Wang Zhaoming took a seat along with the crowd.
In her mind, she replayed the scene that had just unfolded.
Such a solemn ceremony celebrating a bountiful harvest had long since vanished in modern times. People had long been accustomed to a life where grain could be bought anytime, anywhere.
Even though she had grown up in a Taoist temple alongside her master, he had never mistreated her when it came to food. She, too, had long grown accustomed to that way of living, never realizing how difficult it was to obtain a single grain of rice.
Wang Zhaoming picked up her chopsticks, imitating the crowd as she tasted the rice in her bowl with an attitude of reverence and devotion.
In terms of texture and flavor, this rice could not compare to the aromatic qualities of the various newly cultivated varieties of later generations.
Yet this was no simple bowl of rice. It carried the villagers’ joy over the harvest and their yearning for favorable weather in the coming year.
And so, Wang Zhaoming finished every single grain in her bowl.
Everyone present was likewise eating with their heads bowed in focus.
After finishing the meal, no one rushed to disperse.
As an ethereal female voice rang out, Wang Zhaoming, who had her head lowered, looked up to see Wen Caimei beside her singing a local folk song with deep passion. Wang Chengye watched her, his eyes filled with warmth and laughter.
With Wen Caimei taking the lead, others soon stood up to sing in response and join the song.
Apart from singing, young men were competing in the nearby open space—shoulder-pushing, wrestling, and cockfighting. If someone tumbled awkwardly during a match, it would draw good-natured laughter from the crowd.
Having lived with her master for over a decade, Wang Zhaoming had not been entirely isolated from the world.
Her master would take her down the mountain to amusement parks mentioned by other children, letting her experience all kinds of thrilling rides.
To prevent any accidents while she rode them, her master would cover her in talismans before leaving home, supporting a protective array centered around himself in her vicinity.
Her master had taken her to bustling shopping malls and strolled through markets organized by the villages at the foot of the mountain. Within his limited capacity, he did everything possible to keep her from being trapped on the mountain, allowing her to see as much of the world as possible.
When she was young and ignorant, unaware of the price her master had to pay each time they went down the mountain, she would constantly throw tantrums to go play.
Later, after accidentally chancing upon a book left behind by the grandmaster, she never went down the mountain again.
Even so, she was hardly unknowledgeable; with the internet well-developed, she could learn about the outside world through the web.
Yet in her memory, days set aside specifically to celebrate a harvest like this were practically non-existent.
With the rapid development of society, it was a pity that such meaningful activities had disappeared.
Wang Zhaoming suddenly found herself missing that old man terribly.
“Mother, I want to go back.”
This lively bustle felt out of place with her, and Wang Zhaoming did not wish to stay any longer.
“What is it? Are you feeling unwell?” Wen Caimei asked with concern.
Wang Zhaoming shook her head. “No, I’m just tired and want to go back to lie down and rest.”
Wen Caimei stood up. “Then I’ll walk you back.”
“No need, please enjoy yourself. It’s not far from our home, so I’ll walk back slowly.”
Wen Caimei checked the sky. It was not dark yet; the sun had only just set below the horizon.
“Alright, then walk slowly and don’t rush. Later on, I’ll head back and make dinner for you.”
Wang Zhaoming smiled and agreed.
She rose from her seat amidst the lively crowd and departed.
She walked very slowly, her posture relaxed and leisurely.
Halfway back, however, she ran straight into Song Meihua.
“Third Aunt.” Song Meihua had a guilty expression on her face, instinctively hiding her hands behind her back.
Wang Zhaoming raised her hand and lightly flicked the karmic line wrapped around her waist that belonged to Song Meihua and herself.
That day, when Wang Yanli asked, “Will she die?”, it had entangled her with Song Meihua’s third hidden line of destiny.
It was precisely because of this that Song Meihua had awakened, avoiding becoming an idiot from ingesting too much knock-out drug.
Wang Zhaoming stepped forward and bent down slightly, meeting Song Meihua at eye level.
She clearly saw the anxiety, unease, and ruthless determination deep within Song Meihua’s eyes.
Wang Zhaoming smiled.
She reached out and wiped away a speck of blood sticking to the corner of Song Meihua’s eye. “Clean it up thoroughly.”
Having committed murder, her aura of fortune had actually grown even stronger.
The karma of this world was strange indeed.
And yet, why hadn’t she received even a single shred of karmic merit in return from Song Meihua?
Carrying this doubt, Wang Zhaoming departed at her usual leisurely pace under Song Meihua’s complex gaze.
Snapping back to her senses, Song Meihua stopped looking at her, turning around to leave along another small path instead.
“Song Jiangshui and his mother are dead.”
“What?”
Just as Wen Caimei returned from the fields in the morning, she saw Zheng Duowei with a look that said, “I have big news to tell you,” before hearing her break the news.
“It’s true, the village children were the ones who found them.”
Those children had gone up the mountain early in the morning to cut pig grass to feed the pigs, only to discover the two of them dead in the mountain woods.
“They said both mother and son had their heads smashed in, leaving two big gaping holes.”
Wen Caimei grimaced. “Tsk, who did it?”
“I don’t know. The village chief has already sent someone to report it to the authorities. We’ll see if the government can solve it.”
“Mother, do you think that woman Song Jiangshui found on the outside hired someone to kill them?”
“I’ve never been able to figure out what kind of trick that woman used to make mother and son abandon their home, their fields, and his wife and daughter, utterly determined to follow her away.”
“Could that woman have used some kind of sorcery?” Zheng Duowei said in a lowered voice.
At the mention of ghosts and strange tales, both of them felt their scalps go numb at the same time.
Wen Caimei shivered. “Who knows? At any rate, it has nothing to do with us. Go ahead and cook at home; I’m going to check on Qi Chunchun and her daughter. With this happening, they must be terrified.”
Regardless, those two were people her daughter had taken the trouble to save, so they should help where they could.
Besides, Qi Chunchun had helped Wang Zhaoming chase away Zhang Mazi, so they had to keep that favor in mind.
“Then when you come back, tell me whatever news you find out, alright?” Although Zheng Duowei also wanted to go join in the excitement, she still had a mound of chores to do at home, so she could only take what Wen Caimei handed her and go attend to her work.
When Wen Caimei arrived at Qi Chunchun’s house, she found Wang Zhaoming there as well.
“Zhao’zhao, why are you here?”
“I went for a walk outside and felt thirsty, so I came to ask for a cup of water.”
Wen Caimei walked over and touched the cup in Wang Zhaoming’s hand. Finding it warm, she felt relieved. “Are you feeling better now? Are you still thirsty? If you are, I’ll pour you another cup.”
“I’m not thirsty anymore. Mother, why did you come over?”
Reminded by Wang Zhaoming, Wen Caimei recalled her main business and asked Qi Chunchun, “Do you know about what happened on the mountain?”
Qi Chunchun was left completely baffled. “What happened?”
She had been busy with household chores since early morning and had not stepped outside yet.
“Song Jiangshui and his mother are dead. They were found dead on the mountain.”
Qi Chunchun stood up in shock. “What!”
“Who did it?”
“I don’t know either. The village chief reported it to the authorities. It might be those people who wanted to buy children before, taking revenge out of anger.”
“Those human traffickers have immense power, far beyond what us ordinary folks can provoke. Don’t go out alone during this period, and make sure someone accompanies you wherever you go.”
“Especially your Meihua—keep an extra close eye on her, and don’t let her end up alone.”
Song Meihua was the same age as Wang Zhaoming, and in the entire Song Family Village, there were no young girls prettier than these two. Human traffickers favored girls like them the most.
Wen Caimei worried that because those human traffickers failed last time, they might hold a grudge and target the mother and daughter again.
Qi Chunchun gritted her teeth in hatred. “Those two blights! Who knows what kind of people they provoked? Even in death, they won’t let us live in peace!”
“I really wish I could get a whip and lash their corpses fiercely!”