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

Qingyan caught a glimpse of Xiao Jingye standing outside the door out of the corner of her eye, and quickly got up to get a glass, interrupting by saying, "The water's here."

Xiao Jingye tightened his grip on the kettle, stepped into the main room with a gloomy expression, placed the kettle on the table, and reached into a wooden drawer to take out tea leaves and honey.

When it was time to make tea for He Yannian, he didn't stand on ceremony at all, grabbing a handful of tea leaves into the cup and handing it over in a flat tone, revealing no emotion:

"This is a local specialty tea, please try it."

He Yannian reached out and took the teacup, a slight smile playing on his lips: "Thank you."

The two already disliked each other, and every time they looked at each other, it was like a silent tug-of-war, with the air thick with tension.

"You're welcome," Xiao Jingye said with a slight smile. "Qingyan is my wife, and Qingyan's brother is my brother."

Qingyan stared at the cup of strong tea in front of He Yannian, and her heart sank.

She glared at Xiao Jingye, but he completely ignored her gaze, leaving her frustrated.

Qiao Ni picked up the warm water mixed with honey, took a sip, and looked at Xiao Jingye. She spoke softly:

"What kind of business is Jinye doing now?"

Xiao Jingye answered truthfully: "I do some business reselling mountain products."

How much stable is your monthly income?

"The amount is not fixed, but it is more than enough to support a large family. Their daily food and clothing are no worse than anyone else in the village, and they can even save money every month."

Upon hearing this, Joni smiled and nodded.

He Yannian, standing to the side, scoffed, "Unfixed means unstable income. This month might be good, but next month you might be struggling to make ends meet. How can you guarantee Qingyan's future?"

No sooner had he finished speaking than Qiao Nianshan immediately stepped in to help his son-in-law out of the predicament: "Jingye's mountain products business has spread to several nearby cities, and the income is quite good. It's just that the family is usually low-key and doesn't like to show off. The main thing is that this child has a sincere heart and is wholeheartedly good to Qingyan."

He Yannian chuckled again, a smile that contained helplessness, self-deprecation, and sarcasm.

He looked directly at Xiao Jingye and uttered words that were incredibly sharp:

"Qingyan grew up in the city. She only wants nice clothes, high-end chocolates and candies, and she gets pocket money every month. She won't wear her hair clips if they fade even slightly, and she always goes to the clinic for treatment if she gets a minor injury—she never tries to tough it out. She loves going to the movies; how many times have you taken her? She likes wearing lambskin shoes; how many pairs have you bought her? She's terrified of dirt; she needs to be carried across puddles. How many times have you carried her?"

Qiao Ni sensed something was off. Holding her water glass, she glanced back and forth between He Yannian and Xiao Jingye.

Xiao Jingye's face darkened, and he was about to retort when Qingyan spoke up first: "Brother, I'm not as delicate as you say."

"All his money is kept with me."

"There are often film projection teams in the countryside. I've seen a lot of movies. You don't necessarily have to go to the cinema in the city."

"I don't lack clothes and shoes; I buy new ones every quarter. Besides, these are all material possessions. I'm not like Qingyan who only knew how to look pretty when I was a child."

"Although the conditions in the countryside are not as good as in the city, the flowers are fragrant and the water is clear, making it much more interesting than the city."

After saying that, Qingyan walked to the dresser, opened the drawer, took out a box of chocolates with foreign language packaging, and placed it on the table.

"Aunt, brother, and dad, you should try this. He specially asked someone to buy it for me a while ago. It's the same kind that my uncle's workplace gave out, and it's delicious."

This box of chocolates was an imported product that Xiao Jingye had asked Uncle Xu from the state-run restaurant to bring back through various channels. Qingyan had tried it once before, so he knew she loved it.

I waited a long time to buy this box.

Xiao Jingye had already spoken to Uncle Xu, asking him to bring back a few more boxes next time there was stock.

Uncle Xu joked that he spent all the money he earned on his wife, and Xiao Jingye laughed and said he was happy to do so.

Qingyan's undisguised protection was like a dull knife, slowly cutting into He Yannian's heart.

His fingers, resting on his knees, curled up unconsciously, his heart filled with disappointment and bitterness.

A beautiful flower was stuck in cow dung.

The little girl he had carefully protected since childhood is now living in this rural land and says she loves it here.

The little girl who used to stick to him all day long, with only him in her eyes, has grown up and now has another man in her heart and eyes.

She fell into the arms of another man.

Xiao Jingye, meanwhile, was secretly bubbling with joy.

He turned his head to look at Qingyan's fair and pretty profile, and wished he could hug her and kiss her right now.

He thought to himself: Honey, give me a little more time, and I will make sure you and our whole family live a better life.

On the other hand, Zeng Yumei was afraid that Duoduo would cause trouble, and also afraid that the child's silly appearance would make the guests feel disgusted, so she kept her in the kitchen and did not allow her to step into the main room.

Duoduo sat on a small stool, twisting and turning, full of curiosity about the stranger who had come from afar.

Taking advantage of the moment when Zeng Yumei turned around to do something, she ran away in a flash and rushed straight into the main room.

A group of people were talking inside the room.

Xiao Jingye sat up straight, and Qiao Ni asked him a lot of questions as if she were taking a census, about his family situation, future plans... He answered them all honestly.

"Sister-in-law." A childish voice interrupted them.

Duoduo bit her little lip, clung to the door frame, and looked at Qingyan, looking charming and adorable.

Joni slapped her forehead: "Oh dear, I was so busy talking to you guys that I forgot!"

"Yan Nian, quickly bring out the candy we brought."

He Yannian responded and took out a large bag from their bags, placing it on the table. Inside were colorful snacks, all kinds of rare treats that children love to eat.

He took out a piece of candy, half-squatted down, beckoned to Duoduo, and said gently, "Come here."

Duoduo looked timid and glanced at her sister-in-law subconsciously. Seeing her sister-in-law nod gently, she took her short legs forward and accepted the candy.

As soon as she received the candy from He Yannian, her round little face flushed red, and she turned around and buried her head in Qingyan's arms.

The adults in the room burst into laughter at the sight.

Qingyan looked down and poked her cheek: "Why are you blushing?"

Duoduo raised her head slightly and mumbled a single word: "Handsome." After saying that, she buried her face in her arms again and refused to lift it up.

Xiao Jingye, standing to the side, reached out and gently tugged at her little ear, feigning jealousy: "Am I not handsome enough, your brother?"

The little girl shook her head and pushed her brother's hand away in disgust.

Qingyan smiled gently and cupped her little face: "Do you know who gave you the candy?"

Duoduo shook her head blankly.

"That's my brother, you have to call him brother too, okay? If your brother gives you candy, what are you supposed to say?"

Duoduo turned her head slightly, glanced shyly at He Yannian, and said in a soft, sweet voice, "Thank you, brother."

He Yannian straightened up and sat back down in his original seat, smiling at her: "You're welcome."

"This child is really adorable," Joni said. "He's quite dependent on you."

"Mmm." Qingyan patiently peeled off the tough candy wrapper for Duoduo, fed the candy to her, and let the little girl squirm around in her arms.

"She's very smart, and she's already in elementary school at the school I teach at."

Duoduo snuggled in her arms for a while, then ran to sit on Xiao Jingye's lap and asked him to peel melon seeds for her.

Her little mouth was stuffed full, and she would occasionally steal glances at He Yannian.

He Yannian felt a pang of sadness as he watched Qingyan completely integrate into the family.

As the sun was setting, Chun Ya's mother, Qing Mei, was invited by Xiao Jingye to the Xiao family home to help Zeng Yu Mei prepare dinner.

During this time, Qiao Ni came into the kitchen, rolled up her sleeves, and said to Zeng Yumei, "Is there anything I can help you with?"

Zeng Yumei laughed and urged her to sit in the main room: "You're a guest, how can I let you do the work? Go and chat with Qingyan, she misses you all the time."

Joni said, "Your legs aren't good, so there's no need to prepare too many dishes. Just have a simple meal tonight."

Qingmei watched Qiao Ni's departing figure and said in a low voice:

"Qingyan's aunt seems very capable. Look at her hands, the hands of the aunt and niece are the same, they look like they don't do much work, they're fair and tender."

While tidying up the ingredients, Zeng Yumei replied, "Her aunt has been married to a city woman for many years. Unlike us country women, she has always doted on Qingyan like her own daughter. She came here specifically this time, probably to see with her own eyes whether Qingyan is doing well."

Qingmei quickly reminded her, "Have you taken out all the cured meat? All the best food in the house is on the table. Don't let people think that Qingyan is being mistreated or suffering here."

Zeng Yumei smiled and lifted the grate on the cutting board: "It's all prepared. The cured chicken, salted fish, and marinated meat are all out."