Li Qiao was deeply moved, finding it rare for Old Mrs. Qin to be so open-minded. It was naturally good to be able to return to school for a systematic education. "I just don't know if Jin agrees."
"It doesn't matter if he doesn't agree," Old Mrs. Qin declared forcefully.
Li Qiao chuckled sincerely and called the other person Grandma, promising, "Once I've made something of myself, I'll definitely take good care of you."
"If you really want to take good care of me, give me a great-grandson," Old Mrs. Qin said, seizing the opportunity.
Li Qiao: "..." Ah! There's no such thing as a free lunch after all. She hastily agreed, "Okay."
Old Mrs. Qin, having received the satisfactory answer, beamed with joy.
When Qin Jin returned, he was holding a string of sparrows in his left hand and a plump grey rabbit in his right.
He sat down by the well to clean them.
A tiny sparrow had its neck slit by him, then he skinned it starting from the incision. The skin and muscle were somewhat connected, and he tore them apart with his bare hands.
Watching this sent shivers down her spine. After a long silence, she said, "You're so cruel."
"Cruel? You better not eat it later!"
Li Qiao hugged the rabbit tightly. "I won't let you kill this rabbit."
Qin Jin: "Put my rabbit down!"
Li Qiao looked to Old Mrs. Qin for support, and Old Mrs. Qin decreed that since it was alive, they should keep it.
Qin Jin, frustrated, pounded his fist, "The meat is right in front of me, and I can't eat it. Isn't this killing me?"
Old Mrs. Qin whispered, "You can eat your wife. Bring the stove from my room and the pot for boiling water to your place tonight."
Qin Jin was shocked, "Cook her in the stove? Murder is illegal, you know."
Old Mrs. Qin got a fright. When had she ever instigated him to cook his wife? She thought and thought but didn't know how to explain.
So she simply spoke to Li Qiao.
Li Qiao blushed and agreed, since there was no way Grandma could supervise what happened inside their room anyway.
Before long, the aroma of the baked sparrows wafted into the house, making Li Qiao swallow her saliva in spite. How sinful.
After they were done, Old Mrs. Qin brought her two skewers. "Qiaoqiao, there's nothing much at home, eat these while they're hot to replenish yourself," she said.
Li Qiao shook her head, "Grandma, you take them away, I don't want to eat."
"Leave them here and eat them when you feel like it," Old Mrs. Qin said as she left.
Li Qiao couldn't help but look at the skewered meat, her mouth watering. She quickly averted her eyes. Qin Jin walked in and picked up a skewer, murmuring, "If you won't eat, I will."
Li Qiao: "Given your attitude towards me, I can't let you eat it. Put it down quickly, or don't blame me for telling Grandma on you."
Qin Jin: "..." What about his attitude? Why didn't she reflect on herself for a change?
In the end, he still put down the skewer.
Li Qiao, smelling the delicious scent and feeling her stomach rumble, couldn't resist grabbing a skewer and taking a bite when no one was around. Upon tasting it, her eyes widened—it was really good.
It was tender and flavorful.
After finishing one, she picked up the other, but seeing Qin Jin coming into the room, she quickly hid it.
The door creaked open.
Li Qiao and he locked eyes, and he suddenly burst out laughing.
Li Qiao was puzzled.
"You say you won't eat, yet here you are, sneaking a taste and getting all dirty."
Li Qiao, realizing what he meant, turned away in embarrassment, wiping her mouth, only to indeed find a bit of black ash.
Help!
There goes her ladylike image.
She might as well throw caution to the wind; picking up the other skewer, she started munching.
"A hypocritical gluttonous cat," he accused.
Li Qiao hung her head in silence, unable to refute.
…
As dusk fell, Old Mrs. Qin urged Li Qiao and Qin Jin to wash up and go to bed.
Li Qiao was on her period and her stomach was uncomfortable; the pad she was using was also irritating. A punch from Cai Hechuan had left a bruise, and when she lay down on the hard bed, it just happened to rub against the sore spot; she couldn't find a comfortable position to sleep, tossing and turning.
Qin Jin yelled, "You wriggle around like a maggot, all the warmth we've gathered has been wasted by you; are you even going to sleep or not?"
Frightened, Li Qiao dared not move anymore and closed her eyes to force herself to sleep, when she suddenly smelled a foul odor. Was it him farting? She covered her nose, "The air suddenly smells bad."
"Isn't it from the rabbit you insisted on keeping? I said to kill it, but you wouldn't allow it..." he grumbled profusely.
Li Qiao, enduring the cold, got out of bed in the dark to check, and sure enough, it was the rabbit. After cleaning up, she moved the hutch towards the door before crawling back into bed to get warm.
"Hey, you're too cold, don't touch me! Where are you reaching with those paws?"
"The space is just so small, it's hard for me not to touch you," Li Qiao said, almost in tears. Here she was, a grown girl who hadn't complained about being at a disadvantage, but the man with the hooligan reputation was making a big fuss, as if she had taken great advantage of him.
Qin Jin turned to the side, "With this, the space should be bigger, right?"
Li Qiao: "..."
Old Mrs. Qin pressed her ear against the wall, eavesdropping. The darn kid, how could he be so clueless? He wouldn't even let a girl snuggle up to him in the same bed; would she ever have the chance to hold a great-grandson?
There was no sound from the room for a long time until she took a flashlight and shone it toward the next door window, but could only see Qin Jin, sleeping soundly with his face turned away.
How could he sleep with a beautiful wife beside him?
...
The next day, Li Qiao woke up to find the person beside her entangled around her like an octopus.
He had clamored about not wanting her to touch him, yet he took his chance when she was asleep.
What kind of person does that?
She moved his arms and legs away, got dressed, and opened the door. The cold wind carried in a few scattered snowflakes as she stepped out, the ground outside covered in a thick layer of snow.
Her field of view was a vast expanse of white.
Sitting atop the thatched roofs, it was a sight of poetic charm.
Had it snowed last night?
As Li Qiao washed up and brushed her teeth, Old Mrs. Qin also opened her door.
She greeted her, "Good morning, Grandma."
"Morning, oh," Old Mrs. Qin replied with a beaming smile, "Did you sleep well last night?"
"Well."
Back in her room, Li Qiao applied facial oil and glanced at the man still in bed. Taking the rabbit hutch outside, she deliberately covered the cage with straw for insulation.
After thoroughly cleaning the house, she noticed there was still a smell lingering, so she found some dried mugwort to fumigate the place. Then she joined Old Mrs. Qin in sweeping the yard and the snow by the door and worked together to start a fire for cooking.
Seeing that she had stuffed the stove with firewood and it was belching black smoke, Old Mrs. Qin shouted into the house for Qin Jin, "Jin, come start the fire. Jin..."
Li Qiao was extremely embarrassed, as it was her first time not being able to manage the traditional stove properly.
Woken up by the noise, Qin Jin complained, "People with wives get served a cooked meal to their table, how come I got a wife and still have to serve her?"
"You're talking about someone else's wife, your own wife needs your care, not to mention Qiaoqiao needs to study for university."
Scratching his head in irritation, Qin Jin retorted, "She won't be able to study crap! Counting on her to go to university is like expecting a pig to climb a tree."
Li Qiao: "..." Look who's being condescended?
Qin Jin appeared in the yard, yawning as he made the fire, while Li Qiao secretly observed how to add the firewood properly.
The brigade sent someone to notify about the heavy snow blocking roads; each household was to send one person to help clear the snow off the roads, earning them twelve points.
During the busy agricultural season, a labour model could only earn ten points; clearing the snow was much more worthwhile.
Qin Jin readily agreed to go but as he was about to leave, Li Qiao suddenly felt a sharp pain in her lower abdomen, unbearable enough that she swallowed her pride and explained the situation.
Old Mrs. Qin became somewhat anxious, "Why didn't you say you were on your period? You must've gotten cold from getting up early to work; women need to keep warm during these days. Jin, quickly take Qiaoqiao to the health clinic to check."
Qin Jin was reluctant to miss out on the points, but Li Qiao's face was indeed very pale, and she had beads of sweat on her forehead.
He had noticed it the day before, thinking she was upset by the scolding from that Cai hag.
He dropped the line "You are really a nuisance" as he left the yard and, after about seven or eight minutes, returned to carry Li Qiao, who could no longer walk, to the health clinic.
Resting on his back, Li Qiao felt exceedingly guilty.