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

The heavy wooden door of the Qin family creaked shut, the sound of the bolt falling hitting Lin Qingqing's heart.

The yard was eerily quiet, except for the big black dog lying by its kennel with its tongue lolling out. When it saw Qin Lie return, it wagged its tail and tried to come closer, but Qin Lie glared at it and it whimpered and lay down again.

Qin Lie's hand hadn't let go the whole way back.

His hands were large and rough, covered in calluses, which made Lin Qingqing's hands red and her palms sticky with sweat.

"Loosen... loosen your grip." Lin Qingqing's voice was barely audible as she tried to pull her hand back.

Qin Lie glanced back at her, said nothing, and rubbed his fingertips hard on the thin layer of sweat on her palm before letting go.

The touch was so rough, like it was burning, that Lin Qingqing's fingertips trembled. She quickly put her hands behind her back and lowered her head, not daring to look at him.

"Go inside and rest." Qin Lie said this and turned to walk towards the hand pump in the corner of the yard.

Lin Qingqing felt as if she had been granted a pardon and fled into the east room as if escaping.

Upon entering the house, the oppressive heat didn't subside much. The mud-brick house had poor sound insulation, and the window paper was thin, so any noise from the courtyard could be heard clearly.

"Splash—splash—"

The hand pump handle creaked under pressure, followed by the sound of clear water flowing over the bluestone slabs on the ground.

Lin Qingqing leaned against the door, her heart still pounding, and almost unconsciously peeked out through the crack in the door.

That one glance made the color rush from her face to her ears.

Qin Lie had taken off his shirt at some point and casually draped it over the clothesline. It was a faded military green vest, soaked with sweat, hanging heavily.

It was midday, and the sun was scorching. The man stood shirtless by the well, his bronze skin gleaming in the sunlight.

He bent over and poured a bucket of cold water over his head. The water droplets rolled down his broad back, slid over the crisscrossing, hideous scars, and finally gathered in the tight, muscular waistband, disappearing into his loose waistband.

That physique was earned through years of risking one's life in the mountains and forests; every muscle was brimming with explosive power, exuding an indescribable wildness and danger.

Lin Qingqing felt her throat go dry, so she quickly covered her eyes, turned around, and leaned against the door, panting heavily.

Do not look at what is improper.

But all she could think about was that scene from earlier, and Qin Lie's domineering and unreasonable words—"You are my woman."

How could this man be so shameless?

Before she could suppress her embarrassment, a commotion suddenly came from Wang Dazui's house next door.

The two houses were separated by a low wall and a sparse bamboo grove. Normally, you could hear each other if you spoke loudly, let alone now that Wang Dazui was deliberately raising his voice.

"My goodness, the world has really changed. Widows don't stay widowed anymore; they sneak into men's rooms in broad daylight, aren't they afraid of rotting in the sewers!"

Wang Dazui slapped the quilts drying on the bamboo poles while shouting in his hoarse voice, as if afraid the neighbors wouldn't hear him.

"That's right! I just heard from Second Aunt that she was incredibly shameless on the mountain, her neck was covered in marks! Tsk tsk tsk, the Qin family is really unlucky to have provoked such a jinx. I think those brothers will be ruined by her sooner or later!"

Another woman's voice echoed, sounding like Aunt Zhao from the east end of the village.

"Cousin? I think she's a 'bitch' sister! What kind of cousin sleeps in the same bed as her cousin? I bet Lin Qingqing is a vixen reincarnated, who specializes in sucking men's life force!"

Those foul words were thrown at me like dirty water; you could smell the stench even through the wall.

Lin Qingqing's face, which had been burning hot, turned deathly pale instantly.

She bit her lower lip, slid down the door panel and sat on the ground, covering her ears tightly with both hands.

Don't listen, don't listen.

But those sounds are everywhere, like needles pricking into your ears.

Tears welled up and fell uncontrollably, landing on the back of my hand; they were scalding hot.

She knew that widows often attract gossip, but she never imagined that these people could be so venomous.

Just then, the sound of water in the yard stopped.

Then came a dull thud as something heavy fell to the ground, like a basin being smashed hard.

The cursing from next door stopped abruptly.

Wang Dazui probably remembered Qin Lie's fierce appearance on the mountain earlier, and he shrank back in fear, lowering his voice: "Alright, alright, stop talking. That Boss Qin is a madman, don't mess with him."

"What's there to be afraid of? He can't possibly climb over the wall and hit me, can he? Let's talk our own thing; we can say whatever we want..."

Although he was still being stubborn, his voice had noticeably softened, turning into a soft murmur.

The door to the east room was pushed open.

Sunlight streamed in along with the tall figure.

Lin Qingqing was startled and hurriedly wiped the tears from her face. She tried to stand up, but her legs were too weak and she staggered.

A large hand steadily supported her arm.

Qin Lie, carrying the steam from his recent shower and the unique scent of soap, mixed with a strong masculine aroma, instantly enveloped her.

He casually wore a clean black vest over his shirt, his hair was wet, and water droplets dripped from the ends of his hair onto his shoulders.

Seeing Lin Qingqing's red, swollen eyes, Qin Lie's brows furrowed instantly, and his face turned frighteningly gloomy.

"Why are you crying?" His voice was harsh and impatient, but he loosened his grip considerably as he helped her sit down on the edge of the bed.

Lin Qingqing sniffed, turned her head to the side, and said in a tearful voice, "I didn't cry."

"Your eyes are swollen like peaches, and you haven't even cried yet?" Qin Lie sneered and turned to walk to the table.

A large bowl sat on the table, steaming hot.

That was the sweet potato soup he had ladled from the kitchen before going inside. These grown men couldn't cook; they had left in a hurry this morning, and the little bit of sweet potato porridge left in the pot had already clumped together. He added some water and reheated it.

"I drank it."

Qin Lie shoved the bowl into her hands roughly, almost spilling the soup.

Lin Qingqing held the bowl, which was bigger than her face, and looked at the murky sweet potato soup inside, but had no appetite at all.

"I'm not hungry..."

"You have to drink even if you're not hungry." Qin Lie sat down next to her, his imposing manner like a mountain pressing down on her, causing the bed to creak. "You're as skinny as a cat, it's hard to hold you. Hurry up and drink, you'll have energy after you finish."

What's the point of having energy?

The thought suddenly popped into Lin Qingqing's mind, and her face flushed again. She didn't dare to think about it too much, and could only lower her head and sip her tea slowly.

The sweet potato soup was very sweet, and its warm sensation flowed down my throat and into my stomach, dispelling much of the chill.

Qin Lie just stared at her as she drank, his gaze unwavering and unabashed.

Seeing that she was drinking slowly, he clicked his tongue impatiently: "Why do you take those old women's nonsense to heart? They're just jealous that you're handsome."

Lin Qingqing paused, looked up at him, tears still clinging to her eyelashes: "They said I am... I am..."

Those two words were too awful to say; she couldn't bring herself to say them.

Qin Lie reached out and roughly wiped away a tear from the corner of her eye with his rough fingertips.

"What is it? Worn shoes?" He sneered, his eyes full of malice. "The shoes I've worn are precious shoes."

Lin Qingqing was amused by his twisted logic and wanted to laugh, but felt it was inappropriate, so she could only hold it in, her cheeks puffed out.

"Qin Lie..." she whispered his name, her voice soft and sweet.

"Call me Big Brother," Qin Lie corrected, his eyes darkening slightly as he gazed at her parting red lips, his Adam's apple bobbing.

Lin Qingqing bit her lip and didn't make a sound.

After what happened today, she really couldn't bring herself to call him "Big Brother."

Qin Lie didn't force her. He watched her finish the last sip of soup, then took the empty bowl and casually placed it on the ground.

"Stay here and don't go out." He stood up, looking down at her. "I'm going to chop wood in the yard. Anyone who dares to cause trouble can just listen to dogs barking."

After saying that, he turned around and strode out.

Before long, the rhythmic sound of chopping wood could be heard from the yard.

"Click—click—"

Each axe blow was swift and decisive, as if he were venting something.

As Lin Qingqing lay in bed, listening to the deep, powerful voice, her previously anxious heart slowly settled down.

She pulled the blanket over her head, the faint scent of tobacco from the blanket lingering around her nose, and she began to feel sleepy.

……

On the other side, Sun Erniang, carrying a basket, rushed to the Li family's house at the west end of the village.

The gate to the Li family's courtyard was wide open, and even before entering, one could hear cursing and swearing coming from inside.

"That damned little whore!"

Li Liu was sitting on a low stool in the courtyard picking vegetables, and standing next to her was a slovenly man, Li Ergou.

He's always remembered this debt.

"Hey, auntie, who are you cursing at? Why are you so angry?"

Sun Erniang swayed her hips as she walked in, a smile on her face that suggested she was enjoying the spectacle.

When Li Liu looked up and saw it was her, she rolled her eyes: "Who else could I be cursing? That jinx! What, you're here to laugh at me too?"

"No way!" Sun Erniang leaned closer, lowered her voice, and said mysteriously, "I've come to tell you something. Your good daughter-in-law really made a splash on the mountain today!"

Sun Erniang put the basket down on the ground and began to gesture vividly: "The whole village saw it, Qin Laoda was hugging her, they were so affectionate! And also..."

She paused deliberately, glancing at Li Ergou's leg in a cast, her tone becoming even more suggestive: "That little slut's neck is covered in red marks, densely packed. I bet those bachelors from the Qin family took turns biting her!"

"Snapped!"

The vegetable basket in Li Liu's hand was slammed to the ground, rotten vegetable leaves flying everywhere.

"Outrageous! Outrageous!" The old woman trembled with rage, her wrinkled face shaking. "My son's body is barely cold, and this slut dares to cheat on me! She's trying to rip off the Li family's reputation and trample it on the ground!"

Li Ergou was so angry his eyes turned bloodshot, and he pounded the ground with his cane, yelling, "Damn it! That bastard Qin Lie!"

He gritted his teeth, spitting everywhere, "I haven't even had a taste yet, and he's already beaten me to it! That's the woman I've got my eye on! She's part of the Li family!"

Seeing that the fire was almost lit, Sun Erniang added more fuel to the fire: "Auntie, you have no idea how arrogant Qin Lie is. He said that Lin Qingqing is a member of the Qin family and no one can touch her. He also said... if anyone dares to gossip, he will raze their land to the ground."

"That's utter bullshit!"

Li Liu suddenly stood up, hands on her hips, her triangular eyes gleaming with greed and malice. "Lin Qingqing is a member of the Li family, alive and dead! Even if she's to be sold, it's up to me, Li Liu, and the dowry will go into the Li family's pocket! What are the Qin family anyway? Why should they sleep with her for free?"

The more she thought about it, the angrier she became, and the more she felt cheated.

Last time they went to see Lin Qingqing, they were outnumbered and suffered a loss, so this time they've learned from their experience.

That was a stunning beauty who could have fetched a huge dowry, but now not only have she not received the money, the Qin family is taking her away for nothing. It's like tearing out her heart.

"Ergou, go call your cousins!" Li Liu spat viciously. "Grab your weapons! Today I'll see if the Qin family really has three heads and six arms! If they don't hand over that bitch and pay back the money they paid for her, I'll die right here at their doorstep!"

"Alright!" Li Ergou grinned maliciously. Although he had difficulty walking, his excitement made him want to fly to the Qin family immediately. "Perfect, we'll settle this score tonight!"

Watching the Li mother and son storm off to call for help, Sun Erniang's lips curled into a smug, cold smile.

She picked up the basket and slowly walked back.

Let them make a scene, the bigger the better. Once they've completely ruined Lin Qingqing's reputation, let's see if those Qin brothers still want that slut!

……

The sky gradually darkened.

Night falls early in the mountains, and the surrounding mountains, like giant beast shadows, swallow the small Qingshan Village whole.

In the Qin family compound, Lin Qingqing slept very restlessly.

Her dream was filled with a cacophony of curses and countless dirty hands reaching out to her. She ran desperately, but couldn't move, and finally crashed into a hard, burning embrace.

"what!"

She woke up with a start, her forehead covered in cold sweat.

The room was dark, with no lights on. Only a sliver of pale moonlight shone through the window.

The sound of chopping wood outside has stopped.

Before she could even react, a series of chaotic and heavy footsteps suddenly came from outside the courtyard gate, followed by a series of loud banging sounds as if the wooden door was about to be smashed to pieces.

"Lin Qingqing! You shameless slut! Get your ass out here!"

Li Liu's shrill, piercing cries instantly shattered the silence of the night, echoing through the empty mountain village and startling a chorus of barking dogs.

"And those little bastards from the Qin family! You dared to seduce a widow, that's indecent assault! Hand over that jinx right now! Otherwise, I'll burn your den to the ground!"

Lin Qingqing froze, her blood instantly freezing.

It's my ex-mother-in-law... and Li Ergou...

The deep-seated fear made her tremble. She instinctively hugged the blanket tightly and shrank to the innermost corner of the bed.

In the yard, the black dog that had been lying down suddenly sprang up and barked wildly at the gate.

"Woof! Woof woof!"