This means the old woman’s mending was good?
Wu Dalei felt a pang of guilt towards his mother. If only he could be like Brother Meng, perhaps his mother would have recovered by now.
“I’ll stand watch tonight,” a voice called from the depths of the cave. It was Madam Wang.
The echo bounced off the walls, making even a soft voice sound like it was buzzing in their ears.
A Jiu nearly choked. Oh heavens, her grandma was finally showing a sliver of conscience and participating in the organizational matters!
“Alright, thank you for your trouble, Grandma.” Seizing the rare opportunity, A Jiu quickly chimed in.
“You don’t need to stand watch, Mother. I will,” Meng Shaode said, unable to trust an old woman to stand guard.
If any sudden incident occurred, she’d probably bolt like a streak of lightning, no different from his elder brother.
“Less nonsense,” came Madam Wang’s impatient reply from within the cave.
“Then we don’t have to rush through the night…” Wu Dalei seized upon this.
Before he could finish his sentence, a hysterical scream erupted from the depths of the cave:
“Ah, my butt!”
The few exchanged bewildered glances, then after a few seconds of delay, they got up and ran towards the cave’s interior.
Wu Dalei, being considerate, grabbed a burning brand and followed behind.
A Jiu was being pulled by her mother, but before they even reached the depths, she saw it clearly.
Grandma was hopping in place, clutching her backside.
“Grandma!” A Jiu called out.
In A Jiu’s eyes, Madam Wang’s face slowly changed color, from ashen to jaundiced, her eyes bulging as if about to pop out of their sockets.
“My… my rear.”
“Ah? Mother, were you bitten by a snake?” Cai Lihua realized.
Gritting her teeth against the pain, Madam Wang pulled her hand away from her backside. The sight made everyone collectively step back in shock.
A Jiu held her breath. In her grandmother’s hand, she was tightly gripping the head of a small black snake, its forked tongue flicking in and out, its tail writhing.
They were all frozen with fear, standing rooted to the spot, afraid to even breathe.
“Quick, help me up,” Madam Wang said, looking exceptionally pained.
But who dared go near her?
“Grandma, wait, I’ll get a basket,” A Jiu turned and ran. When she returned, she saw Cai Lihua and Wu Dalei pressed against the wall, their eyes warily fixed on Madam Wang, who was now sitting cross-legged on the ground.
“Grandma, put it in here,” A Jiu’s heart leaped into her throat.
Madam Wang heard her and opened her eyes. She took the basket and flipped it over the black snake, trapping it underneath. Gritting her teeth, she declared, “Once I’ve expelled the snake venom, I’ll deal with you, you beast.”
The little snake slithered frantically beneath the basket, seemingly searching for an escape route.
“Father, a stone.”
“Right, right,” Meng Shaode quickly reacted and grabbed a large rock, placing it on top of the basket.
Now, there was no gap for the bamboo basket to escape.
Cai Lihua finally let out a sigh of relief. “Mother, why did you provoke it?”
Madam Wang remained silent.
But A Jiu seemed to understand. Didn’t she say earlier that snakes had spirits? Could it be that Grandma had caught it to eat?
This was a venomous snake. A Jiu instinctively covered her mouth. This little old lady was seriously ill.
Madam Wang’s brow was furrowed, sweat pouring from her forehead, as if it was a great effort. “What are you all doing here? I’m not going to die. Get lost.”
“Mother, are you really alright?” Meng Shaode asked cautiously.
“Are you blind? Do I look like I’m not alright?” Madam Wang retorted impatiently.
Her words left Meng Shaode with a bruised ego. “Let’s go.”
The others retreated, their hearts still pounding with lingering fear.
“Granddaughter, stay and keep me company.”
A Jiu’s steps halted abruptly. A chill ran down the back of her neck. If Grandma wanted her to stay, it couldn't be for anything good. She probably wanted the spiritual spring water to heal her injury.
“Father, Mother, perhaps you should go rest. The snake has already been caught, so there shouldn’t be any more trouble.”
After the three of them left, A Jiu didn’t need Madam Wang to speak. With a thought, she retrieved the last bag of spiritual spring water from her storage pouch.
That bag had been used in the stew that day.
“Quick, drink this for me.”
As soon as the others had gone, Madam Wang could no longer maintain her composure. Sweat streamed down her face, and her brow was deeply furrowed.