Volume 1 Chapter 5: Could You Massage It for Me?

Today, Lu Xiuyi was in charge of harvesting the corn. He had to first cut down the stalks and then manually carry the ears of corn out, piling them to one side. Later, someone would come with a small cart to transport them away.

Lu Xiuyi was chopping swiftly ahead, the sharp "crack crack" of his knife echoing in the air. Jiang Yuan followed behind, helping to carry out the corn. Lu Xiuyi worked at an impressive pace, and before long, he had pulled far ahead of her.

In the blink of an eye, Jiang Yuan turned around, only to find that Lu Xiuyi had vanished from sight.

“What just happened?”

Jiang Yuan wondered, amazed at Lu Xiuyi’s almost supernatural speed. She hastened her own movements to catch up.

Carrying corn was exhausting work, and soon her little chubby hands were rubbed raw, glowing red and even feeling warm to the touch.

“Ouch,” Jiang Yuan gasped, looking up to gauge the distance between herself and Lu Xiuyi.

Good heavens, there was no way she could finish this without sleeping tonight.

Fortunately, once Lu Xiuyi finished cutting the stalks, he returned to help her.

“Darling, my hands hurt. Can you rub them for me?” When he approached, Jiang Yuan stretched out her reddened hands before him, blinking innocently, hoping to win some care and tenderness.

But Lu Xiuyi didn’t even glance up, completely ignoring her, as he dropped one ear of corn after another onto the ground with a crisp “crack.”

Jiang Yuan clutched her neck; she felt as if it had been twisted, her heart chilled by a cold gust of wind.

Helpless, she resumed her work, crouching down with her plump figure to gather the fallen ears of corn, clutching them to her chest, then hurrying over to the edge of the field to set them down.

Back and forth they went, their coordination surprisingly in sync.

As the sun dipped low, casting a golden halo across the sky, their work neared completion. Jiang Yuan frowned, pounding her aching lower back.

“Ow—this really hurts,” she groaned, the pain sharp and numbing, making it impossible to straighten up.

When Lu Xiuyi finished the last bit and came over, he slowed his steps but didn’t rush her.

His eyes lowered, he quietly stood by, tidying up the tools and waiting patiently for her to recover.

“Honey, I’m ready. Let’s go,” Jiang Yuan said after a moment, straightening her back and flashing him a wide smile. Her rosy nose still glistened with a fine sweat.

As always, Lu Xiuyi was brief with words, merely uttering a sparse “Mm,” then prepared to leave.

***

Before bedtime, Lu’s mother, Li Lianhua, knocked on the young couple’s door.

Lu Xiuyi hadn’t yet returned from bathing by the river, so Jiang Yuan was the one to open it.

“Mother, is there something you need?” Jiang Yuan asked.

She had just bathed inside, her hair still damp and clinging wetly to her cheek and neck.

“Is Xiuyi not here?” Li Lianhua asked, puzzled to see her daughter-in-law with wet hair at the door.

Jiang Yuan felt a bit embarrassed and scratched her head, confessing honestly, “He went to bathe by the river and hasn’t come back yet.”

She was too shy to admit that she had essentially pushed her son out the door.

Just a little while ago, Jiang Yuan had fetched hot water in the kitchen and poured it into a basin mixed with cool water. Then, like a dutiful wife, she tried to help Lu Xiuyi undress.

The man’s brow twitched slightly, then furrowed, as he dodged her reaching hands, declining, “No need.”

Jiang Yuan’s lips pursed in silent protest, but she stood obediently in place.

With his back to Jiang Yuan, Lu Xiuyi unbuttoned his gray cloth jacket, revealing a back marred with many scars. His strong, bronzed skin radiated a quiet allure in the dim night.

Jiang Yuan swallowed hard, her gaze fixed intently on him, unable to look away.

In the stillness of the small room, the sound of her swallowing was especially sharp. Lu Xiuyi suddenly realized she was there and quickly slipped his jacket back on.

Jiang Yuan bit her lip regretfully—she hadn’t had her fill of watching him yet.

“You wash first, I’ll go to the river,” he said briefly.

Before Jiang Yuan could respond, Lu Xiuyi pushed the door open and left.

“Ah…” Jiang Yuan barely had time to call out before the door slammed, abruptly cutting off her view.

Shaking her head with a sigh, she resigned herself to washing alone. With her plump figure and after such hard work in the field, she was drenched in sweat, feeling the sticky discomfort of the damp shirt clinging to her back.

Without delay, Jiang Yuan poured water over herself, wiping down her body, then scrubbed with soap, painstakingly cleaning until she was done.

She used the remaining water to wash her hair, since in those days one bar of soap sufficed for both washing and bathing.

When she was fragrant and clean, Jiang Yuan drained the water and was about to dry her hair when Li Lianhua knocked again.

“Oh,” Jiang Yuan said, relieved that Li Lianhua didn’t pry further. She handed over a quilt, saying, “The one on your bed is a bit short; it might not be enough for two. Take this one in as well.”

Li Lianhua’s words were subtle but clear: the two were still forced to share a bed, which could be awkward at night. This was her way of thoughtfully bringing them an extra quilt.

***

Jiang Yuan was puzzled for a moment. Their quilt wasn’t short—it was quite warm at night.

But since Lu’s mother had handed it to her, she couldn’t refuse and smiled warmly.

“Thank you, Mother.”

She spread the quilt on the bed, drying her hair slowly as she waited for Lu Xiuyi to return.

Time passed. Jiang Yuan’s eyes were half-closed, her head nodding drowsily.

Suddenly, a sharp nod snapped her awake. She looked around quietly, muttering, “Where’s Lu Xiuyi?”

Before she could finish, the door creaked open, and a tall, strong figure entered.

“Darling, you’re back!” Jiang Yuan murmured, half-awake, her lips curving into a smile.

Lu Xiuyi hadn’t expected her to still be awake. He had deliberately delayed outside, hoping she would fall asleep first before coming back.

“Mm,” he replied, glancing briefly at Jiang Yuan with indifferent eyes, betraying no emotion.

“Come on, let’s sleep,” Jiang Yuan said, stretching her weary body. She yawned lazily and climbed into bed on her side.

Perhaps utterly exhausted from the day’s toil, she was already sound asleep by the time Lu Xiuyi turned off the light, stripped, and climbed in.

Lu Xiuyi spread the quilt Li Lianhua had brought over himself. The rhythmic, steady breathing beside him was heavier than usual.

For reasons unknown, in the darkness, Lu Xiuyi gently turned over. Bathed in moonlight, he faintly saw the girl’s red lips parting naturally, her breath revealing a moist, rosy tongue.

***

Jiang Yuan was roused by a chorus of roosters crowing. Sleepy-eyed, she glanced out the window. Dawn was just breaking, and it was still early.

She turned to look at Lu Xiuyi, who was still sound asleep beside her. Carefully, she lifted the quilt and quietly, with great care not to make a sound, slipped out.

Before leaving, Jiang Yuan glanced back once more at Lu Xiuyi.