Before dawn, smoke had already been lit at the southernmost house in the village, and the aroma of food wafted from the kitchen.
A plump middle-aged woman emerged from the inner room, stretched lazily, and walked into the kitchen with her hands on her hips. As soon as she opened the door, the aroma of food wafted out, and the woman immediately spotted a girl, her figure somewhat hazy in the rising smoke.
The girl had a pair of watery almond-shaped eyes, a small nose, and bright red lips. Her fair skin was completely different from that of the girls in the village, and her cheeks were flushed with two rosy blushes. She was carefully stirring the rice soup with a spoon, and her lowered eyebrows and eyes were full of peace and tranquility.
He leaned slightly, pressing down heavily on his left foot, while his right foot felt slightly unnatural.
"Why are you dawdling so early in the morning? You can't even cook a proper meal. Hurry up and bring the food out for me, then feed the chickens and go pick some wild vegetables in the mountains. If you dare to slack off, I'll beat you to death."
The middle-aged woman's eyes were filled with disgust and jealousy. She didn't treat the girl like family at all; instead, she treated her like a servant to be beaten and scolded at will. With one hand on her hip, she shoved the girl's head hard, causing her to stumble and fall.
An Jin didn't dare to say a word, shrank her shoulders, and cautiously agreed. She didn't even dare to eat before rushing off to feed the chickens.
The middle-aged woman would occasionally mutter curses, her words particularly offensive. An Jin listened intently, but dared not retaliate in the slightest. If she dared to disobey, she would truly be beaten severely. Although life in this place was hard, at least she had a place to stay.
"I'll find a good man to marry in the future, leave this family, and life will definitely get better and better." An Jin's heart was filled with hope for the future, and even the middle-aged woman's scolding and beatings became background noise in his ears, becoming insignificant.
With a limp, An Jin carried a bamboo basket up the mountain. The rugged mountain path was already difficult to traverse, and his injured foot made it even more arduous. But he dared not go back, much less rest. If he didn't gather enough wild vegetables, his aunt would probably beat him again, and he would go hungry.
With her right foot throbbing painfully, An Jin could only find a tree to lean against and rest for a while. Gazing at the bright, clear sky, she hastily wiped the sweat from her face. She was really unlucky; yesterday, while working, she accidentally stepped on a stone and twisted her ankle. Luckily, Zhou's eldest brother helped her up, otherwise, she feared the injury would have been much worse.
A crisp sound rang out in the quiet air. An Jin blushed slightly, clutching her stomach with one hand, and could even clearly feel the throbbing in her abdomen caused by hunger.
He looked around and spotted a few bright red fruits on a tree not far away. His eyes lit up, and he walked over with heavy steps, carefully moving his body as he struggled to climb the tree.
Climbing trees was second nature to him, but whenever he was hungry, he dared not eat his aunt and uncle's food, for fear of being discovered. He could only run up the mountain to pick some fruit to barely fill his stomach.
But he had injured his foot and overestimated his abilities. His injured right foot was completely useless, and it hurt with every movement. Before he could even climb up, he fell to the ground.
"Hiss..." An Jin involuntarily gasped, tears welling in her eyes. She sniffed and felt a strange sense of grievance.
He wasn't usually a fragile person, but at this moment he was finding it hard to control his emotions. His parents had both died, and he had lived with his uncle and aunt since childhood. His uncle and aunt had their own children, so naturally they weren't very kind to their niece.
Beatings, scoldings, and forced labor were commonplace for her. She dropped out of school early and worked at home, becoming accustomed to it all. But she was still a girl, and she longed for someone to care for her and love her, but sadly, she still had nothing.
"Are you alright?" A gentle male voice sounded in her ear. An Jin subconsciously looked towards the source of the voice, etching this scene into her heart forever, never to fade.
Sunlight streamed down, casting dappled shadows on the ground through the gaps in the leaves. A handsome man, dressed in a clean white shirt and a military green jacket, bent slightly. The sunlight cast a shadow behind him, bathing him in a sacred glow, making him look like an angel descended to earth.
He had a gentle smile on his lips, and his eyes were full of concern, without a trace of falsehood.
The outstretched hand was long and clean, without a speck of dirt or grime. For a moment, An Jin felt a little timid.
Hesitantly, she placed her hand on the man's broad, warm palm. Using the support, An Jin stood up, lowering her eyes slightly, not daring to look at him any longer, and whispered, "Thank you, Yan Zhiqing. If it weren't for you, I don't know what I would have done."
That wasn't the case. Once he recovered, he was still able to get back on his own, albeit with some difficulty.
"You're welcome." Wuyou shook his head slightly, feeling a pang of heartache and self-reproach at An Jin's disheveled state. After all, An Jin was his mission target and the person he was trying to make amends to.
However, he had been busy with other matters lately and had no time to pay attention to the other party, so he neglected him. But to be honest, he was an outsider and had no way to interfere in An Jin's family affairs. He really couldn't think of a better way for the time being.
Yesterday, he saw An Jin and Zhou Jiajun together, and Sun Xiaoying looked uneasy, probably because she had seen something and eaten a heart. He was worried that she would harm An Jin, so he followed her, but he didn't expect to witness this scene.
"You're An Jin, right?" Wu You frowned, pondered for a moment, and hesitated before speaking. At this point, the two of them didn't know each other yet, and being too familiar would inevitably make people feel awkward.
"Yes." An Jin nodded. Although he was handsome, he was never favored by his aunt and uncle and had no good friends. His personality was rather aloof. Compared to someone as radiant as Yan Zhiqing, he was naturally as insignificant as a drop in the ocean. It was perfectly normal that the other party did not recognize him.
A rumbling sound came from her stomach, and an awkward atmosphere instantly filled the space between them. An Jin clutched her stomach, her cheeks flushed with embarrassment. This was truly rude of her.
“I see you’re a little hungry. I happen to have some dry food with me. Why don’t you eat first?” Wuyou smiled, took out a small package from her body containing a cornbread bun, and handed it to An Jin.
In fact, he could have come up with something better, but it would have been too eye-catching, and An Jin might not have accepted it. This kind of inconspicuous thing that could fill his stomach was just right.
"No...no need." An Jin quickly waved his hand. He had already received a favor from the other party, so how could he take his things again?
"From today onwards, we're friends. Why bother with these things? At worst, you can just take care of me in the future." Wuyou laughed heartily, putting on an indifferent expression.
An Jin finally accepted Wu You's kindness and kept it in her heart. The cornbread in her hand tasted better than the white steamed bun.
Standing together, they did look like a perfect match, but unfortunately, neither of them realized it.
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