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

After a noisy morning, the courtyard finally quieted down in the afternoon.

Qin Lie took Xiao Yong into the mountains to check the traps, Jiang He was punished by having to wash those bell-bottoms that smelled like pig manure, and Li Dongye drove to the county to deliver goods and hasn't returned yet.

Lin Qingqing was helping Gu Qiangying dry herbs in the yard when a head suddenly poked in from outside the gate.

"Um...is Dr. Gu here?"

The voice was soft and low, tinged with timidity.

Lin Qingqing looked up and saw that it was Su Jiaojiao, the village chief's daughter.

Su Jiaojiao wore a floral shirt and black pants today. Her hair was tied into two braids, and she looked quite innocent. However, her face was a little pale, and her lips were not very pink.

"I'm here." Lin Qingqing patted the dregs of medicine off her hands, stood up, and asked, "Jiaojiao, what's wrong? Are you feeling unwell?"

When Su Jiaojiao saw Lin Qingqing, her eyes flickered, and she looked away uncomfortably: "I...I feel a little dizzy, I'd like to see Dr. Gu."

In the past, when Su Jiaojiao saw Lin Qingqing, she would look down on her, always thinking that Lin Qingqing was a widow and bad luck.

Today, however, he changed his tune, speaking softly and gently.

Gu Qiangying came out of the house, glanced at Su Jiaojiao, and said, "Come in."

At the consultation table.

Gu Qiangying placed two fingers on Su Jiaojiao's wrist.

Lin Qingqing poured Su Jiaojiao a glass of water and watched curiously.

Su Jiaojiao was so nervous that her body was trembling. She gripped the hem of her clothes tightly with her other hand, and dared not look at Gu Qiangying. She stared at a stain of ink on the corner of the table.

After a while, Gu Qiangying withdrew her hand, picked up a pen, and wrote the prescription on a piece of paper.

"Dr. Gu...Is it because I've been too tired lately? My period isn't very regular either..." Su Jiaojiao asked, her voice trembling, with a pointed meaning.

Gu Qiangying paused, then looked up at her.

Su Jiaojiao felt guilty under his gaze and lowered her head even further.

Lin Qingqing didn't understand medicine, but she also felt that the atmosphere was a bit strange.

"The pulse is slippery and rapid, like pearls rolling on a plate," Gu Qiangying said calmly, then continued writing the prescription. "It is indeed an imbalance of Qi and blood, with some... stagnation."

Su Jiaojiao suddenly looked up, a flash of fear in her eyes, followed by pleading. She clearly understood what Gu Qiangying hadn't said aloud.

An unmarried young woman became pregnant, and she dared not think about how she would live her life from now on.

Gu Qiangying remained expressionless, tore off the written prescription, and handed it to her: "These are some calming herbs. Go back and boil them in water to drink. Mental illness requires mental medicine. Once you've done something, you have to think about the consequences."

Su Jiaojiao's hands trembled so much she almost dropped the paper. She bit her lip, her eyes red-rimmed, and said, "Thank... thank you, Dr. Gu."

After saying that, she grabbed the prescription and ran out as if her life depended on it, without even saying goodbye to Lin Qingqing.

"Third Brother, what's wrong with her?" Lin Qingqing asked, puzzled, as she watched Su Jiaojiao's hurried departure. "She doesn't seem to be seriously ill."

Gu Qiangying stood up, walked to the basin to wash her hands, and slowly lathered herself with soap: "Some illnesses are incurable by medicine."

He turned his head, looked at Lin Qingqing's bewildered face, and a meaningful smile appeared on his lips: "Qingqing, stay away from her in the future. People like her are fiery and can easily burn others."

Lin Qingqing nodded as if she understood but not quite.

……

Late at night.

The nights in the mountains are always exceptionally dark, so dark you can't see your hand in front of your face. Tonight there's no moon, only a few sparse stars hanging in the sky, making it seem particularly desolate.

Lin Qingqing was half asleep and felt a little thirsty.

She put on her coat, tiptoed out of the house, and went to the kitchen to get some water.

As she passed through the courtyard, she glanced instinctively at the main gate.

The light filtering through the crack in the door flickered.

Through the crack in the door, she saw a figure standing under a large tree at the village entrance not far away. The figure looked familiar, wearing a floral shirt, with two braids hanging down in front of her chest.

It's Su Jiaojiao.

What is she doing outside so late?

Lin Qingqing was puzzled and was about to turn around and go back into the house when she saw two beams of car headlights pierce the darkness in the distance.

The familiar Jiefang brand truck rumbled over and stopped a short distance away.

The car door opened, and Li Dongye jumped out. He had a cigarette in his mouth and a wrench in his hand, clearly indicating that the car had just been repaired due to a minor problem.

When Su Jiaojiao saw the car stop, she immediately went to greet it.

The two were a bit far apart, and Lin Qingqing couldn't hear what they were saying. She only saw that Su Jiaojiao seemed to be crying, her body was trembling, and she was reaching out to pull on Li Dongye's sleeve.

Li Dongye took a step back, seemingly impatient, and waved his hand.

Immediately afterwards, Su Jiaojiao suddenly swayed and sat down on the ground, clutching her ankle and crying out.

Li Dongye paused for a moment, threw away his cigarette butt, and squatted down to take a look.

Lin Qingqing's heart skipped a beat as she recalled what Gu Qiangying had said during the day—"carrying fire on her body."

She didn't want to meddle, but since Li Dongye was involved, she couldn't pretend she didn't see it. Just as she was hesitating whether to wake Qin Lie, the two people outside started moving.

Li Dongye seemed unable to resist Su Jiaojiao's insistence and reached out to help her up. Su Jiaojiao leaned against him, and the two stumbled towards the bamboo grove at the west end of the village. There was a shortcut there leading to the village chief's house.

"This fourth brother..." Lin Qingqing bit her lip, a bad feeling creeping into her heart.

She turned and ran back into the house, intending to call Qin Lie, but just as her hand touched the door frame, a sharp scream pierced the night sky.

"Ah—! Help! This is indecent assault!"

The sound was extremely shrill, carrying far into the silent night, followed by a heart-wrenching cry.

Lin Qingqing felt her blood run cold.

That's the direction of the bamboo forest.

Almost instantly, all the doors to the Qin family's rooms opened.

"What's going on?" Qin Lie rushed out, still wearing his clothes, carrying a hunting rifle, his eyes wary.

Xiao Yong and Jiang He looked completely bewildered, as if they had just woken up.

"Over there in the bamboo grove!" Lin Qingqing pointed outside, her voice tense. "Fourth Brother... Fourth Brother just helped Su Jiaojiao head that way!"

Qin Lie's face instantly darkened.

"Second brother, grab the flashlight! Third brother, take the first-aid kit! Fifth brother, watch the house; something's probably up outside, don't let Qingqing come out!"

After making the arrangements swiftly and decisively, Qin Lie picked up his gun and headed outside.

"I want to go too!" Lin Qingqing couldn't stay at home. If this were true, Li Dongye's life would be ruined.

Gu Qiangying gave her a deep look, then reached out and grabbed her wrist: "Stay with me, don't wander off."

A group of people rushed out of the courtyard and headed towards the bamboo forest.

The commotion startled the village. Dogs barked incessantly, and lights came on in every house. Many villagers, bundled up in their clothes and carrying flashlights, rushed towards the bamboo grove.

When Qin Lie and his group arrived, a crowd had already gathered around the bamboo grove.

Several beams of flashlight light swayed erratically, shining on the ground.

Su Jiaojiao sat on the ground, her clothes disheveled, two buttons on her collar popped open, revealing her white vest underneath. Her hair was messy, and she was crying with tears streaming down her face.

Li Dongye stood a few steps away from her, his face filled with astonishment and disbelief. His leather jacket was torn askew, and there were three bloody marks on his neck.

……

That's all for today!

If I have time these few days, I'll update more; if I don't have time, I'll still update twice a day!

Thank you for your support, my darlings! Love you all!