Chapter 48: It’s Over, the Madman is Going to Kill Someone!

Zhou Sinian’s speed was as fast as ever, and he was very familiar with Wild Boar Ridge. The two of them did not take the same route back but instead hopped along a mountain path that had not been developed yet.

When they finally reached the village after leaving Wild Boar Ridge, Ming Dai and the sheep both threw up, leaving Zhou Sinian feeling disgusted.

Now, Ming Dai had developed an aversion to the smell of the sheep. They didn’t go back home but instead, while it was still light, headed toward the captain’s house.

Along the way, despite Zhou Sinian’s expression of disdain and Ming Dai’s pale face, the bleating of the sheep caught the attention of the villagers who were returning home from their work.

It was important to note that private sheep farming was strictly prohibited. Not a single sheep was allowed in their entire village.

However, because the madman was with them, no one dared to ask questions. They all followed at a distance.

Soon, they arrived at the captain’s house.

Aunt Huang was in a good mood because her team had completed their task two days ahead of schedule, and she was happily cooking at home.

Captain Liu was feeding grass to the horse while puffing on his pipe, and in the yard, Tiedan and Goudan were running around crazily.

Huang Dalian was helping her mother-in-law tidy up the dried vegetables when she vaguely heard the sound of a sheep bleating. Curiously, she asked, “Mother, did I just hear a sheep bleating?”

Aunt Huang shot her a glare. “A sheep bleating? I heard a donkey braying! You’re just thinking about food again. I bet you want some lamb soup, don’t you?”

Huang Dalian wasn’t upset by the remark. She chuckled and leaned closer, trying to sweet-talk her mother-in-law, “Yes, Mother, I really do want some lamb soup. I remember when I was little, we always had a bowl for New Year!”

Aunt Huang sighed a bit nostalgically. She and Huang Dalian were from the same village, both from families in the Daqing Mountain. Though they were poor, during the New Year, the mountain folk would organize hunting trips, and they could always catch some meat. It was only after she married here that they could eat enough grain, but meat was a rare sight—maybe a few times a year.

The meat they had eaten over the past six months was all thanks to Ming Dai, who had brought vegetable dumplings with her.

“Well, enough nonsense,” Aunt Huang said. “Wait until the New Year, and I’ll get you two pounds of meat to satisfy your cravings.”

Huang Dalian happily agreed, showering her mother-in-law with compliments, which made Aunt Huang’s heart swell with happiness.

In the kitchen, Zhou Pandi was cooking, but upon hearing the cheerful laughter of her mother-in-law and sister-in-law from outside, she felt a pang of grievance. Indeed, having a son made all the difference; her mother-in-law always looked at her sister-in-law with more favor because of them.

Xiao Tao, holding little Xiao Xing, tried to shrink back behind the stove, hoping not to draw attention from her mother.

Fortunately, Zhou Pandi was too absorbed in her own world to notice, allowing Xiao Tao to breathe a sigh of relief.

Goudan, who had been chasing after his older brother, suddenly stopped. His little face pressed against the cold courtyard wall, listening intently to something.

Tiedan noticed his brother wasn’t following and curiously walked over. “Goudan, what are you doing?”

Goudan’s eyes sparkled as he looked up at his brother. “Brother! There’s a sheep! I heard a sheep!”

Tiedan pointed at his younger brother, grinning. “You’ve gone crazy wanting to eat meat, haven’t you? Do you even know what a sheep looks like?”

Goudan was only five years old and probably didn’t really know what a sheep was.

“I do! Grandpa showed me one!” Goudan exclaimed, his face turning red in frustration from being dismissed by his brother. He quickly ran to the door and opened it.

Aunt Huang was startled by her grandson’s actions. “Goudan! It’s going to get dark soon, where are you running off to? Be careful, the wolves might get you!”

Tiedan ran up behind her, calling out, “Grandma! Goudan says there’s a sheep!”

The word “sheep” caught their attention.

Aunt Huang and Huang Dalian exchanged glances and then heard Goudan’s excited voice from outside. “Sheep! There’s a sheep!”

They shared another glance, tossed the vegetables aside, and ran out.

Liu Dazhu, who had been feeding the horse, also heard the commotion. Curious, he followed them outside.

Zhou Pandi frowned as she listened, wanting to go outside but realizing the pot was boiling. She had no choice but to stay and continue cooking.

Xiao Tao and Xiao Xing also wanted to go outside, but seeing Zhou Pandi’s furrowed brow, they dared not speak up.

Inside, the three Liu brothers followed their parents out to see what was going on.

When the Liu family stepped outside, they saw their little grandson circling around the madman and the young intellectual, Ming, shouting excitedly, “Sheep! There really is a sheep! Brother, look! A sheep!”

Tiedan stood at the doorway, biting his finger as he watched his younger brother and Xiao Ming, the educated youth. He really wanted to go over and take a look, but his fear of the madman held him back, leaving him frozen in place.

Goudan, on the other hand, was younger and had been beaten fewer times. Besides, getting scolded three times a day had made him rather resilient. His fear of the madman had already faded, replaced by curiosity about the sheep. With Xiao Ming by his side, he felt emboldened and happily ran circles around them.

Huang Dalian, however, was deeply anxious, her heart in her throat. She called out in a trembling voice, “Goudan, come back!”

Goudan, seeing that Xiao Ming was heading toward their house, followed his mother’s voice and went to her.

“Mother! Did you see? There really is a sheep! I know what a sheep is! Brother said I didn’t know!”

Huang Dalian tightly grasped her younger son’s hand, her heart finally at ease. “You little rascal! Didn’t you see the madman? How dare you go near him? Aren’t you afraid he’ll beat you to death?”

Goudan was scolded and shrunk back, but he wasn’t ready to give up. He still wanted to go over, but Huang Dalian held him tightly, so he could only stretch his neck to look in that direction.

Aunt Huang licked her lips, glancing at the old man. Liu Dazhu, who had forgotten his pipe, stared at the two men, looking completely bewildered.

Secretary Liu Qingmin and accountant Liu Guoqiang also arrived, squeezing in beside the Liu family. They whispered, “Brother, what’s going on here?”

Liu Dazhu honestly shook his head. “I don’t know either.”

Liu Guoqiang whispered, “Stop talking, they’re coming!”

Immediately, everyone fell silent.

Zhou Sinian, with so many people watching him and the foul smell of the sheep in the basket, had long since gotten angry. When he saw Liu Dazhu, he yanked the basket off his back, his large hands gripping the sheep’s neck like pincers. With one hand, he effortlessly lifted the nearly 100-pound ram and threw it to the ground in front of the Liu family. The impact startled them all, and they instinctively took several steps back, their legs shaking with fear.

Ming Dai looked pitifully at the sheep on the ground. Not only was it gasping for air with its tongue hanging out and its eyes rolled back, but after being thrown so roughly, it was too hurt to even cry out. It was a disaster, truly a disaster.

Zhou Sinian, having tossed the sheep, roughly rubbed his hands together and sniffed, still frowning. He glanced at the basket, which now contained a few chocolate pieces, and in his frustration, he flipped the basket upside down and slammed it several times, nearly breaking it.

Liu Dazhu, seeing Zhou Sinian’s aggressive actions, trembled in fear, but as the highest-ranking official present, he knew he couldn’t ignore the situation. He nervously turned to Ming Dai and whispered, “Xiao Ming, what’s going on here?”

Ming Dai, still pale from the long journey and the overwhelming smell of the sheep, hadn’t even made it into the village before she threw up. She was exhausted and frail.

“Uncle, this is a sheep Zhou Sinian caught on the mountain. I thought it would be a waste to let it go, so I brought it here for you to handle.”

She then carefully glanced at the man, who was still glaring at the basket in anger. She gave a bitter smile to Liu Dazhu and continued, “I barely managed to talk him down, but he didn’t want to part with it. He insisted on keeping it for himself, but I knew it belonged to the collective, so I couldn’t let him do that. Now, he’s upset. Please, don’t take it personally.”

Upon hearing this, everyone quickly shook their heads, signaling they didn’t mind, not in the slightest!

Who would dare?

Seeing their fear, Ming Dai felt tired and, having conveyed her point, didn’t care how Liu Dazhu would handle it. She simply took the unhappy Zhou Sinian and started to walk away.

The crowd, which had been watching from a distance, immediately parted to make way for them.

Halfway through, Zhou Sinian suddenly seemed to remember something. He abruptly turned around, threw the basket aside, drew a military dagger from behind, and dashed back toward the Liu family.

The sight of him charging with the military dagger sent a wave of panic through Liu Dazhu and the others, causing them to tremble in fear.

It was over— the madman was going to kill someone!