"Returning it?"
Shou Hou sneered and then ordered someone to light a bonfire.
When the constables approached with torches, Madam Xiao Hu's eyes went blank.
She shook her head dazedly, murmuring "No."
The torch landed on the wood, and a towering flame gradually ignited.
Everyone was silent before the crackling sound, except for Madam Xiao Hu.
Many people had died these past few days, and all were cremated.
Song Qingchao did not object to this, as it was the most effective way to prevent the spread of the illness.
Some family members, while Shou Hou wasn't looking, would dig a pit and bury the bodies, not even daring to erect a tombstone.
If their luck ran out and Shou Hou discovered them, the consequence was cremation.
Shou Hou was always cautious; he wanted to preserve his own life and the lives of those still alive.
Song Qingchao held Liu Zhe'er's hand and felt her nervousness.
She pulled the girl close, her other hand resting on her shoulder.
Such a young child, the more sensible she was, the more she tugged at one's heartstrings.
"Zhe'er, don't be afraid."
Liu Zhe'er responded softly, "My younger brother has gone to be a star in the sky. Zhe'er is happy, not sad."
Her voice, though lively, carried a hint of desolation.
"Father told me this. He said he would always protect me from up in the sky."
Song Qingchao gently ruffled her hair and replied softly, "He will."
The fire grew stronger. Shou Hou threw Liu Fubao directly into the flames without blinking.
As decisive as discarding garbage.
Liu Fubao, unlike his usual cries when scrambling for food, lay in the fire with a peaceful expression.
After all, a person dead for days wouldn't feel pain.
"No!"
Madam Xiao Hu suddenly shrieked, struggling like a madwoman.
Two or three strong men couldn't hold her down. She broke free from their grasp and rushed towards the bonfire, as if the flames were not hot, plunging into them and pulling Liu Fubao out.
Liu Fubao was still burning.
She placed Liu Fubao on the ground and tried to extinguish the flames with her bare hands.
"Fubao, Fubao, don't be afraid, mother is here to save you!"
Song Qingchao's hand suddenly felt empty; Liu Zhe'er had already run towards Madam Xiao Hu.
Song Qingmu tried to grab her, but Song Qingchao stopped him.
"Eldest Sister?" he asked, bewildered. "Zhe'er is in grave danger like this."
Song Qingchao shook her head. "It's alright, let her go."
"But..."
"Mumu, if she doesn't go, she'll regret it. No matter how excessive Madam Xiao Hu is, she is still Zhe'er's mother. I want her to be clear-headed, not to lose her humanity."
After hearing Song Qingchao's words, Song Qingmu withdrew his hand.
Liu Zhe'er sprinted over, her face filled with anxiety.
"Mother!"
She reached her mother and kicked the burning Liu Fubao away.
She grabbed Madam Xiao Hu, who was reaching for Liu Fubao, and said, "Mother, please come to your senses! Fubao is already dead!"
"Dead?" Madam Xiao Hu shook her head. Her lips slowly curved into a smile, but tears streamed from her red-rimmed eyes. "Fubao told me this morning he wanted a big chicken leg. He's not dead!"
"He is dead! He is dead!"
"No!" Madam Xiao Hu shoved Liu Zhe'er away, her expression ferocious, like a beast that had crawled out of the abyss. "Who are you! Are you trying to harm Fubao!"
She tremblingly crawled towards Liu Fubao, continuously covering him with soil. Then, she took out a water skin and poured the water onto him, trying to extinguish the flames.
Liu Zhe'er snatched the water pouch from her hand and threw it violently to the ground.
She turned Madam Xiao Hu's face towards her. "Mother, I am Zhe'er. Fubao is gone, but I am still here! I will stay with you, alright?"
Tears welled in her eyes. Even though she was also afraid, she wanted to be her mother's support.
"Zhe'er?" Madam Xiao Hu, holding the charcoal-blackened Liu Fubao, raised her blank face to look at Liu Zhe'er.
She reached out her bloody hand, stained with charcoal, and touched Liu Zhe'er's soft cheek, revealing a trace of tenderness.
Then, she abruptly pushed Liu Zhe'er away.
"Zhe'er? I don't want Zhe'er! I only need Fubao!"
She tilted her head to press against Liu Fubao's forehead, cradling him as if he were an infant. "Mother only wants Fubao. I risked my life to give birth to you, you cannot die."
Madam Xiao Hu's tone gradually turned frantic. "If you die, they will bully me again, scold me, and hit me. Fubao, you are mother's savior. Mother cannot live without you!"
Liu Zhe'er, pushed away, stared blankly at Madam Xiao Hu holding Liu Fubao.
Her tears also began to flow uncontrollably. She clenched her fists and shouted, "I am your child too! Why don't you want me!"
Liu Zhe'er, crying, stepped forward and tugged at Madam Xiao Hu's clothes. "If I die, will you be happy!"
Her words were like sharp blades, her hands trembling as she gripped Madam Xiao Hu's garment. "Why, why don't you want me..."
"Want you?" Madam Xiao Hu smiled blankly. "What good is wanting you?"
She let go of Liu Fubao and grabbed Liu Zhe'er. "If I hadn't given birth to you first! I wouldn't have suffered those insults! It's all because of you! It's all you! If it weren't for you, how could I have become like this?"
Liu Zhe'er was stunned. Exhausted, she loosened her grip on Madam Xiao Hu's clothes and pointed at herself with a trembling hand. "You blame all of this on me?"
She threw her head back and laughed loudly, tears streaming down the corners of her eyes. "Then who should I blame? Is it because I'm a girl that I have to suffer all this?"
"Yes!" Madam Xiao Hu fiercely grasped her neck. "It's all because of you! I'll strangle you! If it weren't for you! Fubao wouldn't have ended up like this! I'll strangle you!"
Liu Zhe'er's hands struggled to pry away the hands around her neck that were choking off her breath.
Her face flushed red as she looked up at the brightest star in the sky. "Father, Father... should I really... not be in this... world?"
She felt like she was dying, and she felt as though she was seeing her mother from childhood again.
At that time, her mother had treated her very well, but why, why did everything change after Fubao was born...
Liu Zhe'er gradually lost her strength, her hands slowly falling.
Just as she felt she was about to suffocate, a flash of light suddenly appeared, and she resumed breathing.
She collapsed on the ground, clutching her throat and coughing violently.
She felt someone holding her and retreating. She recognized the scent; it must be Brother Mumu.
She rubbed her tear-blurred eyes and saw Sister Chaocao standing before her, shielding her from all the indignity.
Song Qingchao stood there, looking down at Madam Xiao Hu.
She didn't say a word, directly stepping on Madam Xiao Hu's hand and then kicking Liu Fubao into the bonfire with a clean, decisive motion.
Madam Xiao Hu struggled.
Her heart-wrenching screams, to Song Qingchao, were all torture and compensation for Liu Zhe'er.
Song Qingchao squatted down and gripped Madam Xiao Hu's face with one hand.
"Did you ever consider that if you had treated Zhe'er well, you wouldn't have ended up like this?"