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

Xiao Yong took a deep breath, grabbed the cane beside him, propped himself up, and moved step by step toward the well.

Lin Qingqing was washing the dishes when she felt a shadow fall over her. She turned around and was startled.

Xiao Yong stood behind her, his tall frame like a wall, completely blocking out the sunlight. He held a dry rag in his hand, his expression as serious as if he were about to slaughter a pig.

"Second Brother?" Lin Qingqing stood up, shaking the water off her hands. "Why did you come here? The ground is slippery, be careful not to fall."

Xiao Yong remained silent.

He reached out and snatched the plate from Lin Qingqing's hand.

The movement was too fast and the force too great; the plate squeaked in his hand and nearly crushed.

Lin Qingqing was stunned.

Xiao Yong was also stunned.

He held the plate stiffly in his other hand, and with a rag in his other hand, he scrubbed the plate hard.

"I...I'll help you." Xiao Yong managed to utter three words, his voice stiff and strained, just like when he shouted "Add charcoal!" in the blacksmith's shop.

Lin Qingqing blinked, then suddenly burst out laughing.

"Second brother, who taught you this?" Lin Qingqing looked at his tense expression and her guard dropped a bit. "That's not how you wipe a plate. You'll wipe off the glaze if you do that."

She reached out to take the plate back.

Xiao Yong, however, did not let go.

Their hands touched the edge of the plate.

Her hands were cool, damp, and incredibly soft. Xiao Yong's hands were burning hot and rough like sandpaper.

The book says that there should be physical contact.

The book says to touch it following the grain.

As if possessed, he reached out and grabbed Lin Qingqing's wrist.

Lin Qingqing was startled and instinctively shrank back, "Second Brother!"

"Don't move."

Xiao Yong's voice was deep and resonant, carrying an undeniable force. But he didn't exert any more force; he merely loosely encircled her wrist, his thumb gently stroking her delicate skin.

"Your hands are too cold." Xiao Yong lowered his head, not daring to look into her eyes, his gaze falling on their clasped hands. "Jing Shuibing, from now on... from now on, let me do it."

The warmth of his palm radiated through her, making her wrist tingle. The rough touch wasn't unpleasant; instead, it brought a sense of security she'd never felt before.

"Second brother, let go first," Lin Qingqing said softly, her face slightly flushed.

Xiao Yong muttered something, but still let go of her hand.

The warmth in my hands has vanished, leaving me with an empty feeling in my heart.

He set aside the plate he had polished to a gleaming shine and went to get another one. This time his movements were much gentler, though still clumsy, but at least he didn't make that shattering sound.

Just then, a series of hurried footsteps suddenly came from the courtyard gate.

"My love! My love!"

It was Su Jiaojiao's voice.

She rushed in, carrying a net bag filled with several bright red apples.

"Oh, you're all here." As soon as Su Jiaojiao entered, she saw Xiao Yong and Lin Qingqing huddled together by the well, their distance so close it was almost ambiguous.

She paused for a moment, then her expression turned somewhat strange. "Did I come at the wrong time?"

Xiao Yong's hand trembled, and the plate slipped from his grasp.

Whoosh!

This time it's really broken.

Lin Qingqing exclaimed in surprise and quickly squatted down to pick up the shards. Xiao Yong also panicked and threw down his crutch to help.

"Don't move!" Lin Qingqing shouted, "Be careful not to prick yourself!"

But it was too late.

Xiao Yong's clumsy grab landed squarely on a sharp shard of porcelain. A bead of bright red blood instantly welled up.

"Look at you!" Lin Qingqing exclaimed angrily, grabbing his hand and staring at the wound, her brows furrowing tightly. "I told you not to move it, but you insisted. Are you made of iron? Is this flesh made of iron too?"

She scolded him, but her movements were very gentle. She took a handkerchief out of her pocket and carefully pressed it onto the wound.

Xiao Yong stared at her blankly, feeling no pain, only a sense of sweetness filling his heart.

"It's nothing, this little injury is nothing." Xiao Yong grinned, revealing a set of big white teeth. "As long as you weren't pricked."

Su Jiaojiao stood to the side, watching this scene, swallowing back the sour words that were about to come out of her mouth.

Su Jiaojiao watched as Lin Qingqing carefully bandaged Xiao Yong's wound. The white handkerchief quickly blotted out a small patch of red, which dazzled the eyes in the sunlight.

Xiao Yong's face, which was tanned dark red under the blazing sun, now looked awkward and unsure of what to do with his hands and feet.

"Alright, stop standing there. Go back inside and rest. Don't get your hands wet for the next couple of days." Lin Qingqing patted Xiao Yong's arm, then stood up to greet Su Jiaojiao, "What brings you here today? And you even brought apples."

Xiao Yong looked at Lin Qingqing, opened his mouth, but finally only managed to utter a single "hmm" before hopping into the house, leaning on his cane.

Su Jiaojiao slammed the net on the stone table, plopped down, and twisted the ends of her braids with both hands, her face contorted in a terrible distress. "I'm looking for Gu Laosan, but he's not here?"

"They went to gather herbs; they probably won't be back until evening." Lin Qingqing poured a bowl of cool water and handed it to her. "What's wrong?"

Su Jiaojiao picked up the bowl, but didn't drink it. She stared at the ripples in the water for a long time before lowering her voice and saying, "Didn't you learn a lot from him too? Can you take a look for me?"

Lin Qingqing's gaze followed Su Jiaojiao's face down to her flat stomach.

Su Jiaojiao wore a loose-fitting polyester shirt today, tucked into her pants, so it wasn't very noticeable.

"Let's talk inside." Lin Qingqing took Su Jiaojiao's hand and led her into the east room.

The room was much cooler and had a faint herbal scent.

Lin Qingqing had Su Jiaojiao sit on the edge of the bed, while she moved a small stool and sat opposite her, placing three fingers on Su Jiaojiao's wrist pulse.

Lin Qingqing held her breath; the pulse beneath her fingertips was smooth as rolling beads, beating strongly. She switched hands and checked several times.

"You haven't told your family yet?" Lin Qingqing withdrew her hand, her voice very low. "Su Jiaojiao, you're really bold."

Su Jiaojiao seemed to have all her strength drained away at once, her back slumped, and her eyes instantly reddened. "I don't know how to start the conversation."

Lin Qingqing shook her head: "It's nothing serious. It's been more than three months, so it's normal to have some discomfort."

"I'm an apprentice. If you don't believe me, wait for my third brother to come back and have him examine you again." Lin Qingqing looked at her. "What did Chen Qinghe say?"

Upon hearing this name, tears welled up in Su Jiaojiao's eyes and fell onto the back of her hand.

She felt as if all her strength had been drained, and slumped onto the stool. She covered her face, her shoulders heaving violently, but dared not cry out, only letting out suppressed sobs.

In this day and age, being pregnant out of wedlock is something that will be condemned behind one's back. Especially since her father is the village chief, if word gets out, the Su family's reputation will be completely ruined.

In the whole village, only Chen Qinghe could be so infatuated with this proud young lady.

Su Jiaojiao's tears streamed down her face, soaking her hands. "He said... he said now is a crucial time to return to the city, and I can't be a burden. He told me to wait, and that he would come to pick me up once he got back and made all the arrangements..."

"You actually believe this nonsense?" Lin Qingqing couldn't help but sneer.

You can't believe a single word a man says in bed. Especially not a scholar like Chen Qinghe who thinks highly of himself.

In his eyes, Su Jiaojiao was probably just a pastime for him when he was lonely in the countryside, or a stepping stone to return to the city.

"But... but what can I do?" Su Jiaojiao raised her head, her eyes red and swollen. "If I make a scene, my dad will beat me to death. And... and I can't bear to part with him."

That's how foolish women are.

Even though she had already been pushed to the edge of a cliff, she was still worried about whether the hand that pushed her down was warm.

Lin Qingqing sighed, took a handkerchief from her pocket and handed it to him, "This can't be hidden. Don't think you can get away with it by tightening your belt. In another month, your pregnancy will be showing. It'll be fine in winter when you're wearing thick clothes, but where will you hide it when spring comes?"

Su Jiaojiao took the handkerchief and clutched it tightly in her hand. "Qingqing, please help me... Dr. Gu must have a way. I want to... I want to..."

"Get rid of it?" Lin Qingqing took over the conversation.

Su Jiaojiao trembled, but remained silent, which was taken as tacit agreement.

"I can't make this decision, and Third Brother might not be willing to do it either. It's illegal, and it's also a sinful act." Lin Qingqing stood up, looking at the setting sun in the west. "Go back and think it over carefully. This child is a life, and you are a life too. Is it worth it for a man?"

Su Jiaojiao stood up dejectedly and stumbled out.