Neighbor 013

Li Juan didn't show any disgust. Instead, she helped him back to her "home"—a tiny, musty shack reeking of mold.

Five years of imprisonment had worn down Zhang Xi’s temper, but the moment he laid eyes on Li Juan, his old habits came roaring back.

"What the hell is this? Is it even edible?" Zhang Xi cursed at his wife. He raised his hand out of habit to strike her, but he stumbled and crashed to the floor.

Silence filled the room. Zhang Xi struggled to move. "You useless bitch, hurry up and help me up!"

Li Juan stared at her struggling husband. Something was taking root in her heart, yet she still stepped forward to help him up.

Zhang Xi took the opportunity to slap her twice across the face, muttering curses all the while.

Li Juan remained silent.

The man she had both loved and feared seemed to be broken now.

The reality was that Li Juan had to support them both. She could only find low-paying odd jobs. Zhang Xi frequently demanded she ask their son for money. Li Juan tried; she ran into Zhang Xiaoli several times, but the boy seemed disgusted by her. He ran away every time he saw her, and she couldn't catch him.

Eventually, Zhang Xiaoli disappeared from the neighborhood entirely. Unable to see him, Li Juan began to drift into a daze.

Zhang Xi continued to beat Li Juan whenever he lost his temper—once, twice... He failed to notice that his wife was becoming unhinged.

Her dreams of a lively son, a healthy husband, and a happy family were slipping away. She had thought everything would be better once Zhang Xi was released, but this was her reality.

Finally, one day, when Zhang Xi shouted for Li Juan to get over there, she stood still.

Zhang Xi flew into a rage. "Are you deaf? I said get over here!"

Li Juan stared blankly at him. Memories of years of abuse flooded her mind. The image of her violent husband from the past began to merge with the cripple before her.

"No."

"What did you say? You slut!" Zhang Xi was furious. If it weren't for this woman, if she hadn't suggested going next door, he wouldn't have gone to prison! He wouldn't be a cripple!

"No!" Li Juan smashed what she was holding onto the floor. "I won't do it!"

"You!" Zhang Xi felt a flicker of panic. He had never seen this woman act so crazed.

Li Juan began muttering to herself incessantly. "We are a family... a family needs to be complete... my husband loves me... I have a cute son..." She was describing the beautiful future she had imagined.

Her behavior terrified Zhang Xi. For the first time, he found this submissive woman frightening.

Then, Li Juan picked up the rusty kitchen knife.

"Wh-what are you doing?" Zhang Xi was genuinely afraid now.

"Husband, why do you chase after other women? Am I not good enough? Am I not pretty?" Li Juan spoke softly, tucking her hair behind her ear with a playful smile. "I love you so much."

"You... you're crazy! What are you doing?" Zhang Xi tried to escape, but his legs wouldn't cooperate. He managed to stand only to collapse again.

"Before, when you went out gambling and chasing women, I told myself it didn't matter as long as you loved me." Li Juan walked slowly toward him. "Now I realize that Heaven has been good to me."

"Now that your legs are crippled, you can't go out and find other women." She squatted in front of him, pressing her cheek against his, beaming with joy. "You like hitting me, don't you? I'll let you hit me. How does that sound?"

"You maniac!" Zhang Xi was scared out of his wits.

"Why do you want to run away? Our son was the same. He ran away without looking back. Don't you leave me, too."

She raised the kitchen knife high.

Zhang Xi’s face twisted in terror. "Help! Murder!"

The next moment, his mouth was gagged. Li Juan held the knife to her lips. "Shh. We can't let the neighbors laugh at us. I want them to envy me for having such a good husband."

The knife rose again, and under Zhang Xi’s horrified gaze, it came down.

From that day on, Zhang Xi lost his former ferocity. Li Juan kept him tied to the bed. Everything below his knees was gone.

Li Juan, however, was in high spirits. She went out to work every day, came home early, kissed his cheek, cooked for him, and chatted about her day.

"I was collecting bottles today, and someone felt sorry for me. They even gave me their leftover water."

"I saw a child who looked just like our son. It’s a shame his parents came to pick him up, or I would have brought him home for you to see."

"Husband, why aren't you eating? Is it not good? I worked so hard to make this."

Zhang Xi looked at the paste before him and forced himself to swallow it, suppressing his nausea.

Li Juan smiled. "That's a good boy, my wonderful husband. Do you want to hit me today? Come on, I'll let you." She leaned her face in. Zhang Xi, his hands bound, shook his head frantically.

"I was wrong, wifey, I was wrong! I shouldn't have hit you! Please, let me go!"

"What are you talking about, husband?"

"Didn't you say someone told you to get a divorce before? Let's divorce. We can do it right now. I won't be a burden to you!" Zhang Xi thought he had found a convincing argument.

Li Juan paused, her expression suddenly darkening. "Divorce? After I’ve been so good to you, you want to divorce me?"

Zhang Xi was terrified by her sudden outburst.

Li Juan jumped off the bed and paced back and forth, her face twisted in a ferocious grimace. "I know. I know! You have another mistress, don't you? Is it Wang Xiaoling? Is it her?!"

Zhang Xi shook his head desperately. "No! I don't!"

"How could you cheat on me? How could you do this to me?"

As Li Juan grabbed the kitchen knife, Zhang Xi’s face went pale.

Zhang Xi was incredibly resilient. Even having his hands and feet chopped off didn't kill him. As Li Juan fed him, she told him he would live a long, long life.

Staring at the neurotic woman before him, Zhang Xi cursed his past self over and over again.

Not for his actions, but for not kicking her out sooner.

But it was too late now.

Time passed, and Zhang Xi grew increasingly desperate, yet his stubborn will to live kept him going.

The neighbors knew that an old woman lived in the dilapidated shack, surviving by begging and scavenging for scrap. Rumor had it she had a disabled family member at home, and some people had even donated money to help them.

But because Li Juan was so eccentric, no one ever saw the invalid.

Li Juan continued to feed leftover fast food she had scavenged to her skeletal husband. She watched TV, occasionally whispering to Zhang Xi, looking for all the world like a loving wife.

Until a familiar face appeared on the screen.

"This is our city's top-ranking student, Fang Zhiran. We will now present the award to him..."

Li Juan didn't hear the rest.

"Husband, look! That's our son! That's Xiaoli!" Even after all this time, she still recognized her son’s features.

Zhang Xi glanced at the screen and looked away. "You're crazy! How do you know that's your son?" The prolonged torture had left him completely resigned.