WBSGVS Chapter 106

In the end, Tang Ersong didn’t find his daughter.

Afraid to go back, he stayed in the mountains, searching until nightfall. The village, worried about his safety, sent a group of braver villagers armed with farming tools and their sole shotgun to look for him.

Tang Ersong had searched the surrounding areas of the mountain but didn’t dare venture too far in. He only covered about half of the area. Any further, the sound of animal growls seemed to echo in his ears—too terrifying to continue.

After combing through the area and finding nothing, he broke down in tears, covering his face. That’s when the search party found him and escorted him back to the village in his dazed state.

“She’s just a child—she doesn’t know better. She’s young, so she probably didn’t suffer much,” a man who was close to him tried to comfort him.

“But she’s only ten!” Tang Ersong choked out, his voice hoarse. Being urged back, he kept glancing at the darkening mountain, crying as he lamented, “She’s never even had a single egg to eat, never tasted meat. It’s my fault… I let her go like this…”

The man trying to comfort him fell silent.

What good was regret now?

It wasn’t as though the family had no eggs at home. They were just saved to sell. Yet, why was Tang Tiantian able to eat so well?

As her father, Tang Ersong hadn’t realized this before. He hadn’t fought for his daughter. Now, his tears were for nothing. His little girl had already been lost.

The tears fell harder, full of guilt and bitterness, until even his tears seemed to taste bitter.

When they reached the Tang family home, the only light in the house came from Tang Tiantian’s room. The eldest, third, and fourth sons had all gone out to search, but no one else was allowed to waste oil lamps inside.

“Mother—” Tang Ersong called out hoarsely from the main room.

He had shouted for “San Ya” countless times in the mountains, his throat now completely raw.

“Did San Ya come back?” someone asked from inside. The brief glimmer of hope was quickly extinguished as Qian Guiying emerged, her expression dark. Tang Ersong’s heart sank again.

“She’s gone! Wuwuwu… Mother, San Ya is gone! I couldn’t find her!” Tang Ersong sobbed.

Qian Guiying froze. “What? Truly gone?”

“Gone?” Li Lanhua rushed out of the house, her tear-swollen eyes wide in disbelief. She grabbed her husband’s arm and shouted furiously, “How could she be gone? Did you even look properly? Tang Ersong, she’s your daughter! How could you be so careless about her?”

Tang Ersong winced in pain but didn’t dare protest. Shame, guilt, and helplessness washed over him all at once. Seeing his wife in such despair only deepened his sorrow. “I did look—I searched everywhere in the mountains. I called for her over and over, but she didn’t answer…”

What ten-year-old child, lost in such a terrifying forest, wouldn’t answer their father’s calls?

The only explanation was that she couldn’t respond.

There were wild animals in the mountains. Sometimes, you could even hear wolves howling.

“Ah—” Li Lanhua cried out in agony, clutching her chest as she collapsed to her knees, sobbing uncontrollably.

“Ah!” Qian Guiying shuddered in fear, now truly terrified. Had the child died? Though she had been callous and indifferent to her granddaughters, knowing that one had died because of her actions left her stricken with guilt. Most rural people were deeply superstitious, and the thought of having caused such a tragedy made her teeth chatter with fear.

The commotion drew the rest of the Tang family into the courtyard. Several of the daughters-in-law, seeing Li Lanhua’s grief-stricken state, couldn’t hold back their tears, even though they weren’t particularly close.

Even the fourth son’s family, who usually had the least patience for Tang Tiantian, looked somber. None of them had expected that the lunchtime incident would be the last time they’d see the child.

Tang Sisong wiped away a tear, feeling a mix of sadness and anger. He turned to Qian Guiying with a scowl. “Now you’ve caused trouble! San Ya was just trying to eat lunch, and you hit her so badly that she got scared and ran. Don’t you feel any guilt?”

Everyone turned their eyes to Qian Guiying. Though none dared to speak as bluntly as the fourth son, their gazes spoke volumes.

This was a living, breathing child.

Feeling cornered, Qian Guiying shrank back for the first time, looking to her husband for support.

In rural households, women often managed everything inside and out, while men rarely interfered in domestic matters.

Tang Dashun stepped out, his expression heavy. Catching his wife’s pleading look, he sighed. While he felt some sorrow for his granddaughter, he still snorted coldly and said, “What nonsense are you talking about? San Ya ran into the mountains on her own! Are you saying her grandmother isn’t allowed to discipline her grandchildren? And she didn’t even hit her! What now? Should your mother pay with her life for this?”

The fourth son quickly shook his head and lowered his gaze, biting his lip and saying nothing more.

The others followed suit, bowing their heads in silence. The courtyard was filled only with Li Lanhua’s wails and Tang Ersong’s choked sobs.

Tang Sisong, however, couldn’t bear to listen any longer. He pulled his wife back to their small house, where he spoke to her in hushed tones under the covers, wary of being overheard.

“I’m scared,” his wife whispered. “Wu Ya is still so little. What if…”

Before, they had managed to endure, sticking together as one large family. There was strength in numbers, but now it felt like too much of a risk.

Tang Sisong gritted his teeth. “This year, we’ll separate households, no matter what!”

If they didn’t, he feared his daughter might be the next San Ya.

At least in their own home, his daughter had access to eggs and occasionally even meat, though it was still far from what Tang Tiantian enjoyed.

Previously, he thought it was tolerable. Now, it wasn’t.

Hearing his firm resolve, his wife finally relaxed, hugging him tightly. “You’re the best.”

If she’d been married to someone like the second son, she would have preferred to die by smashing her head against a wall.

Meanwhile, the rest of the family returned to their rooms after failing to console the grieving couple. Though they weren’t as physically exhausted as before, they were emotionally drained.

The eldest son’s family collapsed into bed, quickly falling asleep. Their two daughters had been raised roughly but had survived and would soon be old enough to marry off. There was no longer much to worry about.

The third daughter-in-law felt uneasy. She also had a daughter, two years younger than San Ya, who was eight this year. Although she wasn’t as cherished as a son, she was still her child, and her mother’s heart ached for her. Watching what happened to San Ya made her fear the same fate for her daughter.

Late into the night, as the sounds of crying from the second son’s household subsided, the third daughter-in-law still couldn’t sleep. She nudged her husband and said, “Hey, let’s split from the family.”

Tang Sansong, still groggy, thought something had happened to the second son’s family again. Once he heard what she said, he snapped, “Are you out of your mind? Split the family? As long as our parents are alive, splitting the family will make everyone talk behind our backs!”

The third daughter-in-law, unwilling to back down, said, “If we keep things like this, I’m afraid Si Ya will be the next to suffer!”

Tang Sansong patted her impatiently and said, “Enough. Don’t worry. I’m not like the second brother.”

Unlike the second brother, who blindly obeyed their mother as if her words were law, Tang Sansong wasn’t so foolish.

His wife wanted to argue further, but he had already turned his back to her. She sighed, glancing at the small bed where their son and daughter were sleeping. Her eyes filled with worry.

Her husband might not take things seriously, but she was cautious. Still, what he said was true. Splitting the family while their parents were alive wasn’t easy. They would need a proper plan. They weren’t like the fourth brother’s family, who were unruly and didn’t care about reputation.

It was another sleepless night.

Meanwhile, in Tang Tiantian’s room, she was one of the rare children who had her bedroom. Her parents adored her, and with the help of her brothers, they had renovated their spacious bedroom into a suite, even expanding it outward.

This setup was Tang Tiantian’s demand. She had thrown a tantrum until her parents gave in. The men in the family had worked tirelessly on the construction, shedding pounds in the process, and took ages to recover in this era of scarcity.

Even so, Tang Tiantian couldn’t sleep. She was, after all, just a ten-year-old girl. Spoiled as she was, the gravity of the situation had scared her. Clinging to Qian Guiying, she whispered nervously, “Mom, is San Ya dead?”

“She probably is,” Qian Guiying replied, her heart feeling a twinge of unease.

A perfectly good girl, raised for ten years, could have fetched a decent bride price in a few years.

Tang Tiantian flipped onto her side excitedly. “Mom, do you think she hates me? My chest still hurts where she hit me. She must have hated me. If she’s dead, will she turn into a ghost and come after me? I’m so scared…”

Her chest still ached dully, and the more she thought about San Ya running into the mountains, the worse it felt.

“She won’t, she won’t!” Qian Guiying shook her head firmly, comforting her daughter while silently praying. Hopefully, San Ya’s resentment wouldn’t be too strong when she died. If her spirit came back, even Qian Guiying would be terrified.

Back in the second son’s house, Tang Ersong tried to console his wife while crying himself. Finally, after exhausting themselves, his wife cried herself to sleep, and he eventually dozed off too.

Despite his sorrow over losing his daughter, he couldn’t bring her back. After searching for her all day and missing dinner, his body was weak and exhausted. Once his wife fell asleep, he lay down on the bed and drifted off.

But his sleep was restless.

Usually, when he was this tired, he’d sleep through the night. His only concern on most days was getting an extra bite of meat.

But tonight…

His dreams were filled with horrific visions of his daughter being torn apart by wild animals, her voice ringing out in his ears as she cried, “Dad!”

“San Ya!” Tang Ersong sat up abruptly, gasping as he looked to the other side of the bed. Normally, that’s where his only daughter would have been sleeping.

But now, the space was empty.

Wait!

Empty!

Tang Ersong’s foggy mind cleared, and he realized his wife, Li Lanhua, was gone!

Breaking into a cold sweat, he scrambled out of bed and shouted, “Mom! Dad! My wife is missing!”

“She’s gone! My wife, Li Lanhua, must have gone into the mountains to look for San Ya…” Tang Ersong shouted, banging on his brothers’ doors. “Get up and help me search!”

The eldest brother woke up reluctantly, frowning with annoyance. Before he could speak, his wife snapped first. “Are you crazy, second brother? That’s the deep mountains! Searching in the daytime is one thing, but what about at night? If you want to go, go by yourself!”

“Second brother!” Qian Guiying’s voice boomed. “If you want to die, don’t drag your brothers along. If something happens to them, who’s going to take care of me in my old age? What will happen to Tiantian?”

Tang Ersong flinched at her scolding but pleaded tearfully, “Mom, if my wife dies, what will I do?”

Losing a daughter was devastating, but he could always try for another child. However, losing his wife was unbearable.

Qian Guiying pressed her lips together, unwilling to reply. She didn’t want her sons risking their lives, especially when it could cost the family resources.

At that moment, the fourth brother stepped in. “Second brother, I’ll go with you.”

After all, it was a matter of life and death. He hadn’t dared to step up when San Ya went missing, but the outcome had been tragic. He couldn’t stay silent this time.

“Thank you, thank you!” Tang Ersong, overwhelmed with gratitude, grabbed his brother. The two lit a lamp and even persuaded Qian Guiying and Tang Dashun to hand over the family’s only flashlight.

Armed with a machete and their courage, they made their way toward the pitch-black mountains.

But as they neared the base of the mountain, they spotted a familiar figure slowly walking back.

Tang Sishong shone the flashlight on the figure, his heart leaping with relief. “Second sister-in-law!”

Tang Ersong was overjoyed and rushed forward.

But Li Lanhua avoided his embrace, silently continuing toward home.

Tang Ersong, confused, asked, “Wife, what’s wrong?”

Li Lanhua’s swollen, tear-filled eyes met his. She opened her mouth to speak, but her throat tightened, unable to form words.

The man before her—was he truly bad? No, but his blind obedience to his parents was terrifying. Even now, after losing their daughter, he couldn’t bring himself to confront them.

He had noticed she and their daughter were missing and, despite his fear, had come searching for them. Yet he had never fought for them while they were alive.

Remembering San Ya’s final words, Li Lanhua couldn’t help but ask herself:

Was this the kind of man she wanted to spend her entire life with?