Early the next morning, just as the sky was barely beginning to lighten.
Su Wan woke up thirsty.
She hadn’t eaten or drunk anything all day yesterday, and after the ordeal of the night, her throat felt like it was on fire—dry and burning.
Forcing her sore body upright, she pushed open the woodshed door.
The courtyard was quiet. Zhang Guihua and Wang Dajun hadn’t returned yet—likely still tied up by Wang Ergou’s mother.
Su Wan picked up a shoulder pole and a wooden bucket and limped toward the village well.
The early morning air carried a damp, earthy smell that felt cold as it entered her lungs.
At the well, she tied the bucket to the rope and dropped it down.
Splash.
She turned the crank and drew the water up.
But when she lifted the bucket to the edge of the well, something felt wrong.
Why was it so heavy?
Looking down, she saw something dark inside the clear well water—a black oil-paper bundle lying at the bottom.
Her heart skipped a beat. She quickly reached into the icy water and pulled it out.
The bundle was heavy, tightly wrapped in layers of oil paper and bound with thick hemp rope.
She glanced around to make sure no one was watching, then carefully untied it and peeled back the layers.
The moment she saw what was inside, her breathing stopped.
It was a whole block of brown sugar—deep red, rich in color, with a sweet fragrance. Next to it were two boiled eggs. Though already cold, in Su Wan’s eyes, they were more precious than gold.
In this era of scarcity, brown sugar and eggs were luxury items meant for women who had just given birth. In three years at the Wang family, she hadn’t even seen a grain of brown sugar.
At the bottom of the package lay a crumpled piece of cigarette box paper.
Her hands trembling, Su Wan unfolded it.
There were no words.
Only a crude symbol drawn in charcoal—twisted and uneven, like a bolt of lightning… or a rough version of the character “Lei” (thunder).
Su Wan stared at it, and her face instantly flushed red all the way to her ears.
Lei Deshui…
That tall, rough, and brutal man… actually had this kind of thoughtfulness?
She thought of the blood-stained stone from last night, then looked at the brown sugar and eggs in her hands. A warmth she had never felt before surged in her heart.
It rose from her fingertips, spreading inward—sour, swollen, making her want to cry and smile at the same time.
She quickly rewrapped the oil-paper bundle and hid it close to her body. The two eggs pressed against her skin through her clothes—cold, yet somehow like two burning embers, making her heart race.
In the following days, the Wang family unusually quieted down.
It was said that Wang Ergou needed three stitches in his head, and Zhang Guihua had to pay a lot of money and grain to settle the matter.
Wang Dajun, on the other hand, acted like a wilted eggplant—staying indoors all day, avoiding Su Wan whenever he saw her, his eyes shifting uneasily as if afraid of bad luck.
Su Wan was not idle either. Zhang Guihua sent her to the fields to weed.
“If you don’t lay eggs, fine. But if you don’t even work, what use are you to me!” Zhang Guihua sneered, her tongue still as sharp as ever, though she no longer dared to hit her.
The midday sun was vicious, baking the ground until it felt like it would crack open.
Su Wan wore a straw hat and swung her hoe in the field. Her body was already weak. The night with Lei Deshui had left her thighs still aching, and combined with hunger, she soon felt dizzy and drenched in cold sweat.
Passing villagers pointed and whispered.
“Look, that’s the Wang family’s daughter-in-law.”
“Heard she can’t even bear children. What a waste of that face.”
“Pretty but useless.”
The gossip buzzed like flies in her ears.
Su Wan bit her lip and pretended not to hear, continuing her mechanical movements.
Eventually, unable to hold on, she looked around and slipped into the thick sorghum field beside the ridge, hoping to rest in the shade.
The sorghum grew taller than a person, dense like a natural wall.
She had just sat down, not even having time to wipe her sweat—
When suddenly, a large hand shot out from behind the sorghum stalks and grabbed her wrist tightly!
“Aah!”
Su Wan had just tried to cry out when a rough hand covered her mouth.
In the next moment, a huge force yanked her backward, dragging her straight into a flattened patch of sorghum stalks.
Her world spun—and she was pinned beneath a firm, burning-hot body.
That familiar, intense mix of sweat and tobacco instantly enveloped her.
Su Wan widened her eyes in panic, only to meet a pair of burning, fiery eyes.
It was Lei Deshui.
He was bare-chested, a filthy towel draped around his neck. His muscular body was slick with sweat, glistening in the dappled sunlight and shadows.
Those eyes stared straight at her, as if he wanted to swallow her whole.
“Lei… Brother Lei?”
Her heart pounded wildly. Instinctively, she tried to push him away.
“You… what are you doing here?”
“Shh.”
Lei Deshui released his hand from her mouth and brushed his rough fingers across her cracked lips. His calloused fingertips scraped slightly, causing pain—but also a strange, tingling sensation.
“Drink water.”
With his other hand, he lifted a military-green metal water flask, unscrewed the lid, and brought it to her lips.
“I’m not thirsty…” Su Wan instinctively refused. In broad daylight, if anyone saw them in the sorghum field, she would truly have no way out.
“Drink!”
Lei Deshui frowned, his tone turning forceful.
“I specially added sugar.”
Unable to resist him, Su Wan opened her mouth.
The flask tilted. He fed her a little too quickly, and sweet water spilled from the corner of her mouth, trickling down her neck.
It really was sweet.
Even sweeter than the brown sugar from the morning.
After a few gulps, the dizziness in her head eased a little.
Lei Deshui watched her throat move as she drank, his gaze growing darker, his breathing heavier.
He casually tossed the flask aside, his large hand gripping her slender waist. Through the thin fabric, the heat of his palm made Su Wan tremble.
“Did you eat what I gave you that night?” he asked in a low, hoarse voice.
Su Wan blushed and nodded.
“I did… thank you, Brother Lei.”
“Thank what?” he scoffed, leaning closer until their noses were almost touching.
“I’m not doing it for your thanks.”
His gaze roamed over her face without restraint, finally settling on her watery peach-blossom eyes.
“Has the Wang family done anything to you these past few days?”
“No… no,” she whispered, her body tense—afraid of being discovered, yet also weak under his overwhelming masculine presence.
“Good.”
Lei Deshui gave a satisfied hum. His fingers slid down her cheek and lifted her chin.
“Su Wan.”
He called her name with commanding authority.
“Hm?”
“That kind of thing… is addictive, isn’t it?” he suddenly asked, his lips curling into a mischievous smile.
Su Wan froze.
“What… what thing?”
He leaned into her ear, his warm breath brushing against her skin.
“Sleeping with you.”
Her face instantly exploded into red, so hot it felt like it might bleed. Humiliation made her want to find a hole to crawl into.
“You… you’re shameless!” she pushed against his chest.
It didn’t budge at all.
Instead, Lei Deshui grabbed her hand and pressed it against his rock-hard chest.
“It’s your man who’s useless,” he said darkly, his eyes burning with wild hunger. “For the past few days, all I do is think about you. That night wasn’t enough. Not even close.”
His voice dropped lower, like a hook dragging at her senses.
“Tonight, same place. I’ll wait for you in the melon shed.”
Su Wan trembled and shook her head desperately.
“No… I can’t go… I’ll be seen…”
“Afraid of what? Even if the sky falls, I’ll hold it up for you.”
He didn’t give her any chance to refuse.
He bit her lip hard—half punishment, half possession.
“If you don’t come…”
He stood up, towering over her disheveled figure, his eyes flashing with danger.
“I’ll go knock on your front door and carry you out myself.”