Li Jiao scratched her head and was about to bend down to continue measuring when she saw Da Niu running over with an axe.
“Sister-in-law, Brother Lie asked me to go cut willow branches. He told me to tell you it’s too cold here, and I can handle the measuring later.”
“Cutting willow branches is hard work. Leave this small task to me. Come over for a meal later.”
Li Jiao smiled at Da Niu and was about to bend down when suddenly someone appeared in front of her.
“Da Niu, you…” The rest of her words were swallowed as Li Jiao looked up and saw Li Wenbo, wearing a cotton coat and a cloth strip tied around his head, glaring at her angrily.
Overwhelmed by hatred, before Li Wenbo could even react, Li Jiao had already picked up a nearby stone and hurled it at him!
Li Wenbo couldn’t dodge in time and cried out, “Ouch! Li Jiao, are you crazy? Look carefully, it’s me, Li Wenbo. You hit me a few days ago, and now you’re still not thinking clearly, doing this for that dark-skinned kid…”
Before he could finish, Li Jiao exclaimed, “Oh, it’s you! I thought it was some stray dog. You scared me, and I couldn’t help but act.”
Li Wenbo’s eyelids twitched as he stared darkly at Li Jiao. “What’s wrong with you? Didn’t you say you’d leave with me before?”
Li Wenbo was furious, but he didn’t have time to dwell on why Li Jiao had attacked him. All he wanted to know was why she had suddenly changed her mind about leaving with him.
Over the past few days, the family who had bought Li Jiao hadn’t seen her and had dragged him away, beaten him up, and even stolen his money.
He had barely recovered when he came to find Li Jiao, only to almost get beaten again.
Suppressing the urge to strangle Li Jiao, Li Wenbo forced a twisted, seemingly affectionate smile. “Jiaojiao, why are you suddenly angry with me? And why did you decide not to leave? Oh, didn’t I explain it to you? Lin Huahua and I are just friends. There’s nothing between us—she’s the one who keeps clinging to me.”
Lin Huahua was also an educated youth and had a good relationship with Li Wenbo. It was only after being sold in her previous life that Li Jiao learned Lin Huahua was actually Li Wenbo’s arranged childhood fiancée.
The money he got from selling her had all gone to Lin Huahua.
Two days before Li Jiao and Li Wenbo had agreed to take the over five hundred yuan and leave this place, Li Jiao had seen Lin Huahua hugging Li Wenbo.
At the time, Li Jiao cared deeply about Li Wenbo because if he ended up with Lin Huahua, no one would be able to take her back to the city.
But now, to her surprise, Li Wenbo thought she was angry and jealous.
Li Jiao ignored him and turned back to measuring the ground.
Li Wenbo couldn’t help but click his tongue in annoyance. “Jiaojiao, stop messing around. Look at what you’re doing. That dark-skinned kid’s leg is crippled, and you still have to serve him. You’re so delicate… Listen to me, tonight…”
Slap! A crisp slap once again cut off Li Wenbo’s incessant chatter.
Li Jiao shook her hand disdainfully. “Li Wenbo, can’t you understand human language? I said you’re a dog! Stay away from me. If you dare take another step forward, I’ll call the whole village to see how an educated youth like you acts as a homewrecker, seducing a married woman!”
“You!” Li Wenbo instantly flushed with rage and humiliation. Seeing no one around, a surge of malice rose within him. He reached out to grab Li Jiao’s arm. “You refuse a toast only to drink a forfeit. Today, I’ll—”
“Whoosh—”
A sharp axe whizzed past Li Wenbo’s crotch and slammed into the frozen ground at his feet, sending a spray of ice chips flying.
“Oh my, heavens above.” Da Niu had somehow returned unnoticed, scratching his head with a simple, honest expression, his hand still in the posture of having just thrown the axe.
“Sister-in-law, sorry about that. Brother Lie said we need to cut the willow branches at the roots to get enough. My hand slipped, oops. Hey, Educated Youth Li, what are you doing here too? I didn’t hit you, did I?”
Li Wenbo felt a sudden chill in his crotch. Looking down at the gleaming, cold axe, his legs went weak, and his face turned deathly pale.
If it had been just a little off, he would have been castrated!
Furious and grinding his teeth, Li Wenbo spat, “Well done, Li Jiao. And you, damn troublemaker—you’ll regret this!”
With that, he scrambled away, stumbling and crawling.
Li Jiao glanced at his retreating figure and spat in contempt.
“Sister-in-law, you’d better head back now. I’ll find time later to go into town and buy the agricultural film. You don’t need to go.”
Li Jiao nodded. She didn’t want to run into Li Wenbo either, mainly because she hadn’t figured out how to deal with him yet, and she was also short on money.
“Alright, I’ll head back then. Thanks for your hard work.”
After saying this, Li Jiao turned and went back inside.
Qin Lie was leaning against the piled-up quilts, his injured leg propped up.
He held a polishing tool in his hand, putting the finishing touches on the wooden base for the snowflake cream.
Out of the corner of his eye, he caught sight of Li Jiao’s figure, and his knuckled fingers paused almost imperceptibly.
“Tsk—”
A barely suppressed gasp escaped him, accompanied by a bright red drop of blood appearing on Qin Lie’s hand.
“Qin Lie!” The moment Li Jiao entered, she saw this scene and panicked. She rushed over and grabbed his hand. “What are you doing? Didn’t I tell you to rest properly? Why are you working on this again all of a sudden? Look, you’re bleeding!”
Li Jiao cradled that large, calloused hand, her eyes instantly reddening. She lowered her head, her warm breath brushing over his wound. “Does it hurt?”
Qin Lie lowered his eyelids, hiding the flash of cunning and possessiveness in his eyes.
He deliberately relaxed his strength, leaning weakly into Li Jiao’s embrace. “My hands are too clumsy. This wooden base was almost finished, and I didn’t want to just sit here uselessly, watching you work so hard all by yourself…”
His words of feigned misery and helplessness came effortlessly now.
Even with his handsome yet fierce face, there was no sense of incongruity in what he said.
He especially resembled a big dog acting coquettishly with its owner.
Li Jiao’s heart pounded wildly. “Who says you’re clumsy? Who says you’re useless? I’ve told you, don’t think like that. You were good to me before, and now it’s my turn to be good to you. Isn’t that how it should be? Don’t touch these things again. If you get hurt, I’ll be heartbroken.”
Li Jiao had always been straightforward with her words.
Upon hearing this, Qin Lie’s heart raced as if it were about to leap out of his chest, and he couldn’t help but feel a fleeting desire to let Li Jiao have her freedom.
But he quickly suppressed it. Jiao Jiao could have her freedom, but she had to take him with her. Without Jiao Jiao, he wouldn’t be able to survive.
Li Jiao held Qin Lie’s hand, examining the scars on it, when she suddenly remembered something. “You stay put for now. I remember there were a few medicinal herbs among the medicine the hospital prescribed for you. I’ll go get them first and use them now. Later, when Da Niu goes to buy agricultural film, I’ll ask him to buy some more to replenish the stock.”
With that, she hurried off to search through the medicine.
Carrying a few herbs, she went to the stove, heated up the large iron wok, and scooped out a spoonful of lard from the supply saved over the past couple of days, letting it melt in the wok.
Then, she tossed all the herbs in at once.
As the oil temperature rose, the pigment from one of the herbs, purple gromwell, seeped out, gradually turning the clear oil in the wok into a purplish-red hue.
The medicinal fragrance blended with the rich aroma of lard, making it irresistible to take another deep breath.
Qin Lie leaned against the edge of the heated brick bed, leisurely fiddling with the smooth, rounded wooden cushion, watching Li Jiao’s busy figure from behind. A satisfied smile curled at the corner of his lips.