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

"Ah—help! Murder!" Li Ergou screamed shrilly.

"Scream? Let's see if you still have the strength to scream!" Xiao Yong's eyes were truly red. Thinking of how this bastard dared to touch Lin Qingqing with his dirty hands, he couldn't suppress the fire in his heart that surged to the top of his head.

He swung the heavy iron pliers and smashed them down on Li Ergou's good leg.

"ah!!!"

A scream pierced the silent night sky, startling the roosting birds in the woods.

Lin Qingqing was terrified. Just then, a pair of warm hands covered her ears, and then a coat still warm from body heat was draped over her.

"Don't look."

A deep, steady voice sounded above her head.

Lin Qingqing suddenly looked up and saw Qin Lie standing behind her at some point. He still looked calm and composed, but his always half-closed eyes held a chilling killing intent.

He pulled Lin Qingqing up from the ground and pulled her into his arms, gripping the back of her head tightly with one hand to prevent her from seeing the bloody and mangled scene in front of her.

"Second brother, don't kill him," Qin Lie said calmly. "Killing him would mean paying compensation, it's not worth it."

Xiao Yong stopped what he was doing, panting heavily as he turned around. A few drops of blood splattered on his face, making him look ferocious and terrifying: "Brother, this bastard has tried to mess with Qingqing time and time again. He just came and caused trouble during the day, and he still hasn't given up tonight. I'm going to cripple him!"

"Then let's destroy it completely." Qin Lie said calmly, "Just leave it alive."

With his elder brother's words, Xiao Yong grinned, a smile that was chilling in the moonlight. He grabbed Li Ergou by the hair, who was slumped like a dead dog, and dragged him outside.

"Let's go! To the village entrance! Let the whole village see what happens when someone dares to mess with our family!"

That night, Qingshan Village was in complete uproar.

Flames soared into the sky in front of the blacksmith's shop at the village entrance.

Li Ergou was thrown to the ground like a lump of mud, his limbs twisted, barely breathing.

Li Liu, her hair disheveled, threw herself on her son, wailing, "Murder! The Qin brothers have murdered someone! Heavens above, there's no justice!"

The area was surrounded by villagers who had been awakened by the noise. They were all dressed in clothes, carrying lanterns, and their faces were full of fear.

Wang Dazui shrank back in the crowd, her legs trembling with fear. She wondered if she had said something wrong during the day, and was afraid that the Qin family would blame her for the trouble.

The old village chief, panting heavily, came running over and saw the scene. His head throbbed with pain: "What are you doing! What are you doing! Xiao Lao Er, are you crazy? Are you trying to kill someone?"

"Village chief, you've come at the perfect time."

Qin Lie walked up to Li Ergou, looked down at him for a moment, then turned to the village chief, his voice not loud, but each word clear:

"That bastard ambushed my cousin at the outhouse door in the middle of the night, trying to rape her. My second brother heard the commotion and went out to rescue her, and he went a little too far—that was self-defense. If this is reported to the police station, it's considered hooliganism, which is a capital offense. What do you say, village chief?"

Hooliganism.

These three words are deadly in this day and age.

Li Liu's crying stopped abruptly. She stared at Qin Lie with her mouth agape, her face filled with terror.

"You're talking nonsense! It was that vixen in your family who seduced my son..."

"Snapped!"

Xiao Yong smashed a lump of iron in his hand directly at Li Liu's feet, creating a crater in the ground and sending sparks flying.

"Try spitting out another filth!" Xiao Yong's eyes widened. "I'll cripple you too today!"

Li Liu was so frightened that her eyes rolled back and she fainted.

Seeing the situation and glancing at the half-dead Li Ergou on the ground, the village chief understood. These Qin brothers usually seemed quiet and unassuming, but if provoked, they were capable of eating people.

"Alright, alright! Everyone disperse!" The village chief waved his hand, trying to smooth things over. "Li's second son was up to no good, he deserved to be beaten! Quickly take him back and treat him, don't let him embarrass himself here!"

The disturbance was quelled by the Qin brothers' absolute force.

When they returned to the Qin family compound, the sky was already beginning to lighten.

The murderous aura emanating from Xiao Yong hadn't dissipated, and the lingering smell of blood frightened Lin Qingqing. She sat on a low stool in the main room, holding a cup of hot water, her hands still trembling slightly.

Xiao Yong stood at the door, somewhat at a loss. He looked at his dirty hands, then at the frightened Lin Qingqing, wanting to approach but not daring to.

He vigorously wiped his hands on his pants, rummaged in his pocket for a while, and finally pulled out a crumpled piece of fruit candy. He had bought it on a whim when he went to the county town market last time, and hadn't been able to bear eating it.

"My dear sister..." Xiao Yong's voice was hoarse, with a hint of awkward flattery, "Don't be afraid. Eat...eat candy."

He handed over the candy as if presenting a treasure.

Lin Qingqing raised her head, her heart filled with mixed emotions. She wasn't originally this timid, but she had married far away and had no family here. She had been bullied at every turn in Old Li's house, which made her temperament increasingly soft.

She felt she couldn't continue like this and had to make a change, otherwise no matter how much the Qin brothers protected her, there would come a day when they couldn't keep an eye on her anymore.

The Qin brothers have been kind to her and have always treated her well. She can't keep being a timid burden forever.

She reached out, her fingertips gently touching Xiao Yong's calloused palm, and took the candy.

"Thank you, Second Brother." Her voice was soft and sweet, with a nasal tone.

Xiao Yong felt as if those fingertips were electrified, sending a shiver down his spine. He chuckled sheepishly and scratched his head. "Well... from now on, if you need to use the restroom at night, just call me. I'll sleep by the main room door and guard the entrance for you. If anyone dares to come again, I'll twist their head off and use it as a football!"

Qin Lie, who was sitting next to her smoking, glanced at him upon hearing this, but didn't say anything. He simply placed a freshly peeled apple in front of Lin Qingqing.

Just then, the courtyard gate was suddenly pushed open.

"Squeak—"

In the morning mist, a tall, slender figure walked in.

The boy carried a faded canvas bag, wore an old jacket that didn't fit him well, and had messy hair, as if he had just crawled out of a burrow.

Jiang He's eyes were dark and gloomy, exuding a gloomy and fierce aura. Standing at the door, his gaze passed over his two older brothers and was fixed on Lin Qingqing.

Seeing the scene inside the room, especially Lin Qingqing's red and swollen eyes and pale face, he remained expressionless.

"Big brother, second brother."

Jiang He tilted her head. "I ran into the village chief at the village entrance when I came back. He heard about it. I was only gone for a few days, and this is how you take care of my sister?"

He threw down his backpack and walked step by step toward Lin Qingqing, a smile suddenly blooming on his previously expressionless face.

"Sister, were you scared? Don't be afraid, Little Crane is back."

……

Please urge me to update, add this to your bookshelf, and leave comments.

The following chapters will be sweet. The female lead is rather timid in the early stages, but she will gradually change. After playing with Xiao He for a long time, she will become cunning and ruthless.

The former mother-in-law's family is about to be removed from the story; they were just cannon fodder used to pave the way for the female lead's character development.

If you think the female lead is too weak at first, don't rush things; the romance develops relatively slowly.