Chapter 26

Yuli sighed deeply in her heart. She truly regretted not noticing Gao Xuelian’s actions earlier, which led to her older brother being harmed like this!

“Big brother, trust me, you will meet the right person one day! But I still feel uneasy about tomorrow. With their personalities, I’m afraid they won’t divorce so easily.”

Yu Tuanjie really didn’t want to trouble his family anymore. “Don’t worry! They have things in my hands and won’t dare to act recklessly. Tomorrow, I’ll go early to handle the divorce procedures, and then I’ll come back and help mom with selling food by the river!

This is my issue, I’ll handle it myself. Don’t tell dad or mom, we’ve already troubled them enough because of Gao Xuelian, especially mom—don’t let her get upset.”

Hearing this, Yuli agreed.

Early the next morning, just as the sky was beginning to brighten, Yu Tuanjie got up.

He arrived at the village entrance and saw that Gao Xuelian had already come.

But as soon as she saw him, she started crying and even knelt on the ground!

“Tuanjie, I know you’re probably dying to divorce me right now! I agree too! But first, help me find Ban Deng! Last night, when the child heard I was divorcing, he ran off to the back mountain! He called you ‘dad’ for eight years; can you really bear to just let him disappear? Please, help me find him!”

Yu Tuanjie squinted. “What about Gao Daliang? Why isn’t he looking?”

Gao Xuelian cried harder. “He’s gone searching too, anyone who could climb the mountain has gone! Ban Deng was only discovered missing this morning. The footprints show he went toward the back mountain! Please, Tuanjie, help me find him. Once we find Ban Deng, you can do whatever you want with him!”

As she spoke, she bowed her head to Yu Tuanjie several times.

Yu Tuanjie hesitated.

For someone as tough and selfish as Gao Xuelian to bow like this, it seemed Ban Deng was indeed in trouble.

And what she said was true—he was a soft-hearted person.

Though Ban Deng wasn’t his biological child, he had raised him for eight years.

When Ban Deng was younger, Yu Tuanjie changed his diapers and rocked him to sleep.

The child was innocent!

Yu Tuanjie turned around and started walking up the mountain.

Gao Xuelian immediately stood up and followed him.

She secretly grinned viciously.

Yu Tuanjie, you coward! I’ll make you divorce me! I’ll make sure you don’t give me any money!

Those bows just now were for you to go down the path!

Gao Xuelian followed Yu Tuanjie as they hurried up the mountain.

It was still early, and the sun hadn’t come up, making the mountain feel somewhat oppressive.

They quickly reached halfway up the mountain, and Yu Tuanjie shouted Ban Deng’s name in desperation.

Gao Xuelian also pretended to shout.

But as they were calling, someone following behind them raised a club and swung it toward Yu Tuanjie’s head!

Gao Xuelian eagerly watched, waiting to see Yu Tuanjie fall.

But in an instant, there were two loud thuds!

Both Gao Xuelian and Gao Daliang fell to the ground!

Yu Tuanjie turned around suddenly and gasped in shock at the scene before him.

Yu Jiefang yelled angrily, “Idiot! We’ve warned you so many times, and you still believed that poisonous woman!!”

Yu Tuanjie looked at the club in Gao Daliang’s hand and the black bag Gao Xuelian had taken out—this was for killing and hiding a body!

He was so shocked that he slapped himself on the face!

“Dad, you’re not wrong! It’s my fault! I deserve this!!”

Yuli acted quickly and slipped some pills into Gao Daliang and Gao Xuelian’s mouths.

The pills weren’t deadly, just enough to make them more excited.

If they had a clear conscience, they could control that excitement.

But if they were guilty, it would only make things worse!

Yu Zhenluo quickly picked up Gao Daliang. “Let’s take them to the cave!”

Yu Tuanjie was still scared, thinking that if his little sister hadn’t told the second brother and dad, he might have been done for on that mountain today!

He angrily kicked Gao Daliang’s head.

The whole family hurriedly carried Gao Xuelian and Gao Daliang to a hidden cave.

They blocked the entrance with a large stone to make sure no one could enter.

Afterward, they hurriedly descended the mountain.

Soon, the rooster crowed, and in the morning mist, an old man was leading a cow to graze.

The leaves, covered in dew, fluttered gently in the wind.

Every household had gotten up to make breakfast, and the rising smoke from the chimneys curled into the air.

Yuli came home and helped Chen Ailan light the stove.

Chen Ailan glanced at them and then glared at Yu Tuanjie. “If it weren’t for your sister, would you still have your life?”

Yu Tuanjie felt both guilty and relieved, as if he had narrowly escaped death. He smiled and said, “Little sister, I’ll light the stove; you rest!”

Chen Ailan said grumpily, “We’re having chive-filled dumplings for breakfast. Make sure you heat the pan evenly, or I’ll use the spatula to smash your head!”

Yuli smiled as she watched her mom and older brother bickering.

Yu Tuanjie didn’t argue back. He quietly took some wild fruits out of his pocket. “Little sister, I just picked these guozi fruits; eat some!”

The ripe guozi fruit was sour and sweet, and after peeling one, Yuli tasted it, the fragrance lingering on her lips.

Meanwhile, things were starting to get strange over at the Gao family.

Ma Yufen had been closely watching Gao Xuelian and Gao Daliang these past days, fearing that something was wrong with them.

Luckily, Gao Daliang was usually working and didn’t return home until meal times.

Gao Xuelian had been somewhat obedient while staying at her family’s house.

She had started wondering if she had overthought things and misunderstood Yuli’s intentions.

But she didn’t expect that early this morning, both her man and Gao Xuelian were missing!

People in the village were already gossiping. “Hey, not sure what’s going on, but there’s blood at the foot of the mountain! Does anyone have family who went up the mountain and hasn’t come back?”

Ma Yufen’s mind went blank. She didn’t care about her face anymore. “My husband and my sister-in-law aren’t at home!”

How could they just disappear like this?

Soon, the villagers started helping Ma Yufen search!

They only found a handkerchief used by Gao Xuelian to tie her hair at the foot of the mountain.

Ma Yufen felt as if her heart was being squeezed like dumpling filling. The villagers, worried about something happening, quickly said, “Everyone, let’s go up the mountain and search!”

Since both the Yu and Gao families were in the same village, even though they lived far apart, when something happened, the village chief would call everyone to help search.

The idea was that today they helped me, and tomorrow I might need their help, so the villagers all had this mentality.

And so, a large group of people rushed up the mountain to search for Gao Daliang and Gao Xuelian.

Gao Daliang, who had been hit on the back of the head, still felt a bit dizzy when he regained consciousness.

But when he opened his eyes, he saw Gao Xuelian lying on top of him.

Due to her greedy nature, Gao Xuelian was quite plump.

She was also about ten years younger than Ma Yufen.

Recently, they had both refrained from speaking much out of respect for Ma Yufen.

Suddenly, in such a private setting, their bodies were in close contact. Gao Daliang felt a growing heat in his body.

When Gao Xuelian woke up, she was terrified. “Brother! How did we end up here?”

Gao Daliang swallowed, and the thoughts in his mind almost overpowered his reason.

He tried to analyze the situation. “When I was about to hit Yu Tuanjie, someone struck me from behind. Then I lost consciousness. Did they lock us in here? They must want to kill us! Xuelian, we’ve been set up.”

Gao Xuelian couldn’t help but cry. “What do we do now? It’s so dark in here, how will anyone find us?”

As she fumbled around, she accidentally touched something she shouldn’t have…

Gao Daliang shuddered and pressed her down.

“Xuelian, no one will see us. Let’s… think of something else later!”

He couldn’t wait any longer!

While Ma Yufen and the others were searching the mountain, it was relatively simple because they had left traces along the way.

When they reached the cave entrance, they happened upon a large stone.

The village chief reminded everyone, “Be careful! Don’t wake up whatever’s inside, what if there are wild animals?”

So, everyone moved very carefully, very quietly…

The large stone was gently moved.

The sunlight suddenly pierced through the darkness!