Cai Damei walked over, "After wandering outside for a while, I didn’t gain much clarity. But one thing became clear to me. We toil our whole lives, skimping on food and clothes, enduring hardships day after day—all for our men and children. But how much do they truly cherish us? Not at all." Aunt Guihua nodded in agreement.
"Exactly! The other day when it rained, my arm ached. I was a little late making dinner, and Dongzi’s father gave me a look, saying I was starving him," Aunt Guihua said, feeling more and more unappreciated.
"I did no such thing! Don’t go badmouthing me in front of Pan’er," Li Wenkuo retorted.
"Oh, so it was the dog who said, ‘Are you trying to starve me to death?’"
"Alright, alright, my mistake," Li Wenkuo surrendered.
That’s more like it.
Satisfied, Aunt Guihua accepted the fabric and turned to Li Nan, who was snickering at his father’s expense. "Second Son, quit dawdling. Go catch a chicken."
She grabbed Cai Damei’s hand. "Damei, I’ll make my specialty—stewed chicken—for lunch today."
"Wonderful! I’ve been craving your cooking," Cai Damei said, swallowing at the thought of Aunt Guihua’s culinary skills.
At noon, they enjoyed the delicious stewed chicken.
After resting at the village chief’s house, Cai Damei took Ye Yunniang and the two children up the mountain.
She had Li Pan kneel and kowtow before his father and grandfather’s graves, burning paper offerings.
Li An, watching from the side, insisted on doing the same.
Ye Yunniang couldn’t stop him, so she let him kneel and call out, "Father! Grandfather!"
On their way down, they ran into Li Wu, waiting at the foot of the mountain.
The two families had a bitter history. The Li women ignored Li Wu, gripping the children’s hands as they walked away.
"Cousin-in-law, you’re back," Li Wu said, stepping closer.
"Move," Cai Damei snapped.
"Cousin-in-law, after two years apart, your temper hasn’t changed a bit," Li Wu mused, almost nostalgically.
"Li Wu, quit shamelessly hanging around," Cai Damei said, her disdain plain as she tugged Li Pan toward the village.
But Li Wu had come with a purpose—he wouldn’t let Cai Damei and Ye Yunniang leave so easily.
"Cousin-in-law, don’t rush off. I have something to tell you."
"I’ve got nothing to say to you. Get lost!" Cai Damei kicked Li Wu hard where he stood.
Li Wu took the hit but didn’t retreat.
"Don’t you want to hear about Xiao Jun?"
At the mention of her son, Cai Damei froze.
Li Wu smirked, deliberately staying silent now, his expression taunting: Beg me.
Ye Yunniang took one look at his face and felt disgusted.
"Mother, let’s go home. You buried Jun’s belongings yourself—nothing’s missing."
Cai Damei considered this and resumed walking.
"Wait!" Li Wu dashed forward, blocking their path again.
"I have Li Jun’s real keepsake—the one from when he passed."
"Liar!" Cai Damei refused to believe it. She had personally packed all his returned belongings—nothing was missing.
"After they entered your home, you packed everything without loss. But before that, I got to his things first," Li Wu said smugly.
Back then, when Li Jun’s comrade brought his belongings, Li Pan had a fever. The three of them had taken him to town to see a doctor.
The comrade asked around for the Li household but found no one home.
Hearing the commotion, Li Wu warmly greeted him, inviting the comrade to rest at his place for some water.
Unaware of the family feud, the comrade, hearing Li Wu was an uncle, accepted.
While the comrade was in the outhouse, Li Wu secretly opened Li Jun’s bundle and took the wolf-tooth necklace inside.
As a child, Li Jun cried often. Li Min had heard elders say that children’s pure eyes could see unclean things. A wolf’s tooth could ward off evil and ensure safe growth.
So Li Min followed hunters deep into the mountains with a chopping knife on his back.
After three days, they killed a wolf and obtained a fang.
Li Min carefully drilled a hole and made a necklace for Li Jun.
From then on, Li Jun rarely cried or fell ill.
That wolf-tooth necklace never left Li Jun’s side. When Cai Damei sorted his belongings and didn’t find it, she assumed it was lost.
"You stole Jun’s wolf-tooth necklace?" Cai Damei seethed. How could someone be so despicable?
She lunged at Li Wu, wishing she could tear him apart.
Li Wu dodged, but—
"Ah!" A sharp pain shot through his back, making him yelp.
Ye Yunniang had struck him with a stick.
Li Wu, in pain, raised a hand to retaliate—
But Cai Damei was already on him, biting, scratching, clawing.
Li Wu, a middle-aged man used to farm labor, quickly shoved her off and raised his fist—
Then his body locked up.
His strength vanished.
Fear flashed in his eyes—what was happening?
"Father," Li An suddenly called.
Li Pan echoed, "Father."
"Jun’er, are you helping your mother?" Cai Damei smiled.
Her son was with her.
Strength surged through her as she pummeled Li Wu.
Ye Yunniang whacked his arms and legs with the stick.
"I was wrong, Cousin-in-law, I admit it!" Li Wu, spooked, begged for mercy.
"You’re not sorry—you’re just afraid of Jun’er!" Cai Damei kicked him several times.
Li Wu howled, "My leg’s broken! Stop! I’ll tell you where the wolf tooth is!"
Cai Damei paused.
"Where?"
"Cousin-in-law, I’ve kept it for two years—"
Before he could finish, Ye Yunniang struck him again. "Speak! Where?"
"North Hill," Li Wu groaned.
"Where exactly?"
North Hill, despite its modest name, was vast. Finding a wolf tooth there was like searching for a single bean in a field.
"Cousin-in-law, tell Jun’er to let me go first," Li Wu bargained.
Ye Yunniang raised the stick. "Talk."
This time, no matter how hard they hit him, Li Wu clenched his teeth and refused.
"Fine. Jun’er, take him away," Cai Damei said, pulling Ye Yunniang back. No point wasting energy.
"Cai Damei, murder means execution!" Li Wu panicked.
"Not if I’m not the one doing it."
As soon as she spoke, a cold gust swept over Li Wu’s neck.
"I’ll talk! Jun’er, don’t take me! I don’t want to die yet!" Li Wu pleaded.
The wind passed, and his body loosened. He scrambled up to flee—
But after two steps, his legs gave out, sending him face-first into the dirt.
Coughing violently, he tried to rise—only to be pressed down again by an unseen weight.
"I’ll talk! I swear!" Li Wu dared no more tricks.
North Hill was too steep for Li Pan and Li An.
Cai Damei sent Ye Yunniang with the children to the village chief’s house while she and Li Wu retrieved the wolf tooth.
"Mother, I’m coming too," Ye Yunniang insisted, unwilling to let her go alone.
"Don’t worry, I’ll be fine," Cai Damei reassured her, hinting at Bao Min and Tong Mo’s hidden surveillance.
Ye Yunniang nodded.
Aunt Guihua, aware of the family feud, sent Li Nan along with a chopping knife for protection.
After putting Li Pan and Li An to sleep at the chief’s house, Ye Yunniang sat with Aunt Guihua, chatting.
Her mind preoccupied with thoughts of Cai Damei, Aunt Guihua spoke without paying much attention.
"What did you say, Aunt Guihua?"
Aunt Guihua repeated her earlier words, "Have you considered... finding someone else?"
