Time Travel: My Comfortable Life After Going to the Countryside

In his sleep, Liu Xiangyang vaguely walked into a hot spring. The warm spring water enveloped him, making him feel incredibly comfortable in the dead of winter.

The dream was very strange. Others could walk into the hot spring, but he was only slightly wet. The warm hot spring water was warm to Liu Xiangyang.

When I opened my eyes, I saw Roland with red eyes, two snot dripping from his nose, and a disheveled look on his face.

"Cough cough..."

"Team Leader Roland, you've got a cold and a runny nose. You need to take care of yourself; health is the foundation of everything," Liu Xiangyang said with a mischievous grin.

"Liu Xiangyang, are you doing this on purpose?" Roland's angry voice rang out.

"Hey, you're the one who ambushed me! And now you're blaming me? I was sleeping peacefully, okay?" Liu Xiangyang glanced at his watch and asked, "You guys aren't playing anymore so early?"

"I was just saying I needed to use the restroom, so I ran over. It's been over half an hour already. I need to hurry back, or they'll come looking for me." Roland got off the kang (a heated brick bed) and prepared to go back.

"Hey, are you trying to shirk your work? Are you just going to leave him there to get cold? How can you be so heartless?" Liu Xiangyang pointed at himself and said.

"Look at you." After saying that, she glared at him, got back onto the kang (a heated brick bed), and went to Liu Xiangyang's side.

After Roland left, Liu Xiangyang got up, emptied his bladder, lit a cigarette, and thought about how he had almost…

Liu Xiangyang walked in, bringing with him a chill. The room was quite warm, and Xue Bingbing, Luo Lan, and the other three were gathered around a small kang table, their faces covered with white paper strips, engrossed in their battle.

"Xiangyang, come play a couple of rounds for me, I'm feeling dizzy and need to catch my breath." As soon as Xue Bingbing saw him, she immediately stood up as if she had seen a savior, quickly made way for him, and casually peeled off the few pieces of paper from her face.

She turned to the girls and said, "The New Year is just around the corner. Let's celebrate it together this year; it'll be more lively that way."

"Great idea!" Zuo Qingqing was the first to respond, her eyes sparkling. "Let's each prepare one of our signature dishes, and have a table full of them—it'll be so lively!"

Jiang Xiaowen and He Xiaoqin exchanged glances and nodded with smiles. They were both educated youth from Beijing or the surrounding area. In previous years, they either went home or spent their time alone at the educated youth settlement. They were happy to have such a lively New Year. Several gazes finally fell on Luo Lan.

Roland had been lost in thought, still reminiscing about the atmosphere in Liu Xiangyang's yard. Only when everyone was watching her did she snap out of it and quickly nodded, "Sure, sure, let's all celebrate together! It'll make it feel more like the New Year, otherwise it won't be the New Year."

"Shouldn't we go to the county town to buy some New Year's goods?" Jiang Xiaowen suggested, as she was the kind of person who liked to organize things.

"Yes, at least we need to buy some red paper to write couplets and cut paper-cuts," Zuo Qingqing added.

Once the topic was brought up, the girls immediately started chattering, wanting to buy candy, some melon seeds and peanuts, and preferably some rationed ribbonfish or frozen pears. The atmosphere was so lively that it seemed like they were about to set off immediately.

After discussing for a while, Roland sighed and poured cold water on everyone's reality: "What's the use of saying so much? What can we buy with the few coupons we have? We'll be lucky if we can buy two large red paper bills, a bag of fruit candy, and half a pound of pork fat that doesn't require coupons to render into oil. Let's just buy something casually to celebrate the occasion."

These words were like a balloon being popped; Jiang Xiaowen's earlier enthusiasm subsided slightly, and she also felt deflated. But she quickly perked up again: "Well, you're right. But it would be good to go to the county town for a visit. We're cooped up in the house every day; we're practically moldy."

Upon hearing this, Roland's eyes darted around, and a mischievous smile appeared on his face. He nudged Jiang Xiaowen with his elbow and said, "I think you two don't want to go to the county town, you just want men, hehe." He then burst into laughter.

"You little brat, Team Leader Luo! I'll tear your mouth apart!" Jiang Xiaowen turned to look at Liu Xiangyang, her face instantly turning bright red, and lunged forward to tickle Luo Lan. "Qingqing, Xiaoqin, quickly hold her down!"

Zuo Qingqing and He Xiaoqin also joined in the fray with smiles. In no time, the small kang (heated brick bed) was in complete chaos.

Jiang Xiaowen gained the upper hand, straddling Roland, her two strong and slender legs stretched straight, pressing hard on Roland's shoulders.

Despite her small stature, He Xiaoqin was surprisingly strong. She held onto Luo Lan's arm tightly, while Luo Lan struggled and laughed. Her other hand flailing wildly somehow ended up in front of Zuo Qingqing's chest, who was trying to take sides, and half of her palm was embedded in it.

Liu Xiangyang sat in the seat Xue Bingbing had given up, neither participating in their conversation nor trying to mediate the fight. He simply watched the lively and vibrant scene of their playful bickering with a gentle smile on his lips, occasionally reaching out to help those who were about to fall back onto the kang (heated brick bed).

Xue Bingbing stood beside Liu Xiangyang, her gaze sweeping over the girls who were playfully fighting. She noticed Jiang Xiaowen's energetic figure as she pressed down on Luo Lan, He Xiaoqin's earnest effort in restraining Luo Lan's arms, and Zuo Qingqing's face, which flushed red instantly after being "accidentally attacked" but who held back her scream.

Finally, her gaze returned to Liu Xiangyang's face, where she saw the undisguised light of appreciation and amusement in his eyes.

Xue Bingbing's heart skipped a beat almost imperceptibly. She said nothing, but turned around, picked up a bundle of firewood, and put it into the stove to make the fire burn brighter and more evenly. The orange-red flames illuminated her calm profile, and the room became warmer, even a little hot.

The laughter and chatter inside continued, mixed with Roland's pleading and Jiang Xiaowen's persistent, coquettish complaints: "Why is it so hot? You two hold her down, I'll take off a piece of clothing and then deal with her."

The "battle" on the kang gradually subsided. Roland, panting, begged for mercy, and Jiang Xiaowen, exhausted from the fight, let go with flushed cheeks, tidied her messy hair, and buttoned up the clothes that had been torn open during the struggle.

Zuo Qingqing sat on the edge of the kang (a heated brick bed), straightening her clothes that had shrunk up, her eyes somewhat unfocused, and the blush on her face still lingering.

He Xiaoqin's face was flushed, and she sat there panting heavily.

Roland lay there, two buttons undone, revealing a hint of blue—the silk bodice Liu Xiangyang had given her.

During their playful and energetic interaction, the girls realized that Liu Xiangyang had been watching them the whole time, and he had seen all the glimpses of their bodies exposed.

Jiang Xiaowen and He Xiaoqin blushed and lowered their heads to straighten their clothes, while Zuo Qingqing and Luo Lan seemed indifferent and generously showed off their impressive figures.