Trapped in Small Mountain Village

"Mom, Li Yang and I can't be separated. I'm already pregnant with his child. Please stop trying to tear us apart. I'm begging you, let us get married!"

Yue Xiaodan was so emotional that she stood there and screamed those words herself hoarse. How could Xiao Dan's Mom, the head of the household, possibly save face after that? Her authority had been challenged—how could she tolerate it? Usually, Xiao Dan's Dad, a burly middle-aged man in his forties, obeyed Xiao Dan's Mom, who was barely five foot two, without question. If she told him to go east, he would never dare go west. And now this unwanted little girl dared to challenge her?

Li Yang was shocked as well. Thinking back, Yue Xiaodan had been unusually gentle and careful when they made love after she returned a month ago. And that was why she had not touched a drop of alcohol at Jing Jing's Home that afternoon. So that was the reason.

Xiao Dan had wanted to keep it secret and tell Li Yang about the pregnancy at the right time. She had only discovered that her period was late while she was in Yiyang, so she found time to get checked at the hospital. To her surprise, she really was pregnant. Thinking of how she and Li Yang had made love several times before coming here without using protection, she must have conceived then. The moment she received that wonderful news, Xiao Dan had nearly shouted with joy right there in the hospital. This was the greatest proof of true love she wanted to give Li Yang.

Their beautiful love had finally reached the point of blooming and bearing fruit. Li Yang's daily hard work had not been in vain.

If they had been any other parents, they would have been overjoyed. Xiao Dan's Dad had gotten up early on and gone to squat by the front gate, smoking. He knew he had no right to speak, so he might as well stay away from the trouble. They had eaten dinner beneath the shade of a tree in the courtyard. It was only a little past six, and in August, night still came late. But dark clouds were suddenly beginning to gather in the sky.

But to Xiao Dan's Mom, who was stubborn and twisted, this was like pouring oil on the fire. She did not care whether Xiao Dan was carrying a kitten or a puppy. Even if she gave birth and brought the child before her, as long as Xiao Dan refused to obey her arrangements, she would not go easy on her. What happened next became something Li Yang would never forget for the rest of his life. It also shattered everything he had believed about the bond between parents and children in his twenty-three years.

Slap!

Yue Xiaodan was viciously slapped across the face by her mother right in front of everyone. That slap also made her heart gradually turn cold and hard. Toward the relative who had raised her since childhood, the thought of hating her to the bone took root deep in her heart. She would never let it go for the rest of her life.

"You worthless little bitch! You let some man knock you up, and you still have the nerve to bargain with me? I'll beat you to death, you useless girl!"

Xiao Dan's Mom would not allow anyone to trample on her status in the family. That was a major reason for her fierce reaction. Logically speaking, she did not care whether her daughter lived or died. She did not give a damn who Xiao Dan married. All she cared about was finding a wife for her son and bringing her into the family. That was what mattered most.

She felt that Xiao Dan had not treated her mother with respect and had joined forces with an outsider to oppose her. In that case, she would make damn sure Xiao Dan did not get what she wanted. At that moment, human selfishness and hatred were magnified without limit...

Xiao Dan was completely stunned. Her heart was more dead than silent. When she was young, her mother's disdain had not made her understand what it truly meant. Only now did she realize that this woman had never regarded her as a person at all. Slowly, Xiao Dan began to stand still and watch this strange woman coldly as she beat and cursed her, spitting out every vicious insult imaginable.

Li Yang would not stand for it. Fuck this, I don't care who you are. He stepped forward, protected Xiao Dan in his arms, and turned his back toward Xiao Dan's Mom, who was worse than an animal.

Who would have thought that only made her more aggressive? She started hitting them both. In the blink of an eye, Li Yang had been struck several times on the head and back. His anger flared, and he casually shoved her away. He had not expected the crazy woman, who looked so fierce, to be so frail. Li Yang's seemingly simple push made the situation even more uncontrollable.

Xiao Dan's Mom staggered and fell onto the ground. Xiao Dan's Dad, who had been watching from outside, could not just sit there anymore. He hurried over and helped up the "good wife" he had obeyed his entire life.

"What are you standing there for, Yue Daqiang? Are you fucking blind? Can't you see someone's bullying me? Hurry up and hit him!" As she spoke, she furiously kicked Xiao Dan's Dad twice. Looking at this scene, even a dog passing by would probably have gotten slapped twice by this crazy woman.

There was always someone worse out there. Today had truly taught Li Yang a lesson. He had never imagined that a woman like this existed in the world. She did not deserve to be a parent at all. Li Yang's entire worldview had been overturned.

"Let's go, honey!"

Seeing that the situation was spiraling out of control, Li Yang planned to simply leave. At worst, they could skip the wedding altogether. They could still have children and live their lives. He believed Yue Xiaodan felt the same way.

If it were that easy to solve, then she would not be Yue Xiaodan's mother. In fact, from that moment on, Xiao Dan knew that it was impossible for her and Li Yang to have a proper wedding.

Before they could think any further, the crazy woman launched another attack. It was even more violent and ferocious than before. At that moment, she probably wanted to eat Li Yang alive. She had never seen such an arrogant son-in-law—poor, broke, and still acting tough. If she let him have his way, she would take his surname!

The two sides, each with their own schemes, collided head-on, and sparks flew...

Xiao Dan's Mom had somehow picked up a branch and now held it in her hand, making her even more formidable. She lashed out at Li Yang's head and body with it. If she did not beat him to death today, how could she ease the hatred in her heart? She blamed Li Yang for all of Yue Xiaodan's defiance, so her beating became even more frenzied...

Xiao Dan was also worried that Li Yang would be hurt. As they dodged, they shielded each other with their bodies. Before long, Li Yang was pushed completely to the brink. He stopped holding back, snatched the stick from her hand, threw it aside, and grabbed the arm she was waving wildly. He raised his hand, about to strike Xiao Dan's Mom across the face.

When the fuck have I ever taken this kind of humiliation? Fuck you!

Li Yang was on the verge of losing control!

"Don't, honey! Stop!"

Xiao Dan grabbed Li Yang's hand in time, preventing the situation from becoming even more irreparable.

"Let's go. I don't want to stay in this house anymore." Xiao Dan's heart was completely dead, and even her voice had become weak and lifeless.

"You think you can leave? Not that easily!"

Xiao Dan's Mom had gotten a chance to catch her breath and immediately became aggressive again. She looked around. She no longer dared hit Li Yang, since that look in his eyes had frightened her a little. This young man with the pretty-boy face did not seem easy to provoke either.

So she flipped over the dining table. Soup, dishes, bowls, and pots shattered across the floor. At the same time, the last shred of Yue Xiaodan's attachment to this home was smashed to pieces as well...

Just then, her younger brother came back, swaying as he walked. He had spent the afternoon with a female classmate and was in a great mood. The moment he entered through the gate and saw the mess before him, he immediately sensed that something was wrong. Out of sight, out of mind. He knew better than anyone what his mother was like, and he would never get involved in this kind of bullshit. So he slipped away without anyone noticing. He did feel sorry for his older sister, who had always taken good care of him, but there was nothing he could do. All he could do was pray for her in his heart, hoping she would marry soon and escape this misery.

The standoff in the courtyard continued...

"Listen carefully, you dead girl. I'm putting this out there today: if you dare leave this house with him, I'll call the police right now and say he raped you and got you pregnant. If you're not ashamed, then take one step and see what happens!"

Hearing those vicious words that shook them to their core, the two of them felt as though their hearts had frozen in the minus-sixty-degree cold of Antarctica. Their world had completely collapsed!

"Get the hell out of my house right now, or I'll call the police!"

Xiao Dan's Mom pointed at Li Yang and cursed him with her head held high. By now, it was no longer just about the amount of the bride price. Her hatred for the two of them had clearly become a personal vendetta.

You wanted to run away together and leave it all behind? She would make sure you did no such thing.

"Then give him back the money he gave you!" Yue Xiaodan remembered that Li Yang's money had been taken away and wanted to get it back for him.

"You cheap little slut! He slept with you for so long for free and got you pregnant. Shouldn't I ask for some compensation? Didn't it cost money to raise you? He's lucky I didn't ask him for more. Get the hell out!"

"Honey, you should leave first. We'll think of something later. If you don't leave, she really will call the police and have you arrested. I don't want this to blow up and reach your parents. It would look terrible. Listen to me. Leave now!"

Hearing Yue Xiaodan's heartfelt words, Li Yang had no choice but to compromise. His life experience and social experience were still not enough for him to deal with such an almost impossible problem.

There was a kind of person who would act shamelessly when you tried to reason with them, but the moment you got tough, they would start talking about the law. Yue Xiaodan's Mom was exactly that kind of person. Li Yang felt like a headless fly, unable to find any way to handle her.

The sky darkened in an instant, as though a torrential storm was about to arrive. Li Yang clenched his fists unwillingly, but he could do nothing against this illiterate woman who would not listen to reason. Yue Xiaodan had simply been born into such an unfortunate family. Perhaps her fate had been destined from childhood not to go smoothly.

In the end, Xiao Dan humiliatingly saw him out of the house. Her mother had truly taken out her phone and prepared to call the police. Besides, their shouting had drawn plenty of onlookers. Xiao Dan did not want Li Yang to be embarrassed because of her.

At that moment, Li Yang felt like killing someone. Back when he had been running with rough crowds, he had often encountered real fights involving knives and bloodshed. At those times, Li Yang had never been afraid. The rush of adrenaline made him as brave as an ancient general. He had fought his way through everything without ever fearing or retreating. He Junjun had once been personally saved by Li Yang from beneath a blade. So no one knew Li Yang's courage better than he did.

But today, Li Yang felt pathetic for the first time in his life. People who refused to play by any rules were truly despicable and shameless.

The sky seemed to suit the mood. A downpour suddenly crashed down like a flood, catching him completely off guard. Li Yang stared at the misty, chaotic scene around him, not knowing where to go. He was already soaked from head to toe. The ground beneath his feet was thick with mud, and every step was difficult. His luck was truly awful.

Meanwhile, Xiao Dan had effectively been placed under house arrest. Her phone was confiscated, and her mother declared that she had to abort the child before going on blind dates again. She would not be allowed out of the house until her marriage was arranged. As for work, her mother had never worked a day in her life and did not care whether Xiao Dan was an Assistant Shop Manager or how much she earned.

Xiao Dan lay there blankly, her eyes empty. She could not even feel the torrential rain outside. Her mind was completely blank, and she was like a walking corpse...

With nowhere to turn, Li Yang found shelter from the rain and called Jing Jing on his phone...

At Jing Jing's Home, her parents ran a braised-food business in the county town. Usually, they only came home at night after closing their stall and driving back in their van.

Later, it would depend on what kind of marriage their daughter chose. If she married out, that was fine. If they brought in a son-in-law, they would buy her a home in the county town. The man would not need to spend a single cent, as long as he sincerely treated their daughter well.

If Li Yang had known how open-minded Jing Jing's parents were, he probably would have coughed up blood from anger. Comparing people truly could make someone furious!

When Jing Jing received the call, she danced with joy. She knew the two of them would not have a smooth road ahead, but she had not expected trouble to come so quickly. When she picked up the bedraggled Li Yang with an umbrella and brought him home, her heart immediately ached for him, and she nearly cried. In a panic, she wiped his soaked body dry, not caring about dirtying the clean floor.

"Your parents won't chase me out, will they?"

Li Yang was genuinely traumatized after everything that had happened. He asked at the worst possible moment.

"It's fine. My parents are in the county town. They probably won't be able to come back tonight." The rain continued to wash over the earth, making it feel as though the world itself was shaking.

Li Yang's shoes were filled with muddy water. He could not care about embarrassment now. He stripped off his clothes and shoes, leaving only his underwear, which still dripped with water.

"Hurry up and take off your underwear too!" Jing Jing was only worried that Li Yang would catch a cold. She stared at his body with wide eyes, completely forgetting that there should be some distance between men and women.

"Don't look, then. How am I supposed to take it off?" Li Yang was speechless. At a time like this, this girl is still eyeing my body? She did not even blink as she stared at him.

"Hehe, then take it off. Hurry up and shower. I'll take care of the rest."

To avoid dirtying the living room, Li Yang insisted on stripping in the second-floor hallway. Jing Jing playfully covered her eyes, but she still peeked through the gaps between her fingers and secretly looked over his entire body. She was quite satisfied with every part of him.

After that, Li Yang stopped worrying about anything else and ran straight into the bathroom for a comfortable hot shower. Jing Jing boldly barged in and brought him a towel to cover himself with, taking the opportunity to feast her eyes without restraint. Li Yang ended up feeling like an innocent young maiden being secretly watched. The world had truly turned upside down!

After wrapping himself in the towel and coming out, Li Yang was so moved by what he saw that he nearly wanted to devote his life to her!

Jing Jing was squatting in the hallway. She wore a small camisole on top and black hot pants below. As she squatted and bent over, Li Yang could see an alluring expanse of fair skin from behind her. Her white panties, half-hidden and half-revealed, looked incredibly sexy.

Her dress had also been soaked by the rain earlier, so she had changed into something simple. Ignoring the chill brought by the heavy rain, she filled a basin with water and carefully scrubbed Li Yang's shoes and socks. His clothes and underwear had already been thrown into the drum washing machine on the balcony.

His shoes were too dirty and could only be washed by hand. The water in the basin quickly turned murky!

The sound of the rain was so loud that it covered Li Yang's footsteps. Jing Jing was so focused that she did not notice him watching from behind. For one brief moment, a thought suddenly appeared in Li Yang's mind: what would it be like if he married this girl? As long as he was not an idiot, how could he fail to feel Jing Jing's affection for him?

But there were no ifs. After that brief thought, he gave up on the unrealistic idea.

Worried that she would catch a chill, Li Yang quietly picked up a jacket from the sofa, walked over, and gently draped it over Jing Jing's shoulders...