TDU Chapter 391
Chapter 391 The Family’s End
I looked at the pile of sunflower seed shells wrapped in a photo of mine, feeling that things weren’t quite as I had imagined.
I took the paper, then smiled and asked, "Sister-in-law, we’ve met twice now, but I still don’t know your name."
"Yao Jindou," she said. "So what about it?"
"Jindou…" I nodded. "That’s a nice name."
"Go toss these shells for me, I still wanna eat," she said after a moment, then added, "Ya remembered to bring the money back?"
"I…?" I frowned. This woman really was different from what I had imagined.
"She dare not forget it," Chengcai said, coming up behind me. "Zhang Laidi, have you seen all the photos in this room? I still have plenty under my bed."
"Quite impressive," I said, glancing around the room, feeling a sense of relief. Then I lowered my head and addressed Jindou. "Sister-in-law, as a woman, don’t you feel it’s peculiar to laugh so openly in a room like this?"
"Peculiar? What’s peculiar?" Jindou sneered. "Dag nabbit, it’s yer photos, not mine. If you hadn’t gone off to the city and married Butcher Ma early, you wouldn’t be in all this mess now, would ya?"
"Oh?" I paused. "So you look down on me just because I’ve been to the city?"
"City women’s just loose," Jindou replied. "Ya might be willin’ to sleep ‘round in the city to make money—but I ain’t."
How interesting. So those who never go to the city are seen as {chaste}, and those who have been are… sluts?
Such convenient excuses, just to mask your laziness and incompetence.
"Aiya, alright, alright…" the old man came over, still smiling. "Quit arguin’ now. Laidi, yer sister-in-law ain’t entirely wrong. Butcher Ma gettin’ caught ain’t the end o’ the world. Keep drinkin’ plenty o’ milk. There’s still a mess o’ unmarried men in the village. When you got plenty o’ milk, I’ll pick one for ya."
"Right!" My mother chimed in. "Second marriage ain’t no easy sell. If we can fetch fifty thousand, we’ll go burnin’ incense to the gods..."
Haha.
I really wanted to laugh.
"Zhang Laidi, hurry up," Chengcai asked. "Where’s the money? The two million and three thousand? I even took high-interest loans for the wedding, now I’m counting on you to pay back this two million."
Heh. You all worry even about the high-interest loans, yet never thought about whether I could survive.
"I’ll get it," I said, snapping back to reality. "It’s outside."
"Outside?" Chengcai froze. "What? What if someone takes it?"
"They won’t. I’ve hidden it. Wait a moment, I’ll go get it for you now." I smiled and pushed past him.
"Do you want me to come with you?"
"No, I’ve got a surprise in store for you."
Everyone remained in place as I walked out of the house.
I went to the doorway, paid the fare for the taxi I had called earlier, then tucked away my phone. I lowered my head and fumbled in my handbag for a moment, then my expression hardened as I looked up. "It’s a bit heavy, Chengcai. Come out and help me."
"Coming, coming!" Chengcai called out happily.
I was holding a multi-purpose hammer at the doorway. As the figure stepped out, I swung it hard against his temple.
Chengcai didn’t even make a sound—he simply collapsed.
I crouched down. His gaze became hazy, yet he was still looking at me. I grabbed a handful of sand from the ground and pressed it into his eyes with my thumb, rubbing until my finger was coated with blood.
Enjoying the show? There’s still more to come.
You bloodsucking demon.
Intentional injury carries a sentence of up to three years in prison, detention, or parole.
Seeing Chengcai sprawled in a pool of blood, my body began to tremble.
Was it fear?
No… I didn’t feel fear—only an intense, almost overwhelming excitement. I had spent my life wielding the scales of justice, yet never had I felt anything like this.
With all my strength, I dragged Chengcai aside, then bent down to pull a compressed canister from my handbag and put on a mask.
"Old man…" I called out, my voice trembling with suppressed excitement, "Chengcai can’t carry it all by himself. Come help, there’s just too much money."
"Oh! Coming, coming!"
The moment the old man appeared, I immediately sprayed the canister at his face.
He froze, his body wobbling slightly.
Regrettably, it wasn’t pepper spray; it was diethyl ether.
Seizing his momentary confusion, I struck his forehead with the hammer. The blow was powerful enough to spin him in place. Seeing him turn his back to me, I struck the back of his head.
The old man had spent his life working the land; he was far stronger than me. If I couldn’t knock him out, I would be in danger.
Unexpectedly, this hit was too strong, his skull at the back of his head shattered. He might never wake up.
Intentional injury resulting in serious harm carries a sentence of three to ten years in prison.
The old man collapsed, the top half of his body landing inside the doorway, letting out a muffled groan that drew the attention of that old woman.
She muttered, {Goddamn it}, and took a couple of steps forward before freezing in place.
In front of her was the old man, with the back of his head blown open, and me, bloodied and masked.
"Zhang… Zhang Laidi!" she croaked, her voice hoarse. "What in tarnation are ya doin’?! What’re ya tryin’ to do?!"
"Mom, I just want a bit of fairness," I replied, expressionless. "Since you all don’t want me to live, then you all should die."
At my words, she collapsed to the floor with a thud, while in the next room, Jindou was still laughing her head off.
After all, she was used to this old woman shouting and yelling all the time.
"You and I are both women. Why drive me to total ruin?" I advanced slowly with hammer and ether. "From the age of six, I have borne the entire household’s labor. You live leisurely. I wash your undergarments, mend your socks, pour your tea, and cook for you, yet you cannot spare me. You’ve already ruined all ten years of my efforts. Was it still not enough? Must I also be disgraced beyond repair?"
"Ya still got the nerve to ask?" She trembled, her voice quaking. "It’s all yer fault! If my first child’d been a boy, I’d’a had a good life!! Why in hell did ya have to come out my womb as a girl?!"
I crouched down, my eyes icy as I stared at her. "Must girls always meet death? You were born a girl as well. Why did you not die?"
"Zhang… Zhang Laidi! What the hell are are ya fixin’ to do?!" Her voice grew hoarse, and within seconds, she wet herself. "If ya sick, don’t be takin’ it out on me!"
"I am sick," I said, not even sure if I was laughing. My mouth twisted into a grin. "And now I’m curing my own sickness. You are the thorns in my flesh. Once you all die, my sickness will be healed."
Under her terrified gaze, I sprayed ether across her face. I used the entire can. I watched as her eyes rolled back, gasping violently. Then I picked up the hammer and expressionlessly struck down.
Having done all of this, I stepped out of the house, dragged Chengcai and the old man inside, and took out the kerosene I had prepared in advance from my bag at the door.
Next, I went into Chengcai’s room. After locating all the photos, I poured kerosene over his bed.
Then I lit one of my own photos with a lighter and threw it onto the kerosene-soaked bed.
Everything will be erased from existence.
Chengcai’s room quickly erupted in flames. Without hesitation, I poured the remaining kerosene over the three bodies in the living room, then stepped outside and grabbed my final item: chains and a padlock.
I locked the door from the outside and watched as the fire spread rapidly inside.
For the crime of arson, where no severe consequences have occurred, the offender shall be sentenced to a fixed-term imprisonment of three to ten years. If the act causes serious injury, death, or substantial damage to property, the punishment shall be ten years or more, life imprisonment, or death.
TL Note: Rant goes here ( •̯́ ₃ •̯̀)
