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

Chapter 125 Tasting wine

After Dr. Sun left, Lin Dachun tightly closed the door of the cave dwelling.

It was already quite late.

"Shall we do another drinking test tonight?" Li Ruoxue asked.

"Let's give it a try. It's just alcohol, it won't do any harm," Lin Dachun replied.

"Um."

These words solidified Li Ruoxue's resolve.

Lin Dachun poured out the wine.

This white wine, made by soaking Epimedium, has been stored and fermented for several months, and its aroma has already begun to waft out.

But what Lin Dachun developed was a special wine, which would make men and women aroused. Ordinary wine was really useless.

Lin Dachun's experimentation on himself and Li Ruoxue was somewhat overstepping his bounds, and he wasn't afraid of causing trouble.

Li Ruoxue picked up the wine cup, her hand trembling slightly.

The wine sloshed in the cup, reflecting the light of the oil lamp and creating golden ripples.

She closed her eyes, brought the food to her lips, and carefully took a small sip.

It was spicy at first.

A surge of heat exploded from the tip of her tongue, rushing straight to her throat, almost making her cough.

But after the spiciness subsided, a warm feeling slowly rose from my stomach, like a pot of charcoal fire in winter, gently warming my limbs and bones.

Immediately afterwards, the sweet aroma of grains filled my mouth, carrying the taste of sunshine from the autumn threshing ground, and a kind of indescribable, mellow flavor that softened my heart.

She opened her eyes, her cheeks already flushed.

"How is it?" Lin Dachun asked, his voice filled with a rare urgency.

"Spicy...and sweet." Li Ruoxue licked her lips, the remaining liquid leaving a burning sensation. "Warm, it warms me up from my stomach."

As Li Ruoxue spoke, she picked up the wine cup again, and this time she was bolder, taking a big gulp.

With that bite, the warmth intensified, like a little sun rising inside my body, dispelling the chill of the autumn night.

Her face turned even redder, and her neck even turned pink.

"Is it strong?" Lin Dachun asked, looking at her.

Li Ruoxue shook her head, then nodded: "I can't quite put my finger on it... I just feel... light and airy."

As she spoke, she laughed first, her eyes curving upwards and sparkling in the intoxication, like two black grapes soaking in spring water.

"It probably won't be that fast."

Lin Dachun poured himself a cup and drank it all in one gulp.

The wine burns as it goes down, but it brings comfort—the wine is ready, it's well-brewed.

The two sat facing each other, taking turns tasting the food.

Because it was baijiu (Chinese white liquor), with a high alcohol content, the two of them only drank about half a glass together.

Then Lin Dachun and Li Ruoxue crawled onto the kang (a heated brick bed).

It was already hot that day, and it got even hotter after drinking alcohol.

The aroma of wine permeated the cave dwelling, mingling with the smoke from the firewood in the stove, the cool autumn night air, and an indescribable, warm atmosphere.

Li Ruoxue felt her body getting lighter and lighter, as if she were about to float away.

My cheeks were burning hot, and my ears were red too.

"Um," Li Ruoxue suddenly spoke, her voice soft and gentle, with a touch of coquettishness she herself didn't realize, "this wine... is really good."

"Hmm," Lin Dachun responded, pouring her another small cup. "Have we drunk a bit too much? This wine seems to have a strong aftereffect."

Li Ruoxue felt something in her mind melt away, and the tension and caution she usually maintained relaxed.

"I want more to drink," she said, looking at Lin Dachun with teary eyes, like a kitten begging for food.

Looking at her like that, Lin Dachun felt a soft spot in his heart melt.

"Um, our lives... will get better, right? Oh dear, I'm getting hot."

The question seemed abrupt, but Lin Dachun understood it.

He looked at her face, flushed from the alcohol, and at the tentative expectation in her eyes, and nodded emphatically: "Yes."

"Once we sell the wine and get the money, we...we'll fix up the cave dwelling," Li Ruoxue continued, her voice growing softer. "It won't be so cold in winter. We'll also make you a new cotton-padded coat...yours is all patched up with patches."

She said something, and Lin Dachun nodded.

The cave dwelling fell silent, save for the occasional crackling of the oil lamp.

The effects of the alcohol, like a warm tide, slowly rose up, enveloping the two of them.

Li Ruoxue's face was as red as a ripe peach, and her lips were moist and shiny from the wine.

"Um," she called out again, her voice soft and sweet, "I...I feel a little dizzy."

As she spoke, she swayed slightly, moved forward, and nestled into Lin Dachun's arms.