Night in July was somewhat muggy, with the echoing chorus of frogs and cicadas keeping the otherwise prevailing silence at bay.

In the rice paddy at the head of Houwan Village, night-watching villagers gathered in small groups, fans in hand, animatedly discussing this year's harvest.

Ever since the household contracting system was implemented last year, the yield has been improving year by year.

The rice paddies of each household were brimming with freshly harvested rice crops. In fear of wild hogs coming down from the back mountain and causing destruction, every family sent someone to keep watch during the night.

Suddenly, a woman's piercing scream cracked the jovial chatter.

"What happened?" Confused, everyone stood up, glancing at each other worriedly.

"It sounds like it’s Gu Zhao’s wife."

"The scream comes from the reeds pond area. Let's hurry and see what happened."

Some worried villagers yelled towards Gu Zhao’s paddy field, "Gu Zhao, it seems there is trouble with your wife."

At this moment, Gu Zhao was lying on the high stack of straw, enjoying the starry summer night sky.

There was a saying - a summer night sky was like countless precious pearls scattered in a jade plate. It was really beautiful!

Seeing him not reacting, Da Niu hurried over, shone a flashlight towards him, and yelled, "Gu Zhao, it looks like something happened to your wife."

"Her?" The gentleness in his eyes instantly evaporated as Gu Zhao, with a grim face, jumped down from the haystack.

All the other villagers had decided to join in on the action as well, eager to see what the fuss was about.

Ye Qingning, the lady in question, was once a youth sent down from the provincial city. With her delicate skin, beautiful features, and white complexion, she resembled a nymph from a painting.

Upon her arrival to Houwan Village, she had ensnared the souls of many men, and naturally, she also became a thorn in the side of the women.

Ultimately, she married Gu Zhao, with whom she had a child.

At first, they thought she could lead a peaceful life. However, this didn't deter her in the slightest. All dressed up with nowhere to go, she was constantly prancing about without responsibilities, neglecting her duties and her child, prone to running amok.

It was rumored that she had been seen fraternizing with a hoodlum from a neighboring village not long ago.

Tonight, there would certainly be some good drama—

"Get lost!"

From her location not far from the paddy field in the reed pond, Ye Qingning gathered up all her strength, reached for a rock, and hurled it at the man's head.

With a muffled grunt, the man tumbled off form her.

Ye Qingning, in disarray, scrambled out of the reed, only to see a group of people not far off brandishing flashlights and sashaying in her direction.

Frantically, she yelled at the top of her lungs, "Help, I'm over here!"

"Come back, stop yelling," Wu Xingsheng, disregarding his throbbing headache, hurriedly emerged to attempt to pull her back.

Ye Qingning swiftly slapped his hand away, then kicked him hard on his body before she frantically ran off towards the villagers, yelling, "Help, someone catch this pervert!"

“Damn it! You are one ugly woman!” Wu Xingsheng, upon seeing what occurred, cast an expletive. In a state of panic, he dived into the reed shrubs, able to flee through a narrow path.

The villagers rushed over, someone maliciously aimed a flashlight at Ye Qingning's face.

"Oh, it is really Gu Zhao's wife."

However, her clothes were wrinkled, her hair disheveled, and her appearance was both disheveled and alluring, which could easily make people think indecent thoughts.

"What's this about Gu Zhao's wife?" Ye Qingning muttered, the flashlight's glare was blinding, and she subconsciously raised her hand to block her face.

Suddenly, her wrist tightened and a cold reprimanding voice came from above her head, "What are you doing here in the reed pond in the middle of the night?"

"I was kidnapped," Ye Qingning retorted, her big round eyes filled with anger.

This morning, at the coffee shop, a pregnant mistress had confronted her. She had given the girl a check, warning her to take the money and leave, or she would end up with nothing.

Who would have thought that this seemingly quiet girl had a tempestuous temper and had taken a cup and hit her on the head when she wasn't paying attention?

Ye Qingning only remembered feeling a pain in the back of her head and when she had opened her eyes, she had found herself here, with a man who reeked of sweat trying to take advantage of her.

She was convinced that someone must have kidnapped her, and brought her here.