Chapter 75: Picking Grain to Feed the Pigs
The pig feed had already been cooked and was now cool.
Lin Shuang ladled it into buckets, took a carrying pole, and was about to carry it to the pigsty.
Just then, a slender hand reached out, took the carrying pole, and said, “Let me.”
She didn’t have to look up to know who it was. She let her take the carrying pole and easily lift the two buckets of pig feed.
Lin Shuang followed behind her to the pigsty.
After feeding the pigs, the two of them walked back, one after the other.
Lin Shuang looked at the tall figure before her. Thinking of such an otherworldly woman, yet carrying dung and feeding pigs in the mountains, it was truly a bit incongruous. If what had happened to her parents hadn’t happened back then, she would probably be in some boudoir now, her fingers untouched by the spring water.
But if that were the case, she would not have had the chance to meet her.
Let alone to pick this snow lotus from the high mountains and fall in love with her.
Thinking of how people feared her identity as an executioner, yet longed for her outstanding appearance and cold personality, and that she was now hers, a lover within reach, the satisfaction in Lin Shuang’s heart had long surpassed everything else.
Of course, people were never satisfied.
After psychological satisfaction, she longed for a more intimate physical satisfaction.
Now, when she saw Jiang Huaizhen, she wanted to be close to her, to be intimate with her, and to do things that were beyond what friends and sisters could do.
Perhaps it was because she was getting old and had needs.
Thinking of how she had followed her to the stable this morning, held her wrist, and kissed her, Lin Shuang didn’t believe that Jiang Huaizhen wouldn’t have the same desires as her.
They had already missed a lifetime. Lin Shuang didn’t want to be shy and suppress herself.
She got some water to wash her hands and led her back to the room.
The sky had darkened, and the old women were still outside, talking about the trivial matters of the village, their voices rising and falling. Dongzhi was playing hide-and-seek with the children. No one noticed that the two young women had disappeared.
As soon as they entered the room, Lin Shuang closed the door with her backhand.
Seeing this, Jiang Huaizhen’s eyes darkened.
“Sister Jiang…”
Jiang Huaizhen’s breath hitched. “Don’t call me sister.”
“Why?”
“I don’t want to be your sister.”
Lin Shuang bit her lip, her heart pounding, but she said, “Who was it that said before that we should be sisters, be friends…”
Jiang Huaizhen was extremely embarrassed and replied, “It was my fault before.”
Lin Shuang snorted.
Seeing her like this, Jiang Huaizhen couldn’t suppress the feelings in her heart and took her hand.
Lin Shuang took the opportunity to shrink into her arms and looked up at her with a hint of shyness.
Seeing her slightly heavier breathing and her pretty face getting closer, she knew what would happen next.
Her heart suddenly pounded.
“Be gentle. You sucked on my lips so hard this morning that they’re still a little sore…” she said softly.
These words fell into Jiang Huaizhen’s ears, and her body clearly tensed up. Even her body seemed to be heating up.
“If I don’t eat your lips, where else can I eat?” her voice was a little hoarse.
Some things were better left unsaid, but when such words were spoken and heard, they could make one’s blood boil.
“…Just like just now, when you were eating the candy in my mouth, and you stirred my tongue…” after Lin Shuang had finished her solution, her breath was already a little chaotic.
Jiang Huaizhen was not much better.
She had been brought to the valley since she was a child. No one had taught her what love was, what it was to love, and how to act between lovers. She had no idea, and she didn’t even know how to kiss.
Now, hearing Lin Shuang mention the tongue, although she had never done it, just hearing it was enough to make her blush and her heart beat faster.
“Then open your mouth,” she said softly.
Lin Shuang did as she was told.
“Stick out your tongue.”
Lin Shuang’s heart was already pounding. She didn’t dare to look at Jiang Huaizhen’s fiery gaze, closed her eyes, and stuck out a bit of her tongue.
Jiang Huaizhen’s gaze fell on that pink and moist bit, and she felt the hot blood in her body surge up. Her forehead, which rarely sweated, was also covered in sweat, and her long hair fell down, clinging to the side of her neck.
Just as Lin Shuang was about to open her eyes because she had been waiting for too long, she tilted her head, moved closer, and opened her mouth to hold it.
The moment she sucked on it, she felt as if she had ascended to heaven.
Lin Shuang felt that she was about to die.
When she was held in Jiang Huaizhen’s mouth like this, her whole body was already so soft.
Not to mention that this person was also eating her seriously.
“Huaizhen…”
Her mouth was being played with by this person, and she couldn’t call out Jiang Huaizhen’s name, but her consciousness was constantly calling Jiang Huaizhen’s name.
“Huaizhen… Huaizhen…”
Over and over again.
Her lips couldn’t close, and saliva flowed from the side of her mouth, which was licked away by Jiang Huaizhen.
Lin Shuang was so stimulated that she couldn’t take it anymore and had to push her away.
But Jiang Huaizhen, who had been pushed away, frowned, her face… a look of unfulfilled desire.
“What’s wrong?”
Lin Shuang turned her back to her and wiped the side of her mouth.
Jiang Huaizhen hugged her from behind. “Is… is eating your tongue uncomfortable?”
Her voice was very low, and only the two of them could hear it. The damp breath brushed past her ear, and Lin Shuang couldn’t help but shiver.
How could it be uncomfortable?
It was too comfortable.
She was even worried that she would couldn’t help but let out a soft hum and attract the people outside.
And this person, her serious and direct words, were enough to make her surrender before she had even done anything.
She had really lived those ten years in vain.
The sound of the old women chatting and the children’s noise from outside came from time to time. She was too embarrassed to discuss the specific feeling of eating her tongue with the other and said something else, “I just want you to hold me for a while.”
Hearing this, Jiang Huaizhen’s arms tightened, and she held her tightly in her embrace.
After an unknown amount of time, the sky gradually darkened. Matron Yan called Dongzhi’s name, wanting to go home.
Lin Shuang and Jiang Huaizhen came out of the room and, with Ping’er, saw them off outside the valley.
When they returned, the moon had already risen. Ping’er was skipping in front, and the two of them were walking slowly behind, shoulder to shoulder. Under their sleeves, Lin Shuang reached out and hooked the other’s little finger.
Jiang Huaizhen bent her finger and let her hook it.
This was just an ordinary night. The moon was high in the sky, and the sound of insects and frogs was all around, one after another.
But at this moment, Lin Shuang’s heart was filled with an incomparable sense of peace and joy.
Because the person she loved was by her side, and she was tolerant of her. Ahead of them was their home. There was silver hidden in the house, they had clothes to wear, and a lot of grain. Although it was not yet a well-off family, compared to the ordinary common people, they had no worries about food and clothing.
This was perhaps everything she had dreamed of in her past life.
“Jiang Huaizhen…”
She called her name softly.
Jiang Huaizhen’s eyes were also gentle, and she replied with a hum.
She called her name again and again, and she would reply again and again, without any impatience.
Lin Shuang moved closer, hugged her shoulder, and giggled.
Ping’er, who was in front, turned and ran toward them. “Auntie, why are you always calling big sister’s name?”
Lin Shuang smiled and called out “Ping’er.”
Ping’er replied.
Lin Shuang called out again, and Ping’er giggled and ran away, not wanting to play this boring game with her.
“Jiang Huaizhen, do you feel that I’m much older than you in my heart?”
Jiang Huaizhen asked, “How old?”
“Let me think…” Lin Shuang pretended to think. “I think I’m at least a cycle older than you.”
A cycle was twelve years. In her past life, she was twenty-seven when she died. Now that she had been reborn into this world, it had been almost a year. Wasn’t that a cycle?
“Do you mind that I’m old?”
Jiang Huaizhen replied seriously, “The immortals in the heavens have lived for thousands or tens of thousands of years. The Weaver Girl is an immortal in the heavens, and her lifespan is in the thousands of years. And the Cowherd, as a mortal, has a short lifespan. They can still fall in love. What is our short twelve years?”
Hearing the words “fall in love” come out of her mouth, Lin Shuang was overjoyed. She shyly bit her lip and said, “Your mouth is so sweet.”
Jiang Huaizhen said, “Yours is too.”
Lin Shuang hadn’t said any sweet words just now. Hearing her say this, she knew what she was implying. Thinking of the two of them tasting each other’s lips and tongues in the room, her ears instantly burned.
Seeing that they were about to reach their home, and thinking that the old woman was still sitting at the door, she suppressed the ripple in her heart and said, “In the latter half of the year, I want to reclaim some more wasteland and plant a medicine field to grow medicinal herbs.”
“I’ve discussed it with Doctor Xue before. The Everlasting Peace Hall has a lot of common medicinal herbs, but very few precious ones. Their foundation is thin, and they take a pro-people route. They can’t compete with other apothecaries for high-grade medicinal herbs. According to the Qin family’s character, if this continues, the Everlasting Peace Hall will probably be removed from Changping.”
Jiang Huaizhen hummed in agreement. “Then I’ll go down to the fields to reclaim the land when I have time.”
Lin Shuang squeezed her arm. “You’re not asking anything?”
“What is there to ask?”
“Like whether this can be done, what the prospects are, and if there are any hidden dangers…”
Jiang Huaizhen said, “When you proposed this, you must have thought about it carefully. If you think it can be done, then let’s do it.”
Lin Shuang loved her attitude and said, “Not just us. If anyone in the village also wants to plant, they can also plant with us.”
With that, she looked at Jiang Huaizhen cautiously. “Will you not like it if I bring the villagers to plant medicine together…”
“Why do you think so?” Jiang Huaizhen asked.
Lin Shuang replied, “Before, because I spread the news of the rain and the flood, I was reported. This time, if I lead people to work on the medicine field, and something goes wrong, it might cause some trouble…”
Jiang Huaizhen stopped and looked at her. “Then why did you think of bringing everyone to plant together?”
“Because last time, during the flood, the villagers all went with us to save people. Although it was because we had promised to pay them, they later returned the money. Other than a few black-hearted ones who are beyond saving, the others are not bad. Like Sister Mai and Sister Xiuzhi, they are also quite pitiful. I was thinking that if I can help, I should…”
“Just like you helped me back then.”
No matter what reason Jiang Huaizhen had for saving her back then, it was because of her help that she was here today.
Hearing this, Jiang Huaizhen smiled. “Alright.”
“Why did you save me back then? Was it really because it was your first execution, and you were uneasy, so you needed to do a good deed to atone for your sins?” Lin Shuang asked.
Jiang Huaizhen said, “I’m not telling you.”
With that, she crossed her arms and walked toward the door.
Lin Shuang hadn’t expected the usually staid person to play this game with her. She quickly chased after her, shouting, “Jiang Huaizhen, tell me—”
Summer was already hot. After they returned, the two of them took turns taking a bath before they went to bed.
But Jiang Huaizhen was cold-natured, and Lin Shuang was hot all over, so she liked to snuggle up to her.
Jiang Huaizhen let her snuggle and patiently fanned the two of them with a cattail fan.
Lin Shuang felt sorry for her hand and went to grab the cattail fan, but she couldn’t. She grumbled, “Why don’t you sweat? It’s just as hot.”
Jiang Huaizhen said, “A calm heart is naturally cool. Your heart is restless, so of course you can’t cool down.”
Lin Shuang smiled and moved closer to her ear. “When you’re by my side, I can’t be calm.”
Jiang Huaizhen didn’t reply to her. Lin Shuang guessed that she was shy, and her heart began to itch again. She bit her lip and rubbed her shoulder. “Are you going to sleep?”
“Yes. What else do you want to do?”
Lin Shuang said, “I want to play that thing we didn’t finish today.”
“Which thing?” Jiang Huaizhen pretended not to know.
Lin Shuang pinched her. “Open your mouth.”
Jiang Huaizhen’s hand, which was fanning, paused for a moment.
“Quick, open your mouth…”
Jiang Huaizhen did not open her mouth, but instead pursed her lips tightly.
Lin Shuang snorted and turned her back to her.
Jiang Huaizhen fanned her a few times. Seeing that she hadn’t moved after she had turned, and hadn’t turned back for a long time, her heart softened, and she said softly, “Turn around.”
Hearing her, Lin Shuang indeed turned around.
Her eyes were burning as she looked at her.
Seeing her looking at her like this, even though she was usually expressionless, the thought of what they were about to do made her blush, and her ears burned.
Seeing that she had not opened her mouth, Lin Shuang pulled her sleeve.
Jiang Huaizhen had no choice but to close her eyes and slightly part her lips.
“Stick it out…”
But the person before her did not do as she was told.
In the end, Lin Shuang couldn’t bear to make things difficult for her. She leaned over, supported her shoulder, and covered her lips.
She took the initiative and went to find it.
But Jiang Huaizhen was not as obedient as her. She shyly avoided her, and with a slight touch, she would panic and pull away.
Lin Shuang patiently chased after her.
There was only so much space in her mouth. Where could she run to? Lin Shuang soon caught her.
She wrapped her tongue around hers and gently stirred.
