"Cheng You, you think I wouldn't dare hit you, do you!"
Cheng You lifted her eyelids to look at him and said dismissively, "Do you dare?"
Cheng Tianhua's hand twitched, then he suppressed it.
He didn't dare.
This daughter of his was no longer someone he could simply lay a hand on.
"I don't care what you say, you must divorce Qi Chengyan this time!"
Cheng You put down her things and walked out, "There's enough firewood, take a break."
Qi Chengyan grunted and took the water from her hand, taking two sips.
The weather was gradually cooling, and though they had chopped firewood, they hadn't sweated much.
The two of them acted as usual, completely ignoring Cheng Tianhua.
Cheng Tianhua was furious and stomped up to Cheng You, shouting, "Cheng You, marrying someone like him, if your mother were still alive, have you thought about how heartbroken she would be?"
"If my mother were still alive, the first person she'd want to kill would be you! If you really can't stand it, you can disown me. Anyway, Song Yulian is pregnant, so you don't have to worry about not having a son."
Cheng Tianhua gritted his teeth, "I'm doing this for your own good!"
"I don't need it!"
If he truly cared for her, he wouldn't have been involved with Song Yulian behind Jiang Qing's back, nor would he have brought someone like her into the family.
Cheng You felt nothing but disgust towards Cheng Tianhua.
"Fine! Fine! Cheng You, since you don't appreciate it, don't come crying to me if you regret it later!"
He didn't believe Cheng You would have a good outcome marrying someone like Qi Chengyan.
Qi Chengyan glanced at Cheng Tianhua's retreating back, and seeing Cheng You huffing, he said, "I'm hungry, let's cook."
Cheng You's attention shifted, and she followed him into the kitchen to busy herself.
Things that others found tedious, she didn't mind at all as long as she was doing them with Qi Chengyan.
The two of them didn't need many dishes for their meal; three dishes and one soup was already quite generous.
While eating, she glanced at Qi Chengyan.
"If I had known things would spread like this, I shouldn't have let Zhou Qi and the others into the village back then."
They were clearly people with ill intentions.
Qi Chengyan smiled faintly, "Youyou, these words don't affect me."
Because he had heard worse in Yancheng.
That period had been an abyss, a hell for him.
In Wujing Village, although a few individuals occasionally gossiped behind their backs, most people maintained an objective and fair attitude.
Furthermore, they only spoke behind their backs; no one dared to curse them to their faces.
What he cared about was only Cheng You's opinion.
As long as she trusted him, nothing else mattered.
His words, instead of comforting Cheng You, made her feel worse.
How much grievance had he endured to become accustomed to such things?
Cheng You's eyes welled up with tears, looking at Qi Chengyan as if he were a fragile porcelain doll.
She hugged Qi Chengyan, feeling like he was a little cabbage nobody loved or cared for.
"I'll dote on you from now on, don't be afraid."
Qi Chengyan, who had never been afraid in the first place: "..."
He felt like laughing and crying.
However, with his wife's overwhelming sympathy, it seemed inappropriate not to play along a little.
He sighed helplessly, "Who told me I had a bitter fate."
Cheng You patted his back, "Not bitter, not bitter, I'll dote on you."
"Youyou, I went to the health clinic."
Cheng You subconsciously wanted to ask what was wrong, but quickly remembered yesterday's events.
Because they had run out of condoms, Qi Chengyan had taken a cold shower in the yard.
She chuckled in exasperation and squeezed his hard muscle on his waist, "You're always thinking about that stuff!"
Qi Chengyan, with one arm around her waist, lifted her and walked into the house.
"You're my wife."
It was only natural.
Cheng You hit him a couple of times, "It's not even dark yet, Wen Yu will be back soon."
Qi Chengyan started to unbutton his shirt, his expression calm as he said, "He told me he won't be back for dinner."
What fun was it in the dark? Nothing could be seen clearly.
Cheng You's fair and smooth skin was like fine silk, making him unable to take his eyes off it, providing the most direct visual impact.
He seemed to have found Cheng You's weakness.
Every time she complained about being tired, a hint of vulnerability would appear on his face, reminding Cheng You that he was currently the pitiful one.
That night, the family planning supplies they had just bought from the health clinic were used up again.
Qi Chengyan, still not satisfied, said, "I'll go again tomorrow."
Cheng You fiercely pinched his muscles, "No more going!"
Going to buy them for several days in a row was too embarrassing.
Qi Chengyan chuckled, wrapping his arms around her, his chest vibrating with a pleasant sensation.
"Alright, I won't go."
He'd just find someone else to get them.
...
In November, Wujing Village saw its first snow of the year.
The world was covered in white, and a thick layer of snow lay in the yard.
Cheng You struggled to get out of bed and opened the window to take a look.
The cold air rushed in from outside, making her shiver.
A large hand closed the window and then wrapped around her.
"Sleep a little longer."
"If I sleep any longer, I won't want to get up."
Cheng You got up and dressed, covering herself from head to toe.
She was particularly afraid of the cold, and on snowy days, she wished she could stay indoors all day long.
"Let's have roast meat tonight."
At Uncle Li's place.
Qi Chengyan also got up to wash, "Okay, I'll go buy the meat."
Cheng You reminded him, "Go early and buy a whole leg of lamb, and some streaky pork."
Winter was the season for lamb, whether it was stewed or roasted, it was incredibly delicious.
Although a bit expensive, lamb was still in high demand, and if they went late, they wouldn't be able to get any.
After Qi Chengyan left, Cheng You picked up a bag of charcoal and went to Uncle Li's house.
Zhenzhen looked at the charcoal she brought over, then took out the stove and grill, hopping over excitedly.
"Sister, what is this?"
"We're having roast meat tonight, okay?"
Zhenzhen had never tried it.
"What is roast meat?"
She licked her lips, her sister's cooking was always the best, so it must be delicious.
Cheng You flicked her little nose, "You'll know tonight."
When Zhenzhen saw Qi Chengyan carrying a whole leg of lamb on his back, she let out an excited cry.
Before, when she was with her mother, she barely ate meat all year round.
Now, not only did she have meat at Uncle Li's every day, but she was even going to eat a whole leg of lamb!
"Sister, won't this meat be too much?"
Cheng You stroked her head and smiled, "It's not too much, we're just eating our fill of meat today."
"Eat our fill of meat? No rice?"
"No rice, just meat."
Zhenzhen swallowed, already anticipating the evening.
In addition to the meat, Cheng You also prepared some vegetables, which would be grilled together anyway.
Besides the barbecue, Cheng You also stewed a pot of lamb, with charcoal fire underneath to keep it warm.
Once it started to bubble, they could drink the soup and also use it to warm some vegetables.
Cheng You stood by the charcoal fire, grilling, with Qi Chengyan watching beside her.
She picked up a skewer of lamb and offered it to Qi Chengyan's mouth.
"You eat first."
The lamb was a mix of fat and lean meat. Taking a bite, it was perfectly charred and flavorful, the lamb oil exploding in her mouth, stimulating her taste buds.
"Is it delicious?"
Qi Chengyan put down the skewer, "Delicious, let me do it, you go eat."
He had watched for a bit, and it wasn't difficult.