After becoming a widow, I became the apple of a rough man's eye.

That night, after everyone had gone to sleep, Li Dongye turned over, and the bamboo mat made a clattering sound.

Just as he was about to straighten his legs, he was jolted awake by the restless energy beside him.

"Hey, Second Brother," Li Dongye said, his eyes still closed, his voice tinged with lingering sleepiness and helplessness, "are you turning over or pancakeing? You're practically tearing this bed apart."

There was no movement around.

About three seconds later, a very faint, careful rustling sound of paper was heard.

Rustle, rustle.

Li Dongye sighed and opened his eyes.

By the little moonlight filtering in through the window, he saw Xiao Yong lying face down on the pillow, curled up like a big shrimp.

His injured leg was awkwardly suspended in mid-air, and he held a folded magazine in his hand, his eyes almost touching the paper.

"Fourth brother." Xiao Yong heard the noise, but without turning his head, his voice was hoarse as if he had swallowed a mouthful of hot coal. "Is what's drawn on here... real?"

Li Dongye propped himself up and sat up, leaning against the wall, and asked lazily:

Which page?

Xiao Yong moved the book over here and pointed to one of the blurry illustrations.

It was actually a very subtle Western oil painting print, with two little figures embracing each other in a slightly distorted pose.

"This," Xiao Yong pointed at the man's hand, "won't it be uncomfortable for a woman to have her hand here? Won't her back break?"

Li Dongye leaned over for a look and almost burst out laughing.

"Second Brother, that's art." Li Dongye patted Xiao Yong's shoulder, which was as hard as stone. "Besides, that's called style. Do you think everyone is like you, who can start with grappling techniques right away? That's a wife, not a spy."

Xiao Yong was stunned for a moment, then looked down at his large, fan-like hands.

He tried to loosely clench his fist, mimicking the gesture of the man in the painting.

"Be gentle?" Xiao Yong asked.

"Yes, be gentle." Li Dongye yawned and lay back down. "Just think of it as a piece of red-hot iron that hasn't been shaped yet. If you use too much force, you'll ruin it. You have to coax it and stroke it along the grain."

Xiao Yong remained silent.

In the darkness, only the sound of rapid breathing could be heard.

He turned another page.

This page contains text, explaining how to speak. The words on it are so cheesy they're sickening, like "Your eyes are like stars" and "Your lips are like flower petals."

Xiao Yong read it aloud and got goosebumps all over his body.

"Fourth brother." He nudged Li Dongye again.

"What is it now?" Li Dongye was really about to fall asleep this time, and his tone was a little impatient.

"This word... I can't pronounce it." Xiao Yong struggled for a long time, his face turning a deep purplish-red in the darkness. "If I tell Qingqing this, will she think I've lost my mind from a fever?"

Li Dongye rolled his eyes and pulled the blanket over his head.

"Then don't read it. Find someone you can talk to. Second brother, I'm begging you, go to sleep, you have to get up early and work late tomorrow. If you really can't hold it in, go run a couple of laps in the yard, don't torture me here."

Xiao Yong gave an "oh" and closed the book dejectedly.

But he didn't sleep.

He carefully tucked the magazine back under his pillow and lay flat on the bed. His mind was filled with the images he had just seen, and Li Dongye's words, "Touch along the texture."

Where should I touch?

Lin Qingqing's waist, her back, and those two soft mounds of flesh that bumped into his chest in the blacksmith's shop that day.

Xiao Yong's throat was dry. He stared at the roof beam in the darkness, unable to close his eyes no matter what he did.

The next morning, at the breakfast table.

Jiang He had dark circles under his eyes, clearly from practicing too hard last night; even his chopsticks seemed to float when he poked a steamed bun.

Gu Qiangying, on the other hand, seemed refreshed and ate her porridge slowly and deliberately.

Only Xiao Yong was unusually quiet today.

He usually eats like a whirlwind, slurping down a bowl of porridge in just a couple of mouthfuls, like a starving ghost being reincarnated.

Today, however, he was holding a bowl and counting each grain of rice one by one.

Moreover, his gaze kept drifting towards Lin Qingqing.

It's not the kind of staring intently, but rather glancing at something, immediately looking away, then unable to resist glancing at it again a couple of seconds later.

Lin Qingqing felt uneasy under his gaze.

"Second Brother, did you not like the pickled vegetables?" Lin Qingqing put down her chopsticks, touched her face, and asked, "Is there something on my face?"

Xiao Yong's hand trembled, and the chopsticks fell to the table with a clatter.

"No! It's great! It's delicious!"

He frantically tried to pick up the chopsticks, but his injured leg wouldn't cooperate, and his knee slammed into the table leg, making the dishes on the table rattle loudly.

Gu Qiangying put down the bowl in her hand, making a soft clatter.

"Second brother, if your leg hurts, go back to your room and lie down." Gu Qiang's tone was calm, but it carried a chill. "Don't mess with the table here."

Xiao Yong's face turned bright red. If it were any other time, he would have already retorted with a stiff neck.

But today he just grunted a muffled "hmm," grabbed a steamed bun, stuffed it into his mouth, and swallowed it without even chewing.

After finishing their meal, Gu Qiangying carried her medicine kit and went out, while Jiang He went to the pigsty to feed the pigs.

Lin Qingqing was the only one left in the courtyard cleaning up the dishes, and Xiao Yong was sitting under the eaves pretending to sunbathe.

Li Dongye came out of the house with a cigarette in his mouth. He couldn't help but laugh when he saw Xiao Yong's restless appearance. He walked over and nudged Xiao Yong's chair leg with his toe.

"What's wrong? Did you learn nothing last night?" Li Dongye lowered his voice and asked with a wicked grin, "You're just sitting there with such a great opportunity?"

Xiao Yong looked up and glanced at Lin Qingqing, who was washing dishes by the well.

Today she wore a light blue floral top with the sleeves rolled up to her elbows, revealing her two fair forearms.

The sunlight shone on her, making her glow.

Xiao Yong swallowed hard; his palms were sweaty.

"I...I don't know what to do," Xiao Yong said in a low voice, barely audible. "Fourth brother, teach me. Even just one trick."

Li Dongye exhaled a smoke ring, looking at him with disappointment.

"Didn't the book say that you should be proactive and considerate?" Li Dongye pointed over there. "See? She's working. You're a grown man, if you don't lend a hand now, what are you waiting for for the New Year?"

"But my leg..."

"Your leg's broken, but your arm's still intact, right?" Li Dongye slapped him on the back of the head. "Go, help her wipe the bowl. Remember, be slow and gentle, don't use that blacksmith's strength."

"Or...would you like to come with me?" Xiao Yong scratched his head. "I'm alone, I..."

Li Dongye chuckled and said, "Go my ass, I'm just delivering some goods, I'll be back in an hour or two."