Yu Qiaoqiao had heard a little about Qin family’s youngest son, Qin Jizhi, but only a little.
In the past, Yu Qiaoqiao had been completely devoted to Zhao Lijie. Even if a fairy had appeared in front of her, she wouldn’t have spared a second glance. She was hopelessly in love, stubborn to the core.
When she arrived at the Qin household, before even entering the door, she was pulled out of her thoughts by the voices coming from the courtyard.
“If you ask me, even fifty yuan is too much. If it weren’t for finding a woman to take care of the second son, why would we waste that fifty?”
“With that little hussy from the Yu family, she’s probably not even pure anymore. Giving her twenty is already generous.”
“If the second son finds out we got him a used woman, would he fly into a rage and—”
“Shut your mouth. As long as no one in the family says anything, who would know? He can’t even move all day—how would he ever find out? You better keep your mouth sealed tight.”
“I understand, Mom. Don’t worry.”
Yu Qiaoqiao let out a cold snort. It seemed her so-called husband wasn’t well liked by his own family either—he and she were both unwanted souls. What a pair of ill-fated lovers.
She pushed the courtyard door open hard. The Qin mother and Qin Jizhi’s sister-in-law sitting inside were startled. Seeing it was her, they cursed as they stood up.
“Do you have any manners? Don’t you know how to knock before entering?”
“I don’t have much manners,” Yu Qiaoqiao rolled her eyes directly at them. “That just shows we really are a family of the same kind. A match made in heaven. Gossiping behind the back of someone who can’t even get out of bed—so this is your manners?”
She put her hands on her hips, fully displaying the aura of a shrew.
“Comrade Qin Jizhi became disabled while serving the country. Aren’t you afraid of retribution for slandering him like this? And you’re his mother and sister-in-law, no less.”
Qin’s mother was afraid her loud voice would be heard inside.
“Don’t talk nonsense. When did we ever slander Jizhi?”
The sister-in-law quickly chimed in, “Exactly. When Jizhi couldn’t move in bed, it was Mom and I who took care of him, making sure he ate and slept well. When did we do any of the things you’re accusing us of?”
Yu Qiaoqiao didn’t bother arguing further and walked straight toward the house.
Before she even fully entered, a foul sour stench hit her so hard she could barely open her eyes.
She pushed open Qin Jizhi’s room door. Qin Jizhi, lying on the bed, was staring straight in her direction.
This was their first real meeting.
The moment Yu Qiaoqiao saw his face, she completely forgot the filthy, chaotic room and the stench.
This man was too good-looking.
Even though he was lying in bed unable to move, it did nothing to diminish his appearance.
His features were sharp and striking, deeply defined—far better than any male celebrity Yu Qiaoqiao had ever seen in the 21st century. Pure natural beauty, no modifications whatsoever.
From the way he lay there, he must have been very tall—what a pity…
That his legs couldn’t move.
What was called a “bed” was just a few broken wooden planks pieced together. It was already April or May, yet he was still covered with a military-green cotton coat, likely something he had used during his time in the army.
Before she even got close, the smell from Qin Jizhi kept drifting toward her. She forced herself to suppress the urge to vomit and put on a strained smile.
“Hello, Comrade Qin Jizhi. I’m Yu Qiaoqiao. I’m your… wife.”
Qin Jizhi’s wary gaze swept over her before he slowly said, “Get out.”
Yu Qiaoqiao thought he was just shy.
That made sense. A grown man who couldn’t move, eating, sleeping, and relieving himself in bed—dirty and miserable like this—wouldn’t want anyone seeing him.
In her previous life in the 21st century, she was a traditional Chinese medicine doctor. She had seen all kinds of difficult illnesses, life and death, and more complicated conditions than this. So to her, Qin Jizhi wasn’t just her husband—he was also a patient.
At this moment, her heart as a healer was at its peak.
Smiling, she walked over to him and reached out to lift his blanket. Qin Jizhi could move his upper body and arms. Before she could even touch the blanket, he suddenly grabbed her wrist.
“What are you doing!”
Even though Qin’s mother and sister-in-law’s conversation outside had been heard clearly by him, and he had also heard her defending him, he still couldn’t fully let his guard down.
Besides, men and women shouldn’t be too intimate. This woman just walked in and tried to lift a man’s blanket—what kind of behavior was that?
Yu Qiaoqiao didn’t expect that even after being bedridden for so long, his grip would still be so strong. She was pulled off balance and accidentally fell against his chest.
Oh my.
It was actually quite firm.
She gave him a coy look.
“Whether you want it or not, we’re husband and wife now. Let alone lifting your blanket—even taking off your pants would be normal. Comrade Qin Jizhi, don’t be so shy. You’re a grown man.”
“You!” Qin Jizhi was so shocked by her bold and shameless words that he couldn’t speak.
What kind of woman says things like lifting a man’s blanket or taking off his pants?
What kind of decency was that?
If he weren’t unable to move, he would have annulled this marriage no matter what.
It was far too improper.
“Alright, I won’t tease you anymore,” she said. “Look at the weather now. You’re still clinging to that military coat—it should be put aside. If you keep it on like this, you’ll really rot.”
Taking advantage of his momentary distraction, she pulled off his military coat.
Then she walked over and pushed the window open directly. Fresh air immediately rushed in.
A breeze stirred the loose strands of hair by her ear as she stood by the window and turned back with a smile.
“Doesn’t it feel much better after some fresh air?”
Qin Jizhi quickly turned his gaze away, remaining silent.
Yu Qiaoqiao was like a chatterbox. Even though he didn’t respond, she wasn’t awkward at all and continued speaking to herself.
“I assume you heard everything your mother and sister-in-law said in the courtyard just now. If I’m not wrong, this isn’t the first time they’ve said things like that.”
“I, Yu Qiaoqiao, can’t promise you much, but before I married you, I was definitely an innocent girl.”
As she said this, she felt a little embarrassed, her cheeks faintly flushing.
She looked straight at him.
“I know your situation, and you probably know a bit about mine too. I don’t care what others say outside. Now that I’m with you, let’s live our lives properly. With me here, no one will be able to bully you anymore.”