Chapter 37: Bitten by a Venomous Snake

Their youngest son, Qin Shuo, was up early chopping firewood. He was already nearly finished with the whole pile.

“Just a little more and I’ll be done,” he said, without stopping his work.

As Xu Jiaojiao stepped outside, she saw the man in a tank top, wielding an axe, chopping wood.

The summer sky was hot, even standing still would make you sweat.

The man had been chopping wood for a while, and his army green tank top was completely soaked.

With every swing of his axe, large beads of sweat rolled down his tanned skin.

It was a display of pure strength and beauty, and Xu Jiaojiao was stunned.

She wondered if it was just her imagination, but it seemed like his movements paused for a moment.

Then, he moved with even more speed and precision.

Xu Jiaojiao: …

She looked away and walked towards the water tank with her toothbrush.

Her mind flashed back to when she woke up, only wearing her underwear.

She bit her lip, her face turning red.

She didn’t know when he came back. Had he seen her like that?

But she couldn’t bring herself to ask. She pretended nothing had happened and walked to the water tank.

The tank was only a few steps away from where the man was chopping wood.

And Qin Shuo was facing the tank.

For some reason, Xu Jiaojiao didn’t want him to see her brushing her teeth.

She filled the cup with water, turned around, and squatted by the tank to brush her teeth.

From behind, Qin Shuo watched her slender back, a hint of discomfort flashing in his eyes.

He looked away, and his movements became faster.

“Crack, crack, crack,” he finished the firewood in no time.

Hearing his footsteps leave, Xu Jiaojiao breathed a sigh of relief.

She quickly brushed her teeth, washed her face, and went back to the house.

Soon, Ding Xiujing was also ready.

The two sisters-in-law left together.

The rice seedlings had been planted for over half a month, and now they had to weed the paddy fields.

The work wasn’t heavy, and they could return for lunch, so they only brought water.

“Jiaojiao, aren’t you hot?” Ding Xiujing looked at her in long pants and long sleeves, her jaw dropping.

Wearing that in this weather, she wouldn’t get heatstroke?

Xu Jiaojiao was almost suffocating, but she had to pretend she wasn’t hot at all.

“It’s okay.”

Hearing this, Ding Xiujing was speechless.

In their area, June was unbearably hot, with no wind at all.

The men would even take off their shirts while working, and the women would wear short sleeves.

Xu Jiaojiao was different. She wore long sleeves, and not the kind that was breathable.

But seeing her getting whiter every day, Ding Xiujing became suspicious.

Could she be getting whiter by covering herself up?

Seeing her staring, Xu Jiaojiao pulled her hat down, covering half of her face.

But the half of her face that was exposed was even more exquisite.

Her jawline was gracefully defined, her lips were red and plump, and her skin was dewy and rosy.

The walking posture she had been trained by the system made her look graceful and elegant, even in patched-up clothes.

Despite her simple attire, her beauty was undeniable, captivating everyone’s attention.

The young men passing by couldn’t help but steal glances at her.

But after a few glances, they felt a chill down their spines.

Following their gaze, they saw the man behind Xu Jiaojiao, his face not looking good.

Xu Jiaojiao was hidden under her hat and didn’t see their gazes.

She chatted with Ding Xiujing all the way.

Her sweet and soft voice filled the air.

“I’ll tell you, yours is simple. I’ll get some herbs later, boil them, and wash it with the water.”

Hearing this, Ding Xiujing’s eyes lit up.

She looked at Xu Jiaojiao like she was a close relative.

“If you help me with that, I’ll help you pull herbs every day.”

“You’re kidding, right? You help me pull them, and I still need to pick them.”

After a month of getting along, they were used to joking around like this.

No one took it to heart.

In the long line of workers, two figures stood out.

They were Li Wenxiu and Ye Shuizhen, who were separated to cook their own meals.

In a month, they had both lost weight and tanned a lot.

Li Wenxiu, who initially refused to accept Liu Dazhuang’s help, now half-heartedly let him help her.

Otherwise, they wouldn’t be able to survive.

The little grain they were allotted wasn’t enough.

Ye Shuizhen looked at Xu Jiaojiao, who was becoming more and more beautiful, her face contorted with hatred.

Why was her life getting harder and harder, while Xu Jiaojiao’s was getting better and better?

Her body, which was originally thin and bony, had become fuller.

She was obviously eating well.

Li Wenxiu’s face wasn’t good either.

Thinking back to when she asked for ten yuan back and made a fool of herself, she felt resentment.

When they reached the field, Xu Jiaojiao rolled up her pants.

Her jade-like legs were revealed, inch by inch.

The young men couldn’t help but stare, their eyes glued to her legs.

As soon as she rolled up one pant leg, Xu Jiaojiao felt a presence beside her.

The tall and imposing figure, she knew who it was without looking up.

She frowned, her movements quickening.

She rolled up both pant legs and both sleeves and went into the field.

This was her first time working in the field, and she had no experience. When she came out, she had several leeches on her.

Even though Xu Jiaojiao had lived a hard life since she was young, she couldn’t help but be scared.

Now, before going into the field, she would apply medicine to her hands and feet.

It had to be said that the knowledge of medicine she had learned was very useful.

With the medicine applied, she didn’t have to worry about leeches for the whole morning.

Now, the medicine was kept at home, and anyone who wanted to use it could.

Ding Xiujing praised her endlessly, saying that she was indeed clever.

She had learned so much in such a short time.

Xu Jiaojiao went into the water, and those wolfish gazes dared not wander anymore.

Qin Shuo then turned around to do his work.

The women weeded, and the men carried fertilizer. When the weeds were pulled, the fertilizer would be applied.

The terraced fields were one step after another, and from the top, you could see people working in each field.

Everyone was working hard and chatting.

This scene of collective labor would be gone in a few years.

Xu Jiaojiao actually started to like this kind of life.

She hoped that the system wouldn’t come back again.

Xu Jiaojiao was strong and worked quickly. Even the experienced aunties admired her.

This was also why she became prettier, and her reputation improved.

With a good reputation, life in the village would be easier.

Xu Jiaojiao weeded while chatting with the aunties on the step above her.

They had only weeded half of the field when someone shouted from afar.

“Gu Zhiqing was bitten by a venomous snake!”