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

Before dawn, the fog, like a clump of undissolved cotton, weighed heavily on the mountainside.

Jiang He, shirtless with sandbags sewn overnight strapped to his arms, was running laps around the dirt road surrounding the Qin family compound.

This is already the tenth lap.

Sweat streamed down his still-youthful back, soaking into his waistband and turning the once loose trousers black and wet.

He was breathing heavily, his lungs gurgling like bellows, but he didn't stop. Instead, he gritted his teeth and desperately took steps forward.

The scene between Mu Wenbin and Qin Lie by the river yesterday was like a thorn, piercing into the little wolf cub's flesh.

He used to think that being young was an advantage, that he could snuggle in Lin Qingqing's arms and act coquettishly, and that he could openly crawl into bed with her.

But looking at the two men standing side by side, with that composure that only comes from having experienced life and death, he suddenly felt like a baby who hadn't been weaned.

He didn't want to be the younger brother anymore.

"Huff... huff..."

Jiang He stopped beside the millstone, bent over, and placed his hands on his knees. Sweat dripped onto the dry, cracked yellow earth, instantly staining a small, dark patch. He wiped his face casually and picked up two blue bricks from the ground.

These are dumbbells he made himself.

One, two. The muscles in his arms tightened, not as exaggerated as Qin Lie's, but already showing some of the beginnings of a rugged look.

With a creak, the door to the main room opened.

Qin Lie came out wearing a coat. He was carrying an enamel mug, steaming inside. He stood on the steps, looking down at Lao Wu, who was struggling with two bricks in the morning mist.

Hearing the noise, Jiang He didn't stop; instead, he lifted it even harder, the veins on his neck bulging out.

"Big brother, I want to join the army too."

"Serving in the army isn't child's play," Qin Lie said, draping a towel around his neck. "Don't mess around."

"I've made up my mind." Jiang He threw the brick on the ground with a dull thud.

He straightened up and looked directly at Qin Lie. "I don't want to spend my whole life drifting around in this mountain valley, and I don't want... I don't want Sister Qingqing to think that I'll never grow up."

Qin Lie's eyes darkened slightly when Lin Qingqing was mentioned.

"Then you should run for three months first." Qin Lie didn't make any promises, turned around and walked towards the kitchen, "Go wash up, you smell bad."

There was already some noise coming from the kitchen.

Lin Qingqing was busy at the stove, and the aroma of cornmeal porridge wafted out through the cracks in the window.

Jiang He stood there, watching Qin Lie's broad back, and clenched his fists.

He looked down at his rather thin chest, gritted his teeth and cursed under his breath, then turned and rushed to the well, pumped out a bucket of icy water, and poured it over his head.

Xiao Yong's leg has improved a lot. Although he still needs to use crutches, he can no longer suppress his restlessness.

He sat on the stool, his injured leg stretched out stiffly, a steamed bun in his hand, eating it with gritted teeth, as if he had a grudge against the bun.

"Second brother, eat slowly." Gu Qiangying sipped her porridge leisurely, glancing at Xiao Yong through her glasses. "Nobody's going to take it from you."

"I'm so suffocated." Xiao Yong stuffed the last bite of steamed bun into his mouth and mumbled indistinctly, "If I don't work, I'll grow mold."

Lin Qingqing walked over carrying a plate of pickled vegetables and happened to hear this.

She put down the plate and casually added a spoonful of thick porridge to Xiao Yong's bowl. "It takes a hundred days to recover from a broken bone, and this is nothing. Third Brother said that if your leg doesn't heal properly, you'll become a cripple."

Xiao Yong stared at the delicate white hand waving in front of him, his Adam's apple bobbing.

"So what if I'm a cripple?" he retorted stubbornly. "As long as I have a hammer, even a cripple can forge iron."

"Alright, if you can't stand it, just bear with it and take good care of yourself." Qin Lie tapped the edge of the table; his voice wasn't loud, but it was very intimidating.

Xiao Yong shrank back and remained silent.

After taking a shower and changing into a clean vest, Jiang He sat down next to Lin Qingqing, still damp from the water. He had an unusually good appetite today, drinking two large bowls of porridge and eating three steamed buns in one go.

"I want more." Jiang He handed the empty bowl to Lin Qingqing. His eyes, which usually had a slightly moist and ingratiating look, were staring straight at her today, with a hint of aggression.

Lin Qingqing paused for a moment, then took the bowl. "Eat slowly, there's still some in the pot."

Jiang He watched her get up and serve rice; her waist was so thin it looked like it could be snapped in two with one hand.

He remembered the dream he had last night; in the dream, there was a similar figure from behind, only without any clothes to cover him…

He abruptly lowered his head, concealing the turbulent emotions surging in his eyes.

After dinner, Qin Lie went up the mountain with his hunting rifle. Gu Qiangying was drying medicinal herbs in the yard. Jiang He went off to fiddle with the two bricks again.

Xiao Yong sat restlessly in the main room. He listened to Jiang He's heavy breathing outside and the rustling sound of Gu Qiangying turning the herbs, and felt as if a cat was scratching at his heart.

He's a rough man, he doesn't understand any of the subtleties.

All he knew was that he was a man, a blacksmith who made a living by physical strength.

Now he's being kept like a useless person every day, and he still has to be served by that delicate woman, which his chauvinistic pride can't stand.

He grabbed the crutch leaning against the wall and, taking advantage of Gu Qiangying's inattention, limped towards the blacksmith's shed in the backyard.

The blacksmith's shed was somewhat dark; the fire in the furnace had long since gone out, leaving only cold slag. Several unfinished sickle blanks lay on the workbench.

Xiao Yong threw away his crutch and hopped on one leg to the bellows. He reached out and pulled the bellows, the whooshing sound giving him a little peace of mind. He then grabbed a handful of coal, threw it into the furnace, lit it, and started pulling the bellows again.

Flames leaped up, glowing red and illuminating his rugged face.

A wave of heat hit me, and sweat poured down my face instantly.

Xiao Yong felt as if all the blood in his body had come alive at that moment. He picked up the heavy iron hammer and tried swinging it a couple of times.

Lin Qingqing was washing clothes by the well when she heard the sound of blacksmithing coming from the backyard. She frowned, shook the foam off her hands, and hurried to the backyard.

As soon as I arrived at the door, I saw Xiao Yong standing shirtless on one leg, swinging a sledgehammer to smash a red-hot iron ingot.

Sweat streamed down his bronze-colored muscles, pooling around his waist. Though his injured leg wasn't touching the ground, it trembled slightly with the swaying of his body.

"Xiao Yong!"

Lin Qingqing called out, her tone tinged with annoyance.

Xiao Yong's hand trembled, and the hammer almost missed its mark.

He turned around and saw Lin Qingqing standing at the door, backlit, her pretty face stern, water dripping from her hands.

"Who told you to move around like that?" Lin Qingqing strode inside, ignoring the heat and dust. "Didn't I tell you to rest?"

"I... I was just testing the feel of it." Xiao Yong's momentum instantly diminished when he saw her. He put down the hammer and awkwardly reached for his cane, but because he had been standing on one leg for too long, his leg went weak and he swayed to the side.

"Be careful!"

Lin Qingqing reacted quickly and rushed over to grab his arm.

The man's body was heavy and burning hot, covered in sweat. Lin Qingqing was no match for him and was pulled back a few steps, her back hitting a wooden shelf piled with miscellaneous items.

Xiao Yong pressed his entire body against her.

At this moment, the air seemed to freeze.

Xiao Yong could smell the faint scent of soap on her body, mixed with that unique milky fragrance that belonged to women, which went straight into his nose.

The aroma was so irresistible that it shattered the last vestiges of reason in his mind.

His chest was pressed tightly against hers, and he could even feel the soft rise and fall of her chest.

Lin Qingqing was so overwhelmed by the pressure that she could hardly breathe, her face flushed red. She pushed against Xiao Yong's hard chest muscles, only to find them covered in slippery sweat.

"Get...get up." Her voice trembled slightly, whether from being pressed down or from the strong masculine hormones emanating from the man.

Xiao Yong didn't move.

His breathing became heavy, and his eyes, which always had a slightly silly look, were now frighteningly dark as he stared intently at Lin Qingqing's lips, which were so close to his.

Her lips were rosy, like ripe cherries, slightly parted, exhaling a warm breath.

"Qingqing..." Xiao Yong's voice was terribly hoarse.

His large hand uncontrollably gripped Lin Qingqing's waist. Her waist was so slender, so soft it seemed boneless; he could easily pinch it with one hand.

Lin Qingqing stiffened, feeling an astonishingly hot hand on her waist. The heat penetrated through her thin clothes, making her feel weak all over.

"Second Brother, we're outside..." She turned her head away, not daring to look into Xiao Yong's murderous eyes.

That soft, sweet "Second Brother" did not have the effect of dissuading him; instead, it was like a drop of oil splashed into a fire.

Xiao Yong lowered his head and, disregarding everything else, moved closer to those red lips.

"What are you all doing here?"

A cold voice suddenly rang out at the door, like a bucket of ice water being poured over someone's head.

Xiao Yong's movements suddenly froze.

Taking advantage of the opportunity, Lin Qingqing pushed him away forcefully, crawled out of his arms, hurriedly straightened her clothes, and lowered her head, not daring to look at the person at the door.

Gu Qiangying stood at the entrance of the blacksmith's shed, her glasses reflecting the light so her eyes were obscured, but the half-smile on her lips sent chills down one's spine.

"Xiao Lao Er, it seems you don't want this leg anymore." Gu Qiangying walked in, his gaze sweeping over Lin Qingqing's flushed face, and finally landing on Xiao Yong's unnaturally injured leg.

Only then did Xiao Yong feel the excruciating pain in his leg.

His stumble just now strained his injured area.

"Hiss—" He gasped, and cold sweat instantly poured down his forehead.

"Serves you right." Gu Qiangying uttered two cold words. He walked over, not even helping Xiao Yong up, but simply bent down to pick up the cane from the ground and tossed it into Xiao Yong's arms. "Walk back yourself, or wait for your older brother to come back and carry you back?"

Xiao Yong took the cane, his face turning pale and then flushed.

He lost face in front of his own brothers and also showed weakness in front of Lin Qingqing, feeling extremely frustrated.

"It's none of your business," Xiao Yong said in a muffled voice, leaning on his crutch and limping out.

As he passed Lin Qingqing, he paused for a moment, as if he wanted to say something, but in the end he said nothing and walked away quickly with his head down.