Chapter 2: Striving

Qin Xian frowned almost imperceptibly. He didn't know why, but even though they were meeting for the first time, his heart felt a pang of soreness when she cried. His attitude softened involuntarily: "What are you crying for?"

Li Yingtang sniffled: "I feel wronged. In any case, I am your wife; the villagers all know it. If you didn't want this, you should have clarified it sooner."

His birth year was about the same as her grandparents'. She had heard them talk about the old days, saying that if a man and woman were seen hugging before marriage, it was equivalent to hooliganism, and they would be forced to wear a string of old shoes around their necks and paraded through the streets.

If that happened, wouldn't her reputation and her job be affected?

And his default attitude when others discussed her identity was precisely what proved her hypothesis.

Her open scheme left him with no solution; he was destined to be extorted by her.

"That... I'm too cold. Could you please buy me a set of cotton-padded clothes?" When asking for a favor, she involuntarily lowered her proud head.

Qin Xian’s eyebrows twitched. She was long-winded and full of holes in her logic. Buying clothes was the real point, wasn't it? He didn't speak, turned around, and left.

Li Yingtang sat in the room, restless. She turned up the collar of her coat, wrapped it around her neck, and went outside.

The snowy landscape seemed boundless, with village houses hidden among the mountains.

She felt like a mayfly cast into this place, left with nothing but confusion.

So cold.

She returned to the room to escape the wind and snow. Not long after, Qin Xian arrived and handed her a cloth bag.

The clothes, shoes, and socks inside were covered in patches, but fortunately, they were complete. After changing, she went out and looked around: "Qin Xian."

No one answered her.

She called out again: "A-Xian~"

Qin Xian felt goosebumps rise. *A-Xian?* Was there something stuck in her throat? How could she make that sound? She was actually able to call his name so tenderly and lingeringly. He pursed his lips and replied: "The infirmary next door."

Li Yingtang pushed the door open, and the thick smell of medicine invaded her nose. The young man was sitting properly at his desk reading a book. There was a stove in the middle of the room, an empty bed against the wall, and a few low stools. They were likely for patients to rest.

She entered the room, closed the door, and looked at him. Her eyes darted around as she walked over to thank him, then probed: "A-Xian, when will you notify your father about me finding you?" She needed to prepare a way to deal with it in advance.

Qin Xian’s attention remained on the book in front of him. He turned a page and said: "Notify him yourself."

Li Yingtang was stunned. *Huh?*

Notify him herself?

That suited her perfectly.

She gave a calm "Oh," then phrased her next request: "There is one more thing I need to trouble you with. My introduction letter was stolen along with everything else. I need you to help me get a new one. My home is... next to your former workplace. Since we are together now, just write the village address."

She had searched the entire room and even found his money, but his ID card was nowhere to be found.

There was only an introduction letter from his workplace, his academic certificates, medical qualification certificates, and transfer orders.

Since the introduction letter was kept with these items, it must be very important.

Just then, a woman’s voice called from outside: "Little Qin, Little Qin!"

Qin Xian stood up to open the door: "Auntie Liu, what is this..."

"I found another red scarf at home; it’s very warm. Where is your wife?"

Qin Xian glanced back at the young girl in the room and said nothing.

Li Yingtang hesitated for only a second before smiling and stepping forward to greet her: "Hello, Auntie Liu, please come in."

"You look really pretty in those clothes. Here, the scarf for you."

Li Yingtang thanked her and wrapped it around her neck: "It’s very warm. I’m sorry to have kept you from your business, coming all this way in the snow. Let me pour you some tea."

"Don't bother, I'm heading back now. Your skin is so fair, just like an egg white. How old are you, and when did you marry Little Qin?" Auntie Liu asked with a smile.

"I'm twenty. When he... graduated from university."

"That means you’ve been married for two years already? Little Qin is really good at keeping secrets. He’s been in the village for two years and never told anyone, nor did he go back to see you. He wasn't even afraid you’d be snatched away by someone else."

"He’s busy with work, and I’m not free either," Li Yingtang replied vaguely.

Auntie Liu was in a hurry to leave and didn't ask further: "Come sit at my place when you have time."

"Okay." Li Yingtang saw her out. As she turned back, the bright smile on her lips hadn't yet faded when she heard Qin Xian say coldly: "You are truly thick-skinned."

Li Yingtang didn't care. For the sake of survival, what was a little thick skin?

Besides, you never once objected to me calling myself your wife from the very beginning.

It was your indulgence that created my thick skin!

………

"Dr. Qin, help!"

Hu Ping returned, anxious: "My daughter is dying, Dr. Qin, please take a look. I don't know what that dead girl did, but she fell into a ditch and is all bruised and swollen. Luckily, I have sharp eyes—"

Qin Xian’s expression turned cold. He strode out, and the villagers who had been watching the excitement returned.

The snow had stopped by now.

Two fellow villagers were pulling a flatbed cart. Cheng Fang was lying on it, her face purple and bruised. There wasn't even a cushion beneath her, and she was clutching that handkerchief she hadn't managed to put away.

Seeing this, he smiled: "It’s nothing serious. She’s just frozen. Look closely, there’s still white mist coming from her nostrils. Two brothers, come help carry her to the infirmary."

After settling Cheng Fang, Qin Xian took out silver needles and asked everyone to leave, keeping only Hu Ping.

The crowd crowded around the window to look inside.

Li Yingtang also came to watch. She saw Qin Xian simply disinfect the needles with fire and then pierce them into the girl's head.

She felt horrified even from a distance. After watching with a grimace, she saw him take a handkerchief—she didn't know where from—cover the girl's mouth and nose, and instruct Hu Ping to rub her face through the cloth, saying she would wake up once the skin turned red.

Sure enough, when Cheng Fang’s cheeks were as red as a monkey’s bottom, she opened her eyes.

"She’s awake, she’s awake!" Hu Ping exclaimed in surprise.

Li Yingtang found it incredible.

How miraculous!

A faint, inscrutable smile played on Qin Xian’s lips: "Miss Cheng, how are you feeling?"

Cheng Fang was dazed. The moment she saw Qin Xian, she stared at his handsome face. Her heart felt like it was about to jump out of her throat, her breathing grew heavy, and she softened her voice, looking at him with longing: "Mm, it hurts and it’s sore. It’s all your fault, for tossing me around like this..."

"Listen, listen to what my daughter is saying! You still dare to deny it! If you hadn't met my Fang'er, would she be like this?!" Hu Ping, always ready to stir up trouble, lunged at Qin Xian to demand an explanation.

Qin Xian dodged and dashed out the door.

Hu Ping chased after him. This time, Qin Xian didn't run; he let her grab his collar to demand an account.

The north wind whistled past everyone’s ears.

The onlookers hadn't heard the conversation inside clearly; they only felt that Hu Ping was being unreasonable. Some tried to break up the fight, while others just watched the chaos.

The scene instantly descended into a mess.

Just then, Cheng Fang suddenly rushed out of the kitchen, grabbed the man closest to her, and started kissing and touching him.

Everyone was dumbfounded.

The man being held was also surnamed Cheng, from the same clan as Cheng Fang, third in line. He was pleasantly surprised, his mouth stretched wide, but he still managed to say: "Fang'er, don't be like this..."

Li Yingtang couldn't bear to look. *My god!*

Has she gone insane?

Hu Ping let out a shriek, grabbed Cheng Fang’s hair, and slapped her face wildly: "You dead girl, you’re possessed, you’re possessed!"

Cheng Fang was instantly slapped awake. She looked around at the crowd, realized her behavior had been seen by everyone, rolled her eyes, and fainted dead away.

Qin Xian was expressionless: "It’s clearly a pretense. She’ll wake up on her own in a moment."

Everyone laughed and gossiped.

Hu Ping cried and jumped: "You call yourself a doctor? Aren't you just humiliating people?"

Sisters, the new book is out~ Please vote for it~~

(End of chapter)