Everyone thought she was going to chop off her hand. Seeing that she only suffered a minor injury, they felt as if they had just ridden a roller coaster, their hearts leaping into their throats and then finally settling down.
But just then, it was as if a gust of wind swept past their eyes. When they looked again, the stern-faced man who had been sitting not far away, silent and unmoving, had already rushed to Shen Qingqing's side.
He was carefully cupping her hand, his expression unreadable, but his eyes held a rare trace of anxiety and nervousness.
"Does it hurt?"
Shen Qingqing didn't speak. Seeing his genuine concern, the anger in her heart deflated like a leaky balloon.
Fu Jingshu went back into the house to get the first-aid kit and bandaged her wound without a word.
Having shed his earlier tension, he seemed unconcerned about whether she was in pain or not. Yet, his body betrayed him. He was so careful, so afraid of hurting her, his touch as gentle as could be.
Shen Qingqing pursed her lips and couldn't help but ask, "Who is Lu Wan Ying?"
His movements paused. He didn't answer. After bandaging her wound with meticulous care, he put away the first-aid kit, picked it up, stood, and turned to leave.
"I'm talking to you!"
Hearing Shen Qingqing's voice behind him, Fu Jingshu paused slightly, then turned his head. "Don't ask what you shouldn't."
With that, he strode away.
Shen Qingqing was so angry she laughed.
It wasn't that she didn't want to believe Fu Jingshu, but the name Lu Wan Ying sounded like a woman. Coupled with his unusual reaction, only a fool wouldn't suspect something was going on between him and this woman!
She lowered her gaze to the gauze on her hand, a strong impulse to tear it off.
This thing, like a certain person, was an eyesore to her.
But she couldn't act so childishly in front of everyone. So, she suppressed the urge and returned to her room. Once out of everyone's sight, she felt her stiff back relax. Looking down at the gauze on her hand, she fell into a slight daze.
The curtain at the doorway was quietly lifted, and a small head peeked in.
It was Shen Jinxi. He had been rather pleased to see his cheap dad's concern for his mom earlier, but then he heard that name and his mood changed.
Could that woman be his cheap dad's ex-girlfriend?
Thinking this, he became a little angry. His cheap dad really had a lot of admirers. Now, another ex-lover had appeared who couldn't be mentioned, discussed, or asked about!
This was bullying his mom!
Shen Jinxi looked at his mom's lonely back and felt immense heartache. He made up his mind that he would stand up for his mom and teach his cheap dad and his messy affairs a good lesson!
He quietly lowered the curtain, pretending he knew nothing, and left.
Returning to his own room, he saw Chen Chen playing with building blocks. He pouted and ran over, knocking down all the blocks Chen Chen had carefully assembled.
Chen Chen was startled, then looked at him, his face unhappy. "I spent so long building that."
Shen Jinxi said indignantly, "All you care about is building this stuff. Don't you know your dad is bullying my mom?"
"How did he bully Mom?"
Chen Chen forgot about his blocks and quickly sat up.
Shen Jinxi sat on the floor, his fists clenched, and said angrily, "He has so many messy relationships around him. Mom shouldn't have let it slide, he should be grateful! Now, he's even brought up an old lover. Mom asks one question, and he turns hostile. Does he even have Mom in his heart?"
He grew more and more incensed, wishing he could just take his mom and leave. If he had known, he should have strongly objected to letting him stay!
Then Mom would forget him and wouldn't be sad because of him.
Chen Chen was also confused. "I haven't heard of Dad having an ex-lover. Could it be a misunderstanding?"
"Misunderstanding my foot!" Shen Jinxi was truly angry and even swore. Realizing what he had done, he quickly covered his mouth. Mom didn't allow them to use foul language. He whispered, "I'm telling you, I saw it with my own eyes and heard it with my own ears!"
Chen Chen was also very disappointed in his dad. "How could he do that?"
Though young, the two children were intelligent and had their own ways of thinking. At this moment, the two brothers reached a highly tacit agreement.
An ex-lover wasn't hateful, but someone who still harbored feelings for an ex-lover was infuriating.
"Scumbag behavior!" Shen Jinxi grumbled.
"Mmm!" Chen Chen couldn't defend his dad this time. If this continued, his dad would eventually drive his wife away.
"I can't let him bully Mom like this."
Hearing this, Chen Chen suddenly remembered Lin Minglan, who had been staring at him with a full forehead of sweat at the hospital. He couldn't help but swallow. "Do you really have to be so harsh on Dad..."
Shen Jinxi snorted. "Are you in or not?"
Chen Chen hesitated.
Shen Jinxi secretly rolled his eyes. His older brother was good in every way, except he was indecisive and not firm enough in supporting Mom. "Fine, if you don't participate, I won't force you. But you can't tell anyone, or we'll break off our brotherhood and sever all ties!"
Chen Chen fell silent and slowly lowered his head.
This was his tacit consent.
Shen Jinxi didn't bother with him anymore and began to enthusiastically plan his scheme. He knew what Lin Minglan and his cheap dad feared, and such things were easy to find here.
The only headache was that his cheap dad and Mom lived in the same room. It seemed he needed to find a way to take his mom away.
So, after dinner, he used the excuse that he was scared and wanted Mom to sleep with him. Shen Qingqing, who also didn't want any connection with Fu Jingshu, readily agreed.
As she was carrying her clothes out, she happened to see Fu Jingshu standing at the doorway. She walked past him without looking.
His thin lips moved, but he remained silent.
As dusk approached, everyone was preparing to rest. Shen Qingqing didn't emerge from her room after entering. Fu Jingshu stood at her door for a moment before turning back to his own room.
The moon climbed higher, and the village was very quiet. Even the dogs in the yard were sound asleep.
Only Fu Jingshu, staring out at the moonlight, found it difficult to sleep. Suddenly, he heard a rustling sound.
At the same time, a woman's scream erupted from the next room.
Recognizing it as Lin Minglan's voice, he frowned slightly but didn't move. The rustling sound, however, was getting closer.
He slowly got up and turned to see something on the floor. His pupils constricted sharply.
In the village, besides chickens, ducks, and geese, there were cats and dogs, and another animal that was the tastiest and fattest—rats.
In the darkness of the night, the rats were fat and large, their eyes glowing green as they scurried towards him.
From the next room came a clatter, accompanied by a woman's screams. Fu Jingshu, on the other hand, felt his skin crawl. He wasn't afraid of these creatures, but a physiological aversion and psychological repulsion made it difficult for him to accept them.
However, to leave, he would have to step over these rats.
Seeing them surround the edge of the kang, he didn't think twice. He scrambled up from the kang and with a leap, landed on the table.
The village chief and his son were awakened and chased the rats out of Lin Minglan's room. She was already crying, her body limp, and had been bitten by a rat.
When they pushed open Fu Jingshu's door, they fell silent.
A man nearly six feet tall was forced to crouch on the table by rats, his face ashen, motionless, his gaze fixed on the rats as if facing a formidable enemy.