amaotonovel Chapter 477 Niu Jiaojiao
Chapter 477 Niu Jiaojiao
Chapter 477
Luo Shuiyao lowered the car curtain and grasped Ye Yunzhou's hand tightly. He wore a human skin mask, his face ordinary, yet he exuded an undeniable dignity. Although she didn't understand the reason for his strange behavior along the way, the warmth and calmness in his palm inexplicably reassured her. For her, knowing that this man wouldn't hurt her was enough.
The wheels creaked as they rolled over the cobblestones. A cacophony of hawking gradually reached the car from outside, signaling that they had entered Qingshui Town. Inside the car, there was complete silence. Luo Shuiyao sat by the window, her fingertips gently lifting the corner of the curtain. Her gaze, tinged with a mixture of nostalgia and unfamiliarity, surveyed this familiar yet unfamiliar place.
Ye Yunzhou leaned against her side, slightly closing his eyes, gently rubbing the back of her hand with his palm again and again, his fingertips inadvertently caressing the delicate bones of her wrist, wondering what he was thinking about.
Outside the carriage, Ye Yi and Chun Xing had already inquired about the Luo family's residence and were heading towards their destination. As they approached the alley entrance, they saw a crowd of people ahead, all craning their necks to peer into the alley. Ye Yi pulled the reins, straining to hear what was happening in the crowd, but the distance was too great; he could only faintly hear cries and shouts.
Hearing the commotion outside, Luo Shuiyao immediately lifted the horse curtain and leaned out, her gaze fixed on where the crowd was gathered—right in front of her aunt's house. Her brows furrowed in thought, and Ye Yunzhou, noticing this, whispered, "What's wrong?"
"I seem to hear my aunt crying inside." Luo Shuiyao was eager to get out of the car before she finished speaking. Ye Yunzhou was quick-witted and quickly reached out to hold her steady.
Luo Shuiyao lifted her skirt and struggled to squeeze into the crowd. The onlookers thought she was trying to cut in line, and they began to shove and shove her. But when someone turned and caught a glimpse of her face, they instantly stopped talking. This girl was so bright and beautiful, so noble that even those who had seen the daughter of the town capital would feel that she pales in comparison. Taking advantage of the man's moment of daze, Luo Shuiyao hurriedly squeezed in, but was still blocked by the wall of people. Anxiously, she kept standing on tiptoe to peer inside.
At Niu Dali's door, Luo Shi was much thinner than the last time they met, still wearing the same washed-out dress. She was holding her daughter, who was about thirteen or fourteen years old, tightly behind her.
The girl's clothes were shabby but clean and tidy, and she had a pretty face. She remained silent, letting her mother stand in front of her, but her eyes were fixed on Niu Dali in front of her, full of hatred.
Niu Dali was furious when a little girl dared to look at him like that. He was about to drag her away, but Luo Shi stopped him firmly. His long-term indulgence in alcohol and sex had long since worn him out, and Luo Shi had been working hard for years, so he was very strong. For a moment, he was unable to do anything to Luo Shi.
After struggling for a long time without being able to touch his daughter's finger, Niu Dali became angry and cursed: "You bitch, if you dare to stop me again, I will sell you both!"
Throughout her life, Luo adhered to the ancient motto of "a married woman obeys her husband," and was generally gentle, rarely clashing with Niu Dali. However, despite her seemingly docile nature, she was incredibly stubborn, and once her bottom line was crossed, she wouldn't budge an inch.
To protect her daughter, and adhering to the principle of "husband is the most important thing to me," she simply dodged Niu Dali's pull and didn't fight back. After a struggle, she was bruised in many places, and her voice was trembling, but she still stood up to Niu Dali and said, "Do you still have a conscience? This is your own flesh and blood, how can you say such heartless words!"
Niu Dali sneered, his face full of disdain. His eyes, looking at his daughter, showed neither the slightest trace of fatherly love nor the slightest trace of guilt. "A little girl will belong to someone else's family sooner or later. I'm going to find a good place for her! Give her to Master Li. She'll have food and drink without worries, and someone to serve her. Isn't that better than living with us? You woman, with long hair and short knowledge, why are you trying to stop me?"
Hearing that he, as a father, could say such shameless words, Luo was so angry that his whole body was shaking, his lips trembling but he couldn't utter a complete sentence.
"Since Master Li is so kind, why don't you go?"
A cold young woman's voice suddenly rang out. The daughter, who had always been fiercely protected by the Luo family, finally spoke. Her voice was cold and almost numb, as if the person standing opposite her was not her biological father, but a complete stranger.
Niu Dali was taken aback at first when he heard his daughter speak out of the blue. But when he heard the sarcasm in her words, his face instantly turned the color of liver and he roared angrily, "You are truly a good daughter to your mother! How dare you disobey your father like this? You are rebelling against heaven!"
Mr. Li was a man, and what he wanted was a bed-warming girl. How could a man like him go? This damned girl's light words were clearly a jab at his spine in public! Niu Dali's temples throbbed, and veins popped up along his neck. The contempt in his daughter's eyes was like a thorn in his self-esteem, and the whispers of the onlookers around him made him feel even more uncomfortable.
How could the head of a family be humiliated in public by a little girl? How could he swallow this anger? "You're rebelling! I'm going to skin you alive today!"
He was so enraged that he lost his mind. He looked around and saw the wooden stick blocking the door. He walked forward, picked it up, and pretended to rush up and hit someone.
Luo had just recovered from the shock of her daughter's words when she saw Niu Dali's expression. She was immediately horrified and turned around, shoving her daughter hard: "Jiaojiao! Run away quickly! Run! Your father will beat you to death!"
She knew her husband had lost his mind. How could he still be a human being? How could her daughter, with her frail body, withstand such a thick stick?
Niu Jiaojiao stumbled several steps, but she still stared at Niu Dali with a cold gaze. Her face grew paler, but a mocking smile played at the corner of her lips. "Dad, think carefully. If you kill me today, you won't be able to pay back the money you owe the gambling house, and you won't have another child to sell."
These words were like a bucket of cold water, instantly bringing Niu Dali back to his senses. He was about to charge forward with his club raised when he abruptly stopped. He stared at Niu Jiaojiao with anger, his face turning pale and blue. He froze in place, unable to move forward or backward. Yes! He still owed the gambling house 20 taels of silver. If he beat this girl to death, how would he get the 20 taels of silver back?
Seeing his cowardly look, Niu Jiaojiao sneered. She forcefully pushed aside Luo Shi, who was blocking her way, and took two steps forward. Ignoring her mother's worried look, she stared directly at Niu Dali. "I'm standing right here today. You gave birth to me and raised me. Beat me to death if you dare. Consider it my return of my life to you, how about that?"
There was no trace of fear in her eyes; her expression was terrifyingly calm, and her tone was as natural as if she were talking about how nice the weather was today. Niu Dali was shocked by her appearance and subconsciously took a step back, not daring to look her in the eye again.