activa-t Chapter 318: How Can He Even Be Called a Man?
Chapter 318: How Can He Even Be Called a Man?
His gaunt cheeks were sunken, and his eyes were lifeless, like two bottomless black holes.
Every step I took felt like struggling in a quagmire, so weak that I felt I would collapse at any moment, the flame of my life flickering in the wind.
Just when he thought he was about to become an unnamed starving corpse by the roadside, it was the shrew's father, the only doctor in the village who was highly respected, who found him.
The old doctor's kind and gentle gaze fell upon him, like a warm ray of dawn. Without saying a word, the old doctor quickly helped him home.
A steaming bowl of porridge was placed in front of him, and its sweet aroma instantly filled his nostrils. He took it with trembling hands and couldn't wait to swallow it in large gulps. The warm porridge slid down his throat, which was as dry as parched earth, and each sip felt like the most precious nectar in the world.
The old doctor also tirelessly prepared and decocted medicine for him, carefully treating his body, which was almost broken by hunger and hardship.
Recalling that incredibly heartbreaking and tragic experience, Lao Fu's eyes gradually welled up with tears.
At that time, he was like a stray dog cruelly abandoned by the world. It was the shrew's father who reached out a helping hand to him and gave him hope to continue living.
However, at this moment, faced with the shrew's merciless scolding, he remained like a wilted eggplant, head drooping, not daring to utter a sound.
Faced with his father-in-law's life-saving grace, even though he felt a thousand grievances and anger, Old Fu could only hang his head like a dog with its spine removed, silently choosing to bow his head and pretend not to hear the shrew's unbearable scolding.
But at this moment, the villagers, who loved watching the drama unfold, started to stir up trouble like a flock of vultures that had smelled carrion.
Someone grinned wickedly and shouted in a sarcastic tone.
"Look at this old Fu, he's such a spineless coward. His wife scolds him like this, and he doesn't even dare to fart!"
Another shifty-eyed fellow chimed in, his voice high-pitched and thin, carrying a hint of meanness.
"Hmph, he's not even a man! He's a complete coward!"
The others joined in the laughter, their ugly faces appearing particularly grotesque at that moment.
Just as everyone was arguing and making a scene, with all sorts of foul language filling the room, the little girl's mother, who was already on the verge of death lying on the bed, suddenly started coughing violently, as if a demon had grabbed her heart and lungs.
"Cough cough cough..."
The coughing sounded like a broken bellows straining desperately, one cough after another, as if trying to cough out the last bit of life from the body.
Immediately afterwards, she coughed up spurts of black, foul-smelling liquid. The liquid was thick and black, and it splattered on the bedside, emitting a nauseating stench.
In that instant, everyone was stunned by the terrifying scene.
A moment later, someone let out a terrified scream.
"This...this is possession by an evil spirit!"
The shout was like a thunderclap, instantly causing an uproar in the crowd.
The villagers, who had just been laughing and jeering, were now filled with fear. Their eyes were brimming with panic, and the ugliness of human nature was laid bare.
The guys who were just moments ago flaunting their ugly faces were now like terrified rats, screaming and shoving each other as they fled from the spot as fast as they could, afraid that if they were too slow, they would be haunted by the evil spirits.
In an instant, the once noisy and bustling house became empty, leaving only Fang Xiaoxiao, Pei Yan, the Fu couple, the little girl, and the woman struggling in pain and coughing incessantly on the bed.
The little girl's mother lay on the hospital bed, coughing violently and weeping uncontrollably; her sorrowful cries seemed to come from the depths of her soul.
"You all should leave. Don't worry about me. I'm an unlucky person and will only bring trouble to everyone."
Her voice was extremely weak, filled with endless despair and sorrow; every word seemed to have used up her last bit of strength.
Her eyes were dull and lifeless, and she exuded a deep sense of helplessness and self-abandonment, as if she had already accepted the cruel arrangement of fate.
At this moment, the shrew finally broke free from Pei Yan's iron grip.
Her face instantly turned a deep red, like a pig's liver, from anger, and her already ferocious features became even more distorted.
She stood with her hands on her hips, glaring fiercely at the little girl's mother, cursing mercilessly.
"You damned jinx, you're just wasting the world's food and air! A scumbag like you should just die already, so you don't have to come here and harm others!"
Her voice was sharp and piercing, every word filled with malice and meanness, and her face was utterly hideous.
In stark contrast to the shrew, the little girl's mother silently shed tears. Her frail body trembled on the hospital bed, but she did not utter a word of rebuttal. She simply endured the shrew's insults, revealing her gentleness and kindness.
Fang Xiaoxiao, who was standing to the side, couldn't stand it any longer. Her face turned red with anger, her beautiful eyes burned with rage, and she gritted her teeth, ready to rush forward and argue with the shrew.
However, before she could take any action, Pei Yan had already beaten her to it.
Pei Yan's face was terribly gloomy, and his eyes were blazing with uncontrollable anger.
He flashed forward, quickly stepped forward, and without hesitation raised his hand, slapping the shrew's fat face hard across the cheek.
"Snapped!"
The slap was crisp, loud, and powerful.
The shrew was so badly hit that she staggered and almost fell to the ground.
She covered her cheek, which had instantly swelled up, her eyes wide with shock and disbelief, as if she couldn't believe she had been hit.
After Pei Yan's hard slap sent her head snapping to the side, the shrew stood frozen in place as if struck by lightning, her eyes fixed straight ahead for several seconds.
Her eyes were first filled with disbelief and astonishment, as if she couldn't believe she would be treated this way.
Immediately afterward, her astonishment quickly turned into a raging fire of anger. Her eyes widened in fury, almost popping out of their sockets.
She gritted her teeth, the muscles in her cheeks trembling uncontrollably, looking as if she wanted to devour someone.
However, just a moment later, a glimmer of reason flashed through her mind, which was clouded by rage.
She clearly realized that Pei Yan, who stood tall and imposing, was no match for her.