Chapter 8: Xing Cuilan Was Beaten – Where Is Everyone?!

Things quieted down for Ming Dai for the time being after Wang Dahua was taken away.

Meanwhile, at the Ming household, Ming Changjiang felt utterly humiliated upon learning that his wife had been carried to the hospital in broad daylight by an old bachelor. The moment he got home, he took out his anger on his wife and daughter, lashing them both.

Holding a belt in his hand, Ming Changjiang stared at Xing Cuilan, who was curled up on the ground, trembling. He could no longer see her as clean.

“Have you been sneaking off to the compound these past few days to meet your lover? Speak! When did you start fooling around with him?!”

Xing Cuilan saw the murderous look in her husband’s eyes and desperately clung to her daughter for protection. “I didn’t! Changjiang! I really didn’t! I only went there to look for that wretched girl, Ming Dai! It was her! She was the one who made me fall, and she was the one who called that old bachelor over to carry me!”

Ming Changjiang eyed her suspiciously and then turned his gaze to Ming Yanhong.

“Father, it’s true! I followed Mother every time she went. It really was that wretched girl, Ming Dai, playing tricks! She even tripped me!”

Ming Changjiang sat down on a chair and loosened his grip on the belt.

Deep down, he knew that Xing Cuilan would never have the guts to cheat on him. But she was simply unlucky. He had just been humiliated at the factory, and when he came home, she happened to be in the line of fire. He had no one else to take it out on—she just had bad luck.

In the bedroom, Ming Yaozu was lying down, engrossed in a picture book. When he heard the commotion outside finally stop, he put the book aside and got up.

Without even glancing at Xing Cuilan, who was still lying on the floor, he pulled over a stool and sat beside Ming Changjiang.

“Father, give me 20 yuan. I want to take Huifen to the movies.”

Ming Changjiang frowned. “Why do you need so much? Didn’t I just give you 15 last week?”

Ming Yaozu casually took two cigarettes from his father’s pack. After skillfully lighting them both and handing one to his father, he exhaled a smoke ring before speaking.

“Isn’t it only natural to have a meal after watching a movie? You know how Huifen is—she won’t go anywhere except state-owned restaurants. There are plenty of people lining up to treat her. If I act stingy, do you think she’ll still want to go out with me?”

Ming Changjiang frowned. His son had already taken nearly 100 yuan from him in the pursuit of this girl.

“How are things progressing?”

“Don’t worry, who do you think I am? It won’t be long now. It just depends on whether you back me up or not.”

Thinking about Ma Huifen, the daughter of Director Ma from the soy sauce factory, Ming Changjiang felt that if this marriage worked out, his promotion to head of the security department would be practically guaranteed.

“Alright, wait here.”

With that, he got up and headed to the bedroom to get the money. As he passed by his wife and daughter, he viciously kicked Xing Cuilan again.

“Are you dead or what?! You don’t even know to cook dinner! I come home and can’t even get a hot meal—what’s the point of keeping you two around?!”

Xing Cuilan scrambled to her feet, walking awkwardly. Ming Yanhong carefully helped her up, and the two of them shivered as they hurried into the kitchen.

Ming Yaozu didn’t spare them a single glance. He slumped onto the sofa, picturing Ma Huifen’s delicate yet proud expression. He imagined the moment he finally won her over—how she would become soft and obedient, curling up beneath him like a docile cat. The more he thought about it, the more pleased he became.

Ming Changjiang returned and handed the money to his son, instructing, “Don’t spend too much. Seal the deal as soon as possible.”

Ming Yaozu flicked the banknotes with his fingers. “Just watch, Dad. By tomorrow, I’ll bring your daughter-in-law home! Tonight, Haozi asked me to play cards, so I won’t be staying in.”

With that, he stuffed the money into his pocket and walked out the door.

Ming Changjiang didn’t stop him. He believed that boys shouldn’t be kept at home like girls—they needed to go out and make more connections.

Before long, dinner was ready and served.

In an effort to please him, Xing Cuilan even warmed up some rice wine.

Drinking his wine, Ming Changjiang’s mood improved considerably. He picked up a peanut and popped it into his mouth.

“When will Ming Dai’s job be handed over to Yanhong?”

Xing Cuilan’s body stiffened. She had gone to handle that matter today, but unfortunately, things had gone wrong, and she hadn’t accomplished anything.

Seeing the mother and daughter remain silent, Ming Changjiang let out a sneer. “Useless. I’ll go there myself tomorrow morning. I’ll take care of it before putting her on the train. There’s still time.”

Hearing this, Ming Yanhong finally let out a sigh of relief. With her father handling it, securing the job should be no problem.

That night, Ming Changjiang sent Xing Cuilan to sleep with her daughter.

The two of them applied medicine to each other’s wounds and lay in bed, cursing Ming Dai non-stop.

“Just wait until tomorrow. Dad will beat that little wretch to death! If it weren’t for her, Mom, you wouldn’t have been humiliated like this!”

At the mention of this, Xing Cuilan got angry all over again. She harshly pinched Ming Yanhong’s arm. “You useless girl! You just stood there and watched? You didn’t even try to stop it?!”

Ming Yanhong teared up from the pain, but with her father sleeping in the next room, she didn’t dare scream. She could only beg in a hushed voice, “Mom! Mom! I didn’t mean to! I just didn’t react in time!”

Xing Cuilan pinched her several more times, only letting go when Yanhong cried and pleaded.

“Hmph. That little wretch—let’s see how long she can stay arrogant. Once the job is handed over tomorrow, we’ll shove her onto the train straight to the countryside. The fool there has been asking for a new bride for a while now!”

Ming Yanhong quickly added, “Mom, didn’t Wang Dahua say she bought a lot of cotton? Make sure to take it tomorrow.”

“That’s right! It was all bought with your uncle’s money. He had no sons, so after he died, it should rightfully go to Yaozu. There’s no way some illegitimate brat should get to use it.”

Ming Yanhong pursed her lips. Her parents only ever thought about her brother getting married. They never seemed to realize that she was already a grown woman herself and would soon be married too. Yet, she hadn’t even seen a single piece of her dowry!

Then again, when she thought about it, her fiancé was the youngest son of the director of the meat processing plant. Once she married into that family, she would never have to worry about having enough meat to eat for the rest of her life.

Beside her, Xing Cuilan had already fallen asleep, snoring loudly.

Feeling disgusted, Ming Yanhong picked out two small tufts of cotton from the torn corner of the blanket and stuffed them into her ears. As she imagined the beautiful life that awaited her, she gradually drifted off to sleep as well.

The next morning, Ming Changjiang got up early and kicked open his daughter’s bedroom door.

“Still sleeping, huh?!”

The mother and daughter on the bed immediately scrambled up. Within a minute, they were dressed, shod, and standing at the door.

That day, Ming Changjiang had specifically chosen a belt that inflicted the most pain. Leading the two of them, he marched toward Ming Dai’s home.

The sky was still dark, and the road ahead was pitch black.

Ming Yanhong and Xing Cuilan hunched their shoulders, following behind Ming Changjiang. As they listened to the crisp click of his belt buckle, they trembled with fear—yet at the same time, they were thrilled.

Finally, that little wretch was going to taste the sting of the belt!

When they arrived at the compound, the gate had just been unlocked. The three of them slipped inside and headed straight for Ming Dai’s house.

Xing Cuilan reached into the waistband of her pants and pulled out a hidden key. She inserted it into the lock and turned it gently. With a soft click, the door unlocked.

Ming Changjiang was already prepared. His belt had been unbuckled and was now gripped firmly in his hand.

Behind him, Ming Yanhong craned her neck eagerly, her whole body trembling with anticipation.

Xing Cuilan pulled out the key and shoved the door open.

With a loud bang, the door slammed against the wall, the sound echoing sharply through the empty room.

The two women stood frozen, their eyes widening in shock at the sight of the bare, empty space before them.

Ming Yanhong, growing anxious when she saw her father standing motionless, stepped forward—only to be just as stunned by the completely vacant room.

“Where is that little wretch?!”

Xing Cuilan spun around the room frantically, cursing in fury.

Ming Changjiang snapped out of his daze and swung his hand across her face with a loud slap.

“Shut up!”