Chapter 10: Stay Away from Me!

"Once they are free, they will come for their revenge."

After saying this, Lu Shijiu moved to another spot to continue gathering firewood. Stone pursed his lips, but in the end, unable to overcome the fear in his heart, he bolted out of the gloomy forest.

Because of the wound on her back, Lu Shijiu’s pace was slow. Fortunately, she was in the "Dead Man’s Forest," a place few dared to tread, where broken branches and withered twigs were everywhere. She was in no hurry to return; after scouting the perimeter to ensure no one was following or watching her, she set a few traps in areas where small animals were known to frequent.

By the time she hauled the firewood home, her back wound had predictably reopened. She took some medicinal herbs she had gathered along the way, chewed them into a pulp, and applied them to the parts of her back she could reach.

There was still no dinner for her. She prepared to boil some hot water to warm her stomach.

"Jinx! What are you doing?"

Mrs. Xue shrieked, rushing into the kitchen at lightning speed, slapping the firewood from Lu Shijiu’s hands with frantic force.

"Your grandfather is bedridden with his injuries, and your father is busy with funeral arrangements and tending to the mourning hall. We have no time to chop wood, and the house is short on fuel, yet you dare to waste it like this!"

"I didn't eat today," Lu Shijiu replied.

Mrs. Xue pulled a ring of keys from her waist, unlocked the cupboard, took out two blackened, baked potatoes, and tossed them to her. "Here, eat those."

She didn't forget to glare at Lu Shijiu, warning her, "Don't you dare touch the firewood!"

Lu Shijiu’s gaze turned icy. "The livestock in this house don't just eat this little, and these are two burnt, rotten potatoes!"

"What? You think it's too little? Then don't eat it! I’ll save a mouthful of rations!" Mrs. Xue curled her lip, her eyes filled with disdain.

"Fine by me!" Lu Shijiu ignited a fire-starter. "Then nobody eats!"

The flame flared up. Mrs. Xue’s eyes widened in shock. "Jinx, what are you doing?"

"Burning the kitchen down!" Lu Shijiu made a move to toss the fire-starter into the pile of wood next to the stove.

"Wait! Are you not afraid of your father beating you?"

Lu Shijiu let out a cold laugh. "I’m already starving; do you think I care about that?"

Mrs. Xue stepped toward the stove. "I'll give you food, I'll give you food, will that satisfy you?"

"Stay back! Bring the food out first. Don't try to play games! If the kitchen burns down, it's because of your poor management. Do you think he will let you off?" Lu Shijiu looked at her coldly.

Mrs. Xue’s lips trembled. After a moment of hesitation, she took a bowl of leftover rice from the cupboard. "Here is the rice!"

"And the side dish?" Lu Shijiu raised the fire-starter.

Mrs. Xue gritted her teeth and pulled a small plate of pickled radishes from the cupboard.

"Very well! Get out!" Lu Shijiu ordered.

"Jinx, don't push your luck!"

"If I don't kick you out, should I keep you here to ambush me?"

"Don't waste the firewood!" Mrs. Xue warned.

"Get out!"

"Just you wait!" Mrs. Xue stormed out, furious.

Lu Shijiu quickly locked the door from the inside.

"Don't think about complaining to him! He’s been having trouble finding people to help around the house lately, hasn't he? If you aren't afraid of his wrath, by all means, go ahead!" Lu Shijiu offered a "kind" reminder.

"You!" Mrs. Xue’s chest heaved with rage, but she was helpless.

Lu Shijiu boiled the water and heated the rice. As she ate, she mocked herself for being a fool in her past life. She had allowed them to bully her like that, even laughably hoping for their affection and approval! How could a pack of beasts in human skin possess such things?

At dawn, Mrs. Xue’s scream rang out in the Lu household.

"Jinx! Do you have no manners? We haven't even started eating, and you've already begun?"

"Don't you need me to go out and gather firewood?" Lu Shijiu took a large gulp of the thick porridge originally intended for Lu Tianming, then raised an eyebrow.

"That thickest portion was for your father, who told you to eat it?"

Lu Shijiu dodged Mrs. Xue’s grasping hand and finished the bowl of porridge in a few quick bites. "I'll finish eating early so I can get to work early."

"This is madness!" Mrs. Xue searched everywhere for a whip.

Lu Shijiu set down her bowl and chopsticks, grabbed a rope and a hatchet, and ran toward the mountain, leaving no opportunity for Mrs. Xue to torture her, nor for a confrontation with Lu Tianming.

In the past, whenever there was a wedding or a funeral, the whole village would spontaneously come to help; it was an unwritten rule. But thanks to Old Lady Lu’s infamous reputation, no one in the village was willing to lend the Lu family a hand. Consequently, Lu Tianming not only had to tend to the bedridden, injured grandfather but also had to run around looking for help, leaving him no time to trouble her.

Lu Shijiu knew clearly that once Old Lady Lu was buried, even harsher punishments awaited her. She could not just sit and wait for death! Besides, was sending off one Old Lady Lu enough?

Because she had something in her stomach and her back was treated with herbs, Lu Shijiu’s speed in gathering firewood was much faster this time. By midday, she was in no hurry to return and went to check on the traps she had set yesterday.

"Cluck..."

The simple snare had actually caught a wild pheasant.

Lu Shijiu found a sharp stone, brought the pheasant to the mountain spring, gutted it, and cleaned it thoroughly. She then dug into the earth to get some mud, coating the pheasant layer by layer to make "beggar's chicken." In her dreams, that filthy Taoist priest had done it exactly this way.

Watching the crackling campfire, Lu Shijiu’s thoughts drifted uncontrollably.

"They say that before death, one has a wish that the gods can hear. I wish for my poor, biological daughter to be safe and happy in her next life, never to be bullied again!"

"If there is a wish before death that the gods can hear, I wish for my own younger sister to be happy in her next life and live to a ripe old age!"

"I have spent half a lifetime in war, never failing heaven or the people. My merits may not be grand, but my conscience is clear. If there are gods above, I do not ask for an afterlife; I only wish for my poor, biological daughter to live in peace and prosperity, with a smile always on her face!"

...

*Snap!*

The sound of a spark bursting in the campfire brought Lu Shijiu back to reality. She touched the empty space in her chest. The cruelest thing in this world was never failing to find something, but losing it the very moment it was found!

In her past life, she had suffered immensely. Even though she felt the heavens were unjust, she had only harbored the resentment of unfulfilled longings. But those pious, weak prayers had truly driven her to madness. How could she not hate when the boundless hell refused the wicked but was filled with the "righteous"?

A mountain breeze blew, and the grass murmured. Lu Shijiu poked the firewood under the campfire, causing a series of "crackle-pop" sounds, sending white ashes drifting into the air.

However, hatred alone was useless! Merely screaming in one's heart was painless and harmless to those villains.

Staring at the ashes drifting aimlessly in the air, Lu Shijiu threw the fire poker in her hand hard against the ground, her eyes instantly sharpening. If hell would not accept the wicked, she, Lu Shijiu, would stuff those heartless demons inside even if she had to force them in!

*Pop!* The fire crackled again, and a spark jumped out.

"You're crying."

"Vengeful spirits do not have tears."

"What did you say?"

Lu Shijiu looked up sharply to see Stone frowning at her.

"Stay away from me!" The coldness radiating from her surged outward instantly.