Today, he didn’t intentionally let the dog out. It was a genuine mistake; he hadn’t tied it securely when he left to get some meat from the commune.

By the time he returned, the dog had wandered off and nearly bitten someone.

Though he felt a bit scared, he didn’t take it seriously.

After all, the dog hadn’t actually bitten anyone.

Even if they came to confront him about it, he didn’t have much to fear.

Cheng Rushan kicked him to the ground and ignored him, addressing Cheng Fuwan instead. “Don’t pretend you know nothing. In a household, how could you not be aware of his actions? Your eldest brother probably knows everything too.”

Cheng Xinda retorted, “Everyone is responsible for their own actions! No one told me to do it! Your eldest brother got away with chopping my grandfather, why can’t I train a dog to bite him?”

Soon, Captain Wang from the commune arrived, intending to take Cheng Xinda away, but Cheng Rushan refused.

“I’ll take him to the county police station,” Cheng Rushan insisted. “I don’t trust the commune, Captain Wang knows why.”

Captain Wang felt awkward. “This is a decision of the commune…”

“I’m sorry, the commune secretary and Cheng Xinda are relatives,” Cheng Yulian interjected. “This matter must be severely punished. How can we allow someone so malicious to stay in the village? If he dislikes someone, he finds a way to kill them. Who would dare live in the same village as him?”

“Yeah, only those who steal for a thousand days forget their fear of thieves. If someone isn’t cautious, who knows when they’ll offend him? Who knows when he might strike?”

“Even if not executed, he must go to prison, he can’t stay at home!”

“No, please, why are you forcing my child like this?” Cheng Fuwan’s elderly mother trembled, waving her hands in an attempt to stop them from taking her great-grandson away.

Cheng Fuwan, however, was unafraid. Even if the child had made a mistake, there wasn’t much they could do.

At most, he thought, a scolding and an apology would suffice.

Moreover, since the dog hadn’t bitten Jiang Lin and Cheng Rushan had already killed it in anger, it should settle the matter.

In the end, they decided to keep Cheng Xinda overnight at the brigade office and send him to the county police station the next day.

Captain Wang, following Cheng Fugui’s orders, couldn’t take him away but stayed behind to guard against any attempts by Cheng Rushan and others to sneak in and harm Cheng Xinda.

Cheng Fuwan went to the commune to find Cheng Fugui but was unsuccessful, only earning a round of complaints. “Xinda is troubled; outsiders will surely blame the adults for influencing him. Even if he isn’t sentenced, how can they live peacefully in the village?”

…

Cheng Rushan left the brigade office and went home first.

Yan Runzhi and Cheng Yunzhi tried various methods—longan soup, herbal teas, ginger soup—but none worked.

They even heard from the village elders about burning paper and incense to pray for recovery, regardless of whether one had made mistakes.

They went to the ancestral graves to burn paper and incense, but Jiang Lin showed no signs of improvement upon their return.

Seeing Cheng Rushan return, Yan Runzhi hurriedly said, “Dongsheng, please take a look and see if there’s anything we can do to help Bao’er’s mother. If necessary, we should take her to the county hospital.”

Cheng Rushan came over, but there was nothing he could do.

They considered sedating her due to her restlessness, but since she remained calm, they were at a loss.

The county hospital couldn’t offer any solutions, that’s what they said.

Yan Runzhi was frantic, praying to the heavens, beseeching ancestors, and offering prayers to the kitchen god and the land deity—each plea went unanswered.

Cheng Rushan came in with a roll of dog hide in his hands and entered the room where Wen Sheng and his sons, Da Bao and Xiao Bao, were keeping watch over Jiang Lin.

She lay on the bed, with Da Bao massaging her and Xiao Bao combing her hair, while Wen Sheng kept his eyes fixed on her.

Cheng Rushan placed the dog hide in front of Jiang Lin and whispered, “Linlin, touch this.”

He held her hand and gently placed it on the hide, letting her feel it. “The vicious dog has been killed. Once this hide softens, we’ll make a mattress for you.”

Da Bao, thinking for a moment, started imitating the dog’s bark, “Woof, woof…” He did it so well it startled Jiang Lin.

“Mama, please wake up,” Xiao Bao kissed her hand.

“Xiao Bao—” Jiang Lin called out softly.

Xiao Bao immediately hugged her arm, crying loudly, “Mom, I’m here, that bad dog has been killed by my dad!”

Wen Sheng grabbed the dog hide, still emitting a strong smell, and smiled, “Dead, he’s dead, Mom, he’s dead!”

Jiang Lin slowly came back to herself, blinked her eyes, and met Cheng Rushan’s deep and caring gaze, filled with concern for her.

As she looked into his eyes, Cheng Rushan knew she was feeling better.

He sighed in relief, resting his forehead against hers, saying, “If you hadn’t improved, my soul would have been scared away by you.”

Jiang Lin took a deep breath, wanting to lift her hand to embrace him, but feeling too weak.

Instead, she lifted her chin, wanting to give him a comforting kiss.

Cheng Rushan cupped her face and kissed her gently, then held her tightly in his arms, massaging her pressure points to help her recover quickly.

Da Bao followed his example, massaging Jiang Lin’s legs and arms.

Jiang Lin turned to look at Da Bao and Xiao Bao, asking, “Are you both alright?”

Xiao Bao cried as he hugged her, saying, “Mommy, mommy…”

Jiang Lin regained some strength, leaning over to kiss his forehead. “See? Everything’s fine. Boys should be strong.”

Yan Runzhi, seeing her awake, quickly brought over prepared warm ginger eggs and placed them on the handcart. “Here, Dongsheng, quickly feed the baby mama something warm.”

She also had Cheng Yunzhi bring over the rest for Da Bao and Xiao Bao to eat, calming their nerves.

Jiang Lin couldn’t eat much herself.

Jiang Lin finished all three eggs in one go, drank the ginger syrup, and immediately felt warm all over.

Her blood, nearly frozen from the fright earlier, now flowed warmly through her veins.

She wiped her mouth and said cheerfully, “I’m fine.”

Fully revived!

She knew her excessive scare was due to childhood trauma, and this afternoon she hadn’t completely lost feeling.

When Cheng Rushan pressed on her back’s pressure points, it was her most fearful and helpless moment, feeling like she was falling into an abyss with no bottom, only to be pulled back by him.

Wensheng carried her back home, with Da Bao and Xiao Bao constantly talking to her and kissing her by the ear.

Yan Runzhi and Cheng Yunzhi were discussing something, and she seemed to have some awareness, but felt as if she were miles away, her heart pounding uncontrollably.

She couldn’t muster the strength or spirit, feeling like she was drifting away.

When she touched the slightly rough, prickly fur, her mind suddenly conjured up images of merciless eyes, sharp teeth, heavy breathing, and that terrifying sense of fear that made her shiver all over—paralyzing her with fear of losing sensation.

She touched it, but felt no severe pain as she had expected.

Did she not feel it, or did it not bite her?

Or was it that even if it had bitten her, it wasn’t as terrifying as she had feared?

Is it that people fear the anticipation of something bad happening more than the actual event?

Then she heard the voices of Da Bao, Xiao Bao, Wensheng, and saw Cheng Rushan’s deep and warm eyes, and she snapped back to reality.

This family and these people gave her enough security, making her know that no matter when, there was a family that would always protect and support her, never abandoning her again.

She was healed.

She turned to look at Wensheng, patting his arm. “Wensheng, Mommy is fine now, don’t worry.”

Wensheng looked down at her, his eyes thoughtful yet seemingly empty of any specific thoughts.

Unlike before, he didn’t cry holding her like a child; instead, he solemnly said, “Mom, I will protect you from now on and never let the bad guys bully you again!”

Looking at Jiang Lin lying limp on the ground, her eyes empty and unresponsive, he felt like he had seen this scene before.

Had he killed the bad person, and now they sent a bad dog?

Now that the bad dog was also killed by Dad, what else could they send?

He had to protect Mom well!

Saying this, Jiang Lin looked into his eyes and felt they were more mature than before.

She smiled, “Wensheng, you’re really good. Mommy is so lucky.”

Wensheng didn’t act like a child, playfully clinging to her as he used to.

Instead, he had a serious expression and nodded.

Jiang Lin then turned to Da Bao and Xiao Bao, “See, girls aren’t strong enough. I scared you both, I’m sorry.”

Da Bao and Xiao Bao held onto her arms, saying, “We’ll protect Mommy.”

Cheng Rushan went to fetch hot water and wrung a towel to wipe Jiang Lin’s body, preventing her from catching a cold from sweating.

Outside, it was pitch dark.

Jiang Xinglei ran back excitedly, “Sister, are you awake?”

Jiang Lin replied, “Yes, I’m okay now.”

Jiang Xinglei rushed in, very excited, and gestured at Cheng Rushan.

Cheng Rushan touched Jiang Lin’s neck and felt that she was warming up.

He gently said, “Rest a little longer, I’ll go check.”

He intended to take Jiang Xinglei out, but Wensheng immediately jumped off the ground to follow.

Concerned about stimulating him, Cheng Rushan told him to wait at home.

Wensheng said, “I’ve grown up, I’m not a child anymore.”

Da Bao looked up at him, wondering what he meant.

Cheng Rushan looked at Wensheng, seeing his clear and determined eyes, no longer the innocent gaze of a child.

He nodded, “Alright, come on.”

It was already dark, and the villagers who usually didn’t use their lanterns lit them up and came out to watch the commotion.

Apart from those working night shifts at the brickyard, almost the whole village gathered nearby.

It was like a festival night, with lanterns dotting the streets, illuminating the surroundings brightly.

When they saw Cheng Rushan approaching, they instinctively stepped back, unable to pinpoint their fear but feeling a sense of intimidation that kept them from getting too close.

Unaware, rumors spread that Cheng Rushan had punched the big wolfhound to death, then reached in with his bare hands to pull out its heart when Cheng Fuwan’s mother and grandchildren tried to stop him, only to be silenced in one fell swoop.

Despite Cheng Fuwan’s mother trembling on the kang and his grandchildren crying and wetting themselves, the aroma of dog meat wafted for miles around, but they couldn’t resist talking about it with relish.

“See that? This is revenge taken at the right moment!”

“First kill the dog, then the man!”

“This is what they call noble revenge, better late than never!”

“Stop talking nonsense, Cheng Rushan isn’t even thirty yet.”

That pot of dog meat remained outside Cheng Fuwan’s house.

Even though Cheng Fuwan and his two sons returned, none dared to lift the lid, just watching as it grew increasingly fragrant.

When Shang Zonghui saw Cheng Rushan approaching, he immediately said, “Brother, it’s done.”

Cheng Rushan nodded.

He went to a willow tree, snapped off a few thick branches, stripped off the leaves, and peeled the bark.

For some reason, watching him peel the willow branches so swiftly made everyone’s scalp tingle.

Cheng Rushan lifted the lid of the pot, and immediately a delicious meat aroma filled the air.

Everyone swallowed hard, exclaiming how delicious it smelled!

What a huge pot of meat.

Cheng Rushan used the willow branches to skewer the meat, removed four legs, and handed one to Shang Zonghui with a smile. “Not afraid?”

Shang Zonghui’s eyes sparkled in the firelight as he laughed, “Afraid of what? I’ve seen cows slaughtered before.”

Cheng Rushan said, “Let’s go home and eat.”

Shang Zonghui happily carried the dog leg and walked away.

Cheng Rushan then handed the other three dog legs to Feng Granny and Zhang Granny, who had helped Jiang Lin and Da Bao at the time.

The three old women happily accepted, already having offended Cheng Fuwan’s family by going to the brickyard, they weren’t afraid of stirring up more trouble.

Jiang Xinglei was extremely anxious, swallowing hard, repeatedly asking Cheng Rushan, “What about our family?”

Cheng Rushan replied, “Anyone who wants to eat dog meat soup, go home and get a bowl.”

“I do, I do!” The onlookers were all eager.

Those nearby quickly fetched bowls and chopsticks.

Some rushed to borrow them, while others went home to get them.

Cheng Rushan stood at Cheng Fuwan’s doorstep, distributing the meat and soup cleanly.

Jiang Xinglei was so tempted that he nibbled on his fingers, not getting a bite. He tugged at Wensheng, “Wensheng, aren’t you craving dog meat? It smells so good.”

Wensheng replied, “Good dogs are friends, I can’t eat them. Bad dogs are villains, I don’t care to eat!”