Li Qiao seriously suspected that Li Jinhua had taken a fancy to Qin Jin, because every time Qin Jin was mentioned, her eyes would become especially fervent.
No, greedy.
Like a wolf that hadn't eaten for several days seeing meat.
This would explain why she wanted to match her with Cai Hechuan.
But Qin Jin was her meal ticket, not to mention a step-sister, even a blood sister was out of the question.
With this thought, Li Qiao's heart turned cold, but she still politely took her leave from Li Jinhua, her tone slightly cool, "Someone in the village is having a celebration, we'll be going later to have wedding drinks, so I won't stay.
Li Jinhua suddenly remembered an old incident, "Is it Feng Guanggun from the east end of the village getting married?"
"How do you know?"
Li Jinhua's eyes sparkled, dimming in an instant as she said with a flicker in her eyes, "The villagers are talking about it. They say Feng Guanggun is quite lucky with women, getting to marry a fresh young wife even though he's well into his thirties. Be careful on the road."
Li Jinhua's sudden odd behavior didn't escape Li Qiao's eyes, and she thought to herself you'd better not provoke me, or you'll be sorry.
Once home, Li Qiao refused to attend the feast on the pretext of suddenly feeling unwell.
Because she had seen the village host both wedding and funeral banquets, where all the dishes were cooked together, served in large bathing tubs, with everyone borrowing bowls and chopsticks, crowded together to eat.
Spittle flying during conversations, it was unacceptable.
Old Mrs. Qin, worried she might be hungry, added a handful of firewood to the stove and threw in two sweet potatoes before heading out with Qin Jin.
Li Qiao immediately locked the front door.
Seeing this, Qin Jin couldn't help but interject, "Locking the door in broad daylight, as if scared others won't know our house has valuables. Idiot! Fool!"
"You little wretch! How dare you curse!" Old Mrs. Qin kicked at him, and he ran off like a shot.
....
After finishing a mock exam, Li Qiao heard a knocking at the door. She peeked through the crack and saw it was Cai Hechuan. She ignored him, but he kept knocking and calling her name. Worried about being seen by others and becoming the subject of gossip, she eventually lifted the latch.
Cai Hechuan, propelled by the momentum against the door, stumbled into the courtyard, reeking of alcohol, and accused her, "I, I ask you, did you sleep with Loser Qin?"
Li Qiao made the face of an old man staring at his phone on the subway, thinking are you sick?
Cai Hechuan continued to accuse, "Did I hit the nail on the head? Flirtatious woman, you said I would be your first."
While Li Qiao felt disgusted, she was also extremely relieved. She had considered that the original owner had been with him, which made her more disgusted than if she had swallowed a fly.
About to send him away, she caught a flash of green out of the corner of her eye behind the straw stack at the doorway.
Her heart skipped a beat, who was there?
She was about to shout when Cai Hechuan grabbed her wrist and demanded, "You have to give me an explanation today."
"Let go," Li Qiao said, disgusted as she twisted her wrist trying to break free. His strength was shockingly great, so she threatened, "I'm going to call for help."
"Go ahead, let everyone come and see you with me after you're married."
Alcohol emboldened the cowardly, Cai Hechuan lunged at her unwillingly.
Li Qiao couldn't dodge in time and was embraced, frozen in shock. Not until Cai Hechuan's face was inches away did she react, her scalp tingling. She first raised her hand to block his invading mouth and then drove her knee into his lower body.
Cai Hechuan let go of her in pain.
Li Qiao, free, rushed to the door, but the figure behind the straw stack had already disappeared. Worried that it might be a neighbor, she feared they might already be on their way to inform Qin Jin.
A chill ran down her spine.
Help! How was she to know his temper wouldn't explode?
In a panic, she used a broom to push and shove Cai Hechuan away and only relaxed after the door was bolted shut again.
But the next second she started to worry if Qin Jin would come to settle the score with her.
....
Li Jinhua saw Cai Hechuan heading to the Qin family's home and intentionally hid behind the straw stack by the door to observe, confirming that the two were embracing as they headed toward Feng Guanggun's place.
She remembered a past life when Feng Guanggun got married, and she inadvertently found out Cai Hechuan was escorting the bride. Worrying that Qin Jin might misunderstand, she chose not to join the Qin family for the meal.
But who could have thought that after a drunken Cai Hechuan sought her out and spoke only a few words before Qin Jin returned. Misunderstanding the situation on the spot, he beat Cai Hechuan till his nose bled profusely. Had Old Mrs. Qin not returned in time, perhaps she would have been beaten as well.
It was this time that Li Qiao firmly decided to divorce.
She must fan the flames to push their divorce forward.
Halfway there, Li Jinhua encountered Qin Jin, who was hurrying and had a displeased look, thinking to herself that it was exactly the same as in her past life.
Qin Jin realized that Cai Hechuan was missing and hurried home to look for him.
But at this moment, their affair had undoubtedly not succeeded. She stopped him to delay the time, pretending to be unaware, "Brother-in-law, where's third sister? Just now I passed by your house and there was no one there, is she at Feng Guanggun's place?"
Qin Jin coldly said, "Step aside."
"Brother-in-law, I will tell the third sister about you hitting me."
Qin Jin's eyes darkened by three shades in an instant.
Li Jinhua thought he was afraid, but to her surprise, he raised his hand, yanked off the scarf covering her face, and slapped her twice, "You're going to talk about it anyway, might as well hit you a few more times."
Li Jinhua's head buzzed, "You, you, go back, go back and see my third sister and Cai Hechuan under the quilt!"
Qin Jin switched to running.
Li Jinhua could already imagine the expression on Qin Jin's face after catching the adulterers.
Let it be a commotion, best to make it known to everyone.
...
Cai Hechuan was probably drunk, and despite being kicked out by Li Qiao, he stubbornly lingered, banging on the door asking Li Qiao to let him in to make it up to him.
Li Qiao was furious and decided to give him a profound lesson. Looking around, her gaze landed on the swill bucket next to the kitchen stove, and she immediately had an idea.
She went forward, picked up the bucket, stepped on the stool, and without hesitation dumped it under the door.
Her movements were as smooth as flowing water.
After a loud shout.
Cai Hechuan, startled by the cold water, jumped up and instinctively turned around, facing the two wooden doors. He looked around, and no one was there. "Who, who dumped water on me? Loser Qin, come out!"
Li Qiao calmly put the stool and bucket back in their places, smelling the aroma of sweet potatoes, her appetite surged, and she sat there digging out sweet potatoes to eat.
Cai Hechuan at the door continued to curse, "The despicable, shameless Loser Qin, you bastard!"
"Why are you calling your dad, you unfilial son?" Qin Jin responded from a distance. As he got closer and saw that the door was securely locked with only Cai Hechuan outside, soaked and disheveled, his mood brightened, and he laughed heartily, "Did you fall into a ditch? You look like a drowned dog."
Cai Hechuan, half sobered by the cold, shivering, said, "You, you, you laugh after dumping foul water on me, just you wait!" Unable to bear the cold, he hugged himself and ran home.
It was only then that Qin Jin noticed a puddle of water in front of the main door, and with both hands he stroked his chin in thought.
Li Jinhua was dumbfounded.
Where was Li Qiao?
Shouldn't she be getting cozy with Cai Hechuan?
Qin Jin knocked on the door, "Li Qiao, open the door."
There was no movement in the yard, so he peered through the crack of the door and caught sight of her squatting by the stove eating a sweet potato, her eyes fixed on the door, and when their eyes met, the sweet potato skin in her hand fell to the ground.
He felt both amused and pained. Was he that frightening?
Since she hadn't had a secret meeting with Cai Hechuan, he felt like going back to Feng Guanggun's house for a drink.
Turning his head, he saw Li Jinhua standing dumbly at the door, threw a punch into the air as a silent warning to her.
If she dared to talk nonsense, he would hit her again.
Li Jinhua, frightened, retreated repeatedly. On her way home, the more she thought about it, the more something seemed off.
This shouldn't be.
Could it be that her involvement had led to this unexpected turn of events?
Realizing this, she was filled with regret.
...