As I hesitated between staying put in the undergrowth or slipping away before Li Xiaohao came closer, Wang Jue was invaded by a tiny flying insect in his nose and couldn't hold back a sneeze.

That sneeze was perfectly timed—not too early, not too late—hitting exactly when Li Xiaohao was facing our direction. Hearing the sound, he froze for a few seconds. Instead of approaching, he lifted his sickle and pointed it toward us, as if announcing that we had been discovered.

I clamped a hand over Wang Jue's mouth, steadying myself in the brush, remaining perfectly still and hidden. My heart hammered against my ribs like a trapped rabbit, terrified he would come charging with the sickle, ready to strike both Wang Jue and me down.

Thankfully, Li Xiaohao didn't lunge over to attack us. Instead, he tossed the sickle to the ground, pulled off his blood-soaked outer garments, and walked toward the edge of the village.

Although Wang Jue had been a doctor for a long time, this was his first time witnessing such a scene of real carnage. He was already trembling violently, his gaze vacant, curled up beside me like a small, terrified kitten.

“Hey, hey…” I stood up, calling Wang Jue’s name while nudging him with my arm. It took him a long moment to snap out of his stupor. He grabbed my sleeve and rose, his eyes clearly clouded with the specific brand of fear only women often carry.

I waved my palm in front of his face and asked with clear worry, "Are you alright?"

He steadied himself, quickly regaining his usual composure, and shook his head, confirming he was fine.

So, the two of us quietly retraced our steps back to Gui Fang’s house. It was just starting to break dawn as we slipped inside; the roosters were beginning their morning calls.

Not long after we managed to sleep, still in our clothes, Gui Fang’s family started stirring. The yard immediately erupted in a cacophony of clattering pots and pans, cat meows, and barking dogs; catching another hour of sleep became impossible. Wang Jue and I had no choice but to get up, wash, and go to the main hall to greet Gui Fang’s family.

Gui Fang’s husband and father-in-law were already sitting in the main hall sipping morning tea. Gui Fang must have already told them about us staying the night. Seeing us emerge from the guest room, they weren't surprised at all; they welcomed us warmly and invited us out to the yard for breakfast.

The morning meal was unexpectedly lavish: sweet potatoes, corn, soy milk, steamed flatbreads, and boiled eggs. Apparently, the eggs had just been collected from the coop. This level of hospitality was well beyond our expectations, making Wang Jue and me feel quite self-conscious. We stood by the table until the whole host family was assembled before finally sitting down to eat with them.

Gui Fang’s husband explained that there were five people in their household: the old man, his younger brother, himself, his wife, and his daughter. Gui Fang was his wife, and Gui Zhi was his daughter. Yet, at this breakfast, we only saw two of the three men.

The man mentioned that his brother had been out carousing with friends last night and had forgotten to come home; the old man was furious, stamping his cane and declaring he would skin that unfilial son alive. Recalling the events of the previous night, I frowned; my intuition warned me that this family might have encountered trouble.

Sure enough, before we had been eating for five minutes, someone came stumbling frantically into the yard, shouting that Jin Bao’er was in trouble.

Gui Fang and her husband immediately rushed out with the newcomer, heading toward the village entrance, leaving the old man and Gui Zhi—one ancient, one young—sitting at the table, staring wordlessly at each other.

The old man got up, leaning heavily on his cane, intending to follow them to the village entrance to see what had happened. Wang Jue and I naturally guessed the grim nature of the incident and strongly persuaded the old man to stay home with Gui Zhi, waiting for his son and daughter-in-law to return, and not to wander about.

Not long after, a noisy crowd flooded into the yard. Gui Fang’s husband walked at the front, his eyes swollen and red; Gui Fang trailed behind him, sobbing pitifully. Behind them, six or seven men carried a stretcher, the person lying upon it completely covered by a white sheet.

When the old man saw the sight, his eyes rolled back, and he immediately collapsed.