Market day in Qinghe Town came once every five days.
Since it was only a short walk away, most of the villagers traveled there together on foot.
Early that morning, Cui Zhu came to fetch Arui. The moment she saw the dark circles beneath Arui’s eyes, she gasped dramatically.
“Arui, did you spend all night chasing cats?”
People always said night cats never slept, with dark circles around their eyes. Cui Zhu had never actually seen one herself, but she was convinced Arui looked just the same at that moment.
Arui forced a faint smile.
She couldn’t exactly tell Cui Zhu that she’d been worrying all night.
For the past two days, apart from sleeping under the same roof, she had barely seen Qin Lie at all.
She had no idea what he was thinking.
Even if he really was angry with her, she didn’t dare ask.
But when she put herself in his place…
She figured she would probably feel hurt too.
He had given her good food, cared for her, and looked after her in every possible way.
Yet all she’d done in return was try to distance herself from him.
Cui Zhu had only asked casually. Seeing that Arui didn’t want to answer, she wisely let the matter drop.
Everyone had things they preferred not to talk about.
Prying would only make herself unwelcome.
Grabbing Arui’s hand, she urged excitedly,
“There’s a monkey performance at the market today! If we’re late, we’ll miss it. Come on!”
“Alright.”
Arui quietly let out a sigh of relief before turning to lock the door.
The shabby old house was no longer as empty as it once had been. The pots, bowls, and cooking utensils inside were worth a fair amount now.
She certainly didn’t want to come home from the market only to discover they’d been stolen.
Although…
She doubted anyone would dare steal from Qin Lie.
After locking up, the two young women headed toward the market.
It wasn’t farming season, so the roads were unusually lively.
Aside from Cui Zhu and Aunt Wang, Arui barely knew anyone in Qinghe Town.
Likewise, most people had never met her.
Still…
Recently, Qin Song had been the only groom in town.
And Arui was the young bride who had become a widow almost as soon as she entered the Qin Family.
The moment she appeared, everyone immediately guessed who she was.
Several older women glanced toward her from the crowd.
They had already heard rumors about her beauty.
Now that they saw her in person, they realized the stories hadn’t been exaggerated in the slightest.
Her rosy cheeks, graceful figure, and slender waist made her stand out effortlessly.
There wasn’t another young woman in Qinghe Town who could compare.
What a pity.
Such a beautiful girl had such unfortunate luck.
She had married into the Qin Family only to become a widow.
Had she originally been promised to Qin Lie instead of Qin Song…
What a perfectly matched couple they would have made.
But the moment Qin Lie came to mind…
The women exchanged meaningful looks.
“Widow Zhou, heading to the market too?”
The woman who spoke lived next door to Elder Uncle Qin’s family.
She had attended Qin Song’s funeral and had personally witnessed Qin Lie taking Arui away afterward.
Arui didn’t recognize her.
She simply smiled politely and nodded.
She was beautiful, gentle, and soft-spoken.
Under different circumstances, people would have adored her.
Unfortunately…
Being a widow alone was enough to lower her standing in everyone else’s eyes.
Worse still, she was a widowed sister-in-law living under the same roof as her late husband’s elder brother.
The woman’s eyes darted over Arui before she covered her mouth with a knowing smile.
“You look absolutely exhausted. You must’ve had quite the night. The fact that you’re even able to get out of bed today proves you’re stronger than you look.”
Arui didn’t understand what she meant.
But every married woman nearby understood perfectly.
A man and a woman living alone together…
How could there not be sparks?
Especially someone as powerfully built as Qin Lie.
Just looking at him, it wasn’t hard to imagine how vigorous he’d be in bed.
A delicate little thing like Arui surely couldn’t withstand someone like him.
The women exchanged meaningful looks.
The obvious malice behind their smiles sent a chill down Arui’s spine.
Even her lips lost their color.
Only then did she realize…
They were spreading filthy rumors about her and Qin Lie.
She had never been good with words.
Now, anger and humiliation tangled together inside her, leaving her unable to think of a single response.
Before she could speak, Cui Zhu squeezed her hand and fired back without hesitation.
“Auntie Zhu, why did you bring your chamber pot to the market today?”
The woman looked utterly confused.
“What chamber pot? I didn’t bring one!”
Cui Zhu snorted.
“Oh? Then why does your mouth smell so foul? I could smell it from all the way over here.”
She pinched her nose dramatically and waved the air in front of her face.
Auntie Zhu’s face immediately flushed bright red.
“You little brat! I’ll tear that mouth of yours apart!”
Cui Zhu wasn’t intimidated in the slightest.
“So you’re allowed to make things up about people, but no one can answer back? You really think highly of yourself, don’t you?”
She had nothing to fear.
The Wang family was one of the strongest households in Qinghe Town.
Her mother was famous for arguing with anyone who crossed her.
Her father and three brothers always stood behind her.
Very few families dared provoke them.
Then Cui Zhu grinned.
“If you’ve really got the courage, why don’t you repeat those words in front of Qin Lie?”
“His hands have taken lives.”
“If he hears you slandering him, your whole family might not escape unscathed.”
The moment those words left her mouth…
Auntie Zhu froze like a rooster with its neck caught.
Not another word came out.
The people who had been enjoying the spectacle quietly stepped farther away from her.
Only then did they remember.
Arui might look easy to bully.
But Qin Lie certainly wasn’t.
Anyone reckless enough to spread rumors about him was practically asking to die.
Auntie Zhu forced an awkward smile.
“Widow Zhou, I was only worried about you. Qin Song’s gone now, but don’t grieve too much. Take good care of yourself.”
Arui’s face remained tense.
She could taste blood where she’d bitten the inside of her mouth.
If Cui Zhu hadn’t stood up for her today…
Those vicious words alone might have crushed her.
“You should save your concern for your own family.”
“We’re not related, so I don’t need your kindness.”
Even a cornered rabbit would bite.
Today, Arui had truly been pushed too far.
“Heh…”
Auntie Zhu’s expression became even uglier.
Only after Arui and Cui Zhu had walked well away did she spit angrily onto the ground.
“Shameless little harlot. You do those things, yet no one’s allowed to talk about them?”
Even so…
She only dared mutter those insults behind Arui’s back, careful to make sure Qin Lie wasn’t anywhere nearby.
…
After putting some distance between themselves and the gossiping women, Arui finally let out the breath she’d been holding.
She had always been timid.
It was rare enough for her to argue with anyone.
Now that it was over, her legs felt so weak they threatened to give way.
Supporting her by the arm, Cui Zhu still looked furious.
“Those busybodies won’t stop unless someone gives them a taste of their own medicine.”
“If they ever start again, don’t hold back.”
“Talk back as fiercely as they do.”
“Besides, you’ve got Qin Lie backing you. Even if you slapped one of them, they wouldn’t dare say a word.”
In Qinghe Town, Qin Lie’s reputation alone was enough to stop a crying child.
Children feared him.
Adults feared him just as much.
Seeing Arui refuse to rely on someone with that kind of reputation made Cui Zhu anxious on her behalf.
“…I understand.”
Arui nodded quietly.
Today, she finally understood something.
It wasn’t enough for only she and Qin Lie to know they were innocent.
Everyone in town knew she’d been forced to stay in the old house.
Yet they still chose to spread lies behind her back.
A chill ran through her.
She had never personally experienced the destructive power of gossip before.
But she knew all too well what it felt like to stand on the edge of death.
She wanted to live.
She didn’t want to die a second time.
If people were going to slander her even when she behaved honestly and kept to herself…
Then what was the point of deliberately distancing herself from Qin Lie?
If she wanted to survive in the Qin Family…
The only sensible choice was to maintain a good relationship with him.
Qin Lie was cold by nature.
He was only taking care of her because he felt responsible.
There was no reason for her to worry that he harbored improper feelings toward her.
Besides…
Qin Lie wasn’t truly capable of being a husband in the conventional sense.
Once Arui sorted through her thoughts, the knot that had weighed on her heart for the past two days finally loosened.
But…
She had already hurt him.
And for several days now, Qin Lie had barely spoken to her.
Her eyes dimmed, and her delicate face wrinkled with worry.
Right now…
The most important thing was finding a way to mend the relationship between them.