The man was in his early thirties, with thick eyebrows and lips, and looked honest and simple.
But his gaze at Yu Zhibo was tinged with anger, as if he truly regarded him as a scoundrel who abandoned his wife and daughter.
Yu Zhibo couldn't be bothered to guess the love-hate entanglement between the man and the little girl's mother. However, seeing that he brought a wild rabbit when he came, it seemed he usually took good care of the little girl. So, he didn't mind the man's attitude and simply said, "You've misunderstood. I just happened to be stranded here!"
Although he looked weak lying on the bed, he was tall and well-dressed, with distinguished features, exuding a natural dignity. Therefore, his words were convincing.
The man was startled and couldn't help but believe him, "What you're saying... is true?"
Yu Zhibo nodded slightly and said no more.
The man's face showed some apology, and he clasped his fists in shame, "I misunderstood. I hope you can forgive me, sir."
Yu Zhibo smiled and shook his head.
The man walked into the room and put down the wild rabbit. Seeing Yu Zhibo's calm expression, he was afraid that Yu Zhibo might develop a prejudice against Xiao Ku. After some hesitation, he finally spoke, "Speaking of which, Xiao Ku is also an unfortunate soul. Thirteen years ago, her mother brought her to Qingshan Village..."
As the man spoke slowly, Yu Zhibo listened quietly.
From the man's words, he learned that Xiao Ku's mother was named Chen Xiaoyun, who settled in Qingshan Village with her daughter thirteen years ago while fleeing disaster.
As the saying goes, trouble follows a widow. Life was extremely difficult at first. Fortunately, Chen Xiaoyun knew some medical skills, and after treating many villagers, she managed to settle down there.
The man before him was named Li Qiang. Having had his life saved by Chen Xiaoyun, he developed feelings of admiration for her. His wife had died in childbirth, and he wanted to remarry. He sent a matchmaker to propose, but Chen Xiaoyun refused, stating that her husband was still alive.
Li Qiang was very disappointed by this but continued to take care of the mother and daughter, hoping to move Chen Xiaoyun one day.
Unfortunately, Chen Xiaoyun passed away three years ago. Because of this, Li Qiang couldn't help but harbor resentment towards the husband Chen Xiaoyun cared about, believing that if it weren't for him, Chen Xiaoyun would have accepted him.
After Chen Xiaoyun's death, Li Qiang wanted to adopt Xiao Ku, but Xiao Ku was unwilling to burden him, and coupled with the strong rejection from Li Qiang's mother, the matter was dropped.
However, a new problem arose. As the saying goes, poor mountains and bad waters breed wicked people. Xiao Ku, being an orphan, was often targeted by those who wanted to take advantage of her. Chen Xiaoyun's reputation, built on saving lives, had kept these greedy villagers in check. But after her death, some people began to target the then 11-year-old Xiao Ku.
There were those who wanted to force a marriage, which was essentially human trafficking, others who wanted to take advantage of her, and even those who spread rumors. All this was to seize her ten mu of fertile land and house. Even with Li Qiang's care, Xiao Ku's life was extremely difficult amidst the gossip and attacks.
As it was, a fifteen-year-old girl looked like she was only eleven or twelve, which showed how much she had suffered.
Li Qiang said hatefully, "Actually, at first, only the Zhang family bully at the head of the village targeted Xiao Ku. But after gaining some benefits, other villagers became unbalanced. Seeing that they couldn't stop Zhang bully, they joined in and made things difficult for Xiao Ku."
"Ultimately, it's because there's no man in the family. If there were a man, even if he wasn't an adult, the villagers would be more restrained. But Xiao Ku is a girl, and she will eventually get married. Whoever marries her will immediately get ten mu of fertile land and a house. Which family wouldn't be envious?"
Yu Zhibo listened quietly.
Li Qiang continued, "I see that you, sir, have an extraordinary demeanor and are likely no ordinary person. Xiao Ku said you were her father to outsiders because she was forced into it. Zhang bully has many brothers and is idle and rampant in the village. Few people are not afraid of him. In the past two years, seeing Xiao Ku growing up, he even wanted to forcefully take her as a concubine..."
As he spoke, his expression grew more furious.
Yu Zhibo listened quietly, showing neither anger nor pity for Xiao Ku's plight. He simply felt the plot was a bit melodramatic.
He was already over forty and had long cultivated the composure to hide his emotions.
Moreover, he could sense that Li Qiang was not telling the whole truth, and there were likely other hidden reasons.
Li Qiang kept staring at Yu Zhibo as he spoke. Seeing that the latter showed no reaction, he couldn't help but feel uneasy.
He forced a smile, "Although you, sir, are not Xiao Ku's biological father, Xiao Ku was able to call out to save you when she saw you in the river and publicly claim you as her father. It seems you have a great destiny with her. If you, sir, could pity Xiao Ku and be willing to take her away from this poor and harsh land, it would naturally be excellent. But if you cannot..."
Li Qiang looked at him cautiously, "I have taken care of their mother and daughter for over ten years, and I have deep feelings for Xiao Ku. However, Xiao Ku is unwilling to burden me, so she refused to become my adopted daughter. Could you, sir, please persuade her? After all, she has suffered too much these years."
At the end, his face showed a look of compassion for all living beings.
"Are you finished?" Yu Zhibo lifted his eyelids and glanced at him indifferently, "I need to rest!"
Li Qiang felt as if all his thoughts were laid bare under that gaze.
His expression became unpredictable.
Just then, a light footstep sounded from the courtyard, and then Xiao Ku's somewhat timid voice came, "Uncle Li... why are you here?"
Li Qiang's expression immediately turned honest, revealing a row of white teeth. He turned and smiled at Xiao Ku, "I was talking with your 'father.' Xiao Ku, where are you coming from?"
Xiao Ku's voice was still timid, "I went to find some wild fruits..."
Li Qiang's voice softened, "Wild fruits are sour and bitter and can cause stomach upset. Uncle brought you a rabbit. You can cook it and nourish your 'father' well."
Xiao Ku walked into the room and glanced at Yu Zhibo on the bed. Seeing that he was fine, she let out a sigh of relief and respectfully said, "No need, Uncle Li. We still have food at home. You should take it back for Brother Tiedan!"
"Since I brought it, there's no reason to take it back. Your mother saved my life, so a mere wild rabbit is nothing. Alright, I'll be going now. Take good care of your father!"
With that, he cast another deep glance at Yu Zhibo and turned to leave.
Seeing him leave, Xiao Ku's stiff body finally relaxed.
"Uncle, are you... are you alright?!"
She turned to look at Yu Zhibo, her gaze evasive, as if she had done something wrong.
Yu Zhibo smiled at her gently and then closed his eyes.
After a minute or two of silence in the room, Yu Zhibo heard Xiao Ku take a deep breath, as if making a decision.
The next moment, the girl's pleading voice sounded in his ear, "Uncle, can you be my father?"
As if feeling her request was a bit abrupt, she quickly added, "Just for a while. After you've recovered, you can leave anytime."
Yu Zhibo opened his eyes, his deep gaze falling on Xiao Ku's thin face.
The girl lowered her head, a look of shame on her face.
Yu Zhibo said, "Yes!"
Previously, he denied being Xiao Ku's father to Li Qiang simply because he didn't want to be used. But now that the other party had pleaded, he didn't mind having a daughter for a while.
Upon hearing this, Xiao Ku's face showed a look of relief, and she gave him a sweet smile, "Thank you, Father!"
Yu Zhibo hummed softly and closed his eyes again.