CHAPTER 172: WHAT ARE YOU LOOKING AT, WHAT ABOUT YOU?

If she had truly wanted to eliminate the threat, there were countless opportunities on the road to simply let the snake escape. Why wait until today and insist on killing it?

Then consider that Qin Feifei especially cherished her own life; she definitely wouldn’t want to die with Zhou Daheng. This showed the woman had always been planning to kill Zhou Daheng while ensuring her own safety and appearing as harmless as a little lamb.

After all, with big data, even if she killed Zhou Daheng and wanted to flee, where could she possibly go?

Using snake venom to frame someone was just an opening gambit.

So today, regardless of whether Jing Shu came or not, Qin Feifei was determined to kill Zhou Daheng. As for whom to frame, considering Qin Feifei had been called a little demon and then a vixen, the intended victim was already obvious.

Since, regardless of Jing Shu’s arrival, Zhou Daheng was already a dead man... So, huh? Hmm?

"Drop the act. I have a better idea..."

Indeed, those who couldn’t pull off a few tricks wouldn’t last in the entertainment industry. Just a moment ago, she was teary-eyed; the next second, she had regained her indifferent demeanor. Being seen through didn’t embarrass Qin Feifei. Instead, she carefully sized up Jing Shu again. She wondered, what exactly was this person’s purpose? What would she have to do to achieve it? Could the two of them reach some understanding?

The snake definitely couldn’t be killed. It was a breed specifically cultivated by Zhou Daheng for its Snake Whip. After careful examination, Jing Shu discovered it was a sharp-nosed viper, also known as a Five-step Snake. Besides the aphrodisiac properties Zhou Daheng desired, it was also the best type of snake for brewing snake wine. This was particularly true for Turtle Snake Wine, which, when combined with the medicinal herbs grown in Jing Shu’s space, would be simply perfect!

A small cup each day, live to 99.

Good, Jing Shu had already considered it as good as hers. However, now wasn’t the best time to take it. It still belonged to Zhou Daheng, and any association with the snake at this point would be an admission of being the murderer. Jing Shu wasn’t that foolish; she simply waited for the storm to pass. HEH HEH HEH.

Jing Shu then let Qin Feifei witness a miracle. A plastic bag was placed over a bottle. With her back to Qin Feifei, Jing Shu, working within her space, carefully pressed the snake’s head near its fangs against the plastic bag, causing it to eject its venom. She perfectly collected the snake venom, eliminating the need for Qin Feifei to kill the snake and extract the poison herself.

Jing Shu handed it to Qin Feifei and said, "It’s up to you now. You should know that drinking it directly won’t be very effective."

Jing Shu was genuinely worried Qin Feifei might be foolish enough to feed the venom directly to Zhou Daheng, so she couldn’t help but caution her. Snake venom is also rich in protein, and strong stomach acid would digest most of it. Although it would still cause poisoning, what if he only ended up half-dead...

"I understand. It’s best injected directly into an artery. I’ll mix it with the Erectile Dysfunction Injection and inject him like before, letting him enjoy the last few hours of his life." Qin Feifei pulled out a syringe, a devilish smile on her face. One had to admit, by adding just one more step to the plan, this woman had changed the entire game.

So, what exactly was she after?

「...」

Jing Shu returned to the greenhouse. Today brought two pieces of good news. One was that Heng Jin reported he had entered Wucheng Province. However, the floodwaters were high, slowing their journey. Still, entering the province meant they were much closer to Wu City, and her RV was finally about to arrive.

The other was that Yang Yang and Wang Dazhao had also arrived in the country and would likely reach Wu City in less than a week. Yang Yang said he wanted to thank Jing Shu properly; if it weren’t for her special medicine, he and his brothers might have all perished.

Inside Cave 5, the atmosphere was bustling. The power of the collective was immense, especially since they were working for themselves, so they were particularly motivated. After half a day’s work, they had paved all the floor tiles, and Shi Zi had also formed hui-character shaped troughs with pebbles, ready for burning dry firewood in the evening when the temperature dropped.

Though it wouldn’t be very hot, at least they wouldn’t freeze like dogs, unable to sleep.

Seeing the piles of soil and bricks moved to Jingshu’s house, some people followed suit, preparing to build a clay kiln. After all, even if it was just a refuge for a few days, who wouldn’t want a bit more comfort?

Mr. Jing and Jing Shu’s father were experienced craftsmen. In no time, they had built a brick kiln. To speed up the process, they even dried it with fire. In the evening, the family would eat roasted sweet potatoes and bake some pancakes in the kiln. They would also heat milk tea on top of it. Everyone in the cold cave sipping the warm tea... it was simply too delightful.

At five in the afternoon, the government indeed began distributing food. Each community’s visiting specialist collected relief food according to the number of people, then distributed it back in the caves. This time, they ate hot Five Grain Worms mixed with red earthworms, served with rice porridge and vegetable roots.

The meals were very good, especially in Wu You’ai’s community, where they received a bit extra. Additionally, the villa family didn’t eat, so everyone else had their fill. At this moment, people couldn’t help but feel that having the villa family around was actually quite nice.

As the temperature gradually dropped in the afternoon, people passing by Cave 5 saw everyone there using bricks to create raised sleeping platforms and followed suit. Unfortunately, the bricks in the large square had already been taken by those who reacted first. The rest began prying up the floor tiles they had laid on their way there.

Once the temperature had completely dropped, the people of Cave 5 began to light the firewood they had gathered that day. Soon, circles of firewood were burning in the hui-character shaped troughs, emitting white smoke. In an instant, the bright light illuminated everyone’s shadows and their shiny, bald heads.

Because floor tiles were laid and hui-character shaped underfloor heating channels were arranged, everyone was assigned a spot, just managing to fill the remaining space. Apart from two clearly demarcated passages, the villa family occupied their own area.

So when Zhou Dasheng led fifty people over, intending to squat there and refusing to leave, they were dumbfounded. They found there was no place for them to stand except in the passages.

"If only that troublesome firewood wasn’t in the way. But it really is warm here," one of Zhou Dasheng’s men muttered.

The place was large enough, but every few feet, there was a long wall of fire from the burning firewood, making it impossible for Zhou Dasheng and his group to squeeze in.

"What are you looking at?" one of the Cave 5 occupants said, displeased. What does this guy mean by bringing so many people? Is he trying to steal our spot?

"Looking at you, so what?" Zhou Dasheng was indeed here to cause trouble, but the trouble he found was not what he had anticipated.

Not only did Zhou Dasheng’s plan encounter problems, but Zhou Dafu’s plan also faced issues. When he went to steal the snakes, they were missing. The two snakes treasured by Brother Da Heng are gone? The "stones" for the kill-three-birds-with-one-stone plan are gone too??

Zhou Dafu felt puzzled. This wasn’t right; he had to find those "stones"—the snakes—to proceed with his plan. He knew these snakes often escaped, so he decided to check the places they usually frequented.