July in Taohua Village burned like a furnace. The sun hung overhead, vicious and white, and the heat pressed down so hard it made a man sweat through his bones.

Out in the reed marsh, Ethan Lorne, the village fool, waded through water that reached past his calves, feeling around for wild duck eggs.

Splash... splash...

A sound came from deep inside the thick reeds.

Ethan froze at once. He held his breath and crept over, light on his feet, parting the reeds with both hands.

The moment he looked through, his eyes went wide and round.

“Daisy Holloway!”

“Ah—!”

Daisy Holloway gave a sharp cry and whipped around, her pretty face going pale. Her eyes flashed over at him in alarm.

Then she saw who it was.

It was only Ethan, the foolish young neighbor.

She let out a breath, her chest easing, and scolded him in a soft, half-angry tone, “You scared me half to death. So it’s you. I thought some filthy bastard was peeping at me.”

Ethan blinked and asked with plain curiosity, “Sister Cuihua, what are you doing?”

Daisy shot him a look, half amused, half helpless. “You really are a fool. I’m bathing. It’s hot as hell today. I’m covered in sweat. Wash it off, and I’ll feel better.”

As she spoke, her gaze slid over him again. In her heart, she could not help sighing.

What a fine-looking young man.

Broad shoulders, straight back, good features too.

A real handsome lad.

What rotten fate, for him to end up a fool.

Three years ago, when she first married into Taohua Village, Ethan had still been a bright, lively young man. His mouth had always been sweet, running after her with “sister-in-law” this and “sister-in-law” that. She still remembered it clearly.

But heaven never lets people live easy.

Less than half a year after her marriage, her husband died in a mining accident and never came back.

“Ethan,” Daisy said at last, lowering her voice. Her face had already turned red. “These reeds are in the way. Pull some out for me.”

“Alright,” Ethan said at once, simple as ever. “But later, you gotta help me find wild duck eggs.”

He agreed with that same dazed honesty, not understanding a thing beneath her words. His mind was plainly slow, nowhere near sharp enough to catch it.

At a moment like this, and he was still thinking about duck eggs.

What a muddle-headed fool.

Daisy sighed to herself, but then another thought rose in her chest.

Maybe that was just as well.

With Ethan like this, no matter what she did next, he likely would not resist. He would only listen and do as she said.

A smile curved at her lips, soft and pretty.

“Fine,” she said. “Help me first, and your sister-in-law will help you look for duck eggs after.”

Ethan only cared about food. He gave a foolish grin, chuckling under his breath as he walked over, completely unaware that the brightest turn of his life was already upon him.

Then all at once, from the other side of the reeds, a man’s lewd voice drifted over.

It was dirty. Shameless. Enough to make the skin crawl.

“He’s a fool. What would he know? Better let me help you.”

Daisy Holloway gave a sharp scream. “Who’s there?” She whipped her head around, panic all over her face.

A rat-faced man pushed through the reeds. It was Dennis Sutton, the village thug. His eyes were shining as he stared at the pretty young widow in front of him, and he kept stepping closer, one step at a time.

Daisy Holloway was scared out of her wits. She staggered backward in the water, voice shaking. “Don’t come any closer. If you do, I’ll shout for help.”

Dennis Sutton let out a nasty laugh. “Nobody comes here. You can scream till your throat splits, and it won’t matter. You’ve been a widow for over two years. Who are you putting on an act for?”

The old rogue lunged like a starving tiger, rushing straight at Daisy Holloway, bent on doing something filthy.

Ethan Lorne moved fast and planted himself in front of her. His face was full of anger. “You can’t bully Sister Cuaihua. I won’t let you.”

“Get lost, damn idiot.” Dennis Sutton spat. “Stand aside, or I’ll kill you.”

Ethan Lorne was just a fool in his eyes. Dennis Sutton never took him seriously. He reached out and shoved hard, thinking he could brush the young man aside like it was nothing.

But he had not expected Ethan Lorne to slam both hands into him with a fierce push.