12dz Chapter 261 Don't ask about things you don't know.
Chapter 261 Don't ask about things you don't know.
"Xiangyang is right. You should leave this to yourselves. The Yan family in Shanhe Town is not to be trifled with. Old Master Yan was a hunter by trade, and he has a whole bunch of sons and grandsons. Even if you went with guns, they wouldn't back down! It's all your eldest sister's bad luck; she didn't choose the right people..."
Zhou Xiulan said sadly.
"Aunt, what do you mean by 'acknowledging' it? I just felt that I could handle this myself. Don't worry, I promise to bring my sister back safely and not let her suffer any more injustice."
"That won't do!" Wang Ergou exclaimed anxiously, "It's too dangerous for you to go alone!"
Li Xiangyang patted Wang Ergou on the shoulder: "Ergou, I appreciate your kindness, but ultimately this has nothing to do with you. Brother Daqiang, don't go either; take good care of Auntie."
After Li Xiangyang finished speaking, he was about to leave when Zhou Xiulan quickly grabbed his hand: "Xiangyang, let it go. In the end, it's just that we didn't have a son, right? The young couple can try again..."
Li Xiangyang gently grasped his aunt's hand: "Aunt, the real reason isn't that. Today they can bully my eldest sister because she didn't give birth to a son, and we tolerate it, but tomorrow they'll treat her like livestock. Daqiang is right, they're clearly taking advantage of our family's lack of manpower."
With that, Li Xiangyang turned around and went home to get his things.
He obviously couldn't bring a gun; even if he did, he couldn't guarantee he wouldn't use it if he got really angry.
When Li Xiangyang pushed his bicycle out the door, Li Daqiang and Wang Ergou were already waiting there.
"Brother Xiangyang, are you really not letting us go with you?" Wang Ergou asked, somewhat unwilling.
"No need, it's not like I'm going to fight. Don't worry, I'll be right back."
Back home, Li Xiangyang grabbed his hunting rifle, pushed his bicycle out, and waved goodbye to Li Daqiang and Wang Ergou with a smile: "I'm leaving."
Li Xiangyang rode his bicycle to the primary school first and found Li Xiaoyun, who was teaching the children.
"Xiaoyun, I have to go out to Shanhe Town to pick up my older sister," Li Xiangyang said softly from outside the classroom.
Li Xiaoyun glanced at the students listening attentively, then quickly walked to the door: "What's going on?"
"My older sister's in-laws are bullying her and want to divorce her. I have to go and bring her back."
Li Xiaoyun frowned: "Should I go with you?"
"No need. It's over a hundred miles, and it'll take four days to go round trip. You can stay here and focus on teaching. I'll be careful."
"Then be careful, take some dry food with you on the road, and find a safe place to stay tonight," Li Xiaoyun instructed.
Li Xiangyang nodded, kissed Li Xiaoyun on the cheek, and then rode away on his bicycle.
Once outside the village, Li Xiangyang quickened his pace.
The weather in June was hot, but fortunately there were plenty of trees along the roadside, so it wasn't too unbearable.
Throughout the journey, images of his eldest sister in her youth kept flashing through Li Xiangyang's mind.
His older sister was six years older than him, and she used to secretly give him treats.
After riding his bicycle all day, as dusk approached, Li Xiangyang found a small village to stay overnight.
The next morning, they continued their journey.
As evening approached, darkness fell, and Li Xiangyang still had a long way to go.
The mountain road was rugged and uneven, making the journey even more difficult.
Just then, Li Xiangyang saw a dark figure waving at him from the roadside.
"Who goes there?" Li Xiangyang stopped the car nervously and stared warily in that direction.
The dark figure shifted again, as if gesturing for him to come closer.
"Could it be that we've run into a bear?" Li Xiangyang was startled and quickly took out his gun and cocked it.
The shadowy figure didn't move, but seemed to be waiting for him to get closer.
Li Xiangyang slowly walked in that direction, holding his hunting rifle in his hand, ready to deal with any possible danger.
As Li Xiangyang slowly approached, his heart pounded faster and faster, his finger gripping the trigger, ready to deal with any potential danger.
"Who's there?" Li Xiangyang asked in a deep voice, trying to make out the outline of the shadow in the darkness.
The shadowy figure seemed to hear his voice and waved its arm again, but did not answer.
Under the moonlight, the shape did indeed look like a standing black bear.
"Is it really Hei Xiazi?" Li Xiangyang cautiously approached, raising his hunting rifle and aiming it at the dark figure.
Taking a few more steps closer, Li Xiangyang finally saw clearly—it wasn't a black bear, but a dirty man with a full beard.
He was disheveled, his clothes were tattered, and he looked like a wild man who had just come out of the deep mountains and forests.
Li Xiangyang breathed a sigh of relief and quickly lowered his gun: "It almost went off accidentally, it scared me to death."
The man breathed a sigh of relief when he saw Li Xiangyang put down his gun, but he still watched him warily without saying a word.
"What's wrong with you? Why are you in a place like this?" Li Xiangyang asked, taking two more steps forward.
The man opened his mouth as if to say something, but his throat was hoarse and he couldn't make a sound.
He swallowed hard, as if he hadn't spoken in a long time.
Seeing this, Li Xiangyang took out a water bottle from his backpack and handed it to him: "Have some water."
The man eagerly took the kettle and gulped down the water.
After finishing his drink, he wiped his mouth with his sleeve and finally managed to utter a complete sentence: "You... do you have any heat on you?"
Li Xiangyang was taken aback for a moment, then realized what he meant: "Yes, wait a minute."
He took a match out of his pocket and handed it to the man.
The man took the matches, a relieved look on his face: "Great, I haven't had anything hot for days."
Li Xiangyang asked curiously, "What are you doing in these mountains? How did you get into this mess?"
The man glanced at Li Xiangyang, his expression complicated: "Don't pry into things you don't know. It's for your own good."
After saying that, he turned around and left.
"Wait!" Li Xiangyang called out to him, "It's so dark, where are you going? I can help you."
The man stopped, turned back to look at Li Xiangyang, and gave a wry smile: "Young man, there are plenty of kind people, but there are some things I can't help with."
After saying that, he disappeared into the night, leaving Li Xiangyang standing there, staring blankly in the direction he left.
Li Xiangyang stopped thinking about the mysterious man and continued on his way.
Night had fallen, but he had only one thought in his mind—to get to Shanhe Town as soon as possible and bring his older sister back.
After riding for about an hour, Li Xiangyang finally saw the lights of Shanhe Town.
Although it was already very late, he didn't care about anything else and went straight to the Yan family's house.
Following the address given by his aunt, Li Xiangyang quickly found the Yan family's courtyard.
Li Xiangyang leaned his bicycle against the wall, walked to the door, and knocked.
"Knock knock knock!"
After knocking several times, footsteps finally came from inside.
"Who is it? Why are you knocking on the door in the middle of the night?" A gruff male voice came from inside.
"Open the door! I'm Li Guihua's younger brother, from Xiaoliang Village!" Li Xiangyang's voice was steady and powerful.
The courtyard gate was opened, and a man in his forties stood at the door, looking at Li Xiangyang with an unfriendly expression.
This must be the eldest sister's husband, Yan Zhu.
"Li Xiangyang? What are you doing here in the middle of the night?" Yan Zhu asked, frowning.
“I’ve come to pick up my sister and take her home,” Li Xiangyang said directly.
Yan Zhu's expression changed, a flash of anger crossing his eyes: "What do you mean? Your sister married into the Yan family, so she's one of us. It's so late, let's talk about this tomorrow." He then turned to close the door.
Li Xiangyang blocked the door: "Yan Zhu, right? I'll call you brother-in-law for my sister's sake. Weren't you the one making a scene about divorcing my sister? What? Your family came to pick you up, and you're still not happy? Let me tell you, today isn't about whether you want a divorce or not. This has to be discussed with my sister. If my sister is ever wronged, this divorce is a must."
"What nonsense are you spouting?" Yan Zhu raised his voice. "Your sister is doing very well at my house. How could she be being bullied?"