Seeing the worried look on Yun Jiu’s face, Lin Ye couldn’t help but laugh softly. He lowered his head slightly and leaned close to Yun Jiu’s ear as he asked, “What if it leaves a scar? Would you still like your husband?”
As Lin Ye spoke, he deliberately breathed warm air onto Yun Jiu’s ear, and then watched as Yun Jiu’s ear turned red.
Yun Jiu’s ear felt itchy from what he did. He moved his ear slightly while trying to dodge to the side. Lin Ye reached out and pinched Yun Jiu’s ear. It was plump and soft, and felt very nice to touch.
Yun Jiu was still not very accustomed to being this close to Lin Ye outside. He couldn’t help but look up at Lin Ye. His dark-brown eyes seemed to be saying: Stop fooling around, stop fooling around.
By this time, most of the people around them had already dispersed.
Lin Ye also didn’t want to keep teasing him, worried that he might actually annoy this honest man. Just then, someone suddenly walked toward them. Lin Ye looked up and saw Qi Zhou with a smiling face.
Qi Zhou walked up to Lin Ye and then began circling around him.
Qi Zhou still wore that lecherous-looking expression, and the smile in his eyes was clearly ill-intentioned.
Yun Jiu didn’t know why, since today was clearly the first time he had met Qi Zhou, but he inexplicably felt that Qi Zhou seemed to have some unspeakable intentions toward Lin Ye. This vague sense of danger made Yun Jiu instinctively pull Lin Ye behind him, then stare at Qi Zhou warily.
Qi Zhou was amused by Yun Jiu’s little expression. He suddenly smiled and said to Lin Ye, “A fellow traveler, indeed. The sturdier ones are still more interesting, right?”
Yun Jiu didn’t understand what Qi Zhou meant, but Lin Ye did. However, Lin Ye had no intention of paying attention to this lecherous man.
Qi Zhou did not become angry because of Lin Ye’s attitude. Instead, he turned his attention to Yun Jiu. Qi Zhou’s blatantly undisguised gaze made Yun Jiu instinctively take a step backward.
Lin Ye looked coldly at the back of Qi Zhou’s head and wondered whether he should take advantage of the man’s inattention and simply knock him unconscious.
However, before Qi Zhou could make any move, they suddenly heard a familiar voice.
“Brother, so you’re here?”
Qi Zhou instinctively wanted to leave. Just as he was about to turn around, someone grabbed his arm. Qi Xiaoyuan’s beautiful face appeared before Qi Zhou’s eyes without any warning. Qi Xiaoyuan gave Qi Zhou a hum, and Qi Zhou immediately put on an expression that said, “What a coincidence, you’re shopping too?”
Qi Xiaoyuan looked at Lin Ye nearby and pointed at him. “Huh? Aren’t you that person? Haha, that handsome little brother who was almost molested by my brother.”
When Yun Jiu heard the word “molested,” his eyebrows twitched involuntarily. So that was why he had sensed a feeling of danger. It turned out that this person actually, actually had a preference for men?
Then Qi Xiaoyuan noticed Yun Jiu. He was stunned for a moment, then let go of Qi Zhou and walked over to Yun Jiu.
“My brother didn’t set his sights on you again today, did he? But you actually look pretty good. My brother’s taste has improved today.”
Qi Xiaoyuan had just seen Qi Zhou staring at Yun Jiu the whole time, which was why he couldn’t help stepping forward. When Qi Zhou had come over to watch the commotion, Qi Xiaoyuan, who also loved watching excitement, had been nearby. He had seen everything that happened earlier. He had wanted to make friends with Yun Jiu just now, so he took this opportunity to jump in.
If Yun Jiu were genuinely a man, then honestly, considering his height and appearance, he really couldn’t be considered ugly. However, as Qi Xiaoyuan had said, calling him handsome seemed to be a bit of an exaggeration.
It was the first time Yun Jiu had ever been praised, especially by another ge’er, so his cheeks turned red and he became a little embarrassed.
“I-I’m actually not good-looking,” Yun Jiu said shyly, not even daring to look at Qi Xiaoyuan.
Actually, in Yun Jiu’s eyes, a ge’er like Qi Xiaoyuan was what could truly be called good-looking. With his cute appearance, chubby little face, and especially those big, watery eyes, he looked like someone who was kind-hearted at first glance.
“Hehe, don’t be embarrassed. What I said is the absolute truth. I’m very good at judging people. You look good, and you have a good heart too. If my brother had taken a liking to you, I wouldn’t object.”
Qi Xiaoyuan added inwardly: It’s just a pity that Yun Jiu is already taken.
The two ge’er began chatting back and forth. Lin Ye rarely saw someone get along so well with Yun Jiu, so he didn’t interrupt their conversation. Yun Jiu had never had any friends or close friends before. Perhaps this time, he might finally make a friend.
Qi Zhou saw that his younger brother had forgotten about him, so he hurriedly tiptoed over, put his arm around Lin Ye’s neck, and pulled him aside to whisper in his ear.
“Come on, tell your brother honestly. Is a guy like this really damn exciting to sleep with?”
Lin Ye had thought Qi Zhou had something important to tell him because he looked so secretive. But the moment he heard what Qi Zhou said, his handsome face immediately turned bright red. How would he know whether it was exciting or not? The only time he and Yun Jiu had done anything intimate was when he hadn’t been completely clear-headed.
After that, the most they had done was kiss. They hadn’t even gone any further than that.
Seeing Lin Ye’s handsome face turn red, Qi Zhou became even more interested.
Recently, Qi Xiaoyuan had been keeping a close eye on him, and his whole family had been trying to stop him from pursuing men. With no choice, he had shifted his attention to gers. But no matter how many he looked at or how he searched, he simply couldn’t find anyone he felt attracted to.
Until he met someone like Yun Jiu today. Suddenly, he felt that he had finally found what he was looking for.
Since his whole family wouldn’t let him pursue men, he could just find a ger who looked like a man. That way, he could satisfy his family while satisfying himself as well.
A ger like this would definitely be as tough and enduring as a man, and could even have children.
Qi Zhou was the youngest and most spoiled child of a wealthy family. However, because he had been excessively pampered since childhood, he had grown up with a rather rough, uncultured way of speaking and behaving.
Compared with Qi Zhou, who had that roughness ingrained in him, Lin Ye—despite actually being a man from the countryside—looked more like a young master from a wealthy family.
The two stood together talking: one tall and handsome, the other short and lecherous. One had turned completely red with embarrassment, while the other wore a mischievous grin.
“What’s wrong? Did you think of something pleasurable? Come on, tell your brother how good it feels.”
Looking at Qi Zhou’s lecherous expression so close to his face, Lin Ye slapped him away and returned to the carriage without looking back.
Qi Zhou, however, thought Lin Ye was simply embarrassed. He was certain Lin Ye had thought of something improper and had become overwhelmed by his feelings for a moment.
Yun Jiu said goodbye to Qi Xiaoyuan, and the two of them then led the carriage toward the outskirts of the city.
After they had left, Qi Xiaoyuan finally snorted and walked over to look at his older brother.
“I thought you had taken a liking to him. Ah, so he already has a husband. But the two of them actually make quite a good match.”
Hearing this, Qi Zhou rolled his eyes toward the sky. Anyone with eyes could tell that the two of them were extremely mismatched. He really didn’t understand how Qi Xiaoyuan’s eyes worked. Yun Jiu actually counted as good-looking in his eyes?
Seeing the look of disdain on Qi Zhou’s face, Qi Xiaoyuan reached out and grabbed his ear, saying with a smile, “You men only care about appearances. Why don’t you ever look at what’s inside a person? Yun Jiu really is good-looking. Someone like you, you idiot, would never understand his good qualities. I’m warning you, if you ever bring home a ger
who looks good but has a vicious heart, I’ll break your dog legs.”
Qi Zhou cried out, “Ow, ow, ow,” trying to awaken some sympathy in his younger brother.
“You’re screaming like a pig being slaughtered. Keep screaming, and I’ll sew your mouth shut,” Qi Xiaoyuan shouted into Qi Zhou’s ear. His eyes, which were already round, were now opened even wider.
After Yun Xiaoshu found the people from Yunjia Village, he had completely lost his mood for shopping. His face was pale as he followed behind everyone. He was jostled back and forth by the crowded people, looking completely lost. When he finally came back to his senses, he discovered that he had once again become separated from the people from Yunjia Village. He stared blankly at his surroundings, having no idea where he was now…
As for Lin Ye, they had already left the city.
The two of them had not let what happened earlier affect their good mood. Instead, they happily continued on their way back to Yunjia Village.
Yun Jiu had originally been sitting inside the carriage, but he felt that it would be too lonely for Lin Ye to drive the carriage alone, so he lifted the curtain and sat down beside him.
When they came, there had been other people around, so Yun Jiu had been too embarrassed to get too close to Lin Ye. Now that no one was watching, and because he was worried about Lin Ye’s injury, he shamelessly squeezed in beside him.
“Does it still hurt?” Yun Jiu looked at Lin Ye’s chin. Wounds in winter always hurt more than usual.
When Yun Jiu went out to chop firewood in the middle of winter, he often injured his hands. Even scraping off a little skin in winter would hurt for a long time.
Seeing how much Yun Jiu cared about him, Lin Ye blinked his pitch-black eyes and softly said, “It hurts a lot.”
Yun Jiu, who was already feeling sorry for him, immediately said, “Then… then stop for a moment. Let me take a look.”
As he spoke, Yun Jiu pulled on the reins without giving Lin Ye a chance to stop him. Lin Ye had just been about to tell him that he had only been teasing him when he suddenly noticed Yun Jiu leaning closer. Then he felt a warm, moist sensation on his chin.
Lin Ye reacted as if he had been burned by a spark. His pupils trembled violently. Then his already pitch-black pupils suddenly changed color.
Yun Jiu looked up at Lin Ye and blinked in confusion, staring at him uncertainly. But when he looked into Lin Ye’s eyes again, that strange color had disappeared.
Yun Jiu thought that his eyes must have played tricks on him. Otherwise, how could he have just seen Lin Ye’s eyes turn dark green?
Through the plants around them, Lin Ye could sense that there were still other passersby nearby. He could only take a deep breath and suppress the emotions that had suddenly begun boiling inside him.
He looked at Yun Jiu’s innocent expression and thought: You fool, why do you always tease me without even realizing it? The key is that you still look completely innocent, while I’m the one thinking all sorts of messy things.
Lin Ye suddenly felt that he had become wicked. It must have been because that bastard Qi Zhou had rubbed off on him.
With that thought, Lin Ye decided that he definitely had to stay away from that perverted Qi Zhou, who seemed to have nothing but lust on his mind. He always felt that he was going to be led astray by him.
Seeing that Lin Ye had remained silent for so long, Yun Jiu asked softly, “I used to lick my wounds when I got hurt, and they would feel better. Does it still hurt? Do you want me to lick it again?”
Yun Jiu was not lying. In the past, he had no money to see a doctor or get his injuries treated, so he would always lick his wounds, and they would heal quite quickly. This method had been taught to him by some of the elderly people in Yunjia Village.
Lin Ye couldn’t help letting his thoughts wander again. Secretly, he thought to himself: Lick it? After we get married, I’ll let you lick to your heart’s content.
Although all sorts of unhealthy thoughts were running through Lin Ye’s mind, there was still not much change on his face. He turned his dark eyes toward Yun Jiu and said, “Yun Jiu, it’s much better.”
Only then did Yun Jiu breathe a sigh of relief and smile. “Then let’s go?”
When the two returned to Yunjia Village with their carriage fully loaded, they discovered that a shed had been set up outside the Lin family’s house. Beneath the shed, the villagers were busy working.
Lin Ye had set the wedding date for the eighth day of the lunar month. Today was already the sixth. Although the preparations were a little rushed, everything that needed to be prepared still had to be done.
Fortunately, there had been no other weddings in Yunjia Village recently, so with everyone coming over to help, things moved quite quickly.
Lin Ye unloaded everything. As for organizing the goods, he left that to Yun Jiu and Lin A-mo. Lin Ye still had to go to the nearby towns because there were many things that had not yet been purchased.
Lin Ye bought sixty chickens, eighteen ducks, two pigs, and two sheep in one go. He also bought some winter vegetables such as Chinese cabbage, potatoes, and radishes.
All these live poultry were slaughtered for him. Since Lin Ye had purchased such a large quantity, the families who sold the livestock to him voluntarily helped slaughter them and personally drove carts to deliver everything to Yunjia Village.
The livestock had not all been bought from the same household. So when the sellers arrived, everyone saw one ox cart after another coming in. When they saw the two pigs and two sheep on the carts, Yunjia Village became lively once again.
The large shed outside the Lin family’s house was for preparing the food. A total of four cooking stoves had been set up. They planned to prepare several of the main dishes all at once tomorrow. The remaining dishes would be cooked on the actual wedding day.
Lin Ye only asked everyone to help prepare a small portion. When he had gone to the town to buy meat, he had already discussed things with several restaurants and arranged for them to prepare some of the dishes.
Originally, Lin Ye had planned to have the people in town prepare everything at once. But Lin A-mo said that a wedding should be lively. Although it would be somewhat chaotic, it would ultimately feel more festive that way.
The next day, Yun Jiu returned to his thatched hut.
Several of the good-natured uncles in the village accompanied Yun Jiu and told him about some of the rules and customs for the wedding.
Everyone knew that Yun Dali’s family would never teach Yun Jiu these things. So, out of kindness, they couldn’t help but remind him of a few more things.
Yun Jiu stared at them with a pair of wide eyes, listening blankly. He understood some of it, but much of it still left him confused.
Sanzi’s A-mo was still in Yun Jiu’s thatched hut, helping him temporarily embroider some auspicious patterns symbolizing good fortune and good luck onto his wedding clothes.
Watching everyone busily working around him, Yun Jiu felt exceptionally happy.
Never before had so many people been busy for his sake. All of these changes had come because of Lin Ye.
Before the wedding, Lin Ye was not allowed to come and see Yun Jiu.
But for some reason, Yun Jiu suddenly wanted to see Lin Ye very, very badly.
The two of them had clearly still been together talking yesterday, yet after merely half a morning without seeing him, Yun Jiu already felt so lovesick that his heart was uncomfortable.
He wondered whether Lin Ye had become exhausted. Their wedding had been arranged so hurriedly, and Lin Ye took it so seriously. He must be running himself off his feet, right?
Lin Ye really was running himself off his feet, but he didn’t feel that it was anything. Compared with the level of exhaustion he had experienced in the apocalypse, the running around and fatigue of these past two days simply didn’t count for much. Especially since he was busy for his own sake, Lin Ye was actually very happy.
On the morning of the seventh day, Lin Ye took Sanzi and the others to the town and brought back an entire ox cart loaded with wine.
Over the past two days, Lin Ye had repeatedly left with an empty cart and returned with it completely loaded. The spectacle had gradually made the people of Yunjia Village numb to it. At first, they would gather around to take a look, then express their envy and jealousy with a few comments. But by today, everyone couldn’t even be bothered to be surprised anymore.
Some of the more gluttonous men revealed greedy looks when they saw the wine being carried into Lin Ye’s home. All of them were secretly thinking that tomorrow they would definitely drink to their heart’s content.
Apart from the wine and meat that the men were thinking about, many of the children were also looking forward to the wedding candies. In the past, whenever someone in the village got married, they had to fight desperately just to get a single piece of wedding candy to satisfy their craving. They thought that since the Lin family was so wealthy, there would definitely be plenty of wedding candy to eat this time.
Apart from the villagers who were filled with blessings and good wishes, quite a few young men and women showed no happiness at all. On the contrary, every time they saw Lin Ye return with a fully loaded cart, they were unbearably jealous.
Yun Xiaoxiang went out for a while and then returned home to look for Yun Xiaoshu. Ever since Yun Xiaoshu had returned yesterday, he had not left his room.
When Yun Xiaoxiang entered Yun Xiaoshu’s room, he saw Yun Xiaoshu sitting there alone with a sinister smile on his face. No matter how he looked at it, the expression was frightening.
Yun Xiaoxiang suddenly felt a little afraid of this younger brother. He softly called out, “Shu’er, Shu’er?”
Yun Xiaoshu looked as though someone had suddenly pressed an acupoint on him. The smile on his face instantly disappeared, and he turned his head somewhat numbly.
When he saw that it was Yun Xiaoxiang, a faint smile blossomed across Yun Xiaoshu’s face.
“Brother, why are you here?”
Seeing Yun Xiaoshu suddenly return to his usual appearance, Yun Xiaoxiang still felt frightened inside. He thought: Could Yun Xiaoshu have been so deeply affected by Lin Ye’s wedding that he’s gone crazy?
“Shu’er, are you okay? When you came back yesterday, your complexion was really frightening. I was a little worried about you, so I came to see you.”
Yun Xiaoshu revealed an even brighter smile and said, “What is there to worry about? Look, aren’t I perfectly fine?”
Yun Xiaoxiang gave a bitter smile. How are you fine?
He sat down beside Yun Xiaoshu and reached out to hold his hand.
“Little brother, stop being foolish. You haven’t gone out at all today. You didn’t see how excited Lin Ye looked. Everyone is saying that maybe Lin Ye really likes Yun Jiu, but he was too concerned about his reputation to say it. That Lin Ye has always been a little strange anyway. Maybe he really does like someone like that. Why do you have to make yourself so sad over him?”
Upon hearing this, Yun Xiaoshu frowned. He shook off Yun Xiaoxiang’s hand and said somewhat hysterically, “Whether he likes Yun Jiu or not, he should be mine. Brother, you don’t understand. I’m the only one who is worthy of Lin Ye. A filthy thing like Yun Jiu deserves nothing more than to be abandoned by someone else.”
Seeing that his younger brother had become somewhat obsessed, Yun Xiaoxiang suddenly became angry. He simply could not understand why his brother was so stubborn.
“Yun Xiaoshu! Look at what you’ve become. You don’t really like Lin Ye that much. In your heart, you actually understand this better than I do. You just think that Yun Jiu, who has always been inferior and uglier than us, shouldn’t be living better than us or marrying better than us.
“Yun Xiaoshu, that’s just jealousy. You don’t really like Lin Ye that much.”
In fact, Yun Xiaoxiang was right. Compared with the other ger in Yunjia Village, Yun Xiaoxiang and Yun Xiaoshu were even more jealous of Yun Jiu. Because the two of them knew better than anyone how humble Yun Jiu’s position in his family had been—so humble that he was no more than an ant beneath their feet.
Yet suddenly, one day, this ant had climbed above their heads. Their hearts could not help but become twisted.
A person who could barely eat enough or keep warm, and who was ugly in appearance, had suddenly begun living a life of abundance. Not only that, he had also married the most handsome hanzi in the village.
How could they not be jealous?
Even Yun Xiaoxiang, who did not like Lin Ye, felt unbearably jealous, let alone Yun Xiaoshu.
Yun Xiaoshu was the most favored little ger in the family apart from Yun Yushan.
But Yun Xiaoshu, who had been so spoiled and cherished, was still inferior to an ugly Yun Jiu. Yun Xiaoshu was indeed going mad with jealousy.
Yun Xiaoshu retorted excitedly, “Get out! What do you know? I’m not jealous of that bastard. What is he? He’s nothing but an unwanted ugly freak.”
Yun Xiaoxiang opened his mouth, but in the end, he did not say what he had been about to say. He could only leave angrily.
Watching Yun Xiaoxiang’s departing figure, Yun Xiaoshu snorted. “What do you know? How could I possibly be jealous of him? Tonight, after tonight, he will be abandoned by Brother Lin Ye. Yes, he deserves to die. Only I am worthy of Brother Lin Ye. Why does he deserve to climb above me?”
Jealousy is the most terrifying blade. Before they knew it, jealousy could completely wear away a person’s conscience.
Yun Xiaoshu’s condition was very similar to that of a former patient of Lin Ye’s. This patient had a very good female best friend since childhood. The two of them grew up together, and they were so close that later, they even applied to the same high school and university.
The patient said that they had grown up together, and she had always been a little better than her best friend. She was prettier, had longer legs, and got better grades than her best friend. As long as things continued like that, she never felt there was anything wrong. But after graduating from university, they began entering society.
She was better than her best friend in everything, yet her salary was not as high as her best friend’s. Later, her best friend found a boyfriend while she did not. A strange emotion gradually began to affect her mood. Every day she felt miserable and unhappy, and whenever she saw her best friend, she felt like throwing up.
For a period of time afterward, the two of them began giving each other the cold shoulder. Until one day, she heard that her best friend had broken up with her boyfriend and had later accidentally gotten into a car accident. She could not help going to see her best friend, and then she thoughtfully took care of her during her recovery. Her best friend was moved once again, and the two of them reconciled.
However, this kind of life did not last long. Her best friend got another boyfriend, and this boyfriend was even more handsome and wealthy than the previous one. That feeling of being distanced from her best friend once again climbed into her heart. She had always thought that she and her best friend had a very good relationship, so she often spoke badly of that man. But her best friend, who was deeply in love, would not listen to her.
In the end, in a fit of anger, she seduced that man. When she saw the devastated expression on her best friend’s face, that troubling emotion once again disappeared.
It was a kind of obsessive and pathological jealousy. This patient’s condition had already become extremely frightening.
And Yun Xiaoshu actually had the same kind of mentality, except that he still did not think that he had done anything wrong.
In the afternoon, Lin Ye brought back all kinds of pastries, as well as various kinds of wedding candies.
A group of children were extremely happy. Children from the countryside like them might only get to taste a piece of candy once every six months. They thought that tomorrow they would definitely say lots of auspicious words, and when Lin Ye was happy, perhaps he would give them a few extra pieces.
While Lin Ye was busy, Lin A-mo was not idle either.
The Yun Dali family was certainly not going to prepare a dowry for Yun Jiu. Therefore, Lin A-mo took money out of his own pocket and prepared some dowry for Yun Jiu. Among those things were also the two gold bracelets that Lin Ye had bought for him, which he gave to Yun Jiu as well. Lin A-mo did this not only to show his generosity, but also to uphold Lin Ye’s dignity.
Lin A-mo had basically realized that Lin Ye had truly become serious about Yun Jiu.
By evening, the dowry was carried to Yun Jiu’s little thatched hut.
Looking at box after box of things, everyone could not help feeling envious. They had never heard of someone preparing a dowry for the husband they were marrying. No wonder so many ge’er had hoped to marry into the Lin family back then. The Lin family really was extremely wealthy and generous.
Among all those who were envious, the Yun Dali family were the most jealous. If they had known earlier that Yun Jiu would be so capable and would actually marry such a good hanzi, they would certainly have treated Yun Jiu well back then. But they had already offended Lin Ye. Now they could only fear Lin Ye’s ruthlessness while feeling unbearably jealous at the same time.
Lin Ye could, of course, see other people’s jealousy.
To prevent any accidents, before nightfall he had someone deliver a small sachet to Yun Jiu. He also seriously instructed Yun Jiu that he must keep the sachet close to his body.
Everyone was curious about what Lin Ye had given him, but as soon as Yun Jiu received it, he tucked it away against his inner clothing.
Yun Jiu did not think as much as Lin Ye did. He obediently kept it on his body. Even when he went to sleep at night, he did not take it off.
That night, Sanzi’s A-mo stayed at Yun Jiu’s place. He planned to accompany the groom-to-be and wait for the big wedding day tomorrow.
That night, Yun Jiu tossed and turned, unable to fall asleep. Sanzi’s A-mo smiled and said, “When I got married back then, I was just like you. On one hand, I was eager to marry over, while on the other hand, I was nervous and uneasy. But you have it much better than I did. Your future father-in-law treats you very well, and he even prepared your dowry himself.”
Yun Jiu felt a little embarrassed upon hearing this and gave a quiet hum.
Sanzi’s A-mo was obviously in a good mood, so he couldn’t help talking more. “My Sanzi, ah, is an honest fellow. Now that he’s following Lin Ye around, I even feel that the boy has become smarter. And Lin Ye would never take advantage of Sanzi just because he’s honest.
“Although my Sanzi may look a little dull, he isn’t stupid at all. He knows that Lin Ye treats him well and often tells me things about Lin Ye. He also told me about you, Yun Jiu. He said that you actually aren’t stupid either. I think so too. Otherwise, why would Lin Ye take a liking to you?”
Yun Jiu chuckled, then rubbed his cheek against the back of his hand. He said somewhat shyly, “Lin Ye only agreed to marry me because that thing happened…”
Sanzi’s A-mo snorted when he heard this. “Hmph, you really don’t understand, do you? Lin Ye’s family is so wealthy. If he truly didn’t like you, would he need to marry you and bring you into his family? And look at how exhausted Lin Ye has been these past few days. He’s treating you this well, and you still say he doesn’t like you? Who would believe that?”
Yun Jiu’s face couldn’t help but grow hot. Although he understood the reasoning, he was always afraid. He was afraid that Lin Ye didn’t actually like him, so he had never dared to think too deeply about this matter.
Now that someone had pointed it out so directly, Yun Jiu couldn’t help missing Lin Ye even more. At this moment, he suddenly wanted to ask Lin Ye whether things really were as Sanzi’s A-mo had said.
Actually, Sanzi’s A-mo was right. Everyone in Yunjia Village had seen how Lin Ye had been behaving recently because of the wedding. Now, many people felt that perhaps Lin Ye really did like Yun Jiu, and that after that incident happened, Lin Ye simply went along with it and married him.
If Lin Ye really wasn’t willing, would he have been in such a hurry to get married? Would he have gone to such lengths to prepare the wedding?
For an ordinary farmer’s wedding, including the betrothal gift, five or six taels of silver would generally be enough.
Yun Jiu remembered that day when they went shopping in Yuecheng. Lin Ye had spent more than ten taels of silver just buying clothes. He wondered just how much silver Lin Ye had wasted on this wedding all at once.
The two chatted for a while longer, and Yun Jiu gradually felt his eyelids becoming heavy. Before long, he drifted into a hazy sleep.
Halfway through the night, Yun Jiu suddenly felt a warmth against his chest. Uncomfortably, he reached out and touched it, only to realize that it was the little sachet Lin Ye had given him.
Just as Yun Jiu was wondering about it, he suddenly seemed to hear a sound coming from the courtyard. He immediately held his breath and listened carefully.
There were no lights in a farmer’s home at night, making it even darker than elsewhere.
In the pitch-black darkness, Yun Jiu could not see that someone outside was pressed against the crack of the door, cautiously peering into the room.
If Yun Jiu could have seen what was happening at the doorway at that moment, he would definitely have been frightened.
The person outside couldn’t see clearly into the room either, so, just to be safe, he blew some more sleeping incense into the room.
This time, because Yun Jiu was concentrating fully on listening, he heard an extremely faint sound. He subconsciously tugged at Sanzi’s A-mo beside him, but he remained completely motionless. Yun Jiu was so frightened that he immediately pulled his hand back, his heart pounding wildly. A terrifying feeling instantly spread through his entire body from the tips of his limbs.
Yun Jiu cautiously checked Sanzi’s A-mo’s breathing. Seeing that he was merely unconscious, Yun Jiu finally relaxed a little.
But before he could completely let his guard down, he heard something prying at the door latch.
Yun Jiu’s breathing stopped for a moment. He immediately and carefully felt around, wanting to find something he could use to defend himself. Even Yun Jiu, who had always been somewhat foolish and slow-witted, didn’t understand what was happening to him. Why were both his reactions and his thoughts suddenly so quick? However, he had no time to think about anything else and could only continue feeling around.
At the head of the bed, Yun Jiu felt the scissors Sanzi’s A-mo used for embroidery. He carefully held his breath and waited.
The people outside were extremely cautious. When the door was finally pushed open with a creak, two people quietly slipped inside. Their movements were extremely light. If Yun Jiu hadn’t been concentrating with all his attention, he could easily have overlooked those faint sounds.
Yun Jiu pressed himself beside the bed curtain, not even daring to breathe heavily. It was clearly the middle of winter, yet sweat had already trickled down his forehead.
If it had been the old Yun Jiu, encountering something like this would have meant at most dying.
But the current Yun Jiu didn’t want to die at all.
He had someone he loved now. He wanted to be together with Lin Ye.
He had endured all kinds of suffering throughout his life, yet he had never considered it painful or unbearable. But there was one person whom he couldn’t bear to lose.
Whenever he imagined that something might happen to him and he would never be able to see Lin Ye again, Yun Jiu felt a sharp pain tearing at his chest.
So this was what happened when a person had someone to care about. He became this weak?
By this time, those two people had already reached the bedside. One of them discovered that there was only one person on the bed and couldn’t help lowering his voice.
“Why is there only one?”
Yun Jiu’s mind went completely blank. He grabbed the scissors and stabbed toward that person.
He was simply far too nervous at that moment. He only felt that the speaker’s voice sounded somewhat familiar. Before he could even react, the scissors in his hand had already been thrust forward.
That person was closest to the bedside. Moreover, it was extremely dark inside the room. Caught completely off guard, he was stabbed by Yun Jiu.
It was also fortunate for that person that although Yun Jiu could move at this moment, his hands and feet were somewhat weak. On top of that, Yun Jiu was extremely nervous, causing the strike to go off target.
The scissors stabbed into the man’s thigh, and he cried out in pain.
“Ah! Ah! So there really was someone who hadn’t passed out? Fuck, that hurts like hell!”
He sucked in a breath from the pain, then angrily grabbed Yun Jiu and dragged him toward the doorway. Only by the faint moonlight outside did he finally see clearly that the person who had injured him was actually Yun Jiu.
At the same time, Yun Jiu also saw his face. It was actually… actually Dong Lao’er?
The other person who had come with Dong Lao’er was a thin, short man with a sharp mouth and a monkey-like face. The man walked up to Yun Jiu and raised Yun Jiu’s chin with his bony, emaciated hand.
“Oh, Lao’er, this guy won’t fetch much money. He’s built way too burly. Anyone who doesn’t know better would think we’re selling a man.”
Dong Lao’er covered his thigh with one hand, then, while sucking in breaths from the pain, viciously kicked Yun Jiu.
“Fucking hell, this bastard has to be dealt with. Otherwise, I won’t be able to get this anger out of my chest.”
Dong Lao’er’s kick landed squarely on Yun Jiu’s stomach. Yun Jiu’s face turned pale from the pain. He tried to stand up and resist them, but he immediately realized that his hands and feet were beginning to grow weak.
Yun Jiu was terrified. It seemed that this was the effect of the sedative.
“All right. For the sake of all those dowry gifts he has, I’ll help you take him away.”
As the thin man spoke, he squeezed somewhere on Yun Jiu’s body. Yun Jiu’s arm suddenly went numb, and one of his arms was abruptly dislocated.
Yun Jiu’s face turned deathly pale from the pain, and cold sweat streamed down his cheeks.
Dong Lao’er let out a cold laugh. Then he and the thin man found some rope and prepared to tie Yun Jiu up.
Yun Jiu was furious. His eyes reddened as he gritted his teeth and suddenly began struggling. He didn’t want them to touch his dowry, and even more than that, he didn’t want to be sold by them.
At that moment, there was only one thought in Yun Jiu’s mind:
He had to see Lin Ye.
Lin Ye… Lin Ye…
Lin Ye’s eyes, darker than those of ordinary people, suddenly appeared in Yun Jiu’s mind, as if they had given Yun Jiu the last bit of strength he had left.
“Why is this guy like a damn ox? Hurry up and hold him down!”
The thin man pressed his entire body against Yun Jiu, but he still couldn’t restrain him.
Dong Lao’er immediately came over to help, but Yun Jiu struggled like a madman, his strength suddenly frighteningly powerful.
Enraged, Dong Lao’er viciously punched Yun Jiu twice.
There was a particular ruthlessness to the way he hit people, and he always struck the most vulnerable parts of the body. Yun Jiu was immediately beaten until he lost all strength, his entire body collapsing limply onto the ground.
Seeing that Yun Jiu had finally behaved, Dong Lao Er laughed, climbed on top of Yun Jiu, and then slapped Yun Jiu’s face twice hard.
“Damn, you sl*t, you actually dare to resist me! I’ll cripple you! By the way, when Lin Ye f**ked you, was it really good? What man would be interested in an ugly freak like you? Did Lin Ye need to take drugs to feel anything when he fucked you?”
As Dong Lao Er spoke, he became increasingly vulgar. Looking at Yun Jiu panting heavily, he suddenly felt that Yun Jiu wasn’t as ugly as before.
Thinking this, Dong Lao Er couldn’t help but have a wicked idea, and he reached out to unbutton Yun Jiu’s pants.
Yun Jiu had been beaten to the point of feeling dizzy and seeing stars. When he sensed Dong Lao’er’s movement, he suddenly sprang up like a little beast whose fur had been bristled, desperately trying to fight Dong Lao’er.
Seeing that Yun Jiu still had the strength to resist, Dong Lao’er immediately pulled out a knife and viciously thrust it toward Yun Jiu’s abdomen.
But just at that moment, in the darkness, something soft suddenly wrapped itself around Dong Lao’er’s neck.
That thing looked limp and soft, but its strength was frighteningly great. The moment it wrapped around Dong Lao’er’s neck, it dragged him toward the darkness.
The thin, small man was immediately scared stiff. After freezing for a moment, he hurriedly turned around and tried to run away. But before he could even take a step, another strange thing suddenly extended its branches from the darkness, fiercely coiling around his neck and dragging him away as well.
Yun Jiu lay stupidly on the cold ground. He had no idea what those things were. He could only watch as the two men struggled painfully. Their mouths seemed to be blocked by something, allowing them to make only muffled, painful whimpers.
Yun Jiu tried to move his body, wanting to go over and see what was happening. But he soon discovered that some thick, sticky blood was slowly flowing across the ground toward him.
Yun Jiu was immediately terrified and kept backing away. Then his body suddenly bumped into something.
He turned his head back in confusion, only to see Lin Ye standing there, looking down at him.
Amidst the endless darkness, Lin Ye stood completely motionless, his head slightly lowered. Because Lin Ye was standing with his back to the moonlight outside, Yun Jiu could not see his expression at all.
But even though he could not see Lin Ye’s face clearly, he recognized at once that the person standing before him was Lin Ye.
Lin Ye’s appearance was so bizarre that Yun Jiu was frightened badly. After a long while, Lin Ye finally moved slightly. He slowly crouched down and kept himself at eye level with Yun Jiu. Only then did Yun Jiu get a clear look at Lin Ye’s face.
There was a strange pattern on Lin Ye’s face, and his gaze seemed somewhat unfamiliar, making Yun Jiu instinctively retreat a little.
“Y-you’re Lin Ye, right?”
Accompanied by the muffled groans coming from behind him, Yun Jiu’s voice was not very clear. But to Lin Ye, whose mind was blank, those words sounded exceptionally clear.
After a long while, Yun Jiu finally heard his reply.
“Mm. Yun Jiu, I’m here.”
Translator has something to say:
Ah, it’s the longest chapter I’ve translated so far. These people are so shameless. And Our Lin Ye came to rescue his Wife🤩. Thanks for reading!!! Consider supporting me by buying me a Ko-fi. One additional Chapter for every 3 Ko-fis. Thank you for your love and support!! Love you all!! See ya👋