The Delicate Darling with Her Rough Man

Chapter 164: Chapter 163: Protecting Her Husband

The group practically scattered and fled.

Gu Jiaojiao watched their retreating figures and pursed her lips.

”How dare they slander my man. Did they think I was just a decoration?”

She raised her hands, dusted them off, and turned with a smile.

The moment she turned, she jumped in fright.

”When did you get here?”

’When had Leng Yuan gotten behind her?’

In that instant, Gu Jiaojiao completely understood how Liu Xiqing must have felt.

’It really is quite a thrill!’

Leng Yuan’s voice was raspy. He looked at Gu Jiaojiao, his gaze as soft as water, and reached out to pat her head.

”Aren’t you going home?”

Gu Jiaojiao waved her hand. ”You go on ahead! I’m taking Sweet Girl home.”

With that, she walked over to Sweet Girl, gave Leng Yuan a wave, and pulled Sweet Girl along with her.

Leng Yuan...

Watching Gu Jiaojiao leave with someone else, he felt a strange sense of melancholy.

He turned back and looked at the empty space under the locust tree. Recalling how his little wife had defended him, he couldn’t help but let out a low chuckle.

’He had never cared when others gossiped about him like that.’

’And he’d never imagined that one day, someone would care so much...’

’...that she would confront them to settle the score over just a few words.’

Seeing the way Gu Jiaojiao protected him, he felt both touched and amused.

’His little wife had scared them half to death.’

’Those panicked faces... they’ll probably have nightmares tonight!’

’His little wife... how could she be so mischievous!’

Gu Jiaojiao, of course, had no idea that she had already been labeled ’mischievous’ in her man’s mind.

She walked Sweet Girl home.

Sweet Girl led the way.

After about ten minutes of walking, they arrived.

The two of them stopped in front of a small yard. It had no proper walls or a wooden gate, only a ring of fencing.

The entrance could be pushed open; when they left the house, it was simply tied shut with a piece of wire.

A ”wall” this flimsy couldn’t even stop a small child; it was purely for show.

Gu Jiaojiao surveyed the yard.

There were two adobe houses. To the side, an open-air lean-to served as the kitchen.

The adobe houses were in terrible disrepair, with weeds sprouting from the roof.

If an adult lived here, the weeds would have been pulled; leaving them was bad for the roof.

The kitchen was even simpler: just a few stones with two wooden planks on top, which passed for a table.

The kitchenware was set on top, covered by a yellowed white cloth.

’It might be fine in the summer, but cooking outside in the winter must be agony.’

Sweet Girl led Gu Jiaojiao inside. Gu Jiaojiao discovered that the house was in even worse shape on the inside—there wasn’t a single decent piece of furniture!

Sweet Girl was thrilled to have a guest over for the first time.

She eagerly brought a small stool for Gu Jiaojiao.

”Sister, please sit. I’ll go get you some water.”

Sweet Girl ran to the shed outside to pour some water, only to find that all the cups and bowls were chipped.

Not a single one was intact.

She stared at them in silence for a moment.

In the end, she returned empty-handed and gave Gu Jiaojiao an apologetic smile.

”Sister, we’re out of hot water.”

As she spoke, her eyes unwittingly reddened.

Gu Jiaojiao smiled and ruffled her hair.

”I’m not thirsty.”

”Do you have anything to eat in the house?”

Seeing the home’s four bare walls, Gu Jiaojiao asked.

Sweet Girl nodded vigorously.

”Yes! We still have plenty of cornmeal, and I’ve foraged a lot from the mountains these last couple of days. We can eat for quite a while.”

With that, Sweet Girl suddenly rushed outside.

When she came back in, she was carrying a cloth sack and offered it to Gu Jiaojiao.

”Sister, I picked these on the mountain. They’re delicious, you should try some.”

Gu Jiaojiao was about to refuse, but when she met Sweet Girl’s expectant gaze, she opened the sack and took one.

Inside were hickory nuts and pine nuts, and besides them, some Lion’s Mane mushrooms.

’Lion’s Mane mushrooms?’

Her eyes lit up the moment she saw them.

”Sweet Girl, did you gather these on the mountain too?”

Sweet Girl nodded.

Then a bitter look crossed her little face.

”This stuff doesn’t taste good at all.”

If she had anything else to eat, she wouldn’t even bother picking them.

There was only so much to find on the mountain. No one dared to venture too deep, and the areas closer by had been picked clean by everyone else.

Sweet Girl was a hard worker, but being so young, her abilities were limited.

She had discovered the Lion’s Mane mushrooms by accident. At first, she was too scared to pick them, fearing they were poisonous. It was only after she saw birds pecking and eating them that she gathered some to bring back.

But she had tried eating them once, and they tasted terrible.