Chapter 66: Burn It!

That one spit!

Everyone present was utterly shocked!

Unbelievable!

The thick, foul-smelling yellow phlegm landed right on Jing Xi’s fair face.

Xia Lidong reacted the fastest. He immediately took out a handkerchief from his pocket and wiped her face clean!

He even poured some water from his flask to help her wash up.

The others couldn’t stand watching anymore.

Several people angrily scolded Zhou Wenwu.

Xie Aiguo stepped forward with a stern face. “Zhou Wenwu! What the hell are you doing?!”

For a brief moment, Zhou Wenwu seemed to regret his actions. But the moment people started questioning him, he became even more aggressive!

He even felt like he was the one being wronged!

If it weren’t for Jing Xi, none of this would’ve happened!

“She can kick my son’s manhood, but I can’t spit on her? Not only will I spit, I’ll hit her too!”

Xie Aiguo glared at him. “Do you have proof it was Jing Xi? Even the police haven’t said anything yet!”

Zhou Wenwu stood close to Jing Xi. As soon as he finished speaking, he stepped forward and struck her on the head.

He didn’t hold back;

Jing Xi stumbled from the impact.

This time, she couldn’t hold back any longer. She grabbed a piece of scrap wood from the roadside and swung it at Zhou Wenwu’s head.

Zhou Wenwu dodged, so the blow didn’t land on a vital spot, but it still scraped his forehead, making a dull thud.

Everyone heard the sound clearly.

Zhou Wenwu stood there, dazed for a good ten seconds before blood started dripping from his forehead.

He wiped his forehead and cursed, “F*ck!”

Jing Xi felt her head buzzing, her blood boiling.

She couldn’t hear what the people around her were saying anymore—she could only see their mouths moving. Everyone was trying to hold her back.

But she still gripped the wood tightly, wanting to hit Zhou Wenwu again.

However, Xia Lidong quickly snatched the wood from her hands, and a few people surrounded Zhou Wenwu to restrain him.

Jing Xi stood there, dazed, for half an hour before she finally regained clarity.

They say impulsiveness is a devil, and when anger takes over, one can do anything.

Just now, she even had the thought of killing Zhou Wenwu and his entire family.

Xie Aiguo instructed a few people from the Meng and Zhou families to take Zhou Wenwu to the clinic, while Xia Lidong stayed with Jing Xi.

She got up, her gaze still a bit unfocused.

Her eyes were bloodshot.

Xia Lidong held her arm, trying to comfort her. “Jing Xi, don’t be afraid. It’s okay. You didn’t hit a vital spot, just a small scrape that bled a bit.”

Jing Xi took a deep breath. “Uncle Xia, I had the urge to kill him just now.”

Xia Lidong replied, “Jing Xi, take a deep breath! Give me your hand—I’ll massage a few pressure points for you to calm down.”

Jing Xi stretched out her hand, and Xia Lidong gently pressed and massaged a few key spots.

Only then did she feel her breathing steady a little.

Seeing that she was no longer panting heavily, Xia Lidong patted her arm and said, “Jing Xi, I’ll take you home first. Don’t worry about Zhou Wenwu—so many people witnessed what happened. At worst, we’ll just pay him two yuan for medical expenses. It’s nothing major! He hit you first. Even if Zhou Wenwu reports this to the police, I’ll testify that you acted in self-defense.”

Jing Xi remained silent on the way back.

After sending her home, Xia Lidong left for a short while. About ten minutes later, he returned with a middle-aged woman who bore a striking resemblance to him—his younger sister, Xia Lichun.

Xia Lichun entered and saw Jing Xi sitting blankly on the kang bed, dried tear streaks still visible on her face.

She was already a pitiful girl, and now everyone thought they could bully her. Xia Lichun’s heart ached for her.

“That Zhou Wenwu is truly inhuman! Just as despicable as his wife. They’re a perfect match, a pair of scumbags!”

Jing Xi greeted Xia Lichun.

Xia Lichun then pulled something out of her pocket and placed a large black pill in Jing Xi’s hand. “Jing Xi, take this! It’ll help calm your nerves. Get some proper rest and don’t overthink things.”

Jing Xi looked at the pill.

Xia Lidong gave her a reassuring nod, so she swallowed it.

It had a slightly sour taste, with a hint of sweetness and a mild herbal fragrance.

This pill was meant to calm the mind, strengthen the brain, and replenish energy.

Not long after taking it, she felt drowsy and soon fell asleep on the kang.

After ensuring that she was settled, Xia Lichun and Xia Lidong finally left.

Nightfall

Four shadowy figures crept toward Jing Xi’s house.

Leading them was a young man with dyed yellow hair, followed by another yellow-haired man, a red-haired one, and an older bald man who seemed a bit more mature than the rest.

The bald man peered through the window and, under the moonlight, vaguely saw a figure inside.

“Meng-ge, this is the place! That b*tch is inside!”

“You two, keep watch. If anyone comes, warn us immediately!”

“Got it!”

The man named Meng carried a bucket in his hand. He opened the lid and began pouring its contents around the house.

The red-haired man looked at the yellow-haired one for confirmation, then relayed the signal. “Meng-ge, no one’s around. Light it up!”

Meng nodded, a sinister smile appearing on his lips.

He reached into his pocket, pulled out a match, and struck it. A small flame flickered at his fingertips.

He signaled for the red-haired man to step back, then tossed the match onto the ground.

In an instant, flames erupted in the darkness.

Within a minute, the entire perimeter of the house was engulfed in fire.

Meng, watching the fire blaze, threw the remaining gasoline can into the flames.

The fire surged, engulfing everything in its path.

Seeing that their task was complete, the four individuals quickly fled, disappearing into the dense forest behind the mountain.

In her sleep, Jing Xi felt as if she couldn’t breathe. She dreamed that she was trapped in thick smoke, coughing violently.

Her eyes burned. Her throat burned.

It felt like she was dying.

She woke up gasping for air, only to see a raging fire surrounding her house.

Flames consumed everything around her, and the air reeked of gasoline.

Her heart nearly stopped. She immediately scrambled out of bed.

But the relentless fire had already spread to her bedding, her mattress, and even her clothes.

Jing Xi quickly grabbed an unburnt towel, soaked it in the water basin, and covered her mouth and nose. But the fire was too intense—she couldn’t escape!

What should she do?

Was she going to burn to death here today?

Who had set this fire?

Did someone want her dead?

There was no time to think. Her eyes landed on the plum blossom in her hand.

She had a way out!

Without hesitation, she entered her space.

Her eyes were so irritated by the smoke that she could barely keep them open. Inside her space, she coughed uncontrollably, her face and nostrils blackened with soot.

She crawled to the spring, washed her face, and gulped down a large scoop of water. Only then did she feel slightly better.

Sitting by the well, she suddenly remembered her house. She rushed to the corridor of her space and looked outside.

Her entire house was engulfed in flames, consumed by thick black smoke.

It was nearly 3 a.m., and no one had noticed the fire.

The wind was blowing from the northwest, and she lived on the far eastern edge of the village.

Jing Xi’s heart sank.

Someone really wanted her dead.

Was it the Zhang family? Or the Zhou family?

Fine.

Since that’s how they wanted to play, she had no reason to hold back anymore.

They wanted to play?

Then let’s play to the end!

=====

The next morning, villagers heading to the fields discovered that Jing Xi’s house had burned down completely. The raging flames had reduced to smoldering embers, but smoke still rose into the air.

The first person who saw the ruins immediately ran to find the Liu couple.

Zhang Rui and Liu Jianchang rushed over in their pajamas and slippers.

Seeing the house reduced to ashes, Zhang Rui’s legs nearly gave out. “Old Liu! Where’s Xiao Jing? Where is she?!”

Liu Jianchang grabbed a stick. “Go get help! We need to put out the fire—I’ll check inside!”

Zhang Rui turned and ran to gather people.

Within twenty minutes, nearly half the village had gathered around Jing Xi’s house.

The villagers worked together to extinguish the remaining flames, but there were no signs of human remains.

Xia Lidong and Xia Lichun stood beside Zhang Rui.

Xia Lichun sighed deeply. “It’s all my fault. I gave her some calming medicine, hoping she’d sleep well. But who could’ve known…”

Zhang Rui collapsed onto the ground, tears streaming down her face. “It’s over! Not even a body left behind…”