Chapter 17.2

At Qin Lei’s house, Liu Hechang saw that Qin Qingman didn’t acknowledge him, and his anger flared up even more.

Fuming, he dashed out of Qin Lei’s house toward Qin Qingman, his voice full of resentment as he complained, “Qin Qingman, it’s almost dark, and you’re walking around with a man? Do you even have any sense of decency?”

He was treating Qin Qingman as though she were his possession.

He reached out toward Qin Qingman, intending to pull her to his side.

Liu Hechang’s loud shout was so intense that everyone inside Qin Lei’s house heard it, and even Chuchu, who had been waiting for Qin Qingman next door, overheard.

As soon as Chuchu heard the sound, she quickly led two geese and opened the door.

Outside the courtyard, when Qin Qingman saw Liu Hechang rushing toward her, intending to grab her, she would never allow him to touch her. Without hesitation, she kicked him, all while scolding him.

“Who do you think you are? Who I’m with is none of your business! Have you looked in the mirror? You should check your old face before you come out here bothering people. You’re just sticking your nose in where it doesn’t belong—what a pathetic man.”

Liu Hechang, not expecting Qin Qingman to kick him, had no time to defend himself and was knocked down into the thick snow.

Qin Qingman’s kick was so swift that Wei Ling, who had been a beat too slow, had no choice but to retract his own leg.

“What are you doing, Qin Qingman?” Liu Hechang yelled, furious.

Qin Qingman had cursed Liu Hechang mercilessly, and her words were far from polite. In fact, they were quite harsh, which left Qin Lei and Qian Xiangyang, who had just arrived, completely stunned. Qin Lei even exclaimed loudly in surprise.

As they got closer, they not only saw Wei Ling’s face clearly but also noticed the military uniform he was wearing, and finally saw the large wild boar he was carrying on horseback.

Qian Xiangyang, the neighborhood director, had already heard from Zheng Guihua and the others about the wild boar encounter on the mountain, and he also knew that Qin Qingman had been chased by the boar.

Initially, he had planned to go to the military camp for help, but after getting involved in the engagement cancellation with Liu Hechang, he was delayed, and that was why he had missed Qin Qingman’s return.

Seeing that Qin Qingman was unharmed, Qian Xiangyang finally breathed a sigh of relief.

“At least no one’s dead!”

“Director Qian, I don’t know this person, I’ve never seen him before. You all heard what he said just now. If he doesn’t give me an explanation today, I’ll report him to the police. Let the police investigate who he is and what’s going on, and why he’s calling my name and spouting nonsense.”

Qin Qingman had tolerated Liu Hechang once, but she wouldn’t tolerate him a second time. Such disgusting behavior needed to be stomped out completely.

Since Qin Caiyun couldn’t handle it, she would take care of it herself.

Upon hearing Qin Qingman’s words, Qian Xiangyang’s expression darkened, and his gaze toward Liu Hechang grew filled with more displeasure and disdain. As someone who was sharp, he quickly understood Liu Hechang’s true intentions.

What a troublemaker!

Liu Hechang, who had just been helped up from the ground by Qin Lei, suddenly realized that he had no right to interfere with Qin Qingman. Plus, after hearing the vicious insults from her, his face turned as dark as could be.

“Apologize, apologize right now, or we’ll see each other at the police station.” Qin Qingman said coldly, glaring at Liu Hechang.

“Sister, isn’t this person Sister Caiyun’ fiancé? Didn’t they say they were getting married after the fifteenth day of the first month?” Chuchu, being Qin Qingman’s brother, provided a timely assist with his sharp remark.

“So, it’s the future Brother-in-law Liu Hechang, huh? What’s this, before even entering the door, the future brother-in-law is already trying to manage my house? His hands are reaching a little too far. If you didn’t know any better, you’d think all my uncles’ families were dead, and that’s why an outsider is trying to take charge.”

Qin Qingman’s insults were harsh, not only cursing Liu Hechang but also including her uncles’ families in her scorn.

Qin Lei, red-faced and furious, didn’t dare to argue back.

If the matter of them previously plotting against Qin Qingman was exposed in front of Qian Xiangyang, the neighborhood director, he would have no way out.

He couldn’t shout back, couldn’t retort, and Qin Lei felt humiliated in front of his niece.

—o—o—o—

Inside the house, Zhu Hongxia and a few of the other women, lying injured, were also furious after hearing Qin Qingman’s curses.

However, since they were all hurt and lying down, they couldn’t muster the strength to respond. When the old hunter had been treating their wounds earlier, he had warned them not to exert force.

To curse someone, you needed to use strength, and if they did, their wounds might reopen, and they’d suffer even more.

“You, go outside and curse that little Qin Qingman!”

Zhu Hongxia, unable to hold in her frustration, pointed at Qin Zhenzhu, who was standing by the kang, taking care of them.

Qin Zhenzhu was Li Meina’s daughter. Although Li Meina and Zhu Hongxia got along well, when it came to the education of her own daughter, Li Meina didn’t intend to teach her in a coarse manner. She quickly shot a glare at the oblivious Qin Zhenzhu and said, “Zhenzhu, I’m thirsty. Go get me a cup of water.”

“Got it, Mom.”

Qin Zhenzhu, being fairly sharp, caught Li Meina’s subtle hint and immediately pulled the confused Qin Huihui and Jiang Dongmei out of the room. They then stayed in the living room, warming themselves by the fire while secretly listening to what was happening outside.

They had heard everything Qin Qingman had said when she cursed Liu Hechang, and because they had heard it so clearly, they were both shocked and surprised.

Qin Qingman at this moment was nothing like the cousin they remembered.

In their memory, their cousin had never been so bold, and she had never been so fierce.

Her fierceness both frightened and made them envious.

While Qin Zhenzhu and the others were changing their perception of Qin Qingman, inside the room, Zhu Hongxia also stared unwaveringly at her two younger sisters-in-law and her sister-in-law, “Are you all trying to avoid me?” Her eyes weren’t blind, how could she not see that Li Meina had intentionally gestured for Qin Zhenzhu to avoid her?

“Second Sister-in-law, don’t be angry.” Li Meina, knowing Zhu Hongxia’s temper, quickly explained. “Second Sister-in-law, Director Qian and Director Zheng are here. They are the ones in charge of this matter, so let’s not get involved. Have you forgotten what we did when we plotted against Qingman? If we truly anger her, the fire might burn us too.”

Zhu Hongxia, who had been forcefully explaining earlier, suddenly grew defensive.

The scheme to marry Qin Qingman off to Liu Hechang wasn’t just something that she and Qin Xiangyang had come up with; the two other sisters-in-law had been involved as well. Originally, they had planned to share the benefits, but now it seemed that only the second branch had gained any.

Facing Li Meina and the others’ gazes, Zhu Hongxia felt increasingly weak.

She didn’t dare say anything more about Li Meina, nor did she have any grounds to criticize Qin Zhenzhu for not listening to her.

Instead, she changed the subject. “Do you think Qingman has changed too much?” In the past, when she saw them, Qin Qingman wouldn’t even speak, always timid and easily intimidated. But just now, they had all clearly heard how she cursed Liu Hechang, and she did it without hesitation.

This was a little strange. Was she pretending to be weak before? If so, why wasn’t she pretending now?

“She really is a bit different.” Qin Xiang, gritting her teeth and holding her injured waist, muttered.

When they were on the mountain, they had already escaped far enough. If it hadn’t been for Qin Qingman leading the wild boar toward them, how could they have been struck by it? Had it not been for the boar, they wouldn’t have been injured and lying in bed.

“Qingman has to take responsibility for our injuries. She must compensate us for medical expenses.” Yao Chunying and Li Meina both said, their anger rising as they held their wounds.

They weren’t like Zhu Hongxia, and no one would help them pay for their medical bills. Just thinking about how Liu Hechang and Qin Caiyun had called off the engagement and how they hadn’t gained any benefits from it made them resent Qin Qingman even more. They also blamed Zhu Hongxia for not looking after their interests.

Seeing that she had angered everyone, Zhu Hongxia wisely closed her mouth.

No matter what, her family would not contribute an extra penny. They would not give money, absolutely not!

Inside the house, several women were scheming and plotting against each other.

—o—o—o—

Qin Qingman looked at Liu Hechang with increasingly cold eyes.

She wasn’t worried at all about what Liu Hechang might say; after all, there was nothing between them.

“Apologize. What gives you the right to speak so arrogantly to my family?”

Behind Chuchu stood two majestic geese, and beside her was her most reliable sister.

With them, he gained courage and boldness, the child had no intention of showing Liu Hechang any kindness.

This man was old and ugly, and the way he looked at her sister disgusted her immensely.

Liu Hechang’s expression was truly ugly. He could tell that Qin Qingman was completely fearless.

He had originally thought about disregarding everything and revealing their matchmaking relationship, but feeling the dangerous look from Qian Xiangyang, he eventually suppressed his greedy thoughts and apologized, saying, “Sorry, I overstepped.”

“Don’t overstep again in the future. My family and Second Uncle’s family are two separate households, each managing their own affairs without interfering with the other.”

Qin Qingman warned Liu Hechang.

Liu Hechang was an outsider, and there was no connection between him and Kaoshan Village.

Even if she didn’t show him any respect, aside from her uncle and aunt being displeased, no one in the village would say anything.

If Liu Hechang dared to make a scene, she would really report him to the police.

As long as the people in the village knew Liu Hechang’s character, Qin Qingman was confident that everyone would support her.

Liu Hechang, outmaneuvered by Qin Qingman, no longer had the face to stay. As the sky darkened, he hurriedly got on his bicycle, ready to head back to the town.

Qin Qingman knew that a person like Liu Hechang wouldn’t give up easily, so she took the opportunity to link arms with Wei Ling and introduced him to Qian Xiangyang and Zheng Guihua. “Director Qian, Director Zheng, this is my partner, his last name is Wei, and his first name is Wei Ling.”

To be honest, she had no choice but to do this.

Introducing Wei Ling in public served three purposes: first, to dispel any thoughts Liu Hechang might have about her; second, to intimidate Qin Lei, who might have ulterior motives; and third, to cut off any schemes from Zhu Hongxia and the other aunts regarding her marriage.

However, this was a spur-of-the-moment decision, and she had not discussed it with Wei Ling.

Feeling uneasy, Qin Qingman instinctively tightened her grip on Wei Ling’s arm as she linked it with his.

She was really worried that Wei Ling might not cooperate with her.

While Wei Ling had been internally elated at being introduced by Qin Qingman, the moment he felt her hand grip his arm, he was immediately doused with a cold sense of realization.

His sharp mind quickly grasped the situation.

After adjusting his mood, Wei Ling slightly nodded at Qian Xiangyang and Zheng Guihua.

Qian Xiangyang looked at the tall and handsome Wei Ling, momentarily lost in thought, before smiling and saying, “Good, that’s great. Since Qingman has someone she can rely on, this old body of mine can finally rest easy. It’s cold, you two should hurry home and warm up by the fire, don’t catch a chill.”

He had planned to ask any questions tomorrow, and as for the nonsense coming from Qin Xiang and the others, there were more people who went up the mountain than just them.

There were plenty of witnesses, and he absolutely would not allow any bad behavior to spread in Kaoshan Village.

While the atmosphere around Qin Qingman was warm and pleasant, a loud crash suddenly echoed from a distance.

It was the sound of Liu Hechang falling off his bicycle.

“I’ll go check on him.” Wei Ling said, gently patting Qin Qingman’s hand that was linked with his arm.

He looked at her with a clear, calm gaze.

“Okay.” Qin Qingman replied. Although she didn’t know what Wei Ling was planning, she instinctively let go of his arm.

Since Wei Ling had just given her face, she naturally had to return the favor.

Wei Ling, released from her grasp, quickly walked towards Liu Hechang, who had fallen off his bike. With a calm and caring tone, he extended his hand to help him up. “Comrade, are you alright?”

At that moment, Liu Hechang was in a complete state of panic, not wanting Wei Ling to help him.

Just as he was about to shake off Wei Ling’s hand, he realized that his arm didn’t obey him. Wei Ling’s grip had him restrained, unable to move.

“Hand over the photo of Qingman.”

Wei Ling’s voice was soft but icy as it echoed in Liu Hechang’s ear.

The first time Wei Ling had met Qin Qingman was at the State-Owned Restaurant in the town. He knew that Qin Qingman’s photo had been sent to Liu Hechang by her uncles and aunts, and now, he was here to get that photo back.

Liu Hechang immediately understood that Wei Ling wasn’t helping him out of kindness; his real aim was to get his hands on the photo of Qin Qingman.

But the photo had been given to him by the matchmaker—why should he give it back?

“Think carefully, are you going to give it back or not?” Wei Ling’s grip tightened slowly.

The strength in his hand, capable of killing a wild boar with a single punch, was not something Liu Hechang could withstand.

Even with just a bit of pressure, Liu Hechang was sweating in pain, but he dared not cry out because Wei Ling was playing it so convincingly that even a slight sound of pain would bring the disapproving stares of others.

“I didn’t bring the photo with me.” Liu Hechang gritted his teeth, enduring the pain.

Liu Hechang tried to deceive his way out of the situation.

A light chuckle escaped Wei Ling’s lips, laced with sarcasm. “Liu Hechang, I’m speaking to you now as Qin Qingman’s partner. If you don’t cooperate, we’ll meet at the police station.”

“I’ll give it to you, I’ll give it to you!”

As soon as Liu Hechang heard the mention of the police station and realized that Wei Ling was a soldier, he didn’t dare to lie anymore.

Trembling, he quickly pulled out the photo hidden inside his shirt and handed it over.

“Don’t show up in front of Qingman again. The consequences will be something you can’t bear.” Wei Ling warned, taking the photo and glancing at it before stuffing it into his pocket.

Then, with a firm grip, he yanked Liu Hechang up. His voice was calm but still commanding, “Comrade, are you injured?”

“No… No injuries, th-thank you, Comrade.”

Liu Hechang’s voice trembled as he spoke, his words uncertain and fluttering. Qian Xiangyang and the others didn’t think much of it and assumed he was just cold from the weather.

“It’s good if you’re not injured. Comrade, go home quickly and be careful on the road.” Wei Ling said. After speaking, he gave Liu Hechang’s shoulder a hard squeeze, causing Liu Hechang to wince in pain.

Warned and thoroughly intimidated, Liu Hechang didn’t dare to think about anything else. He immediately got on his bicycle and sped out of Kaoshan Village. But after barely riding a mile, he fell off again, his shoulder—where Wei Ling had squeezed—now swollen and aching.

Holding his sore, swollen shoulder, Liu Hechang trudged through the darkening night, pushing his bike along the road.

Fortunately, the moonlight was bright, and the snow reflected its glow, allowing him to see the path clearly without needing a light.

By the time Liu Hechang finally reached home in the early hours of the morning, he had been walking and freezing the entire way. All his thoughts about Qin Qingman had been completely extinguished.

Although Liu Hechang held significant power as the chairman of the farm’s union, it was limited to his small territory within the farm. His influence didn’t extend to the military, and he was powerless against Wei Ling.

Fearing retaliation, Liu Hechang completely gave up on any thoughts of pursuing Qin Qingman.

After being thoroughly intimidated by Wei Ling, Liu Hechang came down with a high fever once he returned home.

He was sick for several days before he finally started to recover. From that point on, he could not even tolerate hearing the words “Kaoshan Village” and never set foot in the village again.

—o—o—o—

Back in Kaoshan Village, after watching Liu Hechang leave, Qian Xiangyang glanced at the wild boar on Wei Ling’s horse, but said nothing.

He led his team away instead.

Seeing Qian Xiangyang and Zheng Guihua leave, Qin Qingman didn’t spare Qin Lei another glance.

She simply called out to Wei Ling, took Chuchu’s hand, and headed toward her own home.

She was exhausted and cold from the mountain trip and didn’t want to deal with anyone else.

As they walked, Chuchu kept looking back at Wei Ling with curiosity.

He was intrigued by this ‘brother-in-law’ he had never met before.

The two large geese from the Qin family closely followed Qin Qingman and Chuchu, their feet making soft patting sounds.

When it came to Wei Ling, the “stranger.” they didn’t greet him like they did with Qin Jianming and the others.

Instead, they kept quiet, not making a sound or trying to peck him.

It was said that animals with a sense of spirituality were the best at avoiding danger and recognizing beneficial situations.

Leading the way, Qin Qingman walked ahead while Wei Ling naturally took the reins of the horse and followed her into the Qin family’s yard.

He closed the gate behind him in front of Qin Lei.

Qin Lei, ignored and left behind, stood there in silence, feeling utterly disregarded.

—o—o—o—

T/N: New Favorite Male Lead hoho~