Freya looked in disgust at the old woman lying twisted on the ground. She pressed her lips together, a sly sparkle flashing in her eyes. In a blink, she entered her space and took out a white ghost costume and mask to wear.
"This murder mystery costume is really high quality," Freya said, adjusting the mask in front of the mirror with a chuckle.
After dressing up, Freya walked out of her space, finally satisfied.
"Zhou, Da, Niu... Madam Zhou, wake up!" Freya grinned wickedly and picked up a wooden latch from the ground, poking Madam Zhou a few times.
Madam Zhou scratched her chest and swatted the air like chasing away a fly, then turned over and kept sleeping.
"Sigh, I'm really not cut out for the gentle approach," Freya shook her head with fake regret, though her face showed no real disappointment. She dropped the latch to the ground.
Then she grabbed Madam Zhou by the collar and dragged the snoring woman up roughly. Slap, slap, slap! The sound of slaps echoed in the shabby little room.
"Ow, that hurts! Who's the dog who can't walk straight, craps their pants while standing, and dares hit me?!"
Madam Zhou snapped awake with a start. Her eyes weren't even open yet, but she was already cursing loudly.
"Madam Zhou, it's me! Your good daughter-in-law, Bi, Yun!" Freya spoke in a creepy voice and flashed her bloody mouth in a wide grin toward the now terrified woman.
"I was sold into the mountains and beaten to death. I died so miserably. Down there, I'm all alone and scared. I want you and Daxing to come keep me company!"
"Ah! I didn't sell you, it was Daxing! Go find him! It wasn't me! Let him go down with you!" Madam Zhou shrank into the corner of the bed, hugging her head, trembling all over and stammering.
No sign of mother-son affection now—she sold out her son faster than lightning.
"If you don't want to come with me, fine. Just give me the money you got from selling me, so I can settle things down there. Or else I'll drag you down with me. It's so cold... so lonely... come be with me…"
Freya's wide bloody mouth, paired with long streaks of blood tears from her eyes, made her look horrifying. She slowly leaned closer to Madam Zhou.
"I'll give it! I'll give it! It's under the bed! Bi, Yun! Please, I beg you, don't take me! I was wrong!"
Madam Zhou threw herself on the bed, knocking her head repeatedly against it with loud thumps. Her forehead turned red in no time.
"Get down there! Go get the money out for me now or I'll kill you!"
Freya showed no sympathy. She yanked Madam Zhou off the bed by her arm.
"I—I'll dig! I'll dig it out right now!" Madam Zhou crawled under the bed, shivering, and pulled out a jar.
Freya quickly fed the old hag a pill that would make her dumb and kicked her aside.
She opened the small clay jar and counted the money: 623.5 yuan.
What a haul!
She kept 300 yuan for herself—this was the deal she made with Biyun and Brian: they split the reward evenly.
That's her principle—never work for free, not even for family.
After collecting everything worth taking, Freya looked around at the now-clean room and laughed silently.
This is how she lived her life: "Take every feather from a goose, leave no skin on a beast, never give the enemy even a needle or thread!"
Satisfied with her handiwork, Freya turned toward the small woodshed in the courtyard. That's where the three kids had to be.
As expected, when she gently opened the shed door, there wasn't even a wooden bed inside. Three skinny kids in torn clothes were huddled on straw, fast asleep. Their thin arms and legs were covered in bruises.
Freya's eyes darkened. Those heartless monsters, that mother and son, deserved a good beating.
Although she was angry, it didn't stop Freya from packing things up. She touched the tall pile of firewood and put it all into her space.
Then she crouched down and gently patted the face of the older-looking child. The little girl opened her eyes sleepily and saw a very beautiful woman smiling warmly at her. Maya couldn't help but rub her eyes.
Maya: "..."
"Who… who are you? What do you want?" Maya suddenly sat up and instinctively shielded her two younger sisters behind her.
Her movements were loud, and they woke up the other two kids. When they saw a stranger standing in front of them, they were so scared they were about to cry.
Freya shone her flashlight on their little faces and quietly threatened:
"No crying. If anyone cries, I'll sell you to child traffickers!"
It worked. The three kids immediately covered their mouths, their eyes wide with fear, and tears streamed down their faces.
"Don't cry. Your mom's name is Biyun, right?
And Brian—do you know him? Your mom's younger brother, your uncle. They're the ones who sent me to check on you.
Your mom is at your uncle's house right now. She'll come pick you up first thing in the morning."
"Really? You're not lying? Then why didn't she come to see us for so long?
My dad said she ran off with some man and didn't want us anymore. That's a lie, right?"
Maya looked at her pitifully, hoping for a clear answer.
"She was hurt, very badly. She's only just started getting better.
Don't worry, your mom loves you. She would never leave you behind. Just wait a little longer. Tomorrow your uncle and your mom will come to take you away from here.
Look, your mom asked me to bring this for you. Eat it now.
Tomorrow, everything will be better."
Freya took out three eggs, a pack of egg cakes, and some cool boiled water from her bag and handed them to the kids.
"Thank you, sister!" Maya was just a seven- or eight-year-old girl. She looked at the food in her lap, swallowed hard, and her stomach growled. The other two kids stared at the food hungrily, but none of them rushed to grab anything.
"From now on, call me Auntie. I'm your uncle Brian's wife.
Go ahead and eat, and sleep after. Auntie has to go now," Freya urged them to eat.
"Auntie, are you really coming back tomorrow with my mom?" Maya grabbed Freya's hand as she was about to leave and asked nervously, her eyes full of fear and worry.
"Yes. Be good, eat your food, sleep. When you open your eyes again, your mom will be right here with you."
Freya patted the three little heads gently, comforted them, then turned and left.
The medicine she gave the old witch was already working. Now she had to go find her a lover.
After Freya left, the three kids began eating.
"Sis, do you think what that pretty Auntie said is true? That Mom is coming tomorrow to get us and she's bringing the awesome Uncle Brian with her?"
Five-year-old Nami asked while munching on the egg, looking curiously at Maya.
Nami was too young to remember Brian, but their mom often said that Uncle Brian was a hero, very powerful. If he came, he would definitely beat up their mean grandma and dad.
"Yeah. Auntie is so pretty, she wouldn't lie."
Maya's little mind was simple. A pretty Auntie must be a good person, and good people don't lie.
She nodded firmly and passed a piece of egg cake to the youngest, Nancy.
After eating, the three children fell asleep in each other's arms, full of hope.