bigabreads Chapter 2 Seven rough men surround the bedside. Who will keep watch tonight?
Chapter 2 Seven rough men surround the bedside. Who will keep watch tonight?
A wave of heat, a mixture of the musty smell of earth and the smell of men's sweat.
Su Wan was awakened by a deliberately hushed, yet still noisy, argument.
She struggled to open her heavy eyelids, and what she saw was no longer a sky full of snow, but a dark roof beam covered with cobwebs.
The walls were plastered with yellow mud, and there were cracks everywhere. The cold wind whistled through the cracks.
Ironically, a faded, bright red "囍" (double happiness) character was crookedly pasted on the dilapidated window frame.
Where is this...?
Before Su Wan could move, she felt the surrounding light suddenly dim.
That was an extremely strong sense of oppression.
She instinctively turned her head, her heart skipping a beat—
In front of the narrow earthen bed, seven men stood in neat rows!
They were like seven thick walls of flesh, completely blocking the already small room, preventing even a sliver of light from getting in.
Seven pairs of eyes, green and piercing, were all staring intently at her on the kang (a heated brick bed).
It's like a pack of wolves that's been starving all winter finally spotting a piece of fresh, fragrant meat.
"Oh, sister-in-law's awake?"
The silence was broken by a slightly flippant voice.
A man standing on the left came closer.
He had a pair of slender, almond-shaped eyes, and despite wearing patched, coarse linen clothes, he managed to exude a dashing and roguish charm.
This is the fourth brother, Qin Yue.
Qin Yue toyed with an abacus he'd somehow produced, then leaned down with a grin, his handsome face only a fist's distance from Su Wan's, his gaze brazenly sweeping over her face:
"What a pity, we spent a whole twenty taels of silver, and it turned out to be a porcelain doll that can only cry."
Sister-in-law, you'd better be strong! If you get scared to death the moment you walk in, our family will be in big trouble.
Su Wan shrank back, her back pressed against the cold wall, intimidated by the manly aura emanating from him. She looked like a frightened little rabbit.
"Plop—"
A loud swallowing sound stood out starkly in the quiet room.
Su Wan looked over in horror.
That's the third brother, Qin Meng.
The man was as strong as a black bear walking upright, his muscles making his sheepskin coat bulge.
He stared wide-eyed at the expanse of Su Wanlu's pale neck peeking out from under the covers, his Adam's apple bobbing violently.
"Fourth brother, don't scare her!" Qin Meng shouted in a simple and honest voice, his face turning as red as black. "This...this is too beautiful, isn't it?"
They're even prettier than the New Year's picture dolls I pasted on my door! Their skin is so delicate, I'm afraid to touch them, lest I poke them with my finger.
As he spoke, he actually stretched out his large, fan-like hand, wanting to touch Su Wan's face, but he withdrew it in mid-air, only daring to frantically wipe his sweaty hands on his trouser leg.
Su Wan felt her scalp tingle under the gazes of these men. Instinctively, she gripped the tattered quilt beneath her, her voice trembling like a leaf in the wind:
"No...don't come any closer..."
This plea for mercy, tinged with tears and as soft as a cat's meow, failed to deter the group of rough men. Instead, it was like a drop of water splashing into a pot of boiling oil.
The breathing in the room suddenly became several degrees heavier.
"Alright."
The man who had been sitting on the broken stool at the end of the kang (a heated brick bed) finally spoke.
It's the boss, Qin Lie.
As soon as he spoke, the fourth brother, who had been grinning, instantly stood up straight, and the simple-minded third brother also shut his mouth.
Qin Lie stood up, his tall shadow instantly enveloping the entire earthen bed.
His scarred face looked particularly hard under the dim oil lamp. His gaze swept over his brothers and finally landed on Su Wan, who was huddled in a ball.
"Now that you're awake, let's establish some rules."
Qin Lie's voice was deep and carried an undeniable authority, "Tonight is our wedding night. Although our family is poor and can't afford a banquet, this tradition cannot be broken."
Wedding night?!
Su Wan's mind exploded with a "boom".
Looking at the seven men before her, each of varying heights and builds, yet all exuding an aura of danger, a terrifying thought surfaced in her mind: Could it be... all seven of them together?!
If the original owner of this body, who was delicate and frail, couldn't withstand it, wouldn't she, who had just transmigrated, be going to die here tonight?
Qin Lie seemed to see through her fear, a faint sneer curling at the corner of his lips. He pulled out a bamboo tube from his pocket, inside which were seven wooden sticks of varying lengths.
"What are you thinking about?" Qin Lie shook the bamboo tube in his hand, making a crisp "clattering" sound. "With your body like that, if we really went all out, we'd have to collect your corpse by tomorrow morning."
As he spoke, he placed the bamboo tube on the rickety table and glanced around:
"She's from an official's family, so she's delicate and has suffered from fright and frostbite. Someone needs to stay in the room tonight to watch over her, firstly in case she gets a fever in the middle of the night, and secondly... in case she runs away."
When he said the words "ran away," a cold glint flashed in Qin Lie's eyes.
"Draw lots".
Two simple words instantly brought the atmosphere in the room to a fever pitch.
The seven men stared at each other, none of them moving, but their eyes were practically spitting fire.
This isn't about choosing the Night's Watchmen; it's about choosing who gets to taste the broth first! Even if you do nothing, just sleeping with such a fragrant wife all night would be heavenly!
"I'll go first!"
The third brother, Qin Meng, couldn't hold back any longer and was the first to rush forward, roughly grabbing a skewer.
Then came the fourth child, the twins, the fifth and sixth children...
Even Qin Mo, the second brother who had been sitting silently in the corner, pushed up his tattered glasses that seemed to have come from nowhere and quietly stepped forward to smoke a cigarette.
Su Wan huddled under the covers, watching the group of men tense up as they fought for her "right to keep watch at night," her heart pounding in her chest.
Please, it can't be the fiercest leader... and it can't be the fourth brother who looks like a psychopath either...
Just as the last hand—that pale, slender, bony hand—reached into the bamboo tube—
"Cough...cough cough cough!"
A heart-wrenching cough suddenly broke out, as if the lungs were about to be coughed out.
That's the seventh brother, Qin An.
He was the most handsome and refined of the brothers, but at this moment his face was ashen, he clutched his chest, swayed twice, and then fell straight to the ground!
"Seventh Brother!"
"Seventh Brother!"
Suddenly, things took an unexpected turn, and the brothers who were looking at the lottery slips were thrown into chaos.
Qin Lie reacted quickly and caught Qin An just as he was about to fall.
Qin An leaned against her elder brother's chest, barely breathing. Her beautiful eyes were half-open, with an unnatural redness at the corners, making her look exceptionally pitiful.
"Brothers...I...my heart hurts..."
He gasped for breath, struggling to lift his eyelids. His gaze swept over everyone's shoulders, landing weakly on Su Wan on the kang (heated brick bed). His eyes held a pleading, wet look. "Sister-in-law...am I going to die?"
Su Wan felt a pang in her heart as she looked into those doe-like eyes.
Just then—
【Ding! 】
A completely emotionless, mechanical voice exploded in Su Wan's mind without warning.
[Host's vital signs detected as stable; 'Heartbeat Farm' system officially activated!]
[New Player Quest Released: Save Your Yandere Brother-in-Law!]
[Target: Qin An. Current condition: High fever and convulsions (immediate fever reduction is necessary, otherwise his life is in danger).]
[Task Requirements: Obtain 100 "Heartbeat Points" from any member of the opposite sex, which can be exchanged for one "Special Fever-Reducing Herb".]
[Note: The larger the area of physical contact, the faster the heart rate will increase. Host, please act immediately!]
Su Wan was stunned.
A system? A "heartbeat value"? And physical contact too?!
She looked at the rough men who were making a complete mess of things in the room, and then at the handsome young man, Lao Qi, who was about to die.
This is hardly a farming novel.
This is clearly forcing good people into prostitution... no, forcing them into seduction!