Chapter 14

As soon as Lin Xi came out, Gou Dong immediately struck a pose he thought was charming, then ran his hand over his greasy slicked-back hair.

“This young lady, may I ask if my aunt is home?”

Lin Xi frowned at his bizarre posture, wondering what was wrong with him. Was there something up with his feet? Why did he keep rocking from toe to toe, first left, then right?

And speaking while tilting his chin up to look at her through his nostrils—never mind that, but the oil in his hair was about to be completely smeared off.

“She’s not home, she’s gone to the fields. If you want to see her, come back this afternoon.”

Lin Xi finished and turned to head back inside.

Gou Dong immediately broke character, stepping forward and leaning on the wall:

“Hey, wait a second, young lady.”

In his mind, the fact that she didn’t object to him calling her “young lady” meant he had a chance.

He’d already done his homework—Old Gu left on his wedding night, so maybe the couple hadn’t even consummated their marriage.

Even if they had, Old Gu had been gone for months. A young wife alone must be lonely. And with him being so handsome, surely she wouldn’t be able to resist!

When Lin Xi turned back, she saw that sleazy grin of his and, still keeping her temper, asked:

“Was there something else?”

She was starting to think this guy must be seriously ill! If he had nothing better to do, he should be plowing fields, not wasting her time.

She had calculated it out—her little handicrafts could earn at least 50–60 cents each, sometimes a few dozen yuan a day. Time was money, and anyone wasting her time was wasting her money.

But Gou Dong, oblivious, grinned, whistled, and asked:

“Miss, what’s your name? How come I’ve never seen you before?”

Lin Xi: … So he was wasting her money just to ask something this pointless? And he whistled at her!

“If your eyesight’s bad, stop wandering around. Your IQ’s already low—if you trip and fall, it’ll just make things worse!”

Gou Dong froze: What was she talking about? Why didn’t he understand? Oh—she must think he was blind because of his sunglasses?

Thinking this, he hurriedly took them off to explain:

“No, I can see just fine. These are sunglasses—I bought them in the city for a lot of money. All the rich city folks wear these now. You wouldn’t know, which is normal.”

Lin Xi rolled her eyes, silently mouthing: “Idiot.”

Before he could say anything more, she turned to go back inside—only to be stopped again.

“Hey, wait, you still haven’t told me your name! I’m Gou Dong, just got back from the city yesterday… Hey! I’m talking to you, can’t you hear?”

Lin Xi hadn’t planned to respond, but this guy actually climbed over her wall! Closing her eyes, she took a deep breath, stepped outside, and yelled from the doorway:

“Out!”

Gou Dong just stood there by the courtyard wall, grinning lewdly:

“Tell your big brother your name, and I’ll go.”

It was working hours—everyone was in the fields, and those at home were only the elderly and children. He wasn’t afraid of being seen, and even if someone did see, he didn’t care.

Lin Xi wasn’t stupid—she knew exactly what he was after. And now that he was inside the wall, things could get ugly.

In this era, a woman’s reputation was taken very seriously. If rumors spread, she wouldn’t mind for herself, but her mother-in-law and children would be gossiped about. They had already suffered enough under the original Lin Xi, yet still treated her well. She couldn’t let them be humiliated—and she wouldn’t swallow such an insult herself.

If she didn’t put him in his place once and for all, she knew trouble would keep coming.

And she was right—Gou Dong was thinking exactly that. If she didn’t play along, he’d just spread rumors that she’d tried to seduce him out of loneliness.

This trick had already gotten him into bed with several young wives in this and the neighboring village. He didn’t believe there was a woman he couldn’t get.

But before he could use that trick, Lin Xi smiled and started walking toward him.

That made him even more smug—thinking, See? She’s been alone too long and can’t help herself. I haven’t even tried hard yet, and she’s coming to me.

But when she got close and brought her hand out from behind her back, Gou Dong was so startled he stepped back in a panic:

“Y-y-you… what are you doing? Killing people is against the law… Don’t come any closer!”

Lin Xi raised the kitchen knife in her hand and shouted:

“Help! Catch the thief! There’s a thief climbing over my wall to steal!”

At her yell, Gou Dong flinched, hurriedly waving his hands as he ran:

“I’m not here to steal! I’m not a thief…”

Lin Xi ignored him, chasing with the knife and shouting for the thief to be caught.

She was putting her full voice into it, and in this mountain-surrounded village, the sound echoed far and wide. People working in the fields could faintly hear it.

Hearing “thief,” everyone panicked that their own things might be stolen, and they grabbed their hoes and rushed back toward the village.

Meanwhile, every time Gou Dong tried to climb the wall to escape, Lin Xi would speed up with the knife, making him give up and run again. He tried to get out through the front gate, but when he turned his head, there she was again—so he darted toward the kitchen.

But Tian Yufen had locked the kitchen when she left. He tried the house instead, but Lin Xi swung around to block him at the door.

“Auntie, I was wrong! Let me go! I really wasn’t here to steal anything.”

“I don’t believe you! You climbed over the wall—you were here to steal. I’ll cut off your legs today!”

“Maniac! You’re a crazy woman! Put the knife down—murder’s a crime!”

Gou Dong was on the verge of a breakdown. Neither of the Old Gu couple was normal—one was more terrifying than the other!

Could someone please explain how this woman had been strolling lazily before, but now ran like the wind?

When the knife was about to touch him, he finally fumbled the gate open and bolted. But before he could weep with relief, Lin Xi was chasing him again, knife in hand.

“Aaaah—help! Murder!”

That was Gou Dong’s voice, breaking into a sob.

“Help! Catch the thief! Don’t let him get away!”

That was Lin Xi, sounding almost excited.

Her first time making such a scene—and she had to admit, it felt pretty good. Just a bit tiring, but with the adrenaline rush, that didn’t matter.

By the time the villagers running back from the fields reached the village, they saw Lin Xi chasing Gou Dong with a knife, shouting about catching a thief.

Seeing it was Gou Dong, they didn’t even need to think twice—they already knew that scoundrel must have been up to no good. After all, he’d been trouble since he was a kid.