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Chapter 7.2
Though the wheat harvest was exhausting, the thought of her accumulating points kept her spirits high. After a simple dinner, she fetched water and cleaned herself thoroughly, adhering to her lifelong habit of never skimping on cleanliness, no matter how tired she was.
After setting everything up and lying down, Luo Lan quickly fell into a light sleep, always on alert due to living alone and her desire to earn points by staying vigilant for the system’s rewards. Her rest was abruptly interrupted by the faint sound of someone tampering with her door. Instantly awake, she quickly dressed, her movements calm and efficient, a habit she had cultivated.
She listened carefully at the door, which was sturdier than it appeared.
“Can you do it or not?” one voice whispered.
“The door is barred, I can’t get it open,” another replied.
“Let’s just break it down if we have to,” a third voice suggested.
“Won’t that wake her up?”
“So what? Once we’re inside, we’ll gag her before anyone else hears.”
Realizing the intruders intended to break in by force, Luo Lan quickly transacted with the system for a can of pepper spray, holding it tightly in her hand.
As the men outside began to count down to charge the door, Luo Lan timed it perfectly. She swiftly removed the door bar, causing the men to lose balance and fall forward as they tried to break in.
“Ow!”
“My eyes!”
“It hurts!”
Luo Lan wasted no time. As soon as the men stumbled inside, she sprayed the pepper spray at them, aiming at their faces without worrying about precise targeting. The darkness worked in her favor as the intruders couldn’t see her or react in time. The result was chaos, with one of them potentially falling to the ground and others colliding in confusion.
“Ah, my eyes!”
Two of the men immediately succumbed to the effects of the spray, writhing in pain and confusion. Luo Lan stepped back, watching them collapse into unconsciousness. One had fled in the chaos, leaving his comrades behind.
The system, always excited by drama, couldn’t contain its enthusiasm. “Great job, host! What do you plan to do next?”
“How long will they be unconscious?” Luo Lan asked, assessing the situation.
“Based on the dosage, about ten minutes. The pepper spray contains capsaicin, which can cause eye damage if not washed out promptly.”
“Serves them right,” Luo Lan muttered. Without the spray, she wasn’t sure she could have handled the three intruders, even with the door bar. The escape of one of them played into her next move.
“Help! Someone, help!” she shouted loudly, ensuring her cries were heard by the neighbors. The first to arrive was Liu Laosan, a friend of her elder brother, who had been asked to keep an eye on her.
“What happened?” he asked breathlessly.
“Someone tried to steal,” Luo Lan said, pointing to the men on the ground. “One of them ran off.”
Using a flashlight, Liu Laosan saw the two men lying unconscious. Confused, he asked, “Stealing? From you?”
Luo Lan quickly fabricated a story. “I couldn’t sleep and went to the river. When I came back, I found the door open and caught one of them running away. Then there was a loud noise, and these two seemed to have collided and fallen.”
Soon, more people arrived, including Liu Laosan’s wife and son. They confirmed the men were alive but unconscious, and Liu Laosan’s son went to fetch the village chief.
When the men finally regained consciousness, they were in severe pain but too disoriented to do much. The village chief, already present with a few others, immediately began questioning them.
“Why were you here in the middle of the night? You broke in and scared Luo Lan, who is missing 86 yuan. Where’s the third one, your accomplice? Bring back the money!”
“What money?” the younger of the two brothers, still disoriented, protested. He couldn’t see clearly and began to panic. “Luo Lan sprayed something on us. I can’t see!”
“Nonsense,” the village chief scolded. “How could one woman take down two grown men? What exactly were you doing here if not stealing?”
“We were trying to…” the younger brother started to say, but his older brother quickly cut him off, fearing the truth would come out. Theft was one thing, but their real intent could lead to much more severe consequences, including potentially lethal punishment.
“Shut up,” the older brother hissed, trying to prevent further incrimination. The accusation of theft was bad enough, but if their real motives were exposed, the repercussions would be dire.
At this point, it’s like yellow mud falling into the pit—it’s not exactly dirt, but it’s still dirt. Anyway, no matter what, the three brothers can’t admit that they came here to do that kind of thing.
***
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