Reborn a day later, I emptied my enemy's possessions beforehand.

It was completely dark. The moon was obscured by thick clouds, with only a faint sliver of light peeking through the edges of the clouds, as if it were covered by layers of gauze. The stars were also sparse.

The two newly renovated rooms were lit by kerosene lamps, their dim yellow light shining through the windows and casting two warm patches of light in the yard, casting shadowy shadows on the soil and the moss at the base of the walls.

The dishes and utensils have been cleaned up after dinner.

Li Su'e dragged the enamel basin out from under the stove, carried it to the yard to fetch water, added it to the half-pot of hot water that was warming on the stove, tested the temperature with the back of her hand, and when she felt it was about right, she carried it back to the room.

Both rooms have doors and windows, so we no longer need to squeeze into that narrow corner of the clinic to wash like we did yesterday.

The three of them went back to their respective rooms. Zhou Haiqing took a bath in his own room, while Zhou Haibing and Li Su'e took a shower in another room.

Li Su'e placed the enamel basin on the ground in the corner of the room, turned her back to Zhou Haibing, and took off her clothes one by one, draping them over the edge of the bed.

Her movements were somewhat slow, as if she deliberately slowed down the pace. She would pause after each button was unbuttoned, and then touch the buttonhole with her fingertips a couple of times before pinching it and pulling it down.

Although she had already consummated her marriage with Zhou Haibing, it was still only the second day of their marriage, and she wasn't quite used to taking off her clothes in front of him.

She turned sideways, leaving her back to Zhou Haibing, bent down to test the water temperature, and then sat in the basin. The water splashed once and then fell silent.

She picked up a towel, soaked it in water, and began to scrub her shoulders and arms, the towel sliding from her shoulders to her elbows and back again, as if she were counting.

Zhou Haibing sat on the edge of the bed, his back to her, holding a palm-leaf fan and fanning himself aimlessly. His gaze was fixed on the newly installed window on the opposite wall, without turning his head.

He knew she was shy, so he told her to take her time to adjust. There was still a long way to go, and there was no need to cram everything into one night.

He sat there listening to the sound of water behind him, one drop at a time, with a cautious, almost timid, quality, as if afraid that the sound might disturb someone.

The sound of water murmured softly for a while, and then Li Su'e's voice came from behind, her tone slightly softened by the steam, as if her bones had been melted by the warm water:

"Hai Bing, go see Captain Chen this afternoon. What did he say about the land behind the mountain? Did he issue you a certificate?"

Zhou Haibing placed the palm-leaf fan on his lap, turned his head to look at her, and saw that she was facing away from him, with a layer of water glistening on her exposed shoulders and neck, which shimmered in the light of the kerosene lamp.

He quickly looked away again, staring at the window frame on the wall:

"It's been approved, with a 20-year usage period. It's stamped with the production team's official seal, so no one can go back on their word."

It's all written down in black and white: the back mountain is entrusted to my management, and the production team and no one else can take it back under any pretext.

His tone was calm and confident, as if confirming something that had already been settled.

"I'll go to the back of the mountain tomorrow and try to dig out a piece of land first."

The sound of water stopped.

Li Su'e turned her head to the side, her profile bathed in a hazy glow from the light.

"I'll go with you tomorrow. It's always faster for two people to work together. If you're digging and shoveling all by yourself, when will you ever find a usable patch of land?"

Zhou Haibing shook his head:

"The clinic can't be left unattended. If a member comes seeking medical help and the door is locked, they'll have made a wasted trip, and it would be bad if their condition worsened."

You and Haiqing should stay at the clinic tomorrow and see if anyone comes.

I'll go scout the path in the back hills by myself first, and then we'll go together after I've cleared out the first plot of land.

"Haiqing can stay in the clinic by herself; I don't need to stay with her."

Li Su'e's voice carried a hint of negotiation, as if she were trying to find a more reasonable way to divide the work.

"It would be good for me to go with you and lend a hand; two people working together will always be faster."

"I'll go by myself tomorrow, and we'll talk about it later."

His tone was gentle yet firm, like a stone placed in flowing water, the water flowing around it, but the stone remained still.

Li Su'e did not insist any further.

She turned back and continued washing, the sound of the towel making water noise less than before, as if she was thinking about something, but she didn't say anything more.

After a while, Li Su'e finished washing and stood up from the basin. Water droplets slid down her back and the back of her legs, shimmering in the kerosene lamplight.

She dried herself with a towel, put on her clothes one by one, walked to the bedside, sat down, and picked up a palm-leaf fan to fan herself.

"I'm done washing, you can go wash now. The water's still hot, just add some more hot water."

Zhou Haibing stood up, changed the water in a basin to a clean one, took off his clothes, and bent over to start washing.

He washed faster than Li Su'e, the water splashing loudly, and he rubbed the soap on his body after rubbing it in his hands a couple of times.

Li Su'e sat on the edge of the bed, facing the window, gently fanning herself with a palm-leaf fan.

Her gaze was fixed on the dark night outside the window, and she listened to the sound of rushing water behind her, without turning around to look at him.

She fanned herself while chatting with him casually:

"That patch of ground behind the mountain is so hard, full of loose rocks. Can you dig it up by yourself?"

Zhou Haibing's voice was moist:

"You'll only know once you try; dig as much as you can."

"I heard that the land behind the mountain was cultivated before, but it was abandoned because it was too far away and the soil was too thin."

"If you really want to plant it, you have to clean up those pebbles first, otherwise nothing will grow well." She said, without stopping the fan in her hand.

"I know, I'll go check it out tomorrow."

The sound of water stopped. Zhou Haibing dried himself off, got dressed, picked up the enamel basin, walked to the door, and splashed the water outside into the yard.

He didn't close the door when he went back inside.

The night breeze slipped in through the crack in the door, carrying the lingering heat of the fields and the scent of earth.

But when that wind blew onto a person, it was still hot, sticky and clinging to the skin, like a wet towel placed on the shoulder, making one feel irritable.

The room was as stuffy as a steamer.

During the day, the sun shone brightly on the roof, and the residual heat from the tiles and walls seeped into the house layer by layer. The cool evening breeze had not yet completely carried away the heat, and the air felt heavy and oppressive in my chest.

Li Su'e sat on the edge of the bed, fanning herself with a palm-leaf fan even faster than before, the frequency noticeably increasing by several beats.

But a fine layer of sweat still seeped from his forehead, clinging damply to his skin and wetting the few stray hairs at his temples.

She was fanning herself with a palm-leaf fan, but the breeze was hot. It did little to cool her face, only drying the sweat and causing it to reappear layer by layer.

The thin floral shirt she was wearing was soaked with sweat and became slightly transparent, the fabric clinging to her collarbone and chest, outlining the two warm curves below...