Li Wenbo stared venomously at everything inside the house as if he had discovered a new world.
From now on, he had to keep a close watch on them. Only by catching them red-handed could he ensure Qin Lie would be sent to prison. With no one left to protect Li Jiao…
Hmph, he wouldn’t have to worry about selling Li Jiao for a good price then.
Inside the house, Li Jiao was happily grinding all the medicinal herbs into powder using the modified stone mill.
Later, the task fell to Qin Lie.
Li Jiao moved to the stove, where she continued blending the ointment using the lard rendered from the pork belly at noon.
Da Niu collected the ground medicinal powder and washed the boxes he had specially collected from the scrap station, arranging them neatly.
By now, the money Qin Lie had given them was completely spent.
The room was filled with the rich, mingled aroma of comfrey root and lard.
Qin Lie had been turning the mill for a while. Though the stone mill felt as light as cotton in his hands, and he wasn’t even breathing heavily, he suddenly stopped, frowning slightly and shaking his wrist weakly.
“What’s wrong?” Li Jiao, who had been keeping an eye on him, immediately put down the spoon in her hand and hurried over. She tenderly took his hand, her heart aching. “Is your hand sore? I told you this work is tiring. You should rest. Maybe let Da Niu do it.”
Qin Lie leaned against the piled quilts, a look of restrained strength on his sharply defined face.
He clasped Li Jiao’s hand in return, his thumb gently stroking her palm, his voice low and hoarse. “It’s not tiring. Da Niu does more than I do—chopping wood and carrying water. My legs are useless now… Only these hands can help you a little. As long as you don’t mind me being slow.”
As he spoke, he even glanced understandingly at Da Niu, as if genuinely remorseful.
Da Niu, who was tidying up the medicinal powder nearby, nearly dropped the winnowing basket in his hand, his lips twitching.
Though he was a bit simple, he wasn’t exactly stupid. Brother Lie’s muscles could practically burst through his clothes, and he was a strong man who could lift a hundred-pound coal block with one hand. How could turning a broken wheel tire him out?
Da Niu muttered under his breath, “Just now, when Sister-in-law turned to check the pot, he glared at me like a knife for being too slow. Now he’s acting all delicate.”
Truly, to live off a woman, he’d even throw away his pride.
Da Niu was shocked, Da Niu was confused, Da Niu scratched his head, Da Niu refused to learn.
“Alright, don’t push yourself,” Li Jiao said, completely unaware of the man’s layers of schemes. She only felt her heart ache for him, holding his hand and blowing warm air on it. “Rest for a bit. I’ll go check the oil temperature. We can start filling the containers soon.”
As Li Jiao turned back to the stove, Da Niu seized the chance to approach Qin Lie.
While adding herbs to the worn-out stone mill, he sighed, “Brother Lie, my eyes must’ve been faulty before. Everyone in the village said Sister-in-law was delicate and didn’t deserve you, but now it seems like you’re even more delicate than her.”
“Sister-in-law is really educated. With this fragrance filling the room… If it weren’t for her, we’d have nothing to do. The grain station won’t even let me move stuff anymore. Can I keep working with Sister-in-law from now on?”
Having learned that over fifty boxes of Purple Cloud Ointment had sold for dozens of yuan, he couldn’t help but feel tempted.
Most importantly, working with Sister-in-law meant having meat to eat. Even his mother had told him to work hard under Li Jiao, the high school graduate.
Da Niu’s words came straight from the heart. He had thought Qin Lie would be pleased, after all, he was praising Sister-in-law.
But unexpectedly, Qin Lie’s gaze, which had been fixed on Li Jiao’s retreating figure, turned cold the moment Da Niu finished speaking.
He slowly turned his head, staring at Da Niu, the madness and possessiveness in his eyes undisguised.
“Mm, from now on, your sister-in-law is the pillar of this household, and my life. It’s me who doesn’t deserve her.”
Qin Lie’s voice was low, but the smile curling at the corner of his mouth didn’t look friendly at all. “It’s fine to work under your sister-in-law. You’ll be guaranteed meat and wages. But about the Purple Cloud Ointment—aside from the three of us, no one else can know we’re making this.”
“Also, if anyone in the village ever speaks ill of your sister-in-law, or dares to set their sights on her…”
Da Niu gulped and cautiously leaned in to finish the sentence. “I’ll… I’ll tear their mouth apart?”
“Right, very clever.” Qin Lie tilted his head, the curve of his smile looking more terrifying by the second.
Da Niu shuddered violently. He’d never seen his Brother Lie act so crazy before. Why did it feel like ever since Brother Lie’s leg was broken, he’d become a different person?
Da Niu hunched his shoulders and nodded frantically. Brother Lie, don’t worry. I’ll listen to you. I’ll definitely protect Sister-in-law well. From now on, she’s the wealth god of my family.”
Just then, Li Jiao turned around with the prepared medicinal oil. “Da Niu, come take these over and fill the boxes. Don’t let your friend Lie do it—his hands hurt.”
The gloom on Qin Lie’s face instantly vanished, the ice in his eyes melting into spring water as he gave Li Jiao an obedient smile. “Jiaojiao, I’ve rested enough. My hands don’t hurt anymore. I can keep shaking.”
Li Wenbo, who had been watching the whole time, entranced by the aroma of lard and drooling uncontrollably, witnessed Qin Lie and Da Niu’s conversation but, for some reason, couldn’t make out a single word.
The scent of lard kept wafting around his nose, muddling his mind with its richness.
Suddenly hearing Qin Lie’s call, his expression twisted again.
“That damned cripple, how dare he pretend to be sick and make Li Jiao wait on him! A bad element like him, how does he have the face?”
Li Wenbo was furious. “Li Jiao is so hopeless too. Even living such a hard life, she refuses to come with me. The person who bought her from me isn’t some poor family—they could pay six hundred yuan for her, so how could they let her suffer?”
“No, I have to see what they’re really up to. I’ll make sure to send that bastard Qin Lie away. Once he’s gone, Li Jiao will definitely return to me. Then the money she earns will be mine, and I’ll still get the money from selling her! Hmph.”
As he was thinking, Li Jiao’s excited voice came from inside again. “Done! This batch’s oil temperature is just right. Da Niu, come quickly and pack the boxes. I estimate we can fill all two hundred boxes you collected!”
Two hundred boxes?
Li Wenbo’s eyes instantly turned green with greed. How much money would that be? If sold, it would be a huge speculative profiteering scheme!
Evidence! This was evidence!
Li Wenbo couldn’t wait to get closer and see those so-called boxes, to get a clear look at what two hundred boxes really meant, so he could report them.
He crouched low and crept step by step toward the window.
Completely unaware that this spot had just been specially treated by Da Niu with two buckets of water.
The ground had become treacherously slippery, covered with a thin layer of fresh snow, making it impossible to tell that it was icy!
As soon as Li Wenbo stepped onto it, before his foot could land firmly, it instantly slipped out from under him. His whole body went limp as if all his tendons had been pulled out, completely out of control as he fell backward!
“Bang—” A loud crash shattered the quiet of the place.
“Ahhh!!!” A piercing scream erupted instantly, sounding exactly like the first squeal of a pig being slaughtered during the New Year.
Inside the house, Li Jiao was startled, nearly spilling the medicinal oil.
“What happened? What was that noise? It’s not even New Year yet, but it sounds like someone’s slaughtering a pig!”
Qin Lie grabbed Li Jiao, who was about to head for the door, and said calmly, “Don’t mind it. It might just be stray dogs fighting over food and accidentally crashing into the wall.”