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

Gu Qiangying's fingers were very cool, and they felt like jade against the tip of her nose. Lin Qingqing shrank her neck but didn't move away, feeling the medicinal scent permeate her entire being.

"Alright, stop standing there like an idiot." Gu Qiangying withdrew her hand, turned around and walked to the row of red-painted medicine cabinets, casually pulled open a small drawer, "Since you're here to learn, don't act like a pampered guest. Take these next few days to learn to recognize all the medicines in this cabinet."

Lin Qingqing quickly put the bundle in her hand on the stool and leaned over to take a look.

There were several pieces of something that looked like dried tree roots lying in the drawer.

"This is licorice, have a taste." Gu Qiangying picked up a piece and held it directly to her lips.

Lin Qingqing opened her mouth and took it in. It was sweet with a hint of earthiness, but after melting on her tongue, it had a strange aftertaste.

"Sweet."

"Yes, it harmonizes the various medicines, detoxifies, and relieves pain."

Gu Qiangying pushed up his glasses, his gaze lingering for a moment on her moving red lips before moving away. "Remember this taste. Every morning from now on, wipe this row of drawers clean first. If you can't remember the name, don't eat breakfast."

Lin Qingqing's initial excitement about arriving in a new place immediately dissipated by half, and she looked at the entire wall of drawers with a bitter expression.

There must be hundreds of them, right?

"Too much?" Gu Qiangying raised an eyebrow.

"No, I'll carry it." Lin Qingqing gritted her teeth, picked up the licorice root and looked at it again, wishing she could engrave every pattern on it into her brain.

Seeing her look as if she were facing a formidable enemy, Gu Qiangying smiled briefly before turning and going into the inner room to change her clothes.

When he came out again, the sleeves of his white shirt were rolled up to his elbows, revealing his smooth forearms, and he was holding an aluminum water bottle in his hand.

"There's a well in the yard, but that's for washing clothes. You have to get drinking water from the communal water dispenser at the alley entrance. I'll go there first."

Lin Qingqing dared not let him do any work, and quickly reached out to grab the kettle, saying, "I'm used to doing this at home."

Gu Qiangying twisted her wrist, avoiding her hand.

"On my first day here, I didn't even know the way. If someone got kidnapped, I would have had to go through a lot of trouble to find them."

His tone was calm, yet it carried an undeniable air of authority. "Stay inside and open that book of 'Tangtou Ge' to the first page. Before I come back, you must memorize the first four lines."

After saying that, he picked up the kettle and went out the door.

Lin Qingqing stood there, listening to the courtyard gate creak shut, and felt a mixture of awe and dependence on the man.

He is different from his older brother.

My elder brother is like a mountain, sheltering me from the wind and rain;

Third Brother is like mist; he looks light and airy, but if he really wraps himself up, you won't be able to tell which way is which.

She dared not slack off, so she obediently moved a small stool to sit at the door, picked up the yellowed medical book, and began to read.

But the words in this book are very difficult to pronounce, such as "using cinnamon twigs in ephedra decoction", which made her tongue get tied.

As the sun began to set, a few barks echoed from the alleyway.

When Gu Qiangying pushed the door open, she saw Lin Qingqing muttering to herself in front of the gardenia by the door, her brows furrowed.

"You memorized it?"

Lin Qingqing was startled, almost dropping her book. She stood up, like a primary school student being called on by the teacher, hands behind her back, stammering as she recited: "In Ma Huang Tang, there are cinnamon twigs, apricot kernels, licorice... licorice..."

Stuck.

Gu Qiangying placed the kettle on the table. Lin Qingqing's heart tightened, and she subconsciously closed her eyes, waiting to be scolded.

"Four kinds." Gu Qiangying's voice rang out from above, "Almond and licorice, four kinds of herbs."

Lin Qingqing opened her eyes and, seeing that he wasn't angry, breathed a sigh of relief and quietly added, "Yes, the four kinds of application."

"Idiot." Gu Qiangying didn't make things difficult for her anymore and turned to go into the kitchen.

Soon after, the sound of chopping vegetables came from the kitchen.

Lin Qingqing couldn't sit still any longer and ran into the kitchen to help.

"Get out." Gu Qiangying didn't even turn her head, her cleaver flashing as she chopped the potatoes on the cutting board, turning them into evenly sized shreds, even neater than she could cut herself. "It's hard to even turn around in this kitchen. How can I work if you're standing here?"

Lin Qingqing looked at the indeed narrow passageway and had no choice but to retreat to the doorway and peer through the door frame.

Half an hour later, two dishes and a soup were served.

Stir-fried shredded potatoes with vinegar, stir-fried romaine lettuce, and a bowl of seaweed soup with egg drop soup.

There's no fancy meat dishes, but it looks refreshing.

"Try it." Gu Qiangying handed her a pair of chopsticks.

Lin Qingqing picked up a piece of shredded potato with her chopsticks and put it in her mouth. It was crisp, sour, and refreshing. It was completely different from the heavy oil and salt cooking methods in the village, but it was surprisingly appetizing.

"Delicious!" Lin Qingqing's eyes lit up.

"The people in town don't do heavy physical labor, and they eat bland food." Gu Qiangying slowly took a sip of soup. "If you want to eat meat, I'll go and get two catties tomorrow morning."

"No need, this is fine." Lin Qingqing shoveled a big mouthful of rice into her mouth. She was really hungry, and she genuinely felt that the food suited her taste.

Gu Qiangying didn't eat much; he spent most of the time watching her eat. He ate quietly, chewing slowly and deliberately, so refined that no one dared to smack their lips in front of him.

After dinner, Lin Qingqing insisted on washing the dishes. This time, Gu Qiangying didn't stop her and sat on the bamboo recliner in the yard, lost in thought for a while.

It was completely dark. The town was brighter than the village at night; lights shone from the neighboring houses, and the faint sound of a television could be heard.

Lin Qingqing finished cleaning the kitchen, wiped her hands, and came out.

"Come here." Gu Qiangying patted the spot next to her.

The recliner was quite spacious, but it was a single chair. Lin Qingqing hesitated for a moment, then walked over anyway.

Gu Qiangying reached out and grabbed her wrist, pulling her onto her lap with a little force.

The recliner creaked and began to rock.

Lin Qingqing gasped and hurriedly wrapped her arms around his neck. They were in the courtyard! Although there was a wall, it wasn't high; what if someone passed by…

"What are you afraid of?" Gu Qiangying put one arm around her waist and took off his glasses from his nose with the other, casually placing them on the small table next to him.

Without the glasses obscuring her face, Gu Qiangying no longer looked so refined; instead, she appeared somewhat sharp.

"Qingqing, look at this courtyard."

"Although we only have three rooms now, I want to buy all the land around here in the future so that my older brother and the others can come over. We'll build a two-story building, with the first floor for medical treatment and the second floor for living. We'll also hire a few nurses, and I'll just sit in on the clinic, instead of having to do everything myself like I do now."

As Lin Qingqing listened to his description, her heart began to beat faster involuntarily.

Looking at Gu Qiangying's exceptionally handsome face in the night, she suddenly realized that the world this man carried in his heart was far broader than she had imagined.

"Third Brother, you can do it," she said confidently.

Gu Qiangying chuckled softly, his chest vibrating so loudly that Lin Qingqing felt a tingling sensation on one side of her body.

"Sweet words are useless." His hand slid under her clothes, his calloused fingertips caressing the smooth skin of her waist. "We need to give you something concrete."

Lin Qingqing trembled and tried to dodge, but he held her firmly.

"No...outside..."

"Nobody can see us." Gu Qiangying kissed her earlobe, lingering his lips on the small earlobe. "The bamboo is planted so densely, it hides us completely. Besides, everyone's at home with their wives and kids, enjoying a warm bed. Who has the time to watch us?"

His kisses were gentle, from his earlobe to his neck, and then to his collarbone, igniting sparks wherever they went.

Lin Qingqing quickly went limp and melted.

She was already easily provoked, let alone by Gu Qiangying's methods.

"Open your mouth," he commanded.

Lin Qingqing opened her mouth in a daze, but instead of his lips, she was greeted by two slender fingers.