The Delicate Darling with Her Rough Man-Chapter 19: I Will Be Good to You

Suddenly lifted up, Gu Jiaojiao let out a cry of surprise and instinctively wrapped her arms around Leng Yuan’s neck.

When she came to her senses, her face was flushed crimson.

Leng Yuan was holding her just as one would hold a child.

Although she wasn’t heavy, she still weighed over ninety pounds. Yet, the man lifted her with a single arm without the slightest effort. Sitting on his arm, Gu Jiaojiao could immediately feel its immense strength.

She couldn’t help but think about last night, the entire night... Her legs instantly went soft.

"Leng, Leng Yuan."

The moment Gu Jiaojiao opened her mouth, the man was already striding toward their house.

Back in the room, Leng Yuan tossed the box aside and placed Gu Jiaojiao directly on the kang bed. The kerosene lamp wasn’t lit, plunging the room into darkness. This made Gu Jiaojiao’s senses feel exceptionally sharp.

Realizing what was about to happen, she couldn’t help but blush. Despite her shyness, she also felt a hint of anticipation.

However, the man simply leaned over her, remaining motionless.

Gu Jiaojiao stared at him in confusion, but she couldn’t see anything in the dark. She couldn’t stop herself from speaking.

Before she could get a word out, the man suddenly spoke.

"Gu Jiaojiao, build a life with me. I will treat you well."

...

The next day, when Gu Jiaojiao woke up, the spot on the bed where Leng Yuan had slept was already cold.

’This man... He worked the Qiushou all day, yet he still had so much energy at night. The sky was already growing light outside the window before I finally fell asleep.’

She had no idea how long she’d slept. Gu Jiaojiao picked up the wristwatch on the table and glanced at it—it was already eleven o’clock.

’Great. I missed work again.’

She lazed about on the kang bed for a few more minutes before getting up. After freshening up, she headed to the kitchen. 𝒇𝒓𝙚𝒆𝔀𝓮𝓫𝒏𝓸𝙫𝓮𝓵.𝓬𝙤𝙢

Lifting the pot lid, she was greeted by a cloud of steam. Breakfast was still warm inside.

A bowl of corn porridge, two eggs, and a griddle cake.

A warm feeling spread through Gu Jiaojiao’s heart. She smiled as she took out the porridge and one of the eggs to eat. As for the other egg and the griddle cake, she was simply too full to eat them.

After eating, she checked their food stores. All that was left was cornmeal and sweet potatoes; she had eaten their last bit of rice the previous night.

For vegetables, they had their private plot, which grew simple things like spinach, green beans, tomatoes, cucumbers, and chives.

’Maybe I’ll make a spinach and egg drop soup, some sweet potato corn cakes, and a cold cucumber salad.’

She wanted to make something delicious to help Leng Yuan replenish his strength. The Qiushou was exhausting, after all. Earning a full twelve work points meant harvesting three mu of land in a single day. That involved not just picking the corn but also hauling it. The yield was around seven hundred jin per mu—and that was for threshed corn. Before threshing, it weighed twice as much. Even a body made of iron would break under that kind of strain.

While Gu Jiaojiao diligently cooked at home, the gossip about her out in the fields never ceased.

And just like that, a villager working near Second Uncle Leng and Third Uncle Leng spotted the two men and their families, greeted them with a smile, and struck up a conversation.

"I say, Zhiguo, Zhigang, no matter how you slice it, Leng Yuan is still your nephew. Now that he’s married, you’re not going to pay them a visit?"

Leng Zhiguo was Leng Yuan’s Second Uncle, and Leng Zhigang was his Third Uncle—the very uncles who had long ago severed all ties with him.

Hearing the villager’s question, Leng Zhiguo replied without even looking up, "We severed ties long ago. He got married without even telling me, his own Second Uncle. Are we supposed to go eagerly knocking on his door now?"

Second Uncle Leng and Third Uncle Leng had been assigned to a work area far away the previous day, so they knew nothing of the commotion at Leng Yuan’s house. They only heard that Leng Yuan and Gu Jiaojiao had gotten married after work ended.

Both families were surprised for a moment, but they quickly pushed the matter aside and went on with their work, pretending they knew nothing at all.

Aunt Leng and Third Aunt Leng were also nearby. They obviously heard the villager’s question but said nothing.

Evidently, they wanted nothing more to do with that side of the family.

After all, the eldest brother and his wife had passed away when Leng Yuan was only seventeen. At that age, a boy’s appetite is huge, and he would eventually need money to get married. How much would all that cost?

They didn’t have the spare cash to let Leng Yuan freeload in their homes, much less the money to marry him off. So, they simply cut ties and kicked him out with nothing. That way, if he ever came knocking in the future to sponge off them, they’d have a prepared excuse.