“Is this thing edible? Do you dare to eat it?”
The boy suddenly raised the branch in his hand, wanting to see Xue Niang’s frightened expression.
Unexpectedly, Xue Niang tilted her head, examined the thing that looked like it had been torn apart by five horses, and asked curiously, “What is this?”
“No way?” the boy exclaimed exaggeratedly, “You don’t recognize a frog?”
“This is a frog? It smells delicious, can I eat it?”
“Ah? Well, yes.” The boy scratched his head, handed over the branch, and secretly observed Xue Niang.
This girl, apart from the black markings on her face, was beautiful, and her clothes were all quite good. She didn’t look like someone who didn’t have enough to eat! Why would she ask him for a frog?
Speaking of which, she was also very brave. Any other girl would have been disgusted and thrown up.
Whose family did she belong to?
Why had he never seen her before?
Xue Niang turned her head. The frog’s head was a bit disgusting. The only part she could eat was its legs.
She took a bite of the meat on the leg. It was indeed very fragrant, and the meat was white.
Xue Niang quickly finished both frog legs and then returned the rest to the boy.
“I don’t want to eat anymore. The head and stomach are a bit disgusting.”
The boy’s eyes sparkled. He took back the branch and threw it aside.
“My name is Yutou. Who are you? Why haven’t I seen you before?”
“I am… from Xiao Shan’s family.”
“Xiao Shan? Xiao… Ah, is that the hunter, the one who looks like a bear?”
“You’re the one who looks like a bear.”
“Hehe, I misspoke, I misspoke. The hunter who looks very imposing. I saw him carrying a tiger down the mountain. Good heavens, that tiger must have weighed over two hundred pounds. He’s so strong.”
“Are you his wife? You don’t look like it, you’re so thin! Doesn’t he feed you?”
Xue Niang rolled her eyes at him. “You talk too much.”
“I’m alright, I’m alright. I can talk to a bug all day!”
Xue Niang: “……”
As Xue Niang and Yutou chatted, her unpleasant thoughts were forgotten. Yutou roasted a few more potatoes, and they shared them. They had no idea that the potatoes were just stolen from someone else’s field by Yutou.
Yutou really did talk a lot. He was the kind of person who could talk to a bug all day, let alone Xue Niang, a living person. Even though Xue Niang said little, it didn’t stop him from expressing himself. httpδ:/m.kuAisugg.nět
He seemed to know almost everything about the village, from one house to another. He knew which man was cheating, which woman was restless, which child was still drinking mother’s milk at ten years old…
“It’s just that I don’t know much about your family. Your man is too scary, I’m afraid to go near him.”
He’s not my man!
Xue Niang thought of Xiao Shan and pouted again. Then she said indignantly, “What’s so scary about him? He doesn’t eat people, nor does he hit anyone.”
“It’s just that I don’t understand,” Yutou scratched his messy hair.
The forest grew dark, and the two of them suddenly realized that the sun had set.
“Let’s hurry. If you go back this late, your man will be angry, won’t he?”
That’s right! She had forgotten the time. Xiao Shan must have gone back. Would he look for her if he didn’t see her?
The two of them hurried down the mountain. When they reached the foot of the mountain, they parted ways. Xue Niang pushed open the gate of the fence and saw several thick logs in the yard, but no sign of Xiao Shan.
The chickens were clucking with hunger, and the broken bowl pieces in the kitchen had not been cleaned up.
Did he go out to work again, or to look for her?
Xue Niang looked at the sky and decided to cook first. If Xiao Shan couldn’t find her outside, he would come back.
She only knew how to cook simple dishes. She made rice porridge and stewed potatoes. She also reheated the corn cakes left from noon.
After finishing these, it was already half an hour later. The sky had completely darkened, and Xiao Shan still hadn’t returned.
Since he hadn’t returned, she didn’t start the stove. She lit a candle and waited for him while cleaning the corners again.
Her stomach growled with hunger. Xue Niang ran out of the yard to wait. Dog barks echoed from the village, and a whimper came from beside her.
Xue Niang was startled. In the dim light, she saw a dark shadow lying at the base of the fence, its two green eyes shining like lanterns.
It’s this dog again!
Xue Niang ran back into the yard, took a piece of cake from the kitchen, and threw it out.
“Eat something and leave quickly! You’re not welcome here!”
The dog whimpered, got up, and began to chew. In the darkness, Xue Niang couldn’t see anything, only heard the crunching sound, which made her heart pound.
Why hasn’t that darn man come back yet?
Xue Niang couldn’t bear the hunger anymore. She went back to the kitchen and ate a piece of cake and drank a bowl of porridge. Seeing that more than half of the candle had burned down, she started to worry.
He was so strong and skilled in martial arts, he should be fine.
Perhaps she should go find the village chief and ask him to organize a search party for him?
She found a fire poker in the kitchen and walked out. As soon as she reached the fence, she saw a tall, dark figure standing under the big willow tree.
“Ah—” Xue Niang gasped, clutching her chest.
“Xue Niang?”
Xue Niang’s shock subsided. She recognized Xiao Shan’s voice.
“Where did you go?”
“Where did you go?”
They both spoke at the same time, but one was a simple question, while the other sounded a bit sinister.
Xiao Shan walked out of the darkness, step by step, towards Xue Niang. Perhaps it was too dark, but Xue Niang felt a terrifying aura emanating from him.
“Let’s eat first!”
Xue Niang took a step back and turned to go inside.
Xiao Shan followed her silently. When they entered the kitchen, Xue Niang opened the pot. The rising steam enveloped her, gradually blurring her figure.
“Xue Niang, be my woman!”
“Clang!”
The spoon in her hand fell, colliding with the iron pot with a loud noise. Xue Niang felt a sudden heat behind her and turned in shock. In an instant, the world spun.
Xiao Shan picked her up horizontally, his movements somewhat rough.
“Xiao Shan! Put me down!”
Kicking open the door, Xiao Shan, breathing heavily, threw Xue Niang onto the large bed. Then, his heavy body pressed down on her.
“Xiao Shan, are you crazy!”
“Yes, I probably am, really crazy!”
His husky voice was somewhat suppressed. His large hand reached to tear at her sash. Xue Niang, like a weak quail, was pinned beneath him, unable to move.
“Xiao Shan, Xiao Shan, what’s wrong with you? Don’t do this.”
His emotions were not right, as if he had been stimulated by something. Xue Niang tried to wake him. It was too dark, and she couldn’t see his expression. This Xiao Shan frightened her.
“You are my woman. It is only natural that I want you. Xue Niang, haven’t you recognized this fact yet? Are you still thinking of leaving here, leaving me one day?”
“No, I haven’t thought that.”
“Then prove it to me!”
Her body suddenly felt cold. Xiao Shan held her hands above her head and roughly bit her face.
Xue Niang heard the continuous barking of dogs again.
Fierce dogs, a man, a woman, lewd laughter, torn bodies.
“No!”
“Why not? You clearly don’t want to be my woman, are you lying to me?”
He bit her neck heavily. Xue Niang cried out in pain, and those dark, deliberately avoided, nightmarish memories surged back, drowning her.
A man greedily ravaging a woman, the sharp, sinister teeth of a fierce dog, the woman’s eyes that refused to close even in death.