After Bo Xi went out, the house fell quiet.
Not long after, a few women in the village noticed her leaving. Their eyes followed her figure as she disappeared down the snowy road. Resentment that had been building for days finally found an outlet.
Soon whispers spread. A few women gathered others whose houses had collapsed or whose food had run out. They came carrying whatever they could find—knives used for cutting vegetables, thick sticks, and even stones tucked into their sleeves.
At first, they only intended to pressure the family with words.
Inside the house, Father Han was tidying the room when he noticed movement outside the window. Several villagers were standing near the gate, some with children in their arms.
His expression immediately changed.
He quietly shut the window and hurried toward the inner room where Mother Han and Han Fei were resting.
"There are people outside," he whispered urgently.
Just then, voices rang out from the yard.
"Father Han! I am your neighbor. Please help us!" a man cried loudly. "Look at my children, they are freezing to death. We have no food left. Just give us a little grain. I won't bother you again."
Children began crying loudly outside, their thin voices carried by the cold wind.
Han Fei and Mother Han exchanged a tense glance.
Without speaking, they quietly began dragging the tables and benches toward the door.
Thankfully, Father Han reacted quickly. He walked toward the door but did not open it.
"Brother," he called out through the wooden door, forcing his voice to sound hesitant. "You know I'm living with my daughter-in-law now. How can I decide such things? My daughter-in-law will not agree. You should go before she wakes up."
He hoped to buy them some time.
A sharp voice immediately snapped back.
"Liar! We saw her go out!"
For a moment everything fell silent.
Then curses erupted from outside.
Mother Han, Han Fei, and Father Han instantly understood what was coming next.
They moved quickly. Windows were nailed shut, and heavy furniture was dragged against the door.
In the kitchen, Han Bei had already boiled a large pot of water.
Under Father Han's instructions, Han Bei and Han Li carefully filled several wooden buckets with the boiling water and carried them near the door and windows.
"If you open the door, we will naturally let you go!" a woman shouted fiercely from outside. "How can you be so heartless?!"
Inside the house, no one answered.
The family stayed completely silent as the wind howled outside, each of them holding their breath and waiting for what would happen next.
Soon, the sounds outside grew louder.
Someone began striking the door heavily. The dull thuds echoed through the small house as curses followed one after another.
Inside, the Han family had already armed themselves. Knives from the kitchen, shovels from the yard, even wooden sticks were gripped tightly in trembling hands.
They were terrified.
Han Fei stood in front of Mother Han while Father Han guarded the door. Han Bei and Han Li stayed near the buckets of boiling water, their faces pale.
The pounding continued.
"The door is blocked! Go for the window!" a rough voice shouted from outside.
Immediately, the sound of smashing came from the side of the house. The wooden window shutters shook violently as people began hitting them with sticks and stones.
The wood creaked under the force.
Suddenly, the shutter cracked open slightly, and a hand forced its way inside, trying to push the latch open.
Mother Han reacted faster than anyone expected.
Grabbing a wooden stick nearby, she struck the hand with all her strength.
A painful groan sounded from outside.
"You old woman!" someone cursed angrily.
But the attack did not stop. The hand withdrew only for another arm to force its way through the gap.
Before Father Han could react, a knife suddenly slid through the opening, slashing wildly. The blade passed dangerously close to Father Han's arm.
Han Fei's heart jumped in fear.
Father Han did not hesitate. He quickly grabbed the bucket from Han Bei and poured the boiling water straight onto the hand holding the knife.
A sharp scream erupted.
The knife clattered to the ground outside as the woman pulled her scalded hand back.
More shouting and angry cries followed.
But just then—
A loud thud struck the roof.
Then another.
And another.
The hail had arrived.
Large chunks of ice began crashing down from the sky, hitting roofs, ground, and people alike. The violent pounding filled the air like a storm of stones.
Outside, the angry voices quickly turned into panicked screams.
"Ah! My head!"
"Run! Run!"
The Han family looked at each other in shock.
For the first time since the attack began, they felt a strange sense of relief.
The hailstones slammed into the yard with terrifying force.
Outside, people shouted and cursed as they scrambled for shelter.
Then a desperate female voice cried out through the storm.
"Open the door! Please open the door! Otherwise, we will die!"
Inside the house, the Han family remained silent.
No one moved toward the door.
The tension inside the house was almost suffocating. Everyone sat rigidly, listening to the howling wind and the distant cries of people outside. Mother Han shifted slightly on her chair, wincing as a sharp twinge of pain shot through her leg.
"Mother, are you okay?" Han Fei asked, quickly moving to help her adjust. He offered her a small cushion, and she sank into it gratefully.
"It's just a bit sore, but I'll be fine," she said, trying to reassure him.
Han Fei's hands trembled slightly as he rubbed them together. "Father, my wife… it's been so long. I'm… I'm worried." His voice cracked with unease.
Father Han laid a steadying hand on his son's shoulder. "Don't worry, Fei. When the hailstorm hit, she should have already reached the town. Bo Xi is clever and strong; she knows how to handle herself."
The room grew quiet again, broken only by the occasional gust of wind rattling the windows and the soft groans of Mother Han shifting in her chair. Every sound outside made their hearts jump, every echo of movement a potential threat.
Then—there it was. A knock at the door. Soft, deliberate, yet unmistakable. Everyone froze. Han Fei's heart leapt. He glanced at Father Han, who motioned for him to remain still.
Bo Xi's voice rang out clearly through the blizzard.
Han Fei bolted toward the door instinctively, but Father Han's firm hand stopped him. "Wait. Don't open it yet," he cautioned. "We need to be careful."
With practiced caution, Father Han opened a small gap in the door. He peered out, squinting through the swirling snow. Bo Xi's figure was visible, hunched slightly under the weight of her bundles, her face flushed from the cold, but unmistakably hers.
Father Han carefully opened the door fully. Bo Xi stepped inside, shaking off the snow from her cloak. Her hair was damp, and her cheeks were pink from the chill, but her eyes shone with determination.
Han Fei rushed forward, enveloping her in a tight embrace. Relief washed over him so strongly that he could barely speak.
Mother Han and Father Han exchanged relieved glances, the tension in the room slowly melting away. At last, the storm outside seemed a little less threatening with Bo Xi safely inside.