it's nothing. The villagers misunderstood, they misunderstood."
Most of the villagers who had come had daughters. Hearing that Xiao Shan had snatched a respectable woman, they feared that having such a scoundrel in the village would be detrimental to their own families, so they had called the village chief to drive him away.
Who would have thought it was a misunderstanding? Who would snatch such a terrifying woman? She must have been bought, and for only half a tael of silver, which was indeed quite cheap.
However, she did match the hunter; they were both strange people.
"Huai Dong, it's a misunderstanding. Let's go!"
Huai Dong's mother, pulling the dazed Liu Huai Dong, was the first to leave the crowd.
After all, he was the only scholar in the village, and his family was among the wealthiest. The other villagers bore no resentment and followed suit, leaving.
The village chief, walking at the rear, called out to Xiao Shan, who stood in the center of the courtyard, "My apologies, Brother Xiao."
This farce ended quickly, and the sarcasm on Xiao Shan's face grew.
Half a tael of silver.
Heh! She remembered it clearly.
The arrow he intended to shoot at her had returned and pierced him fiercely.
She had made her position perfectly clear.
Truly, it was hateful!
Xue Niang's back was straight. The gazes behind her felt palpable. Without turning around, she knew those eyes were filled with ferocity.
When would his anger subside?
He wouldn't hit her, would he?
To verify, she endured her fear and turned around. Under his ravenous gaze, she spoke hesitantly, "My wound is a bit itchy. Could you please heat some water for me? I'd like to take a bath."