Chapter 596: Chapter 596: 303 Quiet Month (Second Watch of the Night)

Chapter 596: 303 Quiet Month (Second Watch of the Night)

On November 22, Minor Snow – the twenty-second solar term – arrives.

Snow spells cold, precipitation increases, the weather gradually becomes desolate, and people hurrying by on the street are all wrapped in cotton-padded clothes.

Listening to the weather forecast on television, Li Juan’s hand watering the flowers pauses involuntarily.

It’s today, thirteen years ago.

The sky is gloomy, like an overturned pot.

There’s a storm coming in the mountains.

Madam Zhou steps out of the kitchen, “Juan, go and call Mr. Li. Why hasn’t the delivery arrived today?”

The staple foods and daily needs of the Zhu family were usually delivered by Mr. Li. Although the prices might be high, everything was fresh because the produce came directly from the farmers.

“This Mr. Li, he’s late half the time of every month. He’s truly unreliable. After this month, we won’t cooperate with him anymore...”

Madam Zhou grumbled, but then noticed that Li Juan had been standing still the whole time, showing no reaction.

She walked over and gave her a nudge: “I’m talking to you, what are you dazing off for? When everyone in the family wakes up, you will be held responsible if they can’t have breakfast.”

Li Juan puts down the watering can, and goes into the kitchen to find Mr. Li’s phone number on the notebook hanging on the wall, and calls him.

“There’s been a car accident on Qingshui Road, Mr. Li’s car is stuck there, and he can’t get here.”

Madam Zhou was taken aback for a moment, muttering “what a pity”, and put her hands together in a praying gesture towards the sky.

She turned to Li Juan, “Can you drive?”

Li Juan nodded, “Of course I can.”

Madam Zhou’s face brightened, “Then you go to the garage and take that black Santana to pick up the goods. Let Mr. Li wait there.”

Madam Zhou solemnly handed her the car keys, and bid her emphatically: “Be sure to drive carefully and mind your safety.”

Impatient, Li Juan turned and walked away.

She didn’t tell Madam Zhou that she hadn’t touched a car for over a dozen years.

But once she was in, the familiarity quickly returned. On the way down the mountain, the incident from thirteen years ago kept replaying in Li Juan’s mind. Suddenly, a wild cat darted out onto the road, startling her greatly. She stomped on the break, her hands gripping the steering wheel as she took deep breaths.

Fragments of past memories began surfacing in her mind.

——”Juan, can you help your sister this time? I really have no other choice, otherwise I wouldn’t trouble you. As long as she gives birth safely, we’ll leave right away.”

——”No way, who knows where she comes from? You two look so secretive, did you get into some big trouble? What if I get dragged into it? Get out, leave now, don’t force me to get physical.”

—— “You...how could you be so heartless? We’re sister’s born from the same mother.”

“Open the door,” ordered the woman.

The dean immediately took out his keys and unlocked the iron grating, “She is a madwoman, you should be careful.”

But a glance at the two black-clothed bodyguards behind the woman and the dean thought he might have overthought it.

The woman waved her hand, the dean exited, leaving behind a nurse who was promptly escorted out too by an arm pull from the dean.

Zhou Xue signaled, a black-clad man from behind her stepped forward, and lifted the woman from the bed as if lifting a chicken, there was no weight at all.

The woman fell silently, not struggling at all, laying there as a pile of torn cotton.

Those two hands were bloody and mangled, not resembling hands at all anymore.

Zhou Xue, with the handkerchief still covering her mouth and nose, frowned and said, “Li Chan, I know you’re not insane. If you confess truthfully about the events from thirteen years ago, you can end this hellish life. Otherwise, you will only suffer more. You’re familiar with Madam’s methods.”

The woman had no reaction.

Zhou Xue sneered, “You tricked my people to go to Siji Town. Yet after months of investigation, there was no baby of the appropriate age. So, where did you hide the baby?”

The woman remained indifferent, looking like she had died.

“No matter if you speak or not, as I recall, you have a twin sister. It’s unfortunate that she wasn’t burned in that fire, leaving behind trouble for now.”

At the sound of her words, the woman’s chest expanded slightly.

The sound of high heels tapping against the cold damp floor echoed, like the drum beats of fate, making people powerless.

The woman’s mangled hands clenched into a fist, “You...dare?”

A simple two-worded sentence seemed to have exhausted all of the woman’s energy. The hoarse growl was mixed with endless anger and humiliation.

Zhou Xue bent down, gently wrapped the woman’s hand with her clean handkerchief in a tender, careful manner.

“You, for the sake of a stranger, have done too much. I really admire you for being so compassionate and right. However, you should also consider your sister. Once upon a time, because of you, her entire family perished in the fire, and only she survived by pure luck. Do you still want to push her into the abyss again? Maybe you can make it up to that woman, but can you be fair to your own sister?”

“It’s all because of you...because of you all...” The woman roared with the last of her strength. Her eyes were blood-red, full of endless hatred.

Zhou Xue sighed, “You are so silly. Everyone has their destiny. Her existence itself is a humiliation to the Madam. How could Madam let her live... but, after all these years, Madam regrets it too. After all, they share the same blood. The child is innocent; the Madam simply wants to find the child now and compensate her properly.”

The sound of the woman’s voice was as soft as a dreamy whisper.

For such a long time, she was mentally and physically exhausted; maybe she couldn’t hold on any longer. Regardless of whether the woman was lying or telling the truth, she didn’t have any other option left.

“My sister...”

“Rest assured, she is fine now, but I can’t say the same about her future.”

The woman closed her eyes. After a long, long while, three whispered words echoed in the room.

—”Baitou Mountain.”