Chapter 705: Watching the Adults Play Games for the First Time

Under Uncle Wan's command, a group of people tied up Brother Liu Fei hand and foot.

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

I stared at the toy car on the ground, already crushed and bent out of shape. Suddenly, I felt like I had done something wrong.

But what was I supposed to do? Should I have helped Brother Liu Fei back then?

"You're a real hero!" Aunt Zhao walked over, picked up the little car from the ground, and shoved it into my hands. "Don't let this affect you. Liu Fei is a bad family member. Just go on playing with your toy!"

The crowd gradually dispersed, each person heading back to their rooms to sleep.

Sister Siwei kept reaching out and patting me on the back. The smell radiating from her was filled with sorrow, but she didn't say a word.

I pushed the little car back and forth across the floor, equally silent.

I vaguely remembered my parents buying me toys when I was very young, but after I started school, I never got any more. Later, I learned that school-age children shouldn't have their own toys—they should only have their own stationery.

One of the car's wheels was broken, but it was still in my hand, clutched tightly as I pushed it back and forth. It couldn't escape, couldn't leave.

What difference was there between it and me?

*Creak—*

The dry wheels let out agonizing sounds, and the little car gradually grew blurry before my eyes.

...

The next day, Uncle Wan temporarily canceled the pilgrimage to the "Divine Dragon." He led everyone downstairs to the territory of that female Bull-head. Right in front of her was a small square, just big enough for all of us to crowd together and stand.

Before long, those fierce-looking uncles escorted Brother Liu Fei over. He had been hanging all night, and he looked completely exhausted.

"W-Wan-ge... please let me go... I really won't dare do it again..."

"That won't do." Uncle Wan said to him in a low voice. "Right now is the perfect time to establish order, and you are a necessary sacrifice."

The female Bull-head looked at the dense crowd of people standing before her, an uneasy expression flickering across her face. Then she asked, "What are you people doing?"

"We've brought someone to participate in your 'game,'" Uncle Wan replied. "The rules are the same as we agreed before, right?"

The Bull-head sister thought for a moment, then nodded. "That's right. My game is 'Tug-of-War.' I take on all 'participants' by myself. Entry fee is sixty 'jades,' and the winner takes one hundred and twenty 'jades.' How many people are you sending?"

Even though her tone was calm, there was a hint of fear in her scent.

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

"One person...?" The Bull-head sister was clearly taken aback. "You've brought at least eight hundred or a thousand people charging over here, and you're only sending one person to play?"

"Yes." Uncle Wan nodded. "That's fine, isn't it?"

The Bull-head sister listened, then sighed heavily, looking grim. "Of course it is."

"Then I'll trouble you." With that, Uncle Wan pushed Brother Liu Fei forward and paid his "jades."

"Liu Fei, let me make this clear: if you refuse to participate in this game or try to run away during it, from now on, we'll break every bone in your body every ten days and leave you to slowly die. But if you do as I say, maybe you'll have an easier time."

"Okay... I-I understand..." Brother Liu Fei quickly nodded.

Uncle Wan exchanged glances with a few of the uncles beside him. They untied Brother Liu Fei's ropes and slipped a small piece of paper into his hand.

"Fei, once the game starts, read aloud what's written on that paper. The family rules you broke will be forgiven. Win or lose, it's up to you." Uncle Wan said.

"Really?" Brother Liu Fei was stunned. "After I read what's on the paper, even if I win, you won't punish me?"

"No, no, no." Uncle Wan shook his head. "After you read it, even if you lose, we won't punish you."

Brother Liu Fei seemed not to fully understand, but he still took the paper with skepticism.

The "game" officially began. This was the first time I had seen a "game" since the interview room.

The game started right there in the open square. The Bull-head sister brought out a very heavy, very long rope. She handed one end to Brother Liu Fei and held the other herself.

This was "Tug-of-War."

All of us retreated to the edges, leaving the space for them.

The Bull-head sister's scent carried a hint of sorrow. She stared at Brother Liu Fei for a long moment, then said, "If you're ready, let's begin."

"I-I'm ready."

"Liu Fei, don't forget," Uncle Wan called out from nearby.

Brother Liu Fei nodded, gripped the rope with one hand, and fumbled the small piece of paper out of his pocket with the other. He flipped it open with his thumb, hesitated for a few seconds, then read the words aloud—

"I... I want to bet my life against yours."

"What...?" The Bull-head sister was taken aback, as if she couldn't make sense of the situation.

"I don't know what this means either..." Brother Liu Fei let out a bitter laugh. "But that's what's written on the paper... I want to bet my life... against yours."

The Bull-head sister's eyes turned cold, as if she had many things to say. But after looking around at the large crowd of onlookers, her eyes seemed to go dead.

"Do you people even know what you're doing?" she asked.

"Yes, we do!" someone shouted. "We're punishing a rule-breaker in the family."

"That's right!"

"Our family has to stay united!"

"Death to rule-breakers!"

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

Seeing that no one was willing to listen, the Bull-head sister gripped the thick rope and gave it a light tug backward. Brother Liu Fei was yanked straight to the ground.

I hadn't expected that someone as thin as the Bull-head sister could be so strong.

"Game over," she said. "Time to settle."

At the words "game over," Brother Liu Fei visibly relaxed. He stood up and brushed the dirt off his clothes. Meanwhile, Sister Siwei walked over to me and gently pulled me into her arms.

"What's wrong... Sister Siwei?"

She thought for a moment, then crouched down and turned me to face her.

"Hero, Sister wants to talk to you." She held me steady, not letting me turn back to look at Brother Liu Fei.

"Talk...? Right now?"

"That's right."

The moment she finished speaking, I heard a dull thud from behind me, and the air suddenly filled with the smell of rust.

Sister Siwei frowned slightly, then whispered to me, "Hero, I told you I'm on your side. When the next cycle starts, let's run away together..."