RYEY – Chapter 60 She’s a Slut

A single night of spring passion was worth a thousand pieces of gold. Li Huan and Cheng Qiao’s wedding night passed quietly in their sweet intimacy. When dawn was just breaking, Cheng Qiao got up and went to the kitchen to prepare breakfast.

The first breakfast after entering the groom’s house was something a new bride had to make. Cheng Qiao took out rice to cook porridge, adding a spoonful of lard and a pinch of salt, making it especially tasty.

She then brought out more than twenty large meat buns from her space, placing them in the steamer to heat slowly. This way she could avoid kneading dough so early in the morning. It wasn’t that she was lazy, but after all the tossing about from Li Huan last night, she had no strength left in her hands and feet.

Li Huan turned over sleepily, wanting to hug Cheng Qiao, but his arms found nothing but emptiness. Startled, he woke up instantly and rushed out, only to breathe a sigh of relief when he saw her familiar figure in the kitchen.

“Wife, why did you get up so early? Good girl, you even steamed buns already. Did you get up before dawn?”

Cheng Qiao walked out of the kitchen doorway, glanced around, and then produced a meat bun in her hand. Li Huan understood at once—his wife was definitely a little fairy.

“Wife, you must be careful. If those black-hearted people ever saw this, I wouldn’t be able to protect you.”

Cheng Qiao nodded seriously. Li Huan might be able to play rogue and fight in Xiangyang Village, but outside the village there were plenty of bullies and local tyrants—he couldn’t possibly match them all.

Seeing her obedient nod, Li Huan felt an urgent desire to become stronger. His wife’s secret was too great, too tempting. If he didn’t have enough ability, he would surely lose her one day.

“Wife, unless it’s absolutely necessary, don’t ever take things out again. Otherwise, I really fear losing you.”

“Alright.”

When the buns and hot porridge were set on the table, Li Le hurriedly ran out. Yesterday, she and her mother had slept under the bedding Cheng Qiao had brought from the educated youth spot—it was so warm and comfortable that they overslept.

“Second Sister-in-law, I’m sorry, I overslept. You must be hungry, I’ll cook some corn mush for you.”

“Lele, go wash up, we’re eating breakfast. Where’s Mother, why hasn’t she come out yet?”

“Mother said she was going to help build the river channel, so she left very early.”

“What? Li Huan, hurry to the village entrance and bring Mother back. At her age, what is she doing repairing a river channel?”

Li Huan’s face darkened. He pushed out his bicycle and rode hard toward the village entrance. But when he arrived, there wasn’t a trace of her. She must have already headed toward the county.

He pedaled furiously in that direction, the wheels spinning fast, yet still feeling far too slow.

Anxious to the point of panic, Li Huan finally saw a large crowd of people. Not only villagers from Xiangyang but also from nearby villages had gathered there.

“Mother…”

He searched desperately. Mother Li, seeing him, felt a flicker of guilt in her eyes. She hadn’t wanted such hard labor either, but her daughter-in-law spent money so recklessly. If she didn’t earn more, how would they manage when the couple had children in the future?

“Huan’er, go home. I’ll be back soon.”

Li Huan stubbornly shouted, “Mother, if you dare go, then I’ll lie under those carts and let them crush me. Let’s see whose temper is stronger.”

“This…”

Village head Chen Weidang felt a headache. Li Huan clearly spoke out of filial piety and concern, yet the words always came out sounding like a rogue’s shameless bluff. It was truly maddening.

“Li Huan’s mother, maybe it’s best you don’t go.”

Seeing Li Huan walking straight toward the carts and lying down in front of them, Chen Weidang had no choice but to persuade Mother Li to return. Mother Li could only shake her head helplessly. Ah, she had snuck out with such difficulty…

“Erlizi, why don’t you let Cheng Qiao go build the river channel? Twelve work points a day, with three meals included. She’s young, yet hides at home doing nothing.”

“Xu Laidi, shut your stinking mouth! You slut. You’ve already been touched by two men and still want to seduce me? Shameless tramp. Why don’t you just find a rope and hang yourself?”

Li Huan glared at Xu Laidi, his words sharper than knives, more poisonous than arsenic. Xu Laidi felt so stung she truly wanted to hang herself.

Chai Jianmin laughed. He suddenly realized being a rascal wasn’t so bad. At least he could shamelessly curse like this, and no one thought it inappropriate.

“Village head, listen to what this rascal said! I don’t want to live anymore!”

Xu Laidi had only felt jealous of Cheng Qiao, yet was mercilessly insulted by Li Huan. She didn’t dare fight back, so she could only cry to Chen Weidang.

“What rascal? He has a proper name. And Li Huan wasn’t wrong—Xu Laidi, you are a slut. For a bite to eat, you willingly let men touch you.”

Chai Jianmin shouted hoarsely. His voice made the crowd fall silent. Those farther away hadn’t heard Li Huan’s words, but when they heard the word slut, their eyes lit up.

“Where’s the slut? Let’s go see.”

“No one’s allowed to leave! Whoever leaves the group won’t be counted!”

“What a pity. But it seems she’s from Xiangyang Village. Since when did Xiangyang have a slut?”

“I don’t know. But I heard the name Xu Laidi—could that slut be her?”

Hearing those words—Xiangyang Village has a slut—Chen Weidang nearly choked with rage, pressing hard at his chest. Could anyone tell him how to punish these two rogues?

“Chai Jianmin, you—step out.”

Chai Jianmin smirked and quickly stepped forward. Chen Weidang retreated two steps. In the morning light, Chai Jianmin didn’t look as terrifying as last night, but the shadow in his heart remained.

Chen Weidang pointed to a flatbed cart, signaling him to pull it. Chai Jianmin nodded and left. If he could ruin that vile woman’s reputation, he was willing to pull carts all day.

As the saying goes, “Before the troops move, provisions must go first.” Each village arranged a dozen or so strong laborers to pull flatbeds loaded with hay, straw, firewood, and cooking tools ahead of the rest.

Chai Jianmin walked up to Xiangyang’s first cart, ready to pull it. But the men originally assigned to the cart all avoided him, still haunted by last night’s memory of his frightening demeanor.

Chai Jianmin fumed, but could do nothing. He pulled the cart alone. Jiang Guangrong couldn’t stand it—since they were from the same educated youth spot, he couldn’t just ignore it and not help.

When they arrived at the riverbank, the first task was to build work sheds in higher ground nearby, since that would also serve as living quarters for the villagers.

A dozen men dug a rectangular pit about one meter deep, big enough to house more than twenty people. Then, at the four corners, they stood wooden poles in triangular formations, connected across the top with a long beam, fastening it firmly in place.