Before stepping out of the room, Xiaoyue turned back and said, "If you die, will you leave the little one to suffer with his stepmother?"

Upon hearing Xiaoyue's words, the little boy cupped Lu Xiaomei's sallow face in his little hands and burst into tears.

After saying that, he opened the gate of Ge Sanlin's house and saw that the footprints in the yard were either the footprints of the little boy looking for him or the footprints of him leading the little boy here, proving that Ge Sanlin had not returned for two days.

Xiaoyue returned home alone. Liang Qi was in the east room, wearing his undergarments, lying on the kang (a heated brick bed) and spreading out his outer clothes to dry.

Xiaoyue peeked through the door, then listlessly walked to the west room, sat down at the loom, picked up the shuttle, and started moving her feet. She stared blankly at the shuttle, which was tied with threads, as it moved back and forth with her feet, causing the linen to lengthen.

Xiaoyue was mechanically flicking the shuttle with one hand, catching it with the other, and then handing it back. Her face was gloomy, and her lips unconsciously pouted.

Xiaoyue's hands were covered in ash from when she heated the kang (a traditional heated bed) at Ge Sanlin's house. She didn't even think about washing her hands. She just wanted to find something to do. It felt like a heavy stone was pressing down on her heart, making it hard for her to breathe.

Xiaoyue didn't notice the warp thread breaking; she kept weaving the weft thread, shuttle after shuttle, with her bangs blocking her eyes, as if she hadn't seen it.

...

After Liang Qi finished dressing and pushed open the door to the west room to say goodbye to Xiao Yue, he saw Xiao Yue's grief-stricken expression. He couldn't help but gently walk up to Xiao Yue, squat down beside her, and put one hand on Xiao Yue's hand.

Xiaoyue looked up at Liang Qi dejectedly, then went back to weaving. Liang Qi squeezed Xiaoyue's hand, making her look up at him.

Tears streamed down Xiaoyue's face uncontrollably. Liang Qi tenderly reached out his large hand and carefully wiped Xiaoyue's face while gently pulling her into his arms.

The grown man squatted there, and Xiaoyue's head rested against Liang Qi's chest. Tears streamed down her face, soaking a large patch of her clothes. Liang Qi gently stroked Xiaoyue's back with his warm, large hands, silently comforting her.

Xiaoyue cried until she was exhausted and felt relieved. She slowly raised her head, and her mood gradually calmed down. The tangled mess in her heart gradually cleared up. Xiaoyue took a long breath and laughed without a care in the world.

Only then did Liang Qi help Xiaoyue up from the seat behind the loom and sit on the edge of the kang (a heated brick bed). Liang Qi stood opposite Xiaoyue, lifted her head, and asked her softly, "Why are you in such a bad mood after going to Ge Sanlin's house?"

Xiaoyue hugged Liang Qi's waist, buried her face in his chest, and mumbled, "Will you not take me to the doctor or feed me when I'm sick? Will you despise me before I give birth to a son?"

Liang Qi stroked Xiaoyue's head, then leaned down and whispered in her ear, "No, it won't happen."

Xiaoyue was still worried and clung tightly to Liang Qi's waist, refusing to let go until Liang Qi forcibly untied her arms.

Xiaoyue suddenly raised her head, stared at Liang Qi with wide eyes, and stood up fiercely from the edge of the kang (a heated brick bed). She pointed at Liang Qi and said, "If that day ever comes, I'll kill you. So think it over, do you want to marry me?"

Upon hearing Xiaoyue's words, Liang Qi cupped her face in his hands, leaned down, and gave her a quick kiss. He laughed and said, "A wife is meant to be cherished. How could I possibly dislike you? Don't worry, that day will never come."

Xiaoyue was warmed by Liang Qi's words. She sat back on the edge of the kang for a long time, blowing on her bangs that were blocking her eyes. She said with a hint of regret, "You know Third Sister-in-law, right? When Ge Sanlin came back, she betrayed me and went back to the Ge family. I was originally thinking that when Ge Sanlin came back, I would make her divorce Ge Sanlin."

But she only went back to see Ge Sanlin once, and then Lu Xiaomei betrayed me. I knew that Ge Sanlin was a pit of fire, but Lu Xiaomei just wouldn't listen. It's only been a little over a month since she went back, and her old illness has relapsed. This time she even vomited blood.

When I went to see her in the east courtyard, I saw the snow in the yard. Ge Sanlin hadn't been back for at least two days. There was a sick person at home who couldn't work, and a four-and-a-half-year-old child. I don't know what Lu Xiaomei was thinking. Just thinking about Lu Xiaomei makes me furious.

Liang Qi pinched Xiaoyue's nose and laughed, "We've done our best. Others aren't you, and you can't always agree with them. Just do your best."

Liang Qi kissed Xiaoyue again, looked up, hugged Xiaoyue in his arms, and said softly, "I have to go. I haven't gone home yet. My dad will definitely beat me when I get home."

Xiaoyue smiled shyly, pushed Liang Qi out of the room, and walked with him until they reached the courtyard gate.

...

Just after finishing lunch, Li Qianqian pushed open the door and went into the house. She saw Xiaoyue weaving in the room, so she took a small stool and sat down next to Xiaoyue's loom. Xiaoyue didn't even glance at Li Qianqian. When Li Qianqian spoke to Xiaoyue when she came in, she only replied with a perfunctory "hmm".

Li Qianqian also noticed that Xiaoyue's expression was not good and that she was not welcoming to her at all.

He moved the small stool closer to Xiaoyue, shook Xiaoyue's hand holding the shovel, and kept whining and pleading, but Xiaoyue remained unmoved. It all stemmed from what happened with Li Lei last time.

Although Xiaoyue doesn't hate Li Qianqian, she feels that things can never go back to the way they were before.

Li Qianqian shook Xiaoyue for a while, and when Xiaoyue ignored her, she couldn't hold back anymore. She raised her head and said to Xiaoyue with a wry smile, "My father asked Fatty Ren to come pick me up by car tomorrow."

Xiaoyue continued weaving with a cold face, still without saying a word.

李浅浅怯生生的道：“我听我哥跟我爹吵架时说了：任胖子要我哥把你领到我家去，他就不与我成亲了，我哥还真把你领到了我家，但那次任胖子让你给揍了一顿。”

Tears welled up in Li Qianqian's eyes, but she smiled and said, "I feel like you are my hero."

"Did your brother know you were in my house back then?" Xiaoyue asked coldly while weaving, without looking up.

“I don’t have many friends, and not many people in the village are willing to associate with me. I think he probably knows that, right?” Li Qianqian said awkwardly, her face flushed.

After hearing Li Qianqian's words, Xiaoyue couldn't help but ask, "You didn't know what happened between your brother and me when you were at my house, but you must have found out when you got home, right?" Xiaoyue was actually quite upset; she hadn't known about it since returning from Li Qianqian's house.

She didn't mention those things to Li Qianqian, who was living at home, because she wanted Li Qianqian to find out for herself.

Li Qianqian suddenly gripped Xiaoyue's hand tightly and nervously explained, "I only found out this morning when my brother and my father were arguing. I didn't know you suffered such a great injustice that day, so I came to apologize to you."