Chapter 570: Livelihood Cut Off
Chapter 570: Chapter 570: Livelihood Cut Off
"Ah!" Su Mei wasn’t expecting Brother Liu to suddenly kick her. The blow landed on her stomach, sending her stumbling back a few steps before she fell to the ground with a THUD.
Su Mei was terrified. She looked at Brother Liu with fear, his vicious expression making her tremble. But she didn’t dare to leave, because she had no money. Not a single cent.
After Su Qing’s last warning, she hadn’t dared to go near Li Wan again, afraid Su Qing would actually come after her. The money Wu Tao had given her wasn’t much, and just when she was thinking about calling him for more, she discovered her last bit of cash had been stolen. The pickpocket had taken her letter of introduction, too.
Su Mei was stunned. She could have gone to the police and had them send her back to Xiyuan County, but she didn’t want to go back. Her obsession was healing the scar on her face, and Mr. Gong was in Beijing. Beijing was her only hope.
It was right at that moment that Su Mei was tricked by some of Brother Liu’s men. They had originally planned to sell her off to someone in the mountains, but by a stroke of luck, Su Mei met Brother Liu. She knew this was her only chance to avoid being sold, so she used every trick in the book and actually managed to win his favor, allowing her to stay by his side.
Su Mei had thought she’d latched onto a boss and wouldn’t have to worry about her future. Brother Liu had even agreed to help her get the scar-removing powder. But who would have thought that just by saying her own name, this Brother Liu would flip out on the spot?
His face a mask of rage, Brother Liu not only kicked Su Mei to the ground but also smashed a nearby cup, which shattered right beside her, making Su Mei jump in fear.
Brother Liu roared, "A Su! Another goddamn Su! Fuck, my entire future was ruined by someone named Su!"
"B-Brother Liu, I... I just happen to be named Su. I would never do... do anything to wrong you," Su Mei whispered, her heart pounding with fear.
"Hmph, everyone named Su should just die! Go on, sell this bitch to the most remote mountain village! Fuck it, I’m gonna make this bitch a shared wife for the boys in the mountains!" Brother Liu bellowed, clearly furious.
"No! Please don’t, Brother Liu! I don’t want to be a shared wife!" Su Mei had never heard the term "shared wife" before, but it didn’t sound like anything good. ’Shared wife, shared wife... doesn’t that just mean a wife for everyone?’ If she ended up like that, what kind of life would she have left? She’d rather be dead. Terrified, Su Mei immediately lunged at Brother Liu, only to be kicked away again. The gauze scarf wrapped around her face fluttered to the ground.
"Brother Liu, look at this woman..." Just then, one of Brother Liu’s men whispered to him, "Doesn’t she look a bit like that woman named Su Qing?"
"Hm?" Hearing this, Brother Liu narrowed his eyes and sized up Su Mei. He hadn’t looked closely before because of the scar on her face. Now that he did, he realized she really did look a bit like that Su Qing.
After all, Su Qing and Su Mei were paternal cousins, so there was bound to be some resemblance. But Su Mei’s looks were clearly no match for Su Qing’s.
Watching Brother Liu study her, Su Mei suppressed the tremor in her heart and gave him a fawning smile.
Brother Liu couldn’t help but frown. He asked coldly, "Do you know a woman named Su Qing?"
"Su Qing!" Su Mei hadn’t expected to hear Su Qing’s name from Brother Liu, especially when she was trying so hard to avoid her.
The shock in Su Mei’s eyes didn’t escape Brother Liu. He narrowed his eyes and said coldly, "Looks like you do."
"I... I..." Su Mei desperately wanted to say she didn’t know her.
But Brother Liu’s next words made it impossible for her to lie. "If you dare lie to me, you’ll see how I deal with you."
Su Mei shuddered and said in a trembling voice, "B-Brother Liu, I do have a cousin named Su Qing, but... but I don’t know if she’s the same person you’re talking about. Besides, my cousin and I have a terrible relationship. We’re on very... very bad terms. We’re not cut from the same cloth."
Su Mei scrambled to distance herself from Su Qing, terrified of being dragged down with her. But she felt she already had been. She had no idea how Su Qing had managed to provoke Brother Liu, causing her to suffer like this. Su Mei quietly rubbed her stomach, the hatred for Su Qing in her heart deepening.
"Is this cousin of yours in Beijing?"
"Y-Yes, she is."
"A student at Beijing University?" Hearing this, Brother Liu immediately leaned forward, staring at Su Mei.
Su Mei’s face stiffened. ’No way. Is Su Qing really the same person Brother Liu is talking about? Not just someone with the same name?’
"Heh, so your cousin really is the one from Beijing University," Brother Liu said to Su Mei through gritted teeth.
Su Mei’s heart went cold. She said frantically, "Brother Liu, I... I really don’t get along with my cousin. If I did, I wouldn’t have ended up broke in Beijing! Brother Liu, my cousin is a tough character. She hates me. She even hits me when she sees me."
Brother Liu sneered. "A tough character indeed. Even hits her own cousin."
Hearing this, Su Mei couldn’t help but ask softly, "Brother Liu, did Su Qing offend you?"
"Offend me!" Brother Liu exploded. "She did more than just offend me! She tore down my entire operation, practically cut off my income! Don’t you know, cutting off someone’s livelihood is like murdering their parents! All my hard work was destroyed by that bitch, you hear me!"
As he spoke, Brother Liu roared at Su Mei, unable to stop himself from getting up and kicking her again.
Su Mei’s body ached from the kicks. Not daring to resent Brother Liu, she directed all her anger toward Su Qing. "I was ruined by her, too! She’s a menace! It’s not just me—my parents, my older brother, my grandparents, and even my third uncle’s family... Su Qing has made it so none of us can even get by anymore."
"So, do you want revenge?" Hearing Su Mei’s words, Brother Liu suddenly calmed down. He crouched beside her, sharply lifted her chin, and asked with narrowed eyes.
"I... I wouldn’t dare," Su Mei trembled. "She’s a lunatic."
"She really is a lunatic," Brother Liu said angrily, gritting his teeth. "Do you have any idea how many of my rackets your ’good’ cousin destroyed? Do you know she ruined my perfectly good business? If it weren’t for your ’good’ cousin, would I be stuck running this pathetic little stall?"
Su Mei was completely lost. She stared at Brother Liu with a clueless look on her face. She really had no idea about the grudge between him and Su Qing.
Brother Liu’s grip tightened. "Want to know how your cousin provoked me?"
"I... I..." Su Mei didn’t know how to answer. ’Is this something I should know?’
Su Mei had a feeling that if she learned about the grudge between Brother Liu and Su Qing, her own fate wouldn’t be a good one.
But regardless of whether Su Mei wanted to or not, she learned about the feud between Brother Liu and Su Qing anyway.