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

Fifteen minutes later.

Li Ruoxue stood up and said, "I'm done washing."

"oh."

Lin Dachun turned around and glanced at Li Ruoxue.

Li Ruoxue's body was like that of a fairy, an absolute beauty, simply stunning.

Instantly.

Lin Dachun was so frightened that he quickly turned back and said:

"You!! Go dry yourself off and get on the kang (heated brick bed)."

"Okay. I won't put on any clothes, I'll just go straight to the kang (heated brick bed), just in case any villagers come to visit." Li Ruoxue dried herself off and climbed directly onto the kang, then snuggled into the quilt.

Lin Dachun poured out the bathwater and used Li Ruoxue's bathwater to help the goat weeds in the yard.

Then Lin Dachun went back to the house, locked the cave door, checked the windows, and sealed all the gaps.

She had just taken a shower, climbed onto the kang (a heated brick bed), and crawled into bed.

He shared a blanket with Li Ruoxue.

The two people were facing each other, sharing the same blanket, so naturally they slept very close together.

Both are embarrassing.

The atmosphere was extremely awkward.

Especially since neither of them was wearing anything.

The next day.

After much deliberation, Lin Dachun realized that the Lin and Sun families could not simply allow themselves to become mortal enemies, as this would not benefit anyone.

He consulted with Lin Yali.

Lin Yali was completely disoriented at this point, and could only cry, "Brother Dachun, it's all my fault for not raising my son properly, I've ruined Taohua's life... But how can I make amends? I have nothing to offer..."

"An apology doesn't necessarily have to be money," Lin Dachun said in a deep voice. "At the very least, we should apologize where we should and admit our mistakes. Let them know that we feel guilty and are not unreasonable people who refuse to admit their mistakes."

He asked Lin Yali to gather out the only decent things in the house: a small jar of the best-looking jujube cake she had made herself, and a hen that Lin Dachun had brought from his own home.

The gifts were few, but they represented the greatest sincerity they could offer.

The two of them, carrying their belongings, arrived heavily at Sun Taohua's house.

The courtyard gate was tightly closed, and the inside was silent and oppressive.

Lin Dachun took a deep breath and stepped forward to knock on the door knocker.

After a long while, the door creaked open a crack, revealing Wu Xin's haggard and wary face.

Upon seeing that it was Lin Dachun and Lin Yali, her face immediately darkened, especially when she saw Lin Yali in the back; her eyes were like knives.

"What are you doing here?" Wu Xin's voice was icy as she held onto the door, showing no intention of moving aside.

Lin Dachun lifted the things in his hands slightly and said sincerely, "Sister-in-law Wu, we... we've come to apologize."

Lin Yali's tears streamed down her face: "Peach Blossom Mother! I'm so sorry! I'm so sorry to Peach Blossom! It was that beast of a man in my family who ruined Peach Blossom! I... I'm kowtowing to you!"

He was about to kowtow as he spoke.

Wu Xin's lips trembled as she looked at Lin Yali kneeling on the ground, then at Lin Dachun, who was carrying things and had a solemn expression. Her eyes reddened, but she held back and stepped aside, saying, "Come in... come in. Don't kneel at the door and make a fool of yourself."

Once inside, the atmosphere became even more tense.

Sun Taohua did not show herself; she was probably hiding in the inner room.

Lin Yali placed the things on the table and lowered her head.

"Brother Sun, Sister-in-law Wu," Lin Dachun began, "Lin Liang is indeed a scoundrel. The injustice suffered by Peach Blossom is real. Sister Lin Yali is also heartbroken and has been wanting to apologize, but she was afraid you wouldn't see her. Today, I brought her here not for any other reason than to say: We are sorry. We didn't take good care of our children and harmed Peach Blossom."

Wu Xin's tears finally fell. She covered her face abruptly and sobbed, "What's the use of saying all this now! My Tao Hua... such a good girl, her life... is ruined!"

She raised her tear-filled eyes, filled with despair and resentment: "Do you know? The family that was engaged to us had their betrothal gifts snatched back that very day! They didn't even leave a word!"

"Yes, before this, our daughter was highly sought after. After this incident, several matchmakers who were inquiring about Peach Blossom have all disappeared! I secretly asked an acquaintance, and they stammered before finally saying... that it's all over the place now that Peach Blossom is... is 'second-hand goods'! Nobody wants her anymore! How is she going to live from now on?!"

Sun Taohua's father, Sun Jun, sighed. Although he wasn't as assertive as Wu Xin, he was also troubled by his daughter's situation.

In this day and age, secondhand goods really can't get you married.

Even the poorest bachelor has a thing for love.

These words struck Lin Yali like a hammer blow, and she collapsed to the ground, sobbing uncontrollably.

Lin Dachun also felt heavy-hearted.

Rumors are more ferocious than tigers, especially when it comes to a woman's reputation; in this remote mountain village, they are almost a fatal blow.

"Sister-in-law Wu," Lin Dachun's voice was even lower, yet it carried a certain strength, "we understand Taohua's difficulties. This is something we owe her, something we can never repay in our lifetime. But life must go on. Taohua is a good girl, and she shouldn't have her life wasted by that scoundrel Lin Liang."

He paused, then looked at Wu Xin: "We came here today for two reasons. First, to apologize. Second, we wanted to see if there was anything we could do to help. Lin Yali is good at making jujube cake."

"I've planted sea buckthorn, and I'm thinking of making a living from food in the future. If... if Miss Peach Blossom doesn't mind, once this matter has calmed down a bit, I can let her learn a skill from Sister Lin Yali. Or, once things are up and running on my end, I'll see if I can find Peach Blossom a job, give her some income, and keep her occupied. It's better than being stuck at home."

This is not just empty talk.

Lin Dachun is genuinely considering it.

Helping Sun Taohua is not only making amends, but also giving Lin Yali a chance to atone for her sins and stand up again. It is also a pragmatic move to ease the relationship between the two families and resolve some of the antagonism in the village.

Wu Xin was stunned; she hadn't expected Lin Dachun to say such a thing.

It wasn't just a simple apology; it offered a real possibility concerning the future.

Looking at Lin Dachun's sincere face, and then at Lin Yali on the ground who was crying so hard she was almost unconscious, the hard wall of hatred in her heart seemed to crack a little.

"You...you should go back first." Wu Xin wiped away her tears, her voice weary. "Take your things back too, we...can't eat right now."

"Leave the things behind, it's a small token of our appreciation," Lin Dachun insisted. "Then we won't bother you any longer. Sister-in-law Wu, please comfort Peach Blossom. If there's anything you need in the future, just let us know. We... will be there whenever you call."

He helped the limp Lin Yali to her feet, and the two silently left the Sun family home.

Lin Dachun and Lin Yali went back to Lin Yali's home first.

"I originally wanted to bring up the marriage proposal, but now it seems they won't agree. We'll wait until this storm passes, or until Sun Taohua can't find a husband, then we can bring it up again and rightfully marry her to Lin Liang. That should work out," Lin Dachun explained.

"Okay, that's what I was thinking too, Da Chun, how can I thank you for helping me like this?" Lin Yali was very grateful.

"Of course, they're all from the Lin family," Lin Dachun said.