Qin Lie’s originally dark and terrifying expression instantly froze.
He stared in astonishment at the small, fair hand tinged with pink that had extended right before his eyes.
The feeling in his heart was strange.
In everyone’s eyes, because of his poor background, he was guilty.
He deserved to die, but out of pity, they believed he should live like an ox or a horse, suffering to repay his debts.
Thus, Qin Lie never dared to hope for anyone to defend or favor him. But when Li Jiao personally said she would marry him, he was filled with trepidation.
Even though Li Jiao stood high above him, the fact that she didn’t disdain his background at the time was enough. So, he endured her frequent scolding and beatings.
But Li Jiao had repeatedly—even the entire village knew—shown her affection for Li Wenbo. Qin Lie’s once passionate heart gradually grew cold.
Just yesterday, he had convinced himself to let Li Jiao go, giving her all his money as compensation for their time together since marriage.
Yet now… barely a night later, she seemed like a different person.
Qin Lie lowered his gaze, hiding the fleeting gloom in his eyes.
It was good that she had changed. Whether she had truly had a change of heart or was acting to deceive him for Li Wenbo’s sake, as long as she was willing to put on a show, he was willing to play along.
If it really was an act, he would lock her up at the first sign of her trying to escape, making sure she couldn’t go anywhere.
As Qin Lie’s dark thoughts swirled, Li Jiao had already crouched by the edge of the kang. “Let me see your leg.”
Qin Lie’s throat tightened, and he instinctively flinched, pressing the quilt tightly with his large hand. A trace of embarrassment flashed across his pale face. “Don’t look… it’s dirty and smells.”
“Let go!” Li Jiao’s eyes reddened as she shouted sharply. Taking advantage of Qin Lie’s momentary daze, she yanked the quilt aside.
A nauseating stench of rot assaulted her nostrils, mixed with the smell of blood and medicinal wine.
Li Jiao’s pupils contracted sharply. All she could see was Qin Lie’s right leg, the bone below the knee twisted and deformed.
The tattered strips of cloth wrapped around it were soaked through with pus and blood, turning a dark brown and clinging tightly to the flesh.
Even more terrifying was the skin around the wound, which was no longer normally red and swollen. At some point, it had turned a dark purple, even appearing somewhat glossy.
Li Jiao felt as if someone were choking her throat, making it hard to breathe.
Qin Lie’s leg was clearly showing signs of gangrene!
Before being exposed as a fake heiress and sent back, Li Jiao had been immersed in the world of traditional Chinese medicine under the guidance of her grandfather, a renowned master in Beijing. She recognized the signs at a glance.
Injured in a filthy black coal mine and only treated haphazardly by a barefoot doctor with folk remedies, infection was inevitable.
If debridement surgery wasn’t performed immediately, once the toxins spread to the heart and caused sepsis, even a miracle wouldn’t save him.
Li Jiao’s face grew even paler. She looked up abruptly, staring intently at Qin Lie. “We can’t delay any longer. We’re going to the county hospital—right now. Your leg needs surgery immediately!”
“No.” The man’s refusal was brief and resolute.
He pulled the quilt back over his leg and closed his eyes, avoiding her reddened gaze.
The fever that had subsided in the middle of the night had returned, making Qin Lie’s breath now frighteningly hot.
“Jiaojiao, don’t waste the money. This leg was crushed by rocks in the mine—the bones are shattered. It can’t be fixed.”
“You know what my background is. The villagers call me a bad seed. The life of someone like me is worthless—it’s not worth five hundred yuan.”
Qin Lie opened his eyes, the self-loathing and despair in his gaze spreading, yet deep within lay a desperate, probing gamble.
He looked at Li Jiao, his tone almost pleading: “But this money is clean, earned with my leg. Take it, go back to the city, or find a decent, respectable man to marry… Don’t let a cripple like me drag you down.”
Smack!
Li Jiao was furious. She grabbed the blue cloth bundle from under the pillow and slammed it hard against his chest.
“Qin Lie, you bastard!” Tears fell from her eyes in large drops, but she gritted her teeth and said fiercely, “What good seed or bad seed? All I know is you’re my man. Your life is mine, your leg is mine, and I say we’re getting it treated!”
“If you dare die, I’ll use this money to buy pesticide, and we’ll die together. Then I’ll haunt you as a ghost, so you can’t shake me off even in your next life!”
Die together? Haunt him even as a ghost?
Qin Lie heard the frantic beating of his own heart.
It sounded too beautiful. Looking at her tear-streaked, delicate face, a twisted desire for control raged within him.
Qin Lie’s Adam’s apple bobbed, but in the end, he said nothing.
“Wait! I’ll find a cart!”
Li Jiao wiped her tears, turned, and rushed out into the wind and snow.
Watching Li Jiao’s retreating figure, Qin Lie suddenly let out a soft laugh. His Jiao Jiao was truly adorable.
Shishui Village had only two ox carts.
Li Jiao went straight to knock on the door of Third Uncle’s house next door.
Qin’s Third Uncle was a snob. Usually, he’d avoid Qin Lie on sight, afraid of catching bad luck, let alone Qin Lie’s wife, Li Jiao.
But Li Jiao didn’t waste words. She pulled out the money she had just taken earlier. “Take us to town to catch the tractor. Five yuan. Are you going or not?”
Third Uncle, who had been about to say something about bad luck, swallowed his words upon seeing the crisp five-yuan note.
That was five or six days’ wages for an ordinary worker! This wasteful girl really just handed it over!
“Going! I’ll hitch the cart right away!”
Refusing at a time like this would just be foolish.
Ten minutes later, the ox cart stopped in front of the Qin family’s dilapidated hut.
Li Jiao was weak and couldn’t support the nearly two-meter-tall man.
Just as she was about to call for help, she saw Qin Lie had already gritted his teeth and sat up.
Cold sweat beaded on his forehead, veins bulging. With every movement, the shattered bones ground against flesh, a pain that pierced to the core.
But he didn’t make a sound, afraid Li Jiao would tire herself, and even more afraid she’d have to beg others and suffer their scorn.
As long as he had a breath left, he absolutely wouldn’t let Li Jiao—who was still his woman for now—endure any grievance.
Finally, with Li Jiao’s support, Qin Lie half-dragged, half-shuffled his way onto the ox cart.
Li Jiao brought out all the quilts from the house, wrapping him up tightly, while she herself curled up in his arms to block the wind.
The ox cart creaked and groaned as it rolled over the accumulated snow toward the village entrance.
Early in the morning, quite a few people had already gathered by the well at the village entrance to fetch water.
Suddenly spotting this ox cart, the villagers’ gazes turned meaningful.
“Well, if it isn’t the Qin family’s little black bastard! Where are you off to?”
“Tsk, I heard earlier. He’s being fooled by that fake young miss into getting his leg treated. But that Li Jiao doesn’t seem like she has good intentions. Clearly, she’s planning to take the money and run once they reach town!”
“Exactly, exactly! A fallen fake phoenix paired with a black dog with a broken leg—what good end could there be? Looks like the Qin family is about to lose both the lady and the money this time!”
In the wind and snow, those cutting remarks wormed their way into their ears.
Qin Lie’s hand under the blanket suddenly clenched.
Li Jiao, however, abruptly poked her head out from under the covers and glared fiercely at those people.
Then, in front of the entire village, she wrapped her arms around Qin Lie’s waist, pressed her face against his burning chest, and shouted loudly, “Drive! Third Uncle, hurry up—I don’t want these ill-omened mouths to dirty my ears and my husband’s!”
Qin Lie’s already flushed earlobes turned even redder at the word “husband”!