"If you come any closer, I'll scream," the vagrant said, shrinking back, his arms protectively crossed like a woman's. "I'll scream if you come any closer."
"..." Zhang Liunian's face darkened at his display.
"Brother Liunian, let us handle this. This scoundrel stripped us and groped my behind! Du Ziteng has never suffered such humiliation." Du Ziteng, having put on his pants, charged forward shirtless.
"Serves you right for eyeing my body! Humph! Serves you right for stripping me..." Du Ziteng landed on the vagrant and rained blows down upon him, each punch landing with a solid thud.
"It's a misunderstanding! A misunderstanding! I didn't touch you. If I did, may lightning strike me!" The vagrant on the ground, hearing Du Ziteng's accusations, protested fiercely, crying out his innocence.
But Du Ziteng refused to listen. When the vagrant had tried to pull down his pants, he had indeed slapped his backside, an act he considered a profound disgrace.
To him, being slapped was no different from being groped.
He was no longer clean.
"Ziteng, I want revenge too!" Seeing this, Zhang Qian, also having pulled on his pants, threw caution to the wind and joined the assault, fists flying. In no time, the vagrant was left barely able to breathe.
"You bastard, this is what happens when you cross us!" Du Ziteng finally stopped, his arms weary.
"Serves you right!" Zhang Qian also ceased his attack.
"Tie him up. We'll drop him off at the police station when we pass the county town."
Seeing they had tired themselves out, Zhang Liunian gave the instruction and walked towards Liu Sanniu.
Liu Sanniu, who had already put on Du Ziteng's jacket, stood nearby, silently weeping. Seeing Zhang Liunian approach, she sniffled and quietly called out, "Third Cousin."
"Third Cousin, why are you here alone?" Her aunt's home wasn't here, but in Liu Family Village, further down in the county town.
Liu Sanniu's presence here, along with another person, made Zhang Liunian a bit perplexed.
"I... I was going to see my boyfriend and it got a bit late on the way back." Liu Sanniu's words were laced with guilt, as she had come to Nancheng without her family's knowledge, and her boyfriend was a secret too.
Hearing her say this, Zhang Liunian recalled that this cousin of his had married into Nancheng. However, her husband was a scumbag – not only unfaithful but also abusive. Yet, this cousin had stubbornly refused to divorce, enduring the hardship until she eventually passed away.
But he hadn't heard anyone mention anything about today's incident.
"Since he's your boyfriend, why didn't he escort you?" It was getting late, and the scumbag had let his cousin walk home alone in the dark. He wondered if it was intentional.
"He... he's very busy." Liu Sanniu didn't want Zhang Liunian to speak ill of her boyfriend and tried to salvage his reputation.
Seeing her obstinacy, Zhang Liunian chose not to pursue the topic. "Get on the tractor, we'll take you home."
Liu Sanniu dared not speak, obediently following Zhang Liunian and getting onto the tractor.
Watching her demeanor, Zhang Liunian suddenly thought: he had been fretting about not having anyone to watch his shop.
His cousin was conveniently unemployed! Even if she wasn't willing, his aunt had other daughters.
Zhang Liunian's father had only two brothers, but between them was a daughter – Zhang Liunian's aunt, Zhang Guihua.
Zhang Liunian didn't know much about Zhang Guihua's temperament. She had five daughters and one son. The son, being the youngest, was quite spoiled. The daughters, however, were unremarkable, all illiterate, destined to work and then marry.
The eldest and second daughters were already married. The remaining ones were too young to be considered for arranged marriages.
If Zhang Liunian were to ask a cousin to watch his shop, Liu Sanniu would be the first choice. Not only was she unmarried, but among her five sisters, she was the only one who could count.
Zhang Liunian knew this for a fact, so if he were to hire someone, it would be best to have this third cousin help him.
"Is she your cousin?" Du Ziteng, wearing a tank top, glanced at Liu Sanniu's clothes – his clothes – now worn by this young lady who was Zhang Liunian's cousin. He felt he had to take responsibility!
With that thought, he seriously appraised Liu Sanniu's delicate face. She was quite attractive, fair-skinned and pleasant to look at.
"Hmm?"
"How old is she?" Du Ziteng nudged Zhang Liunian with his shoulder, asking in a hushed tone.
Zhang Liunian turned to look at him and said, "She has a boyfriend. There's no possibility for you."
"..."
"You can't do this to me!" Du Ziteng pouted. Before he could even voice his intentions, Zhang Liunian had cut off his escape route.
Zhang Liunian twitched his lips and said nothing further.
Before long, they reached the county town and handed the vagrant over to the police station. Zhang Liunian then bought some provisions before setting off again.
This time, Du Ziteng did not disembark at the county town but chose to accompany him to Liu Family Village.
"Liunian?" Zhang Guihua, seeing her nephew at the courtyard entrance, could hardly believe her eyes.
For her to be so fortunate as to see her nephew, who had always been a shut-in, visit her home in her lifetime, was truly as improbable as the sun rising from the west.
"Auntie." Zhang Liunian jumped off the vehicle and presented two bags of rock sugar and some loose biscuits.
Zhang Guihua glanced at the items in his hand, her eyes widening further in surprise. He even brought gifts! This was different!
Wait, something was wrong. Wasn't he so poor he couldn't afford to eat? How did he have money for rock sugar and biscuits?
And why was her daughter Sanniu wearing someone else's clothes? Zhang Guihua's eyes scanned Liu Sanniu incessantly, like a laser.
Unable to withstand her mother's gaze, Liu Sanniu quickly went inside to change.
Zhang Liunian, seizing the moment, said, "Auntie, let's talk inside!"
Alas! The downside of village life was that whenever a relative visited, many people would come out to watch the spectacle.
"Yes, yes, let's all go inside!" Zhang Guihua came back to her senses, spotting the craning necks outside the courtyard, and promptly ushered her nephew and his companions inside.
Seated at a worn table, Zhang Liunian surveyed his aunt's home.
It could be described as utterly bare. A sense of dilapidation permeated the surroundings, vastly different from Zhang Liunian's former mud hut.
However, life was certainly better than it had been for Zhang Liunian before his rebirth.
After all, his aunt and uncle were diligent people, and his cousins were also capable of enduring hardship, so their life was passable.
"Liunian, why did you return with Sanniu? And what happened to her? Why is she wearing someone else's clothes?" Zhang Guihua poured a cup of water for Zhang Liunian and his two companions.
Zhang Liunian withdrew his gaze, took a sip of the water, and replied, "We met her on our way home. Sanniu was almost taken advantage of by a vagrant, and these clothes belong to my friend here."
"What?" Hearing that her daughter had almost been in trouble, Zhang Guihua immediately stood up in anger.
"Auntie, please lower your voice. This matter isn't good for Sanniu." Seeing his aunt erupt, Zhang Liunian quickly reminded her to be mindful of her tone.
Zhang Guihua was not foolish. She instantly realized she had lost her composure and spoken too loudly, which could harm her daughter's reputation. Suppressing her anger, she said, "This infuriates me! This darned girl, going out to 'see friends' and nearly getting into trouble! If the villagers find out, her reputation will be ruined."
Zhang Liunian blinked in surprise. 'Going to see friends'?