The bizarre and brutal scene filled Huang Jun and Luan Lihui with a sense of foreboding. Before long, that foreboding became reality.
Huang Qi, bruised and battered all over, lay on the ground gasping for breath for a long while. At last, he slowly got to his feet, wiped the blood from his face with the back of his hand, then knelt before Zhusheng Niangniang, carefully cradling his belly with both hands.
"Th-thank you, Zhusheng Niangniang, for your blessing. This humble one, Huang Qi, has received the blessing!" Huang Qi was overjoyed, his face smeared with blood and dirt.
"Don't celebrate too soon. Whether you'll be the one who receives the final blessing, returns home, and is accepted by the Wang Family depends on how you perform from here on," the village chief said, suddenly very cold.
"This humble one understands. I... I'll prove that I'm stronger than my older brother and can bear children for the Wang Family!" Huang Qi said, then knocked his forehead against the ground. His words were full of resolve.
At this, the village chief's thick-skinned face twitched. His mouth stretched into an ugly grin that seemed almost like a smile. "Good. Then let me ask you: who is your older brother, and where is he now?"
"In reply to the village chief, my older brother's surname is Huang, and his given name is Jun. Like me, he's from Cangzhou. And now... heh heh, he's right here!"
As his final words fell, the woman disguised as Huang Qi abruptly turned to stare at the dumbstruck Huang Jun. Then everyone present, including the village chief and Sun Elder, twisted their necks and looked at Huang Jun in a bizarre pose.
"I... I don't know her!" Huang Jun was so terrified that he was completely at a