The shovel that Zhao Yuyi was holding fell to the ground. He instantly burst into tears and rushed toward what remained of his father. Zhao Yuyi's hands trembled as he hugged the bloody mess. "Dad, Dad, dad!"
His desolate cry echoed amidst the rubble.
"Give me your dagger," He Lanjin said softly as she held out her hand to Nan Feng, who handed her the tool. She walked forward and cut the rope that was tied around the body of Zhao Yuyi's father.
He Lanjin wanted to comfort Zhao Yuyi, but she did not know what to say. What would drive anyone to tie an old man with terminal cancer to a pillar during an earthquake? What kind of people would do such a horrible thing to such a helpless man?
He Lanjin's heart went to Zhao Yuyi. He had worked hard to raise money for his father's treatment, only to find the old man dead.
"I'm sorry for your loss," He Lanjin said softly. "Give uncle a proper burial. Find out who's behind this and avenge his death."
Zhao Yuyi was a blubbering mess, his face tear-stricken. He knelt on the ground as he dug his father out, his arms bloodied and dirty. He Lanjin could not help but see how different this Zhao Yuyi was from the Zhao Yuyi she saw in the toilet with Lu Zifan.
The corpse was badly mutilated, but Zhao Yuyi knew that this was unmistakably his father. "Dad," he cried in anguish.
He Lanjin took a deep breath and turned away. She blinked and swallowed to get rid of the lump that had formed in her throat. She was so uncomfortable that her body felt like it was going to explode. She threw the dagger at Nan Feng.
"Help him bury his father," she said in a low voice.
He Lanjin was afraid that if she stayed to help, her anger would drive her to kill.
She could not even begin to imagine how someone could be cruel enough to intentionally tie up a sick man and leave him for dead.
"He was already dead before the house collapsed," Qiao Hanye said as he studied the mutilated remains with sharp eyes. "The wound on his throat was deep, but that was not what killed him. He probably bled too much and went into shock."
"Don't worry," Zhao Yuyi said, gritting his teeth. "Your son will definitely avenge you."
Zhao Yuyi was no longer the lame little boy He Lanjin initially thought he was. He was now a man driven by rage and a deep desire to avenge his dead father.
He Lanjin took a deep breath and left quickly without a sound.
"Everyone thought that the city was corrupt. Now I know that what we thought of as paradise is the territory of the real bullies," He Lanjin said as a wave of emotions washed over her.
In her mind's eye, she could see the ugly faces of her so-called parents and the tragic ending of Zhao Yuyi's father...
"Little Jin, someday soon you will understand that there is a reason for everything," Qiao Hanye said as he walked behind.
"You will also know that there are many things crueler and more terrifying than what you had witnessed here."
"Yes." He Lanjin knew that Qiao Hanye was right.
After a long silence, He Lanjin finally got a hold of her emotions. Qiao Hanye took her cold little hands in his and rubbed them gently, then took off his coat to drape it over her shoulders. "It's very cold out here. You just recovered from the poisoning; it's not good for you to be exposed to the wind. I'll walk you back."
"Okay." He Lanjin fell in step with Qiao Hanye.
After the earthquake, some peddlers from the city came to bring cheap goods to sell, such as long-sleeved shirts, pants, and underwear.
"Don't miss out! Don't pass me by! I give you a pair of women's underwear for only 9.90 yuan," a peddler cried out. "When your wife puts it on, she won't have to worry about being sexy. Once she puts it on, you can stop feeling useless! Give your wife a new pair of underwear, and take her home for only 9.90 yuan."
Qiao Hanye suddenly stopped and looked up.