Transmigrated Into an Ancient Famine Novel as a Scumbag Alpha (ABO, GL) - Chapter 92

Chapter 92

Ye Qing and her group reached the riverbank. Ye Qing placed the ten river lanterns on the ground, smiled, and said, “Let’s each light one. We’re here, after all.”

Then, Ye Qing lit a lantern first, handed it to the little one, and carried her to the river’s edge, saying, “Yangyang, I’ll hold you. You put the lantern in the water yourself, okay?”

“Okay,” the little one said, holding the lantern carefully with both hands. She placed it in the river gently. Seeing the lantern float on the water, she giggled happily.

“It’s fun! It’s floating!” the little one said excitedly.

Ye Qing held the little white dumpling securely, lit several more lanterns, and gave one each to Song Zhao and Jiang Jinhuang. She planned to let the little one play with the rest.

Song Zhao looked at the people around her, noticed many closed their eyes to make wishes after placing lanterns in the water, and followed suit.

She placed her lantern in the water first, then closed her eyes and made a wish silently.

Song Zhao wished her deceased mother could rest assured, knowing she hadn’t starved and was living well, eating and drinking daily by her master’s side. She hoped her mother was doing well in the other world, without worrying about her.

On the other side, Jiang Jinhuang looked at the river, where many lanterns floated, their lights shimmering on the water, creating a charming scene.

She placed her lantern in the water gently, glanced at Ye Qing, then closed her eyes and made her wish devoutly with hands clasped.

After a while, Jiang Jinhuang opened her eyes again.

She saw Ye Qing playing with her sister, who placed lantern after lantern in the water. Each time, the little one giggled happily, thrilled beyond measure.

“It’s floating! So fun!” the little one said, chattering excitedly.

“Good, you can play with the rest. Let’s let you have fun today, okay?” Ye Qing said, smiling.

“Yay!” the little one said, raising both hands in agreement enthusiastically.

Ye Qing didn’t believe in these things, so she didn’t place any lanterns herself, focusing only on entertaining the little white dumpling.

Jiang Jinhuang took one of the lanterns, looked at Ye Qing, and said, “We’ve all placed one. You should place one too.”

Seeing Jiang Jinhuang’s insistence, Ye Qing nodded and said, “Alright.”

She handed the little one to Song Zhao, took the lantern from Jiang Jinhuang, and placed it in the river. The lantern floated away with the ripples, and Ye Qing watched it quietly.

Jiang Jinhuang broke the silence and asked, “Aren’t you making a wish?”

Ye Qing glanced at Jiang Jinhuang, smiled, shook her head, and said, “I believe in human effort, not this. I don’t like forcing things.”

Then, she took the little one from Song Zhao’s arms, lifted her playfully, and made her eyes curve with laughter.

Jiang Jinhuang sat on the riverbank steps, watching Ye Qing play with her sister. Sometimes, she felt Ye Qing was too rational, too detached, as if she didn’t belong to this world.

Jiang Jinhuang shook her head, thinking she was overthinking. Ye Qing was right in front of her—how could she not be of this world? At most, she had some unique abilities, but she was still an ordinary person who could get hurt. This thought calmed Jiang Jinhuang’s unease.

While she was lost in thought, Ye Qing and Song Zhao took turns carrying the little one, running along the riverbank. The little white dumpling clapped her hands happily.

“Ye Qing, you two are spoiling Yangyang,” Jiang Jinhuang said, laughing helplessly. Who spoiled a child like this?

“It’s fine. She’s been cooped up traveling. Let her play,” Ye Qing said, lifting the little one playfully again.

After playing a while, the little one set her sights on pretty lanterns. She saw children playing with rabbit-shaped lanterns by the river and wanted one too.

She pointed at the lanterns, stared at Ye Qing with bright eyes, and said, “Sister Ye, I want that too.”

“Okay, I’ll buy you one,” Ye Qing said, carrying the little one to buy a lantern.

Jiang Jinhuang followed behind Ye Qing helplessly.

Soon, the little one held a cute white rabbit lantern. Ye Qing set her on the ground, and she walked around happily, carrying her lantern.

Ye Qing, Jiang Jinhuang, and Song Zhao squatted around the little one in a circle. She went to Jiang Jinhuang for a hug, then to Song Zhao, keeping very busy.

While Ye Qing’s group entertained the little one, the young girl who sold them river lanterns nearby seemed in trouble.

A drunken middle-aged man grabbed the girl, saying something. His actions suggested he was demanding something from her.

The girl struggled and refused to give it. The man slapped her face and kicked her.

Ye Qing frowned, looked over, and said, “Song Zhao, watch Yangyang. I’ll go check.”

“Okay,” Song Zhao said, quickly picking up the little one and following Ye Qing with Jiang Jinhuang.

When Ye Qing approached, the man had kicked the girl several times. As he tried to continue, Ye Qing pulled him, causing him to stumble.

“Damn it, who dares pull me!” the man shouted, turning to Ye Qing angrily.

Seeing Ye Qing’s face, the man looked infatuated briefly, but when he realized she was a female Qianyuan, he smacked his lips irritably and said, “Oh, a pretty female Qianyuan? What’s up? Got business with me, brother?”

“Father, don’t bully the sister. She bought my lanterns today. Don’t trouble her,” the girl said, crying as she stood and tried to pull the man. He shoved her away roughly.

Fortunately, Song Zhao caught her from behind, preventing her from falling.

The man, enraged, yelled at the girl, “You’re so young, already hanging out with Qianyuan? Just like your useless mother. Give me the money you have, now!”

He reached for the girl’s money pouch again. Ye Qing grabbed him, slapped him, and knocked him to the ground.

The man looked at Ye Qing in disbelief, shocked by her strength. The slap sobered him up considerably.

“You dare hit me in public? Is there no law? Help! Help!” the man shouted, sitting on the ground.

The commotion drew attention. Many saw the man had attacked the girl first.

People gathered, pointing at the drunken man and whispering.

The man, losing face, shouted, “She’s my daughter! I can beat her to death, and she has to take it. What’s it to you? Especially you, pretty boy, you dare stand up for her? Fine, when I get home, I’ll beat her and her sickly mother to death.”

Ye Qing slapped him again. With many eyes around, she didn’t use full force, but the man’s cheek still burned painfully.

His mouth stayed filthy, saying, “You pretty boy, I’ll tear your face apart!”

Ye Qing, fed up, grabbed his hands, twisted them behind his back, and forced him to kneel on the ground.

She deliberately dislocated his right arm, making him scream in pain.

“Ah! My arm! My arm’s broken! Let me go, or I’ll report you!” the man cried, tears streaming down.

Ye Qing said coldly, “Still want to report? Looks like you don’t need your other arm either.”

“No, no! Heroine, spare me! I was just joking with my daughter. You misunderstood!” the man said, crying.

“Joking? Looks like you do this often. What? You’re useless outside, so you bully your wife and daughter at home? Are you even human?” Ye Qing asked coldly.

The crowd murmured in agreement.

“Exactly, what a scum, beating his daughter in public. Who knows how he treats them at home?” one said.

“Look at him, drunk like that. Why hasn’t he drunk himself to death?” another said.

“Good people don’t last, but scum like him lives forever. He’s too cowardly to die,” someone added.

“Pah, total trash,” another spat.

The man’s face flushed and paled, his teeth nearly grinding to dust, but his arm hurt too much to defy Ye Qing.

His angry eyes fixed on the girl, and he said through gritted teeth, “Why aren’t you begging her for me? Want to see your father beaten to death?”

The girl, breaking down, glared at him with tearful eyes and said, “If I could, I’d rather not have a father like you. What have you ever done for me and Mother?”

She wiped tears from her face and shouted, “Every day, you drink or gamble, stealing all the money Mother earns washing clothes. When you’re happy, you bring home leftover scraps. When you’re not, you beat us. What’s the point of a father like you?”

“Shut up! Shut your mouth!” the man yelled, his sore spot hit, struggling desperately while kneeling.

Ye Qing slapped him again and said, “Behave.”

The man’s mouth bled from the slap, and he didn’t dare shout anymore.

Knowing he’d get no advantage tonight, he switched to a pitiful face, crying and begging, “Miss, I was wrong. I won’t dare again or hit my wife and daughter. Really, I swear. Please spare me. My arm hurts so much.”

Ye Qing stared at him coldly and asked, “Can a dog stop eating sh1t?”

The man’s eyes flashed with malice, but meeting Ye Qing’s calm gaze, his defiance weakened. Knowing she was insulting him, he swallowed it and said, “It can, it can. I really know I was wrong. Miss, spare me, please.”

Ye Qing glared at him with disgust, as if looking at trash.

Impatiently, she lifted his right arm, realigning the dislocated joint. The man rolled on the ground in pain, nearly fainting.