Driving at night was a bit chilly, so Lin Xi took a blanket and draped it over herself as she drove toward Yushu Village.
On the country road, she pushed the car up to eighty kilometers per hour. Driving at night was much more challenging than during the day. Lin Xi drove fast but with extra caution.
What should have taken twenty minutes, she managed in just fifteen.
As she headed toward Hu San’s house, Lin Xi casually pulled a piece of firewood from a nearby pile by the roadside and carried it with her.
It was already eleven o’clock at night. There wasn’t much nightlife in the countryside, mostly just elderly residents left behind, and usually, people would finish watching an episode or two of a TV drama before going to bed.
At this moment, it was the time between being awake and asleep. Hu San had returned home after ten and was beating Yao Yuran, who had just fallen asleep.
This time, the beating was especially brutal, and Yao Yuran’s screams echoed throughout the entire village. Grandma Zhang, who lived next door, was almost the first to rush over.
When she arrived, she found Yao Yuran lying in a pool of blood, with three children clutching their heads and crying bitterly.
Hu San, having finished his beating, collapsed on the living room sofa and fell asleep.
Grandma Zhang originally wanted to call Da Zhuang’s family, the only ones in the village with a car, but after dialing, she suddenly remembered he had gone to visit his wife’s relatives.
Yao Yuran’s eldest daughter ran to her room and brought out a note. Grandma Zhang immediately called Lin Xi.
When Lin Xi arrived, Grandma Zhang was sitting on a stool, holding Hu Mingyue in her arms.
Yao Yuran’s eldest daughter and second son were also awake, sitting beside her, their faces streaked with tears.
Lin Xi first checked Yao Yuran’s injuries. Yao Yuran was awake. The bleeding on her head had stopped, but she sat dazed on the stool, holding her eldest daughter, Hu Mingfang, in her arms.
Seeing Lin Xi, for some reason, the tears that hadn’t fallen all night suddenly poured out.
At that moment, feelings of grievance, inferiority, fear, and terror surged through her.
Lin Xi looked at the wounds on her forehead, where glass shards were still embedded, then at her split lip, swollen face, and eyes.
Her heart ached deeply. This was a woman’s pain for another woman suffering such injustice — a visceral, empathetic kind of heartache.
Lin Xi wiped her tears, but no matter how much she wiped, they wouldn’t stop. The scene gradually fell silent, broken only by Hu San’s snoring.
Lin Xi picked up the piece of wood she had brought and handed it to Yao Yuran. She said, “The website Xi Ran and I built will start making money soon.”
Yao Yuran glanced at her, then at her children.
She was twenty-six years old. Her eldest daughter, Hu Mingfang, was already over eight. Because she was a girl, Hu San disliked her. When drunk and reckless, Hu San would even beat her.
There were many times Yao Yuran had failed to protect her.
Her second child, Hu Mingpeng, was six. He was Hu San’s favorite. Hu San often held him in his arms, calling him his treasure. At such a young age, Hu Mingpeng had already begun to bully his older sister and younger siblings.
The moonlight was faintest, yet she always carried it with her. She hadn’t suffered any great injustice, but every time Hu San saw her, he would frown and curse her as a losing bet.
Yao Yuran was clear-headed, yet numb. Still, she was human—sometimes she didn’t want to accept her fate. But she couldn’t escape. If she left, Xiao Fang and Xiao Yue wouldn’t know how to live.
Without her protection, Yao Yuran feared that Xiao Yue wouldn’t even grow up properly, just like Xiao Fang had back then. She had only gone out to work for three months, but when she returned, Xiao Fang was so thin she looked like a ghost.
So hungry, she even picked up and gnawed on bones that others had discarded.
Yao Yuran wanted to take them away, but she knew all too well that Xiao Yue was still too young. If she took her away, her own family wouldn’t care. And with Xiao Yue in tow, she couldn’t work; she couldn’t support two daughters.
She had thought about sending Xiao Yue to kindergarten, but after inquiring, she learned the tuition was far too expensive—something she simply couldn’t afford.
Every time she reached this point, Yao Yuran told herself to wait a little longer, just a little longer. Wait until her daughters were a bit older, able to take care of themselves, more sensible—then she would take them away.
Yao Yuran took the stick from Lin Xi’s hand.
She stood up, fighting dizziness as she walked toward Hu San. Only then did Lin Xi notice the way Yao Yuran walked—one foot was being dragged.
Raising the stick in her right hand, she struck toward Hu San’s knee. The woman, usually silent and gentle, now wore a face full of fierce anger.
Grandma Zhang, sitting close to the sofa, saw this and her expression shifted. She looked deeply at Yao Yuran, then sighed.
As a neighbor of Hu San’s family, she had witnessed everything since the day Yao Yuran married in.
A few years ago, when Hu San was still a worthless man, Yao Yuran’s old wounds hadn’t healed, and new ones were about to be added. These past two years had been better, but only slightly, very limited.
To put it simply, it had gone from being beaten every day to every few days.
Now that Yao Yuran was resisting, Grandma Zhang pretended not to see. Even a cornered rabbit will bite—let alone a living, breathing adult.
Grandma Zhang handed Hu Mingyue, who was in her arms, over to Hu Mingfang, then stood and went back inside.
In this village, every household had its own hard story. Which couple lived without struggles?
Couples fighting, being beaten—it was nothing unusual here. Grandma Zhang had lived long enough to see it all. If she didn’t care so much about Yao Yuran, she wouldn’t even have come to check in.
This was a family shame. If Hu San knew she had come, he would beat his wife again.
She couldn’t get involved any further. Hu San was a troublemaker, and she feared she’d end up having to cause a scene at their home.
Lin Xi followed her out and said, “Grandma Zhang, thank you for letting me know and coming over.”
Looking at how quickly Lin Xi had come, Grandma Zhang thought she was truly a good girl—after all these years, still thinking of old friends and reaching out.
She waved her hand. "No need to thank me. Just don't tell anyone it was me who called you."
"Okay," Lin Xi nodded. Grandma Zhang hurried back toward her home. Before she reached the gate, she heard Hu San’s agonized screams. Grandma Zhang latched the courtyard door and sighed deeply.
She wasn’t even sure if calling Lin Xi tonight was the right thing to do.
After seeing Grandma Zhang off, Lin Xi closed the door, raised her phone, and turned on the camera to start taking pictures.
Hu San woke up from a painful nightmare. His eyes fluttered open, his mind still fogged by alcohol, when Yao Yuran struck him again with a stick—aiming precisely at his joints and bones.
After all these years of beatings, Yao Yuran knew exactly where to hit to cause unbearable pain.
Before Hu San could even react, another blow landed, filled with pure cruelty and hatred.
She struck his knee once more, the sharp pain in his bones twisting Hu San’s face in agony. "Yao Yuran, have you lost your mind? Hitting me while I’m asleep—do you think I won’t fight back?"
Hu San’s words grew harsher as the pain intensified, his curses becoming more vile.
Hu Mingfang held her sister Hu Mingyue tightly, but her expression lacked the fear Hu San showed when Yao Yuran was being beaten.
Her brother Hu Mingpeng, seeing his beloved father being beaten, immediately protested, “Don’t hit Dad! Don’t hit Dad! You’re a bad mom, a bad mom! I hate you the most!”
His words weren’t enough—he ran over and clung to Yao Yuran’s leg, the very one she was too hurt to move. He cried and threw a tantrum, his eyes full of hatred for Yao Yuran.
He looked like Hu San, and those words were all taught by Hu San. Yao Yuran had heard them many times before, but this was the first time Hu Mingpeng had said them to her face.
The physical pain was nothing compared to the anguish in Yao Yuran’s heart, but it also sharpened her clarity.
Just now, when Hu San came back and smashed a beer bottle over her, her own son showed no sympathy. He didn’t hold Hu San’s hand to stop him like he was doing now.
He hadn’t cried either. The tears came only after he saw her bleeding and feared she might die—then he started crying along with Mingfang.
It wasn’t that she didn’t feel pain—after all, Hu Mingpeng was her own son, born after ten months of pregnancy.
But more than anything, she felt resigned. She’d known all along, hadn’t she? Any man, no matter who, would behave like this. No matter how much she loved him or cared for him, in the end, they would never side with her.
Her father was the same—he never sided with her grandmother. Her brother, too, had long ago taken it for granted that his sister would sacrifice for him.
Her son, whom she had painstakingly raised, she still couldn’t teach him right. Because she was too strict, he hated her for it and favored Hu San, who spoiled him endlessly.
The more Yao Yuran thought, the deeper her hatred grew. Ignoring the pain in her legs, she swung the stick faster and harder, her anger fueling every strike.
Hu San was forty-one this year. Years of drinking had soaked into his body like brine. After a night's sleep, his whole body felt soft and limp.
Every swing from Yao Yuran was filled with hatred—fierce, desperate, and reckless. The sofa was small, barely enough space, and Hu San had nowhere to retreat as she struck him again and again.
As she kept hitting him, tears streamed down Yao Yuran’s face. She was terrified of Hu San. How could she not be? On the very first night after their marriage, Hu San was brutally rough with her.
Before dawn the next morning, she hadn’t even fully shaken off her fear when Hu San beat her again.
Since then, whether her eyes were open or closed, whenever Hu San had time, he would hit her.
The seed of fear Yao Yuran had toward Hu San was planted back then. For more than ten years, whenever Hu San beat her, she only knew how to hide and never dared to fight back.
But today, when she resisted, she realized Hu San was nothing special—he wasn’t invincible after all.
Tears kept falling, but then Yao Yuran started to smile. Seeing that smile, a look of fear appeared on Hu San’s face.
“Yao Yuran, are you crazy?” Hu San’s words were a question, but his tone was filled with certainty.
Yes, Yao Yuran was crazy. If she weren’t, how could she dare to hit him? She was risking her life.
“Yao Yuran, I’m telling you, stop right now, or I’ll kill you.” Hu San had never taken Yao Yuran seriously. Killing her was nothing to him.
A few years back, a man in the mountains had beaten his wife to death. At the trial, he was only convicted of manslaughter. After serving a few years in prison, he was released early.
Now he was living like nothing had happened. So Hu San thought killing a wife wasn’t a big deal.
The only reason he hadn’t done it before was because Yao Yuran was a woman he had paid a high price for. She could bear children, work the fields, manage the household, and take care of him.
But now that Yao Yuran was fighting back, it was an unbearable humiliation and blow to his pride.
The murderous intent in Hu San’s eyes grew darker.
The weakness and soreness in his body faded considerably. He glared gloomily at Yao Yuran, stood up, bracing himself against her stick, and reached out to strangle her.
Just as his hand touched Yao Yuran’s neck, Lin Xi grabbed a stool and hurled it at Hu San.
Hu San cried out in pain and stumbled to the side. Only now did he realize there was someone else in the house—Lin Xi.
He wanted to ask who Lin Xi was, but Yao Yuran didn’t give him the chance.
Yao Yuran knew Hu San had murderous intent toward her, and she knew he was absolutely capable of doing such a thing.
Hu San had often used that kind of talk to scare Yao Yuran before, and many times he had praised the man who killed his wife but escaped the death penalty.
Yao Yuran looked at Hu San, who was now slumped back onto the sofa, and raised the stick high, bringing it down hard on Hu San’s groin.
That was a man’s most vulnerable spot—usually, even the slightest touch would cause unbearable pain. Yao Yuran swung the stick with all her strength, and Hu San was completely powerless.
He bent over, clutching that spot, kneeling on the ground in agony. The pain stole his words; all he could see were stars flickering before his eyes, and cold sweat dripped down his forehead in beads.
A warm wetness spread over his pants. Hu San raised his hand, and the bright red stain made his face turn pale.
At this moment, he couldn’t care less about Yao Yuran. He fumbled in his pocket for the smartphone he had bought in town a couple of days ago. Dialing 120, he was desperate to save his “family jewels.”
As a man, he could bear injury anywhere—except there.
Yao Yuran saw Hu San’s move and let out a cold smile. She went back into the room and pulled out a plastic bag from under the bed.
Inside the bag were all the IDs for her and her two daughters, the hard-earned 600-plus yuan she had saved, and the 10,000 yuan Lin Xi had given her today.
She hadn’t even packed a single piece of clothing—only grabbing her eldest daughter Hu Mingfang’s schoolbag.
After stepping outside, she held Hu Mingfang’s hand, while Lin Xi carried Hu Mingyue. The three of them walked out together.
Hu Mingpeng chased after them, calling out “Mom!” Yao Yuran hesitated for a moment but never once looked back.
She had known since childhood what kind of men lived in this area. Because she knew, she had always been subconsciously wary and even disgusted toward her own son.
So giving up on this son brought Yao Yuran an unprecedented sense of relief.
Hu San, writhing in pain and unable to chase after them, shouted loudly, “Yao Yuran, no matter if you run to the ends of the earth, I will never let you go. I’ll kill you—just you wait.”
Yao Yuran didn’t even turn her head. Hu Mingfang gripped her mother’s hand tightly, then glanced back at her father’s contorted face and at her little brother.
They didn’t pause for even a moment.
Lin Xi’s car was parked at the intersection. Lin Xi gently placed Hu Mingyue in the back seat, and Yao Yuran and Hu Mingfang got in one after the other.
Yao Yuran slid into the driver’s seat, started the engine, and drove off immediately.
The whole way, neither of them spoke.
Lin Xi didn’t stop in Daling Mountain Town. Yao Yuran was utterly exhausted now. Sitting in the car, feeling completely safe, the pain in her wound throbbed relentlessly.
Dizziness came in waves. Because Hu Mingyue was so young, she soon fell asleep in the gently rocking car. Hu Mingfang held her close, too afraid to say a word.
They say children don’t remember anything before the age of three, but Hu Mingfang felt her memories before three were crystal clear.
And all those vivid memories were of her mother being beaten. All of them showed her mother protecting her.
Walking away with her mother, Hu Mingfang didn’t know what the future held.
But she knew one thing—no matter what happened, her mother would always protect her and love her.
With her mother by her side, Hu Mingfang felt fearless.
Lin Xi drove like the wind, cutting a two-hour trip to Pingyuan City down to just one hour. By then, Yao Yuran was already showing signs of unconsciousness. The emergency room doctors immediately admitted her and arranged for surgery.
The glass shards embedded in her head needed to be removed without delay.
Lin Xi waited outside the operating room with the two children.
The hallway outside the operating room was deserted in the dead of night. Suddenly, Hu Mingfang stood up and knelt before Lin Xi, who was holding Hu Mingyue, asleep in her arms.
“Thank you, Auntie, for saving my mom,” Hu Mingfang said softly, her voice fragile and gentle.
Lin Xi quickly helped her up. “You don’t have to do this, really.”
But Hu Mingfang insisted on bowing her head to Lin Xi. Though only eight years old, she was remarkably mature. She understood that if Lin Xi hadn’t come tonight, Hu San would have woken up in the middle of the night and kept beating her mother.
Every time Hu San got drunk, it was always like this.
“I want to,” Hu Mingfang said, sitting beside Lin Xi.
Lin Xi had left before she came home from school today, but when she returned, she found a chicken wing her mother had specially saved for her. It smelled especially delicious.
While her mother was working in the fields, she stayed with little Mingyue to do homework. Mingyue said an aunt came by today and bought them lots of tasty treats.
After finishing her homework, her mother divided the snacks into three portions for them. Hu Mingfang hid her share away, planning to savor it slowly.
Hu Mingfang had never had so many snacks before. Just thinking that all those goodies were hers — many of which she hadn’t even tasted yet — filled her chest with a warm sense of happiness.
She felt a strong fondness for Lin Xi, an aunt she had never met but who, according to her sister, was especially beautiful.
They hadn’t brought those snacks this time, but Hu Mingfang didn’t feel upset at all. Compared to her mother, those treats were nothing.
She trusted Lin Xi deeply. Worried about Yao Yuran in the operating room, Hu Mingfang grew more and more talkative, unable to hold back her words. Most of what she said was about how cruel Hu San had been to her mother.
Lin Xi listened quietly. When Hu Mingfang finished speaking through her tears, Lin Xi gently stroked her somewhat dull hair. “It’s alright now, it’s alright. It’s late — try to get some rest. When your mom wakes up, I’ll call you.”
Hu Mingfang had cried so much and was so exhausted that she leaned on Lin Xi and fell asleep.
There was a faint, indescribable floral scent on Lin Xi’s body that made Hu Mingfang sleep especially soundly.
Only after Hu Mingfang had fallen asleep did Lin Xi take out her phone. There were many messages on WeChat, all from Yao Xiran.
Before leaving the village, Lin Xi had sent her a pre-recorded video. Since then, she had been driving nonstop and hadn’t had a chance to reply to Yao Xiran’s messages.
It wasn’t until they arrived at the hospital that she finally had a moment to update her on Yao Yuran’s condition. She had been running around non-stop, handling Yao Yuran’s paperwork and taking care of two children, her nerves stretched tight at every moment. She was terrified that if she let her guard down even once, one of the kids might go missing.
To be honest, Lin Xi had never been this busy before. Now, at last, she had some time to catch her breath.
Yao Xiran had been anxiously waiting for news from Lin Xi, not even daring to close her eyes. Truthfully, when she saw the video Lin Xi sent her, Yao Xiran felt a surge of happiness.
Her sister was strong-willed, but painfully resigned. After all those years married to Hu San, no matter how brutally he beat her, she never once fought back.
The moment Yao Xiran saw her sister hit Hu San, she felt a genuine sense of relief. When she learned that Lin Xi had taken her sister to the hospital, and that Yao Yuran had brought only her two daughters—not her son—Yao Xiran quickly understood what Yao Yuran had in mind.
She told Lin Xi: [Stellar Wanderer Yao Xiran: In our place, the men pass down their cruelty from generation to generation, along with the oppression and abuse of women, inherited like a cursed legacy.]
[My grandfather was like this, my father was like this, and my mother kept giving birth, sending off several daughters before finally having a son—and he turned out just the same.]
[My sister is especially good to her children. If she gives up on Hu Mingpeng, it can only mean that Hu Mingpeng, unsurprisingly, has grown up to be just like his father.]
Lin Xi fell silent. Her hometown was much wealthier compared to Yao Xiran’s village. In Yao Xiran’s village, there were indeed families with deep-rooted preferences for sons over daughters.
Domestic violence existed too, but most people were decent. People like those who kept passing down the cycle of abuse and oppression from generation to generation—Lin Xi hadn’t encountered many of them.
But she knew clearly that what Yao Xiran said was true. At its core, what was the root cause?
Lin Xi thought for a moment and said: [Earth girl Lin Xi: It’s the lack of knowledge, and their utter disregard for the law.]
Since the founding of New Huaxia, education had been a top priority—literacy classes, compulsory education, and many other initiatives benefiting the country and its people. But Huaxia was vast, and there were always a few places where outdated mindsets persisted. Some still believed women didn’t need to be educated.
Even the men themselves didn’t see reading and learning as important.
Legal education was promoted year after year. Grassroots legal workers went to villages annually to educate people about the law. It had some effect, but those unwilling to learn, those who had no respect for the law, remained illiterate in both literacy and legality.
They didn’t recognize the law—they only recognized the so-called traditions passed down through generations.
But ultimately, it all boiled down to poverty. Relying on the mountains and water for sustenance simply didn’t apply to every village nestled deep in the mountains.
Of course, there were many reasons, including legal shortcomings—take domestic violence, for example.
In the past, domestic violence wasn’t even codified into law.
If a man and woman weren’t married, and the man beat the woman—even if it was just minor injuries—once reported, it was considered intentional injury, and there was no escaping punishment.
But when it comes to couples, it’s a different story. If the woman is beaten by the man and reports it to the police, the officers usually focus on mediation, and sometimes they won’t even file a case.
If the victim is beaten to death or left disabled, the law often allows the perpetrator to defend themselves by claiming it was accidental.
However, in the same situation, if the man is beaten to death or disabled by the woman, the sentencing standards are stricter—the woman is usually punished more harshly.
If you ask why, it’s because men are thought to act out of sudden passion, making it involuntary manslaughter. Women, on the other hand, are physically weaker, so to kill a man, it’s assumed they must have planned it carefully.
This was something Lin Xi had read in a news report before, and it made her feel so sick she almost threw up.
Every time she thought about this, Lin Xi deeply felt how important gender equality truly is. At the same time, she was painfully aware of how hard women have had to fight to get where they are today.
In the quiet of the late night, Lin Xi and Yao Xiran launched into a fierce discussion about this issue.
Their private chat wasn’t enough—they took the conversation to their group chat. Everyone still awake joined in, and the messages flew by rapidly.
It wasn’t until five in the morning, just as dawn was breaking, that Yao Yuran was finally wheeled out and taken into the hospital room.
Lin Xi had arranged for her to have a private room. Yao Yuran’s head was wrapped in thick bandages, stained with blood seeping through. Her right leg was broken and encased in a heavy cast. The anesthesia hadn’t worn off yet, and Yao Yuran was still unconscious.
Hu Mingyue was woken by the noise. She crawled over to Yao Yuran’s side and rested against her hand, her big eyes wide open, neither crying nor fussing.
Hu Mingfang sat in a chair beside the bed, watching her mother with a deeply sorrowful expression.
Lin Xi took a photo of the scene and sent it to Yao Xiran.
By then, it was already daytime where Yao Xiran was. She was leaning against the doorframe of the repair shop, letting out a long sigh, silent for a long while.
Lin Xi rested for a bit on the small bed next to Yao Yuran’s. When she woke up, the sky was bright, and Yao Yuran had already regained consciousness.
Hu Mingyue was sleeping soundly beside Lin Xi, and Hu Mingfang, exhausted, had fallen asleep on the other side of Yao Yuran’s bed.
Yao Yuran smiled faintly when she saw Lin Xi awake.
Lin Xi went to the bathroom to wash her hands and came back to ask if Yao Yuran was hungry. Yao Yuran shook her head, but Lin Xi still ordered several takeout meals on her phone.
The kids would definitely be hungry when they woke up. Thinking of this, Yao Yuran didn’t stop her.
Lin Xi sat down beside Yao Yuran. “Yuran, what do you plan to do now?”
Yao Yuran had long since made up her mind. Or rather, she had thought about leaving Hu San for many years, countless times.
She told Lin Xi, “I don’t have a marriage certificate with Hu San.”
Lin Xi looked up sharply at her. Yao Yuran explained, “I married Hu San when I was only fifteen, not yet of legal age to marry, so we never registered our marriage.”
"When it came time to get the marriage certificate, Hu San was reluctant to spend the nineteen yuan required for the paperwork and photos. In his words, nineteen yuan could buy him two bottles of liquor."
"Besides, in our area, the older generation doesn’t place much importance on the marriage certificate. To them, as long as we hold a wedding banquet, that means we’re married."
"Hu San is fifteen years older than me." For Yao Yuran, a fifteen-year age gap definitely meant he belonged to the older generation.
But since Hu San had no parents or siblings, he really didn’t care about such things.
Yao Yuran understood the importance of the marriage certificate, but she wasn’t a fool. Why should she remind Hu San? Did she dislike how comfortable her life was?
Lin Xi was stunned: "Then how did your children get their household registrations?"
Nowadays, the household registration system is very strict. Lin Xi remembered a colleague, Xiao Li, who worked in Beijing’s construction market. When she accidentally got pregnant, she immediately took leave to go home and get married.
According to Xiao Li, without a marriage certificate, it’s difficult to register a child’s household. Sometimes, they even require a paternity test.
"You just pay a bribe, three hundred yuan," Yao Yuran said. In small towns, the registration system isn’t so strict. Usually, a little money is enough to get it done.
Yao Yuran looked at Hu Mingyue and said, "Xiaoyue still doesn’t have her household registration. After she was born, Hu San wanted to give her away, but I refused."
"Besides, the fee for registration now is much higher than six years ago. I haven’t saved enough yet." Xiao Fang and Hu Mingpeng each cost three hundred yuan, but for Xiaoyue, it’s two thousand.
Yao Yuran had saved only six hundred yuan over all these years—still far from two thousand. Her original plan was to save up until Xiaoyue started school.
"What about her vaccinations?" Lin Xi asked.
"As long as she has a birth certificate, she can get vaccinated on time," Yao Yuran replied.
After a pause, she added, "I can’t go back home. After I beat Hu San like that, once he recovers, he’ll definitely try to kill me."
"The money you gave me is enough to rent a place to live. From now on, I’ll work harder. Supporting two kids won’t be a problem."
Yao Yuran woke up early while Lin Xi was still asleep. Lying on the hospital bed, she kept thinking about what to do next.
Since she had left home, she wouldn’t go back. No matter how hard the road ahead, she was mentally prepared.
Lin Xi was troubled too. She had helped raise this girl, and she couldn’t just abandon her. Besides, she owed Yao Xiran the payment for the robot mission.
She said, "Come to my place first. Rest and get better before we figure out the next step."
Lin Xi hesitated for a moment, then said, "Since we left Yushu Village, there have been surveillance cameras everywhere. I’m afraid it won’t be long before the police come looking for you."
Yao Yuran smiled: "Don’t worry. Hu San won’t call the police. A few years ago, he and some friends opened a gambling den in the mountains. Lots of people go there, and they even sell drugs inside."
“The drug den was raided by the police, and Hu San’s friends were all shot dead on the spot. He himself had been working as security there because he didn’t have money to invest. At the time of the raid, he was suffering from diarrhea and didn’t go in. Now, he’s still terrified of being caught by the police.”
As someone from Yunnan Province, Lin Xi knew well the annual lectures about cherishing life and staying away from drugs. Even the elderly were clear about the sentencing standards for drug traffickers.
Since Hu San was this scared, he must have been involved in drug trafficking, and not just in a small amount.
Only at this moment did Lin Xi truly feel relieved. At the same time, she began to see Yao Yuran in a new light.
Yao Yuran knew all this, understood all the risks—she must have been planning to leave Hu San for a long time.
The only reason she hadn’t left yet was because of her children. Hu Mingyue was still so young—under three years old, a child couldn’t be separated from their mother’s side.
The food delivery arrived, and the two of them didn’t continue that topic. Yao Yuran agreed to stay at Lin Xi’s place. Given her current situation, there was really no other option but to trouble Lin Xi.
She had two daughters after all. Favors could be repaid later, but if her health didn’t recover and she was left with lasting damage, what would happen to her two children in the future?
Yao Yuran needed to be hospitalized for observation for two days. Around noon, Lin Xi brought Hu Mingfang and Hu Mingyue back to her home.
Before heading home, Lin Xi called Chi Xiangping, who immediately promised to take care of the two children.
When Lin Xi arrived, Chi Xiangping had already made beds for the kids and prepared meals. Knowing how young Hu Mingyue was, she even went to Da Mingbao’s family store to buy snacks and little toys.
With big sister Lexi around, Hu Mingyue didn’t fuss. After eating, she held the toy Chi Xiangping had given her, clutching it tightly and calling her “Grandma” over and over.
The little girl’s soft, tender voice made Chi Xiangping’s heart bloom with joy. She affectionately called her “Little Mizi.” She was especially tender toward Hu Mingfang, the sensible child.
Looking at the little girl, Chi Xiangping felt as if she were seeing Lin Xi as a child.
Seeing Chi Xiangping playing so well with the two girls, Lin Xi took out the trash.
Nowadays, it was all a new countryside—there were green trash bins placed every so often throughout the village. Every household had developed the good habit of throwing garbage into the bins.
When Lin Xi returned from throwing out the trash, she happened to see Gu Dahong, Da Mingbao’s father, accompanied by a group of people carrying cameras, shooting the village scenery.
Lin Xi called out, “Uncle Gu!” Gu Dahong’s face immediately softened into a kindly expression when he saw her.
More and more young people were leaving the village, and university students like Lin Xi were becoming rare. As the village chief of Lianhua Village, Gu Dahong had been busy pondering over many matters these past few days.
At that moment, seeing Lin Xi, he took the initiative to walk over. "Xiao Xi, I was just about to come find you. You know our village has planted a lot of lotus flowers, right? In summer, many young people come to our village to enjoy the scenery. You’re aware of that, aren’t you?"
Lin Xi certainly knew about it. Not to mention anyone else, she herself was born and raised in Lotus Village. Every spring, summer, and autumn, she couldn’t help but pick up her camera and snap pictures of her hometown’s beautiful landscapes.
The fresh lotus leaves and flowers were even used in cooking.
Hearing Gu Dahong say this, Lin Xi’s heart couldn’t help but stir. "So, is our village going to be developed?"
Lotus Village only had a dozen or so households. The people at home were mostly elderly and children; the young folks had all gone out to work elsewhere. If the village really could be developed into a scenic spot, the villagers would become well-off.
Those children wouldn’t have to be left-behind kids anymore.
"You’re smart, Xiao Xi. Look, our Lotus Village is surrounded by ponds—several of them are quite large. You could even row a small boat in them."
"From Lin Family Pond, you can row out to the river, and if you go three to five kilometers downstream, you’ll reach Wangjiaping. You know the scenery at Wangjiaping—when summer comes, the grass carpets the ground and wildflowers bloom everywhere. It’s just like the grasslands you see on TV."
"Now the county wants to link our village with Wangjiaping and Pingwei Town—these villages with beautiful scenery—forming a route and creating a tourism line."
Gu Dahong’s expression was especially excited. No one didn’t want their hometown to thrive. If this route really took off, how many families would benefit?
Gu Dahong had been a truck driver in his youth. He had only recently become village chief. Although it was a small position with little real power and a lot of trouble, it was still an official role, right?
Gu Dahong also had ambitions to climb higher! His goal wasn’t too high—he wanted to become the village party secretary! That was the position with real power!
Hearing that her hometown was going to be turned into a tourist village, Lin Xi was also very happy. She pondered Gu Dahong’s reason for seeking her out: "Uncle Gu, what did you want to talk to me about?"
Gu Dahong explained, "Xiao Xi, look, my family runs a store in the village. Once the tourism project gets going next year, there will definitely be a need for places to rest. I heard from your grandma that you’ve made quite a bit of money. Why don’t you consider building a guesthouse?"
Gu Dahong had been to tourist villages himself. Those places had well-established infrastructure—food, drink, entertainment, everything was covered!
As village chief, Gu Dahong wanted capable people in the village to come up with their own specialties. Once tourism took off, it would all be his achievement!
And Gu Dahong had thought carefully about encouraging Lin Xi to open a guesthouse. Only she was capable of making it happen.
Opening a guesthouse meant building a house. A good guesthouse would require at least a hundred thousand yuan or more. Lin Xi was a university graduate and had the ability. She could go to the bank for a loan, and it would be approved in no time!
Gu Dahong wasn’t worried about Lin Xi’s ability to repay the debt. When Lin Xi’s grandfather passed away, he had left behind a mountain of debts, yet in just a few years, Lin Xi managed to clear them all.
Gu Dahong had great confidence in her capabilities. Among all the children in the village, aside from his own daughter Da Mingbao, Gu Dahong liked Lin Xi the most.
Of course, Gu Dahong had once considered asking his future son-in-law to come to the village and build a hotel, but the moment the idea crossed his mind, he immediately dismissed it.
Not to mention that his future son-in-law’s family was wealthy and didn’t need the money, just the very idea of proposing such a thing would have caused the village women to scratch his face without anyone else saying a word.
As soon as Gu Dahong finished speaking, Lin Xi responded decisively, “Uncle Gu, I’ll run the inn!”
Everyone knew that opening a hotel in a scenic area—especially one that had just been developed—was a guaranteed way to make money.
Lin Xi felt that ever since joining this chat group, her luck had been unbelievably good.
It was as if whatever she wished for would come true.
And now, once the guesthouse was built, Yao Yuran and her mother and daughter would finally have a place to call home.
