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

Once the deer was dealt with properly, the noise subsided, and the cave returned to tranquility.

Only when his highly tense nerves and exhausted physical strength receded did the overwhelming feeling of fatigue return to Lin Dachun.

He sat on the edge of the kang (a heated brick bed), feeling as if his legs were filled with lead, too heavy to lift, and his back ached so badly it felt like it was going to split open, with every joint screaming in pain.

Li Ruoxue saw it all and felt deeply pained.

She silently went to the kitchen, boiled the water in the large pot until it was boiling, and carefully cleaned the heavy wooden bathtub before moving it to the center of the room.

Once the bathwater was prepared to the right temperature, steam immediately rose, illuminating the dim light and dispelling some of the chill in the cave dwelling.

Li Ruoxue closed the door to the cave dwelling and sealed all the gaps to prevent others from peeping.

In this way, people outside will have no idea what people inside are doing.

That's the good thing about cave dwellings; they offer excellent sealing and privacy.

"The water's ready. Please sit in the big wooden tub, soak in it, and relax," Li Ruoxue said softly, her tone filled with undeniable care.

Lin Dachun didn't refuse this time; he was simply too exhausted.

He laboriously removed his clothes, which were covered in dust and sweat and almost stiffened, and slowly sat down in the large bathtub.

The warm water instantly enveloped his stiff and aching body, and he couldn't help but let out a long, extremely comfortable sigh. He closed his eyes, rested his head on the edge of the basin, and felt the coldness in his bones being forced out little by little.

Li Ruoxue rolled up her sleeves, revealing her slender yet strong wrists.

She picked up a clean cloth, soaked it in hot water, and first wiped Lin Dachun's cheeks and neck to wash away the dust and sweat.

The movements were gentle and careful, as if handling a fragile piece of porcelain.

"By the way, you're home alone, did Old Black Dog and the other old bachelors bother you?" Lin Dachun was very concerned about this.

"Uncle Zhou has been here," Li Ruoxue replied.

"Uncle Zhou? Which Uncle Zhou?"

"Zhou Yinghu. That old man at the end of the village," Li Ruoxue replied.

"Isn't he over sixty years old? What does he want from you?" Lin Dachun asked.

This week, Yinghu's wife passed away, his son is at home, and his daughter is married and has become a grandfather.

That old man is a lecherous old man, always restless.

At his age, he still wanders around aimlessly, harassing widows.

"Yeah, he's so old, his body stinks, and he still comes here to seduce me with those filthy words. If it weren't for his age, I would have hit him." Li Ruoxue said speechlessly.

"Damn it, at your age, you're still bothering me. You're such an old hag." Lin Dachun was furious. How could he possibly provoke Li Ruoxue?

"Forget it, don't go after him. He didn't touch me, and he can't touch me anyway. If you go after him and something happens, he'll blame us for everything," Li Ruoxue explained.

"clear."

"Sister-in-law Guihua told me privately, 'You guys had a very dangerous trip?' Is that right? She said you even fought with thugs? She asked if you were injured and wanted me to give you a proper check-up." Li Ruoxue recalled this incident.

"Yeah, I ran into four thugs. I almost didn't make it back. We got into a fight, but I should be fine now." Lin Dachun had also been punched by the scarred man.

"What do you mean 'should be fine'? This is not something to be taken lightly. Let me check you over, and you can also check if there's any pain. Many internal injuries may look fine on the surface, but they can be dangerous later." Li Ruoxue was still sensible.

"Okay, then please check it out," Lin Dachun replied.