Chapter 278: The One Who Should Have Died Could Have Been This Culprit

Chapter 278: The One Who Should Have Died Could Have Been This Culprit

Wei Pozi was startled and looked again carefully, but Zhao Meng's mother had already removed her scarf, her eyes red as she said emotionally to the neighbors comforting her, "...You're right, for Ah Wu's sake, I must pull myself together."

Wei Pozi saw nothing unusual and concluded she must have been mistaken earlier.

Ju Geer couldn't wait and ran forward, asking, "Auntie, where is Ah Wu?"

Wei Pozi, holding Xingxing's hand, stepped forward: "Ah Wu's mom, we're here to see how we can help."

Zhao Meng's mother looked deeply moved and gave Wei Pozi a grateful look.

She then said to Ju Geer, "...Ah Wu is very upset, staying in his room. You've come just in time, help Auntie persuade Ah Wu to eat something, okay?"

Ju Geer thumped his chest and agreed without hesitation, then headed off.

Wei Pozi looked around; although Zhao Youcai was somewhat annoying, Zhao Meng and his mother were now a typical orphan and widow, and many villagers had come to help, so she couldn't find a place to help for the moment.

Wei Pozi just stood there, keeping Zhao Meng's mother company.

Xingxing had nothing to do, so she wandered around the yard.

The last time she participated in such a funeral was when Yu Tuozi was almost dead, and the Yu family was discussing the funeral arrangements. She went to Yu Tuozi's house with her grandparents.

Fortunately, Yu Tuozi was saved by a master and survived.

Strictly speaking, that wasn't a funeral.

Then there was this time, Zhao Meng's father had passed away.

Xingxing's round, apricot-shaped eyes watched the adults in the yard busy with their own tasks.

White lanterns and banners were hung up, and the snow that had fallen earlier was piled on the fence and eaves of the yard, looking like a vast expanse of white.

Xingxing walked to the main hall and tiptoed to look inside.

Zhao Youcai's body was laid out in the main hall.

Several villagers worked together to dress Zhao Youcai's body in apricot-yellow burial clothes, and a hat with a red tassel was placed on his head.

Xingxing heard that this symbolized blessings for the descendants, ensuring a prosperous and long life.

Xingxing thought, she had heard from Ju Geer that this man often beat Ah Wu and his mother before he died, causing them to always have injuries.

Could this man, who couldn't even protect his family well before he died, really protect them after death?

Xingxing was doubtful, pouted, and got ready to leave.

Just then, she noticed something unusual about Zhao Youcai's body.

Zhao Youcai's right index finger, under the sunlight reflecting off the snow outside, was faintly glowing with a bluish tint.

Xingxing made a sound of surprise and wanted to get closer to look, but was stopped by the villagers in the room.

"Ah, little Xingxing, you can't just approach this casually," the villagers kindly advised.

Many people felt that the aura of the mourning hall was too heavy, and that children approaching it would damage their yang energy.

However, since the body was still present, it wasn't appropriate to say that the aura was heavy in front of the "face" of the deceased.

The villagers called over a slightly older child to take Xingxing away from the mourning hall.

Seeing that she wasn't allowed to enter, Xingxing didn't insist, but before stepping out of the mourning hall, she couldn't help but glance back at the corpse that was already dressed in burial clothes.

From this angle, she couldn't see anything unusual anymore.

Xingxing wondered if it was just her eyes playing tricks on her.

Blue-tinged nails are a sign of poisoning.

Xingxing was full of questions but couldn't go back into the mourning hall to take a closer look.

She couldn't help but raise her small hand to the sun to look at it; her nails were smooth and white, but the sunlight was too dazzling, and her vision suddenly blurred, making everything seem to sway...

"Xingxing, are you out of your mind?" Ju Geer hurried over, covering Xingxing's eyes, scolding, "How can you look directly at the sun? Do you want to ruin your eyes?"

Xingxing obediently said, "Oh."

She thought, maybe she was just dazzled earlier in the mourning hall.

Xingxing wasn't one to dwell on things; she quickly put the matter out of her mind.

Zhao Meng's mother invited the village accountant, known for managing funeral affairs, and Wei Pozi contributed fifty copper coins as a gift.

In the village, fifty copper coins was a hefty sum.

Zhao Meng's mother, moved beyond words, held Wei Pozi's hand.

Wei Pozi patted Zhao Meng's mother's arm.

Ju Geer was good friends with Zhao Meng, and Zhao Meng and his mother were truly pitiful.

"If there's any difficulty, just let us know," Wei Pozi said to Zhao Meng's mother. "We're all neighbors here; we'll do what we can to help you and your son."

Tears filled Zhao Meng's mother's eyes as she nodded.

...

At night, Zhao Youcai's body still lay in the main hall, and the villagers who had come to help had all returned to their homes.

The funeral was set for the next day.

Zhao Meng's mother knelt before the corpse, burning a few paper ingots she had folded in a fire basin.

Finally, she took out a small, yellowed and worn square packet wrapped in oiled paper from her sleeve.

This packet of rat poison had been carried with her for two years.

It was bought once when she was beaten by Zhao Youcai and had no way out, in the county town.

Later, little Ah Wu cried for his mother, and she couldn't bring herself to take the poison, so she kept it hidden on her person.

Then it dawned on her that she could think differently.

Why did it have to be her who died?

The one who should die... was clearly the culprit who brought endless suffering to her and Ah Wu.

She had believed that the avalanche burying Zhao Youcai was divine retribution. But when she saw Zhao Youcai's body, recovered from the snow, actually improving, she finally opened the packet of rat poison she had carried with her for over two years with trembling hands, ending this man's life.

Zhao Meng's mother reflected deeply before Zhao Youcai's spirit.

Finally, she tossed the packet of rat poison into the fire basin where paper money was burning.

She no longer needed it.

The flames leaped a bit higher for a moment, and the flames, licking the packet of rat poison, turned slightly blue.

In the firelight, Zhao Meng's mother gave a faint smile at the corpse dressed in burial clothes: "You never looked out for me and Ah Wu while you were alive, but now that you're gone, I guess our lives won't get any worse, so in a way, you're still watching over us."

...

After the Zhao family's funeral, Wei Pozi recalled the time Shuanglian almost got Xingxing burned.

With a stern expression, she wanted to call Shuanglian into the room for a serious talk.

However, as before, Shuanglian was nowhere to be found.

Wei Pozi searched carefully and discovered that Shuanglian had run off to the village entrance.

—That was the only way back from the county town, and it was obvious who Shuanglian was waiting for!

Wei Pozi took a deep breath and made up her mind completely.

She had previously pitied Shuanglian, a child from a poor family, and felt that since their family had bought her to work, there was a certain bond between them.

But now, it seemed Shuanglian did not cherish this bond.

So, it was time to have it out with her!