Chapter 23: Everyone Flees When Disaster Strikes

“But our people have already investigated, and none of these things exist—it’s as if they’ve vanished into thin air.” If it weren’t for the neighbors who could testify that nothing unusual, like moving, had happened at the Xu household during this period, the police might have suspected that the Xu family staged it themselves.

The crowd who had come to be questioned or just to gawk felt their hairs stand on end when they heard the police officer’s words. What else could it be if not some unclean entity? After all, any other method of removing these things would leave traces. Even if Old Xu, his wife, and all the household members were knocked out, there should still have been signs. But there were none!

The villagers grew more frightened as they pondered, increasingly convinced that the Xu family must have done something heinous to attract these things. Zhang Chunhua’s face went pale as she stepped back, and only when she moved out of the Xu courtyard did her color return a little. After all, gossip might be fun, but her life was far more important. It was better to stay away from the Xu family—too eerie.

Initially, the villagers’ speculation that the Xu family had attracted unclean things was just idle gossip. But now that the police said it, it must be true. Noticing Zhang Chunhua’s actions, others cautiously backed away from the Xu courtyard as well. Soon, the entire crowd had dispersed, even those who had lent money to Bai Xiuying, sweating nervously. The amount was small, but what if the unclean things followed the path Bai Xiuying took and came to their homes?

For a while, the whole Taoyuan Village was in a state of panic. They had lived there for so many years, but nothing this sinister had ever happened. Even the village chief’s heart raced when he heard the police, but he could not show fear. If the villagers noticed, it would confirm that the Xu family had invited something unclean. Still, his heart kept pounding—he’d better stay away from the Xu family from now on; this was too unsettling.

Meanwhile, Bai Xiuying and Xu Dingbang were also pale with fright—after all, this was their home. Others could flee, but what about them? Were they supposed to abandon their ancestral home? Not really—they could go to the military and join their son; with him there, they wouldn’t be homeless.

Originally, Xu Dingbang had planned to borrow more money to visit his son at the military base, but now there was no time. It was better to leave first; if they risked their lives, nothing else would matter. Thinking this, Xu Dingbang looked at the village chief earnestly.

“Village Chief, my wife and I had already arranged to visit distant relatives today, but this unexpected event happened. However, the plan was already set, and we mustn’t break our word. We bought the train tickets yesterday, and if we don’t leave now, we’ll miss the train. So I’ll have to trouble you to look after the house.”

With that, Xu Dingbang turned and walked out without waiting for a response from the village chief or anyone else. He didn’t even check on Bai Xiuying, simply striding toward the door and soon disappearing from sight. He had narrowly escaped death once; he wasn’t about to risk it again. As the old saying goes: “Better to live badly than to die well.” Who wants to die when they can live?

Village Chief: …
Police Officer: …
Villagers: …

Seeing Xu Dingbang rush out, Bai Xiuying was stunned, and the villagers and police officers were dumbfounded. Didn’t he care about his own home? Just leave like that? He even abandoned his wife. Truly, in times of disaster, everyone fends for themselves.

Zhang Chunhua looked on disdainfully. Though she disliked Bai Xiuying for being hypocritical, Xu Dingbang wasn’t any better. When trouble arose, he showed no responsibility, leaving his wife behind. She sympathized a little with Bai Xiuying and reminded her, “Bai Xiuying, didn’t Old Xu just say you two planned to leave for your relatives today?”

Hearing Zhang Chunhua, Bai Xiuying snapped back to her senses. She had no time to reply and hurried after him. “Old Xu! Old Xu, wait for me!”

Watching Bai Xiuying almost sprinting to catch up, the crowd sighed.

“Old Xu is such a coward. When he was seriously ill, Bai Xiuying ran around trying to save his life, but now, when trouble comes, he just takes off, not caring at all about Xiuying’s life.”

“Exactly. I always thought Old Xu was honest, simple, and kind-hearted. Turns out he was pretending all along.”

Zhang Chunhua sneered. “Both of the Xu couple are troublemakers. Think about what Wan Ning was like before marrying into the Xu family and what she’s like now.”

Before long, everyone present was wide-eyed.

“My goodness! Now I remember, Wan Ning used to be famous across the nearby villages, a real beauty. Look at her now—skin and bones, pale and thin.”

“That’s true. She’s not ugly now, but compared to a year ago, she’s almost unrecognizable. Only her good constitution has kept her going.”

“Over the past year, Bai Xiuying kept saying how well they treated Wan Ning. If they really treated her well, how did she end up like this?”

At the Tang household, Tang Wan Ning was so happy she felt like planting a couple of kisses on Zhang Chunhua’s face. She had decided to be nicer to Aunt Chunhua from now on!

“Knock, knock, knock.” Outside the door, Su Meijuan knocked while saying, “Ning Ning, I’ve sent that old shrew away. You can come out for lunch now.”

“All right.”

During the meal, Su Meijuan repeated to the family what Zhang Chunhua had told her. Tang Dehou and his son both laughed heartily. If they hadn’t been unsure of Zhang Chunhua’s identity, they would have wanted to thank her in person—she had truly rid the village of a menace.

After breakfast, Tang Wan Ning fixed the door and then went back to her room to practice her internal martial arts techniques, while Su Meijuan went out to watch the excitement unfold—after all, hearing about it wasn’t as satisfying as seeing it firsthand.

After practicing all morning, Tang Wan Ning noticed her eyesight and hearing had become even sharper than before. It seemed that the internal martial arts training needed to be continuous. No wonder in martial arts novels and TV dramas, people often meditate and practice diligently.

At noon, Su Meijuan prepared a sumptuous lunch and also packed food for their train journey. During the meal, her smile never left her face. The things she had seen and heard that morning were not only sensational but also beneficial to their family.

With a cheerful voice, Su Meijuan recounted to the family what she had witnessed that morning: “Old Tang, you won’t believe it—because the Xu family was robbed, the villagers…”

Tang Wan Ning, however, focused entirely on her food, eating with great enjoyment. Perhaps it was her imagination, but ever since she started practicing the internal martial arts techniques, her appetite seemed to have increased.