Desperate people, accept the seed of my soul!

He worked overtime like crazy on the construction site, taking on all kinds of jobs, and his daily working hours were the highest on the site.

Old Zhou advised him at the time, saying that it's good for young people to be energetic, but they shouldn't push themselves too hard and that their health is the most important thing.

He doesn't listen.

He felt that as long as he could make more money, what did it matter if he was tired or suffered a little?

One night, he worked overtime until late at night. When he came out of the construction site and walked back to his rented room in the dark, he was suddenly covered by a sack from behind when he reached the alley without streetlights.

He couldn't see anything, he could only feel fists, feet, and sticks falling like raindrops.

He struggled desperately, but there were at least four or five of them who pinned him to the ground and beat him.

Those people were particularly ruthless, specifically targeting his groin with kicks.

He was in so much pain he almost fainted, curled up in a ball, feeling as if his lower body was on fire.

After the group finished their attack, they ran away. Before leaving, someone whispered something in his ear. He was in so much pain that he was dazed and only vaguely heard a few words: "Don't be ungrateful."

He lay in the alley for almost two hours before a passing sanitation worker found him and took him to the hospital.

He spent half a month in the hospital, and after being discharged, he found that he was no longer able to function.

At first, he thought it was because his injury hadn't healed yet and that he would recover with rest.

I secretly saw several doctors and took medicine for six months, but it didn't help at all.

He dared not tell Yuan Qiao.

He didn't even dare let anyone know.

How can a man live if he can't even perform in that area?

For years, he had kept it a secret from Yuan Qiao, only saying that he had fallen and injured his back while working.

He didn't know whether Yuan Qiaoxin had read the letter or not.

But Yuan Qiao never asked any questions, nor did she ever complain.

This made the Song Dynasty feel even more guilty.

The less she complained, the more he felt he owed her.

At first, he felt extremely guilty, feeling sorry for Yuan Qiao, who had to live a life of widowhood at such a young age.

But as he watched his daughter grow up and saw that Yuan Qiao never mentioned this matter, he was even a little relieved.

Fortunately, I had a daughter after that accident.

Without Niu Niu, he wouldn't even have a descendant.

Over the years, he has worked hard and made money desperately, just to make up for Yuan Qiao and to let her and her daughter live a good life.

He thought that as long as he treated them well enough, life could go on like this forever.

But Yuan Qiao's subconscious dodge just now was like a bucket of cold water poured over his head.

He suddenly realized that no matter how much money he earned or how many gifts he bought, there were some things he could never give her.

"It's my fault for being useless," Song Chao said again, his voice even lower than before, carrying a bitter resignation. "All these years, I've wronged you. I know you've suffered, even if you don't say it."

Yuan Qiao's tears fell instantly.

She threw herself into Song Chao's arms, crying and trembling all over.

"Song Dynasty, don't be so good to me, I don't deserve it."

Song Chao patted her back, feeling a mix of sadness and bitterness in his heart.

He didn't understand why Yuan Qiao said "I'm not worthy".

In his heart, Yuan Qiao was the best wife in the world, and he was unworthy to have her.

"Nonsense," he said softly, gently patting her back. "You're my wife. If I'm not good to you, who else should I be good to? You've worked so hard for this family all these years. I owe you something I can never repay in this lifetime."

He knew that Yuan Qiao had had a hard time all these years, living a life of widowhood at such a young age; anyone would feel wronged in that situation.

He doesn't blame her.

Yuan Qiao cried for a long time before she calmed down.

She straightened up from Song Chao's embrace, wiped away her tears, her eyes were terribly red and swollen.

"You've had a long day, go to bed early."

She got up and poured Song Chao a glass of hot water, placing it on the bedside table.

Then the lights were turned off, plunging the bedroom into darkness.

In the darkness, Yuan Qiao lay beside him, her back to him, breathing very lightly, as if she were asleep.

Song Chao, however, felt no sleepiness whatsoever.

He stared at the ceiling, his mind a jumbled mess.

Yuan Qiao's words, "I am not worthy," were like a thorn stuck in his heart, impossible to remove.

Why did she say she wasn't good enough?

Is it because she has someone else in her heart?

Or was it because she also felt that the marriage was too painful?

He dared not think any further.

He only has this one home, only his wife and children. He works hard to earn money so that he can protect this home.

No matter what, as long as the mother and daughter are doing well, he doesn't care what he does.

In the latter half of the night, Song Chao finally drifted off to sleep.

The next morning, he got up early to help Yuan Qiao tidy up the house.

They patched up the leaky roof—they moved a ladder up to the roof and used waterproof sealant and tar paper to cover all the cracks, applying several layers to ensure it wouldn't leak again in the winter.

He nailed the loose table and chairs back in place—the old dining table legs had been wobbling for months, and he used wooden wedges and a hammer to re-secure them, nailing them firmly in place.

They also replaced the broken light bulb in the kitchen, fixed the leak in the bathroom, and sealed the gaps in the balcony window with silicone sealant.

They even nailed a small bookshelf for Niu Niu in her study, using scrap wood from the construction site, sawing and nailing it themselves, specifically to hold her drawing books.

Niu Niu was overjoyed, putting her sketchbooks up one by one, and even holding Song Chao's hand to show him the family portrait she had drawn.

There are three people in the picture—the father is the tallest, the mother is the most beautiful, and Niu Niu is in the middle holding their hands.

All three of them were laughing.

Looking at the painting, Song Chao's eyes welled up with tears, and he almost couldn't hold them back.

In the afternoon, he rode his bicycle with Niu Niu to the building materials market and bought aluminum alloy materials for the balcony.

I chose the thickest one, even though it was more than fifty yuan more expensive than the thinner one, because it was better at blocking the wind in winter.

On the way home, I bought two more apples for Niu Niu to eat on the way.

He stayed at home for three days, repairing everything he could and bringing back materials for the balcony. He's just waiting to come back and start installing it.

For three days, Yuan Qiao treated him very well, cooking for him, doing his laundry, and packing his luggage.

But Song Chao noticed that she always avoided his eyes when she spoke, and sometimes she would stand alone in the kitchen in a daze, not even noticing that the water in the pot was boiling.

He didn't ask.

He was afraid that asking him might reveal something he couldn't handle.

The holiday ended quickly.

The construction site was urging him to go back, saying that the project needed to meet the deadline, the next batch of materials had already arrived, and no one was tying the steel bars, otherwise the entire project would be delayed.

The night before he left, Yuan Qiao packed a huge bag of luggage for him.

It was filled with his favorite pickled vegetables—pickled by her herself, using the flavors most favored in the Song Dynasty, with extra chili and Sichuan peppercorns.

She also had several thick clothes—she said another cold wave was coming, and she was worried he would get cold at the construction site.

"Take good care of yourself at the construction site. Don't skimp on food, and wear more layers when it gets cold," Yuan Qiao said, her eyes red as she packed. "Don't always eat the vegetarian food in the canteen; go out and buy some meat occasionally."

"Okay." Song Chao looked at her, feeling reluctant to part with her. "Take good care of Niu Niu at home. Call me if anything happens. Don't touch the balcony yet. I'll install it next time I come back. It's too dangerous for me to do it alone."