Dazhuang's death led the villagers to believe a fierce beast had entered.
Each household sent one person to patrol the village perimeter in shifts.
Meanwhile, the dozen or so children who had escaped the bandits' lair found it difficult to sleep.
A secret only they knew prevented them from fully enjoying their current lives.
"Did the Mountain God follow us?"
Had they brought trouble to the village?
How long would the Mountain God stay here?
The children quietly gathered, discussing their anxieties.
If the Mountain God was indeed pursuing them, would they... have to leave the village?
But if they did...
They would be homeless once more.
A sense of dejection spread among the children.
From beginning to end, Zhang Xiaobei and the mute boy listened silently.
Finally,
Ying Zhuo broke the silence, ending the discussion.
"We're not sure if it's the Mountain God, and we don't know if it's following us."
"What if it's not the Mountain God? What if the other party is just passing by?"
"There's still too much we don't know. Don't jump to conclusions. Let's all go back for now."
If it truly came to a point where they had to leave, he would be among them.
"Brother Ying Zhuo is right, we can't panic ourselves."
"So, we'll wait and see?"
"That's all we can do."
The children looked at each other.
Despite their words, the unease in their hearts remained.
But they truly had no other options.
After the discussion, everyone returned to their homes.
On the way back,
The mute boy gestured, asking Zhang Xiaobei a question:
[Should we leave the village?]
Zhang Xiaobei's eyebrows drooped, and she said sadly, "Is it really time to leave the village?"
Perhaps humans were inherently selfish.
At that moment, she thought not of the deceased villager, but of whether she would still have a place to stay.
When they wandered outside,
They always had to worry about finding a place to rest for the night, whether it would rain, or where their next meal would come from...
When they were hungry, they could only tighten their belts.
Looking at the stars at night, listening to their rumbling stomachs, they would try to entertain themselves by saying they were listening to music.
"Mute boy, can we wait a little longer?"
The mute boy didn't object, merely lowered his head and looked at the road, lost in thought.
...
Although it was winter, the atmosphere in the village grew increasingly volatile.
The fear of death loomed in everyone's hearts.
According to Dazhuang's family, Dazhuang had not left his home that night.
Therefore, he was taken out from inside his house.
In this atmosphere, even minor verbal disputes among villagers could easily escalate into fights.
Even the mute boy was affected.
Not only did he stick with Zhang Xiaobei every day, but when the village children playfully teased Zhang Xiaobei,
He directly lunged at them.
He punched each child, leaving no one untouched.
Zhang Xiaobei was stunned, as those mischievous children would often speak carelessly before.
Mainly targeting the children who came from the bandits' lair.
But everyone had just listened, after all, they knew what was more important.
This was the first time he had resorted to violence.
"Mute boy, what are you doing!"
Zhang Xiaobei tried to pull him back, but the mute boy had grown considerably taller over the past two years, and she couldn't budge him.
He persisted, delivering a punch to each child before stopping.
"Mute boy, are you crazy!"
Zhang Xiaobei looked at him in disbelief, feeling as if she didn't recognize him.
What was going on!
When the children's parents arrived, Zhang Xiaobei repeatedly apologized.
Fortunately, given the peculiar circumstances, the villagers, seeing they were just children, didn't press the issue.
On the way back,
Zhang Xiaobei led him forward, glaring and scolding,
"Mute boy, have you been eating too well lately that you've forgotten who you are?"
"Why are you hitting people? If they talk, let them talk, it won't cost you anything."
"With all that strength, why haven't I seen you eat less at lunch?"
"..."
The mute boy glanced at her and continued to look at the ground.
Seeing this, Zhang Xiaobei became even angrier.
"Don't think that just because you can't speak, I can't do anything about you!"
"You're not going anywhere today, you'll stay in your room and reflect on your actions!"
She had learned the term "reflect on your actions" from the village teacher.
The more she thought about it, the angrier she became.
Upon returning home, she directly locked the mute boy in his room.
Then, she took a small stool and sat outside the door, huffing,
"No one is allowed to eat tonight!"
If the villagers hadn't accepted them, where would they have their current meals?
Where would they have such good houses to live in?
Zhang Xiaobei had much she wanted to say, but when it came to her lips, only anger remained.
She decided to say no more.
One inside the room, one outside, reflecting together.
Over the past two years, their relationship had become more like family than friends.
And the children who had escaped the bandits' lair also shared a closer bond with each other than with outsiders.
About half a day passed.
The mute boy crouched down and looked out through the gap in the door.
He immediately saw the stool and two feet outside.
She was still guarding?
Outside the door, Zhang Xiaobei had actually fallen asleep.
From early morning, she had been busy with various tasks in the fields, at home, and at school.
Her energy was simply not enough.
When she woke up again, it was already dark outside.
Her anger had also subsided considerably.
Thinking that he had been reflecting for a long time, she got up and opened the door behind her.
"Mute boy, I'm telling you, from now on you can't..."
"Mute boy?"
Zhang Xiaobei looked around the room from top to bottom. He wasn't there, he wasn't there!
The mute boy was gone!
When did he slip out?
Suddenly, footsteps sounded from behind her.
She turned around and saw the mute boy entering the room, looking exhausted.
Her anger flared up instantly, "Mute boy, you've gotten capable! You can even sneak out!"
The mute boy looked at her and gestured.
[Let's leave this place.]
Zhang Xiaobei's expression changed, and she no longer had time to think about what had happened before, "What's going on?"
"Why the sudden decision to leave?"
She moved closer and suddenly smelled a faint scent of blood.
Her pupils contracted, and the fine hairs on her body stood on end.
"What did you just do?"
...