Slapping her face lightly to wake herself up, Song Wei yawned as she walked down a small path. Suddenly, she heard two people talking.
Normally, she wouldn’t pay much attention to such things, but one of the voices had a peculiar tone that caught her interest.
Almost instinctively, Song Wei hid behind cover.
Positioning herself carefully, she concealed her body perfectly behind the remnants of a broken wall. The area she was in was an abandoned mudbrick house, with only a few crumbling walls remaining.
It was still early, not yet time to start work. Most people were busy preparing breakfast to bring to the fields. Hardly anyone was outside-except Song Wei, who was heading to her fiancé’s house for breakfast.
“Still no leads at all?”
Song Wei frowned. That voice-it’s so infuriating I want to punch someone.
A familiar voice responded: “No. I asked Wang Shu, but he doesn’t know anything about ancient customs in this village.”
It was Widow Hu.
The man’s voice sounded impatient.
“Hurry up. You must figure out where it is and how to get inside. Only the tomb guardians know the entrance. Find a way to ask the village elders.”
“Yes, but in my current position, they won’t tell me anything. That old woman refuses to let Wang Shu marry me.”
“Then kill the old woman,” the man said coldly, his tone vicious.
Finally, the man handed Widow Hu a package. After scanning his surroundings, he quickly left. Judging by his movements, the man was clearly trained.
Song Wei remained perfectly still, waiting patiently. A few minutes later, the man circled back to check the area. Only after confirming no one was around did he leave for good.
Song Wei muttered to herself, Cautious bastard.
Once she was certain he was gone, Song Wei emerged from her hiding spot and headed straight for Lin Zhen’s house.
“You’re only just arriving now? We’re about to start work-let’s grab some steamed buns and eat on the way.”
Accepting the water Lin Zhen handed her, Song Wei said, “I ran into a little spy on my way.”
“Hmm?” Lin Zhen looked confused.
“A spy.”
Hearing the word, Lin Zhen’s eyes gleamed coldly.
Song Wei recounted the conversation between Widow Hu and the man, emphasizing the distinct Japanese accent in the man’s tone. She speculated that they didn’t speak Japanese outright because Widow Hu likely didn’t know the language.
Lin Zhen clenched his fists, his eyes filled with killing intent.
“I’ll investigate this.”
Song Wei nodded. “I heard them mention something about ‘tomb guardians.’ It seems they believe there’s a large ancient tomb nearby, and that’s likely their target.”
Lin Zhen nodded in agreement. “I’ll take the day off and head out. As for you…”
“Don’t underestimate me, okay? I can still earn full work points on my own.”
After finalizing their plan, Lin Zhen immediately rode off on his bicycle. Song Wei, meanwhile, went about her day as usual, heading to the fields to work and gossip with the other women.
They even shared some juicy news about Wang Shu’s family.
“This is fresh off the press, you all came too early to hear it. Old lady Niu fell ill! She’s lying in bed now, probably because of that good-for-nothing son of hers and Widow Hu.”
Song Wei’s ears perked up immediately.
“Really? How could someone as tough as Old lady Niu fall ill? Didn’t Song Zhiqing anger her plenty before without any issue?”
The woman trailed off when everyone turned to look at Song Wei.
Unbothered, Song Wei waved her hand. “Go on, Aunties, I don’t mind.”
“Ahem… Anyway, plenty of people have angered her before, and she was fine- still jumping around like a spring chicken.”
“That’s different! This time it’s her own son causing the stress. If my son did this to me, I’d beat him to death with a stick. What a thankless brat.”
“I think Wang Shu is completely under Widow Hu’s spell. She’s really something-has him wrapped around her finger.”
Song Wei pondered thoughtfully. Did Old lady Niu really fall ill-or was she poisoned?
After finishing her work, Song Wei decided to visit Old Ji to gather more information. To her surprise, Wang Shu hadn’t asked Old Ji to check on Old lady Niu.
Old Ji, aware of his precarious position, wisely avoided meddling.
Unfazed, Song Wei snuck over to Wang’s house to eavesdrop.
Her agile frame easily scaled the wall, unnoticed by anyone. Like a spider, she clung to the outer wall of Old lady Niu’s room.
Inside, Wang Shu was speaking.
“Mother, why are you so stubborn? I already told you Xiaoyun’s child is mine -your grandson. How could I not recognize my own child? Now look at you, ending up like this. You have no one to blame but yourself for trying to push Xiaoyun. I didn’t mean for this to happen, but don’t worry, Xiaoyun and I will take good care of you.”
From within the room, Old lady Niu’s slurred voice weakly protested, “You… You…”
Song Wei’s eyes widened. Did she… have a stroke?
Widow Hu’s voice chimed in, feigning gentleness and concern.
“Don’t worry, Mother. I’ll treat you like my own mother and take care of you.”
Geez, Old lady Niu should be thanking you, huh? Song Wei thought sarcastically.
After leaving the room, Widow Hu leaned on Wang Shu and sobbed pitifully.
“This is all my fault. If you hadn’t been protecting me, none of this would’ve happened…”
Wang Shu hugged her. “It’s my mother’s fault. She had no right to push you. I didn’t mean for this to happen either. Who knew it would turn out this way?”
Widow Hu hesitated. “But shouldn’t we take her to a doctor? I’m just worried she might say something to outsiders. Everyone knows she had a stroke because you pushed her. What will people think of you?”
Wang Shu, visibly irritated, replied, “I’ll take her to the town hospital. I’ll make sure she doesn’t say anything. Later, we’ll just claim we don’t trust Old Ji’s medical skills.”
Eavesdropping, Song Wei quietly sneered. What a “filial son,” huh?
It wasn’t clear if Widow Hu had used poison, but given Old lady Niu’s condition, how could she stop Widow Hu from moving in?
Hearing nothing more of interest, Song Wei left.
That afternoon, news spread that Old lady Niu had suffered a stroke.
Wang Shu claimed to distrust Old Ji’s skills and insisted on taking her to the town hospital.
According to Wang Shu, the stroke was caused by her age and an accidental fall, completely absolving him and Widow Hu of any responsibility.
Whether others believed it was another matter.
“Seriously, a stroke?”
The morning gossip had only mentioned illness, but by afternoon it was confirmed to be a stroke.
This was no small matter. A stroke left the body uncontrollable, speech slurred, and the patient bedridden, relying on others for everything.
In the village, such a condition was the ultimate nightmare-for both the patient and their family.
As the saying goes, “A long illness reveals no filial children.” Over time, a bedridden elder would exhaust the patience and goodwill of even the most loving family members.
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