Fang Yan picked up the little girl and found a spot that the surveillance cameras in the shop could see. She asked her to wait obediently before following her mother-in-law into the house.
It was a mess.
The originally small but neat kitchen was now shattered all over the floor.
There was a man and a woman in the room.
The woman knelt at the man's feet and grabbed his pants tightly.
Her clothes were in a mess. There were deep and shallow marks on her shoulders, neck, arms, and exposed skin.
Fang Yan recognized it. It was the mark left by whipping.
The man held a half-meter-long wooden stick in his hand and panted. "I've already asked. Your shop's business is very good. If you say that you don't have money again, I'll beat you to death!"
When the grandmother heard this, she stomped her feet in anger. "That's your child's tuition fees! Do you have a conscience?! Don't tell me you want to lose your daughter at the gambling table too?"
Fang Yan silently put down the phone that she had just dialed, surprised. This guy wasn't here to rob anyone, but was actually causing trouble in his own house?
The man hurriedly pounced in front of his mother-in-law. "No! That won't happen! Mom! Give me another chance. I promise to let you all live a good life!"
The mother-in-law still shook her head. "Son, listen to Mom. Stop gambling. If what you said is true, your father wouldn't have taken three or four jobs. He's still in the hospital receiving fluid transfusions!"
The man saw that the soft approach did not work, so he gritted his teeth and raised the stick at the woman again.
This scene seemed to freeze in slow motion in Fang Yan's eyes. The past was still vivid in her mind. That's right, once a heartless person went crazy, his wife was nothing.
"I'll pay you!"
As soon as she finished speaking, the three people in the room looked at Fang Yan at the door.
Fang Yan was afraid that this person would not hear her clearly in the heat of the moment, so she repeated it loudly.
"Really?" the man asked.
Fang Yan waved her cell phone at the man. "Really. Come out. I'll scan the QR code and transfer it to you."
When Fang Yan followed them in, she caught a glimpse of an old smartphone in the back seat of the electric scooter by the outer hall door.
Wasn't it just gambling? She knew how to do it too.
As expected.
The man kicked the woman away and walked out of the hall.
While the man was looking for his cell phone, Fang Yan helped the woman up. Seeing this, the mother-in-law came back to her senses and showed concern. Only then did Fang Yan know that this woman's name was Xiaoyue.
"Xiaoyue, don't be afraid. If he hits you again, hit him back!" Fang Yan said fiercely.
Xiaoyue lowered her head, her voice so soft that it was almost inaudible, "I, I don't dare to."
Fang Yan: "What are you afraid of! You still have your daughter. If you don't dare, your daughter will be beaten up with you!"
Fang Yan's words gave Xiao Yue some courage, but when she saw her husband turn around, she immediately returned to her previous timid appearance.
Fang Yan picked up the wooden stick that the man had thrown away earlier and pointed at him. "I'm warning you. I've already called the police. You're deliberately hurting people, understand?! If you don't want to be caught, get lost now!"
The man was speechless for a moment. His chest heaved violently as he glared at Fang Yan.
Fang Yan glared back without backing down.
"Just you wait!"
The man turned around and left.
Fang Yan looked at Xiaoyue as if she'd expected better from her. She asked her mother-in-law for some medicine and went to look for the little girl.
It was rare for the girl to be so obedient. She stood quietly at the door and waited for her.
Fang Yan squatted down and held the girl in her arms to check her wound. The blood had already congealed and mixed with her tears, it was a shocking sight.
Fang Yan patiently coaxed her, "Are you scared, little girl? Don't cry, don't cry. It's Daddy's fault this time, but daddy is sick, and he doesn't want to hit you."
"Daddy… Sister, be careful!" The girl sobbed and struggled in Fang Yan's arms.
The man returned.
He raised the soy milk bucket that was heating up and splashed it hard at Fang Yan. The hot soy milk was steaming and was about to fall down.
Fang Yan was shocked by this sudden change and only knew to protect the girl in her arms tightly. At this moment, someone pulled hard and Fang Yan fell to the side uncontrollably.
A stretched body wrapped around her. She was too close and Fang Yan could smell the scent on the clothes. It was clean and warm, mixed with a faint smell of disinfectant.
Cheng Zheng quickly got up and kicked the hot metal bucket far away. Then, he exhaled and spun another kick at the man.
The man took a hard hit. He clutched his stomach and lay on the ground, moaning.
Cheng Zheng: "I don't think you should leave. I'll send you to the police station and take a look at where you're injured. I'll treat you."