"Hey Dai, are you not feeling well somewhere? Are you sick?"
Van Dai looked at the trembling woman on the bed and screamed internally: Damn it, I don't feel well anywhere!
You damn friend, how can you be so clueless?
If you were with a fragrant, charming wife, and someone kept bothering you, would you be happy?
"Hung, I got up early and walked a lot of mountain paths today. I'm really exhausted, can't even keep my eyes open. I'm going to sleep. You have an extra two bowls for me."
Alright then.
Hearing that he wasn't sick, Tran Hung finally felt relieved. After all, among the group of bachelors, they only had each other to look out for and help when something came up.
"Alright then, get some rest. I'll come find you tomorrow morning to go hunting in the mountains."
Hearing this, Van Dai's heart thumped. His tone quickened, revealing his impatience:
"Fine, come get me then!"
This friend of his wasn't normally someone who tired so easily.
Although Tran Hung felt Van Dai was very strange today, he didn't think too much of it at the moment.
Hearing Tran Hung's footsteps fade away, Van Dai finally let out a sigh of relief.
He turned back to look at the woman on the bed. He saw she was still sobbing, her eyes filled with fear and hatred. A pang shot through his coarse heart.
He had scared her to death.
Her head was heavy, her body drained of strength, but Thu Quynh was not willing to submit. Looking at the man before her, she wished she had the strength to tear him to pieces.
Van Dai saw the look in her eyes and felt a mix of annoyance and regret.
This was the wife Heaven had given him. If he let her go, he would never have a wife in this lifetime!
Besides, this wife he had found was so beautiful, with such a figure—all the wives in the village combined couldn't compare to her alone!
No, I absolutely will not let her go!
But looking at her tears and fear, he couldn't bring himself to act. He wanted a wife, not a soulless corpse.
Van Dai was certain that it was normal for a wife to be unwilling at first. Of the wives married into the village, who had come up the mountain willingly? But after having children, they would all settle down. As long as he got her pregnant with his child, she would accept her fate!
This thought rose again, but when he looked into her tear-filled eyes, he hesitated.
So be it. If not tonight, then tomorrow. She was already here, anyway. Was he afraid she would run away?
After struggling like this for a while, perhaps from too much fear and exhaustion, Thu Quynh fainted.
Seeing her faint, Van Dai let out a soft sigh. He didn't know when he had fallen asleep himself, but when he woke up, rays of sunlight were already peeking into the room.
He felt around and was startled to find himself curled up, asleep on the edge of the bed. He quickly looked over and saw the woman was still lying peacefully, her breathing even.
Turning his head, he saw a small figure sleeping soundly beside him.
Van Dai suddenly noticed that her small, pale face was smaller than his palm, and tear tracks still stained her cheeks.
The sight made his heart ache. He brought his hand to her nose and felt the warmth of her breath on his fingers, finally letting out a sigh of relief: Thank goodness, she's still alive!
He sat up and straightened the blanket over her. In the morning light, he saw bruises on her fair arms, and a sense of guilt washed over him: I was too rough last night!
Although Van Dai was a coarse man, his father had been an outsider who settled here and was the most handsome man in the village.
It was just that the elders in the family were always sick, and his parents particularly doted on his second uncle. As the eldest son, his father also had to help his younger brother establish a family. Only after taking care of his parents did he finally marry a wife.
To this day, no one in the village knew that his father was literate.
Even his mother didn't know.
But Van Dai knew that his father had taught him many characters. Although he couldn't use a brush, he could recognize words.
He recalled how every time they went hunting in the mountains, his father would tell him that although his mother was a bit unreasonable, she was still his mother, and he must be filial to her in the future. And if he were to marry one day, he must treat his wife well.
Unfortunately, his father went into the mountains one day and never returned. Some said he was eaten by wolves.
His father had now been missing for ten years, and his mother had been gone for several years.
Remembering his father's teachings, Van Dai finally felt a pang of regret.