After becoming a widow, I became the apple of a rough man's eye.

All the grievances, all the lingering fears, the despair in the fire, the panic when she woke up in the hospital, and the hardships she endured along the way, all turned into a raging flood that broke down her defenses.

"Big brother..."

Lin Qingqing took a step forward.

This was the first time she had ever run into a man's arms in front of so many people, without any hesitation or regard for anything else.

Qin Lie froze.

His hands were awkwardly outstretched, as if he were frozen in place.

That small body was trembling through two layers of fabric.

She was crying, but no sound came out. Her tears instantly soaked the fabric on his chest, burning hot.

Qin Lie slowly closed his arms, one hand around her waist and the other pressing down on the back of her head.

"Yes, I'm here."

A few simple words are more effective than a thousand.

Lin Qingqing clutched the back of his shirt, her fingers gripping tightly, and cried so hard that her whole body convulsed.

Standing to the side, Li Dongye watched this scene with a bittersweet feeling, but mostly he felt relieved.

He wanted to hug his older brother, but he didn't even have the strength to lift his arm, and there was no room for him.

"Don't just stand there like an idiot," Gu Qiangying's cool voice interrupted. "I think you're about to get dehydrated."

Gu Qiangying reached out and grabbed Li Dongye's wrist, her slender fingers resting on his pulse, her eyebrows slightly raised.

Then he released his grip, took a small flashlight from his pocket, and shone it into Li Dongye's eyes. "Heart rate 120, low blood sugar, dehydration, and internal injuries. Fourth brother, you're pretty tough. You didn't die from this?"

Li Dongye was blinded by the bright light and turned his head away, saying, "Third Brother, don't curse me."

Gu Qiangying sneered and put the flashlight away.

His gaze shifted to Lin Qingqing, who was still nestled in Qin Lie's arms.

Qin Lie's coat was far too big, making her look like a child wearing an adult's clothes. The sleeves were way too long, revealing her slender wrists.

Gu Qiangying's gaze lingered on that section of wrist.

There was a ring of bluish-purple bruises there.

After Lin Qingqing had finished crying, Qin Lie still had work to do, so he asked Lin Qingqing to go to Gu Qiangying's medical tent first.

The flickering flame of the kerosene lamp inside the medical tent cast Gu Qiangying's shadow onto the canvas wall, making it appear distorted and twisted.

Gu Qiangying placed the medicine box on the wobbly wooden table. He reached out and pulled over a small stool, pointing to the person opposite him, "Sit down."

Lin Qingqing didn't move.

"Do I have to treat you again?" Gu Qiangying tossed the tweezers onto the tray and glanced up at her.

Lin Qingqing then slowly moved over, half of her buttocks touching the edge of the stool, her hands tucked into her sleeves.

Before she could extend her hand, Gu Qiangying reached out and grabbed her wrist.

The cuffs were pushed up, revealing a section of arm that was dazzlingly white. On that thin bone, a ring of bluish-purple bruises ran across it, the skin and flesh were broken.

Gu Qiangying stared at the wound for a few seconds.

"Is the threshold in J City really that uncomfortable?" He took a cotton ball soaked in medicine and pressed it onto the wound.

Lin Qingqing recoiled in pain, but her wrist was gripped tightly, rendering her unable to move.

"I did it myself," she said, her head down.

"How could you tie yourself up like this?" Gu Qiangying's grip didn't loosen, the cotton ball repeatedly wiping the edges of the wound. "These marks are of varying depths, from when you were struggling. Didn't Li Dongye protect you?"

Lin Qingqing bit her lip and didn't reply.

Gu Qiangying threw away the dirty cotton ball and replaced it with another one. "If it hurts, just say so. Don't try to act tough with me here."

Lin Qingqing remained silent.

She looked at Gu Qiangying's profile as she bent down to treat her wound, and felt that Gu Qiangying was a bit fierce today, a far cry from her usual gentle or cunning demeanor.

"Third Brother, Fourth Brother also suffered a lot of injuries," Lin Qingqing whispered.

"I know." Gu Qiangying didn't even lift her eyelids. "Let him eat something first, and I'll go see him again after a while."

"Third brother, aren't you done yet?"

Suddenly, the tent flap was pulled open, and Xiao Yong's loud voice rushed in first, followed by a wave of heat.

He was shirtless, his chest was covered in sweat, and he was carrying an aluminum lunchbox.

Gu Qiangying didn't turn around. "What's the rush?"

Xiao Yong walked up to her and immediately saw the bruises on Lin Qingqing's wrist; his eyes turned red on the spot.

"Who did this? Li Laosi is also covered in injuries. What were you two doing?" Xiao Yong slammed the lunchbox down on the table, making the medicine bottles bounce around. "I need to go ask Laosi!"

"Shut up." Gu Qiangying wrapped the gauze around her neck and tied a neat knot. "If you still have the strength, go move some stones. Don't bother me here, I'm getting annoyed."

Xiao Yong was breathing heavily, rubbing his hands vigorously along the seams of his trousers. "Qingqing, just make do with what you have here for now. We'll be able to go back in a few days."

Lin Qingqing looked up at Xiao Yong and forced a smile. "Second Brother, I'm fine."

"You're still fine! But you've lost weight!" Xiao Yong opened the lunchbox lid, revealing sticky white rice porridge topped with a salted duck egg. "Eat it while it's hot. I've been watching the pot and cooking it for ages, and nobody dared to steal it."

Lin Qingqing took the lunchbox, and the warmth of the porridge traveled through her fingertips.

"Second brother, go and keep an eye on fourth brother, make sure he doesn't wander off," Gu Qiangying said while packing her medical kit. "His leg burns are going to fester if they're not treated soon. I have other patients waiting, so I'll go find him as soon as I'm done."

Xiao Yong glared at Gu Qiangying, "I just saw Qingqing!" Despite saying that, he still turned around, cursing as he lifted the curtain and went out.

The tent fell silent again.

Lin Qingqing held the lunchbox and sipped the porridge slowly.

Gu Qiangying leaned against the table, her hands supporting her on the surface.

"Lin Qingqing," he suddenly called her name.

Lin Qingqing stopped what she was doing and looked up at him.

"How exactly did you get your hand injured?"

Lin Qingqing put down her spoon. "It's...it's just..."

Gu Qiangying didn't blame Li Dongye, but she couldn't stand seeing her family being bullied outside. Seeing that both she and Li Dongye were covered in injuries, she felt angry. In addition, she hadn't slept much for several days, so she was in a bad mood.

The arguing outside broke the oppressive atmosphere inside the tent.

"I already said no! How can a grown man see a woman's body!" A rude male voice boomed in the mud.

Lin Qingqing looked through the gap in the curtain.

A man in a tattered jacket was grabbing a young woman's arm and dragging her back with all his might. The woman was bent over in pain, her forehead covered in cold sweat, and the top of her trousers was soaked with blood.

"I am a doctor." Gu Qiangying stepped out of the tent, her voice cold and hard. "She has lost too much blood; if she is not treated soon, she will die."

"That won't do!" the man retorted, spitting as he spoke. "This is my wife! No one but me can see her! If my reputation is ruined, can you afford to pay for it?"

A large number of disaster victims gathered around, some pointing and whispering, others hunching over to watch the spectacle.

The woman lay weakly in the muddy water, her lips turning blue.

"Third Brother." Lin Qingqing walked to Gu Qiangying's side, then took a step forward and stood in front of the man.

"I'll do it."

The man paused for a moment, looking Lin Qingqing up and down. She was still wearing Qin Lie's coat, and although she looked disheveled, her face was strikingly beautiful in that setting.

"Who are you?" the man asked warily.

"I'm his apprentice," Lin Qingqing pointed at Gu Qiangying. "I'm a woman, I'll bandage her. You can't just watch your wife die, can you?"

The man hesitated.

He looked at the blood on the ground, then at Lin Qingqing.

"You really know how to do that?"

"I've helped with deliveries and treated wounds in the village," Lin Qingqing told a little white lie. She had indeed followed Gu Qiangying around Qingshan Village quite a bit, but this was the first time she had taken on such a major responsibility.

Gu Qiangying raised an eyebrow from behind, but didn't expose her.

"Okay... then you do it. You man, stay away!" the man shouted, pointing at Gu Qiangying.

Gu Qiangying sneered and turned to enter the temporary shed next door.

Lin Qingqing had the woman carried into the empty tent next to her. She took a deep breath and turned to the man who still wanted to come in, saying, "You stay outside and keep watch. Don't let anyone in."

Once the tent curtain is drawn, the noise outside is shut out.

Lin Qingqing knelt on the muddy ground, her hands trembling slightly.

She rummaged through the medicine box, took out a pair of scissors, and carefully cut open the woman's trouser leg.

The wound was deeply pierced by splinters, and wood chips were embedded in the exposed red flesh.

"Bear with it," Lin Qingqing gently comforted her.

She followed Gu Qiangying's example, first cleaning the wound and then stopping the bleeding.

Warm blood clung to her fingertips, sticky and unsettling. But strangely, she felt no fear at all.

The feeling of being needed made her feel more secure than hiding behind a man for protection.

An hour later, Lin Qingqing came out of the tent. Her forehead was covered in sweat, a few strands of hair clung to her cheeks, the sleeves of her coat were rolled up to her elbows, and there were still traces of blood on her hands.

The man rushed over, "How are you?"

"The wound has been treated, and the bone wasn't broken." Lin Qingqing wiped her clean hands on her apron. "But you can't get them wet for the next few days, and you can't work in the fields."

The man peeked inside and saw that his wife was already fast asleep. He then awkwardly rubbed his hands together and said, "Thank you, sister."

Gu Qiangying walked over and casually pulled up Lin Qingqing's coat, which had slipped off her shoulder. "The tourniquet was tied a little off-center. Be careful next time."

Lin Qingqing was somewhat surprised, "You saw it?"

"I saw it when I brought the hot water in." Gu Qiangying patted her back gently. "Go and rest for a while. I'll call you if I need anything. I won't let you be idle, but don't make us worry. Go and rest."