Qiao Duo'er glanced at Tan Zhenghong's awkward face and quickly realized that he had just touched that… and hadn't washed his hands, so he was reluctant to eat.
She patted her rumbling stomach but still forwent the bite of the bun with a sigh of pain.
After all, it wouldn't be right for her to eat while her husband with the broken leg watched, especially since it was his lunch.
"Wait for me, I'll go fetch some water."
Qiao Duo'er said and walked toward the washstand.
Tan Zhenghong couldn't help but remind her, "Be careful when you go out, and don't let mother see you."
He knew all too well the temper of his mother; if his foolish bride were seen by her, a scolding was inevitably in store.
Qiao Duo'er glanced at Tan Zhenghong, but as she was not a talkative person by nature, she simply nodded and left.
After she left, Tan Zhenghong fell into deep thought.
His foolish bride was still that dark, pimple-marked village girl, but she had lost her foolish air. Especially her eyes, which had changed from dull to bright and lively, were somehow captivating.
What exactly had happened for his little wife to suddenly change as if she were a different person?
But no matter what, this foolish bride was no longer foolish.
Before long, Qiao Duo'er came back carrying half a basin of water. She couldn't help but lament this broken body of hers, shaking so much from carrying just a little water—could she be any more useless?
It was no surprise, though, as the original body had never had a full meal in her life; how could her health be good?
Qiao Duo'er placed the basin in front of Tan Zhenghong and waited for him to wash his hands. Then, she peered into the basin herself.
She successfully saw her own reflection in the water.
So she had turned into this? Qiao Duo'er's heart felt as if it had been pierced full of holes.
How was she supposed to accept this reality, transforming suddenly from a beautiful woman with a delicate face and a shapely figure to a dark, ugly woman with a flat body?
Her face was covered in pimple marks; some were even festering, and she was dark as night!
Seeing Qiao Duo'er's utterly heartbroken expression, Tan Zhenghong couldn't resist saying, "Your eyes are very beautiful."
Qiao Duo'er took another look and admitted that indeed, these black, shiny eyes had the elegance of her previous life.
But… planted on this face, they were completely wasted!
She was hideous!
Qiao Duo'er truly felt like crying her eyes out.
With a sigh, Qiao Duo'er said mournfully, "Did your mother marry you to me because she has a grudge against you?"
Tan Zhenghong curved his lips in a rare smile, but a wave of bitterness surged in his heart.
Maybe he and his mother did have some deep-seated hatred. Anyway, he had never been favored in his life.
Even though he was the most outstanding among his brothers, his mother didn't see it.
"You look quite nice when you smile," Qiao Duo'er suddenly blurted out.
This man was quite handsome and seemed to have a nice build; any way you looked at it, marrying him seemed like a bargain for her.
"A fool despises a bargain," that was Qiao Duo'er's motto, so she immediately decided to take advantage of the situation.
Well… this guy wasn't too bad; he was even willing to give her some bun to eat.
She had no money and nowhere else to go, so she might as well settle here for now. After all, with his broken leg, the man posed no threat to her.
Tan Zhenghong was covered with black lines, realizing he could hardly keep up with this woman's pace.
"Here you go." Qiao Duo'er pushed the bun back into Tan Zhenghong's hand and then sat at the table to nibble on her own bun.
The bun was dry and hard, scraping painfully against her throat.
But she couldn't help her hunger. Qiao Duo'er would take a bite of the bun and sip water, softening it in her mouth before swallowing.