Li Chunyan lowered her eyes, her whole being enveloped in sorrow.

He was listless and lethargic, and seemed distracted when talking to others.

Zhang Fan was extremely worried, but no matter what he asked, Li Chunyan gave vague answers.

By the afternoon, Zhang Fan finally learned the reason.

Under Aunt Pang's relentless questioning, Li Chunyan finally revealed what she had gone through.

While the two were talking, Zhang Fan squatted down next to them and played with crickets.

Li Chunyan has an older brother who is lazy and idle all day long, and is still unmarried at his age.

Before, when Li Chunyan was married into the family, the family received a dowry, which was all gambled away by her good-for-nothing brother.

This time when he went home, his brother had wicked ideas.

It is said that a boss in the city has contracted a strange disease. He has been to all the major hospitals and specialist clinics in the country, but they still can't find the root cause of the disease.

This big boss started to become superstitious and wanted to get married to bring good luck.

Her brother wanted to sell Li Chunyan to a big boss, but Li Chunyan naturally refused.

As a result, her brother locked her up and tried to pack her up and send her over.

Fortunately, the rope binding Li Chunyan was not tied securely, and she escaped under the cover of night.

Aunt Pang said indignantly, "There are still relatives like this in the world, it's truly a tragedy."

Li Chunyan: "My brother likes to drink. He'll probably come looking for me when he sobers up. What will happen to Zhang Fan if I leave?"

Aunt Pang held Li Chunyan's hand: "Don't panic, we'll think of a way."

The two looked worried as they watched Zhang Fan having a great time playing beside them.

Li Chunyan sighed, "Everyone says that fools are pitiful, but I think he is the happiest, carefree."

Aunt Pang's eyes lit up: "You can marry Zhang Fan and have a child, that will do."

Li Chunyan's cheeks flushed red: "This..."

The plump auntie grinned mischievously: "Zhang Fan is single, and you're single too. Since you'll be taking care of him anyway, you don't have to worry about people gossiping if you get together."

Li Chunyan blushed so deeply that she dared not look up, only staring at her toes.

Last night, she thought she was leaving Zhang Fan forever and only wanted to keep a memory of him; she hadn't thought about this aspect yet.

Aunt Pang's eyes darted around, and she softly called Zhang Fan over.

"Auntie Pang is asking you, do you like your sister-in-law?"

Zhang Fan nodded: "I like it."

"So, do you want to be with your sister-in-law forever?"

Li Chunyan's eyes, filled with shyness and timidity, secretly sized up Zhang Fan.

Before Zhang Fan could answer, the sound of arguing came from outside.

Ma Ying is arguing with a man who has a bulbous nose.

Ma Ying tugged at the collar of the man with the bulbous nose: "You hit someone and tried to run away, pay up!"

With his red nose and twisted tongue, he said, "This road is so wide, I think you're the one who hit me. Let go!"

Ma Yingcai, feeling humiliated and with nowhere to vent his anger, shouted: "If you don't pay me back today, you're not leaving! Help! Someone's being a scoundrel!"

Still drunk, the man with the red nose punched Ma Ying. Ma Ying winced in pain, released the man's collar, covered her eyes, and screamed, "Help! Murder!"

A wolf was killing people in the village, so everyone was on edge and extremely sensitive to any noise in the village.

Those who stayed at home opened their doors and looked over.

The man with rosacea, fearing he would be taken advantage of, quickly turned and ran away.

When Li Chunyan realized what was happening, she saw the red-nosed man fleeing in panic, and her face turned pale: "That's my brother. He must be here to take me away this time."

Aunt Pang comforted him, "He's already run away, so let's take this opportunity to get things settled. I think tonight will be fine."

Li Chunyan bit her lower lip, remaining silent.

Worried that she was putting too much pressure on him, Aunt Pang quickly said, "My husband will be back from working in the fields soon, I need to go and make lunch."

She glanced at Zhang Fan, then said meaningfully to Li Chunyan, "Make a decision as soon as possible. I'm going home now."

After Aunt Pang left, Li Chunyan glanced at Zhang Fan, then got up to cook.

While catching crickets, Zhang Fan pondered: his sister-in-law's brother was clearly all show and no substance, nothing to fear. If he came to snatch her away, he could practice his martial arts skills.

The sun is high in the sky; it's a good time for spiritual practice.

He now feels that cultivation is like an addiction; if he doesn't practice for a day, he feels uncomfortable all over.

Zhang Fan avoided the crowd and went to a secluded spot on the steep southern slope.

Besides absorbing spiritual energy from the air, practicing martial arts can also enhance one's cultivation.

Zhang Fan practiced the fist techniques from the "Wuji Jing" in his mind.

As he practiced, a warm current rose from his dantian, flowing along his meridians to his limbs and bones, instantly cleansing every pore and making him feel refreshed.

Zhang Fan couldn't help but let out a groan from the depths of his soul, and at the same time, the impurities in his body were expelled from his pores.

After finishing a set of punches, his body was covered in a layer of mud. The smell was less intense than before, but it still had a sour and foul odor.

Summer is already hot, and the heat from boxing made him feel like he was on fire inside. Beads of sweat dripped down his body, soaking his clothes completely.

Zhang Fan looked around at the surrounding environment. It wasn't far from the river where the rocky fish were caught, so he decided to go and see what the situation was like there.

Zhang Fan took off his shirt and ran to the riverbank.

The river water is clear and flowing, and the rocky fish seem to be swimming in mid-air.

Zhang Fan suddenly jumped into the river, startling the rocky fish into immediately fleeing.

The icy river water chased away the summer heat. Zhang Fan took off his pants, becoming completely naked. He found a shallow spot, picked a leaf to cover his eyes, and then lazily lay down in the river, closing his eyes to rest.

Before he knew it, Zhang Fan had fallen asleep.

"Help! Help!" came a cry for help.

Zhang Fan suddenly opened his eyes and looked toward the source of the sound.

Two streams of tears streamed down Bai Rou'er's fair cheeks, her face filled with panic, as if she could shatter at any moment.

Her body stiffened, and she dared not move, looking at Zhang Fan with pleading eyes: "Help me."

Two pearly tears streamed down her face as she cried out, making her look pitiful.

Zhang Fan sprang to his feet with a somersault, then lightly touched the water with his toes.

Bai Rou'er's pupils suddenly dilated, and she covered her eyes with her hands, letting out a scream that pierced the sky.

Zhang Fan was stunned for a moment, and subconsciously looked down, only to find that he was completely naked.

He quickly put his pants back on and strode over to Bai Rou'er's side.

Looking down, Bai Rou'er saw that she had stepped on a vegetative snake and dared not move.

Zhang Fan crushed the snake's head with one foot, and seeing Bai Rou'er's frightened expression, he had a mischievous thought.

"It's over!"

Bai Rou'er's face turned deathly pale, her hair stood on end, and she was rooted to the spot, her lips and chin trembling: "What's wrong?"

"It looks like you've been bitten by a snake."

Bai Rou'er's pupils suddenly contracted, her handbag fell to the ground, her eyes closed, and her body fell straight down.

Zhang Fan caught her and placed his hand on her wrist.

His face was grave.