Liu Xiaobao asked curiously, "Brother, what's your plan?"
Liu Dabao spat out his cigarette butt, stepped on it with his toe, and said with hatred, "What's my plan? Naturally, it's to make her life worse than death."
…
"Mom, sister-in-law, second sister-in-law, this is last month's share." Chen Lishu not only sent fabric but also distributed the money to the three women. Including the money for the 'fake collars' and trench coats, each person received nearly thirty yuan.
"Lishu, you know the old Li family in the front yard, my eldest aunt, right?" Li Xiulan asked after taking the money.
Chen Lishu knew she was referring to Li Maocai's wife and nodded, "I know. What about her?"
"She saw us making clothes last time and asked if she could take some work from us. I figured I should ask you about it."
At first, Chen Lishu thought they needed to borrow money. When she heard it was about work, she smiled and said, "My aunt is a good person. If she wants to do it, then of course she can."
Hearing her agreement, Li Xiulan hurried down from the kang, put on her shoes, and went to the front yard to tell Li Maocai's wife the good news.
Since it was getting late, Chen Lishu didn't go back but stayed for the night and rode back to town the next morning.
Not long after Chen Lishu rode out of the village, two people suddenly rushed out from the woods not far away. Chen Lishu was startled and immediately tightened the handlebars and braked. After stopping steadily, she looked up and saw Liu Dabao and his brother standing in front of her.
Seeing that the two were not friendly, Chen Lishu wanted to turn her bike around without a second word, but Liu Dabao grabbed her and said, "You've really made my brother and I wait."
As soon as Liu Dabao finished speaking, Liu Xiaobao flashed the pig-slaughtering knife in his hand.
Chen Lishu was startled by the knife and asked, "What do you want?"
"What do we want?" Liu Dabao swayed his legs and shoulders as if he had a stroke, saying, "My brother and I know you have money. Be sensible and hand over all your money. This bicycle has to be left for us too."
Adhering to the principle of not fighting a losing battle, Chen Lishu put down the kickstand, propped up the bicycle, and then took out all twenty-odd yuan she had. "Can I go now?"
The Liu brothers were stunned. Neither of them expected her to hand over the money and bicycle so readily.
"Brother, what do we do?" Liu Xiaobao asked Liu Dabao, turning his head.
Liu Dabao's gaze fell on Chen Lishu's beautiful face, then lecherously lingered on her chest.
None of the women in the village were as tender and pretty as she was. If he could sleep with her once, how joyful would it be?
Feeling disgusted by his lecherous gaze, Chen Lishu looked at Liu Dabao sharply. "I've given you the bicycle and the money. What else do you want?"
"What else? You bitch caused my mother to go to prison. Do you think this broken bicycle and a mere twenty or thirty yuan can get rid of my brother and me? Don't dream!"
As Liu Dabao spoke, he reached out to touch her face, but Chen Lishu slapped his hand away unceremoniously and said sternly, "Liu Dabao, your mother went to prison because she deserved it. You two brothers are different. It's not too late to turn back. Considering it's your first offense, as long as you let me go, I promise not to mention today's events to anyone."
If it were just Liu Dabao or Liu Xiaobao alone, she wouldn't waste her breath here. Even if it meant a desperate struggle, there would be a chance of winning. But now she was facing two brothers. Even if they were thin, they were men and had a knife. If they really fought, she would definitely be at a disadvantage.
Therefore, Chen Lishu had to patiently reason with them, while also stalling for time, hoping someone would pass by and help her.
"Are you going to say anything or not?" Liu Dabao scoffed, "Only after we sleep with you will my brother and I be at ease."
"Brother, she said she wouldn't tell anyone. Why don't we just let her go?" Liu Xiaobao, being younger, was afraid of the matter escalating and becoming unmanageable. Especially after hearing Chen Lishu say she wouldn't spread it, he felt it was enough.
"Let her go? This woman is as cunning as a sieve. Letting her go is like letting a tiger return to the mountains. If she goes back, she'll never spare us. Besides, the Gu family men could skin us alive. Don't you want to avenge Mom?"
Hearing Liu Dabao's words, Liu Xiaobao began to hesitate again.
Seeing Liu Xiaobao waver, Chen Lishu quickly thought of her words. "Liu Xiaobao, you're only seventeen this year. You have a great future ahead of you. Don't listen to your brother. If you let me go today, I promise not to reveal a single word outside. If you really go to prison, with charges of robbery and rape, you won't get out for ten or twenty years. By then, you'll be almost forty. Do you really want to ruin your prime youth in prison?"
"You shut up!" Seeing that Chen Lishu was about to persuade Liu Xiaobao, Liu Dabao suddenly became impatient and swung a slap at her.
The slap was fast and fierce. Chen Lishu was caught off guard, her vision went black, and then her face burned with pain.
"You coward, I'm going to have you today anyway." Liu Dabao stepped forward and grabbed Chen Lishu, trying to drag her into the nearby woods.
At this time, villagers were working in the fields, and there were few pedestrians on the road. If she were really dragged in, she would have no chance of being rescued.
Seeing Liu Dabao getting closer, Chen Lishu seized the opportunity, bent her body, and rammed into his stomach. She used almost all her strength. Liu Dabao was unprepared, and they both rolled into the roadside weeds, soon wrestling.
Although Liu Dabao was a man, he was idle all day and didn't do anything正事. Moreover, he was thin and small. Chen Lishu, though not strong, was fighting with fierce determination and was actually gaining the upper hand for a moment.
Chen Lishu didn't know any martial arts moves, strategies, or tactics. It was all based on her anger. She clawed and scratched like a madwoman, and Liu Dabao cried out in pain.
"Bitch, stop it." Liu Xiaobao immediately came to help when he saw his brother being bullied, and pressed the knife against Chen Lishu's back.
Chen Lishu's body stiffened, and a deep fear rose in her heart. Her worst fear had come true.
"If you move again, do you believe I'll draw some blood?" Liu Xiaobao fiercely reprimanded her, sensing Chen Lishu's attempt to move.
"Good job, Xiaobao."
Liu Dabao said, raising his hand to touch the place where Chen Lishu had scratched his face. He let out a slight hiss of pain, spat after seeing the drops of blood on his hand, and reached out to grab Chen Lishu's hair.