"Da Zhu, do you really not know what you did with your sister-in-law on the night of my wedding?"

"Guo Guo isn't your niece; she's your daughter!"

"I'm in the late stages of lung cancer and won't live much longer. After I pass, take good care of them!"

In a shabby earthen house in Taoyuan Village, Li Dazhu almost fell off the kang (a traditional heated brick bed) when he heard his cousin Liu Weisheng's words, his head buzzing.

"Cousin, what nonsense are you talking about? How could I have done anything with my sister-in-law?"

Li Dazhu's throat was dry, completely stunned by his cousin's words. Did he sleep with his sister-in-law on the night of his cousin's wedding? And now the girl he thought was his niece, Guo Guo, is actually his daughter?

If this is true, wouldn't that make him a total scoundrel? But he did black out from drinking too much at the wedding, and his sister-in-law is indeed a stunning beauty. He couldn't remember if he had done anything.

"Cough, cough! Da Zhu, what I'm saying is true." Liu Weisheng struggled to raise his hand and called out, "Jinlian, come in!"

At his words, a beautiful woman wearing a floral dress with a ponytail and an attractive figure entered, her face flushed. She was holding a baby girl under a year old. This was Li Dazhu's sister-in-law, Zhang Jinlian, and his so-called niece, Guo Guo.

Zhang Jinlian was one of the village's three beauties, with a slender waist, long legs, and fair skin. Every man in Taoyuan Village dreamed of her. Guo Guo, in her arms, was as adorable as a little dumpling.

Zhang Jinlian's face turned even redder, knowing what Liu Weisheng had told Li Dazhu. Li Dazhu, looking at her, felt his throat dry up. His sister-in-law was beautiful and alluring, a dream for every man in the village, including himself. He had dreamed about her a few times, but had never dared to have any improper thoughts because she was his cousin's wife.

Yet, his cousin claimed that he had slept with her on their wedding night! He couldn't even imagine such a scenario. It was too shocking.

Perhaps his cousin's cancer was exacerbated by the stress of having such a beautiful wife "stolen" by his own brother on their wedding night, leading to his illness.

Liu Weisheng said, "Da Zhu, your sister-in-law is beautiful and virtuous. No man in the surrounding villages doesn't think about her. Tell me honestly, do you?"

Li Dazhu's scalp tingled. How was he supposed to answer that?

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"Da Zhu, you don't have to say it. I know you're a man too, you definitely do. To satisfy you, from now on, Jinlian will be your woman. She'll warm your bed, but you must promise me one thing."

Without thinking, Li Dazhu asked, "What?"

As soon as he said it, his face turned red with embarrassment, and Zhang Jinlian's face also reddened, not daring to lift her head.

Liu Weisheng didn't mind. "You must promise that our secret stays between us three. To the outside world and even to Guo Guo, she is my daughter. I want to leave a legacy, someone to take care of my grave."

Li Dazhu's mouth went dry. "Cousin, I, I..."

"You don't need to say anything. After I'm gone, marry your sister-in-law. If you don't agree, I won't rest in peace."

Liu Weisheng's voice grew weaker, and before he could finish his sentence, he clutched his chest, gasping painfully.

Zhang Jinlian, panicked, said, "Da Zhu, he's choking. Help him breathe!"

Li Dazhu hurried forward, but before he could help, Liu Weisheng spat out a mouthful of blood, kicked his legs, and fell still.

"Cousin!" Li Dazhu called out urgently, but there was no response. He checked for breath and found none.

"He's gone," Li Dazhu announced with a grim expression.

Zhang Jinlian, understanding what had happened, collapsed into a chair, her eyes empty. She seemed lost, whether in mourning for her husband or in shock at her troubled fate.

Li Dazhu's emotions were complex. Despite the close bond with his cousin, this sudden death left him at a loss. And now, Liu Weisheng had dropped a bombshell on him without fully explaining.

Li Dazhu, born and raised in Taoyuan Village, had grown up relying on the village's kindness. The villagers had even pooled money to support his education. When the harvests were poor, he gave up schooling to help the family, collecting wild goods to make ends meet. Now, at twenty-five, he was still unmarried, leading a life of hardship. He had little experience to handle such situations and felt overwhelmed.

An hour later, the courtyard of Liu Weisheng's house was set up for a funeral. The mourning music echoed through the village, drawing many villagers.

With no parents, Liu Weisheng's funeral arrangements fell to Li Dazhu and a few relatives. Zhang Jinlian, holding Guo Guo, knelt by the fire burning paper money. Dressed in white mourning clothes, her figure looked even more striking. Even in such a solemn moment, some men couldn't help but sneak glances at her.

Li Dazhu stood beside her, greeting villagers who came to pay their respects. Suddenly, Guo Guo's cries pierced through the mourning music, drawing all eyes.

Li Dazhu, hearing the cries, felt a pang in his chest. Could Guo Guo really be his daughter?

He approached and asked, "Sister-in-law, what's wrong with Guo Guo?"

Zhang Jinlian, embarrassed, replied, "She's hungry."

Li Dazhu paused, realizing that Guo Guo, being under a year old, was still breastfeeding. But with so many villagers around, how could she feed her?

Noticing several young men staring intently at Zhang Jinlian, their eyes seemingly urging her to breastfeed, Li Dazhu felt uncomfortable. Zhang Jinlian, too, noticed their gazes and, gritting her teeth, pulled Li Dazhu aside.

"Da Zhu, I need to feed Guo Guo. Help me cover so no one sees."

Li Dazhu's heart raced. "Sister-in-law, aren't you afraid I'll see?"

Zhang Jinlian, face pale, sighed, "I have no choice."

With that, she unbuttoned her clothes to nurse Guo Guo, who immediately quieted down, sucking vigorously. Li Dazhu's thoughts swirled.

"Ah!" Zhang Jinlian suddenly exclaimed softly.

Li Dazhu, alarmed, asked, "Sister-in-law, what's wrong?"

"Guo Guo bit me," Zhang Jinlian said, forcing a smile.

Li Dazhu swallowed hard, realizing that even a baby knew how to appreciate the best.