Song Ke shook his head.

  San Laizi continued, "In the spring when You Wuqiang was three years old, there was a famine. You Wuqiang's father bet with someone in the town that if he could climb this old camphor tree and cut off a branch, he would get two pounds of dried sweet potatoes. Many people in the town tried to persuade him not to take that risk, but You Wuqiang's father didn't listen. He really climbed the tree and cut off a branch. Everyone there was stunned, and they saw that where the branch had been cut, blood started to flow. Suddenly, You Wuqiang's father fell from the tree, nding hard on the ground, as though someone had thrown him off. He lost consciousness immediately after hitting the ground, and before long, he died after being carried back home."

  Song Ke said, "Something like that really happened?"

  San Laizi suddenly ran out of the nd temple and, like a monkey, scrambled up the old camphor tree. Song Ke followed him outside. From the tree, San Laizi called down, "Painter Song, you must be wondering why I can climb this tree and nothing happens to me. Well, let me tell you—sometimes I feel like living is pointless. Especially when I'm starving and craving women, I climb this tree, hoping the Land God will punish me and let me die. But no matter what, I can never die. Maybe the Land God won't let me die after all."

  What San Laizi said left Song Ke shocked.

  San Laizi didn't pay attention to Song Ke's astonishment. After climbing down from the tree, he walked into the temple, grabbed a hoe from a corner, slung it over his shoulder, and walked out of the temple door, heading down the street. His face instantly turned grim. Song Ke called out to his back, "San Laizi, where are you going?"

  San Laizi didn't look back as he said, "I'm going to Wugong Ridge to dig graves."

  Song Ke understood. That hillside covered in wild grass was called Wugong Ridge.

  San Laizi had to cross the town street, head west, and pass over the small wooden bridge over the creek to reach his destination.

  Suddenly, Song Ke wondered, who would be the second person to ask him to paint their portrait after he came to Tang Town?

  As Shen Wenxiu, the wife of Zhong Qi, passed by the coffin shop, she saw You Wuqiang sitting on a bamboo chair at the shop's entrance, telling a few people about his heroic history. You Wuqiang lifted his old military jacket, exposing his scarred belly. He pointed to the scars and said, "This one was from a bullet, this one from shrapnel... I don't have a single healthy piece of flesh on me, all scars." The people around him stared, their mouths agape, looking horrified. Shen Wenxiu also saw the scars on You Wuqiang's belly, and her heart was suddenly pierced by an iron arrow, causing intense pain. When You Wuqiang looked up, his gaze met Shen Wenxiu's frantic eyes.

  Shen Wenxiu hurriedly walked away.

  You Wuqiang's gaze followed Shen Wenxiu's retreating figure, and he muttered, “Who is that woman?”

  Someone answered him, “The remarkable hero, that's the wife of the coward Zhong Qi, Shen Wenxiu.”

  You Wuqiang's eyes snapped back from Shen Wenxiu, his face flushed with anger, and he spat, “Damn it, I've been through hell on the frontlines of the war, risking my life, and now I'm still a bachelor, while that damn coward Zhong Qi, a disgraceful deserter, gets to marry a beauty like her! The world is so unfair!”

  Another person added, “Zhong Qi is lucky. Last year, Shen Wenxiu even gave him twins, both sons!”

  You Wuqiang gritted his teeth and snarled, “That bastard Zhong Qi should be cut off, with no heirs!”

  A malicious, hateful fire burned in You Wuqiang's eyes.

  Shen Wenxiu dared not look back at You Wuqiang. His return had brought her pain. At first, she was filled with hatred toward him. However, when she saw the scars on his belly, the hatred that had been building up in her heart mysteriously vanished, and she even felt some sympathy for him.

  In the two nights since You Wuqiang's return to Tang Town, Zhong Qi had come home very te each time. Reeking of alcohol, he would find ways to torment Shen Wenxiu. He would grab her out of her deep sleep, reeking of liquor, and shout angrily, "I didn't come home, and you're sleeping?! Get up!"

  Shen Wenxiu, groggy from sleep, would plead, "Zhong Qi, have you lost your mind? It's the middle of the night! What are you making a fuss about? You've woken the children!"

  Zhong Qi grabbed her hair and yanked it hard. "You filthy whore, you dare to talk back now? Who the hell taught you that? That scoundrel You Wuqiang taught me a lesson outside, and you dare to teach me a lesson at home? Looks like you're itching for a beating!"

  Zhong Qi pushed Shen Wenxiu onto the bed, took out a belt, and started whipping her violently. Shen Wenxiu screamed in pain; her cries were heart-wrenching and tragic. The twin sons sleeping on another bed were awakened by Zhong Qi's violent actions. They sat up and watched their father crazily abusing their mother, crying loudly.

  The children's cries woke up Zhong Qi's mother in the next room.

  Zhong Qi's mother arrived at the door of Zhong Qi's room, banging on the door with her cane: "Zhong Qi, you beast, what kind of sin are you committing!"

  The child's cries and the mother's words did not make Zhong Qi stop the violence against Shen Wenxiu; instead, they drove him even more insane: "Bastard, I'll beat you to death for saying I'm a deserter, bastard, I'll beat you to death for saying I'm a deserter! So what if I was a deserter? There are people who are traitors too! I'll beat you to death, bastard!"

  Zhong Qi completely lost control of himself. At this time, in his eyes, he was hitting You Wuqiang, not his wife, Shen Wenxiu...

  After nightfall, Shen Wenxiu would feel a sense of fear, her whole body twitching inexplicably, as if Zhong Qi's belt were striking her.

  Shen Wenxiu's emotions were at their peak of tension; she couldn't imagine how her husband would mistreat her if he came home in the middle of the night. Her husband's transformation was all reted to that man named You Wuqiang, but she couldn't bring herself to hate him anymore.

  Vaguely, Shen Wenxiu had another worry: she was concerned that You Wuqiang might fall victim to Zhong Qi's schemes. She knew very well what kind of person her husband was; he was ruthless and capable of anything. Shen Wenxiu was a virtuous woman. After lulling her two sons to sleep, she went to take care of her mother-in-w.

  While Shen Wenxiu was washing her mother-in-w's feet, her mother-in-w looked at her in silence, reached out to touch her hair, sighed, and said, "Wen Xiu, you've suffered! How could this unfilial son treat you like this? You can't even treat a thief this way! When he comes back tonight, just bolt the door and don't let him in. Let him stay outside!

  Shen Wenxiu said softly, "Mother-in-w, I'm fine. His venting his frustration on me when he comes home is normal. After all, I'm his wife! I think that after a few days, when he has let go of that matter, everything will be fine."

  Grandma wiped her eyes and said, "What a reasonable daughter-in-w! If he hits you again, even heaven will not tolerate it!"

  After hearing Grandma's words, Shen Wenxiu felt much more at ease.

  That evening, after Zhong Qi and the town chief finished drinking and started pying mahjong, he slipped out. Zhong Qi went to Xiaoyao Pavilion. Xiaoyao Pavilion was the only brothel in Tang Town, located on Emperor's Alley.