As the calluses on his fingertips pressed against her skin, Chuntao felt a sharp stab of pain and couldn't help but flinch.
Oh no! He was pressing right on a bruise; otherwise, it wouldn't have hurt so much!
Chuntao felt guilty and terrified, but she didn't dare tell the truth. Feigning ignorance, she forced a single word out of her throat, "What?"
Wang Jieshi's face was so dark it looked like a storm was brewing, as if he would explode the very next second. Chuntao had already braced herself for a beating.
"Did a bug bite you?" To her surprise, Wang Jieshi only said this before hobbling out with his walking stick.
Chuntao watched his retreating back and let out a long sigh of relief, but her heart still felt as if it were being squeezed tightly by a giant hand, the grip growing tighter and tighter.
On one hand, Zhou Zhijun had tasted the sweetness and was now craving her relentlessly.
On the other hand, Wang Jieshi hadn't spoken his mind, but suspicions had already taken root in his heart. Who knew when he might catch her red-handed?
Covering her face with the quilt, Chuntao let tears of grievance flow once more. On one side was a hungry wolf she couldn't shake off, and on the other was a tight rope she couldn't untie. How was she going to live her life from now on!
As for Zhou Zhijun, just as Chuntao had guessed, he had tasted the forbidden fruit and was constantly plotting to get more.
However, he had been very busy lately. Every day, he woke up before dawn, gulped down some porridge, chewed on a steamed bun, and headed out to build a house for Old Man Zhang's nephew at the west end of the village.
By the time he finished work and came back in the evening, it was pitch dark. He didn't see Chuntao from morning till night, let alone have the chance to do that kind of thing.
In fact, Chuntao also woke up early every day. Their yards were right next to each other, and Zhou Zhijun usually just had to look up to see her. But he hadn't caught a single glimpse of her these past few days, which naturally made him wonder.
He didn't know that Chuntao was avoiding him on purpose. Ever since Wang Jieshi noticed the marks on her collarbone, she had been on edge all day, terrified that running into Zhou Zhijun would cause more trouble.
Knowing he got up early to work, she deliberately slept in a bit longer to avoid bumping into him.
At the first crow of the rooster, Zhou Zhijun was up. Aunt Zhou had already prepared breakfast in the kitchen, and the plump, white steamed buns were giving off hot steam.
Zhou Zhijun took a fierce bite, his mind uncontrollably drifting back to Chuntao's delicate and pretty face.
His large hand squeezed the bun tightly, crushing it into a ball, and he took another huge bite, chewing loudly.
Aunt Zhou's lips curled into a slight smile as she gently scolded him, "How old are you, still smacking your lips when you eat!"
Zhou Zhijun mumbled a reply, "This bun is really good, so tasty!"
Even as he said that, he still felt that meat would satisfy his cravings much better. If he could have the bun with some meat, it would be a perfect match—he wouldn't trade it for anything!
"Mother, have you seen Chuntao these past few days?"
He stuffed the last half of the bun into his mouth all at once. Choking, he stiffened his neck, hurriedly picked up the coarse porcelain bowl from the table, and gulped down two mouthfuls of porridge to clear his throat.
Still mumbling, he pressed on, "She wakes up early every day, so how come I haven't seen her lately?"
Aunt Zhou had taken Chuntao as her goddaughter, so the two families visited each other frequently.
Whenever she made something delicious, she never forgot to bring a portion over to Chuntao.
A few days ago at noon, she made some soft pancakes. When she brought them over, she saw Chuntao looking listless, without an ounce of energy. Aunt Zhou knew right then that the girl was exhausted.
"Oh, Tao, with your small frame, you're busy inside and out all year round. Now that the farm work is a bit lighter, you really need to get some good rest!" Aunt Zhou had said, holding her hand.
How could Chuntao not want to rest? But with over seven acres of land and Wang Jieshi unable to do anything, the burden fell entirely on the shoulders of her and Wang Xiaohong.
The wheat in the fields needed to be hoed before the new year, and the two acres of rapeseed seedlings needed thinning. There was simply no time to rest.
She didn't say much, just murmured an agreement. She wasn't afraid of physical exhaustion; what terrified her most was the bitterness in her heart—a pain she had nowhere to vent and couldn't speak of.
That day, when Aunt Zhou held her hand, her eyes inadvertently caught sight of a patch of bruises near her collar.
Having lived for more than half her life, how could she not know what that was? Right then and there, she silently cursed Wang Jieshi for being a beast.
He had abandoned Chuntao and run off on their wedding night. Now he had returned as a cripple, completely useless in the fields and at home, yet he still bullied this poor girl.
Though Aunt Zhou wasn't sure if Wang Jieshi was still capable in that department, seeing the marks on Chuntao's neck gave her a pretty good idea.
Most likely, he couldn't perform, so he found other twisted ways to abuse her! She could only shake her head and sigh. Knowing Chuntao was thin-skinned, she didn't dare ask too many questions.
She just told her to rest when she was tired, reminding her that farm work was never truly finished.
Now, hearing Zhou Zhijun ask about her, Aunt Zhou felt a pang of sorrow and couldn't help but say, "She's busy from dawn till dusk, barely having time to catch her breath. How can her small frame handle it?
But Wang Jieshi doesn't know how to cherish her at all, and even..." Aunt Zhou trailed off.
Zhou Zhijun's heart leaped into his throat, and he quickly pressed, "What's wrong? Did something happen to her?"
Aunt Zhou hurriedly waved her hand. "Nothing, nothing. I just think life is too hard for our Chuntao. With a husband like that, she doesn't even have a caring man to look after her!"
Zhou Zhijun knew Aunt Zhou wasn't telling the whole truth. He didn't ask any more questions, but he quietly made a mental note of it.
After breakfast, he stepped out of the kitchen and cast another glance toward Chuntao's yard. He only saw Wang Xiaohong feeding the pigs; there was no sign of Chuntao.
Wang Xiaohong turned her head, spotted him, and greeted him with a smile, "Uncle Zhijun, you're up too!"
Zhou Zhijun nodded and gave a brief "Yeah."
Chuntao still wasn't sleeping in the same room as Wang Jieshi. Wang Xiaohong had tried to persuade her, but she could only use the excuse that the bed was "too small" to brush her off.
In reality, she was terrified that once she fell asleep, Wang Jieshi would quietly unbutton her clothes and discover the marks Zhou Zhijun had left on her.
Hearing her say this, Wang Xiaohong had nothing more to say. There was no spare wood at home to build a new bed.
The bed she slept in was even narrower than Wang Jieshi's, only big enough for one person. Not having the heart to let Chuntao sleep on the floor, she gave her room to Chuntao and went to squeeze into bed with Zhou Hongxia.
When the family had split their property, Wang Xiaoming was assigned to live with Liu Cuilan. But he couldn't stand Liu Cuilan's temper, so when he came back on weekends, he refused to stay there. He chose to remain on Chuntao's side of the house, squeezing onto the same bed as Wang Jieshi.
Chuntao had been awake for a while. Hearing Wang Xiaohong greet Zhou Zhijun, she dawdled in her room, too afraid to step out.
During this period, she had been waking up late. Wang Xiaohong had taken over all the morning chores—feeding the pigs, feeding the chickens, and fetching water—which made Chuntao feel incredibly guilty.
She waited a bit longer until she couldn't hear Zhou Zhijun's voice anymore, then slowly walked out of the main room.
Just as she stepped over the threshold, she caught from the corner of her eye that Zhou Zhijun hadn't left after all. He was squatting under the old locust tree in his yard, smoking a dry tobacco pipe, the bowl glowing faintly in the dim light.
Chuntao's heart tightened. Terrified that he might have wicked intentions again, she hurriedly tiptoed toward the kitchen.
Suddenly, Zhou Zhijun let out a light "cough." Chuntao's steps halted abruptly, every hair on her body standing on end!
She didn't dare look back. Forcing herself to focus, she hurried her pace toward the kitchen.
All day long, Chuntao's heart was in her throat. She couldn't shake the feeling that Zhou Zhijun was up to no good.
Sure enough, her instincts were right. That night, as she was washing the dishes, a dark figure slipped inside without a sound...
Startled, Chuntao shuddered. The coarse porcelain bowl in her hand dropped into the pot with a clatter, splashing dishwater all over her face.
Before she could even wipe the water from her face, she quickly turned her head to look, only for a pair of thick, powerful arms to lock tightly around her from behind. "Tao'er, I've missed you to death..."
