Zhang Xiaoying was somewhat surprised; she hadn't expected Xu Qinglin to actually test her, which showed he wasn't entirely brainless.
She spoke in the original host's tone, light and dismissive, "If he had been bitten to death back then, I wouldn't have to be angered by him now, and the second would not have ended up with just Wencong as his only son. I know you from the Xu Family's main branch have resented me for favoring my own for years. I owe the Second Branch. What can I do about it?"
Xu Changsheng had been pushed out by the original host to save Xu Yunfei and got hurt that year. Although he was still capable of living a normal life, he would not have a second child.
"I was just pregnant with the fourth when your dad, that old bastard, passed away. The fourth looks most like your dad. I blame your dad, but I also miss him. If your dad were still here, who would dare bully a widow and an orphan like us?" Zhang Xiaoying started to turn on the waterworks and wipe her tears.
"I'm sorry, Mom, I didn't mean to bring this up. I'll work hard from now on, earn more money, and be filial to you."
"Enough, don't talk about all that nonsense. Is the chicken ready? This afternoon I still need to burn paper for your dad, that deadbeat."
"It's ready, Mom. I misunderstood you earlier, I'm sorry. I won't make you angry again."
Zhang Xiaoying glanced at him and gave a cold snort but didn't say anything more.
"I should get back to work," Xu Qinglin said, still apprehensive of his mom, he found an excuse and went out.
Zhang Xiaoying's gaze fell on the eldest daughter.
The eldest daughter was six this year. Apart from being quite tanned by the sun, she had grown up quite nicely—all the Xu Family members were good-looking.
"Granny," the eldest daughter called out timidly.
Zhang Xiaoying wanted to say something, but seeing the girl so frightened, she swallowed her words.
Forget it, there would be time in the future. Some things can be taken slowly.
"Go take care of your mom," she said.
Zhang Xiaoying waved her hand, indicating for the eldest daughter to leave.
She couldn't keep acting like the original host; by now, she had roughly understood what kind of people the Xu Family members were. She had to figure out a way to set them straight.
When Mrs. Lin finished cooking, Zhang Xiaoying's mouth twitched as she looked at the food.
She knew the Xu Family was poor and didn't have good grains, but the food Mrs. Lin made—could this really be considered fit for humans? The only difference between this and the slop Mrs. Liang made for pigs was a tad more grease.
No wonder the original host never let Mrs. Lin cook.
Even the most organic ingredients were hard for Zhang Xiaoying to swallow.
She might as well eat them raw!
Zhang Xiaoying managed a few bites before putting down her chopsticks.
Seeing this, Mrs. Lin's expression turned sour.
Zhang Xiaoying didn't care much for that.
After taking a short nap in her room, she got up, gathered the chicken, paper money, incense, and candles, and headed up the mountain with Mrs. Lin and the eldest daughter.
Zhang Xiaoying's mood relaxed as she looked at the lush, verdant forest.
Zhang Xiaoying remembered that spring was the season when wild vegetables, mushrooms, and bamboo shoots grew in abundance—the legendary taste of mushrooms was particularly exquisite.
The Xu Family's ancestral grave was quite far. Xu Qinglin and Xu Changsheng were supposed to come along, but Zhang Xiaoying didn't allow it.
How could they abandon the work in the fields?
Finally arriving at the ancestral grave, Zhang Xiaoying made a show of offering incense, burning paper, and paying respects.
Zhang Xiaoying muttered under her breath.
Mrs. Lin occasionally caught a few phrases like "I know I was wrong," "I won't dare next time," "Don't come looking for me anymore."
Mrs. Lin curled her lip in disdain.
It didn't matter how that old thing changed, as long as her son's path to education was unbroken!
Zhang Xiaoying was just going through the motions.
After the ceremony, Zhang Xiaoying asked Mrs. Lin to pack up the items, intending to look for mushrooms and the like.
Just then, Zhang Xiaoying suddenly heard a scream.
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Madam Lin and the two children's faces changed instantly.
"Mother, let's hurry back," Madam Lin said with a trembling voice.
That pitiful scream was so piercing, it must have been something serious.
Zhang Xiaoying didn't move. Her hearing was much better than Madam Lin's, "Can you climb trees? Hurry over there and climb up."
"Mother, what are you waiting for at a time like this? Let's get moving," one of them urged.
"There's no time, hurry!"
Zhang Xiaoying turned her head back and spoke fiercely.
Madam Lin was stunned.
The eldest girl reacted quickly.
"Second Aunt, listen to my grandma and hurry," she said.
Dragging Madam Lin and the second girl, she ran swiftly toward the trees near the ancestral grave.
The next instant, they saw the village hunter Liu Shitou stumbling out covered in blood, a horrific sight, followed by a mad wild boar.
The old saying in the village was, "First boar, second bear, third tiger," implying that wild boars were even more dangerous than tigers.
Madam Lin screamed, her legs went so weak she couldn't even climb the tree.
It was all over, she was going to die alongside that old man.
"Grandma, run!" the eldest girl shouted anxiously, sliding down without any hesitation, thinking of saving Zhang Xiaoying.
"Don't move," Zhang Xiaoying shouted loudly, stepping forward with a firewood knife in hand.
This boar was just an ordinary animal. Even though her body's strength and reactions were not up to par, Zhang Xiaoying was more than capable of handling it.
"You old thing, why aren't you running? Want to hog that wild boar all for yourself? Watch it crush you..." Liu Shitou started to roar with all his might, but before he could finish, he froze in place.
Before him, Zhang Xiaoying somehow managed to mount the wild boar that was chasing after him, lifting her firewood knife and viciously bringing it down above the boar's eyes, between them.
The wild boar let out a pitiful howl.
Madam Lin's eyes widened in shock, as she saw the wild boar collapse to the ground after Zhang Xiaoying's strike.
Liu Shitou too stood frozen, unable to believe what he saw.
After striking the boar, Zhang Xiaoying leapt down, dragged the stunned Liu Shitou away, and ordered Madam Lin, "You get up that tree now!"
Madam Lin, realizing the direness of the boar's threat, mustered her strength and quickly climbed up.
The wild boar's death throes lasted a while before it finally lay still, dead at last.
If it weren't for the sturdy construction of the Xu family ancestral grave, it might have been destroyed by that wild boar.
Liu Shitou, who had narrowly escaped death, collapsed weakly on the ground.
"Auntie Xu, thank you for today. If it hadn't been for you, my life would have been lost here. Since you killed the boar, go ahead and have someone take it back," Liu Shitou said. The people of Dafu Village, including Liu Shitou, didn't like Zhang Xiaoying, but credit where credit is due: Liu Shitou was complex in his emotions, but the fact that Zhang Xiaoying had saved him was indisputable.
Zhang Xiaoying was anything but courteous with Liu Shitou, the wild boar was hers after all.
However, Liu Shitou had lost a lot of blood; if he wasn't rescued quickly, he would be done for.
"Second Branch's family, hurry back to the village, call people to carry him." Zhang Xiaoying then turned to Madam Lin, "Eldest girl, watch over him, I will be back quickly."
First, she needed to stop Liu Shitou's bleeding.
Madam Lin didn't argue this time, descending from the tree, grabbing her basket, and running down the mountain.
Liu Shitou lay there, having spent all his energy on those previous words.
He thought today might be the day he'd die here. Who would've thought he'd have such bad luck to meet that wild boar?
The eldest girl was very worried. Seeing Liu Shitou look like he was about to close his eyes, she quickly shouted, "Uncle Liu, don't fall asleep, my Second Aunt will call people up quickly!"
What if he died and people in the village thought her grandmother wanted the boar to herself and had killed him?
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