Chapter 19.1

“Second Uncle, Second Aunt can’t breathe; you’re covering her nose!”

It was Qin Zhenzhu from the third branch who first noticed Zhu Hongxia’s tragic condition.

She quickly called out to remind Qin Lei, “Second Aunt is already struggling and turning pale. If you keep covering her nose, she might suffocate.”

Hearing the reminder, Qin Lei hurriedly let go.

“Wife, that… I didn’t mean to.” Qin Lei quickly apologized to his wife. Life and death were at stake; normally, he could be domineering in front of others, but at this moment, he had to lower his head and make amends, fearing that Zhu Hongxia would make a scene.

Zhu Hongxia, severely injured, had been holding on to consciousness. When Qin Lei covered her nose like that, she nearly passed out from lack of air.

Her strength and energy were rapidly declining, and she didn’t have the energy to argue with her husband. She could only glare at Qin Lei before forcing herself to speak to everyone, “We can’t let this matter of being attacked by the wild boar go unpunished. This was definitely the plot of that damn girl Qingman. She must have led the wild boar here.”

Qin Xiang’s eyes flickered, and he immediately echoed, “Yes, it was that damn girl Qingman who brought the wild boar here. Otherwise, how would we have encountered a wild boar out of nowhere? We’ve gone to that forest every year and never ran into a wild boar. How come this year, just after following that damn girl, we end up being attacked by one? It’s too coincidental. There’s no way Qingman wasn’t involved.”

“I also think it’s strange. Do you think that girl Qingman saw us following behind and, not being happy about it, purposely led the wild boar to attack us?”

Third Aunt Li Meina also had doubts in her heart.

After hearing the suspicions of the others, Fourth Aunt Yao Chunying, enraged, slammed her fist on the kang and angrily said, “Whether or not the wild boar was brought here by that damn girl Qingman, I won’t argue for now. But we ran so far and still got attacked by the wild boar. If this wasn’t that girl’s plot, I absolutely don’t believe it.”

“Yes, that damn girl did it on purpose, leading the wild boar to attack us. She must hate us, she wants us dead!”

Yao Chunying’s words resonated with the others. Qin Xiang and Li Meina were also furious, their resentment boiling over.

The three women had deliberately avoided the wild boar’s path. If it weren’t for Qin Qingman leading the wild boar toward their direction, how could they have been attacked? How could they have gotten injured? And if they weren’t injured, they wouldn’t be lying here, sighing and helpless.

Whenever Zhu Hongxia and the others thought about how they couldn’t go up the mountain to dig for squirrel food in the tree holes this year, their hatred for Qin Qingman reached its peak.

No, they couldn’t let Qin Qingman get away with this.

It was said that Qin Qingman’s family had caught a wild boar weighing several hundred jin, and several of the women began scheming.

—o—o—o—

While these devious minds were calculating how to take advantage of Qin Qingman, she herself was calling Wei Ling to help her with some work.

A large basin of sausage-stuffing meat had been marinated, and the remaining task was to stuff the sausages.

Stuffing sausages wasn’t tiring or difficult, but it was time-consuming. When busy, it was impossible to do anything else at the same time. So, Qin Qingman instructed Wei Ling to occasionally add a few pieces of firewood to the stove. The huge pig’s head needed to be simmered for an entire night to absorb the flavors.

Wei Ling was naturally full of energy, and not sleeping for a few days wouldn’t affect him. When he received Qin Qingman’s instructions, he felt pleased.

Having something to do meant he was useful, and he believed in practicality.

After adding firewood to the stove, Wei Ling returned to the hall.

In the hall, Qin Qingman was quickly stuffing the sausages. Her hands worked in perfect coordination, and the sausages took shape in her hands. This was the first time Wei Ling had seen someone stuff sausages.

“Comrade Wei… you should go rest in the east room for now. I’ll be done soon.”

Busy, Qin Qingman glanced up at Wei Ling and spoke softly, slightly awkward.

Although they were about to become the closest of people, the unfamiliarity between them still created some distance in their interaction. Even their titles still carried a formality, without being overly intimate or familiar.

Wei Ling knew this wasn’t right, so he walked closer and said, “Ah Ling.”

“What?” Qin Qingman was confused, but upon seeing the look in Wei Ling’s eyes, she suddenly understood what “Ah Ling” meant.

Her face flushed slightly, but she still respected Wei Ling’s wishes and changed the way she addressed him. “Ah Ling.”

“Mm.” The new title made Wei Ling breathe a sigh of relief.

He felt the gap between him and Qin Qingman had lessened. Squatting down, he softly asked, “Qingman, is there anything I can do?”

He wanted to fit into this family.

Qin Qingman could tell that Wei Ling was trying to integrate into their home. She thought for a moment, moved aside slightly, and replied, “Ah Ling, can you help me tie the sausages and make the holes?”

The sausages needed to be tied every ten centimeters with twine to help them hold their shape. After that, a needle was used to make small holes in the sausages.

This was done not only to expel any excess air but also to drain out any extra moisture, allowing the sausages to dehydrate quickly into finished products.

The finished sausages would not mold or spoil and could be stored for a long time.

Qin Qingman quietly explained the important steps of sausage-making to Wei Ling. He listened carefully and learned quickly. Once she finished explaining, he was ready to start.

As they worked together, speaking in soft tones, the sense of unfamiliarity around them gradually faded.

Once the basin of sausages was done, the two of them didn’t just work in silence but seemed to share a tacit understanding, if not laughter.

Originally, Qin Qingman thought the work would take until late at night, but with Wei Ling’s help, everything was finished by the early morning hours, leaving only the pot with the pig’s head simmering. There was no more work to be done.

Admiring the sausages hanging neatly on the rack, Qin Qingman felt a deep sense of accomplishment.

These sausages only needed to dry out overnight, and by tomorrow, they could be hung in the kitchen to naturally air-dry.

Though the flavor of air-dried sausages was different from smoked ones, it had its own unique charm.

With all the tasks finished, the two of them washed their hands clean. Qin Qingman then poured Wei Ling some water to wash his face, saying, “Ah Ling, you’ve been busy all day. Go ahead and wash up and rest. You don’t need to check the fire in the stove anymore. I’ll add a few more pieces of firewood later, and then I’ll rest too.”

Given the chance to rest, Qin Qingman certainly wouldn’t stay up late. Even in her past life, she hadn’t liked staying up.

There was also something else on her mind: Based on what she knew about Zhu Hongxia and the other elders, they had suffered a significant blow and would definitely try to cause trouble for her.

They hadn’t come today because they were too injured to move, and also because the local head of the neighborhood committee and the women’s leader had intervened regarding Qin Caiyun’s broken engagement.

This had intimidated them, but once they recovered, they would certainly come and cause a scene.

Wei Ling had no objections to Qin Qingman’s arrangements.

He had quickly learned to follow his wife’s orders without question.

After washing up, Wei Ling closed his eyes and happily lay down on the bed, thinking about applying for marriage once he returned.

When that happened, he would hand over all his allowances and coupons to Qin Qingman, and he would finally be a man with a real family.

As he thought about this more and more excitedly, the door was suddenly knocked on.

Wei Ling, with his sharp hearing, felt frustrated as he quickly turned over and got out of bed to open the door. He had been so absorbed in his thoughts that he hadn’t paid attention to any sounds outside, which was careless of him.

When the door opened, Qin Qingman was standing there, holding the sleeping Chuchu.

Seeing Wei Ling’s figure again, Qin Qingman had grown somewhat accustomed to it.

As she entered the room while still holding Chuchu, she spoke softly, “Chuchu really likes you. Let him get used to you more. In the future, you two will be sleeping on the same kang.”

As she spoke, Qin Qingman gently placed Chuchu on the kang.

Having been moved to a new spot, Chuchu didn’t open his eyes but continued to sleep soundly, comfortably snoring on Wen Nuan’s kang.

“I’ll go get his quilt and pillow.”

Qin Qingman turned and went back to her room. A few seconds later, she reappeared, holding Chuchu’s small pillow and quilt.

Wei Ling was stunned when he heard Qin Qingman say that Chuchu would be sleeping with him.

Something was wrong!

Shouldn’t married couples sleep in the same bed, the same kang?

Why was it that he was sleeping with Chuchu instead, and wasn’t he supposed to be marrying Qin Qingman, not this little kid?

“Ah Ling, my parents passed away early, and Chuchu has always lacked a sense of security. After we get married…” Qin Qingman’s face flushed slightly as she mentioned marriage, and she awkwardly avoided meeting Wei Ling’s gaze.

She continued, “After we get married, Chuchu will sleep alone. I want him to spend more time with you before we get married so that he can feel secure. That way, he won’t resist our marriage.”

After hearing Qin Qingman’s explanation, Wei Ling instantly understood the reason behind it.

Chuchu was still young, and with it being winter, the previous owner of this house had made the siblings sleep on the same kang to save on firewood.

But that wouldn’t happen anymore.

Suddenly separating the beds and rooms would make a child without a sense of security upset and cause trouble.

If things were stirred up too much, it might even lead to a rejection of their marriage.

It seemed that for the sake of their future little family, the first thing Wei Ling needed to do was earn his little brother-in-law’s approval.

After coming to this conclusion, Wei Ling nodded at Qin Qingman earnestly, “I will take good care of Chuchu tonight.”

“Ah Ling, thank you. Don’t worry, Chuchu is very well-behaved when he sleeps. He won’t cause any trouble.” Qin Qingman said with an apologetic smile.

Although her expression was a little shy, she finally looked directly into Wei Ling’s eyes, which were bright and beautiful, filled with sincerity.

“It’s no trouble.” Wei Ling replied, his gaze lingering on Qin Qingman.

Perhaps because she was about to sleep, Qin Qingman had let her hair down. In the warm light, her long hair framed her face, giving her a gentle, alluring aura. She seemed like a soft breeze, stirring Wei Ling’s heart.

A tingling sensation spread through him, making his heart flutter.

“Get some rest early. There’s nothing to worry about at home with the snowstorm, and you don’t need to get up early tomorrow. Good night.”

Qin Qingman could clearly see the admiration and affection in Wei Ling’s eyes.

Holding back the flush on her cheeks, she boldly wished him good night first before turning and walking through the hall to her room.

Once the door was shut, Qin Qingman pressed her hand over her chest and leaned against the door.

Her heart had been racing nonstop under Wei Ling’s gaze.

She thought back to Wei Ling’s face, his body, full of masculine charm.

Her face grew even warmer, and her mouth went dry.

Though she hadn’t fallen in love with Wei Ling at first sight, she certainly admired his looks and physique.

His face and body were particularly to her liking.

It made her hesitant to make direct eye contact with him most of the time; she always felt that his eyes could see through to her heart.

Leaning against the door to calm down, Qin Qingman eventually climbed into bed and quickly fell into a deep sleep.

Today had been so eventful. After returning and dealing with the wild boar, she no longer had the energy to think about anything else.

—o—o—o—

In the room next door, Wei Ling waited until the sounds from Qin Qingman’s room stopped before lying down himself.

Before closing his eyes, he took a glance at the peacefully sleeping Chuchu.

Only when he saw the child sleeping soundly did he allow himself to sleep.

Being a martial artist, Wei Ling never slept deeply.

Around two in the morning, he woke up. It hadn’t snowed that night, and a bright full moon hung in the sky.

It was a still, clear night, without wind or snow, with enough natural light — perfect conditions for someone with ill intentions.

A faint sound came from outside the Qin family’s courtyard.

It sounded like something was trying to climb over the fence.

Wei Ling, who had woken up, immediately had a sharp glint in his eyes. He got out of bed.

Instead of opening the door, he quietly opened the window. He then threw a shard of ice, broken off from the eaves of the house, toward the dark figure at the distant fence.

The shard of ice wasn’t long, but it flew through the air with a sharp, chilling speed.

“Ah… oww—”

A sudden cry of pain rang out in the stillness of the night.

The moment the cry escaped, the intruder immediately realized what they were doing and quickly shoved their hand into their mouth, biting down hard to stifle the sound that could have woken the master.

Enduring the excruciating pain, the thief stumbled and fell against the fence.

Tumbling into the soft snow, the thief rubbed his aching rear end, where the ice had struck. The pain was intense, throbbing, and numb, making him feel as though he was going to die from discomfort.

Grimacing, the thief glared at the fence not far away, still unwilling to give up on the idea of stealing meat from the Qin family’s courtyard.

He glanced around and listened carefully.

After hearing no further sounds, the thief, convinced that no one had discovered him, decided to climb the fence again.

He had believed that the pain on his rear was due to an accidental scrape, rather than someone detecting his presence, so he decided to continue with his theft.

But as soon as his legs straddled the fence to climb over, another sharp pain shot through his backside.

This time, the pain was far worse than before.

It was so intense that the thief couldn’t suppress a loud scream, and he fell once again into the snow, creating a large, human-shaped imprint in the thick snow.

At this point, the thief finally realized that he had been discovered.

Clutching his injured rear, he didn’t say a word but scrambled to his feet and ran.

There was no choice but to flee.

It was a crackdown period, and if caught stealing, not only would he face forced labor, but he could even be sentenced to prison.

If he ended up in jail, his life would be ruined.

The village committee head might even have him publicly humiliated at the village entrance.

Slipping and stumbling with every step, the thief ran quickly, arriving home already bruised and battered from the falls.

—o—o—o—

Meanwhile, back at the Qin family’s house, Wei Ling, seeing that the intruder had fled, didn’t pursue.

When he and Qin Qingman had entered the town earlier, although it was late, it wasn’t completely dark yet.

Those with sharp eyes would have noticed the wild boar on the back of their horse, and bold individuals might have thought of stealing the meat as soon as they saw it.

This was likely the reason someone tried to climb over the fence in the middle of the night.

Unfortunately for them, they had run into Wei Ling and were forced to retreat in failure.

After chasing the thief off, Wei Ling closed the window and then opened the door.

As soon as the door opened, the two geese placed in the hall immediately lifted their heads to look at Wei Ling.

In the darkness, their eyes reflected the snow’s light, clear and piercing, and they made faint “ah, ah” sounds.

“Shh.”

Seeing that the geese didn’t make loud noises, Wei Ling realized they had recognized him. He quickly raised a finger to his lips, signaling them to be quiet.

After being warned, the two geese, clearly intelligent, tucked their heads under their wings and settled back down to rest.

With someone else now watching over the house, they could finally sleep soundly.

Wei Ling, completely unaware that the two geese had taken him as their gatekeeper, smiled at their cleverness and continued on his way to the kitchen.

Although Qin Qingman had told him not to worry about the fire in the stove, experience told him that the fire should be kept alive to allow the marinade to fully absorb the flavors.

The moonlight was good, and Wei Ling had good eyesight.

Without lighting a lamp, he opened the kitchen door by the light of the moon.

As soon as the door opened, a strong, savory aroma of marinated meat immediately filled the air.

He didn’t know what spices Qin Qingman had added to the pot, but even Wei Ling, who had eaten delicious food in his past life, couldn’t help but take a deep breath, while also trying to control the saliva in his mouth.

At that moment, there was only a faint ember left in the stove. Without adding new wood, it would likely burn out completely within a few minutes.

Wei Ling shoved a few sticks of wood into the stove, and only after the flames had picked up did he return to the room.

As soon as he lay down on the bed, Chuchu, still in a deep sleep, suddenly turned over and moved closer.

His little nose kept sniffing, and his small mouth made little clicking sounds.

Seeing Chuchu like this, Wei Ling immediately realized.

He had been in the kitchen for a while, and the aroma of the marinated meat had clung to him, making Chuchu, who was dreaming, hungry.

Wei Ling reached out and tapped Chuchu’s little nose, then purposely moved further away from him.

As the distance grew, the meat aroma became less intense. Chuchu, no longer disturbed, turned over and clicked his tongue once before falling back into a deep, peaceful sleep.

Wei Ling lifted his hand and sniffed the scent on his clothes—a faint trace of the marinated meat.

It really made one’s appetite stir.

It was destined to be a restless night.

Later, Wei Ling was awakened several times by noises from outside the courtyard.

Instead of just warning with his hand, he threw an ice shard with half strength. The force immediately sent the intruders scurrying off in defeat.

By the time dawn broke, there was no more sound outside. Wei Ling took the opportunity to catch up on his sleep.

—o—o—o—