The kang (heated brick bed) for left-behind women

Lin Dachun stood at the Sun family's door with the three hundred yuan in his pocket and took a deep breath.

The courtyard gate was ajar, and from inside came Wu Xin's sharp curses and Sun Taohua's suppressed sobs.

Lin Dachun pushed open the door and saw Sun Taohua kneeling in the courtyard, her hair disheveled, with a bright red handprint on her face.

Wu Xin stood in front of her, still clutching a fire poker in her hand, while Sun Laoshuan squatted on the threshold, smoking a pipe with a gloomy face.

"Uncle Dachun..." When Sun Taohua saw him, a glimmer of light appeared in her eyes, like a drowning person seeing a piece of driftwood.

Wu Xin turned her head, saw Lin Dachun, paused for a moment, then sneered, "Oh, Brother Dachun is here?"

Lin Dachun ignored her and walked straight to Sun Laoshuan, took out the stack of money from his pocket, and slapped it on the stone block next to him.

"Three hundred yuan." Lin Dachun's voice was flat, yet as heavy as a stone. "The bride price. Peach Blossom is mine now."

The courtyard fell silent instantly.

Sun Taohua stopped sobbing, Wu Xin almost dropped the fire poker in her hand, and Sun Laoshuan's pipe stopped in mid-air, his eyes wide open.

"You...you really came here to make money?" Old Sun stammered.

"Yes, I, Da Chun, was just joking with you. Otherwise, Peach Blossom would have been beaten to death by you or by that cripple Ma. From now on, Peach Blossom belongs to the Lin family." Lin Da Chun repeated each word carefully, "This three hundred yuan, not a penny less."

"Will it work?" Lin Dachun asked.

This matter had already been agreed upon beforehand.

"Sure, why not?" Old Sun replied immediately.

"Let's go then."

After saying that, Lin Dachun grabbed Sun Taohua and left without looking back.

Sun Taohua didn't say a word the whole way, she just kept shedding tears.

Lin Dachun didn't say anything, he just held her hand tightly.

When they reached the village entrance, Sun Taohua stopped, choking back tears, and said, "Uncle Dachun... I... I've caused you so much trouble..."

Lin Dachun turned around and looked at her young face, which was covered in tears, and felt a pang of sadness in his heart.

He raised his hand and clumsily wiped away her tears: "Silly child, don't say such things."

"But...but at your home...Sister Ruoxue, she..." Sun Taohua couldn't finish her sentence.

Lin Dachun paused for a moment, then said, "It's alright. I'm here."

Those two words acted like a reassurance, calming Sun Taohua down a little.

The two continued walking back.

Lin Dachun was actually quite confused.

He didn't know what the consequences of his decision would be.

What would Li Ruoxue think?

What will Lin Xilei think?

What will the villagers say?

But he had no choice.

He couldn't think of any other way to save Sun Taohua besides this method.

Even after returning the 300 yuan dowry, Mr. and Mrs. Sun would still think of other ways and find other buyers.

Only by giving Sun Taohua a proper title and a "master" can their hopes be completely dashed.

Although this title is temporary and fake, it is an absurd protection that this fifty-something-year-old bachelor gives to a twenty-three-year-old girl.

When he arrived at his doorstep, Lin Dachun stopped.

He looked at the familiar courtyard gate and suddenly found himself unable to move.

The sounds of Li Ruoxue and Lin Xilei talking, along with the clatter of pots and pans, could be heard coming from the courtyard.

That voice was so warm, so ordinary; it was the most comforting solace for him every day when he came home.

But now, he's going to bring another woman in.

He took a deep breath and pushed open the courtyard gate.

Li Ruoxue was picking vegetables at the kitchen door when she heard the noise and looked up.

She saw Lin Dachun and was about to smile when her gaze fell on Sun Taohua behind him, and her smile froze.

"This is..." Li Ruoxue stood up, her eyes scanning back and forth between the two faces.

Lin Xilei also ran out of the cave dwelling, saw Sun Taohua, and was stunned.

Lin Dachun released Sun Taohua's hand, walked up to Li Ruoxue, and looked into her clear eyes, which were now filled with confusion.

He opened his mouth, only to find that he couldn't utter a single word of what he had prepared.

In the end, it was Sun Taohua who spoke first.

She knelt down in the courtyard with a thud, facing Li Ruoxue, tears streaming down her face: "Sister Ruoxue... I'm sorry... I'm so sorry... Uncle Dachun did it to save me... that's why..."

She cried so hard she couldn't continue.

Li Ruoxue stood there, looking at Sun Taohua kneeling on the ground, and then at Lin Dachun's tired, deeply lined face, her heart filled with mixed emotions.

"Let's go inside and talk," Li Ruoxue finally said, her voice as soft as a sigh.

Lin Dachun nodded and bent down to help Sun Taohua up.

The four people silently entered the cave dwelling, and the door closed gently behind them.

In the courtyard, the wind swirled up a few withered leaves, making them spin before falling back down.

Everything was still so ordinary, yet everything was different.