Sold into a ghost marriage? Four-year-old and his thuggish father go on a killing spree.

"Cough cough...cough..."

A strong, pungent smell of burning flesh, like countless tiny needles, pierced Gu Niannian's nasal cavity.

She suddenly woke up from her dream, her small body instantly stiffening.

Something is wrong!

This is not the smell of ordinary burning firewood!

The smell was a mixture of the oily odor of burnt wood and a... indescribable, unsettling chemical odor!

Gu Niannian jumped off the bed barefoot, not even having time to put on her shoes, and pushed open the bedroom door.

The sight before her made her heart clench instantly as if gripped by a large, cold hand!

The direction of the promotion station, the originally dark night sky, was illuminated by an ominous orange-red flame!

A tongue of fire, like a venomous snake, greedily licked at the eaves of the promotion station.

Thick plumes of smoke shot into the sky, swirling and roaring in the night, like a ferocious beast ready to devour its prey!

"Fire!"

Gu Niannian used all her strength to let out a sharp roar, her voice hoarse with fear and anger.

She didn't run to find her father; she knew that at this moment, waking up more people was the most important thing!

Her small figure shot towards Cheng Tiezhu's house, the closest one, like an arrow released from a bow, her tiny fists pounding against the door like raindrops.

"Uncle Tiezhu! Fire! The promotion station is on fire!!"

The quiet village was instantly ignited by this desperate shout.

"Bang!"

The door to Cheng Tiezhu's house was suddenly kicked open. He rushed out with only a pair of pants tied around his waist and his upper body bare. When he saw the towering flames, his face turned ashen.

"Quick! Ring the bell! Everyone, put out the fire!!"

"Clang! Clang! Clang—!"

The large iron bell used for signaling at the brigade headquarters was smashed with a stone by a young man, its rapid and piercing sound breaking the tranquility of Chengjiawan.

"Fire!"

"Get up and put out the fire!"

Lights came on in the windows, waking the sleeping villagers. Men and women, young and old, grabbed buckets, basins, and even pots and rushed toward the fire.

Gu Yanqiu was awakened by her daughter's second cry.

When he rushed out of the courtyard and saw the flame that burned with all his heart and hope, his blood seemed to freeze.

"No--!"

He let out a painful roar, his eyes instantly turning blood red, like an enraged beast, and charged towards the fire like a madman.

"dad!"

Gu Niannian clung tightly to his leg from behind, her face streaked with tears. "It's dangerous! You can't go there!"

"Let me go!" Gu Yanqiu's voice trembled. "My blueprints... my documents... they're all in there!"

Those things were compiled by him and his daughter, word by word, and drawn stroke by stroke!

It was something he completed after countless sleepless nights and countless hours of hard work!

That's his lifeline!

The fire was growing larger and larger. The outbuilding next to the promotion station, where firewood and miscellaneous items were stored, was completely engulfed by the fire. The flames were spreading along the eaves toward the main building where lathes and drilling machines were stored.

"Quick! Connect the pipes from the pump room!" Cheng Tiezhu shouted orders from the crowd, his eyes bloodshot.

The water pump, which Gu Yanqiu had just repaired not long ago, now became the key to saving lives.

The thick water pipe was dragged over by dozens of men, and with a roar of the diesel engine, a powerful jet of water slammed into the fire with a "whoosh"!

"Sizzle—"

Water and fire mingled, creating plumes of pungent white steam.

With the water hoses suppressing the fire, its spread was finally contained.

The entire village, regardless of age or gender, threw themselves into the battle.

Basins of water and buckets of sand were poured fearlessly onto the raging flames.

After an unknown amount of time, as the eastern sky began to lighten with the first hint of dawn, the fire was finally extinguished.

The once neat and bright agricultural technology extension station is now a mess.

The walls of the main house were blackened by smoke, and a corner of the eaves was burned. Fortunately, thanks to the villagers' efforts in rescuing the equipment, the precious machines were not seriously damaged except for getting wet.

But the woodshed and archives next door had been completely reduced to charred ruins.

Gu Yanqiu stood dejectedly in front of the ruins, using a charred wooden stick to sift through the still-steaming ashes and pull out a few pieces of paper that had been burned to the edges.

That was a hand-drawn exploded view of the diesel engine structure.

That was his summary of common troubleshooting methods for various tractors.

Those were materials that Niannian helped him organize, intended for use in training courses for tractor drivers throughout the county...

Now, it's all gone.

Gu Yanqiu could no longer control himself. This man, who had never bowed his head in the face of any difficulty, knelt down with a "thud" and slammed his calloused fists hard against the broken walls beside him.

"ah--!"

He let out a wild, mournful howl as he looked up at the sky, his fist slamming into the hard bricks. Blood flowed instantly, but he seemed oblivious to the pain, punching and punching wildly, venting his endless anger and heartache.

"Who! Who did this?!"

Cheng Tiezhu walked over, his face so gloomy it could drip water.

He crouched down, picked up a strip of cloth that was burned to a small half-burnt state from the edge of the fire, and brought it to his nose to smell it.

"It's kerosene."

His voice was as cold as iron.

"This was arson!"

A militiaman responsible for surveying the fire also ran over, carrying an empty kerosene can.

"Captain, the strip of cloth we found at the base of the back wall, the one used to start the fire, led all the way to the woodpile!"

Arson!

These two words made everyone present feel a sense of unease.

This is no ordinary fire; it is a blatant and extremely vicious crime!

"Investigate! Investigate!" Cheng Tiezhu's eyes flashed with terrifying rage. "Bring me all the kerosene requisition records from the brigade! I want to see which damned bastard dared to set fire to Chengjiawan's territory!"

Kerosene was a planned resource, and its monthly rations were strictly recorded.

Soon, the brigade accountant came running over, panting, carrying the account books.

The accountant flipped through the records page by page, and when she reached last month's record, her fingers suddenly stopped.

"Captain, look... Gu Yanchun's family received an extra two jin of kerosene last month, in addition to their normal allowance, under the pretext of 'working overtime to sew shoe soles at night.'"

The accountant's voice wasn't loud, but everyone present could hear it clearly.

"According to regulations, such extra requisitions should be followed by a statement explaining their purpose, but his family hasn't submitted one yet."

boom!

All eyes instantly turned like sharp swords, shooting towards Gu Yanchun, who stood on the outskirts of the crowd, his face pale.

At that moment, the air seemed to freeze.

All the clues, like iron chains, pointed firmly to Uncle Gu!

Gu Yanqiu suddenly stood up from the ground, his bloodshot eyes fixed on Gu Yanchun, his gaze as if he wanted to devour him alive.

He walked over step by step, each step feeling like he was stepping on everyone's hearts.

Gu Yanchun felt uneasy under his gaze and subconsciously took a step back, forcing himself to remain calm as he roared, "Why are you looking at me like that! Just because you got the kerosene doesn't mean I started the fire! What proof do you have?!"

"Evidence?" Gu Yanqiu's voice was hoarse, like two pieces of sandpaper rubbing together. "I don't need evidence!"

He suddenly lunged forward and grabbed Gu Yanchun by the collar.

"dad!"

Gu Niannian rushed over from behind and hugged her father's arm tightly.

Her small face was covered in tears, but her eyes were unusually calm.

"Don't go! Dad, don't fight!"

She looked up at her father, who was nearly driven mad, and said, word by word, "Beating him up will only make him deny it. When the police come, you'll be accused of retaliatory assault."

Gu Yanqiu's body was trembling violently, and his chest was heaving.

Reason and rage were locked in a fierce battle in his mind.

Gu Niannian's small hand gripped his large hand tightly, and the soft yet firm touch gradually pulled him back from the brink of collapse.

"Dad," Gu Niannian's voice was soft, but it carried an undeniable strength, "You believe me."

"We'll make them regret it in another way."

Her gaze passed over her father's shoulder and coldly fell on Gu Yanchun and Sun Xiufen, whose expressions were constantly changing not far away.

That gaze, cold and sharp, like a poisoned dagger, sent a chill down Sun Xiufen's spine for no reason.

Gu Yanqiu looked at her daughter, at her deep and determined eyes that didn't resemble those of a child. The rage in her heart slowly subsided, replaced by a chilling cold and endless fear.

What if it wasn't the archives that burned down today, but their home?

What if Niannian hadn't noticed in time?

He didn't even dare to think about the consequences!

He slowly released his grip, and Gu Yanchun, as if granted a pardon, staggered back several steps and hid behind a few villagers.

Cheng Tiezhu walked over, patted Gu Yanqiu's shoulder heavily, and said in a somber voice, "Yanqiu, don't worry. I will definitely give you an explanation for this!"

He turned to face all the villagers, his voice booming like a bell: "In this arson case, there's no direct evidence to catch the culprit, but we in Chengjiawan will not tolerate such a depraved beast!"

"It's okay if you don't admit it now; the truth can't be hidden for long!"

His gaze was like a knife, scraping harshly across Gu Yanchun and Sun Xiufen's faces.

"Niannian is right, we don't need to solve problems with fists."

"But you'd better pray I don't find even the slightest evidence!"

"Otherwise, what awaits you?"