After dumbfounding for a while, Dazhuang finally regained his breath. He tremblingly shook the lifeless dog, Xiaozhuang, in his hands.

"Xiaozhuang... Xiaozhuang..."

Silence fell all around, as if everything had turned desolate.

Only Dazhuang's sobbing and whimpering could be heard.

"I killed you! You bastard, pay with your life for Xiaozhuang!"

Dazhuang climbed up from the ground and lunged at Big Cong with his bare hands.

"Hey!" Dongge shouted and quickly rushed forward to grab Dazhuang's hand.

Seeing the situation escalate, others also crowded around, helping to restrain the fiercely enraged Dazhuang.

Big Cong showed no remorse. He lifted the blood-stained kitchen knife and provocatively said to Dazhuang, "Come on! Come at me! Let's see if I can kill you, you big fool!"

"Compensate me for Xiaozhuang! Compensate me!"

Dazhuang roared but was forcefully pulled back to the ground by the crowd.

"Xiaozhuang... It was what Ah Ma left for me, the only thing Ah Ma left for me. It accompanied me for over twenty years..."

Dazhuang touched the body of the dog, Xiaozhuang, and cried uncontrollably, unable to speak.

"It's just a heartless animal." Big Cong reached for the thick gold necklace around his neck, gave it a slight tug, and threw it onto Xiaozhuang's body with disdain. He coldly snorted, "There, I've compensated you. Enough for you to buy twenty dead dogs!"

The onlookers chimed in with their advice.

"Dazhuang, Xiaozhuang is already dead. Don't cry. Just get another dog."

"It's just a dog. Heartless dogs are everywhere. Buy another one and raise it. Stop crying like this!"

"Don't blame Big Cong. It's your own dog that pees everywhere. That dog trampled my flower pot the day before yesterday, but I didn't make a fuss. Don't be so petty!"

"Yes, take the money and have a lively wedding for Achun. Buy another dog and live a good life."

"Since it's dead, let's cook it! We've raised it for decades, and now it should contribute. Cook its meat and have a prosperous year. Hahaha..."

...

They offered their consoling words one after another, like icy knives.

I stood among the crowd, watching the light slowly extinguish in Dazhuang's eyes, his gloomy gaze filled with chilling hostility.

The image of him swinging the knife and slashing my face flashed through my mind. My fingertips turned cold, and a chilling sensation ran down my spine. I suddenly fell to the ground, my face pale in fright.

He was about to kill someone!

Seeing my terrified expression, the onlookers started discussing and expressing concern for me.

My mind was blank, and I couldn't hear what they were saying.

They didn't care about the owner of the dead dog; they only cared about me, the person who was frightened while watching.

I didn't want them to surround me; I wanted them to look at Dazhuang, to open their eyes and see the despair that had consumed him.

But I was silenced by fear, unable to utter a word.

I watched helplessly as Dazhuang, without saying a word, carried the body of Xiaozhuang and walked away.

One drop, two drops, three drops...

The blood of Xiaozhuang dripped along the way.

Yet, someone whispered behind my back, "Dog's blood is unlucky. Whoever gets splashed will have bad luck. Dumb Dazhuang has such a wicked heart, carrying around a dead dog! How unlucky!"

I watched Dazhuang's figure grow distant.

That was the only dog his mother had left him, accompanying him for over twenty years, like another family member.

The camel had died.

But it didn't happen suddenly overnight.

The relentless bullying had accumulated into a boulder, and his heart had turned as cold as a blade.

The deceased Xiaozhuang represented the last straw that broke the camel's back.

As I watched Dazhuang disappear into the distance, I couldn't help but feel a deep sense of sorrow. His pain and anger were palpable, and the indifference of the onlookers only added fuel to the fire.

Reflecting on the situation, it was clear that the events leading up to this tragic moment were not isolated incidents. Dazhuang had been subjected to continuous mistreatment and humiliation, slowly eroding his spirit and pushing him to the brink.

It is a sobering reminder of the profound impact our actions can have on others. Bullying, whether it be directed towards humans or animals, can have devastating consequences. This heartbreaking incident serves as a call to society to foster empathy, understanding, and compassion.

We must strive to create an environment where individuals like Dazhuang are not driven to such extreme measures, where they are supported and protected from harm. Only through collective efforts can we build a more inclusive and caring society, where every life is valued and respected.

May this tragic event serve as a catalyst for change, prompting us to reflect on our own behavior and the way we treat others. Let us learn from this heartbreaking story and work towards a future where such senseless loss and suffering are prevented.