My father is injured

Early in the morning on a cold autumn day, the forests and mountains surrounded the village with lingering white mist. Zhu Changyu carried a bow and a water bottle on his back and walked deep into the forest with determination. He wanted to hunt for food to support his family during the coming winter.

The rustling of leaves beneath his feet and the chirping of birds in the forest made the forest seem alive, but Zhu Changyu paid no attention to his surroundings. He focused on the deer footprints that appeared on the ground. They were fresh footprints that led him deeper into the unfamiliar forest.

When he saw the figure of a large deer standing not far away, under the shade of a large tree, Zhu Changyu stopped walking, his heart beating wildly as he assessed the range and accuracy of the arrow. He slowly raised his bow and aimed, but at that moment, the crackling sound of thin branches beneath his feet startled the deer and it ran away.

Zhu Changyu hurriedly chased after him, but in his haste, he didn't pay attention. The ground beneath his feet was a steep slope covered with dry leaves. He fell into a small ravine hidden under the bushes.

His body hit rocks and branches along the way until he came to a halt on the ground below. He felt a sharp pain in his arms and legs, and open wounds and bruises spread all over his body.

Despite the pain, Zhu Changyu knew that he could not let himself remain weak here. He tore off the hem of his own clothes to bandage the wound to stop the bleeding, and began crawling up from the abyss with his remaining strength.

The climb was difficult and painful. His body was shaking from the cold and the blood was flowing nonstop, but there was only one thought in his mind. He had to return to his family.

When he finally made it out of the abyss, the sun was starting to set. He had to use a cane instead of legs to support himself as he walked home. Every step was difficult, but he gritted his teeth and endured.

Finally, when he saw his own house from a distance, he felt relieved, but as he got closer, he heard a commotion coming from the house. It was Lin Ai's voice calling for help, and his son's voice shouting in shock.

In the afternoon, in the old house, which was filled with a stuffy atmosphere, Lin Ai was taking care of wiping Zhu Qing'an's body, while Zhu Qingyang and Zhu Qingcheng were preparing rice porridge to feed their elder sister. They, who were only nine years old, tried to help their mother with some small housework. Although the house was old and dilapidated, Lin Ai tried to maintain a little peace in the family.

Suddenly, the door of the house was slammed open with a loud bang. Old Lady Zhu walked into the room with a gloomy face, followed by Zhu Changhai, Zhu Changyu's brother. Both of them were filled with dissatisfaction.

" Where is the money that you took that little girl to the doctor? Give it to her right now !" Old Lady Zhu shouted as Zhu Changhai walked in with a cold gaze.

" I have no more money left for you guys !" Lin Ai tried to speak decisively, although she was terrified in her heart. She tried to protect the little wealth she had left for her children.

Those words were like a fuse, Old Lady Zhu came straight in and slapped Lin Ai, knocking her to the ground. Zhu Changhai took the opportunity to grab the silver box on the table, which Lin Ai had prepared to buy meat to nourish everyone in the house. However, when Zhu Qingcheng saw this, the boy quickly ran over and tried to grab the box back.

" Don't mess with me !" Zhu Changhai shouted, pushing Zhu Qingcheng hard, causing the boy to fall to the ground.

" Don't hurt my child !" Lin Ai shouted, trying to stand up to protect her child, but Old Mother Zhu ruthlessly hit her with the broom.

Zhu Qingyang, who was sitting in the inner room, heard the loud noise. He got up and walked out. When he saw Lin Ai being pulled by her hair and pushed to the ground again by Old Lady Zhu, he hurriedly went to block it and was beaten up by her again.

" These guys are a burden to our lives !" Old Mother Zhu roared loudly as Zhu Changhai kicked the buckets of stuff in the house until they scattered all over the floor.

Zhu Qingcheng cried in fear and tried to help her mother, but was grabbed by Zhu Changhai's arm and thrown away again. Lin Ai looked at her son in pain and struggled to protect him.

At that moment, the door of the house was pushed open again, and the body of Zhu Changyu, covered in wounds and exhaustion, walked in. Although he could barely stand, he quickly rushed up to stand between his mother and brother and Lin Ai and the children.

" Stop right now !" Zhu Changyu's voice was weak but firm. He used his injured body to protect his family, even though he was beaten down by Old Mother Zhu and Zhu Changhai.

" You have no right to give orders in this house !" Old Mother Zhu shouted, before Zhu Changhai kicked Zhu Changyu who was lying on the ground with no energy.

Lin Ai cried desperately, she turned to Zhu Qingcheng and ordered with a trembling voice.

" Go get the village headman quickly ! Hurry up !"

Zhu Qingcheng ran out of the house in a panic, tears streaming down his cheeks from fear. He headed straight for the village headman's house in the middle of the village. The loud knocking on the door reflected the boy's anxiety.

" Village head ! Help me ! They are hurting mother and father !"

Zhu Qingcheng's shout caught the attention of the village chief who was resting after working hard. He stood up immediately, his face full of solemnity.

" Calm down, kid. Tell me what happened."

As Zhu Qingcheng told the story with a trembling voice, the village chief realized the urgency of the situation. He called several nearby villagers to gather, grabbed his walking stick, and hurried towards Zhu Changyu's house.

When the village headman and the villagers arrived at the old house, they heard shouting and crying from inside. The village headman ordered everyone to stay outside first, and then he pushed open the door without hesitation.

The sight made the village chief frown. Lin Ai was lying on the ground, her arm covered in bruises, while Zhu Changyu, who was covered in wounds, could barely move. Old Lady Zhu was still holding a broom, while Zhu Changhai was standing over the family with an arrogant expression on his face.

" Stop this right now ! What do you think you're doing ?" The village chief's voice rang out, causing Old Lady Zhu and Zhu Changhai to pause.

" Village Chief, it's none of your business !" Old Lady Zhu tried to argue, but the village chief cut her off in a fierce tone.

" I will not allow the people in my village to be harmed like this again !"

The villagers who had followed began to rush in. Old Lady Zhu and Zhu Changhai were pulled away, while some villagers helped support Lin Ai and Zhu Changyu up.

" Zhu Changyu is seriously injured. We must take him to the doctor immediately," the village head said in a serious tone. He ordered two young men in the village to use a quickly found bamboo stretcher to carry Zhu Changyu to the doctor's house.