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Time seemed to stretch indefinitely as Yu Chunmiao nestled comfortably in Qi Chong's embrace. The man's kisses continuously fell upon her hair, his fingertips occasionally brushing against her ear.
With a playful smile, Yu Chunmiao gently pulled away, teasingly scolding, "Qi Chong, I told you it tickles!"
How could Qi Chong not know? He genuinely enjoyed the way she squirmed when she felt ticklish. "Yu Chunmiao, I should start cooking," he said, attempting to nudge her away, only to find her holding on even tighter.
She was indeed a girl who loved to be held; what could he do but continue to embrace her?
The mountain where they gathered herbs was in the opposite direction of where Banxia grew. There were two paths home: one was a winding mountain trail that hugged the foot of the hill and was somewhat longer; the other was a village road that was shorter.
Qi Rong had already collected two baskets of herbs that morning, and now he carried the fourth basket on his back. Feeling a bit tired, he opted for the shorter village road.
"Hey, Qi Sanzi, how's the herb gathering going?" someone called out to him on the way.
Without lifting his head, he ignored them. The conflict between his family and the villagers from two and a half years ago was still fresh in his mind; he disliked dealing with such selfish people.
His stomach growled with hunger, prompting him to quicken his pace and focus on walking.
Suddenly, he felt someone shove him from behind, causing him to stumble forward a few steps.
Turning around, Qi Rong's jaw dropped in shock. It was none other than Qi Ping who had pushed him!
In less than a month, Qi Ping had lost a considerable amount of weight and looked as dirty as a beggar. He resembled Wang Xicai even more now. He seemed very angry, fists clenched and teeth gritted, his chest rising and falling rapidly.
"What did you push me for? Want to argue? I'm a Manly Man; arguing is for women. Want to fight? I'm in a hurry to get home for dinner."
Qi Rong couldn't be bothered with him and turned to leave. The outcome of any confrontation with Qi Ping was predictable; besides, his sister-in-law had promised to make pork stew with vermicelli for dinner as a reward for him. Going home was far more important.
Like a madman, Qi Ping chased after him, grabbing onto his basket and clothes to prevent him from leaving.
"It's all your fault! My father doesn't want me or my mother anymore! And you won't even let me keep the surname Qi—it's all your fault!"
Qi Rong turned back and grabbed his hand, pulling him closer before delivering a kick to his stomach. Qi Ping fell onto the ground with a thud, crying heartbrokenly.
Qi Rong picked up the herbs that Qi Ping had knocked out of his hands and impatiently said, "If your father doesn't want you, go find him! I'm not your father."
At that moment, Wang Butcher's wife, Lin Qiujiu, happened to pass by and pulled Qi Rong aside. "Qi Sanzi," she said, "you may not be his father now, but you're not even cousins anymore."
Another woman passing by chimed in, "Wang Saozi, what’s the point of arguing with a child? Come talk to me instead."
Lin Qiujiu suddenly became animated and said, "Do you all remember the time when the village chief's eldest son got married?"
"Of course! It was quite the event, lasting all day long. The village chief even hired musicians and a theater troupe. There were big prawns on the table! It’s been over a decade since our village had such a grand wedding."
Lin Qiujiu continued, "That was the day when Qi Ping Niang got drunk and was taken to the woodshed by Wang Xicai. The village chief saw it happen but kept it under wraps for the sake of his reputation."
As more and more people gathered around, they encircled Lin Qiujiu and Qi Rong tightly. Qi Rong wanted to leave, but some auntie had her arms around his small shoulders, occasionally giving him a pat on the back or rubbing his head. He passively listened to stories that he found utterly uninteresting.
Lin Qiujiu went on, "It was Wang Xicai's wife, Qian Dahua, who called a few brothers and locked Wang Xicai up for three days before they got anything out of him. When she heard the news, she rushed to the village chief to confirm it. Qian Dahua cried and fussed for several days before the village chief finally told her what had happened."
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