Turning Antagonist to Protagonist: He is Both Soft and Fierce-Chapter 200 - 195: The Youth’s Feelings Gradually Become Clear
The two of them didn’t continue searching and went to check the hunting holes. The first two were nothing special, but the third contained a gray live rabbit, which must have just fallen in.
Song Tingfan put down the basket, went into the pit, and picked it up. Just as they were about to leave, a voice suddenly came from the other side of the long grass.
A woman’s coquettish voice, "Don’t rush, take it slow, there’s no one around right now, ah~ you’re terrible."
"I’m about to burst," the man’s voice was urgent.
What followed was indescribable.
Suddenly, an unexpected tryst played out, leaving Lin Qiao and Song Tingfan on this side of the grass completely dumbfounded.
Both understood what was happening on the other side.
Song Tingfan, being young and shy, blushed a deep red and looked down in embarrassment.
While Lin Qiao felt utterly awkward, having witnessed such a risqué scene with a "child."
It wasn’t a situation where they could just walk away or stay put.
The sounds from the other side of the grass grew louder and finally stopped after about a quarter of an hour.
Then they heard a voice, "Am I better, or is your husband better?"
"Am I better, or is your wife better?"
"Of course, you’re better; you’re much more tender than a tigress."
"Annoying! Stop touching, when are you going to buy me the hairpin you promised?"
"I’ll get it for you tomorrow when I go to town. You still haven’t said, am I better, or is your husband better?"
"You’re better, he’s no good, he gives up after just a bit."
Their voices gradually faded until they couldn’t be heard anymore. Only then did Lin Qiao move slightly, a glance at the boy beside her revealed his face was as red as a monkey’s butt.
She’s corrupting the youth.
She thought for a moment and awkwardly said, "Ahem, this isn’t right."
She recognized the voices; one was a man from the second branch of the Fan Family, and the other was a Zhu family daughter-in-law married from another village.
Song Tingfan was too embarrassed to look at her, awkwardly responding with a sound.
Perhaps because they had just heard some indescribable sounds, the two didn’t say much on their way down the mountain.
By this time, the Wang Family had already set the table for the feast. Lin Qiao decided not to eat and returned home with Song Tingfan.
At night, Song Qin and Song Rong hadn’t returned, leaving just the two of them at home.
As the night deepened, the sleeping boy suddenly sat up, realizing his pants were a bit cold.
He knew what it was and his face burned like fire.
He then got up to change his pants and soon fell back asleep.
Lin Qiao also had a wild dream, dreaming of herself with a villain in the mountains...
Startled awake, she couldn’t fall back asleep.
As the sky outside brightened a bit, she got up and went to the kitchen to make a cake, planning to take it to Fulaiyun Inn for a taste today.
As soon as she lit the fire, footsteps sounded outside, and when she turned, it was Song Tingfan.
For some reason, she felt unable to look at him directly.
This was even more embarrassing than seeing an adult comic book that day.
"Ahem, it’s still early. Uncle, you should sleep a bit more," she said, not realizing that Song Tingfan also avoided her gaze and mumbled, "N-not sleepy."
The kitchen fell into a slightly eerie quietness.
Lin Qiao wanted to break the silence and randomly said, "Uncle, can you help me with the mushrooms..."
At the mention of mushrooms, both thought of the tryst in the mountains.
And the kitchen fell silent again.
Blushing, Song Tingfan quickly glanced at her and said, "Okay." Then, he took the mushrooms outside to wash.
Lin Qiao: "..."
If anyone mentions mushrooms to me again, I’m going to be furious!
This lingering awkwardness continued until Song Tingfan left for his studies. After sending him off, Lin Qiao let out a long sigh and pushed the awkwardness to the back of her mind.
She took the cake she’d made to Fulaiyun Inn in town. Liu Fuzhu happened to be there and, knowing she was coming, led her to the attic on the second floor. "Are you alright?"
Lin Qiao understood what she was referring to and smiled, "Not so easily beaten."
Liu Fuzhu nodded in agreement, "That’s the spirit."
The reason she understood Lin Qiao was that she had been divorced, her husband determined to leave her for a woman from a brothel.
She had been through all sorts over the years.
Unaware of Liu Fuzhu’s past, Lin Qiao pushed the cake in front of her. "Boss, try it and see if we can sell it at the inn."
Liu Fuzhu tasted it and was surprised at how delicious it was—soft, not greasy, nor choking. "Where did you learn this?"
"Figured it out by messing around," Lin Qiao naturally bluffed.
Having traveled quite a bit, Liu Fuzhu indeed had never seen such a thing. "You’re quite capable."
"You can sell it at the inn. I won’t get involved in sales or take a share."
By implication, she was offering help for free.
Lin Qiao was a bit surprised, "Why are you helping me, Boss?"
"Just doing a good deed," Liu Fuzhu smiled.
Realizing she didn’t want to say more, Lin Qiao didn’t press, graciously expressing her thanks. After leaving Fulaoyun, she started looking at shops along the street. Just to the left of Fulaiyun, at the corner, there was a shop for rent.
It used to sell mutton noodles.
After asking around, she found out the owner was selling to move elsewhere and asked the price. The small shop space cost thirty taels of silver.
It was indeed quite expensive.
But the foot traffic here was quite substantial.
She tried to negotiate the price with the owner, but it remained firm. Gritting her teeth, she bought it.
It took over an hour to finally get the deed in her hands. Afterward, she went to find a carpenter to make her two cabinets for displaying the cakes, which had to be carved, making them three times more expensive than usual cabinets.
By that time, the sky was getting dark, and the shop’s decoration would have to wait for the next day.
Passing by a stall, a woman called out to her, "Young lady, buy some of this, take it home for your man, and I guarantee you’ll be satisfied."
The basket was filled with lush green herbs, and though Lin Qiao didn’t recognize them, she understood perfectly, "..."
She’d somehow stirred up a "yellow" nest these past few days.
"I’m a widow."
The woman was taken aback, "..."
"Someone at home can probably use it—your father-in-law, older brother..."
Lin Qiao: "..."
She waved her hand and walked away.
...
After dinner, in the kitchen
Song Tingfan’s rolled-up sleeves slipped down again, and his hands were wet as he subconsciously looked at Lin Qiao.
He didn’t like to trouble others, but he liked to trouble his sister-in-law, liked her being close to him. "Sister-in-law, my sleeve’s fallen."
"Let me roll it up for you."
Lin Qiao stood up to help roll up his sleeve but kept a bit of distance from him.
She now realized a problem. In her eyes, Song Tingfan was still young, but in this place, he wasn’t considered young anymore. She needed to see him as a normal young man.
The two of them should keep some distance.
Ahem, she was afraid she might start having inappropriate thoughts.
Song Tingfan naturally sensed it, gave her a glance, tightened his grip on the bowl, and inexplicably felt a bit lost.
Sister-in-law wasn’t close to him anymore...
The vague emotions in the young man’s heart seemed to become clearer.
After a while, he quietly lied, "Sister-in-law, my back itches." 𝘧𝓇ℯ𝑒𝓌𝑒𝑏𝓃𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘭.𝒸ℴ𝓂
Lin Qiao, who was scooping hot water from a small pot for washing, heard this and put down the ladle, helping him scratch his back. "Where?"
"A little higher."
"Here?"
"A bit lower."
"Is this it?"
"Mm."
Focused on scratching his back, Lin Qiao didn’t notice the slight smile playing on the boy’s lips.
