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

"Alright then, thank you for your hard work." Lin Dachun had never had such a comfortable bath before.

Li Ruoxue really cares about herself.

The warm water instantly enveloped Lin Dachun's aching limbs and bones, and he couldn't help but let out a comfortable sigh, close his eyes, and rest his head on the edge of the basin.

Just as he was drifting off to sleep, almost carried away by exhaustion and warmth, a pair of soft yet strong hands pressed down on his stiff, rock-like shoulders.

Lin Dachun's body stiffened, and he suddenly opened his eyes.

Li Ruoxue had already moved a small stool and sat by the bathtub, holding a cloth in her hand. She was bending down and carefully scrubbing the hardened dirt and sweat on his shoulders and neck.

Her movements were somewhat clumsy, but she was extremely focused, as if she were completing a very important task.

She was completely unaware that hot water had soaked half of her sleeve.

"Ruoxue, you..." Lin Dachun was at a loss and wanted to avoid the question.

"Don't move," Li Ruoxue whispered, pressing him back into place with force.

Her voice was soft, yet carried an undeniable firmness: "You're too tired to reach my back."

Lin Dachun stopped moving, but his body remained tense.

But you could sense that Li Ruoxue's mood was off today; beneath that calm surface, there seemed to be a turbulent undercurrent.

The cloth, wet with warm water and with a gentle touch, swept across his broad back, covered with old wounds and new sunburn marks, rubbing away layers of grime, as if washing away his fatigue from the past few days.

Li Ruoxue's hand would occasionally accidentally touch his skin, and the sensation made his heart tremble slightly.

She rubbed silently, from her shoulders to her back and then to her arms.

The only sounds in the cave were the rustling of water, the sound of fabric rubbing together, and the heavy breathing of the two people.

Finally, Li Ruoxue stopped what she was doing.

She neither continued nor left, but simply lowered her head, looking at the murky water in the bathtub and Lin Dachun's blurry reflection in the water.

After a long silence, she spoke in an extremely soft voice, as if afraid of disturbing something, and asked:

"...Do you...have something wrong with your health?"

The question came abruptly, like a cold awl piercing the warm, misty steam around the bathtub.

"Who told you that?" Lin Dachun asked softly.

Li Ruoxue raised her eyes, her eyes even redder, but she stubbornly looked back at him: "It's what Aunt Sun said, she said... you should ask her yourself."

"I did ask Sun Xiangu," Lin Dachun's voice slowed down, each word clearly enunciated, "but I didn't feel unwell when I asked her; I just went to consult her."

He paused, his gaze sharp as he looked into Li Ruoxue's eyes:

"I went to ask if there were any problems at my age, like... It's not what you think. After all, I'm much older than you, aren't I?"

His voice wasn't loud, but every word was as heavy as a thousand pounds, striking the surface of the bathtub and also striking Li Ruoxue's heart.

"You're still young, why can't you? You look healthy and strong, don't overthink it. Many women in the village are concerned about your health," Li Ruoxue replied.

"Hehe. I'm just an old man. Why would I think about such things at my age?" Lin Dachun said awkwardly.

Li Ruoxue did not answer.

"Let me scrub you again." Li Ruoxue took a towel and continued to scrub Lin Dachun's body.

Li Ruoxue didn't doubt anything. In her eyes, Lin Dachun was still very young.

"Um."

Lin Dachun turned his head and looked slightly at Li Ruoxue in front of him. She was beautiful and pretty, with delicate features.