Chapter 2: Strange Illusion
Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios
At this moment, a broken black bag was thrown in front of them. The bag was opened, and a few shriveled taros could be seen inside.
Zhou Guihua clapped her hands and looked down at them with disdain. “Didn’t you hear what Mother said? What are you waiting for? Hurry up and get lost with your things. If you dawdle any longer, these taros will be gone as well!”
Zhou Yu did not know what it meant to be chased out of the house.
However, Zhang Lan knew that should they be chased out, they would not even have a place to stay, let alone have food to eat. What awaited them would be death.
Although they were bullied in the Zhou family, they could still live on.
She hoped that there was still room for negotiation. “Mother, where are we going to stay if you chase us out? This, isn’t this asking our entire family to die?”
Before she could finish speaking, she clutched her chest and coughed. All she got in return were the cold expressions on their faces.
“What does the death of your family have to do with us? Get lost!”
Zhang Lan was about to plead for mercy again when Zhou Xiaoli spoke. “Mother, don’t beg them. Let’s go.”
Zhou Xiaoli’s gaze swept across the people around her and finally landed on Zhang Lan. “Mother, don’t beg them. Let’s go.” she said again.
Under Zhou Xiaoyu’s determined gaze and Lai Jinniang’s coldness, Zhang Lan finally made up her mind and nodded. “Okay, I’ll listen to you. Let’s go!”
Lai Jinniang snorted. “You should have done this earlier.”
Then, as if she was afraid that they would go back on their word, she urged impatiently. “Alright, since you’re leaving, cut the crap. Hurry up and pack your things. Leave now. Don’t think about getting a free dinner!”
With that, she turned around and entered the central room with a dark expression.
Zhou Guihua and Wang Cuiju also glanced at them coldly and followed closely behind to sashay into the central room.
In an instant, only Zhou Xiaoli and her family were left in the courtyard.
Zhang Lan could not help but feel a little melancholic. She was determined to leave initially but now that she had calmed down, she was really worried.
Their family had no houses nor fields. She was weak and sickly, and her husband was stupid. Where could they go after leaving the Zhou family...
“Mother.”
Zhou Xiaoyu ran to Zhang Lan’s side. Although she was young, she more or less knew about the current situation. Her eyes were filled with fear at this moment.
Zhang Lan looked at her youngest daughter. Her little face was sallow due to malnutrition and one side was swollen. There was a clear palm print on it, and her heart ached. “Third Sister, does it hurt?”
Lai Jinniang did it to her. This kind of beating was normal in the Zhou family.
Zhou Xiaoyu shook her head and said, “It doesn’t hurt. Mother, are we moving?”
Zhang Lan sighed. How could it not hurt? Then, she looked at the bruises on Zhou Xiaoli’s forehead, and the injured corner of Zhou Junjun’s mouth.
And her husband, whose back was bleeding. She was so heartbroken that tears were about to fall. In the end, she held them back and nodded firmly. “Move!”
Zhou Xiaoyu’s eyes lit up. “Then, will Grandma never hit us again?”
Zhang Lan’s tears finally fell uncontrollably.
She nodded. “Yes, she won’t.”
A smile appeared on the little kid’s face.
Zhang Lan wiped her tears. The family supported each other and went to their room to pack.
There were not many things they needed to bring along. A few taros, a blanket, a few patched clothes and a few pairs of broken straw shoes. A basket was all they needed to pack their belongings away.
Lai Jinniang was determined not to give them anything. As they packed, the door of the central room remained tightly shut.
Zhang Lan looked around the room. This area was the smallest and most dilapidated part of the house. It used to be a shed to raise livestock. There was only one bed and a small broken cabinet. She could take it all in at a glance.
However, when they leave the Zhou family, they would not even have such a livestock shed to live in.
In her sadness, she remembered that she still had children to raise. Zhang Lan forced herself to focus and asked Zhou Xiaoli. “Li’er, have you found it?”
“Found it.”
Zhou Xiaoli responded. She dug out a small black cloth bag from the corner of the wall and opened it. Inside were 50 copper coins.
Zhou Xiaoli wrapped it up again and put it on her body.
Although Zhou Yu was stupid, he was very obedient. He also had brute force and was good at manual labor. Moreover, he would not slack off at work.
Therefore, Butler Wan was very fond of him when he worked for the Wan family.
After Butler Wan found out about Zhou Yu’s situation, he would secretly give Zhou Yu additional money every time and taught him not to tell Lai Jinniang.
Therefore, Zhou Yu handed the extra money to Zhang Lan.
Zhang Lan also knew that Lai Jinniang didn’t like their family, so she would not prepare a dowry for her children. Seeing that Zhou Xiaoli was coming of age soon, she thought about it and secretly saved up the extra money without telling Lai Jinniang.
After saving for a long time, they managed to save up 50 copper coins. Although it was not much, it could resolve their urgent needs for now.
While Zhou Xiaoli kept the money, Zhang Lan and Zhou Yu packed everything they had and placed them in the basket on their backs.
The family supported each other and walked out. Even when they were leaving the Zhou family, Lai Jinniang did not come out to take a look.
Because Zhang Lan was weak, their family walked very slowly. Just as they were talking about the disaster last year and the refugees who had fled here to build a straw shed at the end of the village, a voice suddenly stopped them.
“Halt!”
Without looking back, they could tell from the voice that it was Lai Jinniang’s youngest daughter, Zhou Guihua.
With a cold expression on her face, she did not waste any time talking nonsense. She walked directly to Zhou Xiaoli and blocked her way. She stretched out her hand and said, “Take it out.”
Confused, Zhou Xiaoli asked, “What?”
Zhou Guihua snorted. “Stop pretending. Hurry up and take out the money on you. I saw it just now!”
...
Hearing this, Zhou Xiaoli’s heart turned cold. She coldly denied. “No.”
Zhang Lan nodded repeatedly. “That’s right. Why would we have money?”
Zhou Guihua was unmoved. If she hadn’t seen it for herself, she wouldn’t have believed that they had money on them as well.
When she went to the outhouse earlier, she saw with her own eyes that the jinx dug out a bag of copper coins from under the wall. And yet she’s lying to her now!
She immediately snorted. “Stop pretending. I saw it. How dare you steal our Zhou family’s money! Take it out quickly, or I’ll tell Mother!”
“No means no. Even if you tell your mother, I won’t be able to get you any money.” Zhou Xiaoli did not panic at all. Zhou Guihua wanted to pocket the money for herself, so she would definitely not tell Lai Jinniang. If she wanted to tell her, she would have told her long ago.
Sure enough, Zhou Guihua did not tell Lai Jinniang. Instead, she snorted and said, “You don’t want to admit it!”
However, Zhou Xiaoli was not afraid of her. “No!” she said coldly.
This was what they would have to rely on for the past few days. How could they give it to her?
“Alright, you forced me to do this!” Seeing Zhou Xiaoli’s unyielding attitude, Zhou Guihua didn’t waste any more words and started to snatch it from her.
She knew that Zhou Xiaoli had the money bag in her arms. She reached in to pull the money bag out.
...
“Ha! Sure enough there it is! A whole family of thieves!”
Naturally, Zhou Xiaoli did not give in. She grabbed the money bag and refused to let go. She glared at the woman in front of her, unwilling to be outdone.
At this moment, the scene in front of her suddenly changed and another scene appeared.
In the scene, the two of them were fighting over the money bag.
Zhou Yu and Zhang Lan were eager to protect their daughter, so they went forward to pull Zhou Guihua.
Zhou Yu was strong so he was able to throw Zhou Guihua off immediately.
Coincidentally, there was a tree branch at the place where Zhou Guihua fell. It pierced through the back of Zhou Guihua’s head and she died on the spot.
Immediately after, the scene before her eyes changed to a scene of the Zhou family and the villagers getting the police to arrest their family and torture them.
The scene flickered again and instantly disappeared. Zhou Guihua’s disgusting face was still in front of her.
Zhou Xiaoli could not help but widen her eyes as she was unable to understand what had just happened.
However, she subconsciously looked at the place where Zhou Guihua had fallen in her illusion. Indeed, she saw a tree branch on the ground, which was exactly the same one as in the illusion!
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