The first thing Chen Xiaobei saw was Wang Meifen being held down on a table by a burly man, struggling fiercely.
Her upper body was completely exposed. She was desperately trying to cover her crotch with her hands while screaming hysterically.
But she was nowhere near as strong as the man. With a single tug, he yanked her underwear straight off.
"Bastard! Let go of Sister Wang!"
At that critical moment, Chen Xiaobei dashed forward and kicked the man squarely on the ass.
A pained cry erupted as the man fell flat on his face.
With no time to deal with him, Chen Xiaobei grabbed a sheet, wrapped it around Wang Meifen, and carried her a safe distance away.
"Sister Wang, it's alright. I'm here. You don't have to be afraid anymore," Chen Xiaobei patted her back, comforting her softly.
But Wang Meifen was clearly in shock. Her eyes were vacant and lifeless, a sign that she had been frightened out of her wits.
Fortunately, Chen Xiaobei had received a legacy from Xi Yao. He channeled a sliver of True Qi into Wang Meifen's body, and her vacant eyes immediately regained their clarity.
"Xia- Xiaobei, how did you get here?" Wang Meifen asked, her eyes full of surprise. Then, she gave him a hard push and cried out, "Xiaobei, you have to leave! Zhao Erhu has gone crazy! He'll kill you!"
Just then, Zhao Erhu scrambled up from the floor. Rubbing his stinging backside, he glared maliciously at Chen Xiaobei. "Well, look who it is. If it isn't the Chen family's useless college kid! Instead of hiding in your sister-in-law's bed copping a feel in the middle of the night, you come running over here. Speaking of which, you aren't having an affair with my sister-in-law, are you?"
"Zhao Erhu, if you can't talk like a decent human being, then shut your mouth. There's nothing between my sister-in-law and me," Chen Xiaobei replied coldly. "If you keep talking nonsense, I guarantee I'll smash your front teeth!" Despite his cold words, his eyes held a hint of anticipation.
He had just been wondering where he could test the power of his new legacy, and now Zhao Erhu had delivered himself right to his doorstep.
This man was a typical menace in Shanhe Village. He had never done anything respectable in his life, always committing petty theft or harassing the young wives in the village. Even Chen Xiaobei's own sister-in-law had been harassed by him.
Chen Xiaobei had once fought Zhao Erhu over it, but he was no match for him and had been nearly beaten to death.
But as the saying goes: the tough fear the reckless, and the reckless fear those who have nothing to lose.
To protect his sister-in-law and niece, Chen Xiaobei was ready to put his life on the line. Because of this, Zhao Erhu no longer dared to bother his sister-in-law and would even avoid Chen Xiaobei whenever he saw him.
But that didn't mean Zhao Erhu was truly afraid of him. For instance, Zhao Erhu now simply lit a cigarette, propped a foot on a stool, and sneered, "Chen Xiaobei, you think you can knock my front teeth out? In your dreams! I'll give you a way out. Crawl between my legs and call me 'Daddy' three times, and I'll let you go. Otherwise, I guarantee I'll beat you so badly your own dead parents wouldn't recognize you!"
"Zhao Erhu, I'll give you a way out, too!" Chen Xiaobei retorted, pointing at Wang Meifen. "Kneel and apologize to Sister Wang! Otherwise, not even Jesus himself could save you today! Besides, Zhao Erhu, you're a truly shameless bastard. Sister Wang is your sister-in-law, isn't she? How could you do this to her? Are you even worthy of Wei Long?"
Wei Long was Wang Meifen's husband and a childhood friend of Zhao Erhu. The two had been inseparable since they were kids. Because he and Wang Meifen couldn't have children, Wei Long had moved to town. He was apparently doing quite well for himself and had always looked after Zhao Erhu.
This meant Zhao Erhu was worse than an animal, going after his own childhood friend's wife.
Seizing the opportunity, Wang Meifen shouted, "Erhu, let's just say you were drunk today. I won't tell your brother. But if you don't leave right now, my Dalong will not let you off the hook!"
But Zhao Erhu just laughed. "Sister-in-law, I may be a bit of a scoundrel, but I still have my limits. To tell you the truth, it was my brother who sent me to do this to you tonight!"
"What... what did you say?" Wang Meifen's lips parted in shock, completely dumbfounded.
Chen Xiaobei was certain he must have misheard. Has Wei Long's brain been slammed in a door? How could he order Zhao Erhu to come and screw his own wife?
But Zhao Erhu continued, "No need to be surprised, sister-in-law. The real reason you haven't been able to have a baby all these years is all my brother Dalong's fault. But he's too proud! He could never bring himself to tell you the truth. As he became more successful in town over the years, this has become a source of great anxiety for him. So, he passed this arduous and glorious task on to me! My Brother Long said that as long as you can give him a kid, he'll bring you to town to live a life of luxury. Besides, sister-in-law, you've been sleeping in an empty bed for so long. Aren't you lonely? My skills in that department are way better than my brother's. Just spread your legs, and I guarantee I'll leave you satisfied!"
All the color drained from Wang Meifen's pretty face, her eyes filling with despair and fury.
"Wei Long, I curse you to a horrible death!" she shrieked, breaking down completely as tears streamed from her eyes.
It was heart-wrenching for Chen Xiaobei to watch. How could he? Even the briefest marriage creates a bond of affection. Wang Meifen is such a good woman, yet Wei Long is treating her worse than an animal.
A powerful protective urge rose within him, and he put his arm around Wang Meifen's shoulders. "Sister, Wei Long is a bastard. You don't need to waste your tears on him. Don't worry! As long as I'm here, no one can bully you!"
With that, Chen Xiaobei stood up, shielding Wang Meifen behind him. His impressive 6'1" frame and handsome face filled her heart with a powerful sense of security.
But she knew this feeling of security was just an illusion. Chen Xiaobei was no match for Zhao Erhu.
Sure enough, Zhao Erhu was thoroughly enraged. "Chen Xiaobei, you're just refusing my kindness, aren't you? Don't worry, I'll be sure to tell Brother Long all about this! You and my sister-in-law definitely have something going on! You dare cuckold my Brother Long? You're fucking dead!"
Wei Long was much more dangerous than Zhao Erhu. He had served three years in the army and was a skilled fighter, which was how he'd made a name for himself in town.
At these words, the color drained from Wang Meifen's face again. No longer caring that she was exposed, she stood up and grabbed Chen Xiaobei's hand. "Xiaobei, you have to go! Wei Long is an incredibly spiteful person. If Zhao Erhu tells him lies, he'll definitely come after you. I'm so happy that you came to help me, but my body is already ruined. What does it matter if I'm violated now? But you're different! You have Jiawen and Xin Xin to look after. You can't let anything happen to you! Go now! I don't need you to get involved!"
Zhao Erhu fanned the flames. "Chen Xiaobei, my sister-in-law is being generous. Since that's the case, I won't lower myself to your level. Now scram! But remember, if you breathe a word of this to anyone, my Brother Long will kill your entire family!"
Chen Xiaobei, however, just let out a sudden yawn. "Zhao Erhu, are you going to fight or not?" he asked impatiently. "If you're going to make a move, then hurry up. I need to beat you and then go home to sleep!"