Turning Antagonist to Protagonist: He is Both Soft and Fierce-Chapter 106 - 101: She’s Not Even His Wife, Why Is He So Protective?
Song Tingfan felt distressed, his fists clenched tightly, wishing he could hit these people to death.
The pavilion chief stared displeasedly at the group with pockmarked faces, scolding, "Lu Hu! Bullying people again, huh! Do you think I’m a dead pavilion chief? Need to be taught a lesson like Liu Wu before you behave?"
Lu Hu’s face was bruised and swollen beyond recognition, he opened his mouth, "The chickens and ducks came to the corner of Longmin Road..."
It was that rascal who started the fight, he hit me first, I didn’t even manage to land a punch on him.
No one could understand a word he said, and the village chief said impatiently, "Speak clearly."
Lu Hu’s face twisted in anger, and with effort, he managed to say, "I can’t speak clearly!"
Still acting so righteously after hitting someone, the village chief got angry, "Can’t speak clearly, can you? Fine, according to the village rules, take troublemakers to the government office."
"Don’t think just because your uncle works at the office, you can run amok. How dare you cause trouble for orphans and widows selling their wares!"
Lu Hu didn’t want to speak anymore, his mouth hurt, he glared viciously at the skinny rascal beside him, thinking, damn, he looks thin but has quite the punch.
"What are you staring at! He’s my young uncle!" Niu Er glared back at him, then placed his hand on Song Tingfan’s shoulder.
Song Tingfan pressed his lips tight and shook off his hand, saying firmly, "I’m not your young uncle."
Niu Er’s arm hurt, staring at the "young uncle," he complained, "What are you doing? You’re so strong, you almost knocked my arm off."
"Not now, but you will be, as soon as your sister-in-law agrees, I’ll marry her right away."
Just thinking about it made him ecstatic; Widow Song has curves that are damn alluring.
Old Man Niu couldn’t help but slap him on the head, "Shut your mouth."
Didn’t he see the pavilion chief’s face was twisted with anger?
You ungrateful child, always causing trouble, see if I don’t beat you to death when we get home.
Lin Qiao didn’t care what they were saying, she just stood by silently crying, occasionally unable to suppress a sob.
Anyone who saw her felt soft-hearted.
The pavilion chief thought she must have been frightened, so he let them go first, "You guys can go, Lu Hu and his gang stay with me."
"Thank you, pavilion chief," Lin Qiao choked out her thanks.
The pavilion chief’s tone softened a bit and he added, "Try to go out less from now on, it’s chaotic outside."
A woman who’s a widow invites trouble already, and being pretty just invites more trouble.
It’s like a piece of meat, everyone wants a bite.
Even though everyone knew it was Lu Hu and his gang causing the trouble, they still advised her to go out less.
Which is basically saying if she didn’t go out, none of this would have happened.
Why didn’t they think about how, as a widow, with no man in charge, she’s supposed to earn a living to support her family?
If a local woman heard this, she’d probably wish to die just to prove her innocence.
Lin Qiao pretended not to understand and responded quietly.
Song Tingfan wasn’t stupid; he understood, and he looked at the pavilion chief indignantly, "Clearly..."
Before he could finish, his hand was pulled back, and his sister-in-law shook her head gently, signaling for him not to speak.
So he swallowed his indignation and remained silent.
...
Outside the pavilion chief’s house, Lin Qiao thanked the Niu Family, "Thank you."
Even though Niu Er wasn’t a good guy, today he really did help them.
If not for the unruly child of their own, Old Man Niu wouldn’t have intervened, and hearing her gratitude made him a bit embarrassed. He waved his hand dismissively, trying to appear as if he was looking out for her, "What’s there to thank? We’re from the same village. You should listen to the pavilion chief and stay in more. These ruffians will do anything."
"Why stay in? Her legs are hers; she can go wherever she wants. Clearly, it’s all that bastard Lu Hu’s fault." Niu Er chimed in nonchalantly.
If Widow Song doesn’t go out, how can he look?
The women in the village are all big and ugly, so boring.
Thinking of this made him a bit depressed; the walls of the Song Family compound are hard to climb now, surrounded by bamboo spikes. If he hadn’t reacted quickly last time, he might have pierced a hole in his hand.
It must have been Song Tingfan, that little wolf cub, who put them there.
The kid’s young, but he’s damn cunning.
Setting animal traps outside the walls - who’s ever heard of such a thing?
She’s not even his wife; why guard her so fiercely?
Doesn’t he realize that if his sister-in-law found a husband, there’d be someone to help with the household work?
Old Man Niu knew exactly what his unruly son was thinking. He kicked him angrily, "Get lost already, just looking at you makes my blood boil!"
Once they had gone, Song Tingfan bit his lip, all the fierceness from before gone, and fidgeted as he tried to comfort clumsily, "Sister-in-law, stop crying."
"I hit them."
It was fortunate Song Tingfan fought back; otherwise, Lu Hu and his gang would have surely taken her away.
Though they might not have succeeded in taking her.
Lin Qiao wiped the corner of her eyes, gazing softly at his face, showing distressed affection, "Little uncle, you’re hurt. It’s all my fault, my fault..."
"It’s not your fault, sister-in-law, really, it’s their fault."
Song Tingfan shook his head anxiously and said, "Sister-in-law, I’m not in pain, I..."
"I hate myself for not being stronger. If I were strong, I could have hurt them more." He lowered his head in frustration after speaking.
Not strong enough?
Lin Qiao couldn’t help but twitch the corner of her mouth. She had seen him punch that pockmarked guy to the ground, his eyes glazed over.
Not strong enough—does he have to punch someone to death to call it strength?
She couldn’t argue with that insight.
She had no response, only gently patted his shoulder in reassurance.
"Little uncle, we haven’t sold all the goods yet. Let’s hurry and sell them so we can head back; otherwise, grandma and the others will worry."
"Okay." Song Tingfan nodded obediently.
When they passed a sugar-coated chestnuts stand, he stopped, bought a skewer, and quickly handed it to Lin Qiao, "Sister-in-law, eat."
When he was little, whenever he cried, his parents would buy him candy, and after eating it, he wouldn’t feel like crying anymore. 𝐟𝕣𝕖𝐞𝐰𝕖𝚋𝐧𝗼𝚟𝐞𝕝.𝗰𝐨𝐦
The candy was sweet.
Knowing he was trying to comfort her, Lin Qiao didn’t refuse. She took it, ate one under his watchful gaze, then handed it to his lips, signaling him to eat one too.
Song Tingfan hesitated a moment before eating one. It was sweet, just like the candy his parents used to give him.
...
The stall was set up nicely, and the aunt selling vegetables next door saw them return and asked, "Are you okay?"
"We’re fine," Lin Qiao replied with a shake of her head.
"That’s good. Earlier, someone bought some dried spicy fish from me for you, three and a quarter pounds, but they only paid sixty cents."
The woman selling vegetables worried they might not believe her, so she called over from the other side, "Brother, you saw earlier, right? That person only paid me sixty cents."
The uncle also selling vegetables nodded, "Yes, he only gave her sixty cents."
There are more good people than bad, and Lin Qiao felt a bit warm inside. After receiving the copper coins, she took out two pieces of dried spicy fish to give to them, "Thank you, auntie and uncle."
Helping sell some things and getting a piece of dried spicy fish in return, the woman selling vegetables felt a bit embarrassed, "How can we accept that, no need, a bite or two is enough for me."
The man selling vegetables was even more embarrassed, "I don’t need any, you keep them to sell."
Lin Qiao insisted on giving it to them. These two were very honest, warmly helping them sell vegetables and pushing their goods, resulting in several sales.
By around two or three moments past noon, everything was sold out.
