This whole arc warning: psychopath
This chapter warning: domestic violence
(Full chapter)
“Teacher Yan, you’re right. There is a great hero in this world who will help good and honest children kill all the demons that harm them.”
The little chubby boy tilted his head and nodded solemnly. Looking at those innocent eyes, Yan Chu calmly typed a line on the tablet and then moved it to the little boy’s face.
“A great hero who truly protects children will not choose to kill those demons, but will help them stay away from the demons.”
The original self had misled too many children before, and Yan Chu could not accuse the other party that these were all wrong.
At this age, these children should not be instilled with violent and bloody ideas, making them feel that killing was right as long as the killed person was a villain.
“Why?”
The chubby boy did not quite understand Yan Chu’s topic typed on the tablet.
“But if we don’t kill those demons, won’t those demons find those children again?”
The little chubby boy’s rhetorical question made Yan Chu unable to answer, and the conversation between the two fell into a stalemate.
“My mother used to cry every day because whenever he got drunk, he would hit her. Sometimes he used the broom at home, and when he was drunker, he would use the bottle and chair. I was locked in my room but could hear my mother crying. I called out to my father and mother until my throat became hoarse, but no one paid attention to me ever.”
The little chubby boy sat on the grass in the flower bed, hugged his knees with his hands, and curled up into a ball: “Mom always said that she couldn’t get a divorce because of me, but I don’t need her to do this? I don’t need to eat meat every meal, and I don’t want Lego toys. I only want Mom not to be beaten. Those uncles and aunts let my mother bear it, saying that Dad was just drunk and confused for a while and he would change. But those fists did not hit them. How could they forgive in Mom’s place?”
Pouring bitter water at once, the little boy said to Yan Chu, sobbing.
Children of this age were not considered old, but in a peculiar family, they were not lacking in sensitivity and vulnerability. They dared not tell others about some things, but Yan Chu had given them enough confidence that the other party would not reveal their secrets.
“Anyway, I am very happy now, Teacher Yan, thank you. Thank you for listening to me complaining so much. Mom and I will be free in the future and will live very happily every day.”
The little chubby boy took out candy and put the candy in Yan Chu’s hand like Yan Chu used to coax other students. Then he wiped away the tears on his face and trotted away. His steps were light and joyful, and one could imagine his current mood.
It was unknown how long the candy in his hand had been in the boy’s pocket, and with the current weather especially hot, the sugar coating already stuck to the fruit candy inside.
Yan Chu put the candy into his mouth. The candy was sweet with a hint of sourness, and the taste was not bad.
This child…
A trace of worry flashed in his eyes, then his furrowed brow loosened again.
He was different.
He would not experience that true despair, and the nightmares that once troubled him had been cleared away, so he would not become another kind of demon.
The scene that had been bothering him appeared in his mind, and Yan Chu’s head throbbed. The original self of this world had too much influence on him.
I really… really want to…
Kill!
“Xu Nan, you’re back.”
The apartment door opened, and a refined man with a briefcase entered from outside. With a cold face, he put on his slippers and sat on the sofa next to him. He rubbed the bridge of his nose and relieved the soreness in his eyes.
The words of his wife at home went unheard.
The expression on the wife’s face, who appeared at Star Elementary School this morning with heavy make-up to ask for her child’s leave, was somewhat awkward. She pulled her lips and spoke while pushing the little girl beside her.
“Duoduo, greet Dad quickly.”
The eight-year-old little girl hugged her mother’s thigh and hid behind her, showing her face timidly, not daring to speak.
“Xu Nan, let me pour you a glass of water.”
The room felt too oppressive, and Zhang Li felt the growing impatience of her husband, ran into the kitchen in a panic, poured him a glass of water, and handed it to him.
“Damn, you want to burn me to death? Do you want me to die and then remarry with the little dumb you gave birth to, ah!”
The glass fell heavily to the ground with a loud bang, causing Zhang Li and the little girl behind her to take a step back. Part of the splattered fragments cut through Zhang Li’s bare calf and made several little cuts. And her daughter behind her was protected by her, so she did not suffer any harm.
“Waa—”
Xu Duo’s wailing made the man who had been outside all day more irritable. Zhang Li wanted to cover her daughter’s mouth, but it was too late.
“Cry, cry, cry. Crying all day long, let you be dumb when you greet Dad. How can you cry and make a fuss now? I work hard to earn money outside for you to eat, wear, and study well. You are like your useless mother, here to suck my blood.”
“No, it’s not like that.”
Zhang Li said while protecting her daughter, her body trembling slightly.
“Shut up for me.”
Xu Nan instantly pulled Zhang Li’s hair and said, “You dare to talk back to me? Do you know that you and this little brat are raised by me now, along with that useless trash from your natal family? Every time, they only cause me various troubles. You spend my money one by one, and you can’t even serve a man well, so what’s the use of you?”
He threw her heavily to the ground and kicked the woman hard one after another.
The child’s crying became even more mournful. Zhang Li folded her hands and curled up, which was her experience after being beaten for many years. At least it could make the injuries on her body lighter.
“Ding dong— Ding dong—”
The doorbell rang, and Xu Nan stopped kicking and beating. Zhang Li was sobbing. Every time her body moved, it was a new pain.
“Hurry up and take your little bastard back to the room.”
He looked coldly at the woman with messy hair and tears streaming down her face on the ground, without any emotion in his heart.
Domestic violence. The first time you panic and repent. The second time you felt guilty. The third time, the fourth time, and so on, would only become more and more accustomed to it. The only conscience you have was long gone.
Zhang Li complied obediently, held back her tears, picked up her daughter beside her, and walked into the room with her head down.
“Mr. Xu, is everything okay at home? I seem to have heard Duoduo crying just now?”
The person knocking on the door was the old lady living next door. She was standing outside the door, looking into the room.
“It’s nothing. It’s just that the child accidentally broke the glass, which scared her to cry. Lili coaxed the child to go, and I was about to clean up the broken glass fragments to avoid hurting the child in time.”
In front of outsiders, Xu Nan always behaved impeccably and was praised by everyone as a fine gentleman and a good father.
“Oh, I see!”
The old lady looked at the spilled water and a few pieces of broken glass fragments in the corner of the living room. There was also a faint crying of the child in the bedroom, so she had no doubts.
“I thought something was wrong. Mr. Xu, take your time and clean it up. Sorry to have bothered you.”
The old lady was still thinking that the noise just now was a quarrel between the newly moved couple, and she was thinking of trying to persuade them to reconcile. But she did not expect that she had misunderstood and almost caused an uproar, so she felt a bit embarrassed.
After closing the door, Xu Nan’s face suddenly fell, and his complexion was gloomy.
When they moved, he forgot to inspect their neighbors. He did not expect that there was such a nosy old lady living nearby. It seemed that when he had more cash on hand, he still needed to consider changing to a single-family villa. These people already came to their house twice.
“Hurry up to clean up the living room. I’m staying at the office tonight and won’t come back.”
Xu Nan stood outside his daughter’s bedroom and said, then took the briefcase from the entrance and left again.
After finally coaxing her daughter, who had been crying for a long time, to sleep and clean up the mess that Xu Nan had just created, Zhang Li did not bother to apply medicine to her wound and mustered the courage to call her parents.
“Mom—”
Upon hearing the familiar voice, Zhang Li could not help but burst into tears.
“Xu Nan hit me again. I can’t stand it anymore. I want to divorce.” She sobbed uncontrollably. Anyone who was beaten day after day, without freedom or self-esteem, would not be able to stand it.
When they were just married, he was not like this. Why on earth did her life become like this?
“Divorce, are you out of your mind?”
The woman’s voice on the other end of the phone was high-pitched and said, “Do you think you are young and can still find a job when you go out? There is still Duoduo. Do you think of what will happen to Duoduo if you divorce Xu Nan?”
“I can find a job as a teller, a waiter, or anything else. I can’t live on this day.” Zhang Li pleaded, hoping that her mother could understand her.
“How much money can you earn from these jobs? You can’t even afford the tuition fees alone.”
The woman on the other end of the phone still disagreed with her daughter’s request for divorce: “Besides, Xu Nan is quite kind. What man is willing to let his wife stay home and enjoy life? Your brother’s current job’s arranged by Xu Nan. If you divorce Xu Nan and harm your younger brother for the rest of his life, you will be the sinner of our Zhang family. Don’t recognize me and your father in the future.”
The sharp voice passed into Zhang Li’s ear, and she felt she was about to suffocate.
“Lili, Mom loves you.”
It seemed that she also realized that the spoken words just now were too excessive, and the woman on the other side of the phone began to adopt a gentle approach: “But you also need to be considerate of Xu Nan. It’s not easy for him to raise this family. He suffers from outside, so his temper will naturally become bad. If you do anything wrong, of course, you will provoke him. In the future, you will be more well-behaved and obedient to make Xu Nan less angry.”
It was always like this. Although Xu Nan was the one who hit people, her mother asked her to find problems with herself. She did not know what to do so that Xu Nan would be satisfied and her mother would be too.
“The most important thing for you now is to take good care of your body. How old is Duoduo? You can have another baby now. Xu Nan isn’t satisfied with you because you did not give him a son. How can he treat you well?”
“Also, you talked to Xu Nan about what Mom told you last time that your brother is getting married. As the sister and brother-in-law, whatever you do, you have to be meaningful. You know the situation at home, but the woman is now asking to buy a house, and there is still a shortage of 200,000 yuan. You need to help your younger brother…”
“Hello, did you hear that?”
“Lili, Lili? Wicked girl34Wicked girlusually used by the elder to scold the younger generation (girls) for being ignorant, what are you doing*24doing*from 干 [gàn] that can mean as to do or to f*ck (vulgar)?”
The handset was placed on the side until it hung up, and a busy signal sound came.
Zhang Li curled up on the sofa, tears already wetting the pillow beside her.
“Little Chu, today’s cucumbers are very fresh. Let me help you calculate a lower price.”
In the evening after work, the vegetable market was vibrant. When an aunt saw Yan Chu coming over, she enthusiastically promoted fresh vegetables from her shop to him.
“Two more tomatoes. Okay, Aunt will pick big and red ones for you to ensure they are delicious.”
Looking at the phone screen handed over by Yan Chu, the aunt understood and quickly helped Yan Chu weigh it up: “Here’s another onion for you. It’s sweet, and you can eat it with a cold salad. It’s a new variety. Let me give you a taste.”
Yan Chu paid the money, took the bag of vegetables and fruits, and then typed thank you on his phone and handed it to his aunt.
“What’s to thank you? You are still being polite to me.”
The aunt laughed heartily. Who didn’t like such a handsome and polite youngster? Unfortunately, she did not have a daughter. Otherwise, she would definitely tell him.
“Big Sister, you gave that young man an onion. Why don’t you give me one?”
When the fat uncle who was buying vegetables after Yan Chu paid, he complained.
“That’s my relative. It’s appropriate to take care of him.”
The aunt was not happy. Who was the fat man called Big Sister? It was uncertain who was younger between them. Besides, he was not good-looking, and a man who was not good-looking still wanted to take advantage of her, dream on!
“Alright, I’ll add a handful of scallions for you. I want you to visit my business frequently in the future.”
The fat uncle gained two more scallions, which he did not need for a penny, but after all, it was for free. He was very content with it and immediately subsided.
After coming out of the market, in addition to the ingredients purchased, Yan Chu’s eco-friendly bag included an extra onion, three kumquats, a piece of tender tofu, and half a pair of pork belly, all of which were gifts from the enthusiastic small owners of the market, indicating how popular the original self was in this area.
After returning home, Yan Chu put the ingredients he bought in the refrigerator, leaving only tonight’s dinner.
He made the tender tofu into a spicy and smooth Mapo Tofu, then mixed a bowl of tomatoes with sugar and added a bowl of rice to make a simple and delicious meal.
What was playing on the TV was the hottest criminal investigation drama recently. Yan Chu came out after cleaning the dishes, and the TV happened to show the scene where the bad guys were brought to justice.
Uncontrollably, a sneer appeared on the corner of his mouth, contemptuous and mocking.
Yan Chu shook his head and rubbed the corners of his mouth. His present condition was grave, and if he stayed alone at home, he might even have problems holding back. He was not abnormal but also abnormal.
Resigned to his fate and took the key, Yan Chu thought going for a walk might improve his mood.
“Only mothers are good in the world, damn it—”
The phone rang. Yan Chu looked at the caller ID and answered the phone at the entrance.
Because he was mute, the phone was for video communication. Yan Chu placed his phone on the shelf in the entrance hall so that people on the other end could clearly see him.
“Little Chu, how have you been lately?”
The caller was Yan Chu’s maternal aunt, who was also his guardian before reaching adulthood, and she was also his only relative now.
Watching the sign language of her nephew, the middle-aged woman in the video smiled and nodded.
“Then I’m relieved. By the way, Little Chu, the daughter of Auntie’s friend, is twenty-nine years old. She is three years older than you, but she is really nice. She is a police officer with a stable income and a strong sense of justice and responsibility. She is also quite satisfied with your conditions. Why don’t we schedule a meeting some other day?”
The other party seemed to see Yan Chu’s imminent rejection.
“Auntie is not forcing you. It’s just that your mother entrusted me with it before she died. I must take good care of you, but I’m also getting old. The important thing is to see that you get married and have children before I can rest assured…”
The woman on the other end of the phone was chattering, and it was not until Yan Chu had no choice but to agree that she breathed a sigh of relief and showed joy on her face: “Then let’s go on Sunday. Relax. I’ll let you know when the time comes. Auntie has seen her, and you will definitely like her.”
After a few more pleasantries, the other party hung up the video call. After such a delay, half an hour had passed.
Thinking about the person he would go on a blind date with within a few days, Yan Chu felt a bit of a headache. The remaining of the original self’s consciousness just now seemed to have affected him again. Otherwise, he should have refused at that time.
In the previous life, the original self failed short. He undoubtedly was defeated by this blind date.
But now it was him, so maybe there was no problem. He could only take a step at a time.
The night in Linjiang City was still animated, with the lights as bright as day. Many elderly were walking after dinner, and the couples were holding hands on both sides of the road.
Some children ran with laughter, not far away following their parents, looking at the lively and lovely children with kind smiles.
Although all he saw were lovely scenes, Yan Chu’s heart became increasingly stuffed. Perhaps the more beautiful the original self’s memories were, the more he wanted to destroy them.
“Sir, do you want to buy a dog? It’s purebred and very cheap.”
While slowly walking, Yan Chu got stopped by a dog dealer along the street. In front of him was a small paper basket containing four or five puppies, one of whom seemed sick. He lay sprawled in the basket, his head tilted up, and only let out a weak whimper.
Husky?
Yan Chu could not tell the difference between Huskies and Alaskan cubs quite well. But looking at the iconic big smoky eyes, he did not know why and suddenly thought of the mischievous Yan Aotian in the film emperor’s world.
“These are 3,000 yuan each, and this one is 1,000 yuan each. Don’t worry, these dogs are all healthy, but this one doesn’t have enough to eat at night. You can go home and feed some dog food to ensure it’s alive and healthy.”
The peddler saw Yan Chu staring at the husky pup and immediately actively promoted it to him.
“Our huskies are different from others. They are very obedient. Others’ dogs tear up the house, while our dogs are good housekeepers. You can buy a purebred dog for 1,000 yuan. You can save a lot of money.”
The peddler was spitting uncontrollably, and Yan Chu stood firmly in front of the paper basket, thinking in his heart that in his current situation, perhaps it would be better to raise a dog, at least to make things more lively.
As for what the peddler said, Yan Chu did not take a single word to heart.
“I’ll call you Aotian from now on, Yan Aotian.”
After going to the ATM to withdraw a thousand yuan, Yan Chu had a newly weaned husky in his hand.
“Arf arf— woof—”
The little weaned dog’s black nose sniffed the smell of Yan Chu’s body and whimpered. It was unaware of how its new owner gave it such a domineering name.
“Is your dog bought by those illegal kennels or on the side of the road?”
After examining Yan Aotian’s physical condition, the veterinarian at the pet hospital spoke to Yan Chu.
“Mm-hm, I bought it by the roadside.” Yan Chu honestly typed on the phone and handed it to the veterinarian.
Is he a mute? The veterinarian could not help but take another look at Yan Chu. Under normal circumstances, he would not recommend Yan Chu to raise a dog like a Husky in such a situation.
Because when angry and could not scold the dog, this kind of pain was unbearable.
“The mortality rate of infectious canine hepatitis is very high for puppies. If you decide to treat it, I’m afraid it will cost you enough to buy several puppies sold in regular pet stores.”
The veterinarian reminded Yan Chu that it was up to Yan Chu to decide whether to cure or not.
“Arf arf woof—”
The puppy opened its eyes and licked Yan Chu’s finger as if realizing it was about to die.
“Please be sure to cure him.” He typed on his phone.
Yan Chu was now alone and still single with nothing to spend the money. When he bought Yan Aotian, it became his relatives. No matter how much money he spent on treatment, he was mentally prepared.
“Before being cured, it is better for the dog to be kept in our place. Also, if you want to keep other pets in the future, it is best to adopt them or choose regular kennels and pet stores. Most of those dog sellers who sell dogs on the street have no conscience and morality, allowing sick dogs to breed, and many of the pups born are infected with diseases or have defects.”
The veterinarian advised Yan Chu a few words: “By the way, what’s the dog’s name?”
“Yan Aotian, follow my surname.”
Yan Chu squeezed Yan Aotian’s little paw and typed a line on the phone.
“Arf arf—”
The little weaned dog gave a heartfelt response as if it fully recognized the name.
Suddenly, Yan Chu felt as if his mood had eased a lot, and he was right to buy this dog that was likely to tear down the house in the future.
“We are back home.”
To help Yan Aotian develop better habits, Yan Chu also purchased a customized audio player, which could voice his input text.
Yan Aotian’s luck was good. Although the disease came urgently, it eventually got cured. However, the detoxification period for this disease was relatively long. Within six months, Yan Aotian could not contact his companions. Otherwise, there was a possibility of infecting other puppies. The only area where it could move now was Yan Chu’s room.
He carried a large bag of medicine belonging to Yan Aotian and then released it from the cage, allowing it to explore freely in this new home.
“Arf arf arf—”
After getting liberated, it adapted to the husky’s nature very well, staggered to the dining table with its short legs, and gnawed fiercely with its small baby teeth against a table leg.
This puppy was the dog that the peddler promised would not tear down the house. Yan Chu shrugged and went back to the kitchen to cook happily.
Sure enough, the dog called Aotian was quite adorable.
“Xu Duo, what happened to your forehead?”
Xu Duo’s deskmate pointed to the band-aid on her head and asked curiously. This new deskmate asked for leave for a week, and she was a little curious.
“Don’t worry about it.”
Xu Duo’s voice was a little sharp. She opened the music book and held it to block her face, rejecting all curious gazes.
“Xu Duo is so mean. Let’s not talk to her.”
The girl sitting in front of them turned her head and said to Xu Duo’s deskmate, and the other students beside them also nodded. That was right. Xu Duo was the worst.
“Stop talking. Teacher Yan is here.”
A little girl ran in, and the originally noisy class suddenly quieted down.
Teacher Yan?
Xu Duo’s ears moved. Not long after she transferred, she often heard other classmates in the class mention this name. Unfortunately, each time the other party took a class, she asked for leave for various reasons and never once saw the other.
Xu Duo slid the music book that covered her face at a certain angle, revealing a pair of eyes and seeing Yan Chu standing by the piano in the dimly lit classroom with a lesson plan.
That person seemed to be watching her too?
Realizing this, Xu Duo quickly erected the book again to cover herself.
These adults were all so mean.
