Chapter 386: Unfair

I never imagined that nearly twenty years had passed. Regardless of whether Ning Laoshi is healthy, I'm the one who's going to die.

What will I turn into? Around here, there are only cockroaches and insects.

Will I turn into an insect?

No... I don't want that.

I hate insects.

I feel like I'm about to fall asleep, but I'm just one meter away from that bottle of water...

Let me have just one sip; I'm so thirsty.

From outside the door, I hear a huge commotion, but all I can focus on is that bottle of water.

Bang!

The door is kicked open, and I hear someone running in.

"Zhang Jie!!!"

What Zhang Jie... whoever it is, don't touch me. I just want to drink water.

I feel myself being lifted up, and a sharp pain shoots through my entire body.

Don't touch me; no one should touch me right now...

"Zhang Jie!!!" That person screams desperately, the two words breaking with emotion.

I struggle to turn my head and look at the person in front of me.

Who is he?

He looks like Xiao Sun.

But Xiao Sun doesn't look like this.

This man has a scruffy beard, bloodshot eyes, wildly disheveled hair, and clothes covered in wrinkles. He looks like he hasn't bathed in over twenty days, just like me.

How could he be Xiao Sun?

"I—I'll call the police right now!!" he shouts.

"Don't..."

I finally register the word "police" and slowly grab the man's hand in front of me.

"Don't call the police..." I say. "Just take me away... take me away is enough..."

"Ah...?" The man in front of me pauses, then furrows his brow. "Zhang Jie... are you sure?"

"I'm sure..." I say, using the last of my strength. "Please, don't call the police... I beg you..."

...

When I open my eyes again, I see a pure white ceiling.

I have no idea where I am, but I feel like I'm lying in a very comfortable place.

Maybe I've reached heaven.

Vaguely, I sense someone touching my arm.

I instinctively cry out and pull my hand away. I feel like I've regained a bit of strength, though my skin is still dry and shriveled.

"Ah!" A girl in a nurse's uniform jumps in fright. "You're awake? Please don't move; I'm just giving you an IV."

"Don't touch me!!" I shout. "No one touch me anymore!!"

The nurse in front of me seems terrified and steps back half a step involuntarily.

"Zhang Jie!!"

A man and a woman burst through the door, followed by someone in a doctor's coat.

That's when I realize the man is really Xiao Sun. He's changed so much, looking worn out, as if he's aged ten years.

The other woman is Meng Meng, her face full of worry.

Has her honeymoon ended? Have I... caused her trouble?

"Zhang Jie, you're finally awake. Do you feel uncomfortable anywhere?" Xiao Sun asks with concern. "Is your abdomen hurting? Are you dizzy?"

As he reaches out to hold my arm, I dodge away in panic.

No, I can't let Xiao Sun touch me.

I'm just too dirty.

"Don't touch me..." I say. "No one can touch me..."

"Zhang Jie..." Xiao Sun's eyes turn red. "It's okay now. You're safe; we're here with you. No one will hurt you again."

"No... I'll never be safe..." I shake my head absentmindedly. "All of you leave... don't look at me... no one can touch me..."

"But we need to give you an IV; you're malnourished right now..." Xiao Sun says gently. "Once you're a bit better, I'll take you to eat your favorite sweets, okay?"

The softer Xiao Sun's tone, the more my heart aches.

The happiness I once reached for on tiptoe is now impossible for me to touch.

"Yes, yes!" Meng Meng squats down in front of me, tears in her eyes. "Zhang Jie... I bought your favorite peaches, but you can't eat them yet. Just listen to the doctor, okay?"

Seeing my state, the person in the doctor's coat steps forward slowly and says softly, "Zhang Nüshi... I deeply sympathize with what you've been through, and I understand you don't want anyone to touch you. But this is for treating your condition. Could you make an exception? Generally, we won't touch you, except in emergencies or medical situations; otherwise, your health could worsen."

Emergencies and... medical situations?

Yes, only in emergencies or medical situations can anyone touch me.

I slowly lie back down, letting my head rest fully on the pillow. It feels so comfortable.

"Zhang Jie..." Xiao Sun sits beside me. He seems like he wants to hold my hand, but he doesn't move. "These past days, I've been searching for you nonstop... I'm sorry... I was so stupid... I never thought you'd be so close to home..."

"It's fine." I smile bitterly. "Xiao Sun, don't blame yourself. Even I didn't expect my own parents to do something like that."

Soon, the nurse finishes the IV and leaves the room with the doctor.

Once they're gone, Xiao Sun pulls his chair closer to me, and Meng Meng tactfully stands by the door, watching the people passing by outside the window.

I've never seen him like this before.

"Zhang Jie..." He frowns and says, "Why didn't you let me call the police...? I don't know if you were confused at the time, but shouldn't that man face justice? Without your permission, I already took a sample of the fluid he left in your body. If you want, we can get him arrested right away. It doesn't matter what leverage he has; I can pull strings to act quickly—he won't have time to react."

Get Ma Tuhu arrested?

No... I don't want that.

I take a deep breath and look into Xiao Sun's eyes, saying seriously, "Xiao Sun, do you know? In our village, once the bride price is paid and the parents agree, we're considered married. There was a girl who was trafficked to our village, and with the village head's mediation, she just got a marriage certificate and stayed there forever."

"What...?" Xiao Sun is clearly stunned. "Zhang Jie, what are you talking about? How could something like that happen...?"

"You've never dealt with lawsuits in the mountains, have you?" I smile bitterly. "A lot of the time, local customs are important factors in judgments. My parents accepted his bride price, so by custom, we're husband and wife. Even if it's not legal, it's still the local tradition."

"Are you saying...?"

"Xiao Sun, let me test you." I slowly turn my head toward him. "What crime did that man commit?"

"Illegal detention, intentional harm, human trafficking, rape." Xiao Sun replies immediately.

"Now, 'human trafficking' is hard to prove. Even if the other three charges stick, with multiple crimes combined, what's the maximum sentence?"

Xiao Sun narrows his eyes slowly...

"Illegal detention for twenty days... intentional harm... rape..." He quickly spots the issue. "In serious cases, it's generally life imprisonment, and if it's extremely egregious... it could be death with reprieve..."

"Let me ask you, how long does 'life imprisonment' actually mean?"

"If they behave well, up to about twenty-two years."

"And what about 'death with reprieve'?"

"'Death with reprieve'..." Xiao Sun lowers his head silently, unable to say more.

"You and I both know 'death with reprieve' doesn't mean death, so I can't let him go to prison." I say. "If he lives comfortably in there, it's not fair to me."