Red Sister stood beside Bai Tiantian like a servant and spoke, “This is Miss Bai, the saintess of our Zhou Village. Today, she will be giving a lecture for everyone.”
Bai Tiantian scanned the room, and her eyes instantly lit up when she saw Bai Qingqing.
Bai Qingqing was alive, which meant Captain was also fine. He had come to rescue her.
Seeing Bai Tiantian’s inexplicable excitement, Red Sister discreetly pinched her from behind, reminding her with a straight face, “Saintess, let’s begin.”
Bai Qingqing waited boredly, curiously watching Bai Tiantian, wanting to hear what this “lesson” was about.
Since arriving in Zhou Village, Bai Tiantian had been isolated from the villagers and Shen Mingxuan’s group. She lived under constant surveillance until today when she was brought out to give a lecture. If she didn’t do well, she would be locked up again.
“Hello, everyone. I am Bai Tiantian, and today I will be lecturing on ‘female virtue.’”
As soon as Bai Qingqing heard the term “female virtue,” she felt speechless.
No wonder that day she was wearing the most ordinary sportswear but was subjected to a lecture by the auntie. If she dared to retort, she would probably receive several lectures.
So, this was the cultural tradition of Zhou Village?
Bai Tiantian was probably forced into it as well. She enthusiastically preached, “Men are the heavens, and women are the earth.”
Women must never have thoughts surpassing men. No woman can become a strong woman, and throughout history, no successful strong woman has had a good ending.
Bai Qingqing raised an eyebrow. It seemed that the women in the village had all been brainwashed like this, obediently following the men’s words.
All the women in the room, except for her, listened with fascination, even joining in the chanting.
If your husband hits you, you must not fight back. Instead, you should reflect on what you did wrong. Thinking about changing husbands is a heinous crime and will lead to hell.
If you don’t learn about female virtue, the ancestors will bring punishment, and you will suffer from incurable diseases.
Being beautiful is a sin, and if you make an effort to dress up, it’s an even bigger sin. Women should dress modestly to please men. No matter how a husband treats his wife, it is for her own good.
A woman’s value lies in getting married, so when unmarried, you must not have contact with men, or your hands and feet will rot.
When meeting elders, you must bow and lower your head in respect. When elders scold you, you must kneel down and listen. Parents tell you to do something, and you must do it. If you disrespect your parents, you will also die from an incurable illness.
Bai Qingqing felt physically uncomfortable listening to this. Although Bai Tiantian was just a tool, perhaps she naturally exuded some kind of saintly aura. The women in the room were all acting as if they had gone mad, tearfully confessing their mistakes.
They would kneel before their husbands and apologize, willing to sacrifice everything for their husbands.
Bai Qingqing’s eyes flickered, and she suddenly stood up, climbed onto the table, and shouted, “Saintess! You are absolutely right!”
The emotionally stirred women in the room were startled and looked at her. Bai Tiantian’s pupils widened, thinking that Bai Qingqing had also been deceived, and she showed an anxious expression.
Bai Qingqing jumped down from the table and quickly ran to Bai Tiantian, holding her hand sincerely, and said, “Saintess, I have gained great enlightenment from your words.”
Red Sister, who was standing not far away, had a slight change in her expression. She secretly tried to determine if Bai Qingqing was acting or genuinely convinced by the brainwashing.
“Red Sister,” Bai Qingqing looked at the elderly woman beside her and said, “I want to get married.”
Red Sister: “?”
Bai Qingqing excitedly said, “I want to find someone to marry right now, to serve him like a cow or horse. I want him to hit me and scold me. If he can beat me to death, then it will be my good fortune.”
Bai Tiantian was frightened, her face pale. She couldn’t help but speak, “Qingqing…”
“Don’t stop me, any of you!” Bai Qingqing had the appearance of sacrificing herself for female virtue, pain evident in her eyes. “I know that being beautiful is a sin. If I’m not punished, I won’t be at ease.”
“???” Something sounded off.
Bai Qingqing grabbed Red Sister and shook her vigorously, shouting, “Red Sister, quickly find a man for me. I want to get married immediately and let him punish me!”
The women in the room were bewildered by her crazed appearance, their foggy minds suddenly awakening. They couldn’t understand why she had suddenly gone mad.
Red Sister, too, was thrown into confusion by her antics and tried to stop her, saying, “Wait…”
“I can’t wait!” Bai Qingqing raised her voice in indignation. “I can’t wait another moment!”
She looked at the startled women and shouted desperately, “Don’t you want men to beat you to death?!”
The women, terrified, took a few steps back. No normal person would want to be beaten to death. Was she insane?
“Enough!” Red Sister shouted loudly, her face stern as she stared at Bai Qingqing. “Are you intentionally causing trouble?”
Bai Qingqing wore an expression of being wronged, tears welling in her eyes. “Red Sister, how could you say that about me? Wasn’t it all of you who said that we should worship men and achieve greatness through being beaten and scolded by them?”
“Am I wrong to want a man to beat and scold me? Tell me, where did I go wrong!” She looked at everyone.
Red Sister couldn’t come up with a response. She had intended to promote the idea of worshipping husbands, even if it meant being beaten and scolded, but Bai Qingqing had muddled the message, making it sound different.
“Come with me!” Red Sister angrily grabbed Bai Qingqing.
Bai Tiantian hurriedly grabbed Red Sister’s hand and pleaded, “Red Sister, please let her go.”
Red Sister looked at Bai Tiantian with a cold gaze and said, “Saintess, your task is not yet complete. Shouldn’t you continue with the lecture?”
Bai Tiantian bit her lip and let go of Red Sister’s hand.
Red Sister pulled Bai Qingqing along, walking in a rage. Along the way, she couldn’t help but ask with a gleeful tone, “Red Sister, are you taking me to choose a husband?”
Red Sister, infuriated, replied coldly, “No.”
“Then where are you taking me, Red Sister?” Bai Qingqing surveyed her surroundings, trying to remember the route as they walked.
Red Sister dragged her to an old residence and forcefully threw her into a dark room, angrily saying, “You reflect on your actions here. When you realize your mistake, I will let you out.”
“Red Sister,” Bai Qingqing clung to the door, unwilling to be confined. She said, “Where did I go wrong? Wasn’t it you who said we should marry and consider men as superior?”
“You’ll stay here for the night. I’ll let you out tomorrow.” Red Sister used brute force to push her inside, her eyes shining with a cold glare as she scolded, “If you cause trouble again next time, you’ll face the consequences!”
Bai Qingqing was locked in a dimly lit room, hearing faint rustling sounds.
She hugged herself tightly, contemplating how to escape from here. She had indeed been too impulsive. Red Sister was a decisive person and hadn’t been provoked to lose her composure.
Suddenly, she heard a whisper in her ear, “[Target character Ah Mei has appeared].”
Bai Qingqing’s gloomy mood instantly lifted. Could Ah Mei also be locked in this room?
Realizing that there was someone else in the room, she searched with the faint light and noticed a person huddled in the corner, looking at her with fearful eyes.
“Ah Mei?” she called softly.
The girl was filthy, making it difficult to see her face. As Bai Qingqing approached, she shrank further into the corner.
“Don’t be afraid.” Bai Qingqing didn’t move closer but crouched down to meet her gaze. She said, “I’m here to rescue you.”
Ah Mei shook her head in disbelief, her voice hoarse from prolonged silence, struggling to speak, “Wh-who are you?”
“I’m called Bai Qingqing.” She softened her voice and said, “Do you know Awang? He sent me to rescue you.”
Ah Mei’s reaction was significant. Her breathing became rapid, tears streaming down her face. “H-How is he… Is he okay?”
Bai Qingqing took out a tissue from her pocket and handed it to her. “Wipe your tears first, and then tell me slowly.”
Ah Mei cautiously took the tissue, wiping the tears from her face, and said, “I’ve been locked in here for a month. Is it true that Awang sent you to save me?”
Bai Qingqing couldn’t bear to lie to her and said, “I have a friend who is a friend of Awang’s. He asked me to find you.”
Ah Mei couldn’t help but burst into tears again. “I’ve been trapped here for a month. There’s no way to escape. There are guards outside the intersection, and we can’t get away.”
“Trust me.” Bai Qingqing blinked and said, “We can get out.”
She took out a gun from her pocket, startling Ah Mei, who widened her eyes and asked in a trembling voice, “You have a gun?”
Bai Qingqing stood in the faint light and reached out her hand. “Come, I’ll take you out.”
Ah Mei extended her hand, a glimmer of hope in her eyes. She thought to herself, perhaps her daily prayers had truly been heard by heaven, and that was why someone had come to rescue her.
Bai Qingqing aimed at the lock on the door and fired a shot, successfully leading Ah Mei out of the dark room. The moonlight was obscured by dark clouds, and the road was pitch black. Perhaps it was because it was nighttime, but there were hardly any people on the road.
Bai Qingqing led Ah Mei through winding paths, carefully avoiding a few households, and secretly arrived at an old lady’s house.
The old lady couldn’t believe her eyes when she saw Bai Qingqing with a young girl. She rubbed her eyes as if in disbelief. “Ah Mei?”
Ah Mei covered her mouth, tears flowing uncontrollably, her voice muffled, “Gr-gran… Grandma.” She knelt on the ground, hugging the old woman’s legs. “It’s me, Ah Mei. I’m back.”
The old lady pushed and nudged her shoulders, tears streaming down her face. “Ah Mei, leave quickly. They will come to catch you.”
“I’m not leaving.”
Bai Qingqing didn’t expect to mistakenly rescue Ah Mei, the granddaughter of the old lady. She helped Ah Mei up and asked the old lady to sit in a chair.
After talking with her grandmother and coaxing the old lady to sleep, Ah Mei came over to find Bai Qingqing. “Awang and I are probably captured like this.”
“Do you know where they are being held?”
Ah Mei frowned and speculated, “I think they are probably held in the old ancestral hall on the mountain to the north.”
Bai Qingqing had explored almost the entire south these past two days, except for the place she just came from, there was no other hiding place.
There were patrols at the foot of the mountain, and most of the men from the village were on the mountain to the north. It would be inconvenient to find someone there.
“Sister Qingqing.” Ah Mei gratefully said, tears streaming down her face. “Thank you for saving me. If you can’t guarantee your own safety, don’t do anything dangerous. I will find a way to locate Awang.”
“I promised my friend, and I must fulfill it.” She was determined to carry out the mission, but she needed to figure out how to successfully reach the old ancestral hall.
“Why did the villagers separate you and Awang?”
Ah Mei lowered her head, her voice filled with pain, and briefly recounted her and Awang’s story.
It was a cliché story. The elders in their families didn’t approve of their relationship, and after the outbreak of the apocalypse, they returned to Zhou Village, only to face opposition from their families.
Ah Mei had received higher education in the city and rebelled against the traditional values and rules of Zhou Village, which caused widespread anger.
The two of them escaped Zhou Village for the sake of love but were caught on the way and imprisoned separately, unable to see each other.
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