Chapter 94: Hatred
"Brother Ming," Su Tao cooed, holding a wine cup to the lips of the man beside her. "Come on, have a drink. Don’t be angry anymore."
Brother Ming impatiently took the cup from Su Tao’s hand and set it on a nearby table. He grunted but said nothing.
Su Tao peeked at Brother Ming cautiously and said, "You should just explain things to Brother Sheng. It’s not like you told them to do it last time. Those guys acted on their own initiative. How can Brother Sheng blame you for it? Besides, I think if someone bullies you, fighting back is the right thing to do. So please, don’t be angry."
As she spoke, Su Tao nuzzled against Brother Ming’s arm again.
"What the hell do you know!" Brother Ming glared at Su Tao, then yanked her off him. He shooed her away as if swatting a fly. "Get lost. I want to be alone."
"Brother Ming..." Su Tao started to say more, but the vicious look he shot her made her snap her mouth shut. She quickly lowered her head, backed out of the tent, and returned to her own.
Once back in her own tent, Su Tao’s expression darkened. She glanced around her small, crude tent, her hands clenching into tight fists as the hatred in her heart surged forth.
She hated the person who had made her a laughingstock in Yuan Shan Village. She hated the Sun family for their abuse and beatings. She hated the Old Su Family for abandoning her. But most of all, she hated Su Qing. She believed that Su Qing was the root of all her tragedies. If Su Qing had just obediently married into the Sun family back then, how could she have ended up in this miserable situation? She should have found a cadre from the county town, married him, and lived a good life. But Su Qing had ruined all of it.
Of all these people, it was Su Qing she hated most. Su Qing had ruined her, and she would make her pay.
Su Tao looked down at her arm, where several scars had yet to fully heal. That time, terrified of being caught by the police, she had steeled herself and fled into Baihua Mountain. Her plan was to hide there for a while until the heat died down, then find a chance to leave. But in her panic, she lost her way. She had even fallen down a slope and passed out. When she next awoke, she found herself here.
If she hadn’t decisively latched onto Brother Ming then, who knows what her fate would have been.
Wanted by the police and homeless, Su Tao had no choice but to stay here and rely on Brother Ming. She’d thought he was the big boss, but then this Brother Sheng had returned and chewed him out. Even though Brother Ming was furious, he hadn’t dared to talk back.
’Who are these people? What is their purpose here in the mountains?’
In all the time she’d been here, she hadn’t managed to find out where these people came from. At first, she assumed they were bandits from Baihua Mountain, but now that didn’t seem right. Watching them coolly, it appeared they were searching for something. As for what, she had once tried to probe indirectly, but Brother Ming had given her a harsh beating for it. He’d warned her not to be so curious. After that, she never dared to ask again.
Su Tao’s eyes narrowed. ’Could it be... these people have some kind of powerful backing?’
’If that’s the case, maybe I can start planning. I can’t deal with Su Qing by myself, but I can use someone else to do it for me!’
At this thought, Su Tao’s heart pounded with excitement. She pressed a hand to her chest, silently telling herself, ’Wait. Just wait a little longer. Once I can get a man to do my bidding, I’ll convince them to help me get my revenge!’
’When that time comes, I’ll make sure Su Qing suffers a fate far more miserable than my own.’
A dark light glinted in Su Tao’s eyes as she looked toward Lihua Village. At that very moment, Lihua Village was preparing to butcher a pig and share the meat.
The previous night, for some unknown reason, a massive wild boar had suddenly bolted from the mountains and charged straight toward Lihua Village. Zhao Youcai had quickly organized the village’s able-bodied young men, and they soon captured the animal.
Since it was a group effort from the villagers, Zhao Youcai and Wang Xuehong decided to butcher the pig right away and make a "Pig-Butchering Stew" for the entire village to share. The rest of the pork would be divided up per person, serving as a reward for everyone after the autumn harvest.
When they heard they’d be having Pig-Butchering Stew, the entire village buzzed with excitement. This meant real, solid meat and fat!
"Sister Su Qing! Sister Su Qing!" As noon approached, someone started banging on Su Qing’s courtyard gate.
Su Qing hurried to open the gate. It was Aunt Cuihua’s daughter, Zhao Caimei. Zhao Caimei was fourteen, two years younger than Su Qing. She had a round face, and when she smiled, her eyes curved into crescents, which was particularly endearing.
Seeing that Su Qing had opened the gate, Zhao Caimei smiled brightly. "Sister Su Qing, my mom sent me to find you! We need to hurry and get in line before it gets too crowded."
"Is Aunt Cuihua busy at the threshing ground?" Su Qing asked with a smile. The village had organized the aunties and matriarchs to cook the Pig-Butchering Stew at the central threshing ground. Anyone who helped would receive an extra half-jin of pork, so many of the women were vying to participate. Aunt Cuihua was naturally among them.
"Yep," Zhao Caimei said quickly. "My mom says an extra half-jin of pork is an extra half-jin. It’ll last a long time! Sister Su Qing, hurry and grab a bowl so we can go."
"What about your dad and brother?" Su Qing asked.
"They’ve got their own friends. We don’t have to worry about them today," Zhao Caimei said with a giggle.
Su Qing smiled. "Alright, wait a second. I’ll go get our bowls and chopsticks."
Su Qing grabbed the bowls and chopsticks, locked her courtyard gate, and followed Zhao Caimei to the threshing ground.
The Lihua Village threshing ground was a scene of bustling excitement. Nearly all the aunties and matriarchs had arrived first thing in the morning. Once Mr. Jin had butchered the pig and the meat for the stew was portioned out, a flurry of activity began—some chopped the pork while others prepped the vegetables. By the time Su Qing and Zhao Caimei arrived, the Pig-Butchering Stew was already simmering in a row of over a dozen large woks. The firewood beneath them crackled fiercely, and a fragrant aroma drifted endlessly from the pots, blanketing the entire threshing ground.
Many of the hungry children were already gathered around the woks, their mouths watering. They clapped their hands and shouted, asking when it would be ready to eat. The happy laughter filling the air could be heard for miles. Watching the scene, Su Qing couldn’t help but smile. It was actually her first time eating a communal stew like this. Forgetting for a moment whether the food would be good or not, just this lively, festive atmosphere was something she had never experienced before.
"Sister Su Qing, my mom’s over there!" Zhao Caimei had sharp eyes and immediately spotted Aunt Cuihua standing with Aunt Tao by a large wok. The two of them were chatting and laughing. Several people had already lined up in front of their wok. The moment Zhao Caimei saw this, she grabbed Su Qing’s hand and they ran to join the line.