That was a gaze that felt somewhat familiar. My heart stirred, and I barged into the pigsty.

With a few kicks, I drove away those pigs squealing annoyingly, reached into the crack, and tried to force it open.

Perhaps frightened by my actions, those eyes suddenly disappeared the moment I approached, and my upward force was also halted by something.

I swept away the straw, and indeed, beneath Zhao Tiezhu's pigsty, there was a locked basement hidden.

Picking up a stick scattered in the corner of the pigsty, I wanted to pry open the lock.

But before I could exert any force, I suddenly heard Zhao Tiezhu calling my name urgently from the house ahead, his footsteps approaching rapidly.

Zhao Tiezhu's secret was right in front of me, but I had to give up.

In a hurry, I covered the straw again and ran towards the sound, just in time to bump into Zhao Tiezhu walking towards me.

"I’ve been shouting for you, are you deaf?" His face darkened when he saw the straw on me from the pigsty, "What were you looking for?"

"Nothing, just cleaning up." I lowered my head, pretending to be submissive.

At the same time, a heartrending cry suddenly erupted from the house ahead.

I rushed over and saw Zhao Lao'er straddling a woman, twisting her hair, and slapping her face back and forth.

"Sister, you're finally here. Please persuade her," Zhao Lao'er's old mother hurriedly came forward and grabbed my arm when she saw me, "This wretched girl ran away again last night, and we just caught her this whole morning. Why can't she get it through her head?"

"Why are you so single-minded, Lao'er's wife? Still thinking of running away with those shackles on your feet, and running so far. If I hadn't told your man in time, who knows if you'd have been eaten alive by wild dogs in the mountains." Huang Sijia, standing beside her, was earnestly advising, her face so eager for praise that it was incredibly disgusting.

"Ptooey..." The girl, beaten half to death by Zhao Lao'er, struggled to spit bloody saliva at Huang Sijia, "If it weren't for you, cough cough, this time, I would have escaped. You disgusting bitch, saying you'd cover for me and let me run, but only playing both sides. Even if I turn into a ghost, I won’t let you off..."

"Still thinking of running!" Zhao Lao'er interrupted her tearful words, gripping her neck tightly and angrily questioning her.

"Even if I die...I won't die here..." The girl strained her neck, glaring fiercely at Zhao Lao'er.

Such a resolute yet stubborn gaze.

I couldn't bear to watch any longer and walked over to pull Zhao Lao'er away.

"Why do this to yourself, getting all wounded and shackled like this." I tenderly helped her up from the ground, seeing the scars covering every inch of her exposed skin, and the ankles tortured by shackles, already revealing the white bones.

"I won't be subdued, don't even think about it..."

She resisted my movements, but I grabbed her hands. Leaning close to her ear, I whispered softly—

"..."

At that moment, it was like boiling water falling on stubborn ice. Her eyes, filled with despair, suddenly came alive.

"Still thinking of escaping alone?" I tucked her hair behind her ear.

She stared at me blankly and shook her head, "No more running, I will, obey."

Suddenly, Zhao Lao'er's mother's mouth widened to her ears.

"My goodness! Tiezhu, your woman might be the reincarnation of the Queen Mother of the West!"

"It's good she’s come around. Go back and ask her carefully why she ran this time." Zhao Tiezhu, his face softening after regaining dignity, still gave a sour look to Huang Sijia.

Due to that look, I saw Huang Sijia's face turn rapidly red, and the man standing next to her immediately scowled, giving her a vicious elbow jab.

The farce ended. Zhao Lao'er carried the woman back home.

But Huang Sijia's eyes never left me after I convinced that girl.

"What exactly did you tell her?" she asked me viciously with a suppressed voice while being dragged away by her man.