"Shh!"

The two of them were squatting behind a cucumber trellis when they suddenly saw a person come out with a basin of water. With a SPLASH, she dumped the water out. Some of it even splashed onto Qin Jiao and Shen Yi’s shoes, but they didn’t move a muscle or make a sound.

The woman picked up the basin and muttered curses as she walked back inside. "Just a little ten-year-old brat, barely even hit puberty. What’s the point of a child bride?! Let me tell you, don’t you get any funny ideas. Once the heat dies down in a couple of days, I’ll sell her off to some other province! That’s the only way to be safe!"

A cold glint flashed in Qin Jiao’s eyes, and she almost charged out. It was Shen Yi who gripped her wrist, holding her back.

After a few deep breaths, Qin Jiao calmed down. Once Lin Xiaohua was back inside the house, she glanced around and whispered, "Let’s go. We’re letting all their chickens, ducks, geese, and pigs out!"

Shen Yi opened his hand, revealing a small box. It contained the kind of firecracker snaps popular with young boys back then—tiny things that made a loud POP when thrown on the ground. They were harmless to people but perfect for scaring chickens and ducks!

The two split up. They opened the doors to the chicken and duck coops, unlatched the pigpen, and then tossed the snaps into the henhouse.

The hens, which had been about to fall asleep, instantly went into a frenzy, flapping their wings and scrambling out.

Then Qin Jiao calmly tossed a few snaps onto the plump old sows. The sleeping pigs jolted awake and began scrambling over each other to get out.

The rural house didn’t have a walled yard, just fences, corn stalks, and cucumber trellises. The panicked chickens and ducks flapped their wings and flew out, while the large sows bolted straight for the main gate.

The commotion was so loud that it soon drew Lin Xiaohua and her husband out. One moment they were arguing, the next they were frantically trying to catch the chickens, ducks, and pigs. They were too distracted to notice two figures taking the opportunity to slip into the house.

Lin Xiaohua’s family was certainly well-off. The floor was tiled, and there was even a refrigerator in the corner!

Back then, a refrigerator was a rare luxury, even in the county seat!

Qin Jiao and Shen Yi split up to search for the girl, one heading east and the other west. Shen Yi entered the east room and saw a little fatty sitting there, licking a melting popsicle while watching cartoons. The Little Fatty looked up and asked hostilely, "Who are you?"

Meanwhile, Qin Jiao went to the north room, where she found Xiao Shi tied up on the kang. But besides Xiao Shi, there was a man in the room!

The man was grinning foolishly. He was the brother of Lin Xiaohua’s husband. The story went that he had fallen off a wall while trying to steal eggs from a neighbor as a child, damaging his brain and leaving him simple-minded.

And right now, this simpleton was unbuckling his pants in front of Xiao Shi! 𝙧𝙚𝙚𝔀𝒆𝓫𝓷𝙤𝓿𝒆𝙡.𝒄𝙤𝓶

Qin Jiao instantly understood what Lin Xiaohua had meant by "child bride." Lin Xiaohua’s husband wanted to make ten-year-old Xiao Shi the wife for his simple-minded brother!

Qin Jiao’s eyes went red with fury. She grabbed the nearest object and hurled it at the simpleton!

The simpleton, who had been focused on calling out to the "little sister" before him, was struck suddenly and passed out.

With her eyes still red, Qin Jiao rushed forward and untied the ropes binding Xiao Shi. The little girl had already fainted. Her face was stained with tears and her hands were covered in bruises. It looked like she had been beaten, but thankfully, her clothes were still on.

Qin Jiao’s heart ached. She immediately took a camera out of her space and photographed the entire scene. This would be the evidence to send that couple to prison!

’This wasn’t over!’