C1 Revenge

In the southern suburbs of City A, known for its affluent residents, half of the city's wealthy population resides here. Around 8:30 in the morning, near the picturesque South Lake, the sound of a lawnmower echoed from a luxurious mansion. A worker, face obscured by a mask and wearing a uniform labeled "Southern Property Management," was diligently at work.

Soon, a woman emerged from the house, her figure plump and adorned with jewelry. Upon seeing her, a flash of anger crossed the eyes of the worker, Soong Yu.

Twenty-five years ago, right after her college entrance exams, Soong Yu had been sold by this very woman, her aunt, to a bachelor in his forties, plunging her into a nightmare. Three years ago, as the bachelor lay dying, he revealed the truth: a month before she was sold, her parents had died in an accident.

The double blow nearly broke Soong Yu, but she refused to give up. Despite her grief and illness, she vowed to seek revenge on Gao Yueqin. After the bachelor's death, she returned to her childhood home, Small River Village.

Years of hardship had changed her beyond recognition, and no one in the village recognized her. She learned that the Soong family had become the wealthiest in the provincial capital and had moved away two decades ago. Even her brother, Soong Wen, had drowned while searching for her after she disappeared.

The news was too much, and Soong Yu fainted. Upon regaining consciousness, she fought through her sorrow, bought offerings, and finally located her family's neglected graves, overgrown with weeds. The gravestones, half-buried, still bore the names of her parents, Soong Hee and Liu Fengying, and her brother, Soong Wen.

Soong Yu clung to her parents' gravestone, weeping inconsolably.

She had spent over twenty years hating people who had long since passed away. It wasn't that they didn't come to find her or save her; they simply couldn't.

"Dad, Mom, Brother... I hate this so much..."

Soong Yu silently cried, pulling at her hair, her heart aching as if it were being cut by knives. Her hatred for the Soong family was so intense she could almost taste it. Her life was ruined. In her quest for revenge against an old man, she had destroyed herself, leaving her unable to have children. Now, standing before her parents' and brother's graves, she felt an overwhelming urge to end it all right there.

She wanted to die, to dig a hole and bury herself so she could be with her family again. But she couldn't. The Soong family was still living well, having become the wealthiest in the city. She couldn't face her parents and brother in death without first avenging them. She had to see the Soong family brought down, or she would never rest in peace.

As dawn broke, she struggled to her feet and vowed to her family, "Dad, Mom, Brother, wait for me. Once I've avenged you, I'll come join you. Watch over me and help me succeed."

Soong Yu left Small River Village and headed to the city to track down the Soong family. It wasn't hard to find them; they were among the richest there. But getting close was another matter; she had to wait for the right moment.

Her money was running out. To seek revenge, she first had to survive. She worked various jobs, washing dishes at restaurants, helping in kitchens, and cleaning hotel rooms. Six months ago, she managed to get a job as a landscaping worker with a property management company.

And so, the scene at the beginning unfolded.

The buzz of the lawnmower continued. Soong Yu quietly moved closer.

Standing there, Gao Yueqin was completely unaware, admiring the way her diamond ring sparkled under the light with her plump hand extended.

Soong Yu was no longer nervous. The thought of finally getting her revenge made her heart race. Worried that Gao Yueqin might notice, Soong Yu shifted her gaze and maneuvered the machine, its hum filling the air, to strategically block Gao Yueqin's escape route.

Once she was close enough, Soong Yu turned off the machine. "Gao Yueqin..." she called softly, removing her mask. "Do you remember me?"

Her face twisted with hatred, the years of torment etched into her features, making her look almost frightening.

Gao Yueqin glanced over, scrutinizing her for a moment before her expression changed suddenly. "Soong Yu... you're... still alive?"

"Heh, Gao Yueqin, if you're still around, how could I dare to die?" With that, Soong Yu lunged forward, grabbing Gao Yueqin's hair and yanking it hard. Gao Yueqin screamed and fell to the ground.

As she tried to scream again, Soong Yu quickly pulled the towel from around her neck and stuffed it into her mouth, then dragged her forcefully behind the bushes. Gao Yueqin struggled desperately with her hefty limbs, and eventually, Soong Yu couldn't hold her.

Gao Yueqin managed to break free and called for help, prompting people from the house to rush out. Seeing this, Soong Yu threw caution to the wind and lunged forward, grabbing Gao Yueqin's ankle. Gao Yueqin fell forward, her head hitting the edge of a brick planter. She lay still.

Soong Yu looked at the motionless Gao Yueqin and smiled. Finally, this vile woman was dead.

Before she could savor the moment, a barrage of fists rained down on her. Soong Yu collapsed to the ground, feeling the sharp pain of ribs cracking under the assault.

She was about to die, and strangely, she felt relieved. Her only regret was not being able to be buried next to her parents and brother.

When she regained consciousness, she squinted at the bright lights overhead and heard the steady beep of a monitor. She struggled to move her head and realized she was in a hospital.

Lowering her gaze, she saw a tall man in a white coat, wearing a mask, standing nearby. His hands moved with precision, his expression serious... He seemed to exude a sense of safety.

Safety was something she had never truly experienced, yet here she was, feeling it from a surgeon as she hovered near death. It felt worth it.

Soong Yu's head felt heavy, and she wanted to sleep. But she couldn't, not yet. She wanted to return to her parents and brother. She opened her mouth to speak.

Moments later, the oxygen mask was removed.

"Doc...tor... my name is... Soong Yu..."

The doctor nodded.

"Please..." Soong Yu struggled to keep her eyes open, catching only the first character of his name on his badge: "Huo."

She tried to lift her hand, realizing it was cuffed. She smiled weakly, "Please... don't save me, Dr. Huo, don't save me..."

Everyone in the room looked at her in shock.

In halting words, Soong Yu recounted her life's misfortunes, ending with, "Please... when I'm gone... ask the authorities... to bury me... in Small River Village... next to my parents... and brother's graves... I'm a sinner... I need to atone... I want to be with them... no headstone, I don't deserve... a headstone." She spoke these words smoothly, knowing it was her final burst of strength. With that, she felt a sense of relief.

The medical staff in the operating room fell silent, a few young nurses quietly sobbing.

"Dr. Huo... please help... this poor soul... I want to be with... my family..." With those words, Soong Yu's eyes widened, and her body began to convulse.

The heart monitor beeped frantically before finally becoming a flat line.

"Dr. Huo, should we continue resuscitation?" the assistant asked.

Dr. Huo looked at the woman before him, who, though only in her forties, appeared much older. He removed his mask, gently closed her eyes, and said, "Time of death, April 5th, 3:12 PM..." It was the day of remembrance, and another soul had departed.

A week later, an SUV pulled into the quiet Small River Village. A tall man in a jacket stepped out, carrying a box. After asking an elder where the Soong family gravesite was, he headed there with a shovel and the box.

The overgrown tombstone marked the resting place of the Soong family. The desolation tugged at the heart.

Huo Tian silently cleared the weeds, then dug a hole about three feet deep and a foot and a half wide between the graves of Soong Hee and his wife, and Soong Wen. He placed the box containing Soong Yu's ashes inside.

"Rest in peace with your family," Huo Tian said, bowing before leaving.

A gust of wind blew, making his coat flap. Something got into his eye, and as he rubbed it, his eyes reddened.

He walked away briskly, the weeds around the graves swaying as if in gratitude for his kind act.