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

Old Black Dog was terrified by Lin Dachun, but his loose tongue continued to spread rumors and gossip about what he had seen.

"Did you know?"

"No way? That would be so embarrassing."

"Besides, these kinds of things are inevitable and normal when living under the same roof."

Is this normal?

"What's wrong with that? She's our own wife, what's wrong with her?"

"Let me tell you, this matter is related to what happened with Dr. Sun last time, isn't it? Could it be that women can't resist?"

Although these words were all rumors, they still reached the ears of the person involved.

Public opinion can be a powerful force.

That evening, after returning from the mountain, Li Ruoxue was busy cooking as usual when she suddenly lost focus and burned the back of her hand on a spark from the stove, letting out a painful "hiss".

Lin Dachun was chopping bamboo strips at the door for tomorrow's seedling cultivation when he heard the noise. He immediately dropped his axe and came in.

He took Li Ruoxue's hand and saw a small red patch on the back of her hand. Without saying a word, he turned around, scooped out some badger oil from the earthenware jar in the corner, dipped his fingertip in it, and gently and carefully applied it to the red mark.

His movements were light, with a delicacy that didn't match his rough appearance.

The cool ointment and the warmth of her fingertips caused Li Ruoxue's taut nerves to suddenly snap.

Tears rolled down their cheeks without warning, landing on their clasped hands.

It wasn't the pain she felt; it was the pent-up resentment, embarrassment, loneliness, and fear that had finally burst forth.

"What's wrong, Ruoxue?" Lin Dachun immediately became nervous.

"...How dare they...how dare they say such things about us..." she sobbed, her shoulders trembling slightly. "We clearly...we clearly didn't do anything...we just wanted to live a peaceful life..."

Lin Dachun didn't speak immediately, but silently continued to apply the medicine to her. Then, with his large, rough but warm hands covered in dirt and ointment, he gently held her cold, trembling hands.

He pulled her to sit on the edge of the kang (a heated brick bed), squatted down in front of her, and looked up at her tear-streaked face.

The soft glow of the kerosene lamp enveloped the two of them.

"Ruoxue, don't take their words to heart. Those women are just idle. They gossip about everything, not just these things." Lin Dachun's voice was deep and steady, with a rock-solid firmness.

Li Ruoxue raised her tear-filled eyes and looked at him blurry.

"What they're saying in the village is bullshit, rotten mud from a ditch." His tone was calm, but his words were clear. "We haven't stolen or robbed. We've cleared the land with our own strength, farmed with our own skills, earned clean money, and lived an honest life. They love to gossip because they're bored, because they can't stand seeing others do well, because their hearts are dirty, and everything they see is dirty!"

He raised his hand and, with a somewhat clumsy but extremely gentle touch, used his thumb to wipe away the tears on her face.

"Don't be afraid, and don't take it to heart." Lin Dachun's eyes were deep, containing no anger, only a calm and powerful strength. "With me here, the sky won't fall. The more they act like this, the more we need to stand tall and make our lives prosperous!"

"Once our sea buckthorn bushes cover the mountains and fields, once our syrup is sold throughout the county and city, once we slap five hundred yuan on the table, let's see if they still have anything to say! By then, they'll only be envious!"

Lin Dachun paused, his voice softening, yet carrying an undeniable promise: "In this house, I'll spoil you. Let others say what they want. We'll live our own lives behind closed doors; whether it's good or bad, it's none of their business!"

"Yes, I'll listen to you. You're the only one who cares about me and treats me well. Actually, my parents don't treat me well. They have a strong preference for sons over daughters and only care about my younger brother. The reason they want me to remarry is to use the dowry money from my remarriage to help my younger brother get married."

Li Ruoxue wiped away her tears, and although her voice was still nasal, it had become steady.

It seems that the Li family's so-called five hundred yuan was intended for their son to get married.

"So that's how it is. Your parents don't love you, but I do. I love you so much, okay?" Lin Dachun wiped away the tears from Li Ruoxue's eyes.

"Um."

Li Ruoxue nodded, her mood brightening and her spirits lifting.

But her pitiful appearance, with her red-rimmed eyes, was truly beautiful; any man who saw her would feel pity for her.