Cui Zhu had only meant to ease Arui’s worries.
After all, now that Qin Lie had taken a wife into his household, there was no guarantee she would tolerate Arui staying under the same roof.
But Arui’s thoughts drifted back to that night in the ruined temple.
If Qin Lie was incapable of being a husband…
Then even though he had touched her, hadn’t she still kept her purity?
Although Arui had been married, she knew absolutely nothing about the relationship between a man and a woman. In her mind, a wedding night simply meant a husband and wife taking off their clothes and holding each other. She had even secretly worried that she might become pregnant with Qin Lie’s child.
Now, hearing Cui Zhu’s words, the burden she had carried for days suddenly melted away.
She and Qin Lie were still innocent.
Their relationship was nothing more than that of a widowed sister-in-law and her late husband’s elder brother. She no longer had to fear becoming pregnant and being dragged away by the Qin clan to suffer the cruel punishment reserved for women accused of immoral conduct.
Her eyes reddened with tears, yet a smile slowly spread across her face.
Cui Zhu, believing she had done a good deed, patted her hand.
“Feeling relieved now?”
“I am.”
Arui wiped the moisture from the corners of her eyes with her fingertips.
The two of them had spent quite a while talking past each other without realizing it. Then Cui Zhu spotted Qin Lie’s tall figure returning from the direction of town. She sprang to her feet as though she’d been burned.
“I should get going! I’ll come play with you again tomorrow. Oh, and don’t tell him what I said today!”
If that terrifying man discovered she’d been gossiping behind his back, he’d probably wring her neck.
Shivering dramatically, Cui Zhu hurried out the gate as fast as her legs could carry her.
By the time Qin Lie arrived home, she had long disappeared.
A large bamboo basket rested on his back as he walked straight into the kitchen.
Inside were all the things Arui had asked him to buy.
Cooking oil, salt, soy sauce, vinegar, pots, bowls, ladles, rice, flour, vegetables, everything had been purchased.
On top of that was a beautiful slab of pork belly weighing nearly eight pounds.
Arui’s eyes widened.
“Why did you buy so much?”
Even though she already knew Qin Lie spent money freely, she was still stunned.
How much silver must a piece of meat that size have cost?
“…Brother Lie, maybe… you should return it?”
She didn’t even dare touch it.
Back at the Zhou household, her mother only bought two pounds of meat during the New Year festivities.
Even then, she never dared cook it generously. Each meal contained only one or two thin slices, all of which went into Father and Little Brother’s bowls.
She and her two sisters were lucky if they could dip their chopsticks into the meat-flavored broth.
Sometimes there wasn’t even any broth left.
Qin Lie calmly put everything away before finding a hook to hang the pork from the ceiling beam.
Ignoring her suggestion, he replied,
“It can’t be returned.”
His face remained expressionless, his deep voice leaving no room for discussion.
Arui suddenly remembered what Cui Zhu had told her.
Perhaps because Qin Lie could never have children or take a wife in the future, he was willing to spend more generously on food and daily necessities.
His life was already difficult enough.
Why should she criticize how he spent his own hard-earned money?
The young woman quietly fell silent.
Qin Lie noticed the sudden change.
At first, he assumed his stern tone had frightened her again.
Just as he was about to soften his words…
He caught something unexpected in her eyes.
Sympathy.
Sympathy?
His brows knitted together.
Did she think he was some pitiful fool?
It was only a few pounds of pork.
He could easily afford it.
Why would he need to return it?
His expression darkened further, his brows lowering.
Although Arui felt nervous beneath his gaze, she still forced herself to smile.
“If it can’t be returned, then let’s leave it. You must be hungry. I’ll make lunch.”
Among today’s groceries were plenty of fresh vegetables and a block of tofu.
She decided to cook braised cabbage with tofu and pork, the perfect comforting meal for cool autumn weather.
The daughters of the Zhou Family had all learned to cook from childhood.
Arui had begun helping her eldest sister in the kitchen when she was only five years old.
She carried the basket outside to wash the vegetables.
Watching her retreating figure, Qin Lie frowned even more deeply.
Something about the little girl had changed.
He simply couldn’t figure out what.
After thinking it over, he concluded she was probably still afraid of him.
Keeping a straight face, Qin Lie picked up a hoe from behind the house and turned over the two empty vegetable plots in front of the courtyard.
The weather wasn’t too cold yet.
If they sowed the seeds now, they would have fresh vegetables in another month or two.
A home truly felt different once another person lived in it.
Arui had only been here for two days, yet traces of her could already be found everywhere.
The house had been cleaned until it sparkled.
Before he even had the chance to wash his dirty clothes, she had already laundered and hung them to dry.
More importantly, every time he returned home, a hot meal was waiting instead of a cold, lifeless stove.
Even someone as hard-hearted as Qin Lie had to admit…
Having a woman in the house felt nice.
Except…
That woman happened to be his younger brother’s widow.
His expression darkened.
Once the dishes were finished, Arui steamed several white flour buns as well.
Today marked the first time the old house’s kitchen had truly been put to use.
For once, she allowed herself a little extravagance.
The cabbage had simmered until tender and flavorful.
The tofu had soaked up every drop of the rich broth from the cabbage and pork. One bite released a deep, savory flavor.
The few slices of fatty pork were especially delicious, melting into fragrant richness.
After serving the meal, Arui stepped outside to call him.
Qin Lie set down the hoe and washed his hands at the well.
Sweat covered his forehead.
He casually wiped it away with the back of his hand.
The water dampened the scar running across the right side of his face, making it appear even more fierce.
Seeing that, Arui hurriedly held out a handkerchief.
“Please… dry yourself.”
She had embroidered it herself.
Tiny flowers decorated the white square cloth, and the edges had been neatly stitched with delicate thread.
It couldn’t compare to the luxurious handkerchiefs owned by noble ladies, but it possessed a simple charm all its own.
Qin Lie paused.
His eyes drifted from the handkerchief to her face.
The young woman looked up timidly.
The moment she realized he was looking at her, she quickly lowered her head again.
Her thick eyelashes fluttered softly.
For some reason…
He wanted to brush them with his fingertips.
His fingers curled unconsciously before he forced himself to look away and accepted the handkerchief.
A faint fragrance lingered on the fabric.
Light and gentle.
Just like its owner.
Comfortable without being overpowering.
His grip tightened.
A familiar heat slowly stirred within him.
That delicate sweetness slipped into his chest with every breath.
It was only an ordinary handkerchief.
Yet somehow it felt as though it had been soaked in an irresistible temptation.
An awkward warmth settled over the quiet courtyard.
Arui kept her head lowered, her breathing becoming uneven.
She had grown up caring for her younger brother.
Out of habit, she had forgotten Qin Lie was a grown man.
Even bathing in cold water wouldn’t make someone like him catch a chill.
He certainly didn’t need her fussing over him.
She twisted her fingers together until they nearly knotted.
After wiping his face, Qin Lie returned the handkerchief.
His rough fingertips lightly brushed across her palm.
He distinctly felt her body tremble.
Arui’s palm instantly grew hot.
“M-Maybe… we should eat.”
She hurried back into the kitchen before he could reply.
Gripping the edge of the stove for support, her legs felt weak beneath her.
Even though she now believed Qin Lie couldn’t truly fulfill the role of a husband…
She still couldn’t stop herself from being afraid of him.
Only after standing there for quite some time did she finally regain her composure.
Carrying the dishes inside, she found Qin Lie had already laid out the bowls and chopsticks.
The two sat across from each other.
Arui didn’t dare meet his eyes.
She simply lowered her head and quietly ate her vegetables.
The slices of pork she had cooked all rested in Qin Lie’s bowl.
Yet even with only cabbage, she ate happily.
The steamed white buns were soft and fragrant, especially delicious when dipped into the rich broth.
Although she had spent the past few days living in constant anxiety…
Qin Lie had never once treated her poorly when it came to food.
If anything, he had treated her far too well.
Since she was serving the meal herself today, she deliberately placed all the pork and tofu into his bowl.
She had even reheated the two meat buns he had left behind that morning and served them to him.
She was living under someone else’s roof.
Simply having enough to eat already felt like an undeserved blessing.
She would never dare ask for more.
But Qin Lie clearly wasn’t pleased.
Without a word, he picked up the slices of pork from his own bowl and placed them into hers.
“Eat.”
She was already so thin that a strong gust of wind looked capable of carrying her away.
If she didn’t eat more, how was she supposed to survive the coming winter?
Since Qin Lie had promised to look after her, he would never let her go hungry.
Nor could he ever bring himself to feast on meat while leaving her with nothing but soup.