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

After a very tiring night, when Lin Qingqing woke up, she felt as if all the bones in her body had fallen apart.

The sparrows outside the window were chirping merrily, and sunlight streamed in through the window cracks, landing directly on her slightly red and swollen eyelids.

She had barely moved her leg when she touched a burning hot body.

Qin Lie hadn't gotten up yet; his arm was still wrapped around Lin Qingqing's waist.

"woke up?"

The man's voice was hoarse, as if he hadn't slept well, and hearing it reminded Lin Qingqing of the blush-inducing sounds from the previous night. She shrank her head further under the covers and mumbled a reply.

"What time is Third Brother leaving?"

Qin Lie pulled her closer to his chest and rubbed her head against his chest.

"No rush, the third brother is packing his things."

Lin Qingqing nudged his chest. "I have to get up. My second brother is probably waiting outside."

When Qin Lie mentioned Xiao Yong, his grip loosened slightly.

He sat up abruptly, his upper body bare, the scars on his back looking particularly gruesome in the morning light.

He got out of bed, grabbed a vest from the clothes rack and put it on, then turned around and picked up the buttons that Lin Qingqing had scattered on the floor one by one, and put them on the kang table.

"When you get to town, listen to Lao San. He may be cunning, but he won't let you suffer any injustice."

Lin Qingqing nodded, propped herself up to sit, and the blanket slipped down, revealing a patch of mottled red marks. Qin Lie's eyes darkened, but he didn't look again, turned and left the room.

In the courtyard, Xiao Yong was squatting next to the whetstone, sharpening his machete with a loud whirring sound.

His face was long and dark; anyone could tell he was in an extremely bad mood.

Jiang He was feeding the chickens nearby, scattering the grains in his hand carelessly, while several large red roosters pecked happily at his feet.

"Sister, are you leaving today?"

When Jiang He saw Lin Qingqing come out, he dropped the basket and ran over. He reached out and grabbed Lin Qingqing's sleeve, staring at her with pleading eyes, like a puppy afraid of being abandoned.

"Just go to town, it's not far. If you're interested, have your fourth brother drive you there."

Lin Qingqing patted the back of his hand, but before she could say a few more words of comfort, Gu Qiangying came out of the west room.

"Are you all packed?"

Gu Qiangying stood on the steps, her gaze fixed on Lin Qingqing.

Lin Qingqing responded and quickly went back into the house to retrieve the packed bundle.

At this moment, Xiao Yong stood up, tucked the machete behind his waist, strode over, snatched the bundle from Lin Qingqing's hand, and walked out with his head down.

"Second brother, slow down."

Lin Qingqing followed behind, but before she even reached the main gate, she was stopped by Li Dongye.

"Qingqing, you've run off with the third brother already? Fourth brother feels so empty inside."

As he spoke, he pulled a paper package from his pocket and stuffed it into Lin Qingqing's arms.

"Here, the snacks at the restaurant in town aren't very good. This is what I brought back for you from the county yesterday."

Lin Qingqing held the bag of pastries, which were still warm from her body, and felt a pang of sadness in her heart.

Qin Lie stood at the door, watching his brothers surrounding Lin Qingqing. He didn't go forward, but simply called out in a deep voice, "Third brother."

Gu Qiangying stopped and looked back at him.

"Take good care of her."

Qin Lie didn't say much, but every word he uttered seemed to hit the ground hard.

Gu Qiangying adjusted her glasses and replied, "I know."

A horse-drawn carriage was parked at the village entrance; Gu Qiangying had arranged to rent it in advance. Although the roads in town were now accessible by car, the horse-drawn carriage was more stable and could carry more cargo.

Xiao Yong threw the bundle heavily onto the car, turned around and looked at Lin Qingqing, his large hands rubbing against the seams of his trousers.

"Qingqing, if you're not getting enough to eat over there, have Lao San send a message home. I'll go up the mountain to hunt rabbits for you."

Lin Qingqing's eyes reddened, and she nodded vigorously.

Gu Qiangying helped Lin Qingqing into the carriage, and then sat down herself. The driver shouted, the whip cracked loudly in the air, and the horse's hooves clattered on the dirt road, raising a cloud of dust.

Lin Qingqing kept lifting the carriage curtain to look back until those tall figures became black dots and could no longer be seen. Only then did she slowly lower the curtain and lean against the carriage wall.

Gu Qiangying took a clean handkerchief from the medicine box and handed it to her.

"If you want to cry, just cry. Holding it in will only make you feel worse."

Lin Qingqing took the handkerchief and dabbed it at the corner of her eye.

"I didn't want to cry, I just felt empty inside."

Gu Qiangying chuckled, picked up the kettle from the side, poured a glass of warm water, and handed it to her lips.

"Have some water. The town is only a little over an hour away from home, not as far as you think."

Lin Qingqing took two sips from his hand; the water had a faint sweetness, like it had honey added.

"Third Brother, is the clinic in town big?"

"It's not big, just three rooms with a small yard in the back. I used to work at the town hospital for a while, but then I started my own business. It's a quiet place, and nobody bothers you."

As Gu Qiangying spoke, she observed Lin Qingqing's expression.

The young woman was wearing a light blue cloth shirt today, which made her skin look even whiter and brighter. Because she had just been crying, the tip of her nose was still a little red, making her look so endearing that you just wanted to tease her.

"Once we get there, you can help me sort out the medicinal herbs. I'll teach you their names and properties slowly."

Lin Qingqing listened attentively, her peach blossom eyes filled with longing.

"Can I learn it?"

"With me here, what are you afraid of?"

Gu Qiangying reached out and tidied the stray hairs by her ear, her fingers lightly brushing against her delicate cheek.

The carriage bumped quite a bit as it traveled along the country dirt road. Lin Qingqing couldn't sit still and swayed from side to side. Gu Qiangying took the opportunity to put his arm around her shoulder and pull her closer to him.

"Sleep with me for a while, I'll wake you when we get there."

Lin Qingqing was indeed exhausted. She had been kept up by Qin Lie until midnight last night and had been on edge ever since. Smelling the pleasant herbal scent emanating from Gu Qiangying, she soon drifted off to sleep.

When she opened her eyes again, the carriage had stopped at a gravel road intersection.

"arrive."

Gu Qiangying's voice rang out from above.

Lin Qingqing sat up, rubbed her eyes, and looked outside.

The houses in the town were much neater than those in the village. Although most were still mud-brick houses, the walls were all painted white. There were quite a few people on the street, some pushing wheelbarrows, some carrying loads on their shoulders, and others riding old-fashioned bicycles with their bells jingling. It was quite lively.

Gu Qiangying led her into an alley. At the entrance of the alley stood an old tree, and under its shade sat several old men fanning themselves with palm-leaf fans.

"Dr. Gu is here."

"Hey, you're back."

Gu Qiangying greeted people with a smile, walking without stopping until she reached a black lacquered wooden door deep in the alley before stopping.

He took out his key, unlocked the door, and pushed it open. A cool, medicinal scent wafted out.

The courtyard was small, paved with blue bricks in the middle, with a clump of green bamboo growing in the corner. Directly opposite the gate were three tiled houses, with a wooden sign hanging in the middle one that read "Gu's Clinic".

"Come in."

Gu Qiangying carried the bundle into the house, and Lin Qingqing followed behind him, curiously observing everything.

The clinic was very clean. A row of tall medicine cabinets lined the wall, each with numerous small drawers labeled. In the center of the room stood a consultation table with a blood pressure monitor and stethoscope on it.

"That's your room on the east side. I just came over a couple of days ago and put out some new mats."

Gu Qiangying pushed open the door to the east room.

The room wasn't large, but it was very well-lit. A single bed stood by the window, its bedding new and smelling of sunshine. A pot of gardenias sat on the table, in full bloom, filling the room with their fragrance.

Do you like it?

Gu Qiangying stood behind her, his hands on the door frame, practically encircling Lin Qingqing in his arms.

Lin Qingqing nodded vigorously.

"I love it, Third Brother, this house is wonderful."

Seeing her excited expression, Gu Qiangying lowered her voice.

"If you like it, that's fine. Nobody will criticize you here. You can do whatever you want."

Lin Qingqing turned around and met Gu Qiangying's eyes hidden behind his glasses.

He was smiling, his exquisitely handsome face very close to hers.

"Third Brother, thank you."

"What are you thanking me for?"

Gu Qiangying reached out and gently brushed the tip of Lin Qingqing's nose.

"As long as you're obedient, your third brother will give you anything."