Back in the 1980s, hiking in the mountains was also a way of life

The dogs' throats were burned by arsenic, as Wang An noticed that they seemed to be trying to bark, but only managed a few indistinct sounds.

Looking into the sorrowful and longing eyes of Daquan and Xiaoquan, Wang An's murderous intent towards the poisoner resurfaced.

Although Wang An didn't raise Big Circle and Little Circle from puppies, he did raise them for a long time. The main reason was that they were hunting dogs, and tough ones at that. They didn't die fighting wild animals, but were killed by poisoning.

What's most frustrating is that Wang An, as their owner, doesn't even know who poisoned them, which is what makes Wang An feel most aggrieved and depressed.

Just as Wang An was pondering whether to let them slowly wait to die, or to spare them this agonizing ordeal and give them a quick death, he heard Wang Li say bitterly:
"Damn it, if I find out who poisoned it, I'll rip their fertilized eggs off."

Mu Xueli also said in a harsh voice:

"Yeah, that's so damn hateful. It's been years since I've heard of someone doing something like poisoning that would bring retribution on their whole family."

Although Wang An harbored the greatest hatred, he said nothing. He had already made up his mind that as long as he could find the person who poisoned him, he would definitely find an opportunity to kill him.

That's right, it's about killing them, absolutely killing them! No matter who the other person is.

The people who poisoned Wang An's house certainly weren't just after the dog; their main purpose was undoubtedly to get Wang An's money. If they encountered obstacles in their pursuit of wealth, then murder would be inevitable.

Therefore, how could Wang An possibly spare the life of someone who wanted to harm him and his family for their money?

Gritting his teeth, Wang An turned to Wang Li, Mu Xueli, and Huang Zhong and said:
"You three take those two to the grove of trees on the west side of my yard, then give them a quick death, and bury them in a hole."

It wasn't that Wang An was heartless, but rather that he knew very well that the internal organs of those poisoned by arsenic were constantly rotting, so every second they lived was an extremely painful ordeal.

Whether for animals or humans, when suffering reaches its extreme while alive, death is actually a supreme liberation.

Upon hearing this, Wang Li said in a low voice:

"Okay, Fourth Brother, I understand."

Mu Xueli also whispered:

"Yes, brother-in-law, I remember there are several pits left when they were digging soil in the west. Let's go there now."

Wang An nodded, stood up, and moved aside to clear the area in front of the doghouse.

Wang Li and Mu Xueli each carried a dog, while Huang Zhong took two shovels. The three of them walked out of the yard together.

Wang An walked outside the courtyard, intending to check the footprints left by the poisoner, when he saw the tailless fox running over from the woods opposite the courtyard gate.

Since Wang An was injured, the tailless fox followed Mu Xueli and Wang Li to Wang An's house. It stayed there peacefully for a while, and then began to disappear without a trace.

To put it bluntly, the tailless fox can jump off a pole whenever it wants; no one knows where it's going or what it's going to do there.

Of course, although it often runs away, it will also come back. Every time it comes back, it will stay at Wang An's house for a few days and enjoy the careful feeding it receives from Wang An's family. Then, it might run away again someday. And so the cycle repeats itself.

However, as time went on, Wang An and his family got used to it.

After all, the tailless fox was originally a wild fox that had always lived in the mountains. If the tailless fox were to lose its wildness and freedom, it would not be a happy thing for it.

In any case, the Wang family's attitude towards the tailless fox was that if it wanted to leave, no one would stop it, and if it wanted to come back, it would be accepted at any time.

When Wang An saw the tailless fox return, he stopped and squatted down. Once the fox was close, a smile appeared on Wang An's lips as he said, "How did you know I was coming back today? Did you come back especially to see me?"

As he spoke, Wang An stroked the head of the fox with the broken tail, and then picked it up.

Foxes all have a faint, pungent smell, but it's so subtle that Wang An doesn't really care.

The fox with the broken tail only stayed in Wang An's arms for a short while before struggling to jump down, and even turned back to call out to Wang An a few times.

Immediately afterwards, the fox with the broken tail ran back to its den and didn't come out again. It was tired and went back to its den to sleep.

Wang An smiled helplessly at the fox den, then turned around to check the poisoner's footprints.

Unfortunately, after days of exposure to the wind and sun, the footprints left by the poisoner had long since become deformed, so Wang An had no choice but to take out a cigarette and smoke.

Of course, even without wind and sun, footprints left by people wearing cloth shoes or twill shoes are useless; you can't identify who poisoned the person based on the footprints.

After waiting for a while at the gate, Wang Li, Mu Xueli, and Huang Zhong returned from the west, carrying shovels.

Wang An asked the three men in a deep voice:

"Buried? Is it buried deep? I hope nothing digs it up."

Wang An asked this question because arsenic poison does not completely dissipate with the death of the animal, so the flesh and blood of both the large and small circles are still poisonous.

The locations where the large and small enclosures are buried are so close to their own homes that if other animals dig them out, it wouldn't be good for their livestock.

On the other hand, and most importantly, it was because although hunting dogs are dogs, they are the hunter's most reliable comrades-in-arms, and Wang An did not want the bodies of Daquan and Xiaoquan to be eaten by other animals after they died.

Mu Xueli nodded and said:
"We probably can't dig it out. The three of us pried off all the rocks in front of the pit and filled it in. There's also snow on top, so I think it'll be fine."

Wang An nodded, turned around, and led the way into the courtyard.

Because Big Circle and Little Circle died so pathetically, and because someone poisoned his house, Wang An is in a really bad mood right now.

So from the courtyard gate all the way to the house door, Wang An didn't have a single smile on his face.

Wang An smiled again only when the two little ones saw their father appear at the doorway and ran towards him from the sofa.

No matter how angry or frustrated he was, or how depressed or stifled he felt, Wang An's mood would instantly improve whenever he saw his two little darlings.

When Wang An was reborn, he felt that the meaning of his rebirth was to make up for the regrets of his previous life, to make his family rich, and to let his family members live a good life.

However, Wang An has already achieved this goal.

Now, Wang An feels that the meaning of his life is to raise and care for his two little ones until they grow up, get married, and establish their own careers.

After quickly taking off his cotton-padded coat, Wang An picked up the two little babies again, one on each side.

Perhaps because they hadn't seen Wang An for more than ten days, the two little ones didn't want to leave their father's arms for even a moment longer. Of course, Wang An didn't want them to leave his arms either. (End of Chapter)