The only road back to the Poplar Brigade ran through a small forest.

There used to be a big stand of poplar trees near the Poplar Brigade, but many of them had been destroyed. Over the years, some had grown back and many trees and shrubs also grew nearby.

Mo Beihan had ascertained that Old Madam Li would walk past this area. There was no one around, so he was not worried when he brought Gu Qingyao here to wait.

They saw Old Madam Li’s figure approaching from afar. Gu Qingyao clenched her fists in anger. “You are not to move later. Let me beat her. That damn old woman. Who knows how many times she hit my younger aunt and Ting Ting over the years. I’m going to get it all back, with interest.”

Mo Beihan nodded as he looked at the little girl who was gnashing her teeth in hatred. “Alright, I’ll hold her head so that she can’t see you. Hit her as much as you like.”

Gu Qingyao remembered how she had beaten up Zhang Jianguo, and her eyes lit up!

“Alright!”

When Old Madam Li came nearer, Mo Beihan rushed over and seized her from behind. He gripped the back of her neck and forced her head downwards. Old Madam Li was forced to double over.

“Who’s that? Let me go.. let me go..”

Gu Qingyao rushed over and gave her a vicious slap.

Piak!

Goddamn it!

Her head was too low, making it awkward to hit her.

But there was no choice. She must not allow Old Madam Li to see her, so she would just have to make do!

Gu Qingyao’s hands never stopped moving. She used both hands to beat her, on the face, the head, and even the shoulders. She beat her anywhere she could land a blow.

She only had to think of all the old and fresh wounds on Younger Aunt’s body, of the three children that Younger Aunt had miscarried, and of Li Fangting, who was so small but covered with injuries, and used to hard work. She wished she could flay this old woman.

She was a demon. It would be a blessing to get rid of her!

Old Madam Li’s head was being pressed down by someone. From her angle, she could only see Gu Qingyao’s legs. She could not lift up her head to see who it was.

“Ow ow. Let me go.. Ah ah.. let me go ow ow..”

Old Madam Li yelped in pain. She was used to lording it over others, so she could not accept her sudden beating. She was hopping mad, but someone was pressing her down securely, and she had no choice but to allow Gu Qingyao to beat her.

“Let me go.. let me go.. Ah ah..”

After a while, Mo Beihan really let her go. Gu Qingyao simultaneously pulled Mo Beihan into the interspace.

“Let me go..”historical

Old Madam Li finally raised her head, but what she saw stunned her.

Her surroundings were pitch dark, but the light reflected by the snow allowed her to see her surroundings clearly. There was no one at all.

Her heart missed a beat.

“Who is it? Come out!”

She carefully scrutinized her surroundings, continually looking in different directions. She looked ahead, then behind her.

The wind wailed, the surrounding trees rustled, and there was an occasional howl from the forest. She had not thought much about these sounds, but she had been mysteriously beaten, and there was no one around when she looked up. This strange incident caused her to be suddenly terrified of this dark forest.

The wailing of the wind sounding like a ghost sobbing, or a wolf howling.

Old Madam Li broke out in goosebumps. She could not help but shiver.

“Who? Ah..”

She screamed again when someone pressed her head down from behind..