Bizarre Cultivation: Starting from Being Beaten Up by Reality

Chapter 112 Wetland Scenery

The caravan arrived at the border of Xintai County early in the morning and set up camp in a spacious place outside the county town. Several wagons separated from the caravan and went into the county town to trade goods. They planned to return the next day, after which the caravan would set off again.

The Lin family elders who had accompanied the caravan remained with them, enjoying the wine and the only fresh food available in the caravan.

"So, Miss Sun is originally from Xintai County, and she's going home to visit her family today. Brother Niu will naturally be going with her, right?" Doctor Lei said, munching on a sesame seed cake. "My dear brother and second brother are going to the wetlands for a stroll, and they probably won't be back tonight? Does that mean I'll be all alone tonight?"

Niu Dadan approached Lin Fan, and before he could speak, Lin Fan pulled out a concealment cloth and handed it to him. "Niu Dadan, you want to borrow this, right? Be careful and protect her."

Sun Ruolan married Lin Fugui, so why is she bringing another man home? Clearly, Niu Dadan was just worried and secretly followed her to protect her.

Sun Ruolan stepped forward and bowed, saying, "Thank you, Brother Lin. We will always remember your kindness to us."

Dr. Lei stood there, mouth agape, unable to close it for a long time. "That looks like mine!" he exclaimed. "No, you took it, fine, but you lent it to someone? Lending it is one thing, but you're still doing them a favor?"

As soon as the young couple left, Chen Ergou couldn't wait to pull Lin Fan along, "Brother Fan, let's go too."

Lin Fan was not in a hurry, but rather a little resistant. "What kind of wetland are you talking about? It sounds weird."

Chen Ergou hurriedly explained, "I heard it from the brothers in the caravan. The most serious crime and prostitution is in the area around Xintai County. It is said that the people here are lazy and only want to make money through such means."

Lin Fan nodded, "It might just be some places with poor public security in reality."

Chen Ergou added, "But Brother Fan, you have to be careful. I heard there are a lot of pickpockets around here, so be careful not to get your things stolen."

Lin Fan became increasingly reluctant to go, saying, "Then I'll just give you the money and you can go have fun by yourself."

"No, Brother Fan, if I report more or less when I submit my expense report, it will be hard to explain."

Dr. Lei patted Lin Fan on the shoulder and gestured with his eyes that he should keep an eye on Chen Ergou. "Brother, you'd better come along too."

Then, changing the subject, she said, "Don't always be so tense. You should relax when you need to."

Squeak.

With a nervous heart, Sun Ruolan opened the gate to her courtyard. She was not as glamorous as when she left home, dressed in fine clothes, but only in coarse cloth clothes like a farmer.

The two elderly people in the courtyard looked on incredulously. The mother tentatively asked, "Ruolan?"

Sun Ruolan was speechless, but nodded with tears in her eyes.

The mother stood there, her hands raised, stunned, her eyes scanning Sun Ruolan up and down.

The father, with his more straightforward temper, threw down the bamboo basket in his hand and roared, "Why are you back? What's wrong with you? Did you lose control of your genitals and get divorced by the master? Or did you run away on your own?"

Her father's words were very harsh, and Sun Ruolan's usual quick wit and courage vanished in an instant; her lips trembled, and she couldn't utter a word.

The mother quickly stepped forward to stop the father, who was about to pull out a broom to beat his daughter. "Old man, we can talk later. Go to the market and cut some meat and buy some vegetables. Look how thin my older sister has become on the way here. I'll cook a few dishes so we can have a good meal."

"What are you going to eat? This kind of trash wants to eat my food?"

The mother quickly pulled the father aside and whispered a few words in his ear. Only then did the father suppress his anger and go out.

The mother quickly smiled and took Sun Ruolan's hand, leading her into the house.

Inside the room, a young couple sat facing each other, chatting and laughing while eating sunflower seeds.

The mother quickly pulled the young man over, "Erwazi, look, your eldest sister is back."

The young man was also taken aback, but managed a forced smile. "Sister, you've come."

Her mother wanted to introduce the woman to Sun Ruolan, but Sun Ruolan's attention was completely elsewhere, her eyes scanning the room. "Mom, where's Third Sister? Did she go out?"

"Oh, Ruomei got married the year before last, to a butcher from the next village."

Sun Ruolan frowned. "But my third sister is still young."

"What do you mean 'little'? She'll be 16 by the traditional Chinese age reckoning when she gets married. If she doesn't get married, where will your brother get the money to get a wife?"

Sun Ruolan grew anxious, "But when I got married, it wasn't..."

"Hey, you only have enough money to pay off your dad's gambling debts. Your brother will need money to get married too."

Sun Ruolan then looked at the other woman in the room. Without a doubt, this was her younger brother's wife. She wore a small plum blossom-shaped hairpin in her hair, which seemed to have a magical power, firmly attracting Sun Ruolan's gaze.

The woman felt uneasy under Sun Ruolan's gaze. She grabbed her man and said in a coquettish voice, "Big sister, why do you keep looking at me like that? Do you think I'm ugly?"

Sun Ruolan seemed to wake from a dream, her lips trembling slightly, "Mom, wasn't that the one I gave to Third Sister?"

After the wealthy Lin sent the betrothal gifts, Sun Ruolan chose this one to give to her younger sister. She also specifically instructed her parents that they could use the other betrothal gifts as they saw fit, but this one had to be left for her sister.

Sun Ruolan's mother paused for a moment before remembering what she was talking about, and explained casually, "Well, Ruomei got married, so her things went with her. It's like giving them to her husband's family, which means my family is at a loss."

"But……"

The mother's eyes darted around, and she changed the subject, "This is something Ruomei herself said she wanted to keep for her future sister-in-law, since she doesn't have anything else to offer. You shouldn't miss out on your sister-in-law."

Sun Ruolan's chest heaved slightly as she felt nauseous. Being pregnant, she couldn't help but bend over and dry heave.

Sun's mother, who used to be a midwife, still didn't understand. She helped her daughter up and touched her stomach, exclaiming in shock, "Why are you out running around when you're having morning sickness? Tell me quickly, what's going on?"

At this moment, Sun's father also returned, carrying a small amount of vegetables. Sun's mother first comforted her daughter, and then scolded Sun's father, "You bought so little food, who is that enough to eat? Go, go buy some more, don't be stingy with money." After saying that, the two of them pulled each other's ears and talked for a while before pushing him out the door.

"Mom, I won't eat. I'm relieved to see that you're all doing well. I'm leaving now."

"Hey, why are you in such a hurry? Don't you miss your sister? I've already asked your dad to find someone to bring her back."

A glint flashed in Sun Ruolan's eyes, "Will Ruomei really come?"

Sun's mother nodded hurriedly, "Yes, yes, your sister is just getting married, not becoming a nun, so why can't she come back?"

As she spoke, Sun's mother pulled her daughter's hand and sat her down. "Eldest sister, Mom knows you've suffered all these years. I know you resent us for not letting you go with that Li family boy and for marrying you off to another county."

“I don’t blame my mother.” Sun Ruolan spoke from the heart. Who would agree to their daughter eloping with someone? Marrying Lin the rich man was considered a high-status marriage. Her parents did nothing wrong in this matter.

Although she was unwilling, it was all in the past. The boat had already sailed past countless mountains, and she and Adan were together as she had wished. What was there to complain about her parents for?

Sun's mother was very understanding. "Actually, we all know that something bad happened to the Lin family. You escaped with that Li family member, cough, that boy named Adan, right? And the child in your belly is probably his, isn't it?"

Sun Ruolan lowered her head, twisting the hem of her clothes in silence. She herself had a clear conscience, but this shameful affair would cause her parents to be cursed behind their backs by the villagers, so she ultimately did not say that she was innocent.

Sun's mother looked at her daughter with a kind smile. "It's alright, Ruolan. Parents always worry about whether their children are doing well. As long as you are happy, that's all that matters. I've already made one mistake. This time, you can choose for yourself. You can go with whomever you want."

Sun Ruolan finally couldn't hold back her tears and burst into tears, sobbing in her mother's arms. At that moment, all the unease and wariness she had felt since entering the house vanished.

This time, Sun's father brought back a lot of vegetables and said that he had called a horse-drawn carriage to go to the next village to find Ruomei to come home for dinner.

Sun's mother told Sun Ruolan to sit alone at the dining table and wait, while she led the whole family to the kitchen to help with the cooking.

Soon, a table of food even more lavish than the New Year's Eve dinner was served.

The mother must have talked to the father in the kitchen. At the dinner table, the whole family surrounded Sun Ruolan, showing her concern and care. Sun Ruolan had never felt such warmth before she got married.

Sun's mother placed a large piece of meat on her plate. "Ruolan, when you were at home, I often scolded and beat you. Don't hold a grudge against me. To be honest, it wasn't until you got married that I realized how much I missed you. I really regret not letting you choose for yourself back then."

As she spoke, tears welled up in Sun's mother's eyes.

Outside the bustling courtyard, Niu Dadan, draped in a cloak of concealment, watched the house warily. The house was brightly lit, and the aroma of food wafted through the air, which reassured him somewhat. He had personally witnessed Sun Ruolan's father running out to buy groceries twice.

Although he and Sun Ruolan had agreed not to stay long, Ruolan was different from him; she hadn't broken ties with her family. Going home would inevitably involve catching up, so he figured nothing bad would happen. He also repeatedly told Ruolan to shout loudly if anything happened, and he would rush in immediately.

Lin Fan stepped onto the soft, wet mud, his brows furrowing slightly. This wetland looked more like a swamp than a wetland.

Many stilted houses were built on a wet, soft muddy ground, with wooden planks lying haphazardly on the ground to prevent people from sinking too deep into the mud.

"Why do these people live in such a terrible place?" Lin Fan muttered. Xintai County has good land; it's not so scarce that they have to live in this wretched place.

Chen Ergou shrugged. "Who knows?"

Lin Fan looked at the residents in the wetland. The adults were mostly elderly people with half-gray hair. Because the humidity was too high, both men and women were shirtless, wearing only shorts. Some of them had their shorts hanging down to their waists, which made Lin Fan feel physically uncomfortable.

Occasionally, a few children, covered in mud and wearing shorts, would run around and play.

Their clothes weren't fancy, but they still looked completely out of place here, surrounded by scrutinizing gazes that made Lin Fan very uncomfortable. He tugged at his belt, and the Soul-Suppressing Pearl against his skin sent a cool sensation through his mind, making him feel much better.

"Ergou, do we really have to come here? This place doesn't look very reliable."

Chen Ergou was quite at ease, occasionally greeting the children passing by. "Hey, Brother Fan, what you're saying makes me want you to take me to the city's brothels for some fun, and let me experience the taste of the top courtesans. But with our current status, we don't dare go to the city. Coming here is a good way to save you money."

Just as Lin Fan was about to say something, he felt a slippery sensation coming from Chen Ergou, and the word 'greed' popped into his mind.

Before he could even ask Chen Ergou what he had done, he sensed more things coming from all around him: vigilance, greed, and even jealousy.

Emotions surged through him like a torrent, and Lin Fan almost cried out.

Lin Fan immediately realized that the Soul-Suppressing Pearl had undergone some kind of change after absorbing the black bead, because even from behind, he could clearly sense that the old man behind him was on guard against him.

No wonder Chen Ergou was in such a hurry; it really is a treasure. I just wonder if it was like this before it was absorbed, and if there will be any cost to using it.

After carefully considering his feelings, Lin Fan felt that he could control himself to a certain extent and prevent his weaker emotions from affecting him.

The two had traveled quite a distance, but they still hadn't seen the place the caravan had described.

A teenager rushed past from one direction, bumping into Lin Fan's waist, then stumbled and turned to run away.

Lin Fan grabbed the big boy by the back of the neck and lifted him up. "What kind of little thief are you? So blind, trying to steal from me."

The boy waved his arms and legs in the air, shouting, "You outsider, don't make false accusations! I didn't steal anything from you!"

As he spoke, the boy shouted to the surrounding area, "Help! A stranger is trying to kill someone! Help!"

The elderly people around slowly began to move, some even picking up various objects from the ground.

Lin Fan wasn't flustered at all. When this kid was rushing towards him, he exuded 'greed', when he hit him, he became 'vigilant', and after he caught him, he became 'fear'.

The kid was covered in mud and seemed to be wearing only shorts. There was nowhere to hide anything. Lin Fan patted him all over and took out his money bag from a mud-covered bag.

This is the bag Lin Fan used to carry copper coins; it only contained a few hundred coins, and he hung it on his waist.

Upon seeing that the culprits had been caught red-handed, the surrounding wetland residents quietly retreated.

The teenager's attitude immediately softened. "Master, I really have no food to eat. This is the first time I've done this. Please let me off the hook."

Lin Fan really wanted to hand the boy over to the authorities, but it was inconvenient for him to go to the authorities himself, and he didn't want to just let him go like that, so he was torn.

The teenager, being held by Lin Fan, was thinking fast. "You two gentlemen are here looking for fun, right? Well, you've come to the right place. I know all the girls here."

Chen Ergou became interested upon hearing this. "Great! We were just worried about not having anyone to ask. Kid, lead the way."

Lin Fan gave him an annoyed look. "You want to hire a petty thief as a middleman? Are you out of your mind?"

Today is another two-in-one update, not a single update.