Farming with kids: My deceased husband returns and I spoil him rotten.

Gu Yu hadn't expected things to develop this way.

“Although they may not come to our house again, what happened today has certainly provoked some of them…” Gu Yu said as he stood up. “I’m going to wait on the mountain to see if I can spot anyone. Don’t wait for me for dinner.”

Before Shang Qing could even call out to him, Gu Yu had already walked away.

Seeing the worry on Shang Qing's face, Meng Zizhou said jokingly, "Don't worry, my master is very powerful. He can take on ten people at once without any problem. You don't need to worry about him."

Shang Qing turned her head away: "Why would I be worried about him?"

Meng Zizhou and Lao Zong smiled without saying a word.

After dinner that evening, seeing that it was already late and Gu Yu still hadn't returned, Shang Qing was still somewhat worried. However, fearing that Meng Zizhou and Lao Zong would tease her, she made an excuse to go for a walk.

But when she stood in the courtyard and glanced unintentionally in the direction of the barren mountain, her eyes widened suddenly.

She saw some firelight!

She rubbed her eyes, and after confirming that she wasn't seeing things, she called out Meng Zizhou and Lao Zong.

The two realized something was wrong; there really was a fire. They quickly gathered their belongings and ran towards the barren mountain. After settling the three children, Shang Qing followed. She wasn't worried about the fruits and vegetables on the mountain, but rather about Gu Yu's safety.

When the three of them arrived at the desolate mountain, a number of villagers had already gathered at the foot of the mountain.

The village chief, who had rushed over, was also in a panic. Pointing at the villagers, he said, "What are you all standing here for? Hurry up the mountain and help put out the fire!"

Water was scarce, and the only thing they could do to put out the fire was to use mud. So people living near the barren mountain went up the mountain with shovels.

When Shang Qing and the others reached the mountainside, they ran into Gu Yu, who was running down the mountain. He was covered in soot and grime, and looked like he had just come out of a fire.

Unable to contain herself, Shang Qing rushed forward and punched him hard in the chest: "Are you out of your mind?! What if something happens to you?! What am I supposed to do?!"

Gu Yu smiled at her: "I'm perfectly fine, aren't I?"

How could he still have the leisure to laugh at a time like this?

Shang Qing glanced at him, seemingly noticing that she had done something slightly wrong, and then went to put out the fire.

Although the fire has been mostly extinguished.

Gu Yu followed behind her and said, "I was on the mountain just now. That person must have set the fire halfway up the mountain. I was too slow, and by the time I came down, the fire had spread all the way up, so I didn't see who it was."

Shang Qing didn't look at him, but her tone revealed her concern: "As long as you're alright, it's okay if the other things are burned."

A barely perceptible smile crept onto Gu Yu's lips.

It was at this moment that he found a piece of cloth on a nearby tree branch.

He called Shang Qing over and handed her the piece of fabric again: "Look, it shouldn't be hanging here. Look at the edges, it looks like it was torn. And this is where the fire started to spread..."

Shang Qing frowned: "So this must have been left behind by the arsonist when he escaped?"

Gu Yu nodded: "This is the most likely possibility, and it is also a clue from the current perspective."

Looking at the piece of fabric in her hand, Shang Qing was a little stunned. She felt that the fabric was very familiar, but she couldn't remember it for a while.

After they all came down the mountain, the village chief saw that everyone was safe and sound, so he walked up to Shang Qing and said, "How could there be a fire? I was shocked when I heard the news at home."

Shang Qing said meaningfully, "Under normal circumstances, a village would not catch fire, but this barren mountain would not."

The village chief wasn't stupid; he naturally understood the deeper meaning behind those words, so he asked, "Are you saying someone deliberately set the fire?"

Gu Yu handed the fabric to the village chief, saying, "This is what we found at the scene. It should have been left by the arsonist. As long as we follow this lead, we will definitely be able to find the murderer."

Several villagers nearby became unhappy and spoke up.

"What do you mean by this? Do you suspect that someone in the village wants to burn down your mountain?"

"Everyone does hope for your help, but they won't go to this extent!"

"Yeah, yeah, they're not some heinous criminal, who would want to do that? You guys are being incredibly unreasonable!"

The village chief was clearly in a difficult position, caught between the two sides.

Seeing this, Gu Yu smiled bitterly and said, "Then it must be the work of heaven. After all, Shang Qing and I were thinking at dinner tonight that we would come up the mountain later to pick all the vegetables and then share them among our families."

Gu Yu's casual remark left the village chief and the villagers speechless.

The village chief was the first to step forward and say, "I think it's very necessary to investigate this matter thoroughly. What do you all think?"

Hearing everyone agreeing, the village chief invited all the villagers to his house.

But Gu Yu interrupted the village chief, saying, "The murderer should be at the scene, so there's no need to go to the village chief's house. Let's identify them one by one now, and we'll definitely find the murderer."

Shang Qing also took this opportunity to observe everyone's expressions, and it seemed that no one had any objections.

"Okay, let's do it your way. Everyone, line up and come over here!"

But at that moment, Shang Qing, with her sharp eyes, immediately noticed Gu Wangshi, who was deliberately walking away from the crowd.

So she just called her name.

If one word didn't work, Madam Gu would run even faster, so Shang Qing called out several times in a row, and Madam Gu had no choice but to stand still and not dare to move.

Shang Qing walked towards her, and only when he got close did he ask, "Why are you running?"

Gu Wangshi stammered, "I...I want to go home, is that not allowed?"

The village chief looked at the fabric in his hand, then glanced at Gu Wangshi, "This fabric is very similar to the one you're wearing."

“It’s more than just similar…” Shang Qing grabbed Gu Wangshi’s arm to show everyone, and continued, “This is clearly from her body, you can tell at a glance.”

Gu Wangshi broke free from Shang Qing and scolded, "Don't touch me! If you bump into me and hurt me, can you afford to pay for it?"

Shang Qing sneered: "I don't know if I can afford to pay the compensation, but I know you're finished."

The village chief also noticed, stepped forward and took a closer look, and couldn't help but exclaim in astonishment: "Gu Wangshi, why did you have to do something like this? I originally thought Shang Qing was framing you, but now we don't even need to look at anyone else, you're the one who started the fire!"

Everyone was there criticizing Lady Gu.

"Why is it her?"

"I never expected this either. You'd think an old woman like her would come here and do something so shameful."

"I think she's just jealous; she can't stand to see the Shang family doing well!"