Chapter 4: The Country Mutt

Outside, night had fallen. The moon hung high in the sky, bright enough that there was no need for lamps to see clearly.

Father and son stood facing each other. Wei Ximin took a drag from his cigarette, exhaled a smoke ring, and said, “Dongzi, do you think we’ve repaid the debt we owe the Lian family?”

Wei Dong remained silent.

“If it weren’t for the Lian family, your grandfather would’ve died more than a decade ago. Without their money, your younger siblings and even your mother might not have survived either.”

“You saving Qing’er’s life—can that really exchange for four lives in our family?”

Wei Dong clenched his fists at his sides and gritted his teeth. “No, it can’t.”

“That’s why we must never let Qing’er suffer.”

Back then, when Wei Dong’s grandfather fell gravely ill, the hospital declared it untreatable. Out of filial piety, Wei Ximin scraped together all their savings, borrowed money wherever he could, and took the old man and young Wei Dong to the capital to seek treatment.

Wei Dong was only ten at the time. On the road, he saw a shady-looking man carrying a child and decided to follow. Realizing the child had been kidnapped, he risked his life to snatch her back.

That child was Lian Yuqing.

The Lian family arrived soon after. Thanks to Wei Dong, their child was saved. If not for him, the kidnapper would have already boarded a train and disappeared. Wei Dong was beaten half to death and ended up hospitalized. The Lian family, deeply grateful, not only paid for his medical bills but also found one of the most renowned doctors at the time to treat his grandfather.

A few days later, Lian Yuqing’s grandfather came and proposed a betrothal between Wei Dong and his granddaughter. It was all arranged by the elders. At the time, Wei Dong had no feelings about it—she was just a baby wrapped in swaddling clothes.

When his grandfather was discharged, the Lian family gifted a token and 200 yuan as a wedding pledge.

Later, when Chen Caiqi (Wei Dong’s mother) was pregnant, she fell outside the outhouse and had to be rushed to the hospital. It cost a fortune to safely deliver the twins. If not for the money from the Lian family, even begging from door to door wouldn’t have gotten them enough to pay the bills. The Lian family had shown immense kindness to the Wei family.

When Wei Dong returned to the room, Lian Yuqing was lying at the table reading a book. The moment she saw him, her eyes lit up. “Wei Dong, I want to take a bath.”

She didn’t seem to remember that she had just complained about him to his father.

Wei Dong nodded. “Wait.”

He went to the kitchen and brought back a big bucket of hot water. Since their house didn’t have a bathroom, she had to bathe inside the room.

Lian Yuqing looked at the two buckets on the floor and felt a little helpless. “Just… bathe like this?”

“How else?”

One bucket of hot water, one of cold—mixed together to bathe. It was undeniably shabby, but that’s all the Wei family had.

Lian Yuqing hugged his arm and gave it a shake. “Can you buy me a big wooden tub tomorrow?”

It wasn’t that she lacked dignity—it’s just that under this roof, she had no choice. Earlier, she’d rummaged through the room and found boxes full of dresses, but not a single coin. Not even a trace of the 200 yuan Wei Dong gave her on their wedding night.

She used to be so proud because she had money. Now she was broke.

Wei Dong said nothing. Lian Yuqing assumed he was refusing and continued, “If you buy it for me, I promise not to argue with your mom for a whole month.”

“Deal.”

Wei Dong subtly pulled his arm away. The part she touched tingled, especially when it brushed against her soft chest.

Seeing that he was still standing there, Lian Yuqing urged him, “Get out!”

Wei Dong looked her up and down. “Eat more. You look like a beanpole.”

For a second, every curse word flashed through her mind. Even if she had to beg for something, a lady like her couldn’t tolerate that.

“When you get your salary, go see a doctor for your eyes.”

Wei Dong left. Lian Yuqing rushed to bolt the door before slowly undressing, growing angrier the more she thought. Her figure under the clothes was stunning—snow-white skin, not a single blemish, full chest, a slim waist, round and perky hips, and long legs. In a bikini, she could probably give someone a nosebleed.

She wet a towel and wiped her face. What truly irritated her was that this body looked exactly like her original one, down to the beauty mark beneath her eye.

“Country mutt. Doesn’t even know how to appreciate beauty.”

In the courtyard, Wei Chunsheng saw his older brother standing outside and came over. “Big brother.”

Wei Dong nodded.

The two didn’t have much to talk about. After all, Wei Dong had joined the army at seventeen and rarely came home over the past decade. Every time he returned, his younger siblings were different—grown up.

“Big brother, are you really going to divorce her?”

“No.”

Wei Chunsheng got anxious. “Is it because Dad won’t let you? I’ll go beg him.”

He had admired his big brother since childhood. As the backbone of the family, his brother’s enlistment brought them better days. In his eyes, Wei Dong was the best man in the world—and now he was forced to marry some spoiled city girl. Unacceptable.

“Chunsheng, she’s your sister-in-law.” Wei Dong’s tone wasn’t stern but carried weight. He was protecting Lian Yuqing.

Wei Chunsheng lowered his head. “I understand, Brother.”

Though he said so, he decided that if Lian Yuqing caused more trouble, he would persuade their father to allow the divorce.

The door opened. Wei Dong quickly came in to take the water buckets away. The room was steamy with the scent of soap and something sweet—completely unlike the rough baths men took, just splashing water around without any fragrant soap.

He noticed her clothes discarded at the side, even the undergarments, and took them away for her.

Lian Yuqing lay on the bed. When Wei Dong entered, he wasn’t wearing a shirt. He had just washed off with cold water in the courtyard, and drops still clung to his skin.

His skin was dark, but his physique was impressive. His chest was broad, and he had visible eight-pack abs. Lian Yuqing lay on her side, admiring him, until Wei Dong got into bed beside her.

“Why are you sleeping here?” she asked.

“This is my house. I can sleep in my own bed, can’t I?”

Lian Yuqing pushed him. “We’re getting divorced. Why are you sleeping with me?”

Wei Dong didn’t budge but looked at her and smiled. “Weren’t you the one who tattled to Dad? Now Dad won’t let us divorce.”

Lian Yuqing frowned. “You listen to your dad that much? If he told you to die, would you?”

“I would.”

She choked on her words. Since the back of her head was injured, she had to sleep on her stomach, facing him. Angrily, she said, “You abandoned me on our wedding night. I’ve never been so humiliated in my life. Even if I die, I’ll never sleep with you!”

“Great. I don’t like beanpoles anyway.” He turned and faced away from her.

Lian Yuqing raised her hand to smack him but stopped when she saw a few long red welts on his back. Her eyes narrowed. “Your back… was it your dad who hit you?”

“Yeah.”

She had assumed Wei Dong just got scolded. She didn’t expect Wei Ximin to actually beat him. Wei Dong was nearly thirty and still got whipped by his father? Embarrassing.

Wei Ximin didn’t hold back either—the wounds looked like they were bleeding. Awkwardly, she asked, “Aren’t you going to apply medicine?”

“I’m fine,” he replied blandly.

The welts were made by a thorny switch. Some had cut into his flesh. They stung badly, but he endured.

“It’s not like I hit you,” she muttered from behind.

Wei Dong heard her quietly grumbling.