“Don’t cry, Brother’s here. Good Guan Guan, don’t cry.”

Wei Cheng felt pity, wiping Guan Guan’s dirty face. He noticed something, pausing, then wiping again. He saw a purple bruise on the child’s cheek, and more on his shoulder!

“Look at Wei’s face and his bandaged head! He must be cursed by this child!”

“The Wangs are still in pain, the herbalist went to get a doctor from town…”

“What does a child have to do with the Wangs’ misfortune? I was beaten by Wei Sannian, the Wangs got sick because they ate bad food and had bad hearts!”

Wei Cheng coldly looked at Zheng Shi and Wang Zhuangzi groaning on the kang, pushing Guan Guan towards the village head. “Uncle Li, look, the bruises on his face and body, were they pinched?”

The village head looked down, his face darkening. “Zhuangzi, where did the child get these injuries?”

“Maybe he bumped somewhere, children are playful…”

Wang Zhuangzi, sweating, clutched his stomach.

“You’re lying! They were pinched! My mother pinched my butt like that!”

Ma Doumiao shouted, pushing his way through.

Wei Cheng touched Guan Guan’s face, softly saying, “Guan Guan, you can talk, tell me how you got hurt!”

“She… pinched me, bad person.”

Guan Guan sobbed, his words unclear, but he pointed at Zheng Shi.

Zheng Shi said, “It wasn’t me! He bumped into things!”

As she spoke, Zheng Shi’s stomach ached intensely!

Wang Zhuangzi was in even worse pain, tears streaming down his face. He gasped, his face turning blue, as if dying.

“I… I’ll say… it… it was Zheng Shi!” He felt less pain after speaking the truth.

Now Zheng Shi was in agony, sweating profusely, crying, “It was me! Don’t torture me!”

“Zheng Shi pinched him because he bit her after she tried to take his pot! She locked him in the room, afraid he’d run away, letting him freeze all night! Then she opened the lock in pain!”

Wang Zhuangzi cried out in pain. “You… you didn’t feed him, just a tiny bit of food!”

“You told me to!”

Zheng Shi gasped, her hair disheveled, her face pale, like a ghost. “You said to chop off his limbs and sell him to the city as a beggar! You brought him back for that! You told me not to feed him much, we were going to sell him anyway!”

The villagers and village head were stunned. The “honest” Wangs were cruel and ruthless!

Wei Cheng’s anger flared. He clenched his fists, rolling up his sleeves to hit them, but Guan Guan stopped him.

“Brother, they smell bad, don’t touch them, dirty.”

The village head roared, “Wang Zhuangzi, you’re vicious! You swore to treat him well, but you starved and abused him, and planned to sell him! You’re the scum of Maoxi Village! You deserve this!”

Zheng Shi seemed to wake up. What had she said?

She looked at Wang Zhuangzi, who lay on the kang, pale, his clothes wet, having fainted from pain!

The herbalist and the village head’s worker brought a doctor from town.

The doctor, an old man with sharp eyes, examined Wang Zhuangzi, then Zheng Shi, writing something down and giving it to the herbalist. He grumbled, “Just abdominal pain and diarrhea, and you call me all the way here!”

The onlookers relaxed. They were doubtful of the herbalist, but trusted the town doctor.

It wasn’t the plague.

The Wang family’s reputation was ruined.

Kind women suggested reporting them, but there was no proof of the child being sold.

Then, cries of “Help!” were heard.

The villagers saw Liu Shi supporting Fang Pozi.

Liu Shi’s eyes were swollen. “Herbalist, please, Sannian’s waist is paralyzed!”

“Doctor, save Sannian,” Fang Pozi cried, stuffing money into the doctor’s hands. “We have money, more than the Wangs…”

The herbalist disliked the Wei family. “Since the Wangs are fine, go with them. I’ll stay here.”

The doctor went to the Wei family.

Two families fell ill within a day. Villagers whispered.

“It’s strange! The child might be cursed…”

“It’s not that mysterious. The Wangs ate bad food, Wei Sannian hurt his waist. What does the child have to do with it?”

“Everything! The Wangs didn’t sell him, gave him some food, but not much. The child’s eyes are dark, and the Wei and Wang families are in turmoil. Wei Sannian is paralyzed, the Wangs are paying for medicine, the child is cursed!”

Rumors spread.

Almost the whole village surrounded Wang’s house.

The village head looked at Guan Guan, following Wei Cheng. “Little one, your name is Guan Guan?”

Guan Guan nodded.

The village head pondered. “I’m sorry about the Wangs. I thought they were kind, but they almost harmed you. Do you want to come home with me?”

“Village Head, you’re the backbone of our village, you can’t get involved!” It was Liu, a gossipy woman who liked to flatter the village head. “Your daughter-in-law only got pregnant after four years, what if she’s cursed? You’re kind, but don’t harm your family…”

The village head’s wife’s face darkened.

Liu continued, flattering the village head’s wife, “Persuade the village head. It’s better to believe than not believe. I heard this in town.”

“Shut up!”

Ma Doumiao’s mother arrived, understanding the situation. “The doctor said the Wangs ate bad food, they admitted to not feeding the child. What does the child have to do with it? Don’t flatter the village head!”

“Doumiao’s mother!”

Liu said, “Didn’t you see the doctor go to the Wei family? Anyone associated with the child suffers. If you’re not afraid, take him home! I’ll watch!”

“Shut your mouth!”

Doumiao’s mother threw her shoe. “Who’s you calling a tiger! Your son is shorter than Doumiao! Use that energy to earn money and buy meat for your son and your brain!”

Liu screamed and attacked Doumiao’s mother.

The villagers intervened. The village head shouted, “Stop!”

“What kind of behavior is this!”

The village head looked at Guan Guan and Wei Cheng. “Guan Guan, come with me. I have food and children to play with. They won’t bully you.”

The village head’s wife’s face darkened, sighing, and left.

Li Maode looked at his wife, then at Wei Cheng. “Cheng, if you’re worried, stay at my house for a few days. Then return to the Wei family.”

Wei Cheng was silent, looking at Guan Guan.

Guan Guan held Wei Cheng’s hand. “No, Guan Guan doesn’t want to go to Uncle’s house.”

Li Maode lowered his voice, sighing. “Guan Guan, you must go to my house. Your brother is just a child, the Wei family treats him badly. Come with me.” He reached for Guan Guan.