Jackson hadn’t expected his wife to be so knowledgeable. Most people in the village still didn’t know the value of this thing. Otherwise, with all the treasures on the mountain, someone would have already searched it clean!

The price of Dendrobium and knotweed could still remain high for another ten years. After that, with advances in cultivation techniques, these plants could be farmed, and they’d become more common, no longer considered rare.

Even so, wild medicinal herbs would still be prohibitively expensive because wild ones were practically impossible to find.

Jackson flashed a broad grin, pulling his delicate wife into his arms. He leaned down and planted a kiss on her smooth, pale face, meeting her bright, shimmering eyes as he said, “Yes, it’s knotweed. Tomorrow, I’ll take you and the kid to the city to stroll around, and we can sell these treasures to the pharmacy.”

As soon as Sophia heard that they were going out with the kid, her body tensed. She recalled the time he’d mentioned selling their daughter to a childless family in the city, and she still felt uneasy about it. Who knew whether they were infertile or just wanted a "child bride"?

She pulled away from his embrace, wariness and caution evident in her refusal. “The baby’s still too young... I... I’ll stay here with her. You go ahead and wash up for dinner.”

Jackson noticed her strange reaction. He’d originally planned to take her out for a while, maybe even buy her some winter clothes. But seeing her so guarded again made it clear she feared he might have ill intentions toward their daughter again. After all the messes he’d caused, how could she easily let go of the mistrust? Sophia’s trust in him had already been stretched thin; he’d have to earn it back slowly.

He took off his mud-stained shirt, leaving just a simple white tank top. His muscular arms were exposed as he opened the door, washed his face quickly, then returned inside. When he sat down, he noticed the meal on the table—golden scrambled eggs and a small plate of stir-fried pork from this morning. Hadn’t she eaten any vegetables at all at lunchtime?

If she kept scrimping like this, when would he ever be able to make her chubby and healthy? It seemed he’d have to work harder to make more money and put her mind at ease.

“Honey, where did these eggs come from?”

Sophia looked down and ladled a bowl of porridge for him. “My mom came by not long after you left. She brought them.”

She didn’t mention anything about her mother talking about divorce.

When Jackson heard it was his mother-in-law who brought the eggs, he couldn’t help but feel embarrassed, recalling his earlier request for money to drink. He couldn’t face her right now. He didn’t ask what his mother-in-law had come for; he just planned to sell the herbs tomorrow and pay her back the money he’d borrowed.

He reached out and pulled his wife to sit beside him. “Eat up,” he said, handing her a loaf of bread.

Sophia still couldn’t bring herself to make whole-wheat bread, so it was made with half refined flour.

He grabbed the bread and took a large bite.

Sophia took a small bite of the bread, glancing up to secretly observe the man in front of her. If only he could stay like this all the time. But who knew how long his current warmth would last?

As they were eating, a knock came at the door.

“Bro, it’s Randy. Come out, big three’s missing one. We’re waiting for you to drink and play cards.”

Sophia’s face instantly drained of color, and she stared at Jackson with wide eyes, afraid he might once again go out with them to drink and gamble.

Jackson was momentarily stunned upon hearing the voice, then he remembered who it was.

He set down his utensils, quickly stood up, and pulled her into his embrace. “Honey, what’s wrong? Are you feeling sick?”

Sophia, wrapped in his arms, clutched the small tank top at his chest with her slender fingers. Her lips trembled as she asked, “You... you’re not going out with them to drink and gamble, right?”

Jackson finally understood why she was acting this way. She was worried he might fall back into his old habits!

He rested his chin on her soft hair and unconsciously tightened his arms around her, pulling her closer.

Her body felt so frail in his arms. Since marrying him, she hadn’t had a single peaceful day, and even a full meal had become a luxury.

But despite all this, she still held out hope for him, wanting to live a stable life together.

Taking a deep breath, he swallowed the lump in his throat and spoke in a hoarse, low voice to reassure her, “Don’t worry, I’m not going. I’ll send them away now and never hang out with them again.”

Sophia, sitting on his lap, looked up at him with a scrutinizing gaze, still unsure. “Really? You’re not going?”

Jackson lowered his eyes to meet her anxious and doubtful gaze. He wanted to show her his heart, to prove that he really had changed.

Unable to resist, he kissed her soft nose again, releasing a steady, warm breath as he promised, “Really. I’m not going. I’ll make them leave right now.”

He gently placed her back on the stool. “Okay, you keep eating. I’ll be right back.”

Standing up straight, Jackson noticed his wife still clutching his small tank top. If it weren’t for the three men outside, he would have taken her with him, letting her watch as he turned them away to give her peace of mind.

He lowered his head and kissed her forehead again in comfort, then lightly patted her thin back until her grip finally loosened. Her small tank top was now wrinkled from her tight hold.

Straightening his back, he strode out the door.

When Jackson reached the yard, he opened the wooden door.

The group of men outside grinned upon seeing him. Randy, a man about 5’7”, flashed a lecherous smile and made a crude joke.

“Bro, you’re not being fair. Sophia just got out of confinement, and now you can’t even get out of bed? It’s been days, and you haven’t come to hang out with us for drinks.”

Hearing those vulgar words, Jackson’s brows furrowed, his face darkening with anger. He shouted, “Damn it, if you don’t know how to speak properly, shut that filthy mouth of yours.”

The other two men, who had been laughing along, immediately stopped when they saw Jackson’s expression. They quickly tried to smooth things over. “Bro, he’s just got a loose tongue. Don’t mind him. Come on, let’s drink!”

One of them reached out to put his arm around Jackson’s shoulder.

Jackson quickly shrugged off his arm, glaring at the other two with a cold expression.

“If it’s drinking or playing cards you want, don’t come looking for me again. I’m done with that.”

The three men stood stunned, looking at each other in disbelief, as if they had seen a ghost.

Randy, still grinning lewdly, attempted to continue with his teasing, “Bro, is it that little sister-in-law of ours keeping you in bed? Since she’s out of confinement, maybe she’ll let the rest of us have a try...”

Before he could finish, Jackson kicked him hard in the chest, sending him flying and crashing to the ground. The man lay there groaning in pain.