Under Uncle Wan’s command, a group of people tied up Brother Liu Fei securely.

He told all of us to rest normally, then had people hang Brother Liu Fei up. He said he had arrangements for tomorrow during the day.

I stared at the toy car on the ground that had already been smashed out of shape, and suddenly felt like I had done something wrong.

But what should I have done? Should I have helped Brother Liu Fei just now?

“Hero!” Auntie Zhao came over, picked up the little car from the ground and stuffed it into my hands. “Don’t let it affect you. Liu Fei is a bad family member. You just play with your toy!”

Everyone dispersed one after another and returned to their rooms to sleep.

Sister Siwei kept patting my back from the side. The scent from her was very sad, but she didn’t say anything.

I pushed this little car back and forth on the ground, equally silent.

I vaguely remembered that when I was very small, my parents had bought me toys, but after I started school there were none.

Later I learned that children during their school years shouldn’t have their own toys, only their own stationery.

One of the little car’s wheels was broken, but it was still in my hands, being pushed back and forth as I gripped it tightly.

It couldn’t escape, couldn’t leave.

What difference was there between it and me?

*Creak*

*Creak*

The next day, Uncle Wan temporarily canceled paying respects to the ‘Divine Dragon.’ He brought all the people downstairs. This was the territory of that female bull-headed person. In front of her happened to be a small plaza, just enough for so many of us to squeeze in and stand.

Before long, those fierce uncles brought Brother Liu Fei over. He’d been hung up all night, and looked like he was about to collapse.

“Wan, Brother Wan… please let me go… I really won’t dare again…”

“That won’t do.” Uncle Wan said to him in a low voice. “Right now is the best time to establish order, and you are the necessary sacrifice.”

That female bull-headed person saw the dense crowd of people standing before her, and her facial expression became somewhat unnatural. She then asked: “What are you going to do?”

“We’ve come to bring someone to participate in your ‘game.'” Uncle Wan answered. “The rules are the same as what we discussed before, right?”

Bull-Head Sister thought for a while, then nodded and said: “That’s right. This is a ‘tug-of-war’ game. I alone face all the ‘participants.’ Entry fee is sixty pieces of ‘jade,’ winning earns one hundred twenty pieces of ‘jade.’ How many people are you planning to send?”

Although her tone was flat, her scent was slightly fearful.

“One person.” Uncle Wan pointed at Brother Liu Fei. “Just him.”

“One person…?” Bull-Head Sister was clearly stunned. “You people rushed over here—if not a thousand then eight hundred—and you’re only sending one person to participate in the game?”

“Yes.” Uncle Wan nodded. “Is that okay?”

After hearing this, Bull-Head Sister sighed with a grave expression and said: “Of course it’s okay.”

“Then I’ll trouble you.” Uncle Wan said and pushed Brother Liu Fei forward, and paid his ‘jade.’

“Liu Fei, let me say this first. If you don’t participate in this game or try to escape during the game, from now on every ten days we’ll shatter all the bones in your body and let you slowly wait for death. But if you can do as I say, perhaps you can be more comfortable.”

“Okay… I, I understand…” Brother Liu Fei hurriedly nodded.

Uncle Wan signaled with his eyes to the uncles beside him. The uncles untied the ropes on Brother Liu Fei, then stuffed a small slip of paper into his hand.

“Fei, after the game starts, read out what’s written on the paper, and your violation of family rules can be written off. Whether you win or lose this game is up to you.” Uncle Wan said.

“Really?” Brother Liu Fei was stunned. “If I finish reading what’s on the paper, even if I win, you won’t punish me?”

“No, no, no.” Uncle Wan shook his head. “After you finish reading, even if you lose, we won’t punish you.”

Brother Liu Fei seemed not to understand, but still took that slip of paper with half belief and half doubt.

The ‘game’ officially began. This was the first time I’d seen a ‘game’ besides the interview room.

The game took place directly on the plaza in front of us. Bull-Head Sister took out a very heavy and very long rope, handed one end to Brother Liu Fei, and held the other end herself.

This was ‘tug-of-war.’

And all of us also retreated to the surroundings, yielding the space to them.

Bull-Head Sister’s scent carried some sadness. She stared at Brother Liu Fei for quite a while, then spoke: “If you’re ready, we’ll begin.”

“I, I’m ready.”

“Liu Fei, don’t forget.” Uncle Wan shouted from not far away.

After hearing this, Brother Liu Fei nodded. With one hand gripping the rope, his other hand tremblingly took out that slip of paper from his pocket. Then he flipped it open with his thumb, hesitated for a few seconds, and read out the text on it: “I… I want to bet my life with you.”

“What…?” Bull-Head Sister froze, as if she could no longer understand the situation before her.

“I don’t know what this means either…” Brother Liu Fei smiled bitterly. “But that’s what’s written on the paper… I want to… bet my life with you.”

Bull-Head Sister’s eyes turned cold, as if she had many things she wanted to say, but she looked at the large crowd of onlookers around her, and her eyes became lifeless.

“Do you know what you’re doing?” she asked.

“We know!” someone shouted. “We’re punishing violators within our family.”

“That’s right!”

“Our family must be united!”

“Violators should die!”

A large group of people shouted. I also silently covered my ears.

Seeing that there was no way to communicate with anyone, Bull-Head Sister gripped that thick rope and gently pulled backward. Brother Liu Fei directly fell face-first to the ground.

I hadn’t expected Bull-Head Sister to look so thin yet have such great strength.

“Game over.” She said. “Beginning settlement.”

Hearing the four words ‘game over,’ Brother Liu Fei clearly relaxed. He stood up and patted the mud off his body. At this time, Sister Siwei also walked to my side and gently embraced me.

“What’s wrong… Sister Siwei?”

She thought for a while, crouched down, and turned my direction toward her.

“Hero, Sister wants to talk to you.” She supported me, not letting me turn back to look at Brother Liu Fei.

“Talk…? Right now?”

“That’s right.”

Just as Sister finished speaking, I heard a muffled sound from behind me, and the air filled with the smell of rust at that moment.

Sister Siwei furrowed her brow, then said quietly to me: “Hero, I said before that I’m together with you. When the next cycle begins, let’s escape together…”