Chapter 4: As Long As I Have Mother, Anywhere Is Fine

After all, she was just a village woman. No matter how sharp-tongued and shrewish she was, the sight of a gleaming blade still made her tremble.

Did she not know what kind of person Su Yanwen was? If pushed into a corner, he was truly capable of drawing blood. She had once egged him on to lay hands on Zhao Yue'e, never imagining that such pain would one day be visited upon her own self.

*Gulp.*

Miao Qin swallowed hard. The hand she had reached out to snatch the food retracted in a flash. Forcible theft was out of the question now. But playing the victim? Was she not a master of that?

Scanning the room, she specifically chose a spot beside the warm stove and plopped herself down onto the floor. She began slapping the ground with both hands, wailing, "Oh, woe is me! What a wretched life I lead!"

"To think I raised such an ungrateful wretch!"

"And he found himself a vixen of a wife, one who bewitches a man into beating his own mother!"

"Back then, his father worked from dawn till dusk to earn silver, and I—I raised him through every hardship!"

"Oh, Heavens above, open your eyes! Send a bolt of lightning to strike down this heartless beast!"

Accompanied by her dramatic chanting and the rhythmic thumping against the floor, Miao Qin cast her curses with practiced precision. Su Yanwen actually found it amusing. She wasn't wrong, was she? This scoundrel, this cowardly pig-headed fool—hadn't he met his karmic retribution and died? He was simply here, sent by the heavens, to mete out justice!

Watching the old crone’s shrewish display, Su Yanwen walked over.

"You... what are you doing?" Miao Qin felt a flicker of panic.

"Get out!" Su Yanwen commanded.

Miao Qin sprawled flat on the floor. "Not until you give the meat back to me."

Fine. As expected, with some people, it was better not to waste breath if one could just take action. Too lazy to argue, Su Yanwen walked over, grabbed the back of her padded cotton coat with both hands, and hoisted her straight up from the floor.

"Open the door."

Cao'er, though bewildered, obeyed immediately. Seizing the brief moment before the gale could rush in, he tossed the woman outside.

"You old hag, get lost and don't disturb my wife’s rest."

*Thud.*

The door slammed shut. Cao'er stared at him in terror. Why did her father seem even more frightening than before? Yet, this fear was strangely mixed with a feeling of relief. Cao'er was still young and couldn't quite grasp it, but at the thought of being sold, she couldn't help but laugh and cry at the same time.

She crawled over to Zhao Yue'e and carefully fed her the soup. "Mother, get well soon. If I’m not here later, you must protect yourself."

A trail of tears slipped from the corner of Zhao Yue'e's eyes. In truth, she had been awake while Miao Qin was making a scene. Perhaps she was just too exhausted after all this time; she simply hadn't wanted to face it. She had thought that once the woman took the meat, the trouble would end, but she never expected such a turn of events.

Slowly opening her eyes, Zhao Yue'e gazed at the husband she so loathed. At this moment, he was sitting by the stove, whittling a wooden stick, looking as if he were crafting some kind of trap.

"You... are you really going to sell Cao'er?" Zhao Yue'e’s voice was faint.

Su Yanwen looked up at that beautiful face and smiled. "Am I sick? Why would I sell my daughter?"

"She’s so cute, all soft and squishy, making those little 'ah-woo' sounds."

These descriptions were unheard of, yet they sent a chill down her spine. Zhao Yue'e was terrified. Thinking of her daughter, she still said with a trembling voice, "Husband... what is it that you are really planning?"

"To raise her until she’s plump and healthy. She’s too thin."

Su Yanwen answered with absolute sincerity; pinching chubby cheeks was, after all, a joy.

"Hmph! Would you really be that kind?" Zhao Yue'e scoffed. She didn't eat the meat, her voice filled with disappointment. "Are you plotting something even more cruel?" By the end, her voice was laced with dread.

Su Yanwen was speechless. "Can't a person change?"

"A person's inherent nature can never change," Zhao Yue'e declared with certainty.

*Right, right, right.* It couldn't change, which was exactly why his soul had been replaced entirely. But who would believe such an outlandish tale? Too lazy to explain, he said in a firm tone, "In any case, my daughter will not be sold to anyone."

"I don't care what you're planning. Father and Mother have already accepted the Village Chief’s gifts." Her voice grew more despairing as she continued. "There is a signed contract in black and white, and fingerprints were pressed."

She bit her lip, her eyelashes trembling uncontrollably, stained with a fine layer of tears. "The Village Chief’s family is not to be trifled with. If you take their goods and refuse to hand over the person, are you prepared to bear the consequences?"

"No one who cheats the Village Chief ever meets a good end. At the very least, anyone associated with you will never be able to borrow grain from him again."

Being unable to borrow grain meant they would surely starve to death this winter.

Su Yanwen found this amusing. "Why would we need to borrow?"

"Isn't hunting good enough?"

"Do you think you can be this lucky every time?" Zhao Yue'e gave a pessimistic laugh, mocking the injustice of fate. "If the mountain could provide, would it be waiting for you to find food? Don't you think the veteran hunters know to go up the mountain?"

"Never mind the fact that the heavy snow has sealed the mountain, even without the snow, do you know how perilous that mountain is? You can't be this lucky every time."

In theory, the situation was indeed not ideal for mountain hunting. But he was a survivalist blogger who challenged the limits! This kind of environment was exactly where he thrived.

Su Yanwen couldn't care less. He replied, "It's fine. Just stay home and wait to eat."

With that, he lowered his head and continued whittling the stick.

Zhao Yue'e’s eyes became increasingly hollow. She reached under her pillow and pulled out a paper packet. She gently picked up Cao'er and whispered, "Cao'er, don't be afraid. If Mother cannot stay with you as you grow up, Mother will be with you forever."

"Cao'er, Mother won't let anyone sell you."

Cao'er was young, yet she seemed to sense something. She bit her lip and bowed her head, hugging her toy rabbit. "Mother, we still have the little bunnies. Father said that as long as the bunnies lay eggs for us to eat, we don't have to eat them."

"As long as the bunnies become useful, they can avoid being eaten. If I can do more things and become a useful person, will Father not sell me anymore?"

Cao'er looked up at Zhao Yue'e as she asked, her bright eyes shining like stars. Her little hands were clenched tight, waiting for an answer.

Su Yanwen’s hand, working the wooden stick, suddenly froze. He swore that he had never felt such a burning desire to protect someone as he did now.

"The Village Chief’s things," he said in a steady voice, "I will return them in three days."

"From now on, if anyone in this house dares to mention selling the child again, get out."

He knew well that his mere presence would keep his wife and daughter on edge. He understood even better that the bit of rabbit meat wouldn't fill anyone's stomach for long. They had the rabbit tonight, but what about tomorrow? Or rather, when the Village Chief came to demand the child, what would they use to fight back—brute force?

He simply gathered the tools he could carry and walked out into the wind and snow.

It was just meat, wasn't it? In a mountain this large, could getting meat really be that difficult?

"Mother!" Cao'er watched the door close once more and asked anxiously, "It’s dark out. Is Father really going up the mountain?"

Zhao Yue'e’s eyes were filled with mockery. She glanced at the darkening sky outside, gritting her teeth as the words spilled through her lips: "Your grandmother will never return those things."

How could he possibly have gone up the mountain? He was only finding a place to hide. If the Su family failed to hand over the child, the Village Chief would surely bring men to make trouble first thing tomorrow morning. By then, since the gifts wouldn't be returned, the child would still be taken away.

Every time Su Yanwen saw his father, he was like a rabbit in the presence of a wolf. How could he possibly face the Village Chief, who was far more terrifying?

In despair, Zhao Yue'e climbed off the bed. She looked at the meat she hadn't touched for so long and opened the packet she had been clutching in her palm. She poured the powder into the bowl, all at once.

"Mother, what is that?" Cao'er asked, curious.

Zhao Yue'e’s lips were pale, drained of all color. She hugged Cao'er tenderly and cautioned, "The maidservants who went to the Village Chief’s house—three of them have already died. The one who stayed the longest only lasted half a year."

"Cao'er, Mother is so scared. This is something that will make Mother stop being afraid." She pressed her chin against Cao'er's forehead, tears streaming down her face. "If they come to take you away tomorrow... will you stay with Mother and eat this bowl of meat together?"

"That way, we'll be full, and we'll have the strength to walk a very long road. Once we cross the bridge and drink the soup, we'll never be hungry again."

Cao'er was bewildered; she didn't understand what her mother meant. But seeing her mother’s red eyes, she knew this was something very bad. Cao'er’s hands were cold, but she reached up, trying hard to wipe away her mother's tears.

She offered her brightest smile and hugged her mother tight. "I want to be with Mother. As long as I'm with Mother, anywhere is fine."