Chapter 4

The lotus flower was pressed down to the ground by Feng Quezi, and she was truly frightened. While resisting, she shouted and cursed loudly, regardless of her shame, hoping that a passerby would come to her rescue

Only now does Hehua go to the back mountain every day to deliver meals to Changsheng, yet she cannot escape the entanglement of this Feng Qiaozi. At first, when Feng Qiaozi saw Hehua passing by, he would merely whistle or laugh mischievously. Hehua pretended not to see him and ignored him. As time went on, he became increasingly inappropriate, uttering frivolous and obscene remarks. The more Hehua blushed with embarrassment, the more pleased and triumphant he became.

The lotus flower had already run far away, but she, frightened and in a panic, did not notice that she had stumbled. Just from this one fall, that lame Feng rushed over, and before the lotus flower could get back up, he pounced on her again, pressing her down once more

This kitchen knife is what she uses for self-defense. Walking over a mile from the back of the village, there is a dilapidated house where a rogue drunkard lives, known by everyone as Feng the Lame. Feng is in his thirties, a sharp-nosed and monkey-faced man from another village. It is said that he has flirted with all the young women and wives in his own village, and later he was beaten and driven out, somehow ending up in their village. Although his leg is lame, his lustful nature has not diminished at all; he simply does not dare to be too reckless on ordinary days, and when he encounters a woman, he merely makes some light remarks and takes a few liberties. The village girls and wives also seldom go to the back mountain, and he does not dare to come into the village to cause trouble, so he has lived here for more than a year without incident.

The lotus flower brandished a kitchen knife and shouted angrily: "Do you see this kitchen knife? I will chop you up like the foul dog excrement you are! If you dare to provoke me again, I will take your life!"

Feng Quezi was holding a wine jar, drinking in a daze. When he saw Hehua approaching, his eyes lit up, and he immediately plastered a grin on his face and struck up a conversation: "Hehua, you’re here! Did you think of me last night?"

Ah..." Feng the Lame screamed as he let go, and Hehua didn't bother to pick up anything, running away at once. Feng the Lame, irritated by the bite, dragged his lame leg and chased after her

"Bastard! Stinking dog shit! Let me go! If my father finds out, he will tear you apart and feed you to the dogs!" shouted Hehua angrily.

In recent days, perhaps due to the absence of others to contend with regarding Hehua, he has grown bolder, waiting by the roadside every day at the time Hehua passes by. Upon seeing her, he would stick to her, playfully entangling her for half the day before finally letting go. If Hehua ignored him, it was fine, but if she scolded or spat at him, he would become even more fervent in his pursuit, spouting nonsense about how hitting is affection and scolding is love, even resorting to pulling and tugging at her. Yesterday, on their way back from the mountain, Hehua was inadvertently touched on the backside by him; she was startled, embarrassed, and flustered, yet there was no one to confide in. If Hehua ignored him, it was fine, but if she scolded or spat at him, he would become even more fervent in his pursuit, spouting nonsense about how hitting is affection and scolding is love, even resorting to pulling and tugging at her. Yesterday, on their way back from the mountain, Hehua was inadvertently touched on the backside by him; she was startled, embarrassed, and flustered, yet there was no one to confide in.

Seeing him reeking of alcohol, Hehua realized he was in a drunken frenzy. She thought that the kitchen knife would not intimidate him, so she did not wish to engage in further entanglement. She raised the knife as if to threaten him and turned to leave. Unexpectedly, at that moment, Feng the Lame, fueled by alcohol, saw that Hehua's knife had frightened him away and grew bolder. He rushed forward in a few steps and suddenly embraced Hehua from behind.

Although she understood this reasoning, her heart was still filled with unease, and ever since she left the village, her heart had begun to race. From a distance, she saw Feng the Lame collapsed by the roadside, and Hehua let out a sigh of relief. With one hand holding the basket, she reached under the cloth with the other hand to feel for the kitchen knife

At this moment, He Hua did not care whether Feng Quezi was filthy and reeked to high heaven; she aimed for his wrist and bit down hard.

Feng Quezi, while groping around on Hehua's body, laughed and said: "What are you shouting for? There isn't even a fly that comes here on a regular day, and you expect someone to come? Are you hoping that your fool of a husband will come looking for you?" As he spoke, he dragged Hehua towards the bushes by the roadside

After finishing breakfast, Fourth Aunt took the provisions and left with a bamboo basket. Changsheng went to the village well to fetch two buckets of water, and after filling the water tank, he also carried a hoe and a jar of water to cultivate the wasteland on the back mountain. Only the lotus flower remained at home; she tidied up the house and cleaned the courtyard as she did every day, then tended to a small vegetable garden in the courtyard. Once all the chores were completed, it was time to prepare lunch.

Lotus had several occasions where she wanted to scare him, saying, "If you pull my blanket again before dawn, I will eat all your peanuts! I will smash them!"

Of course, she only thought this way; she knew that box of peanuts was a treasure for Changsheng, definitely more capable of winning his heart than she could as his wife. If anything were to go wrong, it would be as if his life were taken away. Those peanuts were accumulated one by one; for every right thing he did, Fourth Grandma would reward him with a peanut. For instance, when he married her and brought her home as his wife, Changsheng received ten peanuts from Fourth Grandma at once. Hehua could somewhat understand why Changsheng, who usually disliked interacting with others, could so comfortably allow her to sleep on the same kang as him; those ten peanuts were an absolutely irresistible temptation for him. For instance, when he married her and brought her home as his wife, Changsheng received ten peanuts from Fourth Grandma at once. Hehua could somewhat understand why Changsheng, who usually disliked interacting with others, could so comfortably allow her to sleep on the same kang as him; those ten peanuts were an absolutely irresistible temptation for him.

What made her even angrier was that Changsheng got up so early every day, but aside from making the bed, he did nothing else. After spending a long time folding the quilt perfectly without a single crease, he would just sit at the door, staring blankly at the sky. Of course, he would also "shrewdly" steal glances at her every move, and when she was "not paying attention," he would sneak back inside to count his precious peanuts

The lotus flower prepared a meal, packed the food and water, took a kitchen knife and placed it in the basket, then covered it with a cloth

Changsheng ignored her and shook out the quilt that had been tussled over by the two, spreading it out neatly. He began his first daily task: making the bed.

The lotus flower clung tightly to the blanket, resolutely determined not to compromise this time. At this moment, all her drowsiness had vanished, and she was both angry and stubborn, insisting on fighting against Changsheng to the end. However, Changsheng was ultimately a man, and no matter how strong she was, she could not prevail. After a short while, she was pulled over by Changsheng, blanket and all.

Lotus quickly raised one hand to block, while the other hand drew out a kitchen knife

After getting up, the tasks of the lotus flower are to prepare breakfast and lunch for the fourth grandmother. The fourth grandmother is well-versed in herbal medicine; she walks a long distance every day to the mountains to gather rare medicinal materials. Upon returning, she dries, grinds, and processes them, selling them to the pharmacies in the county town. This family essentially relies on the money earned from the fourth grandmother's herbal gathering and selling to make a living

Feng Quezi was momentarily taken aback, but then chuckled and said: "Sister, you care for your brother so much that you've even resorted to using a knife? Come, strike here." With that, he pulled at his clothing, revealing a chest and abdomen that resembled ribs.

Although this Feng, the cripple, is emaciated, he surprisingly possesses considerable strength due to the effects of alcohol. He tightly wraps his arms around the waist of the lotus flower and leans in, his mouth restlessly approaching her ear and neck to make inappropriate advances: "Sister, you smell so good, let me have a good whiff..."

Lotus had once mentioned to Fourth Grandma about accompanying her to the mountains to gather herbs. She felt that Fourth Grandma, being an elder, should not have to toil every day to support them. By learning this task herself, she could allow Fourth Grandma to enjoy a few more years of ease. Moreover, since Changsheng listened to Fourth Grandma so well, it would be better for Fourth Grandma to stay and accompany Changsheng rather than having her at home staring at Changsheng in silence. However, when she brought it up, Fourth Grandma coldly refused, saying that she should focus on taking care of her own husband. Thus, Lotus no longer mentioned it. She pondered that Fourth Grandma probably did not want to pass on this skill to her so soon, much like a master craftsman training a young apprentice, which requires several years of practice.

The lotus flower shot a displeased glance at Changsheng, thinking to herself about which foolish rooster was crowing so early, while it was still dark outside. However, Changsheng was rather stubborn; upon hearing the rooster's call, he felt compelled to get up, and the first thing he did upon rising was to make the bed, which of course included her bedding as well. Thus, having been married for two months, she had not been able to sleep soundly on any morning.

The mountain road is long, and every time Fourth Grandmother sets out, it takes her a whole day. In the past, when it was just her and Changsheng, she would always prepare lunch for him. Now, the task of taking care of Changsheng has fallen to Hehua.

The lotus flower lay on the ground, being dragged along, unable to rise. She struggled fiercely to break free, her clothes in disarray, twisting around her body, exposing her smooth waist and abdomen. Seeing this, Feng the Lame became even more aroused, throwing the lotus flower into a pile of grass and mounting her. With one hand he blocked her resistance, while the other hand reached up to touch her exposed waist, then slipped under her clothing to feel her chest.

Lotus had made up her mind; she could no longer allow that lame Feng to intimidate her and take advantage of her. Today, she would use a kitchen knife to scare him off. Even if she truly ended up injuring him with the knife, it would still be justified on her part and would not be considered a crime

Feng Quezi was gnawing at the lotus flower's face and neck while saying: "Good, good, good! Quickly go tell my father-in-law! Tell him not to let you be wasted on that fool, just give you to me... Good sister, your neck is so fragrant, I wonder if the lower part is also fragrant, let your brother have a taste... That fool doesn't understand anything! He probably needs his grandmother to help him take off his pants to poop and pee! How would he know this pleasure... Good sister, your neck is so fragrant, I wonder if the lower part is also fragrant, let your brother have a taste... That fool doesn't understand anything! He probably needs his grandmother to help him take off his pants to poop and pee! How would he know this pleasure... Today, your brother will let you see what a real man is like..." After saying this, he went to pull down the lotus flower's pants.

The lotus flower, as usual, ignored him and continued to walk briskly ahead, her hand gripping the kitchen knife a little tighter.

The lotus flower opened her eyes and saw the face of longevity just within reach. She glared at him in anger, but he merely looked innocent and stammered, "You are pressing down on the quilt."

"You stinking dog shit!" As Hehua cursed, she raised the kitchen knife to strike, but with her back turned, she was unable to exert any force as Feng the Lame held her tightly. She swung a couple of times but he seized her wrist, twisting it in his grip, causing Hehua to wince in pain and release her hold, dropping both the kitchen knife and the vegetable basket onto the ground

Ah! The lotus flower cried out in fright and quickly struggled to break free

Changsheng carefully stored the peanuts he obtained as if they were treasures. The last time she cried, he "generously" let her "choose one." Looking back, it still moves her, after all, he himself was reluctant to eat them, merely taking them out from time to time to count like an old miser counting his money. Many had shriveled up and dried out, yet she had never seen him eat even one.

Feng Quezi let out a drunken belch and chuckled, saying: "Hehua, you smell really good. What kind of perfume are you wearing? Or is this just your natural scent? Come, let me have a whiff..." As he spoke, he drunkenly grabbed Hehua's wrist, who was holding a basket, and leaned in closer.

In the early morning, the lotus flowers were sleeping soundly, and she faintly heard the first crow of a rooster outside. Instinctively, she tucked the blanket in more tightly and clamped it with her legs. As expected, in no time at all, she felt Changsheng pulling at her blanket.

The lotus flower huffed and muttered, "Stack, stack, stack! You might as well stack all the quilts in the village!" After saying this, she pushed Changsheng aside and sat down to get dressed

Feng Quezi was startled, his eyes wide as he hurriedly took two steps back

As the lotus flower cursed vehemently, she tightly clutched her waistband, and just when she was about to cry out of anxiety, she suddenly felt a shadow looming over her. Immediately after, with a cry of "Wow!", that crippled Feng was sent flying away from her.

It is said that this place is close to the village, and if Hehua runs back quickly, she can soon call the villagers for help. Feng Qiezi would not dare to act recklessly in the village. However, Hehua, frightened and at a loss, instinctively ran into the mountains, thinking that if she could quickly see Changsheng, her man, this scoundrel would no longer be able to bully her

Due to the considerable distance from the village to the back mountain, in order to avoid wasting time on the round trip, Changsheng does not return home for lunch. Instead, it is Hehua who prepares the meals and brings them to him, and then she stays to work alongside him. Once they have made significant progress, she returns home to prepare dinner, while Changsheng continues to work for a while longer before going to the village entrance to wait for Fourth Grandma