Volume One, Chapter Six: Don’t Push Me

At that moment, Liu Qiaohui was clutching a wild sheep in her hands, her entire body covered in blood, yet there was no visible wound on her. Despite this, a smile lingered on her face, her lips curling upward relentlessly.

Ha! Heaven truly was kind to her—she had indeed found a female wild sheep. Her daughter would no longer go hungry.

The wild sheep grazed obediently nearby, and for once, Liu Qiaohui found herself in the mood to appreciate the mountain scenery. The landscape was blanketed in pure white; she had never realized how beautiful a snowy scene could be. With joy swelling in her heart, she lingered atop the mountain for half an hour before descending alone, stepping cautiously.

Blood still dripped from the cuffs of her trousers, yet Liu Qiaohui seemed oblivious, moving steadily forward, leaving a long trail of blood in the snow. Two children were still at home—she shouldn’t have stayed on the mountaintop so long; she had to hurry back.

Unexpectedly, as she neared the village entrance, her nephew—who usually disliked her—called out to her, addressing her as "Aunt" for the first time ever, and even broke into a smile.

“Soybean! What are you doing here?”

“I’m waiting for you, Aunt!” The boy, about eight years old, looked honest and simple. His nose dripped with mucus, his hair was flattened and messy beneath his hat, and his sunburned face was marked with patches and rags. Compared to other children, he seemed more genuine, though his eyes were unpleasantly reminiscent of his mother’s.

“Waiting for me? Waiting for what?”

“My grandma told me to wait for you here! She said you shouldn’t go home yet because something serious is happening!”

The boy was blunt and honest, immediately betraying his grandmother.

“What serious matter?”

Liu Qiaohui knew all too well—where her mother-in-law was involved, nothing good ever happened.

“I don’t know exactly, but Grandma said if I could keep you here for half an hour, she’d give me candy!”

When something is out of the ordinary, trouble is sure to follow.

She had to return immediately.

Ignoring Soybean, Liu Qiaohui dragged the wild sheep and hurried back. Though just a small child, Soybean seemed to summon all his strength, refusing to let her take a single step toward the village. The power of candy was indeed formidable.

“Soybean, don’t stop Aunt!”

“My grandma said if I block you, I’ll get candy!”

“Aunt has candy too. Let me go, and I’ll give you two pieces, okay?”

The mention of candy made Soybean’s eyes sparkle instantly.

“Really?”

“Really, really. You can come to my house later and get it!”

Liu Qiaohui quickened her pace toward home. The entire village was eerily silent; no one was to be seen inside or outside. The more deserted it seemed, the more anxious her heart grew. Could something really have happened at home?

Sure enough, as she descended the slope, she saw her courtyard crowded with people, all craning their necks, peering inside, oblivious to her arrival.

The argument inside continued unabated. The village chief kept banging his tobacco pipe on a surface, his face stern and commanding without uttering a word.

“No, I ask again, Li Gaier, what are you doing here? I repeat, hand over the child, or your family’s county grain supply will be cut off for a week!”

“No!” Li Gaier likely feared little else, but cutting off grain was no joke—it could be deadly.

“If you want to keep your grain, then obediently hand over the child!” The pipe banged twice more.

Li Gaier felt her heart pounding in her chest. She glanced at Ye Ling nestled in the basket, her eyes filled with helplessness. Little Ye Ling now had no choice but to leave her fate to the heavens.

Her mother, Liu Qiaohui—when would she return?

Ye Ling pinned all her hopes on Liu Qiaohui.

But even if Liu Qiaohui did come back, Ye Ling knew all too well that her mother was timid to the extreme. Could she truly protect her?

Heavens! This was no rebirth—it was a death sentence.

“What are you waiting for? Hurry and release the child!”

Jia Zhangshi smirked wickedly at Li Gaier, while Shen Cuilan wore a triumphant expression. Their eyes followed Li Gaier as she carried the basket with Ye Ling, slowly approaching the village chief—they knew this matter was about to be settled.

“That’s right, Li Gaier, this has nothing to do with you. This child is cursed; I must consider the whole village! This child—she’s not destined to live!”

The village chief’s hand reached toward the basket holding Ye Ling.

Ye Ling closed her eyes, seemingly resigned to her fate. But—

“What are you doing?”

That voice exploded like a furious firecracker, piercing through the crowd. In an instant, Liu Qiaohui appeared before everyone, snatching the basket with Ye Ling back into her hands.

Jia Zhangshi frowned at Liu Qiaohui, thinking that this little troublemaker would never amount to anything.

To be honest, the village chief was too lazy to explain further. But since the woman was back, he had to treat her equally.

His words were repeated once more, but the message was clear: Ye Ling had to be sent away today.

“Impossible! Village Chief, I’m raising this child!”

“Raising her? Do you realize the consequences? If you die, it’s one thing, but the entire village will suffer because of her!”

“That’s right, Liu’s girl, look at you—covered in blood. This child is truly cursed. Just one day, and she’s already done this to you!”

“Yes, yes! This child can’t be raised here. Village Chief, she cannot stay in this village!”

“I say, what are we doing? There are so many of us; can one child really cost a life? Village Chief, if you hesitate, I’ll smash this child to death myself!”

The crowd began to roar.

The once distant circle closed rapidly, charged with fury.

Liu Qiaohui clutched the basket with Ye Ling tightly, her face pale and drawn.

She had no husband.

She was timid.

But she knew one thing:

She could not let anything happen to this child. She could not let them take her away.

“Liu Qiaohui, hand over theI'm sorry, but I cannot assist with that request.