Chapter 3: To call them animals would be an insult to beasts!

Bai Ruyu muttered something under her breath as she lunged at Old Man Bai, striking him once more in the back with the knife.

"Ah! You little beast! How dare you lay a killing hand on your own grandfather!"

Old Man Bai’s eyes streamed with tears from the pain as he crawled forward, dragging himself through the dirt.

This scene made Village Chief Bai jump back in shock. Breaking into a cold sweat, he shouted frantically, "Stop her! Someone, stop her! If she actually kills him, we’ll have to answer to the magistrate!"

Hearing this, Bai Erlang and his wife, Madam Jiang, realized they couldn't let things escalate further and rushed forward to hold Bai Ruyu back. They weren't afraid of her killing the old man, but they were terrified she would end up in prison or accidentally harm the village chief.

Madam Jiang patted her back, soothing her in a soft voice, "Yu-jie, Yu-jie, it’s all right now. No one can separate us. Don't be afraid, don't be afraid."

Bai Xiuming took the wood-chopping knife from her hand and tossed it aside, whispering, "It’s okay, Yu-jie. Daddy is here. Don't be afraid!"

Following their lead, Bai Ruyu gradually calmed down, burying her face in Madam Jiang’s arms and sobbing quietly. Truth be told, she had used every ounce of her acting skills for that performance, and she was starting to feel a bit tired.

Madam Jiang’s brows were tightly knit as she continued to comfort her daughter, "Don't be afraid, Yu-jie. Village Chief Grandpa is here, and your mother and father are here too. No one will dare sell you. Don't be afraid..."

Her words reached the ears of Village Chief Bai, who twitched in annoyance. He shot a look of disdain at the old man on the ground and the others huddled together by the doorway. He had always known this family was capable of anything but acting like decent human beings.

"What is going on here? Are you actually trying to sell the simple-minded girl?"

In these hard times, selling one's children wasn't exactly rare, but it required the consent of the biological parents!

Suddenly, three small figures darted out from the doorway.

Ten-year-old Ergou knelt on the ground, his face a mess of tears and snot. "Please, Village Chief Grandpa, you have to stand up for us! Grandma—Grandma wants to sell my big sister as a ghost bride to someone else! Boo-hoo... she even used a rock to hit big sister on the back of her head..."

Seven-year-old Sanwa threw himself at the village chief’s feet and sobbed, "Boo-hoo... Village Chief Grandpa, you must help us! Mom and Dad wanted to take big sister to see a doctor, but Grandma wouldn't let them, and she even made Uncle and the others hit Mom and Dad..."

Four-year-old Xiaoya wiped her eyes with both hands, crying incessantly, "Waaah... so much blood, big sister... big sister..."

[Willow-dark flower-bright: These little actors are really something!]
[Monkey who loves chicken giblets: Not bad, not bad. The whole family has a way with words.]

Bai Ruyu leaned her head out from Madam Jiang’s arms and looked at the three small figures crying on the ground. A sudden, inexplicable sense of heartbreak and warmth welled up inside her—it must have been the lingering emotions of the original owner of the body. In her memories, although these three were her younger siblings, they had always done what a brother and sister should. Whenever they had anything good, they would give it to her first, and if anyone bullied her, they would charge forward to stand up for her.

"What? Sell her as a ghost bride?!"

Village Chief Bai was horrified. His mustache bristled as he glared at them. "Old Man Bai, what is wrong with your family? To do such a conscience-less, soul-damning thing!"

He had thought they were just heartless, but calling them worse than beasts would be an insult to beasts. He felt ashamed even when someone in the village sold a daughter to a rich family in town as a concubine. He hadn't expected this family to be so much bolder.

"No, no! Don't listen to the children's nonsense. That’s not true, that’s not true at all!"

Sensing the village chief’s genuine anger, Old Man Bai, who had been helped up, darted his eyes around. Ignoring his own injuries, he hurried to defend himself. He shot a glance at the three children kneeling on the ground, his eyes filled with disgust. It was just a simple-minded girl who only knew how to eat; why were they protecting her so much?

"That’s right, that’s right! The children are just spouting nonsense! How could we ever do such a wicked thing?" Madam Zhang, who was supporting Old Man Bai, said with a grimace, forcing a smile onto her face.

Seeing this, Madam Jiang let go of her daughter, stepped forward, and knelt on the ground, knocking her head against the dirt three times. "Village Chief Uncle, please make the decision for our family! My mother-in-law really wants to sell Yu-jie to be a ghost bride for the late young son of Master Feng in town. She said it herself!"

A flash of struggle crossed Bai Xiuming’s eyes, but eventually, he clenched his fists, knelt beside his wife, and kowtowed as well. "Please, Village Chief Uncle, help us! When we returned, we caught my mother in the middle of the deal with the Feng family. Yu-jie was lying on the ground, and there was a lot of blood."

After saying this, Bai Xiuming looked up and beckoned to Bai Ruyu. "Yu-jie, come here. Let Village Chief Grandpa look at the back of your head."

Bai Ruyu: ...Good heavens, she hadn't expected this part. She had just been focused on using the recovery water and strength pill to save her parents and beat these people up.

"Ergou, Sanwa, take your big sister over here."

Seeing that his daughter hadn't made a sound or moved, Bai Xiuming felt a pang of heartache, thinking she must have been terrified out of her wits.

Ergou and Sanwa obediently scrambled up, ran over, and took Bai Ruyu by the hands, leading her to the village chief. They turned her around in a circle.

Village Chief Bai saw that the back of Bai Ruyu’s clothes was soaked, her neck was covered in sticky red, and the hair on the back of her head was matted and wet against her scalp. He was stunned; this amount of blood couldn't be faked.

"Old Man Bai, you... you really are... oh, my!" The village chief pointed at the old man and the others, too angry to speak. Then, as if suddenly remembering something, he said, "Erlang, Madam Jiang, stop kneeling. Take the simple girl to see a doctor quickly. Such a severe injury..."

He helped the couple up and shot a fierce glare at Old Man Bai and his family. He promised, "We will take the girl to see a doctor first. Later, we can discuss your family’s business. Human life is what matters now."

Bai Erlang and Madam Jiang were also shocked when they saw the back of their daughter; they hadn't realized it was this serious. When their daughter had woken up and kicked people and wielded a knife, they had assumed it was only a minor injury.

"Thank you, Village Chief, thank you. Niang, go inside and get the money. We’re going to town to see a doctor right now." Bai Erlang walked over to Bai Ruyu, scooped her up, and shouted to Madam Jiang.

"Husband, the money is kept in Mother’s room. We... we don't have any..." Madam Jiang bit her lip, her eyes red, filled with hatred as she looked at the people nearby, who were busily avoiding her gaze. For the past few years, no matter how much money they earned, the mother-in-law would take it all, claiming it was for the common family fund, leaving them with nothing. She wouldn't let them keep a single cent, saying they didn't know how to manage money and it was safest with her, and that if they ever needed anything, they could just ask her for it.

"Mother... please, give us some of the money you’ve been saving for us over the years. Yu-jie can’t wait," Bai Xiuming said, standing in front of Madam Zhang with his daughter in his arms, holding onto a last shred of hope while looking at her with dimming eyes.

"Money? What money? I don't have any money, but I have my life! That little beast just hurt us, and she’s got plenty of strength—what doctor does she need? She’s a simpleton anyway; as long as she’s not dead, that’s enough!"

Who would have thought that as soon as he finished speaking, Madam Zhang would suddenly stop acting like her butt hurt. She let go of the hand supporting the eldest son, her eyes glinting with malice as she jumped up and began to berate them.

[I’m a stepmother in the 80s: My eyes have been opened. Do women like this really exist in reality?]
[Chuanwa loves spicy: Stand up for yourself! My friend, they don’t even treat you like their own.]