CHAPTER 2
1431 Words
A loud voice called out from the slope at that precise moment said, "He disappeared just around here, search everywhere!"
The footsteps dispersed right away.
"Nothing here!"
"Nothing here either!"
The man asked, scowling a little, "Have you searched down below?"
"No!"
"Then go down there and check!"
"Okay!"
They're about to fall!
How ought she to proceed?
Anxiety nearly drove Mingyue insane.
"Chirp!" and "Hiss hiss--" were abruptly followed by the sound of a snake hissing and the fluttering of bird wings in the air.
Beneath is a snake!
People can get bitten by a snake!
The approaching footsteps now stopped, and someone said, "Hiss!"
"Chirp...chirp..." the bird's chirping became less frequent.
The snake started hissing with more and more force!
Furthermore, judging by the sound, the snake didn't appear to be small, so if someone got bitten, they might not survive.
"There's no one down below!" exclaimed the person who had initially planned to descend as they quickly withdrew and headed upward.
"Let's check over there!"
"Swish-swish!" The sound of the steady footsteps grew farther and farther off.
But Mingyue was still holding her breath, alert to hear any movement above, in case the others decided to double back.
The man underneath her merely observed with slightly narrowed eyes.
It was none other than this village girl who had just made those noises.
He was genuinely amazed that a simple village girl could have such exceptional mimicry abilities.
Under the supervision of a master, these kinds of skills would take decades to master.
However, the girl before him appeared no older than sixteen or seventeen.
One would not have been able to distinguish between a real snake and bird if they had been present!
She really did seem convincing!
Very remarkable!
Mingyue was too busy to notice the expressions on his face. It wasn't until all the men above had completely left that she moved away from him.
She was sitting on the floor, breathing heavily.
She possessed great intelligence.
Incredibly calm and intelligent at the same time.
What phrase should she use?
Her appearance was not that of a sixteen- or seventeen-year-old village girl.
She looked amazing.
Could a regular village girl have such good looks and flexibility?
"What's your name?" the man asked, squinting his eyes as he got up off the ground.
"Qinghe." Mingyue gave a false name.
Despite his vicious demeanour, she was able to discern that this man was not someone to be trusted. She was not going to tell him her true name.
That being said, Qinghe and Qingyeng are fairly similar.
"What's your surname?" The man kept asking.
"Mu," hit back at Mingyue.
She wasn't lying this time; in fact, her last name is now Shufen.
"How did you learn to mimic voices?" The man's eyes were like a colossal beast, fixed on her, and it was a little bit oppressive.
"This is the countryside; there are many different kinds of animals here," Mingyue remarked.
Growing up, I discovered this."
Mingyue possessed an exceptional memory and was always intelligent.
The man squinted, as though he didn't believe what she had said. Then he produced a bundle of cash from his wallet, which he had taken out of his pocket. "Please accept my gratitude. I'm from Beijing; you can come find me there if you ever get into problems."
"Alright." With an obedient expression,Mingyue's eyes briefly flashed with mockery as she reached out to accept the money.
How could she ever look for this kind of man, whom she so desperately wanted to stay away from?
Of course she wouldn't say no to the money. After all, it was hers by right.
She did, at the very least, save his life.
This man might have been taken out long ago if it weren't for her.
And now more than ever, she needed money.
After handing over the cash, the man left. He hastily departed.
He abruptly turned back to face Mingyue just as he was about to vanish from view.
The young girl appeared as though she had just stepped out of a painting as she stood there under the sun, her skin as white as snow and her features delicate and lovely. She was better than even the wealthy young women in the city.
Following a final look, the man departed.
After the man's silhouette vanished from view, Mingyue let out a sigh. She glanced at a brilliant reflection at this precise moment. Upon closer inspection, she discovered that the object in the grass was a watch.
Mingyuewent home with the green grass after picking up the watch and tucked it into her basket with a casual attitude.
There was a hint of cooking in the courtyard when Mingyue got back to the Shufen Family.
It was Xiumei, of course, who was cooking.
Despite having just given birth, Xiumei didn't have time to relax.
"Let me assist you, Mom. You go see how my younger sister is doing." Mingyue carefully turned the potato pancake in the pan by picking up the spatula.
"Qinghe, I can handle this." Xiumei was shocked to see how much her daughter had matured as she watched Mingyue.
The ancient Mingyue was incredibly shy and would run screaming from the sight of a mouse. But now she dares to challenge the Shufen matriarch as well as Jinbao!
"Mom, do you want to continue living like this?" Mingyue asked Xiumei after turning the potato pancake over.
Startled, Xiumei asked, "What do you mean, Qinghe?"
"Mom, divorce him!" Mingyue sighed.
Separation?
It's unheard of in this day and age!
Besides, this is a remote rural area. Xiumei was a traditional rural woman; how could she even entertain the thought? Divorcees are immoral, flirtatious, bad women, according to Xiumei!
Which decent woman would give up?
With a chilly tone, Xiumei said, "What nonsense are you spouting!"
"Mom, think about it, what kind of life have you been leading in the Shufen Family?" Mingyue said, taking a deep breath. Are you treated like a human being by your parents? They see you as nothing more than a reproductive tool that handles all the grubby, tiresome labour! Mom, stop and consider: is it really worth it to remain in this family? We might all die if this keeps up, not just my three younger sisters who will be cast out."
Mingyue hoped her mother would soon realise her mistake.
However, she didn't.
Xiumei was accustomed to facing hardships, so she was unable to accept these words at all.
Mingyue's mouth was instantly covered by her, and she yelled angrily, "Who allowed you to slander your dad and grandmother! You're still a kid! I promise to rip your mouth apart if you dare say such things ever again."
Even so, Xiumei was aware that Mingyue was attempting to support her and that all of his statements were accurate.
However, Xiumei's traditional upbringing had taught her that youngsters shouldn't make fun of their elders behind their backs.
Such conduct lacked empathy.
Besides, wives were supposed to be submissive to their husbands.
She was powerless to resist.
Mingyue sighed, realising what her mother was thinking and feeling concerned about. Just give it a little while longer and mother will see the reality. She will then voluntarily depart from this place where people are being devoured.
Mingyue was harbouring an idea.
Xiumei asked in a raspy voice, "Is it painful? " after lightly touching Mingyue's flushed face. Is your face still hurting, Yangyang? Yangyang, listen to me: next time, don't confront your grandmother because it won't be as easy as a slap." Your grandmother struck you too hard.
Mingyue Grinned and said, "It's okay, Mom, it doesn't hurt at all." She lifted her eyes a little.
"Really?" Xiumei questioned with scepticism.
"Yes," Mingyue gave a halting nod.
What could a little pain in this life be compared to the suffering she had endured in the past?
At this precise moment, footsteps could be heard coming from the courtyard.
With a distressed expression, theShufen matriarch exclaimed, "Where are you people? No longer alive? Xiumei! Don't you know we have guests, so get out of here."
Xiumei hurried out right away, saying, "Mother, Jinbao. "Who is this?"
There was a middle-aged, attractive woman who was plump and stood between Jinbao and the Shufen leader.
"This is my niece Jing from my mother's side. Jing is currently nine months pregnant," the Shufen matriarch stated. Remind yourself to look after her well. Any delicious food or drink in our home should be given to Jing first because she is expecting! Recognise?"
- Writer
