Chapter 27 Ming Shi breaks into the door

When Ming Leyao returned home with her Fourth Aunt and Ming Xiaoxue, it was already close to evening. Grandma Cui was warming food in the pot and sitting in the yard with her husband, playing with their dog. Hearing the door open, she looked back and saw a thin woman followed by an eleven- or twelve-year-old girl behind Ming Leyao.

“Grandma Cui, this is my Fourth Aunt. She just separated from the old family estate and will be staying here for a few days.”

“Fourth Aunt, these two are the parents of one of my uncles, staying here with me for a few days.”

“Uncle Cui, Aunt Cui, sorry to bother you.”

“Oh dear, come, come, let me take your things. Look at you, so small and weak, carrying such heavy bags.” Saying this, Grandma Cui took the bag from Fourth Aunt’s hand, then looked down at Ming Xiaoxue. “Little girl, how old are you?”

“Grandma, I’m fourteen.”

“Ah? Already fourteen?” Seeing the skinny, tiny Ming Xiaoxue, Grandma Cui’s sympathy flooded out again. She pulled them both inside the kitchen, took out the food, and urged them to eat quickly.

Fourth Aunt and Ming Xiaoxue looked at the eggs on the table, somewhat at a loss. Ming Leyao, having put down the bags, naturally noticed their expressions and understood. She quietly sat down nearby, took the unused chopsticks, and put plenty of eggs into each of their bowls.

“Fourth Aunt, Xiaoxue, health is the foundation of revolution. Only if you’re healthy can you create a better living environment for yourselves and also help Fourth Uncle lighten his burden. Here with me, just eat without worries—eat well and don’t think about anything else.”

“Alright, Fourth Aunt will listen to you.” Fourth Aunt was not stubborn; she knew the family situation and understood Ming Leyao’s words were right. Without hesitation, she ate the eggs in her bowl, silently appreciating Ming Leyao’s kindness.

“Wow, Mom, this is cornmeal rice with sweet potatoes inside, it smells so good.”

“This little girl knows her food, haha. Grandma cooked it today, eat more.”

“Thank you, Grandma, I will finish it all.”

“Good, good.” Seeing the cheerful kitchen scene, Grandpa Cui unconsciously smiled, reached out, and petted the dog’s soft belly, sighing, “Really nice, the house is getting livelier.”

After dinner, Ming Leyao boiled a pot of water, filled two thermoses, and quietly dropped some Jinlianchi water into them. She put one thermos in the old couple’s room and carried the other inside. After a long day, she was indeed tired but couldn’t sleep yet.

Ming Shi was vindictive. Today’s forced separation would hurt him deeply. If he was unhappy, someone else would have to be unhappy too—and besides herself, Ming Leyao could think of no one else.

Seeing Fourth Aunt and Ming Xiaoxue already asleep, she blew out the candle, lay down with her clothes on, and closed her eyes to rest.

In the middle of the night, faint noises came from outside. Ming Leyao suddenly opened her eyes, confirmed the people beside her were still asleep, quietly got up, grabbed a stick, and stood guard by the main hall door.

As the sound of rustling clothes grew closer, a shiny kitchen knife appeared under the door latch, slowly beginning to lift it.

Ming Leyao raised an eyebrow and stepped back a few paces.

At that moment, the old couple’s bedroom door opened. Grandpa Cui, half asleep, was about to go to the bathroom, nearly fainting from fright when he saw Ming Leyao.

“I…” Grandpa started to speak, but Ming Leyao quickly cut him off.

“Grandpa Cui, it’s me.”

“……”

“Someone’s trying to break in. You better go back to your room and hide.”

“?????” Someone breaking in? Who? Could it be an enemy of his? Who leaked that he was here? In just a few seconds, Grandpa’s mind seemed to race through a century of thoughts, worried about the elderly, weak women, and children inside.

He pushed Ming Leyao’s hand away and turned to find something to defend himself with.

Before Ming Leyao could push him back inside, the main hall door was pushed open.

A figure slipped inside the darkness. Judging by the silhouette—wow, Ming Shi himself was personally coming? She thought he would have hired someone.

If Ming Shi knew what she thought, he’d be furious. “Hiring someone? That costs money. And that money has to come from somewhere.”

In a flash, Ming Leyao rushed forward and hit Ming Shi hard on the head with a stick.

Ming Shi howled, staggered back two steps, and when he recognized Ming Leyao, viciously raised the knife and charged at her.

“Ha? Little brat, playing with a big knife in front of Guan Gong, you’re looking for death.”

Grandpa Cui’s blood boiled, and he wanted to charge forward, scaring Ming Leyao’s heart nearly into her throat.

“Stop… stop…” Ming Leyao quickly swung the stick, hitting Ming Shi’s shoulder. Ming Shi winced and instinctively pressed the pain. The kitchen knife fell to the ground.

Ming Leyao picked up the knife, handed it to Grandpa Cui, then kicked Ming Shi out, ran outside to find a rope, and tightly tied him up.

“Ow, ow…” Ming Shi rolled on the ground like a ball, crying out in pain.

“Sis… sis… what’s wrong?” Ming Xiaoxue and her mother heard the commotion, quickly put on clothes, and came out just in time to see Grandma Cui from the opposite house. The three walked together to the door, peeking out anxiously.

“It’s nothing, Xiaoxue, go find the team leader, dare you? I’ll let the dog go with you.”

Ming Xiaoxue looked at the dog on the ground, then at the pitch-black night outside, shivering.

“Don’t be afraid, Mom will go with you.”

“No, Mom, I’m not afraid.” She joked—her mother’s weak physique probably wouldn’t make it to the team leader’s door without fainting. What would happen then?

“Grandpa will go with you.” Without waiting for refusal, Grandpa Cui grabbed Ming Xiaoxue and headed out, with Ming Leyao following behind, making sure the dog stayed close.

“That person is…”

“Is… is… Big Brother?”

“Big Brother? Whose big brother?”

Grandma Cui looked confused at Fourth Aunt.

“Aunt Cui, he’s my husband’s big brother.”

“He’s the worst one in the Ming family?”

“……” How could a woman respond to that?

“What is he doing here?”

“I want to know too…” Ming Leyao shrugged. Without a conclusion, some things were better left unsaid.

“How can there be such a terrible relative? What a curse.”

“…….” No response.

Before long, the team leader appeared with several militia members, dramatically arriving in Ming Leyao’s yard.