The kang (heated brick bed) for left-behind women

Chapter 112 Gossip in the Village

The light was blown out, and darkness washed over us like a tide.

Lin Dachun groped his way onto the kang (a heated brick bed), where the quilt was already warm.

He had just lain down when Li Ruoxue snuggled up to him in a soft rustling sound—now they shared a bed, an unspoken understanding between them.

At first they were a little distance apart, but slowly, someone moved first and they ended up next to each other.

Now, the two of them sleep completely cuddled together.

Li Ruoxue even got used to being held by Lin Dachun while sleeping.

So when I slept at my great-aunt's house, she would hold me all night, which led to some embarrassing and funny situations.

Her body was soft and warm, with the fresh scent of soapberry.

Lin Dachun stretched out his arms, and she naturally rested her head on them, rubbing her head against him to find a comfortable position.

"I heard something strange in town today," Li Ruoxue's voice rang out in the darkness, soft and with a touch of childlike excitement.

"What's wrong?" Lin Dachun asked, his fingers unconsciously twirling a strand of her hair.

"Wang Mazi's wife—the one who always wears a red coat—and Zhang the blacksmith from the east end..." She paused, lowering her voice even further, "Someone saw them in the reeds on the riverbank, their clothes not even properly on."

Lin Dachun paused, his hand still. "Really?"

"Aunt Liu saw it with her own eyes! She said she went to dig for wild vegetables, and when she pulled aside the reeds, oh my—" Li Ruoxue imitated Aunt Liu's exaggerated tone, and couldn't help but laugh, her shoulders shaking.

Lin Dachun laughed too, his chest heaving: "That blacksmith Zhang's wife is fierce. If she finds out, she'll cause a huge uproar!"

"Absolutely!" Li Ruoxue rolled over to face him, her eyes sparkling in the darkness. "I heard that the night before last, there was a commotion outside Zhang the blacksmith's house half the night, with people smashing pots and bowls. His wife chased him down three alleys with a fire poker!"

"Did you catch up?"

"No way, Zhang the blacksmith is much stronger. But Wang Mazi—" Li Ruoxue's voice carried a hint of sympathy, "I heard his wife scratched his face, and he hasn't dared to leave the house for three days."

The two remained silent in the darkness for a while, their breaths mingling softly. The kang (heated brick bed) was warm, and the quilt was cozy, making the cold wind outside seem far away.

"Actually..." Lin Dachun suddenly started to speak, then stopped.

"Actually what?"

"Actually, Wang Mazi has had a tough time too," Lin Dachun said slowly. "His leg was injured when he was digging a ditch when he was young, so he can't do heavy work. His wife supports the whole family. That woman... is strong-willed, but she suffers inside."

Li Ruoxue didn't say anything, but just leaned closer to him.

She understood what Da Chun meant—on this loess slope, everyone has their own suffering; some things that outsiders see as shameful are actually a story of bitter tears.

"Then tell me," she asked softly, "do they... truly have feelings for each other, or are they just seeking momentary pleasure?"

That's a bold question.

The darkness gave her courage and also gave Lin Dachun room to answer.

"I can't explain it," he thought for a moment. "People are sometimes like seedlings in dry land. When they are extremely thirsty, they will rush to the water they see, without caring whether the water is clean or not."

Li Ruoxue nodded gently in his arms.

She understood the metaphor.

Just like herself, after all these years of widowhood, when the kang (heated brick bed) is cold at night, how could she not long for a warm body to lean against? It's just that she is luckier than Wang Mazi's wife—or rather, unluckier.

But Lin Dachun really doted on her, and this doting also included physical affection.