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

The barking of the dogs outside grew increasingly fierce, as if they were trying to scream their throats out.

Big Black is usually very obedient, but this time its bark carried a fierce, bloodthirsty edge. The courtyard gate was pounded on with deafening force, the two flimsy wooden doors slamming wildly against the frame, a sound that sent chills down one's spine.

Lin Qingqing huddled in the corner of the bed, gripping the blanket tightly in her hands until her knuckles turned white.

Li Liu's voice was like a rusty saw, cutting into her nerves again and again.

"Qin Lie! You heartless bastard! Get out here right now! What kind of skill is it to hide that used woman!"

"If you don't hand her over today, I'll hang myself right here at your doorstep! Let the whole village see how your Qin family bullies an orphan and a widow!"

Curses mixed with wails and the whispers of the surrounding villagers who were watching the commotion surged into the not-so-soundproof mud-brick house like a tide.

Qin Lie stood at the entrance of the main room, with his back to Lin Qingqing.

He still carried the freshly sharpened axe in his hand, its blade gleaming coldly in the moonlight. The man was shirtless, the muscles on his back taut, veins snaking down his arms like a bow poised to be drawn.

He didn't turn around, but his voice was deep and heavy, like thunder: "Cover your ears."

Lin Qingqing was stunned, and her eyes instantly reddened.

"Listen to me," he said again, his tone not harsh, but carrying an undeniable air of authority. "No matter what noise you hear, don't come out."

After saying that, Qin Lie pulled open the door of the main room and strode into the courtyard.

The bolt on the gate had been loosened by the impact.

Qin Lie walked to the door, grabbed the bolt with one hand, and pulled it back sharply.

"Splash—"

The moment the door opened, the noise outside seemed to be choked and stopped abruptly for a moment.

A large crowd of people stood at the entrance.

The first one was Li Liushi, who was sitting on the ground slapping her thigh and crying. When she saw the door open, the crying sound got stuck in her throat. She was so frightened by Qin Lie's murderous aura that she hiccuped.

Li Ergou stood to the side, leaning on his cane, followed by more than a dozen relatives from the Li family, some carrying hoes, some carrying carrying poles, and some even holding torches, illuminating the entrance to the Qin family's gate.

Qin Lie stood like a black tower, blocking the entrance. He was a head taller than the group of people, and with a casual chop of his axe against the doorframe, the blow went deep into the wood with a resounding "thud."

"Are you done crying?"

Qin Lie didn't even lift his eyelids, his voice so cold it was icy, "Get out of here after you're done crying. If you wail again, I'll make sure your whole family has to use sign language from now on."

Li Liu was so startled she almost fainted. But then she thought, "There are so many people behind me, what's there to be afraid of!"

She scrambled to her feet, pointed at Qin Lie's nose, and began spitting: "You, Qin Lie! You think you're right? Everyone, come and judge! That little slut was a wife my family bought with money! My son just died, his body isn't even cold yet, and she's already running off with the compensation money to some other man's house! Is there no law anymore?"

"Exactly!" Li Ergou chimed in from the side, his beady green eyes darting furtively into the yard, as if he wanted to gouge his eyes out and throw them into Lin Qingqing's room. "That compensation money was earned with my brother's life! It's our Li family's money! And that woman, Lin Qingqing, was born a member of the Li family, and she'll die a ghost of the Li family!"

The surrounding villagers, who were watching the spectacle, pointed and whispered among themselves.

"This is outrageous! She's just become a widow and she's already living with a bunch of men..."

"I heard the compensation is quite substantial, several hundred yuan."

"Tsk tsk, these Qin brothers are really bold. Aren't they blatantly trying to kidnap someone?"

Public opinion instantly shifted in favor of the "vulnerable" Li family.

Seeing that someone was backing him up, Li Ergou became even bolder. He took two steps forward, a lewd smile plastered on his pockmarked face: "Qin Lie, let's not beat around the bush. If you really want that little wench, it's not impossible. Give me the money! Spit out your compensation, and give our Li family another five hundred yuan as a bride price, then you can take her! If you don't have the money..."

He licked his chapped lips, his smile growing even more lewd: "According to the old rules, the younger brother succeeds the elder brother. My sister-in-law has nowhere to go, so it's only right that I, her younger brother-in-law, take care of her. I'll bring her back tonight; she'll be perfect for warming my bed!"

"Hahahaha!" The group of men brought by the Li family burst into laughter.

"Ergou, are you still okay?"

"That young wife is so tender, you might as well break her!"

The language was foul and offensive, and it was unbearable to hear.

Lin Qingqing inside the room heard it all clearly.

She trembled violently, her nails digging into her palms. Shame, anger, and fear surged within her like a pot of boiling oil.

"Succession by the younger brother after the elder brother's death?"

Qin Lie suddenly laughed.

His smile didn't make anyone feel relaxed; instead, it seemed to lower the temperature of the surrounding air by several degrees.

He slowly pulled the axe off the door frame and weighed it in his hand.

"I seem to recall an old rule," Qin Lie said, taking a step forward, his tall figure looming over Li Ergou. "Stealing someone else's property will get you your hand chopped off; insulting a respectable woman will get your tongue cut out. Which one do you want to try first?"

Li Ergou felt a chill run down his spine from that gaze and instinctively backed away, forgetting his leg injury. His legs gave way, and he collapsed to the ground.

"Mom! Look at him! He's going to kill someone!" Li Ergou screamed in terror.

Seeing her son being taken advantage of, Li Liushi immediately started throwing a tantrum: "Qin Lie! You dare to lay a finger on my son! Folks, everyone's watching! This bandit den not only robs people of money and people, they're beating people up too! Everyone, stand together and help! Retrieve that little slut! Get your money back!"

"Go! What are you afraid of? He's all alone!"

Someone shouted, and the dozen or so men brought by the Li family, relying on their numbers, rushed forward wielding hoes and carrying poles.

"court death."

Qin Lie's eyes narrowed, and he twisted the back of his axe without using the blade, smashing it directly onto the shoulder of the person charging at the front.

With a crisp "crack" and a scream, the man was sent flying.

The scene instantly descended into chaos.

Although Qin Lie was skilled in martial arts, this group was determined to cause trouble, and more than a dozen people surrounded him and beat him. Some grabbed his waist, some swung sticks, and others tried to rush into the courtyard in the chaos.

"Go in and arrest her! Strip that woman naked and drag her out! Let's see how she'll ever show her face again!" Li Liu shouted from behind, jumping up and down as she gave orders, her face full of malice.

A burly man with a fierce face bypassed Qin Lie, kicked open the courtyard gate, and headed straight for the main room.

Qin Lie was surrounded by four or five people. He caught a glimpse of this scene out of the corner of his eye, and his eyes widened in fury: "You're asking for death!"

He took a blow to the head, turned around and kicked one of them to the ground. Just as he was about to rush back, he saw the man who had rushed into the yard suddenly stop.

"state!"

A dull, loud bang.

The man covered his head, didn't utter a sound, and fell straight down.

Lin Qingqing had hidden behind the door of the inner room at some point. At this moment, she was holding a shovel taller than herself in both hands. Her whole body was trembling, her face was pale, and her eyes were filled with tears, revealing a fierce determination to survive.