Corpse Retriever

Li Zhuiyuan didn’t respond. He just lowered his head and stared at an earthworm half-buried in the soil, inching its way out.

Tan Wenbin asked again, “Xiao Yuan-ge, so what do we do?”

“What do we do?”

“I mean… should we help her?”

“What’s it got to do with us?”

“Well, at the very least, we’re friends now, right?”

“Then respect a friend’s choice.”

“Uh…” Tan Wenbin scratched his head hard. “But this doesn’t sit right. What if she actually says yes?”

“Then respect her fate.”

…Inside the house.

Yin Meng stood in the middle. Around her stood a group of adults, and the two boys.

The one-eyed old woman pointed at the adults as she introduced them. “Granddaughter, these are your relatives. This is your eldest uncle, second uncle, your first and second aunts…”

She had three sons and a daughter. Yin Meng’s mother had married her youngest son.

Yin Meng’s gaze swept over the so-called “relatives”—not one of whom shared a drop of blood with her.

And yet, each of them was wearing a warm smile.

The one-eyed woman went on, “Granddaughter, now that your parents are gone, my world’s collapsed. I’m just an old woman, my body’s failing. But those two grandsons—someone’s got to look after them.

They still need school, food, clothes… I really can’t manage it all alone.”

And with that, she started her wailing routine again.

The “uncles and aunts” chimed in immediately.

“True, it’s hard. So hard.”

Yin Meng remained silent.

Seeing she hadn’t responded, the old woman didn’t lose heart. She took Yin Meng’s hand and pulled the two boys over.

“Come, Niuwa, Mawa. From now on, you’ll be living with your sister. She’ll take care of you, feed you, send you to school. Now thank your sister.”

“Thank you, sister.”

“Thank you, sister.”

The old woman turned back to Yin Meng with a tender smile.

“This arrangement is for your own good. You’re all alone now—when you marry, if you don’t have family behind you, your husband’s family will bully you.

Niuwa and Mawa are your real brothers, born of the same mother. Raise them right, and they’ll have your back one day. They’ll be your strength, your support.

So it’s settled.”

Grinning ear to ear, she turned to open the door. The plan was simple: seal the deal behind closed doors, then go outside and announce it to the villagers. No need for contracts—just a little formality to make things official.

Yin Meng finally spoke. “You want me to raise those two?”

“Yes, of course. Don’t you like your brothers? Look how sweet they are.”

Every time the boys visited town, when they passed the coffin shop, Yin Meng would either feed them or give them spending money. The old woman knew the girl was kindhearted.

Yin Meng repeated, “You want me to raise them?”

“Well, yes! Wouldn’t that be great? When you marry, they’ll keep your in-laws in check. Even if you stay single, they and their kids can care for you in your old age.”

“Oh.”

Yin Meng nodded.

Relieved, the crowd smiled and showered her with praise.

The one-eyed woman beamed like a blooming daisy.

The two boys, probably cued by the elders, clutched at her legs. “Sister.”

Yin Meng raised her hand and swung it down hard.

“Smack! Smack!”

Both boys tumbled to the floor, clutching their swollen cheeks, lips bloodied from the blows.

Silence gripped the room.

Then came the boys’ sobbing wails, once the shock wore off.

The old woman slapped her thighs and screamed, “Heavens above! What heartless cruelty!”

Wailing, she lunged at Yin Meng.

Yin Meng lifted a foot and kicked her square in the chest.

Thud!

The old woman tumbled backward, rolling several times.

The “uncles” rushed forward in fury. Yin Meng didn’t dodge—she stepped in. One she flipped over her shoulder. The other she locked in a hold, then drove a heel into his back.

She had the skill to take on Dead Sinkers. Regular people? Child’s play.

“How dare you hit people!”

“No manners at all!”

The “aunts” and “little aunt” chirped from the sidelines. Yin Meng marched over, grabbed one woman by the hair, and slapped her twice.

“Smack! Smack!”

The rest tried to flee. Yin Meng chased them down, each hand snagging one by the hair. She dragged them back and shoved their faces into the corpses on the bamboo mat.

She ground their faces against the corpses like she was exfoliating them with the dead. Their cheeks gleamed with an unholy mix of fluids.

“Ahhhhhhh!”

Screams rang out, one after another.

After beating down every last person, Yin Meng made sure no one stood up again—whoever tried, she kicked them back down.

Her expression was calm. No yelling, no crying. She didn’t even curse. But her fists spoke volumes.

She’d initially ignored the boys, but when they ran over sobbing, begging her to stop, she slapped them both again—for symmetry.

Was it wrong to hit kids? Sure. But she was a kid too. And sometimes, hitting kids was just plain satisfying.

When she was done, Yin Meng walked to the living room door.

Bang!

The door panel shattered under her kick. She stepped out.

The villagers peered in—and saw bodies sprawled everywhere.

Tan Wenbin stood up and clapped enthusiastically. “Nice! I was really afraid you’d say yes.”

Yin Meng shot him a glare. “What, you think I’ve lost my mind?”

Runsheng peeked in, shook his head. “Didn’t even knock all their teeth out.”

Just then, someone in the crowd shouted, “The village head’s coming!”

A burly, middle-aged man in a cap and a cigarette tucked behind his ear approached. His gaze swept over the scene, and silence fell. Clearly, he had weight in this village.

“They beat people! Nearly beat them to death! Call the police!”

The battered family members stumbled out, swollen faces like pig heads, hair wild—like ghosts loosed from the underworld.

The village head turned to Tan Wenbin and Runsheng. Just as he opened his mouth, Li Zhuiyuan called out:

“Runsheng, Binbin, fall back.”

They stepped back at once.

Li Zhuiyuan pointed to Yin Meng. “Everyone saw—she went in alone. No one followed her.”

The villagers all nodded.

The village head was stunned. This girl had taken down an entire room by herself?

He turned to her. “Explain. Why did you hit them?”

Yin Meng said, “They wanted to…”

“They wanted to tie her up and marry her off for a bride price!” Li Zhuiyuan interrupted. “That’s human trafficking!”

The village head froze. True or not, just saying that—plus the fact it was one girl against many—meant no one could push it legally. The cops wouldn’t follow up. No charges would stick.

“You’re lying!” the one-eyed woman shrieked through bloodied teeth. “Who wants to sell her?!”

Li Zhuiyuan: “Then why call her in? What blood ties do you share? What kind of relative are you?”

He didn’t wait for their answer. He waved.

“Let’s go home.”

Runsheng and Tan Wenbin hoisted their gear and flanked Yin Meng. They pushed through the crowd and left.

The villagers, there for the drama, stepped aside quickly when they saw one man with a shovel and another with a hook.

A few young locals glanced at the village head, unsure if they should block the group—out of some tribal sense of territory. But the village head didn’t give any sign.

The one-eyed woman watched in disbelief. “You’re letting them go? They nearly killed us!”

The village head glared at her. “Why did you call the girl in?”

She answered without shame. “To have her raise her brothers, of course!”

At that, the villagers exchanged looks. The village head’s chest heaved with pent-up breath.

“Serves you right.”

He spat on the ground—then walked off.

By the time the four returned to the county, dusk had fallen.

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