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

The atmosphere in the Qin family home was frighteningly tense all day long; even the big yellow dog in the yard hid under the shade of a tree with its tail between its legs, not daring to utter a sound.

Xiao Yong's hammering never stopped, the sound more than twice as loud as usual, shaking the old mud-brick house and causing it to shed dust.

It didn't sound like blacksmithing at all; it sounded more like venting anger. With each swing of the hammer, the ground trembled, as if the red-hot iron was being smashed into a pulp.

Lin Qingqing was restless in the room; she knew her second brother was holding back his anger.

She sighed and pulled out a sewing basket from under the kang mat.

The fire in the stove in the backyard was burning brightly, casting a red glow over the entire house.

Xiao Yong was shirtless, swinging a heavy iron hammer weighing dozens of kilograms.

He was already tall and muscular, with muscles bulging all over his body. With each swing of his hammer, his muscles bulged out with explosive power.

Sweat streamed down his bronze back, flowing over the rough texture of his skin, and finally seeped into the waistband of his sweat-soaked trousers.

A strong smell of male hormones mixed with the rusty smell hit me.

"Second Brother." Lin Qingqing stood at the door, not daring to go inside. Her soft voice sounded weak amidst the deafening sound of blacksmithing.

But Xiao Yong seemed to have ears in the back of his head, and the hammer in his hand suddenly stopped in mid-air.

He didn't turn around, his broad back stiffened for a moment, his chest heaved violently, and after a long while he asked in a muffled voice, "What is it?"

"Your jacket is torn, let me mend it for you." Lin Qingqing looked at his stubborn back, her voice tinged with helplessness.

Xiao Yong slammed the heavy iron hammer onto the anvil with a loud clang.

He turned around and strode up to Lin Qingqing.

This man usually exudes a menacing aura like a black tower, but right now his eyes were red and swollen, like a big, clumsy bear that had suffered a great injustice.

"What's there to mend!" Xiao Yong roared in a gruff voice, but looking at Lin Qingqing's fair and delicate face, his voice unconsciously lowered. "Everyone's gone, I'll just go naked from now on!"

Lin Qingqing felt a lump in her throat from being amused by his sullen expression.

She took two steps forward, picked up the jacket Xiao Yong had thrown on the bench, gently patted off the ashes, and softly coaxed him:

"It's not like I'm not coming back. The town is only twenty miles from here. If I want to come back, I can just sit in my fourth brother's car and drive back."

"Then don't leave now!"

Xiao Yong panicked and suddenly stretched out his rough hand, grabbing Lin Qingqing's slender wrist.

He was incredibly strong, his palms covered in calluses from years of blacksmithing, which hurt Lin Qingqing's skin. But subconsciously, he was afraid of breaking the porcelain doll, so he restrained most of his strength.

"Qingqing, don't go with Lao San."

Xiao Yong lowered his head, his tone almost pleading with stubbornness:

"He's a cunning and wicked man. With your gentle nature, you can't outsmart him."

"You just stay home, and I'll work as a blacksmith every day. I'll give you every penny I earn. You can buy whatever fabric you want, and eat whatever meat you want, okay?"

Looking at this clumsy and straightforward man, Lin Qingqing felt a surge of tenderness in her heart.

She knew her second brother didn't understand any profound principles; he would only use the most clumsy and domineering methods to lay his heart bare for her to see.

She didn't struggle, but instead stood on tiptoe, took out a faded handkerchief from her pocket, and gently wiped away the large beads of sweat on Xiao Yong's forehead and nose.

"Second brother, I want to learn some skills."

Lin Qingqing looked into his reddened eyes, her tone gentle yet unusually firm:

"I don't want to spend my whole life just cooking and washing clothes at home. I don't want to be a useless person who can only be supported by you. Third Brother is right, a person has to have their own value."

Xiao Yong was stunned.

He stared blankly into Lin Qingqing's watery, peach-blossom eyes. They no longer held the fear and timidity he had felt when he first arrived at the Qin family; instead, they held a tenacity that was unfamiliar to him.

His lips moved, as if he wanted to say something in rebuttal, but he felt as if there was a wad of cotton stuck in his throat.

Finally, he dejectedly let go, like a deflated balloon, and plopped heavily on the bellows next to him, scratching his hair in frustration.

"Fine, if you want to fly, I won't stop you."

Xiao Yong lowered his head, his voice muffled and thick with nasal tone, "But if you get upset outside, you must come back and tell me. If the third brother dares to bully you, I'll smash his legs with a hammer!"

After comforting Xiao Yong, Lin Qingqing went back to her room and busied herself with other things all afternoon.

Since she had decided to leave, she had to leave something for the men in her family to remember her by.

She sat under the window of the east room and, by the light, sewed a new pair of insoles for Qin Lie.

The insoles had to be thick and tightly stitched, as he spent many years hunting in the mountains and his feet couldn't be uncomfortable.

Next, she went to the kitchen to knead dough and made red bean cakes for Jiang He, his favorite food. That little wolf cub had a sweet tooth and would probably throw a tantrum if he didn't have this to eat.

Finally, she took out Li Dongye's fashionable jacket that always had buttons falling off, and used the sturdiest black thread to sew each button back on, making sure they were firmly in place.

As evening fell, the setting sun bathed the courtyard in a warm orange hue.

The kitchen was filled with the aroma of food, mixed with the smoky scent of firewood, giving off a sense of down-to-earth comfort.

Lin Qingqing, wearing a floral apron, was standing in front of the stove, slicing potatoes into shreds on the cutting board.

It was warm by the stove, and she was only wearing a thin white short-sleeved shirt with blue flowers. As she chopped vegetables, her waist swayed gently, outlining a slender and delicate curve.

Just then, the kitchen door was quietly pushed open.

Before Lin Qingqing could react, her waist suddenly tightened.

A pair of long, strong arms, calloused and firm, wrapped tightly around her from behind.

Immediately afterwards, a hot, broad chest pressed against her back.

"Fourth Brother?" Lin Qingqing didn't turn around, but paused for a moment while holding the kitchen knife.

Li Dongye comfortably rested his chin on her thin shoulder, lazily pressing most of his body weight onto her.

"It smells so good!"

"What delicious food did you make? Let me try some too."

"It's not ripe yet, stop fooling around." Lin Qingqing tilted her head slightly, trying to avoid his warm breath.

"I don't eat vegetables." Li Dongye chuckled, not letting go, but instead turning his head slightly, his thin lips pressed directly against her round and cute earlobe.

"I'll eat you."

Lin Qingqing trembled, and the knife in her hand almost cut her finger.

She quickly put down the knife, shrinking her neck and hiding to the side. "Stop it, Fourth Brother! Third Brother is still in the courtyard outside. He might hear us..."

"So what if he's there? What's wrong with hearing him?"

Not only did Li Dongye not loosen his grip, but his unruly hands became even more aggressive.

He held Lin Qingqing's soft waist with one hand, and slipped the other hand under the edge of her apron, gently caressing the most sensitive flesh on her side through the thin fabric of her summer dress.

"Oh dear..." Lin Qingqing cried out softly, her body going limp.

She was extremely ticklish, and Li Dongye's pinch made her both embarrassed and annoyed.

She turned around, her peach blossom eyes shimmering with tears as she glared at him. She raised her small hand, still speckled with flour, as if to smear it on his handsome face. "If you touch me again, I'll really call for help!"

Looking at her utterly intimidating appearance, which instead seemed like she was being coquettish, Li Dongye let out a low, pleasant laugh.

He swiftly grabbed Lin Qingqing's wrist and pulled her into his arms.

"Shout! Shout louder! Let the third brother come in and see what we're doing in the kitchen that we shouldn't be doing."

Li Dongye's lips curled into a wicked smile, his deep eyes filled with a playful yet unabashed passion.

"How can you be so shameless!" Lin Qingqing's cheeks puffed up with anger.

She struggled twice but couldn't break free, so she decided to give up and used her free hand to splash some cold water from the side of the cutting board onto Li Dongye's face without any hesitation.

The cool water droplets splashed on Li Dongye's skin, and he laughed even harder.

He loved seeing Lin Qingqing so lively and spirited; she was much more endearing than her usual cautious, gentle, and submissive demeanor.

Li Dongye patiently coaxed her, not in a hurry to do anything else, but just stared at her, making Lin Qingqing's cheeks blush little by little.

He lowered his head slightly and touched the tip of her nose with the tip of his high, straight nose, like two small animals exchanging breaths affectionately.

Why are you always getting so worked up? I was just teasing you.

Li Dongye released Lin Qingqing's wrist and then pinched her puffed-up cheek:

"Going to town and facing those bitter medicines all day long, how can it be as fun as playing and joking around with my fourth brother at home?"

Lin Qingqing was initially a little embarrassed and annoyed, but when he pinched her like that and looked at his roguish and handsome appearance, she couldn't help but burst out laughing.

Her smile curved her peach blossom eyes into two crescent moons, the watery light in her eyes sparkling, and her clear, delicate laughter echoed in the narrow, stuffy kitchen.

When Li Dongye saw her smiling face, his eyes darkened instantly, and his Adam's apple bobbed violently.

He suddenly stopped smiling, lowered his head, and kissed those still-smiling red lips without warning.

The kiss was a delicate, nuanced savoring and a tender tugging.

He gently sucked on her lips, his tongue deftly prying open her teeth, entwining with her little tongue, slowly squeezing the air out of her lungs.

Lin Qingqing felt dizzy from his kisses, her body limp as she leaned against him, only able to weakly clutch his shirt with both hands.

After a long while, Li Dongye reluctantly let go of her.

"When you get to town, don't let those pretentious pretty boys dazzle you."

Li Dongye's voice was hoarse, his tone carrying undisguised domineering: "Remember, only with Fourth Brother is it real action. Third Brother, that refined scoundrel, is all show and no substance, useless."

Lin Qingqing's face turned so red it was practically bleeding. Embarrassed and indignant, she elbowed his firm chest backward. "You pervert! Can't you think of anything serious?"

Li Dongye chuckled softly, then opened his mouth and took her bright red earlobe into his mouth, gently biting it with his teeth, and said indistinctly:

"When you get to town, take good care of yourself. If you feel bored or restless, just call me at the caravan, and your fourth brother will pick you up for a drive. Just the two of us, we can go wherever we want."