Li Fuqiang's expression shifted, and just as he was about to speak in denial, he heard a deep voice from behind the house: "Jianshan, do you still recognize me?"

Turning around, I saw it was Lu Sange, the old hunter from the village entrance, followed by several burly men carrying hunting rifles and animal skins.

"Old Lu?" Du Jianshan was taken aback.

“Your dad saved my life when we were hunting that year.” Brother Lu patted his shoulder. “When you were a kid, you used to ride on my shoulders to catch birds.”

"I heard you're back, and I was thinking—our village needs someone capable. Jianshan, if you don't want to waste time arguing with these two anymore, how about we go up the mountain together tomorrow and go hunting?"

Du Jianshan's eyes flickered. He looked at Liu Xiuqin, who was crying with her knees drawn up to her chest on the ground, and then glanced at Li Fuqiang, whose face was gloomy. Finally, he nodded and said, "Okay, I'll go into the mountains with you tomorrow."

"It's time for us to turn the page on this."

"Great!" Brother Lu laughed heartily. "We'll have dinner at my house tonight, and I'll show you the current situation on the mountain, so you'll have a better understanding!"

"Thank you." Du Jianshan finally showed a hint of a human smile.

"Remember to bring your crossbow," Brother Lu grinned. "We're not going up the mountain to enjoy the scenery; we're going to catch live roe deer, dig up badger dens, and maybe even a wild boar will escape!"

Du Jianshan nodded: "My crossbow is sharpened to a fine point, I'm just waiting to test it out."

His breath hitched, and he subconsciously looked down, glancing at the old face in front of him, which was crying uncontrollably—Liu Xiuqin.

This woman, who once called him her "good son" but ultimately pushed him into a pit of fire, now clasped her hands together as if praying to a Bodhisattva, saying, "Jianshan, listen to your mother, this is your root! Your younger brother Li Fuqiang is still young and doesn't know any better, so please be lenient with him. I'll kowtow to you!"

He then proceeded to kowtow to the ground.

"Stop kowtowing!" Du Jianshan shouted coldly, grabbing her and pulling her back without a trace of pity in his eyes.

"I'm asking you—"

Did you kneel down and beg me to take the blame back then?

Does that mean that as long as I shoulder the burden, my family will protect me, support me, and take me back in the future?

Liu Xiuqin cried even harder, "Back then... Mom had no choice. If Fuqiang got arrested, this family would be finished..."

"And what about me?" Du Jianshan asked, enunciating each word clearly, "Am I your son?"

Liu Xiuqin was speechless and could only tremble.

"Oh."

Du Jianshan sneered; he had practically run out of options left in his mind.

“Okay, I choose to sever ties with relatives, go to the countryside, and move all my belongings away.”

As soon as I finished speaking, the electronic voice in my mind rang out again.

[Congratulations, host, for choosing the second option. You are rewarded with a hundred-acre spiritual spring space. The space is now activated, and the entrance is located three inches from the center of your spine on your back. You can enter and exit with your thoughts.]

[Initial functions of the Spirit Spring Space: One spring of water, which can be used for planting, healing, and cleansing the marrow; gradually upgradeable; 100 acres of fertile land, which can be freely cultivated and has a time flow bonus.]

Du Jianshan didn't speak, but his eyes were chillingly cold. He clenched his fists slightly at his sides and suddenly turned around.

"What are you doing?" Liu Xiuqin asked tremblingly.

"Move it," Du Jianshan said calmly.

"What?"

“I’m here to take my things.” His voice was cold. “Take all my hunting tools, the machete my grandfather left me, and the grain coupons and cloth coupons I’ve saved up.”

“Jianshan, how can you distinguish things so clearly about things in the house?” Liu Xiuqin retorted subconsciously.

"So you want me to be this family's maid, working for free for the rest of my life?" Du Jianshan's eyes turned cold. "Now, not only am I not working for free anymore, but I'm also taking everything I can with me and leaving, completely severing this ill-fated relationship."