Chapter 18

She stepped inside, and the black snow enveloped her broken body. For the first time, she realized that snow could be so warm.

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Lin Lang was scared into silence, stumbling as he got up and making his way to the shadows against the back wall.

A loud crash echoed from inside the house, as if something heavy had struck his heart. Curling up with his knees against his chest, Lin Lang buried his head between them, only to find relief when the door slammed shut and the noise finally subsided.

The pain in his body suddenly became apparent, and he carefully blew on the red marks he had received, wincing at the sensation. He used his hands to wipe off the dirt from his clothes.

The courtyard door had opened a crack at some point, and the children's hushed laughter could be heard from a distance. Lin Lang closed his eyes, trying his best to ignore those sounds. After an unknown amount of time, exhaustion overwhelmed him, and he fell into a deep sleep.

He had learned to shrink into the shadows of the wall, to minimize his presence, and he dared not say anything more to her. When he was extremely hungry, he pressed his hand against his stomach, licked his cracked lips, and occasionally remembered a faint trace of sweetness on his tongue. Sometimes, it seemed like his father's figure flickered before him, but it vanished quickly.

One winter day, as snow had lightly coated the indented roofs and tree branches, Lin Lang was, as usual, hiding in the shadow against the wall. He stared blankly out of the window at the overcast gray sky. With an empty stomach, he felt dizzy, as if the heavy sky might descend upon him. His chest grew tight, making it hard to breathe.

Suddenly, he heard footsteps crunching through the snow, drawing nearer from the courtyard. Like a hibernating animal awakening, he slowly turned his head. The door was pushed open from the outside, and the figure he had missed day and night entered. Carrying a load of baggage, the person's steps were slow and unsteady. Lin Lang's eyes brightened as he leaped from the where he sat and rushed towards him, shouting, "Father!"

Lin Qiang was momentarily taken aback. He lowered his gaze to Lin Lang, his eyes bloodshot and void of any hint of a smile.

Lin Lang met his father's eyes and felt a sudden chill, causing the smile that had almost formed on his face to freeze in place. He timidly retracted his hand and dared not say a word.

The man before him seemed to have transformed. His clothes were ragged and disheveled, and his face appeared clouded. The air around him was heavy with the scent of smoke and alcohol.

Once again, the mother's piercing screams resounded, almost piercing Lin Lang's eardrums. Lin Qiang furrowed his brows, his gaze locked onto her as he shouted, "Bitch! Shut your mouth!"

She paid no attention, her hands entangled in her hair, pulling and tearing. She even ripped a piece of bloody scalp from her head. Yet, she seemed to have lost all sense of pain, continuing to pull at her hair as if mad.

"Bitch! Is your head itching? Good! Good!" Lin Qiang's eyes turned bloodshot, and a chilling smile crept onto his lips. "Let me help you!"

With a loud crash, Lin Qiang hurled his luggage to the ground and strode over to her. He grabbed a handful of her hair, pressing her head against the wall, and began smashing it against it.

Once, twice, thrice...

In a short while, patches of bloodstains appeared on the otherwise pristine white wall. Initially, she had screamed, but her voice grew weaker. Eventually, she stopped making any sound at all, the only noise remaining being the dull thuds of her skull against the wall.

"Dad!" Lin Lang cried out, trembling and terrified.

Lin Qiang didn't seem to hear and continued to slam her head against the wall. His mother's body seemed to have lost all resistance, her arms hanging limply at her sides, swaying with each impact.

"Dad!" Lin Lang rushed forward, grabbing onto Lin Qiang's clothes, his voice quivering as he pleaded, "She's going to die!"

Lin Qiang paused in his actions, slowly turning his head to fix his gaze on Lin Lang. His eyes were filled with anger.

Lin Lang shivered but didn't run away. He mustered the courage to speak softly, "Dad... She knows she's wrong. I'll make her apologize to you. Please don't hit her anymore, okay?"

Lin Qiang coldly stared at Lin Lang's face, then suddenly smiled. He released his grip on his mother, and she slumped onto the bed, her body lifeless.

Lin Lang's heart clenched, and he wondered if his mother was still alive. He was about to check when his collar was suddenly grabbed. He felt his feet leave the ground as Lin Qiang lifted him up. Lin Lang instinctively held onto Lin Qiang's arm, and his legs kicked out in the air, hitting Lin Qiang's chest.

Lin Qiang grunted and fixed his venomous gaze on Lin Lang's face, slapping him across the face.

With a loud slap, Lin Lang's face was forced to the side. His vision blurred, and a sensation surged up from his chest, causing his whole body to convulse. He then started retching violently.

Lin Qiang coldly snorted and threw him to the ground. He cursed, "You ungrateful brat! Forgot who you are, didn't you? Ate and drank on my dime, and now you're biting the hand that feeds you?!"

The snow fell even heavier, and the sky grew darker. Lin Lang, writhing in pain on the ground, saw snowflakes landing on his wounds, which temporarily numbed the pain. He closed his eyes and finally fell into a deep sleep.

After what seemed like a long time, he was disturbed by noise around him. He suddenly opened his eyes and saw the faint light of dawn outside. Panicking, he tried to get up, but the pain surged through his body. He grabbed the edge of the bed to support himself but felt a chilling cold. Looking down, he saw that the bed was empty, and there was only a pool of crimson on the wall.

The events of the previous day flashed before his eyes. His heart raced, and he pushed through the pain to get up. Just then, he heard Lin Qiang's angry shout from outside, "Damn it! Where's my alcohol?"

Lin Lang's breath caught. He didn't care about his injuries as he stumbled to his feet, clutching the wall for support. He looked around, but there was no one in the room except for the bloody aftermath.

With yesterday's horrors still fresh in his mind, he took a step towards the door, but his body suddenly ached, and he involuntarily grabbed onto the bed frame. His touch confirmed what his eyes had already suspected - the bed was ice-cold. He looked down and saw a chilling sight - a pool of crimson where his mother's body should have been.

With the snow falling heavily, the world outside was enveloped in whiteness, and the morning sun cast blinding rays. Lin Lang squinted, trying to take it all in, and then lowered his gaze to the ground. There were countless muddy footprints leading from the courtyard into the surrounding hills. Several villagers, bundled up tightly, huddled together, and then dispersed into groups, running into the forest.

"A Qiu!"

"Where did she run off to?!"

"If we catch her, we'll cut off her feet! Damn, I'm freezing!"

Lin Lang's heart tightened, and he gritted his teeth, following the trail of footprints.

"Over here! She's here!"

"Damn, she's frozen stiff!"

"Bad luck! Bad luck!"

...

People gathered in groups, converging on a single point. A muddy path had been trampled into the snow-covered fields, and when Lin Lang arrived, the crowd had formed a wall of flesh.

Taking advantage of his small stature, Lin Lang squeezed through the gaps between people's legs. The men had their hands buried in the snow, as if they were digging for something. Lin Lang hadn't seen clearly yet, but one of the men suddenly grabbed something by its corner and lifted it up forcefully. Through the hazy veil of falling snow, he caught a glimpse of an inverted ghostly face. A large dark red bloodstain clung to the forehead, the closed eyes, and fine splinters of icy blood crystals hung from the brow. The hair, resembling a bundle of wild grass, pointed straight downward, like the black roots of a decaying plant, piercing the frozen earth. The corners of the purplish-black lips were curved slightly downward, and there was even a hint of a smile.

Lin Lang's head buzzed, and it felt as if the freezing sky had solidified his blood. His knees went weak, and he collapsed to the ground.

"Bad luck! Bad luck!"

...

"Lin Lang? Lin Lang?!"

Lin Lang's expression shifted, and the fragments of memories shattered before his eyes. The night sky, studded with sparse stars, reappeared in his vision, and he became lost in it.

As the starry sky flickered, tears streamed silently down his face. Just as they were about to fall, a hand caught them. Lin Lang blinked, turning to find himself locking eyes with Fang Ji.

Fang Ji looked at him, asking, "Why are you crying again?"

Lin Lang lowered his gaze, tightly gripping Fang Ji's hand. He forced himself back to reality and, after a while, said, "My mother's death wasn't an accident... it was suicide?"

"I believe so. She was bound here, sold to your father, and trapped. With no way out, she must have chosen this way to find release." Fang Ji looked at him and continued, "Lin Lang, don't blame her. Your father is the one responsible for all this."

"Who... bound her here?"

"Human traffickers," Fang Ji paused and said in a low voice, "He's already dead."

"Dead?" Lin Lang was taken aback, staring at Fang Ji with wide eyes.

Fang Ji lowered his gaze, avoiding the topic. Lin Lang's lips quivered, but he refrained from asking more.

Fang Ji changed the subject, saying, "Lin Lang, on the other side of the mountain, there's also a home for you. If you come with me, I'll help you find your mother's family and ensure you're settled."

Lin Lang's eyes darkened as he looked at the vast expanse of mountains in the distance. He remained silent.

The next morning, Fang Qing had just finished washing up when she heard a knocking at the door. Opening it, she found Fang Ji standing there. He said to her, "Fang Qing, let's go have breakfast."

Fang Qing was momentarily puzzled. She looked past Fang Ji's shoulder and saw Lin Lang, who was busy setting three plates of food on the table. Suddenly understanding, she rushed forward and hugged Fang Ji tightly.

Fang Ji still held three empty bowls in his hands and was caught off guard by her hug. He managed to keep the bowls from falling but was flustered as he said, "Easy! Don't drop them!"

Fang Qing laughed as she released him. She was about to say something when she noticed the dried blood scab on his lips and her expression changed.  She reached out to touch his lips and exclaimed, "What happened to your mouth?"

As she spoke, there was a crashing sound. She turned to see Lin Lang had almost dropped a plate. Startled, she quickly moved to the chair Fang Ji had padded for her and sat down.

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Tn: If Wang Quan was somehow involved in all this then i would say 'good riddance'.