Chapter 842: Chapter 842: You Old Hag, You’ll Die a Miserable Death
As soon as the words were spoken, in the illumination of two lanterns outside, there stood Second Master Liu, his face twisted with rage, holding a club, striking the person on the floor repeatedly.
The person lay on the ground motionless, not making a sound as the club hit.
The small figure was wearing her third brother’s old clothes, and Xiao Lian Hua recognized it.
"Xiao Hua Mei!" she screamed, suddenly getting up, attempting to rush over.
Cui Sanniang was prepared; with a wave of her hand, Xiao Cui along with the other two girls sprang into action. The other two swiftly each grabbed an arm tightly holding Xiao Lian Hua, while Xiao Cui held her legs, forcing Xiao Lian Hua down onto the cabin floor.
The three of them pinned Xiao Lian Hua down firmly; individually these girls were not as strong as Second Master Liu or Cui Sanniang, but the three of them had the advantage and their combined weight was more than enough to subdue a ten-year-old girl, especially since Xiao Lian Hua had just woken up from sleep with not much strength.
Cui Sanniang’s ferocious face, the malicious aura made Xiao Cui and the others tremble, not daring to look directly, and they did not dare to relax their grip, fearing she would escape, ending up like Xiao Hua Mei.
Earlier they saw Second Master Liu drag Xiao Hua Mei out of the cabin; their hearts were filled with fear, and now this scene terrified them to the extreme.
Xiao Lian Hua tried hard to lift her head, looking outside, struggling and screaming to stop it: "Stop beating her, stop beating, don’t, Xiao Hua Mei!" Her face was full of urgency, her eyes red with anxiety, yet unable to break free from the restraint.
Seeing Xiao Lian Hua like this, Cui Sanniang couldn’t help but laugh, a wild and vicious laugh. She valued Xiao Lian Hua, but it did not prevent her from feeling joyful at this moment, releasing quite a bit of accumulated annoyance, feeling very pleased.
Xiao Lian Hua’s voice grew hoarse, watching helplessly as Second Master Liu beat Xiao Hua Mei, yet unable to do anything, large teardrops fell one by one.
"You old hag, you lied to me, you said you would treat her illness, you lied to me, ah, ah, ah!" Xiao Lian Hua yelled, eyes red, hoarse with a sobbing tone.
"I didn’t lie to you!" Cui Sanniang said fiercely, her prominent cheekbones and those shaded eyes full of bitterness: "I never said I wouldn’t beat her, to treat her she must survive long enough for treatment!"
"It’s my fault for trying to escape, Shaded Eyes Lady, spare her, beat me instead, don’t beat her, she’s still ill, sick..." Xiao Lian Hua softened, her voice pleading.
Her mouth was puckered, feeling so sad she couldn’t breathe, filled with a sense of helplessness, tears and snot streaming down, her body shuddering uncontrollably, unable to cry aloud.
The other two girls saw her pityingly, yet under Cui Sanniang’s oppressive influence, could only submit.
Xiao Cui held back her fear, yet seeing Xiao Lian Hua’s condition, felt a sense of relief, almost wanting to clap.
"Can’t protect yourself, yet still so righteous." Cui Sanniang snorted, seeing the beating outside coming to an end, she ordered Second Master Liu to stop.
Hope surged in Xiao Lian Hua’s eyes, she eagerly raised her head, eyes shining with anticipation staring at Cui Sanniang, hoping for something.
But Cui Sanniang flashed an even more vicious and sinister smile, like a demon from Asura Hell: "Xiao Hehe, no, I should call you Xiao Lianlian, tonight Mother will teach you well, in life you should not show off, otherwise those around you will suffer. From now on if you dare to escape, Mother will not punish you, but each time you will cause the death of someone beside you, remember, every person who dies is your fault!"
Xiao Lian Hua’s mind buzzed, mouth agape forgetting to cry, eyes wide in terror staring at Cui Sanniang.
What death? She didn’t understand...
In the next moment, Cui Sanniang shouted outside: "Second Master, throw her into the river!"
"No!" Xiao Lian Hua realized, screamed fiercely, struggling desperately.
Cui Sanniang shouted to Xiao Cui and the others: "Use more force, don’t let her break free."
Xiao Cui and the others, shocked and frightened, pressed harder onto Xiao Lian Hua, keeping her firmly down.
Xiao Lian Hua roared like a trapped beast, struggling loudly, unable to break free.
Soon, outside came the sound of a splash.
Followed by Second Master Liu’s merciless voice: "The person is dead, tossed into the river."
This sentence made Xiao Lian Hua open her eyes wide in a daze, her struggles stopping, face pale as paper, staring outside in disbelief, murmuring, "Xiao Hua Mei..."
Xiao Hua Mei... is she dead?
Having grown up ceremoniously cared for until the age of ten, it was the first time death was so near Xiao Lian Hua, she couldn’t believe Xiao Hua Mei, who earlier planned to escape home together, was dead... dumped into the river...
"I promised her..." Tears silently climbed over Xiao Lian Hua’s face.
She promised Xiao Hua Mei to take her home, but she did not fulfill it, she caused Xiao Hua Mei’s death...
Xiao Hua Mei’s parents would never see Xiao Hua Mei again, never again...
Turns out it’s so easy for someone to die...
Would it be the same for her, never seeing her parents or brothers again?
Along the way, Xiao Lian Hua learned to be alone, to hide herself, to endure, learned to part in life but never in death, and she would never want to learn.
Xiao Hua Mei and she shared the same fate, both about the same age, both alone, small and helpless, both wanting to go home, both longing for their parents...
In Xiao Lian Hua’s subconscious, rescuing Xiao Hua Mei was rescuing herself, she didn’t hesitate to delay the journey north, because taking Xiao Hua Mei home was her hope.
For a long time harboring uncertainty about the future, pessimism about the whereabouts of her family, confusion about the future, all crushed upon her heart.
Traveling alone north was incredibly difficult, all pressure on her young shoulders, she braced herself tightly moving forward, never daring to think of her family’s fate, fearing to shatter her hope.
She treated helping Xiao Hua Mei home as hope, believing she could do it, just as she believed she could save her family, everyone would have a good ending, her family would too.
But at this moment, her hope shattered, Xiao Hua Mei was killed by her.
Is reality this cruel? This bloody, raw...
Seeing Xiao Lian Hua in this dazed state, one of the girls couldn’t help but plead: "Mother Cui..."
"Shut up!" Cui Sanniang glared at her sharply, then continued to deliver a heavy blow to Xiao Lian Hua: "It’s not Mother’s heartless act, blame yourself, if you didn’t escape, tonight would not have happened!"
Tonight she must extinguish the thought of escape!
Xiao Lian Hua turned blankly towards Cui Sanniang, the emotions suppressed since the family change exploded completely at this moment.
Her eyes surged with hatred, having never detested someone so deeply, wishing the person was dead.
She held back her tears, eyes red, filled with vicious anger, grinding out her words through gritted teeth: "You old hag, you will die a horrible death!"