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

"Sister Su, this isn't right. I'm a man, and you're a woman. Although I'm not the kind of man Old Black Dog is, to be honest, I'm not exactly a saint either. If you ask me for help like this, I, Lin Dachun, can't guarantee I won't take advantage of you," Lin Dachun joked.

Lin Dachun was also a man full of vigor and passion.

"Ah! This."

"Is your problem serious?" Lin Dachun asked.

"It's an old ailment," Widow Su sighed, pressing her hand to the outside of her chest. "This area gets dull and painful whenever the weather changes or I get tired, sometimes like being pricked with needles. When it's severe, it's even hard to breathe."

Lin Dachun paused for a moment upon hearing this.

He worked in the mountains year-round, and bumps and bruises were common occurrences. He also figured out some folk remedies to deal with chest tightness and shortness of breath.

Lin Dachun knew that the location Su Widow was referring to was probably near the "Fengshi" acupoint; where there is blockage, there is pain.

He looked around; the hillside was quiet, with only the rustling of the wind through the grass.

"Your illness is quite serious. Breathing is not something else. If you can't catch your breath, it could happen in a short while," Lin Dachun said with some concern.

"Yes, that's what the doctor said too. He said my illness could trigger asthma. I don't know if it's true or not. It seems very serious and scary. I'm worried that if I go to work in the mountains one day and can't breathe, I'll be in trouble and die. I still have children at home." Widow Su said, her eyes reddening.

Lin Dachun pondered for a moment before speaking, "Your meridians are probably blocked, and your qi and blood are congested. You can't just endure it."

"Yes, yes, the doctor said I need more physical therapy."

Widow Su looked up at him, her eyes showing surprise and hesitation.

Lin Dachun turned and went into the cave dwelling, took out a small earthenware jar, inside which was a medicinal wine he had made himself by soaking Sichuan peppercorns and strong liquor.

"Sit down," he said, pointing to a large, smooth stone at the entrance of the cave dwelling. "Let me... massage your acupoints to loosen your muscles. This medicinal wine will work."

Widow Su hesitated for a moment, but still sat down sideways as instructed, straightening her body.

Her heart was pounding and her face was burning, but the pain made her not care about anything else.

"Sister Su, have you thought this through? Do you really want me to treat your illness?" Lin Dachun asked seriously.

"Yes, the pain is even worse than this. I can't sleep at night because of the pain. I can't sleep on my stomach or my side. It's killing me. It's much better to have you treat my illness than to be bullied by the old bachelors in the village, right?" Widow Su was telling the truth; she had no other choice.

"Oh well."

Lin Dachun sat down beside her, maintaining a proper distance.

"Bear with it for a moment, and the pain will subside once the flow is restored."

Lin Dachun spoke in a low voice, his hands moving with undiminished force as he skillfully performed the treatment.

His movements were pure and focused, with the deftness of an old hunter tending to a wound, devoid of any hint of intimacy.

The heat seeped through the fabric, mixed with the spiciness of the medicinal wine. At first, it was a sharp, aching pain, but after a while, the persistent stinging sensation actually subsided a bit, turning into a warm and relaxing feeling.

Widow Su's tense body gradually relaxed, and she secretly glanced at Lin Dachun.

He was focused, his head bowed, his gray hair almost blinding in the sunlight, fine beads of sweat on his forehead, and his eyes filled with nothing but a simple, earnest gaze.

After treating her for nearly half an hour, Lin Dachun stopped, stood up, and handed her the jar of medicinal wine: "Take this medicinal wine and treat yourself again before going to bed tonight. You have to persevere."

Widow Su took the earthenware jar, which still held his body heat, and felt a mix of emotions, though the pain had indeed lessened considerably.

She thanked him softly, her voice slightly choked with emotion: "Oh, thank you, Brother Dachun... You're such a good man."