Ajiu stared in astonishment. Was this something a son would say?
Dazhuang was already nine years old, if one counted carefully. Was this the speech of a nine-year-old?
"Damn it!" Ma Peng couldn't stand it. He grabbed Dazhuang by the back of his collar and lifted him up. "You brat, you hate me more than I hate myself. How about I bury you?"
He casually tossed Dazhuang into the dirt pit in front of them.
Dazhuang landed with his nose and face covered in dirt. He wailed and scrambled out of the pit on all fours, his cries echoing with terror.
Ajiu's heart softened. Just as she was about to speak, Cao Guiying, without bothering to get up, crawled to pull Dazhuang.
"Dazhuang, my son..."
Seeing this, Ajiu instinctively exchanged a glance with her grandmother. She saw Wang Shi sigh, her hands behind her back, and turn away.
"Ma Peng, we plan to set off at dawn tomorrow. Farewell."
Ajiu politely bid farewell to Ma Peng and left without waiting for him to utter any pleasantries.
"Miss Jiu, I saved a piece of venison for you."
"No need. You have many people to feed, and little food. We have a hundred people, and one piece of venison can't be shared. Let's forget it."
Ajiu walked away without looking back.
"Scoundrel," Wang Shi cursed their eldest son before leaving.
Meng Shaokang didn't dare to retort, lowering his head and remaining silent.
When Ajiu returned to the "base," only her parents were left. Ajiu deliberately scanned the area and found no one else.
Meng Shaode had said that they feared bandits and had already descended the mountain via a different mountain path.
All the way, Ajiu's mind replayed the scene of her being abducted to the bandit's den to treat an illness.
So many people were watching, yet only one figure hid away from the crowd. At that time, Ajiu was focused on treating the illness and didn't look closely, only finding it somewhat curious.
It seemed that person must have been her eldest uncle, Meng Shaokang.
At this moment, Ajiu realized that she hadn't gained a single merit point for saving her aunt. It was all for nothing.
"Those who deserve pity often have hateful aspects. Jiu'er, your kindness is known to Grandma, but kindness is not always true kindness."
Wang Shi's sudden words seemed to read Ajiu's mind.
Ajiu was suddenly surprised. "Grandma, then what is true kindness?"
"To repent and become good after abandoning the butcher's knife is kindness. To feign goodwill with a deceitful heart is hypocrisy. To act with deliberate intention and pretense, knowing it is wrong, incurs double the sin. A murderer reaps what they sow, but one who kills evil reaps what they sow by sacrificing themselves for righteousness. What do you think is true kindness, Jiu'er?"
"..."
Ajiu was instantly speechless. "I don't know."
"Don't meddle in other people's affairs. If you don't get involved, you won't incur any karma, and all will be well. Haha!" Wang Shi stroked her non-existent beard and laughed like an immortal detached from worldly concerns, free from all worries.
"Shaode, look. Your mother is talking nonsense again and corrupting our daughter."
Cai Lihua behind them couldn't hold back any longer. Otherwise, she would have spat out a mouthful of old blood.
"Let her be. Don't mind her. After all, our mother dotes on our daughter just as much as you do."
Although Meng Shaode didn't understand, he could tell that his mother loved Jiu'er, and that was enough. He wasn't as complex in his thinking as women were.
"Oh... hiss..." Cai Lihua hugged her stomach.
"Lihua, what's wrong?" Meng Shaode supported his wife.
"I don't know. My stomach really hurts. It feels like... I need to poop."
Cai Lihua's face contorted, and she instantly let out a fart.
"Go into the woods and do it. I'll find you some non-thorny leaves to wipe your backside."
With that, Meng Shaode went to look.
Ajiu watched her mother, who was holding her stomach and rushing into the woods, and immediately realized she needed to use the toilet. Her father was so thoughtful, bringing back a large handful of leaves of all kinds.
"Here, here! This one has no thorns. It's from a plane tree. I've already rubbed it clean on my clothes for you."
Meng Shaode followed her into the woods.
"Retreat, all of you, retreat..."
A fierce shout came from the official road outside the woods.
"All personnel, retreat..."
Ajiu squatted down out of curiosity to look. A procession was slowly passing by on the official road. The front and back were of the same uniform color, and in the middle, a golden-roofed carriage was being escorted, adorned with tassels woven with golden threads.
Beneath the tassels hung large, roughly woven pearls that glowed in the dark, patterned with cloud motifs.
The escort team in front and back consisted of at least thirty people, with ten on horseback and the rest as sword-wielding guards.
Watching the luxurious carriage proceed under escort, followed by over thirty infantrymen, transporting a prison cart.
Ajiu gasped in shock.