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

In the latter half of the night, a chill set in inside the cave dwelling.

The residual heat in the stove had long since dissipated.

Li Ruoxue curled up unconsciously in her sleep, but no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't muster enough heat to resist the bone-chilling cold.

My feet were freezing cold, and my shoulders were stiff with cold. Waves of chills chased away my sleepiness.

She vaguely felt a faint but real warmth coming from the other side of the bed.

The warmth was like a firefly in the darkness, drawing people instinctively closer.

In a state between sleep and wakefulness, the dam of reason was breached by the instinct for survival. With a touch of embarrassment and an almost stealthy posture, she moved extremely slowly toward the bed next to Lin Dachun.

She didn't get close, but huddled at the edge of the gap between the two blankets, letting the little bit of body heat that escaped envelope her cold back.

In the darkness, Lin Dachun's breathing paused almost imperceptibly.

He wasn't fast asleep; his long-standing habit of being alert made him immediately notice the movement around him.

The cautious approach, tinged with a slight shiver, resembled that of a small, frozen animal.

He didn't move, and even his breathing rate was deliberately kept the same, as if he were still asleep.

In this freezing cold, even without the fire in the kang (heated brick bed), it can still keep you warm for a while, but the temperature is still tens of degrees below zero.

Lin Dachun knew Li Ruoxue was cold, and at this moment, he couldn't care less about other thoughts.

Lin Dachun took the initiative to cover himself with the quilt and tucked the quilt into his body.

Li Ruoxue's originally cold bed suddenly became warm.

The next morning, as dawn broke.

The two woke up almost at the same time.

Li Ruoxue realized she had crossed the "boundary," her cheeks flushed instantly, and she hurriedly and quietly moved back to her bed, her heart pounding.

Lin Dachun acted as if nothing had happened, got up as usual, put on his cotton-padded coat, and went to the kitchen to start a fire.

He just added firewood more quickly than usual.

Once the fire was lit on the kang (heated brick bed), it immediately became warm.

After a simple breakfast, Lin Dachun looked at the bowl of brightly colored but sour sea buckthorn juice that made his eyes squint.

"I was thinking," he said casually as he cleared the dishes, "that just being sour won't do; it needs to have a sweet flavor. How about we make some maltose?"

Li Ruoxue was sorting sea buckthorn seeds when she heard this. She looked up, her eyes filled with curiosity: "Maltose? You know how to make it?"

"My wife did this when we were young, and I still remember the general steps." Lin Dachun walked to the grain jar and scooped out a small bowl of plump barley grains. "It involves sprouting barley, fermenting it with glutinous rice, and then boiling it into syrup. It's just a lot of work."

Just do it.

Lin Dachun soaked the barley grains in warm water and placed them in the warmest spot on the kang (a heated brick bed) to encourage them to sprout.

Following his instructions, Li Ruoxue washed the remaining glutinous rice in the house and steamed it.

Next, we just need to wait for the malt to sprout tender green shoots.

The weather is fine today.

Aunt Zhou, with her hands tucked in her sleeves and a smile on her face that was three times warmer than usual, swayed as she walked into the Lin family's courtyard.

She spotted Lin Dachun sitting at the entrance of the cave dwelling, playing with sea buckthorn.

"Brother Dachun, what are you busy with? Isn't this sea buckthorn? Why are you doing this stuff? Even animals wouldn't eat it." Aunt Zhou's voice was loud, and it reached you even before she got close.

Lin Dachun looked up and saw that it was Aunt Zhou. He simply nodded as a greeting and continued working.

He always harbored some wariness towards Aunt Zhou.

"What are you doing here again? I told you, I don't want kids," Li Ruoxue said directly.

After speaking, he went back inside to get busy.

Aunt Zhou leaned closer, glanced into the cave dwelling, and said in a low voice, "Brother Dachun, I've come today because I have some good news to tell you!"

Lin Dachun glanced at her, but didn't reply.

Seeing his indifferent attitude, Aunt Zhou inwardly cursed him as a "blockhead," but her smile widened: "That's how it is! You know Widow He from the front village, right? She's Xiulan, the one whose husband left years ago!"

Lin Dachun's heart skipped a beat, and he slowed down the movements of cleaning the stone mill.

What widow?

Why did she mention Widow He?

Aunt Zhou observed his expression and, thinking there was hope, hurriedly continued, "You know Xiulan, she's pretty, strong, and capable both inside and outside the house. It's just that her life has been a bit hard... She's raising a child alone, it's tough. And you, you and Ruoxue have no child either, so you still have a long road ahead... How can she manage without someone who cares for her?"

She leaned forward further, lowering her voice even more, in a manner that suggested she was speaking from the heart:

"I'm thinking, you and Xiulan are a perfect match! She's also interested... If you agree, I'll go and put in a good word for you two! Then, with a woman in the house, a warm bed and hot meals, wouldn't life feel like a home again?"

Lin Dachun's face darkened.

He finally understood why Aunt Zhou had come.

"What do you mean? What, Ruoxue and I have broken up? Are you going to play matchmaker for me now??" Lin Dachun was immediately unhappy.

He recalled Widow He's tear-streaked face, her helpless look when her legs hurt, and the gossip in the village about him and Li Ruoxue.

Aunt Zhou wasn't really trying to arrange a marriage; she was just trying to get them together since both families were widowed and alone, to shut up the gossips and get a matchmaker's gift in return!

"Aunt Zhou," Lin Dachun's voice was low but firm, "I appreciate your kindness. But I have no such intention. Li Ruoxue hasn't left yet, how can I just enjoy myself like this?"

"You man, Ruoxue will leave sooner or later. It's a good thing you've married a wife, and the house will be more lively. Right? The biggest problem is that you don't have any children, so you haven't continued the family line, have you?" Aunt Zhou was still very insightful.

These words touched a nerve with Lin Dachun.

"You don't need to worry about this. Li Ruoxue and I can manage just fine," Lin Dachun replied.

"Alright, think it over. Widow He is a good woman, gentle and considerate, and beautiful. She's a well-known beauty. Don't let her down." Aunt Zhou said, getting up and leaving.

After taking a few steps, he turned back and said softly, "Brother Dachun, have you ever thought about secretly leaving an heir for the Lin family to continue the family line? I have connections in this matter."

Upon hearing this, Li Ruoxue's face immediately darkened, and she angrily said:

"Aunt Zhou, what nonsense are you talking about? It's not necessary. Thank you for your trouble."

Aunt Zhou glanced at Li Ruoxue, didn't say anything, but nudged Lin Dachun and left.

These few pushes are quite meaningful.