In this remote mountain village, it is so far away from the outside world that it is almost isolated from the rest of society. Here, the one with the strongest fist makes the rules. As long as you are powerful enough, no one dares to interfere with you.
If someone gets injured, even if you call the police, no policeman is willing to climb mountains for a whole day, crossing mountains and ridges to come and solve the problem for you.
Even if someone is killed and the body is thrown into the mountains to be fed to the wolves, no one will find out. If Zhang Xiaofan hadn't been there just now, even if Li Xiu'e was molested, that would be it. At most, the elders in the village would step in and say a few words, and that's all.
Wang Ergou is strong and physically powerful. Some capable young people have long since left to strive for a living, escaping from this place that is like a nightmare. So this guy acts recklessly in the village, and no one dares to say much.
From childhood to adulthood, it has always been him bullying others. Now, he has lost all face in front of the woman he loves. Wang Ergou climbed out of the river again, determined to kill Zhang Xiaofan. But Zhang Xiaofan kicked him back into the river with a big kick. This cycle repeated until Wang Ergou didn't have the strength to get up anymore.
Wang Ergou was also a bit scared in his heart. Relying on the mountains for a living, the men in the village usually go hunting. So this guy has excellent skills. Even if he goes to Qingyang Town or Zhuque City, he can fight two or three men of the same age in the city without suffering a loss.
However, the pretty boy in front of him, who seems slender and delicate in figure, won't even let him get close. Without thinking, this pretty boy must know some martial arts, and he himself can't beat him.
"Wang Ergou, I'm giving you a chance, but you don't cherish it. If you resist again, I'll take your life!"
Zhang Xiaofan also lost his patience. Suddenly, his face darkened, and a murderous aura emanated from him, as if a demon god had descended to the mortal world. The surrounding air instantly turned cold. Wang Ergou shivered in the water and immediately didn't dare to get up.
"Who are you?" Since the other party called out his name and seemed to know him well, Wang Ergou asked with some doubt while being scared.
"My name is Zhang Xiaofan. If you're not convinced, you can come to my house and find me anytime. If you dare to bully Sister Xiu'e again, I'll cut off your hands and feet."
Li Xiu'e behind him, with her hair in disarray, trembled when she heard the name Zhang Xiaofan. She could hardly believe it.
Could this handsome and powerful man really be the little follower she knew eight years ago? Li Xiu'e immediately rubbed her eyes and carefully examined Zhang Xiaofan. No matter how she looked at him, she couldn't believe it. But when she saw the mole on Zhang Xiaofan's back, tears couldn't help streaming down her face.
Back then, that little follower was taken away by an old Taoist priest. At that time, she was so reluctant to part with him. She cried and saw him off at the entrance of the village, and then she was sad for many days. However, as time passed, she gradually forgot that little kid.
How things have changed! Even Wang Ergou was stunned in the stream water. Could this be the little snot-nosed kid who stole muskmelons with him?
"Zhang Xiaofan!"
Li Xiu'e and Wang Ergou almost called out this name in unison.
"Zhang Xiaofan, it's really you! You actually came back. Brother, I thought I would never see you again in my life."
Wang Ergou, with an excited expression, forgot about being beaten by Zhang Xiaofan just now. All wet, he ran up and gave Zhang Xiaofan a bear hug.
"It's really you, really you! Do you still remember when we used firecrackers to blow up the udders of the cows in the village when we were kids? We were tied to the ancient locust tree by the elders in the village for a whole day and night!"
Zhang Xiaofan stood there, letting the wet Wang Ergou hug him. He smiled bitterly at the corner of his mouth:
"Remember, I remember! The udders of the cows in the village were blown up and swollen by us. We almost got beaten to death."
The two hugged each other for a long time and finally let go. Wang Ergou punched Zhang Xiaofan in the chest and scolded with a laugh:
"You've grown up, kid. You're so handsome that even I envy you. You gutsy kid, you actually dared to hit your big brother. Have you learned some martial arts from that old Taoist priest?"
"Wang Ergou, we're brothers, but I must warn you. Sister Xiu'e is like a sister to us. You bullied her just now. If I see you doing it again next time, I mean what I say and I'll cut off your hands and feet."
Having said this, Zhang Xiaofan's face darkened again. He said it very seriously, not joking at all.
Wang Ergou sniffed with his thumb and said unhappily:
"Zhang Xiaofan, you don't know. Li Xiu'e is no longer the sister you used to know. She has changed. She's like a Pan Jinlian now. She married your cousin Zhang Liang. She was flirtatious outside and even caused your cousin's death.
Even though she's now hiding back in the village, from time to time, there are men coming to our Jiulong Village. Sooner or later, she'll be taken away by some man. Since the benefits should stay within the family, instead of letting an outsider take advantage, it's better for me, Wang Ergou, to take her home as my wife!"
Hearing Wang Ergou's words, Zhang Xiaofan didn't expect that she had married his cousin next door and was flirtatious! And she had caused his cousin's death?
Zhang Xiaofan turned his head and looked at the pretty Li Xiu'e. Li Xiu'e's face showed some panic. Her bright eyes stared at Zhang Xiaofan, and tears couldn't help streaming down her cheeks. She was almost sobbing and called out again:
"Xiaofan!"
"Sister Xiu'e... Sister-in-law! Is what Wang Ergou said true?"
Zhang Xiaofan opened his mouth. He originally wanted to call her sister, but when the word was on his lips, he changed it to sister-in-law.
After hearing this, Li Xiu'e's body trembled again: "Xiaofan, believe me. I didn't mean to cause your cousin's death. It really wasn't me..."
Li Xiu'e sobbed and defended herself. Finally, she couldn't help it and suddenly ran over and hugged Zhang Xiaofan. The two of them hugged each other face to face, and she cried bitterly.
No one knew about the days when she worked outside with Zhang Liang, and there was no one to talk to. She had been enduring the bitterness in her heart, being misunderstood by the villagers and called a Pan Jinlian. She had nowhere to cry.
Now that she started crying, her whole body was shaking. Her plump body, after all, as a married woman, was already very mature, like a ripe peach. The soft feeling of such an embrace and the smell of her maturity made Zhang Xiaofan have an uncontrollable reaction.
Zhang Xiaofan froze in place. Finally, he reached out his hand and embraced that slender waist, making the two of them lean closer. Smelling that familiar scent, he made the woman in his arms feel more secure.
It made Wang Ergou beside them feel jealous and a bit sour in his heart.
It seemed that Li Xiu'e was tired from crying before she sobbed and said:
"Xiaofan, I don't care what others think of me, but you must understand me. The people in our village don't have much education. When they go out, they act on their impulses and are easily taken advantage of. Your cousin Zhang Liang was like that.
The men in those cities outside are very bad. Just like Wang Ergou, they have been eyeing me all day long. Once, they even forcefully dragged me to work in a footbath parlor, trying to make me sell my soul and earn money for those beasts.
Later, your Brother Zhang Liang found out. He came to save me and was even beaten to death by them. After I escaped, I had nowhere to go, so I could only hide back in the village."
Li Xiu'e cried bitterly, and even her voice was choked with sobs when she spoke.
"Sister-in-law, I believe you! Don't cry anymore. I'm back now. You protected me before, and from now on, I'll protect you."
As Zhang Xiaofan said this, his arm involuntarily exerted more force, hugging Li Xiu'e even tighter. At the same time, he also gave Wang Ergou a glare.
"Hehe! Li Xiu'e is so beautiful that any man would have improper thoughts about her. My brother Zhang Xiaofan, since you're back and you're so handsome, it's obvious that I have no chance. I'm really jealous! But don't worry, I won't touch a single hair on Li Xiu'e's head from now on."
Wang Ergou smiled somewhat sheepishly beside them. Zhang Xiaofan was too handsome and had such good martial arts skills that he couldn't beat him. So he could only give up completely in his heart. Otherwise, not only would he get beaten, but he would also lose his brother. This guy was quite smart and knew how to judge the situation.