Chapter 21 The Poor Girl 2

He was nearly naked, unashamedly looking the girl up and down, smacking his lips: "Tsk tsk tsk... You look much more succulent than your mother!"

As he spoke, he reached out with a greasy hand, trying to touch the girl's face: "Why are you crying? Hungry, aren't you? Come, come, come, come inside. Fifth Uncle has delicious food here, let your mother come too... Hehe, I guarantee I'll fill both of you up!"

These words were shameless and vile to the extreme. The woman at the doorway turned white with fear.

She hurriedly knelt before the man, her tone panicked: "Fifth Uncle! Fifth Uncle! I beg you, Niu Niu is still young! She's just a child! You can do whatever you want to me! But I beg you, Fifth Uncle! Please, have mercy, let Niu Niu go!"

The girl raised her head, glaring angrily at the filthy, ugly man before her.

The mere thought of her mother submitting to such a dirty man made her fury uncontrollable!

Especially that mouth full of yellow teeth—just looking at it was enough to make her want to vomit!

The girl was brave, but also foolish.

She pounded on the man's belly, a barrage of blows that made him almost burst into laughter.

The man reached out and shoved the middle-aged woman from the doorway into the hallway.

He grabbed the girl's arm and yanked hard, instantly pulling her inside the room.

The middle-aged woman held onto the doorknob for dear life, preventing him from closing the door.

After sensing the strength in the man's arm, which she could never hope to contend with, the girl finally realized fear. Her pale little face drained of all color, and she struggled helplessly.

Zhang Yajing hid behind the door, silently wiping away tears. She knew she was powerless, but she couldn't bear to watch this human suffering.

To keep her crying as quiet as possible, she reached out and grabbed Zhou Yan's arm, burying her face in his arm...

This simple action caused the gun in Zhou Yan's hand to bump against the fire door.

"Clang!"

A crisp, distinct metallic collision echoed through the hallway...

Zhou Yan looked at Zhang Yajing in his arms with displeasure.

Why are you pulling on me right now?

...

The man was cautious and stopped his movements...

The sound from outside the fire door plunged the three of them into an eerie silence.

The three of them—one holding the little girl, one struggling, and one blocking the man from closing the door—remained frozen in that position, staring at the fire door in panic.

The woman realized that if it was one of those monsters behind the door, she would have to hide inside the room no matter what today...

Zhou Yan didn't need to hide anymore; they had already been discovered...

Fifth Uncle was startled when he saw Zhang Yajing walk out, and even more so when he saw Zhou Yan emerge from behind the fire door.

His greasy, filthy face immediately broke into a fake smile, which only made him look more lecherous:

"My reputation is quite big, Fifth Uncle! Everyone knows to come find me to trade for food now? Brother, I see your wife..."

When he saw the rifle in Zhou Yan's hand clearly, the color drained from his greasy face instantly, and his arrogance vanished.

He stared fixedly at the intimidating rifle in Zhou Yan's hand, his Adam's apple bobbing uncontrollably. Subconsciously, he wanted to close the door again.

"?" Zhou Yan was genuinely confused this time.

Is this guy really that brave?

Did he practice the Golden Bell Shield or the Iron Cloth Shirt?

Zhou Yan stepped forward quickly and smashed the butt of his rifle hard against Fifth Uncle's fat cheek!

Fifth Uncle was knocked flat onto the ground by the blow.

Even when he saw Zhou Yan had a gun and instinctively wanted to close the door, this guy was still trying to drag the struggling girl into the room.

"I wasn't... I just saw that this mother and daughter were pitiful and wanted to help out with good intentions! In this world, nothing is easy, hehe... helping each other, helping each other..." Fifth Uncle wasn't stupid; he didn't resist, and he didn't dare curse.

He could only sit on the ground, fawningly making excuses.

When the middle-aged woman saw Zhou Yan and the rifle in his hand, she shuddered in fear. Subconsciously, she pulled her daughter behind her, her eyes filled with terror at the weapon in Zhou Yan's hand, as if she had just escaped a wolf's den only to enter a tiger's lair.

But because of her state of "dress," she lowered her head in shame, not daring to look up...

Zhou Yan couldn't be bothered to talk nonsense with him. He simply lowered the muzzle of his rifle slightly—a seemingly casual but threatening gesture—and fixed his cold gaze on Fifth Uncle like a physical weight.

"What did you just say? What about my wife?"

"Brother! Brother! I, Fifth Uncle, was blinded by lust, but after being hit by you, I've suddenly come to my senses! I know I was wrong! Spare me, brother!"

Fifth Uncle clasped his hands together, kneeling on the floor and begging Zhou Yan incessantly.

Taking advantage of the moment Fifth Uncle wasn't paying attention, Zhou Yan pulled out the Bull Knife strapped to his lower leg.

He aimed at Fifth Uncle's crotch and, without a word, slashed down!

"Splat~"

A hideous lump of flesh fell onto the floor...

"Ah!! Ah!! Ah!!" Fifth Uncle clutched his crotch, rolling on the ground in pain.

Even in such agony, he still reached out, trying to pick up that piece of "flesh."

Zhou Yan raised his foot and, under Fifth Uncle's desperate gaze, stomped down hard!

He even ground his heel into it a few times.

Hiding behind her mother, the girl raised her head. With teary eyes, she looked at her mother, then at Zhou Yan and the rifle in his hand. Her eyes were filled with confusion and fear; she hadn't processed what had just happened.

Seeing that the girl wasn't very old but had a sallow face from hunger, Zhang Yajing felt a pang of pity and looked tentatively at Zhou Yan.

After Zhou Yan nodded, Zhang Yajing said: "If you know where he keeps his food, go ahead and gather it to feed the child!"

The woman thanked them repeatedly. Shame and gratitude were intertwined. The fear of Zhou Yan's weapon hadn't completely faded from her eyes, but it was overshadowed by the joy of surviving the ordeal with her daughter.

She was ashamed that she had been caught doing such a thing.

Fifth Uncle lay on the ground, able only to stare helplessly as they hauled away the supplies he had hoarded.

For a moment, he wished he could die immediately! To become a vengeful ghost and take revenge!

But he couldn't do anything. The excruciating pain in his crotch and the spurting blood made his vision go black...

He couldn't even open his mouth to curse.

He could only lie hopelessly on the floor, waiting for death to arrive.

Zhou Yan lit a cigarette and squatted nearby.

He had to watch this guy die.

Just in case this guy had a sudden burst of energy before dying...

Fifth Uncle looked at the man before him, gritting his teeth as he said:

"I... even as a ghost, I won't let you go!"

"Then you'll have to take a number. I doubt the ghosts behind me would agree to let you cut in line..." Zhou Yan said very earnestly.

The woman finished packing, carrying a black travel bag filled with the food Fifth Uncle had hoarded.

"Little brother, thank you so much this time... If it weren't for you, Niu Niu, she..."

As she spoke, she couldn't hold it back any longer and hugged her daughter, sobbing loudly.

Zhang Yajing pulled the woman and Niu Niu into her arms, comforting them endlessly.

Zhang Yajing knew her hardship; besides, she had a teenage daughter, which made her situation even harder than her own...

"Mom... why did you do that..."

Looking at the shock, pain, and incomprehension in her daughter Niu Niu's eyes, the woman felt the last shred of her maternal dignity shatter completely.