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

The truck bumped along the mountain road, its headlights flashing so brightly that the roadside weeds trembled.

Li Dongye held the steering wheel with one hand, and with the other hand he took out a cigarette from his pocket. He didn't light it, but just put it in his mouth and tilted his head to look at Lin Qingqing.

"Sit closer." Li Dongye pulled his arms back a little.

Lin Qingqing shrank back towards the car door, "The second and fifth brothers are sitting in the back of the truck, so drive carefully."

Li Dongye chuckled, "I could drive this road back with my eyes closed. I was too embarrassed to ask my eldest brother when he was here, but what exactly did my second brother say to you in the cave? When he came out, his old face was as red as a monkey's bottom."

Lin Qingqing's cheeks flushed as she recalled that kiss, but she remained silent.

"I know even if you don't say it, he's definitely up to no good." Li Dongye took his cigarette away and tapped his hand lightly on the steering wheel. "Second brother seems tough, but he's actually the most indecisive. Qingqing, do you think fourth brother is the one who loves you the most in this family?"

Lin Qingqing turned to look out the window. "Fourth Brother, what are you saying? Doesn't Eldest Brother care about me?"

"My older brother raised you like a child." Li Dongye leaned closer. "I'm different. I treat you like my wife."

Lin Qingqing pushed his face away, "Focus on driving."

Jiang He's voice came from the back of the carriage, "Fourth Brother! If you keep driving this fast, Second Brother's legs will be ruined!"

Li Dongye glanced at Jiang He's sinister little face in the rearview mirror and clicked his tongue, "A death trap."

He floored the accelerator, and the truck roared into the entrance of Qingshan Village.

The village was pitch black, with only a few barks from dogs.

Before the truck had even come to a complete stop, Jiang He jumped out of the truck bed and headed straight for Granny Li's backyard.

"My pig!" Jiang He screamed in anguish.

Lin Qingqing got out of the car and was helped up by Qin Lie.

Supported by Gu Qiangying, Xiao Yong limped into the house, cursing under his breath, "Fifth Brother, you heartless bastard! My leg's like this, and all you care about are those pigs!"

Jiang He had already rushed to the edge of the pigpen, waving a flashlight around wildly.

The three little pigs were sleeping huddled together in a haystack when the light shone on them, and they squeaked and shrank back.

"You've gained weight," Gu Qiangying said after glancing over.

Jiang He squatted at the entrance of the pigpen, touching each pig's head one by one. Finally, he stood up with a dejected look on his face. "They've lost weight, at least a pound. Granny Li definitely didn't feed them the way I told her to. She must have cut back on the pig feed and fed it to her sick chickens."

Lin Qingqing walked over and took a look. "It's quite round."

Jiang He wrapped his arms around Lin Qingqing's waist and buried his head in the crook of her neck. "Sister, the pig has gotten thin, it breaks my heart."

Lin Qingqing patted his back, "Just feed him more tomorrow."

"Li Cuihua! Come out here!" Jiang He shouted at the dark house from the pigsty entrance.

Granny Li, wearing a tattered cotton-padded coat and carrying an oil lamp, opened the door cursing, "What are you doing, wailing like a funeral procession! In the middle of the night, you'll probably kill me with your wailing!"

Jiang He pointed at the three pigs huddled in the hay, grunting, "Look at them, their bristles have all grown back! What did you feed them? I left half a bag of dried sweet potatoes when I left, and you stuffed them all into your own stomach?"

Granny Li raised the oil lamp higher. "Oh dear, have some conscience. A few days ago, there was a sudden earthquake, and everyone in the village ran to the dam. I'm lucky I even remembered to feed your pigs. The dried sweet potatoes have long been gnawed by rats. Go check the kitchen if you don't believe me."

Jiang He took a step forward, shining the flashlight directly into Granny Li's face. "A rat gnawed on it? I bet you took the dried sweet potatoes to give to your grandson to chew on. Li Cuihua, if my pig is short a pound of meat, I'll go to your chicken coop and grab a chicken. You decide what to do."

Granny Li shrank her neck and said, "You young man, how can you be so cruel?"

"I have something even more poisonous, do you want to try it?" Jiang He squatted down, staring at the movements in the pigsty.

Lin Qingqing walked over and tugged at Jiang He's sleeve, "Never mind, Xiao Wu, as long as the pig is still here. We'll feed it ourselves tomorrow, and it'll gain weight back quickly."

Jiang He turned his head, his fierce expression mostly gone. "Sister, she bullied me because I wasn't home."

"I know, I'll make you sweet potato porridge tomorrow." Lin Qingqing patted the back of his hand.

Jiang He then stood up, snorted at Granny Li, and said, "Did you hear that? My sister said she won't hold it against you. Go back to sleep."

Granny Li muttered under her breath, "I can't afford to offend her," and quickly closed the door.

Qin Lie carried the luggage and walked behind, glancing at Lin Qingqing, "Let's go home first, the second son's injury needs to be dressed."

Xiao Yong was being supported by Li Dongye, with half of his body hanging on Li Dongye's shoulder. He kept muttering, "Fourth brother, can you even manage? Where are you putting your hands? You're pinching my waist."

"Second brother, your waist is thicker than a pipe, I'm lucky if I can even pinch it." Li Dongye lifted him up a bit. "You were quite capable in the ruins, why are you pretending to be so delicate now?"

Xiao Yong glared at him, "I lost too much blood."

The group entered the courtyard. Gu Qiangying placed the medicine box on the octagonal table in the main room, lit the kerosene lamp, and said, "Second brother, sit down and take off your clothes."

Xiao Yong glanced at Lin Qingqing awkwardly, but didn't move. "Qingqing, go to the kitchen and boil some water. You don't need to do this."

Lin Qingqing nodded and turned to go to the backyard.

Gu Qiangying used scissors to cut open the fabric on Xiao Yong's leg; blood had already stuck the pants to his flesh. His hands were steady as he used tweezers to tear it off little by little.

Xiao Yong gasped in pain, his hands gripping the edge of the bench tightly.

"Bear with it." Gu Qiangying looked up at him. "This steel bar is embedded quite deep. If it were two centimeters off, it would have reached the bone."

Qin Lie stood to the side smoking, the smoke swirling in the lamplight. "Third brother, use some good medicine."

"Know."

"Second brother, what did Qingqing say to you while we were in the cave?"

Xiao Yong was startled, his face flushed red, "No... he didn't say anything, he just told me to hold on."

"Really?" Gu Qiangying pushed up his glasses and pressed his fingertip against the edge of the wound. "Judging from your expression, you don't look like you've escaped death, but rather like you've found a gold mine."

"Gu Laosan, you talk too much! Hurry up and bandage him!" Xiao Yong was in so much pain he wanted to kick him.

Li Dongye chuckled beside him, "Second Brother, your face is so red you could fry an egg in it."

Xiao Yong was completely speechless and pretended to be dead with his head down.

Qin Lie stubbed out his cigarette and looked at Li Dongye, "Go and unload the supplies from the truck, and deliver them to the village chief first thing tomorrow morning."

"Alright." Li Dongye shook his car keys and walked out.