The Rich Family's Golden Woodcutter's Tale: The Gloriously Wounded "Littl

Lin Mo looked at Jiang Ruoyun, who was making a firm promise, and stopped in his tracks with a sense of helplessness.

This young lady usually lives in the capital and never lifts a finger.

He can't even figure out how to use a high-end custom-made microwave oven, yet now he's volunteering to take on the challenge of a rural earthen stove, which is notoriously difficult.

"Are you really going?"

Lin Mo casually picked up the wood-chopping knife from the corner of the wall, his slender fingers twirling it on the somewhat rough handle.

His tone remained relaxed and nonchalant: "That thing doesn't come with an instruction manual, and there's no one-button start."

"Don't look down on people."

Jiang Ruoyun raised her snow-white chin, like a proud white swan, her eyes filled with an unyielding stubbornness.

She gave a light snort, her tone tinged with a hint of spoiled arrogance: "Haven't you ever seen a pig run even if you haven't eaten pork? It's just throwing wood in and lighting it, anyone with hands can do that."

Seeing her resolute attitude, Lin Mo stopped trying to stop her.

Since she wants to experience life, let her be. At worst, we'll just prepare a basin of warm water for her to wash her hands later.

"Okay, then be careful."

Lin Mo pointed towards the kitchen and said calmly, "Just don't blow up the kitchen."

After saying that, Lin Mo picked up the wood-chopping knife, turned around, and walked into the backyard of the old house.

In winter, the backyard is overgrown with weeds, and the withered vines are almost knee-deep.

A cold wind blew by, swirling up a few withered leaves.

Lin Mo thoroughly enjoyed this long-lost tranquility and simplicity.

He rolled up his sleeves, his eyes were calm, and with each swift movement of his knife, he was as swift as an old farmer who had lived in seclusion for many years.

Wood chips flew everywhere, and weeds snapped in two.

He exuded an indescribable air of nonchalance, as if wielding a woodcutter's axe was not a farm chore, but rather a master calligrapher.

On the other side, Jiang Ruoyun strode confidently toward the dilapidated kitchen.

She took a deep breath, stretched out her fair hand, and forcefully pushed open the wooden door of the old kitchen.

"Squeak—"

Accompanied by a tooth-grinding sound, a pungent smell of stale dust wafted over.

Jiang Ruoyun frowned subconsciously, took half a step back, and fanned her nose with her hand.

The kitchen was dimly lit.

Thick layers of cobwebs covered the corners of the roof, and the walls were blackened by years of cooking fumes.

And right at the very center, lies the legendary "ultimate BOSS".

A huge black iron pot, and a bottomless stove underneath.

Jiang Ruoyun stood in front of the dark, earthen stove in the countryside, lost in deep thought.

The director who was following her was very considerate and zoomed in, giving her a close-up of her face.

The live stream chat exploded with excitement, the screen filled with joy.

"Hahaha, look at the young lady's expression, she's completely stunned!"

Jiang Ruoyun: Where's the power switch on this thing? Why isn't there a plug? There's not even a touchscreen panel?

"At this moment, a socialite from Beijing, who wished to remain anonymous, felt deeply confused and helpless."

"Lin Shen is too ambitious. He really dares to let his wife, who has never lifted a finger to do housework, start a fire."

Jiang Ruoyun glanced at the camera and stubbornly bit her lip.

We cannot back down; we absolutely cannot show weakness at this time.

Lin Mo was working hard outside cleaning the yard, and I couldn't just be a useless decorative vase cheering him on from the sidelines.

It's just lighting a fire, isn't it?

I can handle mergers and acquisitions worth hundreds of millions without batting an eye in the business world, so why would I be stumped by a pile of firewood?

She mustered her courage and began searching for "tools to commit the crime".

Next to the stove was a small mountain of firewood, with some fluffy dry grass on top and thick firewood underneath.

Because it had snowed a few days ago and the ice had thawed, the firewood underneath felt damp and had a cold, humid feel to it.

Jiang Ruoyun grew up in a heated room and had no idea how things worked here.

She scrutinized the pile of firewood with the same eyes she would use to examine a business plan.

Then, she came to a simple business logic: the thicker the base, the more stable it is; the heavier it is, the better the quality, and the more durable it is.

So she ignored the small, dry branches without hesitation.

He bent down and, with a series of huffs and puffs, pulled out several of the thickest and heaviest pieces of wet wood from the bottom.

The wood was heavy, and it was still covered with undried dirt and wood shavings.

Jiang Ruoyun's fair hands were instantly covered in dust, and mud got into her fingernails.

But she didn't care at all, and even felt that she looked particularly down-to-earth, and that Lin Mo would definitely praise her for being capable.

She gritted her teeth and laboriously stuffed all the thick, wet logs into the dark stove.

It was packed so full that there wasn't even a sliver of air left for ventilation.

"Perfect."

Jiang Ruoyun dusted off her hands, quite satisfied with her masterpiece, and a smug smile appeared on her lips.

The viewers in the live stream burst into laughter after seeing what she did.

"Oh no, this is going to physically block the stove!"

"The air isn't circulating at all; it would be a miracle if it could even catch fire."

"Friendly reminder: This kind of wet wood soaked in snow water will not burn; it will only smoke."

"High-energy warning ahead! Non-combat personnel, please evacuate the kitchen immediately!"

"I feel sorry for that stove for three seconds."

Jiang Ruoyun was unaware of the frantic warnings posted in the live chat.

With great confidence, she pulled out a box of matches that had been sitting on the windowsill in the corner of the stove for who knows how long.

The matchbox was a bit damp and felt soft to the touch.

She took out a match and, imitating what she did in the movies, made a sharp slash on the side of the matchbox.

"Click."

A muffled thud.

The match head emitted only a wisp of smoke thinner than a hair, and before it shattered without even a spark.

Jiang Ruoyun was stunned for a moment.

Somewhat skeptical, she pulled out another one, this time applying more pressure with her fingers.

"Click."

The fragile matchstick couldn't withstand the young lady's force and broke in two, the sharp ends almost piercing her fingers.

The young lady's stubborn temper flared up instantly.

She stared intently at the damp box of matches, as if she were looking at a negotiating opponent worth billions and unyielding to reason.

"Click! Click! Click!"

The quiet kitchen was filled with the constant, irritating sound of striking matches.

After severing more than a dozen fingers, Jiang Ruoyun's delicate index finger and thumb were marked with red marks and were throbbing with pain.

But she still didn't give up, her eyes revealing a stubborn refusal to admit defeat.

If she can't light this fire today, she'll write the character "Jiang" backwards!

Finally, after persistently rowing to the twentieth row...

"laugh--"

A tiny but bright flame miraculously leaped up in the dimly lit kitchen.

Jiang Ruoyun's eyes lit up, as if she had seen the dawn of victory.

She carefully shielded the flame with her hand, held her breath, and slowly approached the stove.

She thought for a moment, grabbed a handful of kindling from the side, placed it on top of the pile of wet wood, and then threw in a match.

Hay is extremely flammable; it crackles and pops instantly when it comes into contact with a spark.

The orange-red flames suddenly shone, illuminating Jiang Ruoyun's delicate face and giving her a warm glow.

She stood up excitedly and flashed a proud peace sign at the camera.

"See that? It's on fire!"

That smug little expression made it seem as if he had just completed a groundbreaking invention that shocked the world, and his tail was practically wagging in the air.

The viewers in the live stream were amused by her silly persistence.

"To be honest, the way he frowned and struck the match just now was kind of cute."

"The young lady understands the value of emotions; she can be happy for half a day over the smallest thing."

"That's what you call being bad at the game but also loving to play."

"Don't rush to praise them yet, take a closer look inside the stove..."

Jiang Ruoyun's bright smile froze completely on her face before it could fully bloom.

Although the hay burned quickly, the weak fire couldn't spread to the pile of rough, damp wood below.

The flames merely licked the damp bark in vain.

The large amount of moisture contained in the wood quickly evaporates and carbonizes under the high temperature.

Then, disaster struck.

There was no open flame in the stove; instead, there was a continuous stream of thick smoke.

At first, it was just a wisp of grayish-white smoke, like a mischievous little snake, slithering out from the cracks in the stove.

Before Jiang Ruoyun could react, the smoke began to expand rapidly.

In the blink of an eye, it was as if a powerful tear gas canister had been detonated in the stove.

Thick smoke billowed out of the stove like a surging tide.

The old kitchen was already small and poorly ventilated.

The thick smoke instantly filled the lower half of the room and continued to spread rapidly upwards.

"Cough cough cough!"

Jiang Ruoyun was the first to be hit, and was choked by the thick smoke rushing towards her, causing her to retreat repeatedly.

The air was filled with a pungent smell of burning and wood ash.

Every breath felt like swallowing sand, and my trachea burned with pain from the stale air.

Jiang Ruoyun tried to wave away the smoke in front of her, but it was like a drop in the ocean.

The smoke grew thicker and thicker, and visibility in the kitchen dropped drastically, as if we were in the dead of winter when smog was at its worst.

"How could this happen..."

The fumes made it impossible for her to open her eyes, and tears streamed down her face uncontrollably.

This isn't cooking over a fire; it's practically conducting a biological weapons experiment!

Jiang Ruoyun hurriedly crouched down, trying to avoid the increasingly dense smoke above.

She coughed violently while instinctively reaching up to rub her sore and swollen eyes.

Tears mixed with the stinging sensation made her feel extremely wronged.

However, she completely forgot that she had just moved wet wood and that her hands were covered in black wood ash and damp mud.

The consequences of wiping it with your hand are simply unimaginable.

Several dark finger marks suddenly appeared on her fair, jade-like, and originally delicate and flawless cheeks.

Wipe away a tear on the left, and wipe a cheek on the right.

The once aloof, noble, and powerful heiress has transformed herself into a black and white "little kitten."

Even the director who was carrying the camera couldn't withstand the attack of the poison gas.

The director coughed violently as he decisively retreated towards the kitchen door.

Although the camera shook violently due to the coughing, it still accurately captured Jiang Ruoyun's miserable state at that moment.

The live stream chat exploded with an unprecedented wave of comments.

The screen was filled with dense, colorful bullet comments, almost completely obscuring the image.

"Hahahaha! Help! My abs are going to split from laughing!"

"What an amazing little kitten! It's so vivid!"

"The downfall of Beijing's top socialite began with a handful of wet firewood."

"I can't help it, it's both pitiful and hilarious. How can the young lady be so innocently beautiful and naive?"

"God Lin! Quickly, go and invite God Lin! Any later, and this kitchen will ascend to immortality!"

"Lin Mo! Your wife's being smoked like a piece of Tujia cured meat! Come quick, save the day!"

"This adorable goofball is absolutely adorable! I declare myself a fan!"

The backyard at this time.

Lin Mo was methodically clearing away the last bit of weeds.

The winter air was crisp and refreshing. After working for half a day, he hadn't broken a sweat, and his breathing remained steady.

He had just swung his machete and cut down a patch of withered vines.

A faint but extremely violent cough drifted on the wind, over the courtyard wall, and into his ears.

"Cough cough cough... cough cough..."

The voice was broken and intermittent, revealing an undisguised pain and panic.

Lin Mo's hand suddenly stopped moving.

The sound was coming from the direction of the front yard kitchen.

His brows furrowed instantly, and the usual nonchalant and relaxed demeanor vanished completely.

A rare hint of tension flashed in his deep eyes.

Without the slightest hesitation, Lin Mo threw away the machete in his hand.

With a crisp clang, the sharp machete struck the stone slab.

He strode forward, stepping on the withered branches and fallen leaves, and rushed towards the front yard.

The closer you get to the front yard, the stronger the pungent, burnt smell becomes.

Upon entering the courtyard, one could see that the wooden door to the old kitchen was half-closed.

Thick white smoke was desperately billowing out through the cracks in the door and the holes in the eaves, shooting straight into the sky.

If you didn't know better, you'd think this place had just been bombarded by enemy artillery or was on fire.

Lin Mo's heart tightened for no apparent reason.

His face darkened.

I shouldn't have let that idiot touch those things. If he had choked on them and gotten seriously injured, it would have been a huge problem.

Upon arriving at the door, Lin Mo did not hesitate for a moment.

He lifted his leg, a hint of suppressed impatience in his voice.

Lin Mo kicked open the kitchen door. Through the thick smoke, he saw Jiang Ruoyun squatting on the floor, looking utterly wronged. Her face was covered in soot, and tears from the smoke clung to her eyelashes. Seeing Lin Mo, she pouted, "Lin Mo…this stove is bullying me…"