Chapter 109: Luo Yinxang Returns

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The roadbed was completed, a road stretching straight to Snake Coil Mountain. The road was narrow, just wide enough for two vehicles to pass each other. Construction workers dug ditches on both sides while laying stones on the roadbed, and a roller compacted the surface with its heavy wheel.

Boss Hong sent technical personnel to design and plan the project for Snake Coil Mountain. Since Le’er had no place to stay here, after consulting with Secretary Tao and Director Feng, she temporarily set up a bed in an empty room at the village committee office, with Da She Wang Company paying rent to the committee.

Le’er’s house was still under renovation. Li Ying’s design was far more tasteful. Both the floor and ceiling were fully covered with solid wood. The roof was made of iron sheets; if not fully covered, there would be no insulation in the middle, making it cold in winter and hot in summer. Pillars were installed around, forming a frame, and along the base of the walls, one-and-a-half-meter-high wooden panels were set. Above these panels, many areas exposed the grinning red bricks. Six red lacquered carved windows were treated like paintings, decorating the large living room upstairs (the room above the main floor), their rustic beauty accentuated by the exposed red bricks.

Four dragon-shaped eaves were sawed off. Li Ying had carpenter Luo craft four bases to display them in the large living room as ornaments, blending antiquity with modern flair and a rich cultural aura.

Upstairs, there were only three rooms: a large central room serving as the living room, flanked by two bedrooms on either side—Le’er and Li Ying each had one. Once decorated, they could move in.

A wooden railing, painted in deep red, ran alongside the stairs upstairs.

Around ten in the morning, Le’er accompanied Li Ying upstairs, overseeing the carpenter’s work. A figure carrying a backpack approached from the bamboo grove, the cold wind stirring the embroidered forest and the person’s long hair.

“Le’er, is that a visitor?” Li Ying spotted the figure walking toward them first. Le’er, head bowed over the wood materials, replied casually, “Who’s visiting?”

“That’s not a visitor?” Li Ying pointed toward the person. “Carrying a big bag.”

Le’er’s expression shifted.

“Yin Xiang. Luo Yin Xiang.” Le’er quickly forced a smile. “That’s my cousin-in-law, Luo Yin Xiang. She just came back from Guangzhou.”

“Why didn’t she go home? Why come here?” Li Ying noticed the change in Le’er’s demeanor. “A young, beautiful girl… already married?”

“She’s twenty-one, married for three years,” Le’er frowned. “She’s in the middle of divorcing her husband. She just went to Guangzhou to finalize the divorce and has now returned.”

“Divorcing her husband? Why?”

Li Ying’s rustic dialect sounded charming and fluent. She frowned, clearly sensing that Le’er’s mood was no longer cheerful. Could there be a connection between Le’er and Luo Yin Xiang? Li Ying recalled the feminine scent on Le’er’s quilt when she first arrived.

Could that scent belong to this woman? She glanced again at Le’er, who looked not only unhappy but somewhat at a loss.

“Le’er—”

The woman approaching saw Le’er and called out from afar.

“Sister-in-law Yin Xiang, you’re back.”

“Don’t call me sister-in-law Yin Xiang,” Luo Yin Xiang said, smiling brightly and excitedly to Le’er. “I’m divorced now. Once I get the certificate, I won’t be your sister-in-law anymore. In fact, I’m not one already. I’ll have the certificate soon.”

Soon, Luo Yin Xiang entered the courtyard. Seeing the carpenters working, and recognizing the familiar carpenter Luo, she greeted him. The yellow dog didn’t bark but instead wagged its tail and approached her. Li Ying observed closely—such behavior from the dog meant the woman was well-known here.

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“Le’er, why aren’t you coming down?” Li Ying scolded gently, noticing Le’er was distracted. “Your sister-in-law has already gone inside.”

“Who cares?” Le’er’s face showed some anger. “Damn it, why’s she back?”

“Uh…” Li Ying hadn’t expected such words from him. “What are you saying? This is her home; where else would she go?”

“Well, she should go back to her own home then... hehe... Sis, I’m a bit upset,” Le’er smiled ingratiatingly at Li Ying. “I’ll go down now. Will you come down too?”

Le’er didn’t want Li Ying to go down. He even wished they would never meet, so no trouble would arise. He feared that if Li Ying knew about him and Luo Yin Xiang, she would leave him.

He didn’t just love Li Ying; he was deeply attached. Perhaps because he never experienced motherly love, Li Ying’s affection was not only romantic but also a kind of maternal compensation. In her embrace, besides intimacy, he felt a mother’s warmth and security, peace and tranquility. Though this existed only in his subconscious, it was very strong.

Whenever he sensed their relationship threatened, fear and unease gripped him.

“Don’t you want me to come down?” Li Ying smiled softly, a comforting smile that eased his anxiety. “Your sister-in-law is very pretty. Come on, I want to meet her too; she’s been waiting a long time.”

“Who cares?” Le’er grumbled unhappily. “I didn’t ask her to wait. Damn it.”

He was truly flustered, spouting curses heedless of Li Ying’s presence.

She stood pale and frozen as if struck by lightning. Seeing her change, Li Ying became even more convinced their relationship was unusual.

“Damn it, standing there like an idiot?”

Le’er’s expression turned fierce, his voice loud. Luo Yin Xiang was startled, forcing a smile, already somewhat afraid of Le’er. His anger made her uneasy.

“Le’er, who is this fairy-like sister?”

“She’s my sister,” Le’er’s face flushed slightly.

“Yin Xiang, right?” Li Ying smiled warmly. “Come inside quickly; it’s cold out here. After such a long journey, you must be tired.”

Seeing Li Ying’s kind smile, Luo Yin Xiang felt some calm. She set down her bag inside. Li Ying poured her a cup of hot tea, which Luo Yin Xiang held, still somewhat dazed, sitting on the sofa. Watching Li Ying act like a hostess stirred unknown feelings within her.

Le’er busied himself outside, pacing about and sometimes scolding the yellow dog. A chicken wandered into the yard; he nearly beat it to death before chasing it out.

Carpenter Luo, working in the garden, noticed Le’er’s dark mood and chuckled kindly.

“Le’er, you’re crazy, trying to kill a chicken for meat?”

The old carpenter’s eyes gleamed with knowing. How could he not suspect Le’er’s connection with Luo Yin Xiang? Now with the fairy-like Li Ying here and Luo Yin Xiang back, he guessed Le’er must be troubled.

“Uncle Luo, it’s nothing,” Le’er replied.

“Here, have a smoke.” Luo handed him a cigarette, which Le’er took and lit. “What’s troubling you?”

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Then the old man lowered his voice: “Is it because of a woman?” He laughed heartily, then quieted again, “Don’t be afraid. Both girls seem devoted to you. Just keep them both, damn it. After all, you wild kid have money.”

“Uncle Luo…”

Le’er stood and walked back into the courtyard. Carpenter Luo smiled ambiguously behind him and continued working. Le’er quietly approached the living room door, listening inside.

“Sister Yin Xiang, I heard you went to Guangzhou?” Li Ying brewed herself a cup of tea and sipped gently. “To get divorced? Have you?”

“Not yet, but I’ve filed the petition with the court,” Luo Yin Xiang’s expression darkened, shaking her head. “They said it would be processed quickly.”

“The court?” Li Ying smiled. “That’s slow.”

“Doesn’t matter... slow is slow.” Tears welled in her eyes, streaming down her cheeks without wiping. “Divorce or not, we won’t live together again anyhow.”

Li Ying didn’t press further. Seeing the tears, she knew her husband must have deeply hurt her. She heard Le’er moving outside.

“Le’er, cook some food. Sister Yin Xiang must be hungry.”

“No need... I’m leaving.”

“Don’t go back to an empty stove. Eat before you leave.”

Le’er didn’t reply but began cooking. Luo Yin Xiang didn’t want to leave either; she stood quickly.

“I’ll cook. Let me,” she said, coming outside and watching Le’er wash rice. “Le’er, let me do it.”

Le’er glanced at her, anger mixed with concern in his eyes. She saw both and felt a pang, tears welling again.

“Damn it, why are you crying?”

“I’m not crying.”

“Not yet? See those tears on your face?” Le’er knew Luo Yin Xiang was devoted to him, had given him much joy, so he softened. “Has Sha Jinhai been bullying you?”

“Sha Jinhai? How dare he!” The name ignited her anger, eyes blazing. “That spineless bastard—who else would he dare bully? After some other woman took his money and left, he still thinks he’s a big shot, that women like him. Pathetic bastard, serves him right.”

Mentioning Sha Jinhai, her fury was boundless. Li Ying, standing by the living room door, listened, smiling slightly at the fiery young woman who, at twenty-one, married and now divorcing, was so fierce.

She wondered why the divorce.

“Did he agree to the divorce?”

“That spineless bastard? Would he? Now that woman’s gone, he’s begging me, kneeling on the ground.” Tears appeared again. “Would I fall for it? I’ve been deceived for three years. Damn bastard, truly spineless.”

Le’er was speechless. After a few words, he silently walked away. He was not a hard-hearted man, nor cruel; he simply didn’t know how to handle this.