Transmigrated Into an Ancient Famine Novel as a Scumbag Alpha (ABO, GL) - Chapter 93

Chapter 93

The man rolled on the ground several times, feared Ye Qing would attack him again, and scrambled away quickly.

Ye Qing frowned, looked at the man’s fleeing figure, then checked on the young girl and asked, “Are you okay?”

The young girl, teary-eyed, nodded at Ye Qing gratefully. Jiang Jinhuang bent down, picked up the river lanterns that fell from the girl’s basket, and returned them to her carefully.

Then, Jiang Jinhuang handed the basket to the girl and said, “Here.”

“Thank you, sister,” the young girl said, sniffing as she took the basket from Jiang Jinhuang’s hands.

Many onlookers, seeing the girl’s pitiful state, approached and bought river lanterns from her eagerly.

“Give me one river lantern,” one person said.

“I want some too. I’ll take three,” another said.

The young girl wiped tears from her face, handed out lanterns with a smile, and sold out her basket’s lanterns quickly.

Ye Qing sighed, met Jiang Jinhuang’s gaze, and said, “This matter probably won’t end easily. That man, after going back, might act desperately.”

Jiang Jinhuang nodded in agreement and said, “Since we’ve gotten involved, staying here an extra day or two won’t hurt.”

“Good,” Ye Qing said, smiling in response.

She turned to Song Zhao and said, “Song Zhao, take Yangyang back first. Jinhuang and I will check on the girl’s home.”

“Okay, be careful,” Song Zhao said, cautioning them.

Ye Qing pinched the little one’s cheek and said, “Yangyang, listen to your Sister Song Zhao. Go back and sleep early. Your sister and I may return late.”

“Okay!” the little one said, holding her rabbit lantern and nodding obediently.

Ye Qing and Jiang Jinhuang approached the young girl and asked, “Where’s your home? Can you take us to see it?”

The young girl looked at Ye Qing and Jiang Jinhuang’s clothes, spoke timidly, and said, “Sisters, my home is simple. I’m afraid it’ll dirty your dresses.”

“It’s fine. Take us to see it,” Ye Qing said, smiling reassuringly.

The young girl nodded, grateful for Ye Qing’s help. She sold all her lanterns today, earning over a hundred wen, an unimaginable sum for her.

“Okay, but my mother is still sick. I’m afraid, I’m afraid…” the girl said hesitantly.

“Don’t worry. I’m concerned your father might trouble you again. He suffered a loss here and may take it out on you at home,” Ye Qing said.

The young girl looked alarmed and said, “Oh no, my mother!”

“Let’s go. Hurry back,” Ye Qing urged quickly.

The young girl led the way hurriedly. Ye Qing and Jiang Jinhuang followed closely behind.

During the Flower Festival, Xiangzhou City had no curfew, and the streets stayed brightly lit all night. Ye Qing’s group left the riverbank, navigated through crowded streets, and reached a secluded alley.

The alley was pitch dark. The young girl led the way, reminding them carefully, “Sisters, watch your step.”

“It’s fine,” Ye Qing said, grabbing Jiang Jinhuang’s wrist gently. “I’ll guide you.”

“Okay,” Jiang Jinhuang said, feeling warmed by Ye Qing’s constant care.

Soon, the young girl led them to a simple courtyard. The alley was too dark, so she took out a fire starter. As she pushed open the gate, they heard sounds of things being smashed inside.

“Oh no, my father must be back already,” the girl said, rushing inside, ignoring Ye Qing and Jiang Jinhuang.

Ye Qing quickly pulled Jiang Jinhuang along to follow her.

When the young girl reached the house’s entrance, she saw her mother’s room door open. She rushed in and saw her sick mother dragged to the floor by her father, who held a wooden stick, ready to strike her.

“Father, what are you doing? Mother is still sick. If you’re angry, take it out on me,” the young girl said, crying as she shielded her kneeling mother.

“Take it out on you? Of course! You unfilial daughter, luring a female Qianyuan and letting her hit me. I’ll beat you and your mother to death today, so you can keep each other company in the afterlife,” the man said, raising the stick to hit the girl’s head.

Ye Qing strode into the room quickly, grabbed the man’s wrist firmly, and held it so he couldn’t move.

The man turned, ready to curse, but as he opened his mouth and saw Ye Qing’s face in the dim lamplight, his expression turned vivid with anger and fear, then flattery. “Miss, why are you here? We just had a little disagreement, but it’s fine now,” he said.

“Is it? If I hadn’t come, you’d have beaten your wife and daughter to death, wouldn’t you?” Ye Qing said, staring at the man coldly, her gaze chilling.

“How could that be? They’re my wife and daughter. I was just joking, really just joking,” the man said, smiling nervously. His right arm still hurt, so he dared not offend Ye Qing.

Ye Qing smirked at him and said, “Joking? A joke is fun for both sides. If only one side finds it fun, is that a joke?”

Then, she snatched the stick from the man’s hand, struck his chest with it, and sent him sprawling in pain. “Ouch, heroine, spare me! I won’t dare again, really. I’ll treat them like ancestors from now on. Spare me, please,” he said.

Ye Qing looked at the young girl and said, “Hurry, help your mother up. Don’t let her catch a chill.”

“Okay, okay,” the young girl said, wiping tears and turning to help her mother.

Her mother refused to rise, knelt, and kowtowed to Ye Qing, saying, “Thank you, miss, for helping us.”

If the miss hadn’t grabbed the scum’s stick, her daughter might be dead now.

“Don’t do that. Jinhuang, help me lift her,” Ye Qing said, still watching the man, unable to assist.

Jiang Jinhuang and the young girl lifted the woman from both sides carefully.

Ye Qing looked at the man rolling on the ground and said coldly, “I didn’t hit hard. If you keep pretending, I don’t mind making you unable to stand for real.”

Sure enough, the man stopped instantly, sat limply, looked at Ye Qing, and said with a sheepish smile, “Thank you, heroine, for showing mercy. I won’t dare again. I’ll treat them well, really.”

“You just want us dead. Li Erniu, do you really have a kind heart? I know how many times you’ve beaten me half to death,” the woman said, crying loudly.

Ye Qing almost asked why she didn’t divorce, but stopped herself. In this situation, the woman likely wanted to divorce, but Li Erniu probably refused.

She thought briefly, then asked, “Since you can’t live together, why haven’t you divorced him?”

The woman sobbed softly, then said, “Miss, I’ve wanted to divorce him countless times, but every time I mention it, he beats me brutally. My body is covered in scars, really, I’m not lying.”

She rolled up her sleeve quickly, revealing her arm covered in scars, new ones over old, with barely any unmarred skin.

Ye Qing frowned at the man and said, “Think marriage is a shield, huh? You can torment your wife and daughter freely, and even if you kill them, it’s just family matters, right?”

“No, miss, don’t listen to that b1tch’s nonsense. I beat her because she cheated,” the man said, trying to rush at the woman. “You slut, I’ll beat you to death.”

Before he could reach her, Ye Qing kicked him, sending him crashing into a stool. He collapsed in pain, unable to rise for a long time.

Ye Qing looked at him coldly and said, “A drunken thug like you, dying from a fall while drunk in the yard, seems normal, doesn’t it?”

The man, ignoring his pain, scrambled back and said, “You, what do you mean?”

“Exactly what I said. If your wife and daughter don’t talk, your death tonight would be an accident. We’d bury you tomorrow,” Ye Qing said.

“You dare? Help! I’ll report this!” the man shouted.

Ye Qing slapped him three times and said, “Shout again, and I’ll deal with you now.”

The man, stunned by the slaps, felt his face burn. Two teeth were knocked out.

“Heroine, spare me! I really won’t dare. Tell me what to do, I’ll do anything,” the man said, crying loudly.

Ye Qing nodded and said, “Fine. Write a divorce letter now. Tomorrow, we’ll take it to the authorities. From then on, you’ll have no ties with them.”

“No way!” the man said instinctively.

“Then you don’t need to live,” Ye Qing said, looking at the mother and daughter. “If you agree, I’ll act. Your father got drunk tonight, beat you during a fight, tripped, hit his head on a stone, and died accidentally.”

“Yes, my father died long ago,” Yun Niang said, tears streaming down her face. This man was a demon over her and her mother, unfit to be a father. If he stayed, once these kind ladies left, he’d likely beat them to death.

“Yun Niang, how can you say that? I’m your father! You can’t kill me! Qiurong, I’m your husband. If I die, how will you and your daughter survive?” the man said, crying loudly.

“If you die, we’ll only live better,” Zhao Qiurong said, leaning on her daughter weakly.

Ye Qing’s expression turned cold suddenly. She stepped toward the man, who knelt and kowtowed to her frantically, saying, “Heroine, spare me! I won’t dare again. I’ll stop drinking. Please, spare me!”

“Is there pen and ink? Write the divorce letter now, and I’ll spare your miserable life. One more word of nonsense, and I won’t mind ending you,” Ye Qing said, staring at the man coldly, as if she’d kill him next.

The man, terrified and crying, said, “Okay, okay, I’ll write it. Don’t kill me. I’ll do anything if you don’t kill me.”