The Spring Festival is about to end, and it won't be long before school starts again.

On this day, I had some money in my pocket, ready to go to the town to buy some things.

With school starting soon, I wanted to buy some study supplies. Grandfather likes eating osmanthus cake, so I planned to bring some back for him.

From the village, it's more than ten li of mountain road to the nearest town. We rely on walking to get to the town because there are no vehicles in the mountains, and cars can only go as far as the town.

So I set out early. Although transportation is inconvenient in the mountains, the natural environment is beautiful, especially the refreshing morning air, which is somewhat intoxicating.

I walked alone on the rugged mountain path and didn't feel scared.

Children in the mountains are used to climbing mountains and crossing ridges; it's a common occurrence. They are not as delicate as city kids who need their parents to pick them up and drop them off wherever they go.

Relatively speaking, the mountains are more simple and less dangerous than the city.

I hummed a tune and skipped along, occasionally kicking the stones on the ground.

After leaving the village and turning into a mountain hollow, I heard someone calling my name from behind.

I turned around and was surprised to see that it was Heizi!

Since the last time I burned down Heizi's house, I seldom went out.

Every time someone mentioned the incident, I would avoid them from afar, feeling a bit scared.

Heizi suffered a huge loss this time, with more than half of his roof burned, and he has been looking for someone to rebuild it these days.

Heizi himself also got beaten up by his father and had swollen cheeks with bruises all over.

Heizi walked towards me, a cold smile hanging on his lips.

I didn't know why Heizi would appear here, and a sense of panic flashed through my mind. I forced a stiff smile on my face and said, "Good morning, Heizi!"

"Yang Cheng, where are you going?" Heizi walked up to me, looking at me with a smile.

His face was covered in bruises, and his smile looked quite sinister.

I took a step back. "Isn't school starting soon? I'm going to the town to buy some study supplies!"

"I heard something recently!" Heizi lowered his head and brought his face close to mine.

Heizi was about sixteen or seventeen years old, strong and sturdy, a whole head taller than me. His appearance inherited his father's fierce genes, giving him a ferocious look.

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Honestly, facing Heizi alone, I still felt somewhat uneasy in my heart.

"I heard that you secretly did something and burned down my house!" Heizi stared at me with a smile that wasn't really a smile, making my heart tremble.

My heart skipped a beat. Damn it, how did this news spread?

Fatty!

It must be that ** Fatty!

Damn it, I've explained to him that setting fire is not **, but he insisted on thanking me for helping him vent his anger.

Oh no, I knew Heizi approaching me couldn't be a good thing. He must have been targeting me for this matter. He must have been monitoring me for a long time, seeing me go out alone today and knowing it wouldn't be easy to deal with me in the village, so he followed me all the way to this deserted mountain path.

The difference in physique between Heizi and me is significant. If Heizi really makes a move, he will definitely beat me up. I truly regret having Fatty as a friend. He's such an unlucky friend. Did the heavens intentionally send Fatty to punish me?

Heizi restrained his smile, revealing a sinister expression. He took a step forward, grabbed my collar, and lifted me off the ground. I struggled to tiptoe, desperately trying to touch the ground with my feet, with a terrified expression on my face.

Although I'm not the real mastermind in this matter, I am still partly responsible because I released the Five Ghosts, which resulted in this incident. I always felt like a "criminal" in my heart, so under Heizi's interrogation, I appeared somewhat guilty.

"Kid, confess honestly. Did you really play tricks?" Heizi asked fiercely, spitting saliva all over my face. It smelled sour; he definitely didn't brush his teeth in the morning.

I stammered in response, "It wasn't me... It couldn't have been me... How could I have gone to your house and played tricks... Such an unreliable thing... Who... Who told you?"

Heizi sneered twice, "Who told me? Haha, of course, it was your good friend! I beat him up, and he confessed everything, saying that you played tricks behind the scenes and burned down my house. How do you settle this account?"

Cold sweat rolled down my forehead. Fatty is truly unreliable. Once again, he betrayed me. If it is indeed Fatty accusing me, then even if I jumped into the Yellow River, I wouldn't be able to wash away my guilt.

I weakly argued, "It wasn't me... Your house burning down has nothing to do with me. Fatty's words are not trustworthy!"

Anyway, I firmly held one thought in my mind – no matter how Heizi questioned me, I wouldn't admit it. Heizi only heard rumors and hadn't found any evidence that I set the fire, so he wouldn't dare to do anything to me. If I admitted it, I would be a fool. Heizi could rightfully come to my house for compensation.

So I made up my mind and wouldn't admit anything, no matter what.

Heizi grinned at me maliciously, "You won't admit it, huh? No problem, I'll make you admit it with a punch!"

Before I could react, Heizi suddenly punched me in the face, making me see stars instantly. My nose was crooked, and hot blood gushed out like a fountain.

I fell to the ground, covering my nose, tears streaming down my face uncontrollably.

"Why are you hitting me? You said I burned down your house, where's the evidence? Show me the evidence!" I shouted loudly at Heizi.

"Evidence? talk to me about evidence!"

Heizi walked over and kicked me continuously, causing me to roll on the ground, unable to get back up.

Heizi is naturally strong, and I'm no match for him in terms of size. Moreover, he frequently fights , so he has plenty of practical experience. I was no match for him and soon found myself unable to stand up.

Heizi came over and forcibly stuck his hand into my pocket, taking all the money I had.

Heizi dipped his finger in saliva, counted the money with a "pat pat" sound, and said, "You little brat, you have quite a lot of New Year's money. This money will be compensation for me. Now get lost!"

As soon as I heard this, I became anxious. What compensation? Why should I compensate you?

This money is the red envelope that Xie Qiang gave me. I worked hard to earn it, and I've been reluctant to spend it. Besides, I need money today to buy study supplies in town and osmanthus cake for Grandfather. If Heizi takes away all the money, what am I going to do?

"Give me back the money!" I struggled to get up from the ground.

"To hell with you!" Heizi turned around and kicked me in the lower abdomen, sending me flying several meters away.