Chapter 4 A Grievous Spirit

“That poisonous woman!” Bai Changpu’s rage was so intense that he blurted out a curse.

“Lie down!” Xiang Wentian quickly laid Leng You down on the kang bed. Although the room was chilly, he didn’t cover her with a blanket.

Even though his understanding of Leng You was still limited, even though these two people who had experienced fantastical events together had “only just” learned each other’s names, Xiang Wentian still read the heartbreaking depression and sorrow from the flow of Leng You’s eyes.

He, a naturally cold and aloof person, felt an unprecedented, strong protective instinct towards this soft, child who called him brother.

“You, You’er, don’t open your eyes, don’t move, do you hear me?” Xiang Huaixin repeatedly warned, and even seeing Leng You nod didn’t ease his worry.

This child was too young and had always been frightened by her stepmother.

“What are you yelling about? Xiao Youyou is barely alive because of you, and you dare to shout here!” Bai Changpu had already rushed to the door, his eyes wide, pointing at the woman standing there with her hands on her hips, a fierce expression on her face.

Politeness wasn’t for this ignorant shrew.

“Bullshit! Which eye of yours saw me harm that dead girl? Old man, mind your own business, get her out here!” Ma Dahua stood with her broad back straight, her demeanor imposing.

Villagers had already gathered to watch the commotion.

This was one of their rare sources of entertainment and excitement.

“She’s inside. If your dog eyes aren’t blind, go in and see for yourself.

Villagers, go in and see for yourselves, witness how vicious this woman is.”

The term “old man” almost choked Bai Changpu with anger. He was only in his early fifties, and he didn’t think he looked that old.

One should treat people accordingly. When it came to sharp tongues, Bai Changpu considered himself unmatched.

“I’m not going into a place full of such evil spirits and ghosts.” Ma Dahua showed complete disdain and contempt.

“Go to hell! The policies have changed, we…”

“Lao Bai, we don’t need to teach this murderer a lesson, call the police!” Xiang Huaixin, a veteran of many battles, had a natural killing aura about his tight face.

“Who’s a murderer? Who’s a murderer? You… you’re talking about… about who? I… I’ll go take a look!”

What Ma Dahua feared most wasn’t the word “police,” but the aura emanating from Xiang Huaixin, which made her legs tremble.

“Let’s… let’s go in and take a look.”

“No need to look, I guess the child is done for. Falling from the mountain and still being alive?”

“I saw it with my own eyes, all her blood was gone, it was terrifying!”

“I saw it too, covered in blood, not moving at all, almost dead.”

…

The nosy villagers murmured as they followed Ma Dahua into the house, those who had seen it exaggerating their descriptions.

Although it was only past noon, the room was already dark. Xiang Huaixin had lit a kerosene lamp beforehand.

In the dim, gloomy light, everyone saw a bloody lump lying motionless on the kang, without a sound, terrifyingly still.

“Ah!”

Some timid villagers screamed, some even fled, fearing that they would be caught by a ghost if they were slow.

“What are you doing!” Seeing Ma Dahua tremblingly reaching out, Xiang Wentian grabbed the broom on the kang and hit her.

“Ah!

You… you hit me for what? I… I…”

Ma Dahua let out a pig-like scream, clutching her arm as if it were broken, her pained and twisted face showing bewilderment.

Her scream was mixed with the clear sound of chattering teeth.

The little courage she had mustered to check Leng You’s breath was shattered by the broom.

“Are you even human? You drove such a young child up the mountain in the snow, weren’t you trying to kill her!

With such a vicious heart, aren’t you afraid of divine retribution?”

Bai Changpu wished he could kill this woman right then and there.

“Who said that? Who said I drove her out? That dead girl ran off on her own to play, what does it have to do with me?” Ma Dahua’s voice was slightly weaker, but her attitude remained unchanged, still acting like a stubborn teapot.

“You know what you did in your heart, Heaven is watching.

Now the child is basically beyond saving, take her back! Let whoever should be punished be punished, so that I don’t have another vengeful spirit in my house.”

Xiang Huaixin’s tone was freezing.

“Ah… you… you… it wasn’t me, I didn’t… I…

What, you saved her, and Bai is a doctor, if you want to save her, you have to do it to the end, if you can’t save her, just throw her back on the mountain.

Let me tell you, if she dies, don’t bring her to my house.”

Ma Dahua was the most superstitious person. Hearing the words “divine retribution,” she immediately screamed, then hopped around, slapping her thighs and roaring wildly. Suddenly, she turned her bulky body and fled.

Xiang Huaixin, Bai Changpu, Xiang Wentian: …

They looked at each other in astonishment.

What kind of person was this?

The villagers watching the commotion remained calm, making Xiang Wentian and the others look like they had never seen anything like this before.

“Fellow villagers, you all saw what my son found You’er looking like, and what she looks like now. We will do our best to save this child, but whether we can save her, or when we can save her, we cannot guarantee.

If, unfortunately, something happens to the child, we will definitely report it to the police, and we will ask for your help as witnesses then. We must not let the murderer get away with it.”

Xiang Huaixin spoke solemnly.

“I haven’t finished clearing the snow from my house yet, I have to go back.”

“Mine isn’t finished either!”

“I have to hurry back and clear it, it’ll be a big problem if the door is blocked.”

…

All the villagers watching turned and left.

“Hey! How can you be so indifferent? If it were your child, would you be so unconcerned?”

Although he had lived in Daheishan Village for several years and had some understanding of the villagers, their indifference still made Bai Changpu unbelievable.

Upon hearing Bai Changpu’s words, some people paused for a moment, but eventually followed the others out.

Xiang Huaixin’s face was extremely grim.

Xiang Wentian looked at Leng You, who was lying quietly on the kang without moving, and his face was already frosty, his fists clenched.

No one noticed that in the dim, oppressive light, Leng You’s slightly twitching lips were full of sarcasm.

In her past life, Xiang Wentian had searched everywhere and sent the unconscious Leng You back home. But when Ma Dahua saw her covered in blood, she immediately wanted Xiang Wentian to throw her back onto the mountain, saying that she didn’t want to bring such a tragically dead ghost into her house.

Xiang Wentian couldn’t bear it anymore and was about to deal with Ma Dahua, but he was stopped by Xiang Huaixin and Bai Changpu, who had arrived, and they took Leng You back to their place.

Thanks to Bai Changpu’s superb medical skills, Leng You lived for another twenty years.

Although during those years, Leng You was once tormented by the pain of living as if the life she was given was a joke, she was always infinitely grateful to Xiang Huaixin and Bai Changpu.

Now, a similar scene was replaying. Xiang Wentian was still the young and brave Xiang Wentian, Xiang Huaixin was still the righteous Xiang Huaixin, and Bai Changpu was still the sharp-tongued but kind Bai Changpu…

But the villagers of Daheishan Village were still as cold as ever, and Leng You didn’t expect anything different.

“I’ll testify!” A hoarse voice accompanied by stumbling footsteps sounded.

Leng You instantly burst into tears.