Chapter 10: Murder

Qin Mingyue, caring nothing for her dignity, saw that she couldn’t win against Qin Youtian and simply sat down on the ground, wailing loudly, “Heavens above, why is my fate so bitter? Oh heavens! Why did you marry such a domineering and violent wife?”

Domineering? Violent? Was she talking about her? Had she mistaken the person?

The corners of Hua Qinci’s lips twitched involuntarily. She wondered whether it was the original owner’s fate that was unfortunate, or her own luck that had run out.

At that moment, Liu Bingbing stepped out from the crowd and walked over to Qin Mingyue, her face full of concern as she asked, “Aunt, what… what happened here?”

“Oh, Miss Liu recovers quickly! She’s arrived just in time,” the woman said, causing everyone to burst into laughter.

She glanced at the crowd from the corner of her eye. “Cousin, prepare a basin of clean water and a towel.”

“Alright!”

Seeing Qin Youtian rush back to the house, Liu Bingbing turned to the distraught Qin Mingyue and gently urged, “Aunt, let me help you back inside. There are too many people here, gossip is harsh. Let’s just ignore them.”

With Liu Bingbing’s words, Qin Mingyue’s spite returned. Eyes bloodshot, she swung her thick arms, grabbed a stick lying nearby, and hurled it at Hua Qinci.

“Ugh!”

A loud crash followed.

After the series of sounds, when everyone looked again, the stick was embedded in Hua Qinci’s flesh.

Hua Qinci, distracted and full of guilt for nearly causing Qin Mingyue to fall earlier, hadn’t been paying attention. She was pondering how she might quell Qin Mingyue’s anger, so when the stick came flying, she didn’t even try to dodge.

She thought letting herself be hit might cool Qin Mingyue’s rage. What she hadn’t anticipated was that both ends of the stick were sharpened.

With that blow, it pierced straight into her flesh.

Hua Qinci’s brows knitted tightly as pain seared her back, breaking her out in a cold sweat.

“Qinci?” Qin Youtian had just come out of the kitchen, only to witness the stick striking Hua Qinci. He was too late to intervene, and the basin of water in his hands clattered to the ground.

Seeing the blood on Hua Qinci’s back, Qin Mingyue’s mouth trembled.

Liu Bingbing stood silently to the side. She had just handed that stick to the enraged Qin Mingyue.

When she saw Qin Youtian frozen in the doorway, Liu Bingbing quickly feigned concern and rushed forward, “Cousin-in-law, cousin-in-law, are you alright?”

She embraced Hua Qinci, and pretending to stumble, viciously shoved the dazed woman against the peach tree, driving the stick deeper into her back.

Hua Qinci had no strength left to push her away; the pain overwhelmed her, and she lost consciousness.

“Cousin-in-law, cousin, I’m sorry, I didn’t mean it!” Liu Bingbing cried.

Liu Bingbing’s shout jolted Qin Youtian out of his stupor, and he hurried over, “Are you… are you alright?” He held her, panic in his eyes.

“Mother! Mother!” After Qin Youtian shook her a few times, Hua Qinci regained a little consciousness and tried to explain to Qin Mingyue that she hadn’t meant for any of this to happen.

“Qinci, Qinci!” Qin Mingyue was frantic, tears streaming down her face.

“Mother, I, I…” Before Hua Qinci could finish, she slipped into a deep sleep.

“Qinci? Qinci?” Qin Mingyue was wracked with regret. Seeing Hua Qinci unconscious, she staggered backward in terror and collapsed to the ground.

Liu Bingbing reached out to check Hua Qinci’s breathing, glanced at the crowd, and screamed in alarm, “Murder! Aunt, you’ve killed her, you killed cousin-in-law!”

With the situation spiraling out of control, the crowd was terrified; the faint-hearted had already slipped away.

“Call the authorities!” someone shouted.

“Yes, call the authorities! I’m going to call them!” Liu Bingbing yelled as she dashed out of the crowd.

“Liu Bingbing!” Qin Youtian shouted after her, but it was too late—she had already disappeared.