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

"What else does the book say?" Lin Qingqing teased him on purpose.

Xiao Yong didn't dare look at her, staring down at his toes: "The book says... says we should... be considerate."

"How can I be considerate?"

Xiao Yong took a deep breath, as if he had made a great decision. He suddenly raised his head, his eyes bloodshot, staring straight at Lin Qingqing.

"Qingqing".

He stood up and walked step by step to the bedside.

That oppressive feeling instantly pressed in.

Lin Qingqing subconsciously leaned back: "Second Brother?"

Xiao Yong didn't speak. He reached out his hand, his large, calloused hand paused in mid-air for a moment, and then awkwardly landed on Lin Qingqing's shoulder.

He remembered the illustration in the book: hands should be placed on shoulders, lightly and gently.

So, he used two fingers to pinch Lin Qingqing's clothes on her shoulder, and then... gently lifted them.

Lin Qingqing: "..."

This isn't being considerate; it's practically picking up a chick.

"Second brother, what are you doing?" Lin Qingqing asked, both amused and exasperated.

Sweat beaded on Xiao Yong's forehead. Something's not right. That's clearly how it's depicted in the painting.

"I...I want to give you a shoulder massage," Xiao Yong managed to say.

"Then why don't you pinch me? What's with holding my clothes?"

Upon hearing this, Xiao Yong finally laid his hand down firmly.

But he was a blacksmith.

He usually wields a sledgehammer weighing dozens of kilograms and holds red-hot iron blocks. He was thinking "go easy" in his mind, but he didn't control the force in his hands.

With that squeeze, Lin Qingqing felt as if the bones in her shoulder were about to be crushed.

"Ouch—it hurts!" Lin Qingqing gasped, tears welling up in her eyes.

Xiao Yong was startled and quickly let go, his face filled with horror: "What happened? Did you break it?"

"Are you trying to kill me?!" Lin Qingqing rubbed her shoulders, glaring at him angrily. "Is that a shoulder massage? That's a pair of pliers!"

Xiao Yong stood there, at a loss, like a child who had done something wrong.

"I...I didn't use any force," he said, feeling extremely wronged. "I only used about 20% of my strength."

"Your strength, even at 20%, could kill a bull." Lin Qingqing sighed, patted the edge of the bed, and said, "Sit down."

Xiao Yong obediently sat down, barely touching the edge of his seat.

"Second Brother, do you... want to be with me?" Lin Qingqing looked into his eyes and asked directly.

Xiao Yong was stunned.

He didn't expect Lin Qingqing to be so direct.

His dark red face twitched, and finally he nodded heavily: "Yes. I dream about it."

"Then you don't need to learn all that nonsense." Lin Qingqing reached out and gently grasped his rough, large hand. "You are you. You don't need to learn from Lao Si, nor do you need to read any books."

Her hands were soft, and her palms were warm.

Xiao Yong felt a sudden boom in his mind.

Screw the book!

Go easy on me, you son of a bitch!

He grabbed Lin Qingqing's hand and pulled her sharply.

Lin Qingqing exclaimed and threw herself into his arms.

It was an embrace as hard and burning as a mountain. Xiao Yong lowered his head and looked at the woman in his arms.

Her cheeks were flushed, her eyes were watery, and her lips were slightly parted, as if she were inviting someone.

He stopped thinking about where to put his hands, and how much force to use. All he knew was that the person in his arms was soft, fragrant, and someone he had longed for day and night.

The bed board began to shake violently.

Xiao Yong was like a tireless bull, sweat dripping down his forehead and onto Lin Qingqing's collarbone, making her flinch.

"Second brother... slow down... slow down..." Lin Qingqing couldn't withstand the storm-like force and scratched red marks on his back with her fingernails.

Xiao Yong suddenly stopped moving.

"What's wrong?" His voice was tense, filled with deep fear. "Did...did I hurt you? I told you I'm a rough person, I don't know my own strength..."

He started to back away, his face full of regret, wishing he could slap himself twice.

Looking at this big, clumsy guy, Lin Qingqing's anger vanished, leaving only helplessness and a bittersweet feeling.

She stretched out her leg and hooked it around Xiao Yong's strong waist.

"Who told you to stop?" she gritted her teeth, her voice barely audible. "I told you... not to use so much force, like you're forging iron."

Xiao Yong was stunned for two seconds.

Immediately afterwards, a low laugh came from the darkness, carrying the pleasure of triumph and an even more surging desire.

"Okay, wife."

This time, the creaking of the bed frame was more rhythmic.

The sound carried far in the rainy night.

Next door, Wang Dazui's house.

Wang Dazui was not asleep at all.

She was climbing a ladder, leaning over the top of her own wall, wearing a raincoat, her ears almost pressed against the not-so-soundproof mud wall.

The rain was loud, but that didn't stop her from capturing those embarrassing moments.

"Oh dear... my goodness..."

Hearing the commotion, Wang Dazui slapped his thigh excitedly.

"This second son of the Qin family, he usually seems like a quiet, reserved person, but I never expected him to be so vigorous on the bed!"

"Tsk tsk tsk, this bed board is about to fall apart!"

"That widow Lin, she usually acts like a chaste and virtuous woman, but the way she's making noise... it makes me blush."

Wang Dazui wiped the rain off her face, her inner gossip burning brighter than the thunder outside. This was big news! Tomorrow morning, she'd have to go to the big locust tree at the village entrance and tell everyone all about it.

This widow from the Qin family really managed to "sleep" the blacksmith's broken leg back to health!

The rain continued all night until dawn.

The next morning, the rain stopped and the sky cleared.

The air smelled fresh, like earth had been washed clean. The old locust tree leaves in the yard were a vibrant green, and a stray cat, soaked by the rain last night, was sunbathing on the wall.

At the dining table in the main room, Gu Qiangying slowly peeled an egg, his gaze sweeping over Lin Qingqing's obvious dark circles, a fake smile on his lips, without saying a word.

Jiang He, with his messy hair, glared at Xiao Yong with eyes like daggers.

"Second brother slept quite well last night," Jiang He said sarcastically. "Even thunder didn't wake you up?"

Li Dongye leaned back in his chair, looking at Xiao Yong with a half-smile, "That's right, Second Brother went to be a door god last night. He not only blocked the lightning, but also subdued the demon."

Only Xiao Yong.

This guy is like a completely different person today.

The injured leg that usually requires crutches was surprisingly free today. Although he still walked a little awkwardly, he straightened his back and walked with a brisk pace.

His dark red face was filled with undisguised pride and satisfaction, his mouth practically stretching to his ears.

"Come on, wife, eat some meat!"

Xiao Yong suddenly roared, precisely picked up the largest piece of braised pork from the plate with his chopsticks, and threw it into Lin Qingqing's bowl with a thud.

That cry of "Daughter-in-law" was so loud that it made the bowls and chopsticks on the table tremble.

A deathly silence fell over the dinner table.