Song Zhe never expected that he would be thrown into Li Yao's family by his parents and had to help them with the chores.
He was completely unwilling to do this. Having been raised in luxury since childhood and even fed until the age of eight, how could he do any work!
However, he was very confident that as the county magistrate's son, this family would not only not make him work, but would pamper him well.
In a few days, when things settled down, his mother would naturally send someone to take him back.
Thinking of this, Song Zhe felt relieved and arrogantly said to Li Yao, "Your family is building a new house, right? I'll move in tonight."
Li Yao twitched her lips. This brat really didn't take her as an outsider.
Having been schemed against by Song the county magistrate couple, she still had nowhere to vent her anger, so of course she had to torment this brat to her heart's content.
"The new house is not dry yet and cannot be lived in."
"Then where do you want me to live?" Song Zhe stared wide-eyed and pointed to the tattered thatched hut. "Anyway, I won't live here. This is not a place for people to live at all!"
Li Yao sneered and pointed to the incubation room, "You can live there."
Song Zhe went over and saw that the incubation room was small and narrow without windows. Of course he was unwilling.
"How can I live in this place? There's not even a bed!"
"That's true too," Li Yao turned and said to Du Xiao Hui, "Remember to make some hay for him tonight."
Song Zhe: ... I, the honorable son of the county magistrate, you want me to sleep on hay?
"Right, go dig the ground in the afternoon."
"I won't go!" Song Zhe crossed his arms and said, "Let's see what you can do to me!"
"No work, no food."
"Then I won't eat. You dare starve me to death?"
Li Yao ignored him.
She had signed contracts with the merchants last time to open boutique stores in another 17 counties in Yijzhou Prefecture. The decoration was starting now.
These days, decorating didn't take many days, so she had to make more products as soon as possible, otherwise there would be nothing to sell when everyone opened.
Of course, the production of herbal ointments, soaps and detergents was mainly undertaken by He Xiaoya now, with Du Xiao Hui helping out. She was responsible for quality control.
The three of them worked busily, and no one went to take care of Song Zhe.
Song Zhe was left there alone. At first there was nothing wrong, but as time went on, he couldn't restrain himself and wanted to sneak up the mountain to play. He was caught by Li Yao and brought back several times.
Finally he gave up and fell asleep on the long bench. When he woke up, he found that Li Yao's family had already eaten dinner, and indeed did not leave him any food.
"If you don't eat, then don't eat. Let's see if you really dare starve me to death!"
Song Zhe crawled sullenly into the incubation room. Inside, there really was no bedding, only a pile of messy hay.
"Wait until this young master goes back, I'll make you pay!"
Having slept too much in the afternoon and not eaten dinner, and being lured by the drifting aroma of braised food, Song Zhe's stomach rumbled all night and he did not fall asleep.
At dawn the next day, just as he was half asleep, Li Yao came over and dragged him up.
"Go work."
"I won't go."
If you don't go, then continue being hungry.
For the next two days, Song Zhe remained stubborn and didn't eat a bite except for some clear water.
He believed Li Yao would definitely not starve him to death. When she saw he couldn't hold on any longer, she would beg him to eat.
But the facts proved he thought too much.
Li Yao's family cooked up a feast every meal, with all kinds of aromas drifting around, but they didn't even give him a mouthful of leftovers!
This shrew, could she really starve him to death?
No, persist for two more days!
Song Zhe said and did so, but after persisting for one more day, he couldn't persist anymore.
He decided that tonight, when Li Yao was asleep, he would sneak away!
With great difficulty enduring until midnight, Song Zhe tiptoed out of the incubation room and quickly slipped towards the back mountain.
Seeing his sneakily figure, Da Zhuang couldn't help asking: "Mother, is this okay? If something really happens to him, how do we explain to the county magistrate?"
"Let's follow him," Li Yao said, "But remember not to let him find out. Catch him back when he tries to leave the boundary of He Wan village."
"Okay, I'll bring my bow and arrows!"
Li Yao took Da Zhuang and Wang San'er to follow Song Zhe from afar.
But this brat had never been to He Wan Village before and was completely unfamiliar with the terrain here. He soon went the wrong way and walked straight into the woods.
When he realized something was wrong and looked back, he could no longer find the way he came, and went deeper and deeper into the woods.
Looking at the pitch-black woods, and the occasional cries of wild beasts in the distance, he didn't dare wander around anymore, and found a big tree to sit under, preparing to wait until dawn.
But having not eaten for three days and not slept well, he was extremely weak now.
Sitting down, he felt the wind in the woods was colder than the coldest winter, shivering violently.
"No, I have to persist until dawn, then go home!"
Song Zhe kept encouraging himself, but soon he discovered several green shiny lights in the grass ahead.
He was from the north and was too familiar with these lights.
They were wolves!
Song Zhe was so scared that he didn't even dare breathe. But those green dots kept getting closer, and he could vaguely see the shadows of several wolves, already surrounding him in a circle.
"Ah - I don't want to die!"
"Dad - Mom - Come save me!"
Song Zhe finally couldn't help crying out loudly.
Seeing this, the wild wolves, instead of retreating, swiftly launched an attack on him.
A wolf shadow pounced over, its white teeth like death tokens from hell. Song Zhe was so frightened that he hugged his head tightly and shivered like a quail.
It was over, it was really over this time.
He never thought that he would be bitten to death and eaten by wild wolves.
If he had known earlier, it would have been better to work honestly at Li Yao's house.
At this moment, Song Zhe regretted it till his guts turned green.
But the expected pain did not come. Instead, there were a few miserable howls of wolves. He carefully raised his head and found that it was Li Yao standing in front of him.
In her hand was a long-handled cleaver stained with blood.
And the few wild wolves had all been killed by her.
Seeing this scene before him, he stared wide-eyed in disbelief.
How was this possible?
A shrew, relying only on a cleaver, actually killed several vicious wild wolves in a dozen breaths!
He had never heard of chivalrous knights in storybooks with such great skills!
"I... I must be dreaming!"
"Then you should wake up," Li Yao said. "Will you continue staying here or come back with me?"
"Go back."
Even with an iron head, Song Zhe didn't dare stay in this woods anymore.
Li Yao picked up a dead wolf and threw it in front of him, "Carry it back."
"I... I have no strength, can't carry it."
"No carrying means no food."
Song Zhe gritted his teeth hard and used all his strength to carry the wolf on his shoulder.
At this time, Da Zhuang and Wang San'er also came over. Da Zhuang carried two, Wang San'er carried one, and Li Yao carried another one.
"Let's go home."
Song Zhe followed the three, staggering. When he finally reached Li Yao's house, he felt like he was really going to die, and lay on the ground like a pile of mud.
"Food... give me food..."
Li Yao went to the kitchen and scooped a bowl of cold rice, poured some boiled water in it, and placed it in front of him.
In the past, Song Zhe would never eat such leftover rice even if he was beaten to death.
But now in his eyes, it was more delicious than any delicacy. He wolfed down the entire bowl cleanly.
"Any more?"
"No more." Li Yao said, "If you want to eat, work tomorrow."
After that, Li Yao ignored him and went back to sleep.
Song Zhe looked at the empty bowl, then went into the incubation room and curled up on the soft hay.
Tomorrow, he would try to work.
