Once they were full, they had the strength to work. On top of that, Su Qiao was incredibly strong; a few swings of her hatchet could chop through a tree thicker than a man's thigh, and bamboo was even easier.
So by the time they left the woods, a pile of logs, branches, and bamboo had quickly accumulated at the edge of the forest.
When everyone saw the pile of wood stacked like a small mountain, not one of them suspected that the three of them had already enjoyed a private meal in the woods.
In fact, although everyone was supposedly sharing from the same communal pot, whenever anyone happened to find something edible, they would all hide it away and eat it themselves.
After arranging the wood, Su Qiao returned to the house and took an old cloth towel so faded that its original color was impossible to make out. She went to the river to wipe herself down and wash her feet.
To avoid suspicion, she chose a stretch of the river farther upstream.
She remembered that there were several large rocks by the riverbank that could provide some cover.
However, someone was already there today.
Su Qiao had initially turned to leave, but the figure's back looked familiar. After hesitating for a moment, she walked over.
It turned out to be Ding Qiulan—the girl Chu San had raped.
It was obvious why she had come here.
Su Qiao braced herself against the edge of a large rock, leaped onto it, and sat down cross-legged.
"Are you really willing to die just like this?"
"If it were me, even if I had to die, I'd drag someone down with me."
On her way back, she had overheard a few words.
Apparently, although Chu San would be punished in