After a full day of rest, the little wolf looked much better, though that injured leg still couldn’t bear weight.
After taking a bite of food, it happily barked twice at A-Ming.
Delighted, A-Ming scratched beneath its chin.
“You really like today’s food, don’t you? If you like it, then eat more.”
As evening gradually approached, He Wanqing was just preparing to bathe when sudden commotion erupted ahead of them.
The noise grew closer and closer.
Looking up, she realized the crowd was indeed heading toward her treehouse—and there were quite a few people.
“He Wan, get out here!”
Seeing someone pale-faced being supported among the group, He Wanqing looked puzzled.
Now what happened?
Fortunately, someone nearby quickly explained.
“Jianshan’s mother, Shuanzi ate poisonous mushrooms and now has severe diarrhea.”
So?
What did that have to do with her?
He Wanqing genuinely failed to see her role in this matter.
But Shuanzi’s family spoke with complete confidence.
“He Wan, why did you have to gather mushrooms in the first place? If your family’s mushrooms hadn’t smelled so tempting, our family would never have thought of picking them! And if we hadn’t picked mushrooms, my son wouldn’t have eaten poisonous ones!”
Wonderful.
What incredibly powerful logic.
He Wanqing was so angry she laughed.
For a moment, she genuinely couldn’t think of a rebuttal.
Seeing her laugh without immediately responding, the family assumed she was feeling guilty and pressed their ridiculous demands further.
“How about this—just compensate us with one tael of silver and we won’t pursue the matter anymore!”
Another one tael of silver.
So now karma had circled back to her?
He Wanqing felt speechless.
The surrounding villagers all sucked in cold breaths upon hearing “one tael.”
Were they treating Jianshan’s mother like some kind of easy victim?
Clearly their own son had eaten poisonous mushrooms, yet they somehow blamed her for it.
Many people thought the same, but nobody spoke up.
Everyone wanted to see how He Wanqing would handle this.
Naturally, He Wanqing had no intention of indulging such nonsense.
This was completely unreasonable!
“Jianshan, go fetch the village chief. I’d like to hear what he has to say about this.”
Ye Jianshan immediately ran off to find him.
Meanwhile, He Wanqing didn’t simply stand there waiting.
Instead, she turned toward Shuanzi’s family.
“So you think our household lost its capable man and therefore you can bully us however you like?”
“Anyone daring to bully my Second Aunt’s family will have to answer to me first!”
The moment He Wanqing finished speaking, Ye Jian’an shoved through the crowd and stepped in front of her family, glaring angrily at Shuanzi’s relatives.
Soon afterward, Old Master Ye and Eldest Uncle Ye also arrived.
Old Master Ye’s face darkened.
“Old Shuan, what you’re doing is disgraceful. These poisonous mushrooms clearly have nothing to do with Ye He-shi! If you insist on blaming her, don’t blame our family for getting rude!”
With the Ye family’s main branch joining in, Shuanzi’s family immediately lost much of their confidence.
Watching coldly from the side, He Wanqing curled her lips in contempt.
Sure enough.
They’d simply thought she was easy to bully.
Then she’d make sure they learned exactly how difficult she truly was.
Very quickly, the village chief arrived.
After understanding the situation, he fell speechless for a long moment before scolding Shuanzi’s family furiously.
“Didn’t I tell everyone to check carefully for poisonous mushrooms?! How did you still fail to notice them?
And what exactly does eating poisonous mushrooms have to do with Jianshan’s mother?
Hurry up and carry him to Old Madam Chen instead of standing here embarrassing yourselves!”
After a fierce round of scolding, the village chief prepared to drive them away.
Seeing nobody support them, Shuanzi’s family also intended to quietly retreat.
But would He Wanqing really let them leave so easily?
If they paid no price today, then others would inevitably imitate them later.
She’d be endlessly annoyed.
So just as they turned to leave, she spoke coldly.
“You think you can just leave? That won’t do. Do I look like someone who’ll let you slander me without consequences?”
As she spoke, a brilliant smile spread across her face.
Yet somehow, that smile made people’s scalps tingle.
Old Shuan’s wife’s expression twisted unpleasantly.
“You didn’t even suffer any losses! Why won’t you let us leave? We’ll leave if we want to—what can you do about it?!”
After saying this, the family turned to walk away.
He Wanqing narrowed her eyes slightly.
She didn’t stop them directly.
Instead, she addressed her sons calmly.
“Jianshan, take Jianwu and tear down their treehouse. Jianwen, go fetch fifty copper coins from the pouch and return it to them. Treehouse? Hah. They don’t deserve to live in one.”
After giving the order, He Wanqing used the opportunity to establish authority before everyone present.
“I, Ye He-shi, have never shown mercy toward people who stir up trouble without reason. If anyone else wants to bully our family in the future, first consider whether you can bear the consequences!”
Her powerful words struck heavily into everyone’s hearts.
At that moment, the villagers truly realized:
Even without her husband, this woman was absolutely not someone to provoke.
“Crash—!”
Before long, the sound of wooden planks smashing onto the ground echoed nearby.
Watching board after board ripped down and thrown aside, Shuanzi’s family became furious.
One vicious curse after another poured from their mouths.
The more Ye Jianshan and Ye Jianwu listened, the angrier they grew.
“Say one more insult and see what happens!”
Ye Jianwu lifted a thick wooden plank with bulging veins visible across his arms.
Then—
Crack!
The heavy board split directly in half in his hands.
Bang!
The broken wood slammed onto the ground before Shuanzi’s family, terrifying them so badly they collapsed backward with pale faces.
After that, nobody dared speak another word.
Only the sounds of dismantling wood continued.
Many villagers watching from afar also witnessed the scene and silently shivered.
For several days after that incident, villagers barely dared greet He Wanqing when seeing her.
He Wanqing herself didn’t care in the slightest.
Once the group resumed traveling, she simply continued collecting herbs while quietly focusing on her own family’s life.
However, on the tenth day in the mountains, their remaining grain supply finally ran dangerously low.
They only had enough food left for two days.
All four boys looked at He Wanqing expectantly, waiting for her decision.
But what could she do?
It wasn’t like she could magically create grain.
“We’ll just have to eat more sparingly from now on. Gather more wild vegetables too.”
Their situation wasn’t unique.
Most families had reached the same desperate state.
At that moment, the village chief found himself surrounded by anxious villagers.
“Village Chief, we’re running out of food! And we still don’t know when we’ll leave these mountains! What are we supposed to do?!”
“Exactly! You originally said we’d be out in five days! It’s already been ten! We’ve eaten everything!”
“Everyone calm down and listen to me!
I know everyone is worried. My own family’s grain is nearly gone too. But running out of grain doesn’t mean we’ll starve to death.
It’s currently June. There’s plenty of edible food in the mountains. As long as everyone works hard gathering things, nobody will starve.
As for my earlier estimate about leaving the mountains in five days—I apologize. My calculations were wrong. But I promise you all this: I will absolutely lead everyone out safely!”
The village chief genuinely didn’t understand why they still hadn’t exited the mountains.
According to everything he’d learned previously, taking the mountain route should’ve required only five days.
But facts were facts.
Instead of arguing, he immediately admitted his mistake.
This handling satisfied the villagers somewhat.
Truthfully, they knew the village chief was struggling too.
What they wanted most was simply an explanation and reassurance.
After calming everyone’s emotions, the village chief urged them all to continue searching for food.
Back at He Wanqing’s camp—
The family of five sat together on the grass with their chins propped on their hands.
Beside them, the little wolf wagged its tail happily.
A-Ming patted the wolf’s head.
“Mother, what are we eating tonight?”
“Throw two handfuls of rice into the pot, crack in a wild chicken egg, add lots of wild vegetables, and make vegetable porridge.”
At this point, not only had their staple grain nearly run out, but most of their seasonings were also almost exhausted aside from a few braising spices.
They absolutely had to budget carefully now.
Still, tonight’s meal alone wasn’t enough.
They also needed food for tomorrow.
But He Wanqing felt too tired to move.
“Jianshan, you boys go look nearby for anything edible.”
After the children left, He Wanqing asked the system weakly,
“Little Six, how many points do we have now?”
“Host, 1,475 points.”
“Still not even 1,500…”
She sighed disappointedly.
She’d secretly hoped the main system’s next reward might be a giant sack of rice.
Meanwhile, Ye Jianshan led Ye Jianwen and Ye Jianwu out searching for food and firewood.
Along the way, they encountered Eldest Uncle Ye and Ye Jian’an.
“Perfect timing. Father and I were planning to hunt something. Jianwu, come with us.”
Eldest Uncle Ye also nodded steadily.
“Come along.”
Ye Jianwu immediately agreed.
It had been many days since he last hunted, and his hands were itching for action.
Since entering the mountains, the village hadn’t organized official hunts anymore.
The mountains were simply too dangerous.
The hunting team’s primary responsibility now was protecting the villagers.
Still, individuals weren’t forbidden from hunting during free time.
At this time of year, the mountains truly contained many edible things.
Before long, Ye Jianshan and Ye Jianwen had already gathered half a basket of wild fruit.
By the time they returned carrying firewood, not even half an hour had passed.
“Hm? Where’s Jianwu?”
Three boys had left, but only two returned.
Where was the last one?
“Jianwu went hunting with Uncle and Cousin.”
Looking at the darkening sky, He Wanqing quietly buried her worries deep inside.
“Go build the stove and start the fire.”
Meanwhile, the much-discussed Ye Jianwu had walked for quite a while without spotting even a single prey animal.
He felt deeply frustrated.
At the front, however, Eldest Uncle Ye suddenly sensed something unusual.
He immediately halted.
“Stop. We can’t go any deeper.”
Ye Jian’an looked confused.
“Father, what’s wrong?”
“We’ve traveled this far already. Normally we should’ve seen birds or beasts by now, yet we haven’t encountered a single one. That’s an extremely dangerous sign. We absolutely shouldn’t continue.”
Eldest Uncle Ye decisively turned around.
Ye Jian’an and Ye Jianwu followed.
“Father, explain it to me carefully.”
As they quickly retreated, Eldest Uncle Ye taught them survival knowledge about deep mountain travel.
“Jian’an, Jianwu—remember this well. In the mountains, hearing is more important than seeing.
The birds and beasts deep in the mountains sense danger far better than humans. Once their sounds disappear entirely, it means they’ve already detected danger and hidden themselves.”
Ye Jianwu firmly etched those words into his memory.
Only after spotting the villagers again did the three finally relax.
“You two head back first. I’m going to inform the village chief.”
After tossing out those words, Eldest Uncle Ye strode rapidly away.
Seeing her third son return safely, He Wanqing finally relaxed slightly.
Ye Jianwu lowered his head guiltily.
“Mother, I didn’t catch anything.”
“It’s fine. It’s not important. We don’t absolutely need meat. Wild fruit is enough too.
Besides, we’re deep in the mountains now. Who knows when some fierce beast might suddenly appear? Honestly, Mother doesn’t even want you hunting. It’s too dangerous.”
Ye Jianwu nodded seriously.
“Uncle also said there may be dangerous beasts nearby. He already went to warn the village chief.”
He Wanqing’s heart tightened again.
Sure enough, before long the village chief gathered everyone together and announced the news.
Panic instantly spread through the crowd.
“Everyone stay calm. It’s only speculation for now. But tonight, don’t sleep too deeply. Those on night watch must remain especially alert.”
Though the village chief spoke reassuringly, the fear inside everyone barely lessened.
Most people had no appetite for dinner anymore.
After hastily eating a few bites, they sat clutching sticks and leaning back-to-back.
Normally at this hour, several lively conversation circles would fill the camp.
Tonight, there were none.
Even He Wanqing’s family was far quieter than usual.
Only the little wolf remained as lively as ever.
After briefly washing up, He Wanqing leaned against a tree and closed her eyes.
A-Ming leaned beside her while hugging the little wolf.
Ye Jianwu sat before the bonfire sharpening wooden stakes into points with his knife.
Ye Jianshan and Ye Jianwen sat silently on either side of him, quietly staring at the flames.
Crackle.
It seemed as though the entire world contained nothing except the sound of burning wood.
The night deepened.
One log after another was added to the fire.
Suddenly, the sleeping wolf cub opened its eyes.
Its gaze fixed intently in one direction.
An unreadable emotion flickered within its pale blue eyes.
“Awoooo—!”
“Awoooo—!”
Without warning, wolf howls erupted frighteningly close nearby, instantly jolting everyone awake.
Ye Jianwu immediately grabbed a wooden club and stepped protectively before his family, his eyes rapidly scanning the surroundings.
“Wolves! There are wolves! So many wolves!”
Following the direction someone pointed, everyone finally saw them—
A wolf pack partially concealed within the darkness.
Their glowing eyes sent chills racing through the villagers.
Some people even began trembling uncontrollably.
Suppressing his own terror, the village chief lowered his voice.
“Don’t panic. Slowly form a circle. The hunting team will stand on the outside. Everyone hold burning firewood in your hands.”
After the initial panic faded, He Wanqing forced herself to calm down.
“Little Six, do you have any way to deal with these wolves?”
“Host, this system is not a combat-type system and cannot directly inflict damage. However, there’s no need to worry. The wolves are not here for you.”
“Then what are they here for?”
“Didn’t you rescue a wolf cub? The pack came looking for him.”
He Wanqing instantly turned toward A-Ming.
Only to discover the wolf cub was no longer in his arms.
Using the firelight to search around, she soon spotted the cub standing toward the direction of the wolf pack.
As the cub approached, a massive wolf slowly stepped out from the pack.
It lowered its head and licked the cub gently.
The little wolf rubbed affectionately against it while whimpering softly, as though explaining something.
During this, He Wanqing clearly noticed the cub glance once toward her.
Then gradually, the glowing eyes hidden within the darkness began disappearing one by one.
A short while later, however, the little wolf suddenly sprinted back toward them.
It leapt directly into A-Ming’s arms and whimpered softly twice.
A-Ming seemed to understand something.
His eyes reddened.
“Little wolf… those are your family, aren’t they? You’re leaving us now, right?”
The wolf wagged its tail gently, as though replying.
“Then hurry back. They’re waiting for you. Maybe we’ll meet again someday.”
Red-eyed, A-Ming softly stroked the wolf’s head one last time before bending down to place it on the ground.
The little wolf stared deeply at him.
Then it swept one final glance across He Wanqing and the others before sprinting back toward the wolf pack.
Within moments, its figure vanished completely into the darkness.
After one final howl echoed through the night, the wolf pack disappeared as well.
Everyone who witnessed the scene gasped heavily for breath while wiping cold sweat from their foreheads.