Living like a widow? My rough neighbor is coaxing me to have a baby every night.

The next morning, Lijia Village was awakened by a series of crackling firecrackers.

Although Li Jianshe felt bad about spending the two hundred yuan, he made a big show of it for his son's wedding and to save face in the village.

He was wearing a brand-new Zhongshan suit, with two fountain pens in his pocket. Although they were empty, he still had the air of a typical cadre.

Li Weimin followed behind him, his head drooping as if he were going to the execution ground, carrying two bottles of Moutai liquor and four boxes of pastries, his steps as heavy as if they were made of lead.

Along the way, villagers pointed and whispered among themselves.

"Oh my, does Li Weimin really dare to marry that shrew? He must have a death wish."

"I think this is a classic case of Zhou Yu beating Huang Gai – one is willing to hit and the other is willing to be hit. The Li family has power and influence, and Li Weimin is just there to live off his wife."

"Tsk tsk, what a pity for such a young man. He probably won't even dare to speak loudly in the future."

Hearing these words, Li Weimin felt as bitter as if he had swallowed a pound of bitter herbs.

He could even imagine the days when Li Xiaotao would ride on his neck and poop on him.

He recalled the fear of being forced to sit by the pig trough that day, the stench of which still seemed to linger in his nose.

Upon arriving at Secretary Li's house, Li Jianshe straightened his collar, turned around, and glared fiercely at his dejected son: "Straighten your back! What kind of behavior is this! Today is a joyous occasion; if you dare to embarrass your old man, I'll skin you alive when we get home!"

Li Weimin shuddered, forcibly pulled his face up, revealing an expression even more unsightly than crying, and followed his father across the high threshold that made his legs go weak.

In the courtyard, Li Youtian and his wife Fan Lihong were already there, smiling broadly to greet them.

"Oh, my dear in-law! You've come all this way, and you've brought such a generous gift!" Li Youtian smiled broadly, his eyes sweeping over the two bottles of Moutai before he nodded in satisfaction.

The adults on both sides exchanged pleasantries, creating a warm but insincere atmosphere.

Li Weimin, the main character, was left out in the cold.

Just then, the curtain of the west room was suddenly lifted by a corner.

Li Weimin subconsciously looked up and met a pair of large, jet-black eyes.

Instead of the fierce look he had imagined, her eyes held a hint of shame and...fiery passion?

Li Xiaotao didn't come out; she just hid behind the curtain, revealing only her pretty face.

Today, instead of her usual neat ponytail, she had two thick, black braids tied with red ribbons, which made her otherwise spirited face look even more charming.

She stared intently at Li Weimin.

Li Weimin shuddered at the burning gaze and instinctively tried to look away.

Before he could even lower his head, he saw Li Xiaotao's two red lips move, silently uttering two words.

Judging from his lip movements, it was clearly "idiot".

Immediately afterwards, something flew out from behind the curtain, tracing an arc, and landed precisely in Li Weimin's arms.

Li Weimin caught it in a flurry of activity, and when he looked closely, he was completely dumbfounded.

It was a brand new handkerchief, with two... ducks embroidered crookedly on it?

No, judging from the length of their necks, they should be mandarin ducks.

Between the two strange-looking mandarin ducks were two peeled boiled eggs.

The egg was still warm, and through the handkerchief, it burned Li Weimin's palm.

What's so special about this?

A token of love? Or the Last Supper?

Li Weimin held the two eggs, dumbfounded.

He looked up again and saw that the curtain of the west room had been drawn. He could only vaguely hear a suppressed laugh coming from inside, as if Li Xiaoyue was teasing him about something.

"What's wrong, Weimin? This is... oh dear, Xiaotao gave it to you?"

Li Jianshe, with his sharp eyes, peeked over and immediately slapped his thigh with delight. "See that! I told you this marriage was perfect! The girl has feelings for you! She even peeled the eggs for you—I never received such treatment back in my day!"

Li Weimin looked down at the two plump, white eggs, his mind a complete blank.

That shrew who shoved his head into the pig trough, that female tyrant feared by the whole village, actually embroidered a handkerchief for him?

Should I even boil eggs for him?

Did the sun rise in the west?

For some reason, the despair that had been suffocating him dissipated somewhat under the heat of the two hot eggs.

Perhaps... life isn't as bad as I thought?

Li Weimin had never eaten such a hard-to-swallow boiled egg in his life.

Under the watchful eyes of both families, especially the watchful gaze from behind the curtain of the west room, he forced himself to eat the two hot eggs that symbolized "wholehearted devotion".

He choked on the egg yolk, his eyes rolling back in his head, but he still had to force a smile and say, "It smells so good."

Li Jianshe watched from the sidelines, his face beaming with pride. He felt that his son had finally come to his senses. He clinked his wine glasses together and was so affectionate with Li Youtian that he wished he could become sworn brothers on the spot.

This marriage is like riding a cart downhill; there's no stopping it.

The two families discussed it and quickly set a date for three days later.

They say these days are auspicious for weddings, but everyone knows the truth.

The village secretary's family was worried that things might get complicated if things dragged on. Given Li Xiaotao's temper, they feared she might change her mind or beat someone up, which would ruin the marriage. On the other hand, Li Jianshe's family was worried about the two hundred yuan being too much to handle and wanted to get the girl into the family as soon as possible to secure their money.

The night before her wedding, the cicadas outside were chirping so loudly it made her uneasy.

Fan Lihong, carrying a bowl of brown sugar poached eggs, lifted the curtain and slipped into the west room, then immediately bolted the door shut.

Li Xiaotao was sitting cross-legged on the kang (a heated brick bed), tugging at the loose thread of her red wedding dress.

Fan Lihong put down her bowl, plopped down on the edge of the kang (a heated brick bed), and slapped her daughter's firm thigh: "Pull your legs up! Tomorrow you'll be part of the Li family, and you still sit like this. When you get to your in-laws' house, tone down your stubbornness. They're your elders; if they say something unpleasant, just pretend you don't hear them. Don't roll up your sleeves and grab something at the drop of a hat, understand?"

"I know, I know, I'm tired of hearing it."

Li Xiaotao crossed her legs and grumbled, "As long as that old hag doesn't mess with me, why would I bother to make a move? Besides, I know my limits; I won't hurt anyone."

"You have no sense of propriety whatsoever!"

Fan Lihong poked her forehead, then suddenly lowered her voice, glanced mysteriously at the window to make sure no one was eavesdropping, before whispering in Li Xiaotao's ear, "There's something else important... I need to tell you something. That thing... do you know about it?"

Li Xiaotao blinked her big eyes twice, looking completely bewildered: "What's going on? The bride price?"

Fan Lihong's face twitched, and she pinched her daughter's arm with exasperation: "Are you pretending to be stupid? Just like with a man! Consummate the marriage! Get into bed!"

Li Xiaotao's usually fearless face suddenly turned as red as a freshly cooked braised prawn, even the base of her neck was burning red.

She awkwardly grabbed the pillow and hugged it to her chest, stammering, "Oh, Mom... why are you saying this... it's just like that, I've seen pigs run before."

"A pig running has nothing to do with this!"

Fan Lihong grew anxious and reached into her bosom to pull out a yellowed booklet, stuffing it under her pillow like a hot potato. "I'm afraid you won't be gentle! Li Weimin may seem like a pushover, but he's still a man. This is the first time... men are all anxious, it's instinct, he might be a bit rough, and there's no telling what to do."

Fan Lihong sighed, her voice full of concern, like someone who'd been through it all: "If it hurts, just grit your teeth and bear it. That's a woman's duty. Don't let the pain get to you and your instinctive reaction is to kick him off the bed, crippling him on your wedding night. That would be the laughingstock of the whole village!"

Li Xiaotao's ears burned as she listened, but she couldn't help but wonder what it was like for that cowardly Li Weimin to be "strong".

With his skinny frame? He thinks he can hurt her?

She buried her face in the pillow, and it took her a long time to lift her head. A hint of unyielding wildness flashed in her clear black and white eyes, and she grinned, revealing her signature little tiger tooth.

"Mom, why are you worrying about this?"

Li Xiaotao pulled the booklet out from under her pillow, didn't even look at it, and just casually tossed it aside.

"It's not certain who's stronger! Anyway, I won't come out worse off."

She clenched her fist, her knuckles cracking, and laughed with a roguish glint in her eye. "If he can't do it... I'll do it myself! Do you think he can escape my grasp?"

Fan Lihong was so shocked her jaw almost dropped to the ground. Pointing at her daughter, she couldn't utter a single word for a long time: "You...you female bandit! How can a young lady say such things?!"

"Mother, please put your heart back in your stomach!"

"If that spineless coward is really useless, I'll just tie him to the kang (heated brick bed)! This little thing can't stump me. Just you wait and see who's in charge here on the Li family's kang tomorrow night."