Li the Scoundrel was killed by him.
Sister Chunhua was now a widow.
Although Li the Scoundrel had gotten what he deserved, a shred of lingering guilt still remained in Li Xiu's heart.
Yet, Li Xiu felt no great regret.
Such scumbags were nothing but a scourge if left alive.
"Honey..." Yang Ruiling said, seeing that Li Xiu had remained silent for a long time. "Why don't, why don't we take some meat and bring it over to Sister Chunhua's place?"
"I know all about Li the Scoundrel; he deserved to die," Yang Ruiling continued. "Still, Sister Chunhua and Xiao Qingqing are innocent. Being a lone mother and child, how are they supposed to get by..."
"Alright," Li Xiu nodded.
He stood up, cut off a large chunk of meat, wrapped it securely in oiled paper, and headed toward Sister Chunhua's house.
……
Sister Chunhua's home.
The light inside the crude, humble thatched hut was dim.
Sister Chunhua sat blankly on the edge of the bed, holding her daughter, Xiao Qingqing, in her arms.
She knew that her husband, Li the Scoundrel, was dead.
And he had died at Li Xiu's hands.
Boss Long and his cohorts had been killed, so there was naturally no way Li the Scoundrel could have escaped the same fate.
Sister Chunhua wasn't particularly saddened by Li the Scoundrel's death.
On the contrary, she felt a sense of relief.
In all the years she had lived with Li the Scoundrel, she had never known a single good day.
Li the Scoundrel drank, gambled, whored, and smoked, refusing to do any honest work, and resort to beating and kicking her at the slightest provocation.
How many times had Sister Chunhua wanted to kill him while he was asleep?
Now that Li the Scoundrel was truly dead, it felt like a form of liberation for her.
Yet, without Li the Scoundrel, how were an orphaned mother and child supposed to go on living?
Her heart was filled with a mix of bewilderment and helplessness.
"Mommy, Mommy, I want meat."
At that moment, Xiao Qingqing suddenly spoke up.
Catching the scent of meat drifting through the air, the little girl was practically drooling.
"Meat..." Sister Chunhua smiled bitterly. "How could we have meat in our house?"
"Waaah, I want meat, I want meat..."
"Don't cry, don't cry..." Sister Chunhua's heart was in turmoil, but she was completely powerless.
"Knock, knock, knock..."
Suddenly, someone knocked on the door.
"Who is it?"
"Big Sister, it's me, Li Xiu." Li Xiu's voice came from outside.
Startled, Sister Chunhua scrambled up to open the door.
She saw Li Xiu standing at the threshold, holding an oiled-paper parcel.
"Li Xiu, do, do you need something?" she asked nervously.
Li Xiu pushed the door open and glanced around.
The interior was simple and dilapidated, lacking even a single decent piece of furniture.
Sister Chunhua wore coarse, ragged clothes, but they were very clean.
Her pale complexion gave her a sickly appearance that only made her more pitiful.
Feeling somewhat self-conscious under Li Xiu's gaze, she hurriedly tugged at the corner of her shirt.
"Sister, I, I brought you some meat," Li Xiu said, handing her the oiled-paper parcel.
"Meat?" Sister Chunhua was taken aback. "Th-This is too much to accept..."
"Just take it," Li Xiu said. "Li the Scoundrel, he..."
"Li Xiu..." Sister Chunhua looked at him with a complex expression. "Let's not talk about it..."
Pausing for a moment, she turned to her daughter. "Qingqing, be a good girl and go play in the back room."
After Xiao Qingqing left, Sister Chunhua stepped closer to Li Xiu and said softly, "Li Xiu, don't ever bring up that scoundrel again. It's better that he's dead; perhaps life will be a little easier for the two of us now."
As she spoke, her gaze fell upon Li Xiu...
Lowering her head, she murmured in a voice no louder than a mosquito's buzz: "Li Xiu, I know how the scoundrel died. I don't blame you; he, he got what he deserved. Thank you for bringing so much meat to our family."
With that, Sister Chunhua sank to her knees before Li Xiu.
"Big Sister, get up quickly," Li Xiu said, hurriedly helping her to her feet. "I only brought a bit of meat, you don't need to be so formal."
Sister Chunhua raised her head, her eyes misting with tears, carrying an inexplicable emotion within them.
"Thank you, Li Xiu..."
"Don't mention it, it's the least I could do." Li Xiu pushed the oiled-paper parcel into her hands. "You and Qingqing should eat some meat."
With those words, Li Xiu turned and walked away.
Sister Chunhua stood at the doorway, watching Li Xiu depart, her gaze complex as she lightly licked her lips.
"Mommy, I get to eat meat!" Xiao Qingqing came rushing out from the house, staring eagerly at the oiled-paper parcel.
Composing herself, Sister Chunhua unwrapped the package to reveal a large chunk of fresh mountain bear meat weighing easily seven or eight catties.
"Qingqing, we get to eat meat today!" Sister Chunhua smiled broadly.
"Yay!" Xiao Qingqing cheered excitedly. "Uncle Li Xiu is the best! Should I call him Daddy?"
"Don't talk nonsense!" Sister Chunhua's face instantly flushed as she tapped the little girl gently on the head. "Don't say such things!"
Xiao Qingqing made a face, but her eyes remained fixed on the meat in front of her, looking completely famished.
Seeing her daughter like this, Sister Chunhua felt a pang of heartache and quickly started a fire to roast the meat.
……
As Li Xiu walked home, his thoughts still lingered on Sister Chunhua.
Upon returning, he found his two lovely young wives busy with household chores.
The flickering candlelight cast a warm glow over their faces, making them look even more beautiful.
Li Xiu crept up quietly behind them and suddenly planted a kiss on each of their cheeks.
"Ah!" the sisters cried out in unison, their cheeks blushing crimson.
"Honey, you scared the life out of me!" Yang Ruiling stamped her dainty foot in delightful embarrassment and pouted playfully.
"Really, you nearly frightened me to death," Yang Ruising covered her mouth with a laugh, momentarily speechless.
"I'm so glad to see you both working so hard," Li Xiu sat down with a smile. "I delivered the meat; Sister Chunhua is fine."
"That's good," Yang Ruiling replied softly before lowering her head to resume her chores.
……
Late at night, Li Xiu lay in bed, listening to the chirping of insects outside the window.
The air was exceptionally crisp, completely free of the noise and pollution of a modern city, carrying only the faint, delicate fragrance of plants and earth.
Moonlight poured through the window, draping the entire room in a silvery gauze.
Li Xiu glanced back at the two beauties sleeping soundly on either side of him, feeling a warm glow in his heart.
Although life in this world was a bit harsh, everything would get better.
Besides, the air here was wonderful, the environment was peaceful, and he had such a pair of gorgeous young wives to keep him company—hehe, this truly was a life fit for immortals!
Too excited to feel any sleepiness, Li Xiu began turning his next plans over in his mind.
Merely gathering herbs and hunting on the mountain wasn't enough.
He could also cultivate some rare medicinal herbs and raise chickens, ducks, and fish.
With these things, besides supplying their own household, he could sell the rest for a handsome profit!
At this thought, Li Xiu couldn't help turning over to plant a gentle kiss on each of the women's faces.
"Mm..." Yang Ruiling mumbled sleepily, turning over and drifting right back to sleep.
Looking at the two sisters sleeping so peacefully, a wave of warmth washed over him.
"With these two dear wives, life in the future is bound to be blissful and romantic!"
Slowly closing his eyes, Li Xiu drifted into a deep sleep.
……
In the morning, warm and gentle sunlight streamed through the window.
Li Xiu opened his eyes to see Yang Ruiling and Yang Ruising still fast asleep, their cheeks flushed like ripe peaches, intoxicating to behold.
Unable to resist, Li Xiu pressed a soft kiss to each of their foreheads, and then...
A young man's vitality was truly something else...