A farmer has a shrewish wife; he's busy making money every day.

Ye Qingxue dismounted from the donkey and grabbed Liu Baode's hand.

Liu Baode was shocked and tried to break free, but he couldn't.

Feeling ashamed, he raised his foot and kicked at Chen.

Ye Qingxue's expression changed, and she raised her foot to press down. Liu Baode's foot had just been raised when Ye Qingxue stomped it down heavily.

"Ouch! You bitch! Let me go!"

Ye Qingxue certainly wouldn't let it go.

"Snapped!"

Not only would she not let him go, Ye Qingxue also wanted to slap him.

A crisp sound echoed in the open space in front of the Liu family's house.

For a moment, the air became quiet.

Everyone knew that Ye Qingxue was standing up for the Chen family, and no one dared to speak up.

Chen had been suffering for quite some time, but every family has its own troubles. She was her husband, so she just had to bear with it.

Others could tolerate it, but Ye Qingxue could not.

If someone bullies a woman right under her nose and lets him do it, then Ye Qingxue wouldn't even be a human being!

Do you know what kind of man hits a woman?

Liu Baode's face turned red as he stared intently at Ye Qingxue.

Ye Qingxue laughed, pressing her feet down harder: "Cowardly and incompetent! Extremely selfish! He takes his frustrations out on women when he's unhappy with his own life, trying to prove that he's feared by everyone. What a useless man!"

"You think hitting women shows your masculinity and status in the family? You're wrong, that's what's most despicable! What's so great about hitting women? If you're so capable, then make your own woman happy!"

Liu Baode stared wide-eyed, his lips twitching as he looked at Ye Qingxue in disbelief. He had never heard such absurd remarks before.

Marrying a woman is just for having children, so why would you want to give her happiness? That's laughable!

Liu Baode didn't understand what Ye Qingxue was saying; he only knew that Ye Qingxue had hit him!

He was furious and raised his other hand to strike.

"You bitch, how dare you hit me!"

"Hey! Liu Baode! Why are you picking on a young woman like that, you grown man?"

The speaker was Aunt Lu, which surprised Ye Qingxue.

This wasn't the first time she had shown her kindness.

This Aunt Lu is truly a strange person.

As Ye Qingxue's mind raced, Aunt Lu spoke again: "This Lu family daughter-in-law is so small, how much strength could she possibly have? Why can't you break free? Are you deliberately looking for an excuse to hit someone?"

The villagers whispered among themselves.

Indeed, Ye Qingxue looks thin and petite, and Liu Baode should have the advantage by all accounts, yet he was able to be suppressed by Ye Qingxue.

Liu Baode was put on hold by Aunt Lu's words.

It was rather unreasonable that Ye Qingxue could hold his arm so tightly, given his tall stature.

Besides, Ye Qingxue is the village chief's wife. If she is not in the wrong, it would be unreasonable for him to fight back.

Even Liu Baode began to doubt himself.

Ye Qingxue loosened her grip at the right moment, while Liu Baode was still exerting force. He lost his balance and fell flat on his back.

The villagers chuckled quietly.

Liu Baode cursed, stood up, and pointed at Chen: "You just wait until tonight!"

A handsome boy with delicate features walked out of the Liu family's house. He looked very scared, but he still stood in front of Chen.

"Dad, please don't hit Mom. Mom wanted you to stay home because she made something delicious for you tonight..."

The boy held a bowl of porridge in his hand, which emitted a faint aroma.

Liu Baode was equally blunt with his son: "You're still siding with your mother? You ungrateful little brat! Just because she cooked, does that mean I have to eat it? Our meager grain isn't even enough for her to squander!"

He left as soon as he finished speaking, muttering curses about bad luck and misfortune.

With the excitement fading, the surrounding villagers gradually dispersed.

Ye Qingxue glared at his back and then squatted down to help Chen Shi up.

Just as I was about to speak, I smelled a strong peppery aroma.

Ye Qingxue turned her head and saw it was that bowl of porridge!

In a remote village where resources were scarce and information was limited, how could anyone know how to cook porridge with pepper?

Seeing that Ye Qingxue was staring at the bowl of porridge, Madam Chen said, "Thank you for helping me. This bowl of porridge is something I just came up with. I hope you won't find it offensive."

Ye Qingxue didn't stand on ceremony and took a sip of the porridge.

The spicy flavor explodes in your mouth!

So fresh!

Lettuce and egg drop congee, seasoned with pepper, neutralizes the eggy smell and complements the sweetness of lettuce perfectly, making it a warm and comforting meal!

I never expected that such a simple bowl of porridge would taste so delicious!

"Aunt Chen, what did you put in this porridge? It makes me feel warm all over."

Ye Qingxue was somewhat excited.

When Ms. Chen was surprised to find that someone had discovered the little trick she had added to the porridge, she was both excited and a little embarrassed.

"I found this thing on the mountain. It looks like a fruit. I studied it for a while, roasted it, ground it into powder, and after tasting it, I found that it has a wonderful warming effect, so I used it to add to food."

Although Chen spoke simply, Ye Qingxue knew how difficult it was to discover a species she had never seen before, accurately identify its uses, and apply them appropriately.

First, it must be dried and ground into powder before it can be used, which requires a lot of trial and error.

The amount of pepper in the porridge must be controlled with extreme precision, which requires a lot of hard work.

Ye Qingxue asked, "How long have you been researching these things?"

Chen lowered her head somewhat ashamed: "It took more than seven days... mainly because I've never seen this fruit before, so it took a while..."

Ye Qingxue: !!

Only seven days? And it was done?

How much perseverance, patience, and culinary talent does that require?

She couldn't let such a talent slip by.

"Qingxue, I'm not talking to you anymore, I'm going home now."

Chen turned her head and wiped away her tears, then called the boy to come inside.

"Aunt Chen, Liu Baode treated you like this, and you still want to go home?"

Mrs. Chen shook her head: "I have no choice. I can starve to death, but not my child."

"Mother...please don't say that..."

Ye Qingxue stepped forward and supported Chen's arm: "Listen to me, we can't place our hopes on men, especially not on a man like Liu Baode."

"Think about it, look at Liu Baode today, he will definitely bully you when he comes back, and your son will also suffer at his hands."

Chen knew this, of course, but she just had to bear it and it would pass.

"Poor Xiaoshan..." Chen's eyes were red as she stroked the boy's head.

The boy shook his head in Chen's arms: "Mother, I'm not suffering, I feel sorry for you!"

"Aunt Chen, if I could take care of you, would you be willing to leave Liu Baode?"

Chen suddenly looked up at Ye Qingxue: "Qingxue...you..."

Ye Qingxue could see clearly that if the Chen family had another way out, she would never stay in such a house.

Then she will provide the way out!