Sun Youcai stared at Ye Qiu, his brows furrowed with doubt. "Ye Qiu, how come I've never heard you had a sister so beautiful?" "Most likely, Ye Qiu is just making things up. Youcai brother, we can't let ourselves be fooled by this young man." The others nodded in agreement. Ye Qiu didn't blush at his boldness, and with a cheerful smile, he said, "Ladies and gentlemen, does anyone in my family need to report any relatives to you?" His words, though a bit impolite, struck the mark. With Sun Youcai included, everyone fell silent. Though the woman was indeed lovely, if she truly were Ye Qiu's cousin sister, their actions today had indeed gone too far—imagine the scandal if the women in the family found out, especially if they were to be seen as secretly watching a young woman's body. They'd surely have a scene on the bed, and from then on, they'd carry the reputation of being overly attentive to the younger generation, especially a girl, in their village. The men exchanged puzzled glances. Sun Youcai's face was neither sunny nor gloomy; he weighed the pros and cons carefully and quickly made up his mind. Though the woman in the water was beautiful, she would at best be a pleasant sight for a few glances—any further expectations, like touching her, would be stretching it. Once the visual appeal was satisfied, he’d hardly expect anything more. He certainly didn’t want to end up, for the sake of a stranger he’d never met before, unable to share his own wife’s bed. That would be a real loss. "By the way," he said, casually twisting a damp pair of pants, "I took a cold shower this morning—felt refreshed and energized. Leaf Autumn, I’ll be off now. My wife must be calling me for breakfast." "Uncle Donkey, aren't you thinking of taking my cousin's little underpants back to give to my aunt, Donkey?" As the guests began to file out, Li Qiu breathed a sigh of relief and strolled over to retrieve Bai Ling's clothes left by the shore. Yet, suddenly, Li Qiou noticed Uncle Donkey carefully tucking Bai Ling's little underpants into his pocket, and immediately chuckled, teasing him. Haha! The guests who hadn't yet left burst into laughter. "Uncle Donkey, don't you dare to ruin that fine underpants—so delicate and well-made—just because your wife has a big, round backside! Give it back to her!" "Exactly! When Uncle Donkey comes home, he should take out his big file and sand down his wife's backside until it becomes as slender and curvy as a willow tree's waist—then let Li Qiu know, so that my cousin can get him two pairs to wear!" Uncle Donkey's face turned crimson. He spat into the air, sighed, and reluctantly tossed the underpants to Li Qiu before lowering his head and hurried off. Ye Qiu smiled. That's how country gentlemen are—slightly scheming, a bit rustic. After finishing their farmwork, they'd gather in small groups, drink a little wine, argue, bicker, grow red in the face, even jump up and scold each other fiercely. Yet by the next morning, they'd still be together, chatting, boasting, and sipping wine—simple, yet full of joy. Ye Qiu smiled, picked up the clothes by the shore, and turned toward Bai Ling. "Well, I'm not exactly proud of it—those big fellows are quite difficult. When I carried you ashore, they insisted on taking your clothes. I thought I'd be peeled alive!" Ye Qiu shook her head with a sigh, admitting she hadn't exactly earned her reward, though she certainly couldn't just let herself go through the trouble without some return. Bai Ling giggled softly, her laughter making her branches tremble. "Sister, don't laugh so much—any longer, and the fish in the water will all be drawn to us!" Ye Qiu said, her face bright with a mischievous smile, pointing at Bai Ling's two full, swaying breasts above the water. "Dead kid, it wasn't you secretly pulling strings, placing a fish on top of my bed, making me think some lusty, bold fellow had taken advantage of me while I was bathing?" Bai Ling gave Leaf Qiu a flirtatious glance, her tone full of complaint, as if blaming him for having passion but lacking courage—she herself hadn't even stepped in, and now a carp had been left to rot. What a waste! Leaf Qiu was completely defeated. He'd seen women bathe while someone quietly fished for them in the water, but never anyone as frantic as Bai Ling—now there was the carp bursting into a bloody mess, and even now, the vivid scene of its splattered body seemed to hover before him. "Alright, sister, I've had it. I'm afraid of you now. Hurry up and get dressed—this morning's quite cool, be careful not to catch a chill." Saying this, Leaf Qiu tossed the clothes he was holding into the air toward Bai Ling, then turned and walked away. "Oh, just like that, you leave me here all alone?" Bai Ling caught the clothes, watched as Leaf Qiu turned and walked toward the shore, and called out in growing urgency. Ye Qiu didn’t turn around, saying, “You want to wear clothes, I can’t just keep wearing this little briefs and take you around the village to find people, can I? By the way, what’s the person you’re looking for called?” “Bei Xue Ting,” Bai Ling said slowly. Bei Xue Ting! Ye Qiu paused mid-step, his mind immediately filled with questions. How could Bai Ling, who came from an unknown and mysterious background, be seeking out Bei Xue Ting, who was equally enigmatic? What was the connection between them? “Ye Qiu, do you know her?” Bai Ling stared at Ye Qiu’s back, her gaze flickering with a subtle, unexplained smile. Ye Qiu smiled, “I don’t know her. The surname is quite unusual—never heard of it in our village. But the name is quite nice—she must be very beautiful. Well, I’m just wondering if she has the lively, spirited figure of Bai Ling sister, hmm…” “Little brat,” Bai Ling murmured, beginning to dress herself in her undergarments in the water. Ye Qiu climbed up the tree, took off her own clothes and put them on, watching from a distance as Bai Ling walked toward the shore, frowning thoughtfully. "Bei Xue Ting has solid skills—I wonder how Banzi managed to bring someone so fresh and graceful back home. And Bai Ling's ability to hold her breath underwater for such a long time clearly isn't ordinary. Heaven help me, two unusual women have appeared in Gou Bu Li village—does this mean something big is about to happen here?" "Hey, little brat! What are you staring at while I'm dressing? Turn around!" Though she said it with a touch of irritation, she didn't hesitate at all, confidently dressing each garment over her graceful, well-proportioned figure right before Ye Qiu's eyes. Ye Qiu had originally intended to go back and inform Bei Xueting of her plans, but now it seemed that opportunity had vanished. With a wry smile, she walked toward Bai Ling, saying as she went, "We didn't even touch anything in the water—now that we've just had a quick glance, what's there to be afraid of? Sister, I'll tell those big fellows you're my distant cousin. Just make sure not to let it slip when we get to the village, or I'll be in trouble." "Got it, sister—she's not a three-year-old child," Bai Ling replied with a smile, straightening her clothes and walking toward Ye Qiu. Bai Ling looked only about twenty-three or twenty-four, dressed simply. She wore a fitted, sleeveless short shirt that revealed her navel, accentuating the two towering, majestic peaks of her chest—so lofty that most people could only admire them from afar. Her trousers were denim shorts that ended just above her thighs, showcasing her long, graceful legs to the fullest. Overall, she appeared fresh and understated, full of a clean, vibrant energy—quite unlike the sultry, flowing grace she'd shown in the water. Approaching Ye Qiu, Bai Ling saw her staring at her with a dazed expression. With a graceful turn, Bai Ling chuckled softly, "Stunned, weren't you? Isn't my beauty quite impressive?" By now, Ye Qiu had grown utterly used to Bai Ling's self-absorption. She gave a dismissive shrug, "I'd say it's just self-admiration. Our village is full of beautiful women—far from falling short of you." As she turned to walk forward, a quiet thought stirred in her mind: This woman truly is stunning! Bai Ling remained unfazed, following closely behind Ye Qiu, laughing lightly as they walked. "Perhaps not," she said. "Just look at how many of the men keep glancing at me—some of them must be staring so hard their eyes are about to pop out. If your village women were truly that beautiful, wouldn't they be more eager to watch me bathe in the river?" Ye Qiu replied with a touch of mockery, "They're used to seeing beautiful women in clothes. But to see someone fully naked in the river during the day—this is the very first time they've witnessed it. After all, they'd all want to experience something new." "Deadly kid, don't you want a fight? Is there anyone who'd put it so awkwardly—making a woman look ungraceful like that?" Bai Ling laughed, reached down and pinched Leaf Qiu right at the waist, feeling the firm muscle beneath her fingers. Then she twisted, and Leaf Qiu instantly gritted his teeth, groaning and pleading for mercy. Ow! "Let go!" Leaf Qiu groaned, feeling thoroughly frustrated. It seemed her words had truly landed—foreigners bring new ways of chanting, and this foreign woman certainly knows how to pinch one's waist. Maybe even grab ears, bite, yes, bite—both upper and lower lips can bite. Especially with Bai Ling, such a vigorous woman, the lower one must be particularly fierce when it comes to biting!