"What is there to be afraid of? Most of the folks in the village are good, and there’s no one with ill intentions. Even if there were, so what? I just lock the door at night and don’t go out, right?" An Hao said, not the least bit concerned.
"Let’s talk inside." An Ping had cleaned up the east room where An Hao was going to stay.
Though saying it was cleaned up was a stretch—it was just the bedding laid out on the heated brick bed. There wasn’t a single piece of decent furniture in the room, and it was really hard to imagine how she could live there.
Qin Jian took in every detail of the house and, after thinking for a moment, said, "Leave the yard to me. I’ll help you fix it up!"
"Big Brother Qin, if you’re busy, please don’t mind us. An Ping and I will have time to tidy up slowly by ourselves." How could An Hao keep troubling others so much?
He had already silently helped her numerous times. She felt both delighted and grateful, and also very embarrassed.
"Not busy, not busy. Let’s do it together, it’s a good chance to experience the life of the common folk." Jian Ying said with a chuckle, pulling Tian Niu along and heading outside.
As they walked, he winked at Qin Jian.
Qin Jian whispered to Jian Ying, "Thanks. I owe you a drink."
"Deal! It’s not easy to get a treat from Master Qin. Sister-in-law, only you have that kind of clout," Jian Ying said with a meaningful glance at An Hao.
"Indeed, it’s not easy," Qin Jian tersely said just five words.
He didn’t smoke or drink, so he was nowhere to be found where there was alcohol.
With Jian Ying, this godsend of an assistant, unwittingly deciphering Qin Jian’s thoughts, An Hao would have to be foolish not to understand.
Turns out, he wasn’t indifferent toward her; he was just as inarticulate with words as he had been in his past life.
He didn’t express his feelings so directly and clearly.
Otherwise, why would he do so much for her?
Jian Ying, pulling Tian Niu along, left, and seeing An Ping still cluelessly surveying the situation, he decided to go all in and pulled An Ping out as well.
"What are you doing?"
As An Ping was pondering the relationship between the two, he was startled by Jian Ying’s tug.
"Come out, I’ve got something to tell you."
An Ping was dragged by Jian Ying all the way to the front gate before Jian Ying said, "Do you have any work tools at home?"
"What? You dragged me out just to talk about this?"
An Ping gave a snort and casually picked a grass stem to chew on: "Big Brother Jian, I’m not well-educated, but please don’t fool me. I might be young, but I’m not blind! Why would you guys come help my sister for no reason instead of someone else?"
"Why do you think?" Jian Ying asked with a smile while looking at him.
"Master Qin likes my sister!" An Ping hit the nail on the head.
"The observer sees more than the game players indeed!" Jian Ying exclaimed.
"He’s a bit old." An Ping shook his head, "My sister is so young; how old is he already?"
"Older men can be more caring," Tian Niu interjected.
"His face looks so cold and distant. My sister has suffered so much; she needs someone who will cherish her when she gets married." An Ping’s heart was firmly with his sister.
He could feel how much his sister loved and cared for him and the sacrifices she made for the family.
"That’s because you don’t know him. He might seem cold but he’s great with brothers and friends," Jian Ying spoke up for Qin Jian.
But, this was indeed true.
"Still, his age is too much for me to accept," An Ping just couldn’t stomach it.
"Ah?" Tian Niu scratched his head, "This is going to be troublesome. Master Qin hasn’t even won over his bride yet, and now the young brother-in-law is causing a ruckus."
"Who’s causing a ruckus? Who are you calling a young brother-in-law?" An Ping didn’t want to hear it.
"Alright, alright, whatever you guys say is pointless. It’s up to the people involved." Jian Ying waved his hand and said to An Ping, "Get us more tools, your sister’s house really needs a thorough fixing."
An Ping walked away with Jian Ying and Tian Niu, leaving only Qin Jian and An Hao in the house.
Seeing that An Hao’s foot was still swollen, Qin Jian frowned, "Did you apply a cold compress to your foot?"
An Hao shook her head: "No."
"You can’t apply a cold compress now, you need a hot one, but you don’t have a kettle or basin," Qin Jian said.