On the fourth day after being set up, Zhao Yu calmly prepared a meal for Lin Dasheng’s family, having already acquired some rat poison.
No one suspected she would lace the food with poison, let alone that she would poison her own son.
The reason she targeted her son as well was that she had completely lost hope and had grown to hate everyone around her.
Her own son, after the incident, didn’t speak a word in her defense. Instead, he scorned her, calling her a “used woman” unworthy of being his mother.
That was the moment Zhao Yu snapped. After poisoning Lin Dasheng’s family, she returned to her own family that night, claiming she had agreed to marry the butcher.
The next day, Zhao Yu’s family happily invited the butcher over for a meal, during which she poisoned them all as well.
When Zhao Yu was eventually captured, she appeared deranged but clearly confessed to everything she had done.
“This is just inhuman! How could anyone do such a thing?”
“That butcher—could it be the one everyone says is notorious for violence? I heard his previous wife was beaten to death by him.”
“How could her family and in-laws commit such heinous acts? No wonder Zhao Yu resorted to poisoning them.”
“Poor Zhao Yu. She used to have such a gentle temperament, but she was driven to this. She really had a miserable fate.”
“Even so, killing people is wrong.”
Song Wei felt a pang of sadness.
When Zhao Yu was saved after her miscarriage, she had been given another chance at life. But what awaited her afterward was nothing short of hell.
Song Wei felt no sympathy for Lin Dasheng’s family or Zhao Yu’s relatives. However, she couldn’t help but pity Zhao Yu herself, who had ultimately lost everything.
Still, in a society like this, what other choice did Zhao Yu have? Even in modern times, women in similar situations would need an unbreakable will and drastic actions to escape such a leeching family.
If they managed to survive, they would only do so amidst lifelong suffering.
There is no greater despair than a heart that has died. Zhao Yu’s heart had already died long before.
After the brigade leader explained the full story, opinions among the villagers were divided. Some condemned Zhao Yu for her extreme actions, while others pitied her and believed she had been forced into it.
But Zhao Yu no longer cared about any of this.
Not long after, news came that Zhao Yu had taken her own life, leaving the village in shock and sorrow.
This incident had a lasting impact on Ping’an Brigade. Since it involved multiple deaths, the higher authorities reprimanded the brigade.
There was no hope of earning the title of “Model Brigade” this year.
The brigade leader, simmering with frustration, began taking his anger out on everyone. “If anyone dares to cause trouble again, I’ll dock their work points!”
Within just a few days, several people had their work points deducted. Although it seemed like he was venting his anger, his actions were well-founded. He had simply stopped turning a blind eye to minor infractions and started enforcing the rules strictly.
Even Song Wei wasn’t spared. She had her work points docked once for getting too caught up in gossip and forgetting to work.
But she quickly earned back the lost points.
With spring planting officially completed, the fields were filled with newly planted seedlings.
A timely rain fell, soaking the soil and ensuring that most of the seedlings survived.
The day after the rain, Song Wei, Lin Zhen, and Hei Dan set out early in the morning with their two wolves to venture into the mountains.
By now, the two wolves, Wolf One and Wolf Two, had become well-known and well-liked in the village.
Despite their intimidating size and sharp gazes—completely different from the harmless, silly village dogs—they had gained the villagers’ affection by protecting the children and helping catch the kidnapper.
In rural areas, villagers rarely feared dogs unless they had traumatic experiences with them. Dogs were a common sight, often running around unleashed. These loyal, hardworking rural dogs were beloved for their faithfulness.
Children roaming the hills or fields often had dogs accompanying them. Some dogs even escorted children to school, waiting outside until classes ended before wagging their tails and escorting them home.
Wolf One and Wolf Two had become the leaders of the village’s dogs, often leading them to escort the children. No kidnapper—or even a stranger—could approach without triggering their vigilance.
With such dependable protectors, the villagers were at ease. Some parents, in their carefree ways, even left toddlers learning to walk in the care of their dogs.
Looking back, Song Wei’s initial worries about the wolves needing muzzles or frightening the villagers seemed entirely unnecessary.
This time, their trip into the mountains was to forage for mushrooms.
After the rain, mushrooms sprouted abundantly in the forest.
Many villagers had the same idea, so the hills were bustling with foragers. It was also the season for wild berries, so many children tagged along with the adults.
“Wolf One, Wolf Two, help us find mushrooms. Look for these kinds.”
Song Wei showed the wolves a few edible mushrooms she had picked: “Honey mushrooms, king oyster mushrooms, white shiitake, and wood ear fungi.”
The forest was rich in mushroom varieties, and she and Lin Zhen had already identified several edible types.
The wolves sniffed the mushrooms with their shiny black noses, then spread out to search.
Whenever they caught a scent, they howled. Sure enough, they had found the right mushrooms.
“This shiitake patch is amazing! Good job, Wolf One,” Song Wei praised as she began harvesting. Meanwhile, Wolf Two also signaled a find.
“Sister Song, Wolf Two found several large king oyster mushrooms. They’re all good to pick!” Hei Dan exclaimed.
“Then pick them yourself,” Song Wei replied.
Lin Zhen had climbed a tree to harvest lion’s mane mushrooms, which grew in tricky, high spots.
Picking mushrooms was an oddly satisfying activity, and every discovery brought a thrill. Song Wei found it both fun and rewarding.
Suddenly, a delicious aroma wafted through the air.
“What’s that smell?”
Both Song Wei and the wolves perked up, sniffing the air.
Following the scent, Song Wei crept cautiously through the woods.
Whoosh!
A creature darted past her in a blur, leaving behind the lingering aroma.
The wolves immediately gave chase but failed to catch it—it was too fast.
Even with her sharp eyesight, Song Wei couldn’t get a clear look. All she could tell was that it was some kind of deer.
“It’s probably a musk deer,” Lin Zhen explained as he caught the scent.
“There are musk deer in these woods. In ancient times, musk was a valuable fragrance and medicinal ingredient harvested from these animals. Because of that, musk deer were heavily hunted and are now rare. They’re timid creatures and extremely wary of any disturbance.”
A musk deer would’ve been a great find, but it had escaped. They didn’t pursue it further.
Luck, however, was on their side. After the musk deer fled, they stumbled upon a group of curious roe deer.
These notoriously foolish animals were true to their reputation.
When they first spotted the humans, they bounded away. But moments later, they returned, seemingly out of curiosity.
Song Wei: …
The wolves couldn’t resist the temptation and pounced, bringing one down while the rest scattered.
“They ran away but came back. Who else should we eat if not them? Their brains must really be missing a few screws,” Song Wei commented.
Lin Zhen laughed. “Roe deer are the easiest large herbivores to catch. But because they’re so stupid, not many survive in the wild.”
Just as they were about to continue, one of the deer returned, sneaking toward the basket they had left on the ground. It stuck its head in and began munching on the mushrooms.
Song Wei was speechless. “This thing really thinks we don’t exist.”
In the end, they roped the deer’s neck, and Hei Dan began feeding it tender grass leaves.
Once it realized there was food, the deer stopped struggling and lay down obediently. Its calm demeanor was almost laughable.
“Let’s just take it home. If people can raise pigs, we can raise a silly roe deer alongside the sika deer we already have,” Song Wei suggested.
“Should we try raising a pig too?”
Lin Zhen nodded. “I’ll ask the brigade leader about it when we get back.”
The topic turned to improving livestock care. “The pigs in our brigade are poorly managed. We should find some books about pig farming.”
She remembered seeing some books that could help.
The villagers mostly fed pigs grass and avoided giving them corn or bean residue, which were valuable human food items. Only the brigade’s work oxen received such treatment, as they were considered essential labor assets.
As they foraged, Hei Dan’s excited voice rang out. “Sister Song, Brother, there’s a huge mulberry tree here! It’s loaded with ripe fruit!”
They joined him under the tree, ready to harvest the fruits.
The foolish roe deer followed them, snatching mulberries from Hei Dan’s hand.
“Hey! Eat from the tree, not my hand!” Hei Dan shouted.
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