A delicate beauty takes a place in a marriage, while a cold, rough man seduces her every night.

Xiao Jingye's lips twitched a few times, his expression dejected: "Mom, don't worry about it. It doesn't matter who it is. Anyway, I don't like the one inside."

He made a move to leave: "I'm going up the mountain. If you need anything, have Zhijie come to the cabin to find me."

As soon as he finished speaking, he suddenly turned his head and quickly glanced at the house.

Startled, Qiao Qingyan quickly hid behind the door.

Zeng Yumei urged her to stay, saying, "At least eat something before you leave."

"I'm not eating anymore."

A moment later, Qiao Qingyan heard the man's heavy footsteps gradually fade away, indicating that Xiao Jingye had already left.

She didn't leave immediately, but turned around and silently walked back to her bedroom.

In fact, Zeng Yumei, the mother-in-law, is gentle and kind, and she has a good impression of this family.

She had secretly planned that if the man she married was of decent character, even if he was not well-educated and had an average appearance, she would be willing to work on him slowly, try to change him, and live a stable life with him.

But now, seeing it with her own eyes, Xiao Jingye was deeply opposed to the marriage, even more so than she was, and already had someone else in his heart.

No wonder he's not young but has never married; he's waiting for his sweetheart.

Qiao Qingyan sighed inwardly. To be fair, he was indeed a devoted person.

Now that things have come to this, she has no choice but to calm down and carefully plan for her future.

......

After her son left, Zeng Yumei sighed deeply and turned to go into the kitchen.

Qiao Qingyan sat in the bedroom for a while, then went to the kitchen to help her.

Seeing Zeng Yumei walking with a limp, she always felt uneasy.

Since she has decided to leave this home in the future, she cannot stay and eat for free here.

She secretly planned to use the money and coupons she had to occasionally buy some vegetables and grains for her family, and not to take advantage of others.

Sweet potato porridge was simmering on the stove. Zeng Yumei placed the jujube buns that Chun Ya had brought yesterday on the steamer and covered the pot to heat them with the residual heat.

Upon seeing Qiao Qingyan enter, she immediately smiled and asked, "You're up? Are you hungry?"

Qiao Qingyan shook her head, sat down at the stove and went to add firewood. "Auntie, you cook, I'll help you stoke the fire."

Zeng Yumei smiled and said, "Silly child, the porridge is all ready, no need to add firewood, the residual heat will just warm the steamed buns."

"Oh..." Qiao Qingyan looked slightly embarrassed and silently put the firewood she was about to stuff into the firewood aside.

The firewood that had just been added had already caught fire, and the fire in the stove was raging fiercely.

Upon seeing this, Zeng Yumei quickly lifted the pot lid, picked up the steamer, and stirred the porridge in the pot a few times.

She made sure the porridge was thick this morning, afraid that the heat would be too high and burn the bottom of the pot.

Zeng Yumei's gaze fell on Qiao Qingyan's clean and bright yellow dress, and she hurriedly urged:

"Good boy, go out and rest. The kitchen is full of smoke and ash. Don't get your nice clothes dirty."

"It's alright, the clothes are just dirty, I can wash them." Qiao Qingyan stood up, her gaze sweeping around the kitchen. "Is there anything else you need to do? I'll lend you a hand."

Zeng Yumei could tell at a glance that she was a girl who hadn't cooked much. Her hands were fair and delicate, and her nails were neatly trimmed. She was a woman who taught at a school, unlike the rural women who worked all day.

"Go and rest, Mom can do it."

As Zeng Yumei spoke, remembering that last night was her son and daughter-in-law's wedding night, she added:

"Qingyan, Jinye has been quite busy lately and hasn't had time to come home and keep you company. I'm sorry you haven't been able to. Please don't take it to heart."

"Auntie, it's alright." Qiao Qingyan smiled knowingly, her eyes crinkling. "He can just focus on his own business. I also need to prepare my lessons for next semester."

Zeng Yumei picked up a knife, ready to cut the washed cucumbers on the cutting board and make a cucumber salad.

Seeing this, Qiao Qingyan immediately stepped forward: "Auntie, you can rest since your legs are weak. I'll cut it. It's for making cucumber salad, right? I know how to do that."

Zeng Yumei waved her hand cheerfully: "No need, no need, you can just stay here and talk to me. This little bit of work isn't tiring."

"Okay." Qiao Qingyan leaned lazily against the kitchen door, and when she looked up, she could see Duoduo squatting by the rabbit cage playing.

Zeng Yumei worked quickly and efficiently, smashing the cucumber, cutting it into sections, and arranging them on a plate.

"Auntie, how did you get this leg problem?"

Yesterday, being a newcomer, it would have been too abrupt to ask questions. Now that they have spent time together, she knows that Zeng Yumei has a gentle nature, so she puts aside her concerns and chats with her casually.

Zeng Yumei said, "I had an accident a few years ago, which left me with a leg disability and a limp."

"Is it incurable?"

"A few years ago, Jinye took me to a big hospital in the city, but it couldn't be cured. Sigh, I've gotten used to it over the years and haven't found it inconvenient at all."

As she spoke, she chopped two cloves of garlic and was about to put them on the plate when she paused and asked Qiao Qingyan in a gentle voice:

"Girl, I forgot to ask yesterday, do you have any dietary restrictions?"

Qiao Qingyan awkwardly touched her nose and said truthfully, "I... don't eat garlic, I don't like the pungent smell."

Previously, when they ate at home, Chen Xiuying often scolded her for being fussy and picky.

To treat her, they deliberately put a lot of garlic in her dishes every meal. Qiao Qingyan smelled it every day and is almost immune to it now.

She was about to say that she didn't need to worry about herself and should just do what she usually did, but before she could say it, she saw Zeng Yumei put the garlic aside.

"Oh, I see. I'll remember that. From now on, I won't put garlic in our cooking anymore."

As she spoke, she drizzled a few drops of sesame oil onto the cucumber, sprinkled it with fine salt, then poured in half a spoonful of balsamic vinegar, and gently mixed it.

Qiao Qingyan paused for a moment, then raised her hand to rub the tip of her nose.

Do your legs hurt if you stand for a long time or walk a lot?

Zeng Yumei chuckled twice, then looked up at her: "Silly girl, anyone's legs will hurt after standing for a long time."

She added, "My leg is usually fine, but it aches slightly on rainy days. Although it makes me limp a bit, it doesn't hinder my work at all."

Qiao Qingyan knew she couldn't stay here long, but she still couldn't help but speak from the bottom of her heart:

"Auntie, from now on, you should rest well on rainy days. I'll take care of the cooking and chores for you."

She was not a pampered young lady who never lifted a finger.

Chen Xiuying and Chen Xiaomeng never wanted her to be idle. Whenever she came home from school, she would be ordered around to feed chickens and sheep, fetch water and cut pig feed, and do all sorts of chores.

If she showed the slightest reluctance, she would unleash a barrage of sarcastic remarks: "Oh, so you really think you're some pampered city princess?"

After finishing her farm work, she still had to stay up late at night grading students' homework.

Hearing her daughter-in-law's caring words, Zeng Yumei smiled and said, "With your delicate skin, you're not suited for such rough work. I might not be able to do it, but I'm certainly energetic enough to do it."

After the cucumber salad was ready, the steamed buns in the pot were also heated up. Qiao Qingyan helped serve the rice and put it on the small stone table in the yard.

In early July, the weather gradually became hot and dry, and the indoor air felt stuffy and suffocating.

In the early morning, with a gentle breeze, it's the coolest and most comfortable time to eat in the courtyard before the sun comes up.

Duoduo eats exceptionally well, without needing to be coaxed or fed. She picks up her sweet potato porridge with a small spoon and eats it in small bites, but she eats rather carelessly, spilling soup on her clothes from time to time.

Zeng Yumei had already put a small bib on her and carefully washed her face and wiped her hands after each meal, keeping the little girl clean and tidy.

The three of them sat in the courtyard eating, enjoying each other's company.

A long-lost sense of peace and warmth gradually welled up in Qiao Qingyan's heart.

She carefully examined Duoduo's face and found that she did indeed look like her brother, Xiao Jingye.

Both siblings have high nasal bridges, extremely three-dimensional facial features, and exceptionally long eyelashes; one look is enough to tell they are siblings.

Thinking of Xiao Jingye, Qiao Qingyan gradually figured out the path ahead.

It would be better to settle down at the Xiao family's place for now, and then try to contact my aunt's family to see if I can be transferred to work in town.

When Xiao Jingye returns, she will have a proper discussion with him about becoming a couple in name only, since they each have their own agendas.

She initially agreed to the marriage only to escape her own home. Since Xiao Jingye had a girl he liked, she no longer needed to force herself to live with this hunter.

He only needed to provide her with a place of refuge temporarily, so that she wouldn't be trapped alone in this remote mountain village, undisturbed by idlers, and avoid the constant harassment from her stepmother and stepsister.

She would also help him take care of his younger sister, help Zeng Yumei manage all the household affairs, and do her best to help him. She would never accept his protection for nothing.

Once she gets in touch with her aunt and the others, the two of them will peacefully divorce, leave this place completely, and go to live with her aunt.

Qiao Qingyan smiled slightly, secretly thinking that this was indeed a well-thought-out and prudent plan.

But... will Xiao Jingye agree?