Chapter 662 - 640: In Trouble

Li Fugui was already at a disadvantage. Seizing the moment when Li Hongqi was tired of hitting him, he hobbled away into the distance.

Finally getting a chance, we can’t just let him escape like that.

Lin Guozhi turned to Liang Hongmei and said, "Li Fugui is definitely going to run home. Aren’t you going to buy things? Hurry up and let’s buy so we can go home and deal with her."

"Alright, I just saw a market nearby. I’ll go with Qingqing to buy stuff, you guys can park the car at the market entrance," said Liang Hongmei.

"Mom, I’ll go with you too. Little Star is probably getting anxious sitting in the car. It’s still early, we can take a stroll together," Lin Wan understood her dad’s intentions and smiled at Liang Hongmei.

"Yeah, Mom, let’s have Ah Hui come with us too. We definitely need to buy a lot of things, so he can be our labor," Mu Qing wasn’t foolish; as a soldier, she had keen observational skills.

"Alright, let’s go."

After getting out, Liang Hongmei specifically told Han Yi to park the car at the market entrance. Han Yi nodded and smiled in agreement.

Once out of their sight, the father and son-in-law exchanged a glance, and seeing Lin Guozhi nod, the car headed in the direction Li Fugui had gone... This market was rather chaotic. Saozi was here for the first time in the South and was curious. There were plenty of fruits here, and she bought several kinds in one go.

Mom, on the other hand, bought two large bags of rice and millet, as well as quite a bit of mutton and beef. Considering their family was used to eating noodles, Liang Hongmei also bought half a bag of flour.

Brother bought some fireworks and couplets. Lin Wan, with Little Star, was eating the fruit bought by Saozi as she followed them around. Occasionally, she reminded Mom to take her time choosing, since they weren’t in a hurry.

Seeing Mom almost done with shopping, Lin Wan hurriedly helped her think of anything that might have been missed.

In this way, they spent nearly an hour at the market...

...

Li Fugui got beaten by his son, his face blue and swollen with a bloody gash on his head. He had no money and didn’t go to the hospital, instead catching a ride to town, planning to go home.

In this state, if he didn’t go home, he would starve outside. At least there was a wife at home to help him treat his wounds.

Besides, he had hidden a few hundred yuan in the village, not even Xinghua knew about it.

Now it was the 26th of the month, and he hadn’t heard any news of the Lin Family returning. He thought they probably wouldn’t come back this year.

As Li Fugui got off the bus, he cursed and swore while walking, clearly disliked on the bus.

He was covered in blood, face blue and swollen; anyone who saw him would point and comment.

In the county, he could only go to his son’s house, not knowing any other place, much less freshen up.

There wasn’t a direct bus from town to their village. It was about four or five li (a Chinese mile) from town to village.

Walking this journey, he intermittently encountered a few donkey carts. However, seeing his condition, they dared not let him hitch a ride.

Watching the donkey cart go away, Li Fugui started cursing, "Pretending to be what? I was the village chief of Kao Shan Village for many years; who around the nearby villages doesn’t know me? The fallen phoenix is worse than a chicken. So what if I’m no longer the village chief anymore? What’s the arrogance? Wait until I make it big, don’t let me catch you!"

Little did he know that a military vehicle was following him.

Ahead was the back mountain of Kao Shan Village. Han Yi had observed that there weren’t many people around. It was perfect timing to make a move.

"Dad, you drive, I’ll go down and get him."

"No need, I’ll handle this myself. This rascal, I can deal with him," Lin Guozhi said, picking up a coil of rope from the car.

Then, he leisurely lit a cigarette, and casually wove the rope.

He called out to the cursing Li Fugui ahead.

"Li Fugui, still remember me?"

The word caused Li Fugui to frown and turn back for a look.

Li Fugui didn’t react immediately, and when he did realize who it was, he ran away frantically, shouting for help.

Lin Guozhi watched him run like a coward, smiling mockingly. He quickly swung the rope in his hand, revealing that he had tied a slip knot. With skillful technique, he threw it toward Li Fugui’s running direction, perfectly catching him around the head. Tugging firmly, Li Fugui was securely trapped.

"Is there anyone here? Someone is going to kill!"

"You can shout until your voice breaks, but no one will come to rescue you. Do you think I’d be as foolish as you, letting people see me tying someone up publicly?" Lin Guozhi slowly pulled the rope, dragging him closer.

In his youth, Li Fugui had feared Lin Guozhi. Now, with Lin Guozhi seasoned from years of military training, he was even more terrified. The last time he heard Lin Guozhi’s name, he fled promptly. He never expected to be caught just right as he returned home for the first time in months.

"Guozhi, I know I’ve wronged you. Please, show mercy as the bigger person and spare me."

Realizing he had no chance to escape, Li Fugui immediately changed his attitude, pleading for mercy.

Although they were on the road, Lin Guozhi didn’t waste time with him. With a cold face, he stuffed a prepared rag into Li Fugui’s mouth.

He quickly tugged on his collar and loaded him into the car.

Han Yi wasn’t hesitant either and drove the car to a secluded location at the foot of the back mountain.

Lin Guozhi dragged a terrified, muffled Li Fugui into the mountain.

He knew this mountain well, having hunted here often. He recalled a spot nearby that he frequented, where hardly anyone went, mostly because wild boars often appeared.

The back mountain hadn’t been contracted yet, so Lin Guozhi found a very hidden spot and tied him to a tree.

"Li Fugui, if you want to blame, blame yourself for messing with my father-in-law and my woman. Rest assured, the hardship you inflicted on my family for years, I will let you taste it. Today you’re unlucky and stumbled upon me, saving me the trouble," Lin Guozhi looked up at the sky. It was gloomy; rain was imminent.

"See that? Even the heavens aren’t on your side. I won’t kill you today, but let you first experience the suffering of being rained on and starved," said Lin Guozhi, patting his pale, frantic face. Though he tried to scream, no sound came out.

Lin Guozhi walked around the area; he estimated that no one would come here for a month or two. Ignoring Li Fugui’s desperate struggles, he left directly.

Han Yi saw Lin Guozhi return and didn’t ask. He drove the car back to the county.

By then, Liang Hongmei and the others were already waiting by the roadside.

"Didn’t you say to park somewhere? Where did you go?"

Liang Hongmei asked suspiciously.

"We found a gas station nearby when we arrived, and Han Yi and I got anxious, so we decided to get some gas. Didn’t want to rush it later. Did you buy everything?"

"We bought everything. I don’t think we’ll finish it all for this New Year."

"If we don’t finish, leave it for Xiao Saozi’s family."

They loaded the goods into the car and headed home.

Passing by Huai Town, Lin Wan glanced through the car window at the former shop, now a restaurant serving our local specialties.

"This was the place Xiao Wan came to rent alone. Ah Hui and I were so worried back then, searched for days, I was almost crazed. If not for a kind villager who saw her here, Ah Hui and I wouldn’t have known what to do... Alas, luckily she’s a smart one and wasn’t deceived. Instead, she was driven and got a cart to sell food, determined to earn her way to college," Liang Hongmei recalled those days, an indescribable feeling of sourness washing over her.

"Mom, it’s all in the past, why bring it up?" Lin Wan’s eyes were red, nobody knew how happy she was for a second chance, when all was not yet too late.

Sometimes Lin Wan wondered if she had merely had a nightmare or truly lived another life. She was confused between the two.

"Nannan, children, sorry for the hardships. When you needed me, I was lying cold in bed, failing as a husband and father."

"Dad, Mom, we finally made it home, let’s not talk about unhappy things. Let’s leave the past behind; we’ve come through it now." Lin Yinghui thought those times weren’t too bad compared to their younger years, when they lacked the ability to share the burden with Mom.