I never imagined that almost twenty years would pass, and no matter where Teacher Ning went back then, I’m the one who’s dying now.
What will I become? There’s nothing around here but cockroaches and bugs.
Will I turn into a bug?
No… I don’t want that.
I hate bugs.
I feel like I’m about to pass out, but I’m only a meter away from reaching that bottle of water…
Just let me take one sip. I’m so thirsty.
A loud commotion erupts outside the door, but all I can see is that bottle of water.
**CRASH!**
The door is kicked open, and I hear someone rush in.
“Sister Zhang!!!”
Who cares about Sister Zhang or not… Don’t touch me. I just want water.
I feel someone lifting me up, and a wave of excruciating pain shoots through my body.
Don’t touch me. No one should touch me now…
“Sister Zhang!!!” The person screams, their voice breaking on just those two words.
With great effort, I turn my head to look at them.
Who are they?
It looks like Xiao Sun.
But Xiao Sun doesn’t look like this.
This man is unshaven, his eyes bloodshot, his hair a tangled mess, his clothes wrinkled—like me, he hasn’t bathed in over twenty days.
How could he be Xiao Sun?
“I—I’ll call the police right now!!” he shouts.
“Don’t…”
Only when I hear the word “police” do I finally snap out of it, weakly grabbing his hand.
“Don’t call the police…” I say. “Just take me away… Just take me…”
“Huh…?” The man freezes, then frowns. “Sister Zhang, are you… sure?”
“I’m sure…” I muster the last of my strength. “Please, don’t call the police… I’m begging you…”
……
When I open my eyes again, I see a pure white ceiling.
I don’t know where I am, but I feel like I’m lying somewhere comfortable.
Maybe I’ve made it to heaven.
Faintly, I sense someone touching my arm.
I instinctively scream and yank my hand back. I feel like I’ve regained some strength, but my skin is still withered.
“Ah!” A nurse in uniform startles. “Ms. Zhang, you—you’re awake? Please don’t move. I’m administering an IV.”
“Don’t touch me!!” I shout. “No one touches me ever again!!”
The nurse seems terrified, stumbling half a step back.
“Sister Zhang!!”
A man and a woman burst into the room, followed by someone in a doctor’s coat.
Only then do I recognize him—this man really is Xiao Sun, but he looks so weathered, as if he’s aged ten years.
The other is Mengmeng, her face full of worry.
Has her honeymoon ended? Did I… cause trouble for her?
“Sister Zhang, you’re finally awake. Are you in pain anywhere?” Xiao Sun asks with concern. “Does your stomach hurt? Are you dizzy?”
He reaches for my arm, but I recoil in terror.
No, I can’t let Xiao Sun touch me.
I’m too filthy.
“Don’t touch me…” I say. “No one can touch me…”
“Sister Zhang…” Xiao Sun’s eyes are red. “It’s okay now. You’re safe. We’re here with you. No one will hurt you again.”
“No… I’ll never be safe…” I shake my head, dazed. “All of you, leave… Don’t look at me… Don’t touch me…”
“But you need the IV. You’re malnourished…” Xiao Sun says softly, his voice gentle. “Once you’ve recovered a bit, I’ll take you to eat your favorite desserts, okay?”
The kinder he is, the more it hurts.
The happiness I might have barely reached by tiptoeing with all my strength—I’ll never touch it now.
“Yeah!” Mengmeng chimes in, tears in her eyes as she crouches beside me. “Sister Zhang… I bought your favorite peaches. But you can’t eat them yet, okay? Just listen to the doctor. I’ve also booked you an appointment with Chengdu’s best therapist. Will you meet them?”
The doctor steps forward and says quietly, “Ms. Zhang… I deeply sympathize with your suffering and understand why you don’t want to be touched. But right now, we’re treating you. Could you compromise? Under normal circumstances, we won’t touch you, but in emergencies or medical situations, we must. Otherwise, your condition could worsen.”
Emergencies… and medical situations?
Yes. Except for emergencies and medical situations, no one can touch me.
I slowly lie back, letting my head sink into the pillow. It feels so comfortable.
“Sister Zhang…” Xiao Sun sits beside me. He seems to want to hold my hand but hesitates. “I’ve been searching for you all this time… I’m sorry… I was so stupid… I never thought you’d be so close to home…”
“It’s fine.” I smile bitterly. “Xiao Sun, don’t blame yourself. Even I never imagined my own parents would do this to me.”
Soon, the nurse finishes the IV and leaves with the doctor.
Once they’re gone, Xiao Sun drags his chair closer, while Mengmeng tactfully stands by the door, watching the hallway through the window.
I’ve never seen him look like this before.
“Sister Zhang…” he says, frowning. “Why didn’t you let me call the police? I don’t know if you were disoriented then, but shouldn’t that man face justice? Without your permission, I already took samples of the… fluids he left in your body. If you want, we can send him to prison immediately. No matter what leverage he has, I can pull strings to get the police there before he can react.”
Send Butcher Ma to prison?
No… I don’t want that.
I exhale deeply, looking Xiao Sun straight in the eye.
“Xiao Sun, do you know something? In my village, if a dowry is paid and the parents agree, the couple is already considered married. Once, a girl was trafficked to our village, and after mediation by the village head, she just registered a marriage certificate and stayed there forever.”
“What…?” Xiao Sun is stunned. “Sister Zhang, what are you saying? How is that possible…?”
“You’ve never dealt with lawsuits in the mountains, have you?” I say bitterly. “Often, local customs influence legal rulings. My parents took his dowry, so by tradition, we were husband and wife. Even if it’s illegal, it’s still the local way of life.”
“You mean…”
“Xiao Sun, let me test you.” I slowly turn to him. “What crimes did that man commit?”
“False imprisonment, assault, human trafficking, rape.” He answers instantly.
“Now, ‘human trafficking’ is hard to prove. Even if the other three charges stick, what’s the maximum sentence?”
Xiao Sun’s eyes narrow…
“Twenty days of false imprisonment… assault… rape…” He quickly realizes the problem. “In severe cases, life imprisonment. If it’s especially egregious… possibly a suspended death sentence.”
“Now, how long does ‘life imprisonment’ actually last?”
“With good behavior, about twenty-two years at most.”
“And what about a ‘suspended death sentence’?”
Xiao Sun lowers his head, silent.
“You and I both know—’suspended death’ isn’t death. So I can’t let him go to prison.” I say. “If he lives comfortably behind bars, it’s not fair to me.”
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