After trying on the clothes and eating something, Li Jiao was utterly exhausted. She stretched out her hand toward Qin Lie. “I’m completely worn out today. Blow on it for me.”
The man’s large hands cradled hers, the contrast between his bronze skin and her fair, delicate hand strikingly apparent.
His Adam’s apple bobbed as he leaned in and gently blew on her hand.
The breeze he created made Li Jiao feel a slight tickle. She bent down, her gaze intense as she stared at Qin Lie. “Qin Lie, I…”
Before she could finish, the door to the hospital room suddenly swung open.
Xiao Zhang, seeing their posture, awkwardly rubbed his nose. “Um, comrade, the chief said he’s willing to pay three hundred yuan for the remaining Broad-tendon Vine you have. He also asked if you have any other methods for preparing the medicine?”
Li Jiao’s face flushed, but she didn’t pull her hand back. Instead, she turned to look at Xiao Zhang. “Sure, but diagnosing an illness requires observation, listening, questioning, and pulse-taking. I can’t just prescribe randomly.”
Xiao Zhang paused. “I have the medical records of those individuals here. Perhaps you could take a look?”
Li Jiao was momentarily stunned, quickly calculating in her mind. She had originally planned to sell the three bundles of Broad-tendon Vine for two hundred yuan—already a high price—and even that might not sell quickly.
The old gentleman was offering three hundred right away, just for a few preparation methods. Even if she didn’t provide them, he could likely take the Broad-tendon Vine to a traditional Chinese medicine practitioner he knew and get a prescription…
All in all, she was still coming out ahead.
Li Jiao immediately made her decision. “Alright, let me take a look.”
Watching Li Jiao and Xiao Zhang huddle together to review the medical records and write notes, Qin Lie unconsciously tightened his grip on the bedsheet beneath him.
The current Li Jiao was too dazzling. In just one day, she had earned more money than he could in several years.
With that three hundred yuan, why would she need to stay holed up in that impoverished mountain village, looking after a cripple like him?
Was her current gentleness just a ploy to lull him into letting his guard down, so she could take the money and leave without any burden?
Qin Lie stared fixedly at Li Jiao’s back, terrifying emotions churning in his eyes.
If… if his remaining leg were also broken, rendering him completely dependent and useless, would she stay by his side a few more days out of pity?
Or perhaps, in for a penny, in for a pound—just lock her away?
“Alright, that’s it.” Unaware of the man’s chilling gaze, Li Jiao finished writing the prescription and said with a bright smile, “Please take the trouble to move this Broad-tendon Vine away. My husband’s leg is injured, and I can’t lift it either.”
The extremely natural term “husband” caused the gloom in Qin Lie’s eyes to instantly freeze, while the tips of his ears uncontrollably flushed red.
Li Jiao walked over to Qin Lie’s side, beaming. “See how fast your wife earns money?”
“Very fast, very impressive.” Qin Lie lifted his head to look at her, suppressing the wild, dark emotions in his eyes. “You’re so outstanding. With this money, you could actually…”
Before he could finish, Li Jiao’s warm little hands cupped his face. “Whatever nonsense you’re thinking, hold it back. Qin Lie, money is lifeless, but people are alive. I earn money to support you, so don’t even think about driving me away in this lifetime.”
Qin Lie’s throat tightened. When a hunter calms a trapped beast, they always offer a bit of sweetness. He was that trapped beast.
But it didn’t matter. As long as she was willing to deceive him, he was willing to believe.
Even if it were arsenic coated in honey, as long as she fed it to him, he would gladly accept it.
Over the next two days, under the strong effects of the imported medicine, the blackish-purple discoloration on Qin Lie’s leg faded, and his high fever completely subsided.
Although the doctor recommended staying a few more days, Li Jiao disliked the hospital’s cold and damp environment and having to put up with the nurses’ attitudes. So, after specifically retrieving her gold ring from Dr. Wang, she used the remaining thirty yuan to complete the discharge procedures.
The tractor, loaded with the things Li Jiao had bought, carried her and Qin Lie back to Shishui Village.
As soon as they reached the village entrance, villagers who had been holding bowls of sweet potato porridge instantly crowded around.
Everyone craned their necks to get a better look. When they saw what was in the tractor bed, the crowd erupted.
“Oh my, isn’t that the Qin family’s second son? And that’s Educated Youth Li, right?”
“Goodness, look at what Qin Lie is wearing! A brand-new padded coat, and it’s extra thick too. That fur collar looks so warm.”
“And that—what Educated Youth Li is holding is Fùqiáng flour, isn’t it? And that white slab… my heavens, it’s pork fat! That big piece must weigh two or three catties, right?”
Li Jiao jumped off the tractor first, carefully helping Qin Lie down. Though the man had a cast on his leg and moved with difficulty, his tall stature, now clad in that brand-new padded coat, and the hardened demeanor honed from years in the black mines made him look like a high-ranking official returning to his hometown for a visit.
Meanwhile, Li Jiao carried large and small bags in her hands, the contents of the mesh bag making those around her swallow their saliva in envy.
“Aunt Guihua really wasn’t lying!”
Someone in the crowd whispered, “This Educated Youth Li is truly a spendthrift. I heard Qin Lie only got a few hundred yuan in hush money for breaking his leg in the black mines, and she dares to splurge like this? A padded coat, fine grains… does she not want to live anymore?”
“Exactly! They even brought the tractor right to the village entrance. How much must that have cost? With this kind of spending, how long can that blood money last? The Qin family is truly unlucky this time, marrying into a bottomless pit!”
The villagers’ gossip was loud enough for Qin Lie to hear, and he frowned.
How could his Jiaojiao be subjected to such disgusting talk? He had been so careful to protect her from any grievances—how dare these people…
Li Jiao, however, remained completely unfazed. She even smiled at a few familiar faces, lifting the bags higher as if to make sure everyone could see them clearly.
Just then, a figure rushed over in a flurry.
“Oh my, is that Second Brother and Sister-in-law back?”
Wang Cuifen had been at home drinking watery sweet potato porridge when she suddenly heard the commotion outside, saying that Second Brother had brought back a lot of meat. She immediately dropped her bowl and chopsticks and ran out.
At the sight, Wang Cuifen’s eyes nearly popped out of her head.
Goodness, that padded coat looked so luxurious! And those shoes on his feet—were they Huili brand sneakers?
But the most eye-catching was that slab of pork fat!
Everyone was craving something greasy these days. If that slab of fat could be rendered into lard and cracklings, how delicious would it be, whether mixed with rice or stir-fried with vegetables?
Wang Cuifen gulped, her greed instantly overwhelming her reason.
She was used to bullying Qin Lie and his wife, thinking it was as easy as taking things from her own home.
“Sister-in-law, you didn’t have to buy so many things just to come back! What a waste!”
Wang Cuifen greeted them with a forced smile, her hands already reaching for the mesh bag in Li Jiao’s grasp.
She even shouted with a righteous tone, “Come on, come on, sister-in-law will help you carry it. This leaf lard looks really good. I happen to have time, so I’ll take it back to render it and cook it for the whole family tonight. Da Bao and Er Bao have been craving meat for a long time!”
As she spoke, she actually tried to snatch it.
A cold glint flashed in Li Jiao’s eyes. She had long been prepared for this move.
Just as Wang Cuifen’s fingers were about to touch the mesh bag, Li Jiao deftly sidestepped.
“Ouch!” Wang Cuifen missed her grab, slipped, and nearly face-planted into the mud.
“Sister-in-law, what are you doing? It’s not even New Year yet, why are you bowing so deeply?”