Time Travel: My Comfortable Life After Going to the Countryside

After downing a glass of baijiu, Jiang Xiaowen was perfectly fine, but everyone else was flushed, especially He Xiaoqin, whose face was as red as an apple.

"Come on, let's eat! My mouth is watering just looking at all this delicious food." Liu Xiangyang took the lead and picked up an egg dumpling to eat.

After everyone had a few more drinks, Jiang Xiaowen felt that just drinking wasn't fun, so she suggested, "Let's play a game. There are six of us, so let's play musical chairs. Whoever loses has to drink, but of course, you don't have to drink. You can sing or dance, okay?"

Roland was the first to raise her hand in agreement, followed by Zuo Qingqing, who also wanted to play. Jiang Xiaowen then looked at He Xiaoqin, who felt embarrassed by his gaze and raised her hand as well.

"Okay, it passes 4 to 2. That's the decision. Brother Liu and Sister Bingbing, your objections are useless now."

"Who said we're going to object? It's just a matter of who's going to beat the drum?" Liu Xiangyang asked.

"Everyone gets one chance to be the drummer. Who wants to go first?"

"I," Roland was the first to raise her hand again. She was very excited today. Holding an empty bowl and chopsticks, she jumped off the kang (a heated brick bed) and turned her back to everyone: "Are you ready? I'm going to start."

Jiang Xiaowen gestured with her handkerchief to everyone and then called out, "Alright, we can begin."

After several rounds of the game, He Xiaoqin had drunk three or four cups, while the others had drunk one or two cups. Liu Xiangyang, because he was quick, didn't drink a single cup.

The group exchanged glances, and Roland stepped forward: "Xiangyang, you're taking advantage of the fact that we girls aren't as quick as you. You have to punish yourself with two drinks, otherwise we'll have finished all the drinks and you won't have a single one."

"I accept the punishment, I accept the punishment," Liu Xiangyang said after drinking two cups as punishment. "Then let's not look at physical fitness, let's test our brains, okay?"

"What game?" Xue Bingbing asked.

"It's very simple. The game is called 'Passing the Seven.' You start counting from any number between 1 and 100. When you encounter a number with a 7 or a multiple of 7, you slap the table and skip it. The person who says 'Passing the Seven' loses. The loser has to drink or dance. It's one of the two."

"Haha, I'm the best at math, I'll definitely beat you all to a pulp!" Jiang Xiaowen laughed happily.

"My math grades aren't bad either, let's see who beats whom." They all expressed that they weren't afraid.

"Then let's start with me, 34," Liu Xiangyang called out.

"35".

Originally, Xue Bingbing and Luo Lan were sitting on either side of Liu Xiangyang, but because of the game of musical chairs, the seating arrangement is now messed up, and Jiang Xiaowen is now to his left.

"Haha, Xiaowen, let's see if you're still bragging. Are you going to drink or dance?"

"Now I understand, this game is meant to harm others. I'll drink." Jiang Xiaowen picked up her glass and downed it in one gulp.

After playing the game for more than ten rounds, a bottle of vodka was finished, and another bottle was opened.

After another game, Jiang Xiaowen drank another cup and couldn't hold on any longer. Pointing randomly with her finger, she said, "Why are there suddenly two Brother Lius?"

After saying that, he didn't give anyone time to react; he leaned to the side and fell asleep on the kang (a heated brick bed).

The others weren't much better off; they were all swaying and slurring their words. Zuo Qingqing had also fallen asleep. Only He Xiaoqin, who had been flushed from the start, wasn't too drunk.

Liu Xiangyang was also half-drunk. He didn't drink because he lost the game, but because he hadn't lost a single time and everyone was forcing him to drink.

"It's already past nine o'clock. We've been drinking for almost five hours. Let's tidy up the table and you guys rest on the kang for a while to catch your breath. We're going to watch the Spring Festival Gala at 12 o'clock... and then we'll make dumplings. I'll wake you up to make dumplings and set off firecrackers." Liu Xiangyang almost blurted out that he was going to watch the Spring Festival Gala.

Xue Bingbing and Luo Lan were about to get up to tidy up when Liu Xiangyang and He Xiaoqin stopped them, helped them lie down, and covered them with a blanket. They fell asleep in no time.

The room fell silent, leaving only Liu Xiangyang and He Xiaoqin, who were half-drunk and half-awake.

"Brother Liu, could you help me move the kang table down? Otherwise it's too crowded." He Xiaoqin's already red face turned even redder.

"Okay, let's clean up the dishes tomorrow after everyone wakes up."

"I'll do whatever Brother Liu says," He Xiaoqin said timidly, her head bowed.

Seeing her shy expression, Liu Xiangyang immediately stood up and walked over to her: "Xiaoqin, is the kang (heated brick bed) in your room still heated?"

"It's burning. I even went back to add more firewood before we ate," He Xiaoqin said, blushing.

Liu Xiangyang glanced at the people sleeping in a row on the kang (a heated brick bed), then leaned down and whispered in He Xiaoqin's ear, "Xiaoqin, do you remember what I said when I took you home a few days ago?"

He Xiaoqin suddenly raised her head, her watery eyes meeting his unfathomable black eyes, in which his image was clearly reflected.

She bit her lower lip and nodded forcefully, her voice trembling with tears, yet unusually clear: "I remember, I... I've been waiting for Brother Liu to come find me, but you've been busy and haven't come..."

These words, like the last feather, gently landed on the already tilted scales.

Liu Xiangyang used his mental power to scan the women on the kang (a heated brick bed) and found that they were all sleeping soundly, especially Jiang Xiaowen.

He picked He Xiaoqin up in his arms and held her in his hands. "Then I'll come find you tonight."

He Xiaoqin cried out and was suddenly suspended in mid-air. She quickly wrapped her arms around the back of his neck to keep herself from falling.

Liu Xiangyang met her luscious red lips.

He Xiaoqin noticed that he was looking her over, especially at her large snow-capped mountains. She tilted her head back and ran away from him, panting as she said, "Brother Liu, not here, let's go to my house. It won't be good if they wake up and see this."

Without further hesitation, Liu Xiangyang scooped up the petite and lithe He Xiaoqin in his arms.

He Xiaoqin gasped softly, instinctively wrapping her arms around his neck and burying her burning cheeks in his neck, which reeked of alcohol and tobacco.

He carried her in his arms and strode confidently towards the outer room.

The door hinges made a slight creaking sound, which was particularly clear in the quiet night.

The door closed behind him, isolating the warmth of the other courtyard, the tranquility after the hustle and bustle, and his sleeping companions on the kang (heated brick bed) from another world.

The room was a little cold, but the embers in the stove kept the air warm. Liu Xiangyang added some firewood to make the fire burn brighter.

Moonlight streamed through the small window, casting a small, cool patch of light on the ground.

In the darkness, only the hurried breathing of the two people and the sound of clothes being thrown on the ground could be heard.

Just as Liu Xiangyang was about to come over, he remembered something, put his hand in his pocket, took out a handkerchief from his spatial storage, and placed it on the kang (a heated brick bed). "Don't get the kang dirty, or Jiang Xiaowen will find out."

"Brother Liu, I'm ready," He Xiaoqin said softly but firmly, her eyes closed.