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

In the next room, 204, the tungsten filament of the light bulb was glowing red, and it emitted a faint electrical hum from time to time.

Jiang He rolled around on the bed twice, wrapping the already shabby blankets into a spring roll, leaving only his fluffy head sticking out as he stared at Gu Qiangying sitting on the other bed.

"Third Brother, where should we take Sister tomorrow? I saw a park in the county, and when we passed by earlier, I saw a sign at the entrance saying there were boats available."

Jiang He rolled over, lying face down on the pillow, chin resting on the back of his hand. "Or how about we go see a movie? I saw on the poster that it's a war movie, but my sister's too scared to watch that. Are there any romance movies?"

Gu Qiangying unbuttoned the cuffs of her shirt and rolled them up twice, revealing a section of her pale wrist.

He took off his glasses and wiped them: "All you do is play around. Have you finished your business?"

"Isn't the medicine going to be bought tomorrow?" Jiang He muttered, casually picking at a piece of plaster that was sticking up from the wall. "Besides, buying the medicine is your job. I don't know anything about grass roots and tree bark. I'm just here to do the hard labor, and... and keep my sister company."

Mentioning Lin Qingqing, Jiang He perked up, jumped out of bed, and sat cross-legged:

"Third Brother, do you think Sister is asleep right now? She's alone in that room, what if she gets scared? That window doesn't look sturdy, the latch is rusted, what if a bad guy climbs in..."

"There aren't that many bad people," Gu Qiangying interrupted him, her tone flat. "You'll be fine as long as you don't go in."

"That's not necessarily true." Jiang He pursed his lips, glancing at the wall next door as if he wanted to see through the not-so-soundproof brick wall. "I noticed it when we were at Old Li's house. That factory manager's son kept staring at my sister. He's no good."

When Li Wei was mentioned, Gu Qiangying paused in wiping her glasses.

Although that look was unsettling, they returned to Qingshan Village after finishing their business. It was perfectly normal for someone to have feelings for Lin Qingqing, given her good looks.

More importantly, her household registration is still with the Lin family.

This is always a minefield.

Lin Dajun's family are like bloodsucking leeches. As long as the household registration is still valid, they will have a reason to come knocking on her door, and they might even sell her again.

To completely sever this relationship, you need to transfer your household registration.

How to move, and where to move to, all require Lin Qingqing's cooperation. We also need to find out exactly what stage the procedures were completed when she married that deadbeat husband.

"I'll go over there." Gu Qiangying put on her glasses and stood up.

Jiang He's alarm blared, and he immediately jumped out of bed, his bare feet hitting the concrete floor: "Where are you going? To find your sister? I'm going too!"

"Put on your shoes." Gu Qiangying glanced at his feet, her brows furrowing slightly. "I'm going to ask her about her household registration. It's important business. Why are you meddling in this?"

"I don't care, I'm going anyway."

Jiang He hopped on one foot to find his shoes, saying, "It's the middle of the night, and we're alone together. I'm worried about you."

Before he could put on his shoes, Gu Qiangying opened the door and walked out, closing it behind her.

"Hey! Third Brother, you're cheating!" Jiang He shouted from inside, followed by the clattering sound of someone searching for shoes.

The corridor was quiet, except for the dripping sound of water coming from the water room at the end, which sounded particularly eerie in the empty night.

Gu Qiangying stood at the door of room 203 and knocked.

Knock knock.

The sound wasn't loud, but it was exceptionally clear in the quiet night.

A soft rustling sound came from inside the room, like slippers scraping the floor, followed by Lin Qingqing's slightly tense voice coming through the crack in the door: "Who is it?"

"It's me, Gu Qiangying."

The bolt rattled, the rusty iron striking the door with a teeth-grinding sound. The door opened a crack.

Lin Qingqing poked half her head out, her hair loose, still wearing that old shirt with a slightly large collar that revealed a patch of delicate white skin below her collarbone.

Seeing that it was Gu Qiangying, she visibly relaxed, her tense shoulders slumped, and she opened the door: "Third Brother, it's so late, is there something you need?"

"Let's go inside and talk."

Gu Qiangying squeezed into the room sideways, closing the door behind her, but without locking it.

The room was warmer than the hallway, and there was a faint scent of soap in the air, probably because she had just washed her face.

The scent wasn't fancy; it was just the most common Bee & Flower soap you'd find in department stores. But on her, it became a sweet fragrance imbued with her body heat.

Lin Qingqing felt a little uneasy.

The room was too small; there was only one bed and one table. When two people stood there, they were almost touching.

Gu Qiangying was tall, and standing there blocked most of the light, casting a shadow that enveloped Lin Qingqing.

She instinctively took two steps back, her knees hitting the edge of the bed.

"Sit down." Gu Qiangying took the initiative, pulling out the only chair and sitting down, crossing her long legs. "I have something to ask you."

Lin Qingqing sat obediently on the edge of the bed, twisting the hem of her clothes: "What is it?"

"Is your household registration still on the Lin family's register?"

Lin Qingqing paused for a moment, then nodded: "Yes. Back then... when I got married there, they didn't let me move, saying I could move after I had the baby. Later..."

After the person died, no one mentioned it anymore.

"Where's the marriage certificate?"

"I didn't even receive it." Lin Qingqing lowered her voice, bowing her head to reveal a slender nape of her neck. "The banquet is all it takes."

Gu Qiangying pushed up her glasses with her fingers, and a glint of light flashed behind the lenses.

Since we haven't gotten the marriage certificate and the household registration hasn't changed, things are much easier.

Once she settles things with the Lin family, she'll be free to go wherever she wants.

"What's wrong, Third Brother?" Lin Qingqing asked, noticing Gu Qiangying's confused expression. "Is it difficult to handle?"

"It's not difficult." Gu Qiangying looked at her expression, her throat suddenly tightening, but her tone remained calm. "I'm thirsty, do you have any water?"

Lin Qingqing quickly stood up: "Yes, I'll pour it right away."

She picked up the thermos on the table.

This thermos is for public use at the guesthouse. It has a red plastic exterior that is a bit slippery and doesn't have a handle.

With something on her mind and Gu Qiangying's eyes fixed on her, she felt as if his gaze was carrying a heat that made her back burn.

As soon as I lifted the bottle, my wrist jerked.

"Snapped!"

The thermos flask slipped from his hand and smashed onto the concrete floor.

The muffled sound of the inner liner bursting echoed in the small room, scalding hot water mixed with silver shards of glass splashed all over the floor, and steam instantly rose up, creating a white haze.

"Ah!" Lin Qingqing jumped back in fright, but she was too slow. A few drops of hot water splashed onto her ankle, scalding her and making her gasp.

Gu Qiangying reacted quickly, pulling her over and onto the bed: "Are you burned?"

Before Lin Qingqing could speak, the door was suddenly pushed open.

"What's wrong? What's wrong! Is that guy surnamed Li here?!"