The throats of the two dogs had been scorched by the arsenic; Wang An noticed that they seemed to want to bark, but could only produce a few muffled, indistinct sounds.
Looking at the eyes of Da Quan and Xiao Quan—filled with sorrow and a lingering attachment to this world—Wang An’s murderous intent toward the poisoner surged once again, uncontrollable.
Although Wang An hadn't raised Da Quan and Xiao Quan from puppyhood, he had kept them for a long time. More importantly, as hunting dogs, they were top-tier performers; they hadn't died fighting wild beasts on the trail, but were instead dying from a human's act of poisoning.
The most infuriating part was that, as their owner, Wang An didn't even know who the poisoner was. This was what made him feel the most stifled and oppressed.
Just as Wang An was pondering whether to let them wait for death slowly or to end their suffering and give them a quick release, he heard Wang Li say resentfully
"Fuck's sake, if I find out who did this, I'll rip their balls right off."
Mu Xueli also spoke sharply
"Damn right. This is just too hateful. It's been years since I've heard of anyone doing something like poisoning—the kind of thing that brings retribution upon one's entire family."
Although Wang An was the one harboring the greatest hatred, he said nothing. He had already made up his mind: as long as he could find the poisoner, he would definitely find an opportunity to destroy him.
Yes, destroy him—the kind of destruction that left nothing behind! No matter who the opponent was.
Because someone coming to Wang An's home to poison the dogs certainly wasn't doing it just to kill the dogs; their primary goal was inevitably Wang An's money. And if they encountered obstacles while attempting to steal that wealth, killing would certainly follow.
Therefore, how could Wang An possibly spare the life of someone who sought to steal his wealth and murder him and his family?
Gritting his teeth, Wang An turned to Wang Li, Mu Xueli, and Huang Zhong
"You three take them to the small grove on the west side of my yard. Give them a quick end, then find a hole and bury them directly."
It wasn't that Wang An was cold-hearted, but he knew very well that for Da Quan and Xiao Quan, who had been hit by a potent poison like arsenic, their internal organs were rotting every single moment. Every extra second of life was an agonizing torture.
Whether for animals or humans, when the pain of living reaches its peak, death actually becomes a supreme liberation.
Hearing this, Wang Li said in a low voice
"Alright, Fourth Brother, I got it."
Mu Xueli also whispered
"Okay, Brother-in-law. I remember there are several holes left over from when we took soil from the west side. We'll go now."
Wang An nodded and stood up, clearing the area in front of the dog kennel.
Wang Li and Mu Xueli each carried a dog, while Huang Zhong took two iron shovels. The three of them walked out of the yard together.
Wang An walked outside, intending to check for footprints left by the poisoner, but saw the Short-Tailed Fox running over from the woods opposite the gate.
Since Wang An had been injured and the Short-Tailed Fox had followed Mu Xueli and Wang Li to his home, the fox had stayed quietly for a while before it began to frequently vanish and reappear like a ghost.
To put it simply, whenever the Short-Tailed Fox felt like bolting, it just bolted. No one knew where it went or what it was doing.
Of course, although it ran off often, it always came back. Every time it returned, it would stay at Wang An's house for a few days, enjoying the meticulous feeding from the family, and then one day it would run off again... cycling in a continuous loop.
Over time, Wang An's family grew used to it.
After all, the Short-Tailed Fox was a wild fox that had lived in the mountains; stripping it of its wild nature and freedom would likely not be a happy thing for the animal.
Regardless, the family's attitude toward the fox was simple: if it wanted to leave, no one stopped it; if it wanted to return, it was always welcome.
Seeing the Short-Tailed Fox return, Wang An stopped and squatted down. When the fox approached, a smile finally touched the corners of Wang An's mouth.
"How did you know I came back today? Did you come back specifically to see me?"
As he spoke, Wang An patted the fox's head and picked it up.
The fox's fur had a faint, musky scent, but it was very light, and Wang An didn't mind.
The Short-Tailed Fox stayed in Wang An's arms for only a moment before struggling to jump down, barking a few times back at him.
Immediately after, the fox ran back to its own den and didn't come out again; it was tired and going back to sleep.
Wang An smiled helplessly at the fox's den and turned back to check the poisoner's footprints.
Unfortunately, after days of wind and sun, the footprints had long since deformed. Wang An could only sigh and pull out a cigarette to smoke.
Of course, even without the weather, footprints left by cloth shoes or boots were useless; it was impossible to identify the poisoner based on them.
After waiting at the gate for a while, Wang Li, Mu Xueli, and Huang Zhong returned from the west carrying the iron shovels.
Wang An asked them in a heavy voice
"Buried? Deeply? Make sure nothing can dig them up."
Wang An asked this for two reasons. First, a poison like arsenic doesn't completely dissipate upon the animal's death, meaning the flesh and blood of Da Quan and Xiao Quan remained toxic. Since they were buried so close to the house, it wouldn't be good for the family's livestock if another animal dug them up.
Secondly, and more importantly, although hunting dogs are dogs, they are a hunter's most reliable comrades. Wang An didn't want their bodies to be eaten by other animals after death.
Mu Xueli nodded
"They shouldn't be able to dig them up. The three of us pried up the stones near the hole to fill it in, and then buried snow on top. I reckon it'll be fine."
Wang An nodded and led the way back into the yard.
Because Da Quan and Xiao Quan had died such a pathetic death, and because someone had poisoned his home, Wang An's mood was truly dismal.
From the gate to the door of the house, there wasn't a single trace of a smile on his face.
It wasn't until his two little treasures saw their father's figure appear at the door and ran toward him from the sofa that the smile returned to Wang An's face.
No matter how angry or indignant he was, no matter how stifled or oppressed he felt, the moment he saw his two little treasures, his mood instantly improved.
When he had been reborn, Wang An felt that the meaning of his rebirth was to make up for the regrets of his previous life—to make the family wealthy and ensure everyone lived a good life.
He had already achieved that goal.
Now, Wang An felt that the meaning of his life was to raise and protect his two little treasures as they grew, until they reached adulthood, started families, and established their careers.
Quickly shedding his cotton coat, Wang An once again scooped up the two little treasures, one in each arm.
Perhaps because they hadn't seen him in over ten days, the two little ones didn't want to leave their father's embrace for a single second. Of course, Wang An didn't want them to leave either.