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

In the afternoon, before the sun had completely set, a large patch of fiery clouds burned in the western sky, so red it looked like it was about to bleed.

The scaffolding has already been set up in the Qin family's courtyard.

Xiao Yong, shirtless, wielded a butcher knife with incredible speed, dismembering the wild boar that had just been prepared into eight pieces.

The pork belly is cut into thick slices and arranged in a large porcelain bowl. The red and white colors are pleasing to the eye.

Qin Lie squatted by the stove to start a fire. The charcoal fire was lit by him in the afternoon, and it was glowing red-hot now, without smoke, only the dry heat unique to charcoal.

Only the ancestor inside the house was not very peaceful.

"bitter."

Jiang He lay on the bed, his face buried in the pillow, his voice muffled, as if he had suffered a great injustice, "My mouth is bitter, and my heart is bitter too."

Gu Qiangying was preparing sugar water for him when she heard this. She tapped the spoon against the enamel mug with a clinking sound: "That's anti-inflammatory medicine. Of course it'll taste bitter. Good medicine tastes bitter, drink it quickly."

"I don't want to drink it." Jiang He turned his head to the side, leaving only the back of his head for Gu Qiangying to see. "It tastes all saccharin, it's awful. I want soda, Beibingyang, orange flavor, fizzy."

"I think you're just asking for trouble."

Qin Lie walked in from the courtyard, holding fire tongs in his hand, his brow furrowed. "You should be grateful to have something to drink, why are you making such a fuss?"

Upon hearing his older brother's voice, Jiang He shrank back slightly, but still refused to relent, grumbling and whining, "It's just so bitter... I'm already like this, I can't even have a sip of soda..."

His voice was weak and listless. Qin Lie looked at him, who was half-dead but still trying to cause trouble. He poked the ground with the fire tongs a couple of times, and finally sighed helplessly.

He turned to look at Li Dongye, who was leaning against the door frame watching the show.

"Fourth brother."

"Yes, sir." Li Dongye stood up straight with a grin. "I'll go buy it right away. Orange-flavored Beibingyang soda, and it has to be chilled, right?"

As he spoke, he took out his keys from his pocket and twirled them on his fingers twice.

His gaze swept across the yard and finally landed on Lin Qingqing, who was sitting on a small stool picking vegetables.

Lin Qingqing was looking down, holding a bunch of chives in her hand, picking them one by one.

She was a little absent-minded and didn't even notice Qin Lie walking past her.

Her small, palm-sized face was taut, her brows slightly furrowed, as if she had some unresolved sorrow.

Li Dongye's eyes flickered, and he strode over, bent down, and his roguishly handsome face suddenly came close to Lin Qingqing's.

"Cousin, are you picking vegetables?"

Lin Qingqing was startled and dropped the chives she was holding onto the ground.

She looked up abruptly, her eyes meeting Li Dongye's smiling, peach-blossom-like gaze.

"Fourth...Fourth Brother." She hurriedly picked up the chives from the ground. "You scared me to death."

"With such a timid nature, how will you ever get by?" Li Dongye casually picked up two cigarettes for her, bringing them closer. "Aren't you afraid of getting sick from being cooped up in this yard all day? Come on, let's go to town to buy some soda."

Lin Qingqing was stunned for a moment, and subconsciously looked at Qin Lie.

Qin Lie was fanning the charcoal fire when he heard the noise and looked up.

He glanced at Lin Qingqing, then at Li Dongye, who had a rather frivolous expression, and remained silent for two seconds.

"Go ahead," Qin Lie said. "It'll be good for you to clear your head. Drive carefully on the road."

"Well... I'll go change my clothes."

"Why change? This outfit looks great on you." Li Dongye looked her up and down.

She was wearing a floral shirt and black pants. Although it looked a bit dowdy, her waist was so slim that you'd want to reach out and pinch it.

Li Dongye opened the car door: "Get in!"

The large truck was parked at the gate of the yard. Lin Qingqing grabbed the handrail and struggled to climb up.

Li Dongye offered a helping hand from behind, gently supporting her waist with his palm through the fabric before quickly letting go.

The truck door slammed shut, and the truck started moving with a rumble, kicking up a cloud of yellow dust as it headed towards the village entrance.

Lin Qingqing sat in the passenger seat, her hands gripping the seatbelt tightly, her eyes fixed on the trees rushing past the window, without uttering a word.

The car drove out of Qingshan Village and onto the dirt road leading to the county town.

The road surface was full of potholes, and the car was bumping violently.

Lin Qingqing's body swayed with the car, and her shoulder bumped against the car door several times.

"What? Afraid I'll sell you off?"

Li Dongye held the steering wheel with one hand and rested the other on the car window. He glanced at her and said, "Why haven't you said a word the whole way? I wasn't very happy watching you at home either."

Lin Qingqing pursed her lips: "No, it's just... I'm a little tired."

"Tired?" Li Dongye chuckled. "Thinking about the men in your family, huh?"

Lin Qingqing's body stiffened, and her fingers tightened suddenly.

"take it easy."

Li Dongye stared straight ahead, his tone light and airy:

"There are only a few of us in this family, who wouldn't be able to see what's going on?"

The eldest brother is like an iron tree blooming, while the fifth brother is like a hungry dog ​​pouncing on its prey.

You're caught in the middle, torn between two choices, and you feel like you're not a good woman, right?

Lin Qingqing's face turned pale instantly after her secret was exposed.

She bit her lower lip, a wave of shame washing over her.

"I...I didn't..." she tried to explain, but found her words pale and powerless.

"Alright, stop explaining." Li Dongye interrupted her, took out a pack of cigarettes from his pocket, shook one out and put it in his mouth. "I didn't mean anything by it."

He jerked the steering wheel sharply, avoiding a large pothole in the middle of the road. The car shook violently, and Lin Qingqing cried out in surprise as her body uncontrollably fell towards him.

Li Dongye reacted quickly, grabbing her arm and steadying her.

"Sit still." He withdrew his hand, his voice lower. "In this world, it's hard enough for the living, let alone for women. You're a widow, and you're already the target of everyone's hatred in this village. If no one protected you, you would have been eaten alive by people like Lai Laoyao, leaving not even bones behind."

Lin Qingqing lowered her head, her eyes welling up with tears. Of course she knew.

"I know you think I'm... promiscuous." Her voice was soft and trembling, "But I have no choice. A married daughter is like water spilled from a bowl; I don't want to be forced to my death, nor do I want to be bullied."

"Who said you're so casual?"

Li Dongye took the cigarette out of his mouth and held it between his fingers. "I think you're quite smart. You know how to assess the situation and how to use your advantages to survive. That's not being careless, that's skill."

Lin Qingqing turned to look at him in surprise.

Li Dongye looked at the road ahead with a rare seriousness in his eyes:

"Look at this road, it's full of potholes. If you don't want to overturn, you have to adjust your direction all the time."

The same applies to being a person.

"Reputation and chastity are just honors erected for the dead. The living must first worry about their stomachs and their comfort."

"The world has changed now." He pointed out the window. "Disco is all the rage in the city now, men and women dancing together, arm in arm. Those self-employed individuals, who used to be called speculators, are now called millionaires, and everyone envies them. Rules are rigid, but people are flexible."

"If you follow the eldest brother, you'll find a powerful backer. If you follow the fifth brother... well, that kid may be crazy, but as long as he's good to you, you don't need to feel like you owe anyone anything."

As Lin Qingqing listened to his words, her heart felt as if it had been struck by something heavy.

When she got married, everyone told her to be virtuous and modest.

"Fourth Brother, don't you... think I'm bad?" she asked cautiously.

"Bad?" Li Dongye seemed to have heard a joke and suddenly slammed on the brakes.

The large truck screeched to a halt on the side of the road.

This is a winding mountain road, with dense forests on the side. There is no one around, only the rustling of leaves in the wind.

Li Dongye turned off the engine, turned around, and placed one hand on the back of the chair behind Lin Qingqing, adopting a huddled posture.

The air suddenly felt thin in the cramped carriage.

He moved closer to her, and his peach blossom eyes reflected Lin Qingqing's flustered face.

"If you're bad, then what are we brothers? Thugs? Bandits?"

Li Dongye reached out and gently brushed his fingertips across her cheek. The slightly rough touch made Lin Qingqing tremble slightly. "Lin Qingqing, in this family, as long as you don't look down on yourself, no one will."

Lin Qingqing looked at his face so close to hers, her heart pounding so hard it felt like it was going to jump out of her throat.

She had never seen Li Dongye like this before. He was usually carefree and irresponsible, but now he exuded an irresistible aggression.

"Besides..." Li Dongye's voice lowered, slightly hoarse, "you're not as innocent as you think. Can you honestly say that when you were in your older brother's arms, you didn't feel secure? When the fifth brother was being affectionate, didn't you feel your heart soften?"

Lin Qingqing opened her mouth, but couldn't say anything in rebuttal.

Yes, she was attracted to Qin Lie's power and also enjoyed Jiang He's dependence on her.

She was not a chaste and virtuous woman; she was just an ordinary woman with emotions and desires.

"Everyone has desires, and that's not shameful." Li Dongye's fingers slid down her cheek, stopping at her chin, and gently lifted it. "Like me now, looking at you, I want to kiss you. It's not because you're bad, it's because you're lovable."

Lin Qingqing's eyelashes trembled as she looked into his eyes.

There was no disdain in it, only an open and hopeful outlook, and a hint of barely perceptible pity.

"I……"

Before he could finish speaking, Li Dongye had already lowered his head and kissed him.

This kiss was unlike Qin Lie's domineering and plundering style; it was tentative and flirtatious, his tongue prying open her teeth and penetrating deeply, yet gently entwining her.

Lin Qingqing tasted the faint tobacco flavor in his mouth, which she didn't dislike; instead, it gave her a dizzying, intoxicating feeling.

With nowhere to put her hands, she could only tightly grasp the front of Li Dongye's shirt.

Li Dongye's large hand gripped the back of her head, deepening the kiss.

The temperature inside the carriage rose sharply, and the two men's breaths mingled, disrupting their rhythm.

After a long while, Li Dongye slowly released her.

Lin Qingqing was panting heavily, her cheeks flushed, her lips moist and swollen, and her eyes were as hazy as a pool of spring water.

Seeing her like this, Li Dongye's eyes darkened, and he suppressed his anger.

He reached out and tidied her slightly messy hair, then pressed his thumb against her moist lips.

"Time is too tight, my brother will be getting impatient soon." His voice was a little hoarse, with a hint of teasing. "I need to save my energy for when we get back to eat meat."

Lin Qingqing was so embarrassed that she buried her head low, not daring to look at him.

Li Dongye was in a great mood and started the car again.

"Hold on tight." He stepped on the gas, and the truck roared off again. "Hurry back after buying some soda, or the boss will come looking for us with a knife."

……

A few words:

I am guilty, I will definitely depart tomorrow.

Writing this now feels a bit abrupt, like suddenly driving.

Because Li Dongye is meticulous, unlike the eldest and fifth brothers, there is a difference between his roguish banter and his real-life confrontations.

In addition, the progress of the relationship also requires the female lead to awaken to her own human rights. This process may be a little slow, but there needs to be a catalyst. Fortunately, Li Dongye is often out and about and has seen a lot, so he can be the one to play matchmaker for the female lead.

Another reason is to make these characters feel more real and have emotions, rather than just driving for the sake of driving, since there's a lot of plot to come.

When a group of people come together, besides competition and jealousy, they also need love, family, friendship, loyalty, and shared aspirations. Only in this way can their relationships remain stable and lasting, allowing them to face future difficulties together. It is also hoped that through this process, Lin Qingqing can gradually transform from a timid young widow into a woman awakened to the changing times.

We'll depart tomorrow after our barbecue, so please wait another day, everyone.

If Jiang He is a dog, then Gu Qiangying is a wolf. As the old saying goes, feelings take time to develop. A wolf will surrender its loyalty only when given the right opportunity.

Don't rush the second child; the silly one will be last.

The train departs tomorrow.

The train departs tomorrow.

The train departs tomorrow.