As he was thinking, he saw Han Mei look over, and Li Qing immediately averted his gaze, "Not yet, it will probably take another four or five days for them to fully ripen!"
"And today in the field, I bumped into Yang Xuelan's family harvesting wheat. They said the wheat wasn't ripening evenly this year and they couldn't hire a machine, so they asked me to help out, and I helped them cut for a while."
"You should help out your neighbors whenever you can."
"Gao Li is a lazy glutton by nature, leaving Yang Xuelan to fend for herself in almost everything, indoors and outdoors. In previous years they were able to pay for a machine to harvest, but this year with the uneven ripening and Gao Li too lazy to move, it must have indeed been tough for Yang Xuelan to harvest the wheat all by herself."
Han Mei nodded in agreement.
Li Qing nodded in agreement as well, with a pointed remark, "Just how did a lazy bum like Gao Li find himself a hardworking and beautiful wife like Yang Xuelan? It really makes one envious."
"Some people have that kind of fate, but our Qingzi isn't much inferior, definitelily won't..." Han Mei started, but suddenly paused, lightly biting her rosy, thin lips.
This topic made Li Qing also start feeling uneasy.
He knew that his sister-in-law hadn't been angry about last night's incident, but he still wanted to hear more of her true feelings.
But just as Han Mei was about to speak, she suddenly stopped.
There was a complexity in her eyes as she smiled and said, "Since Yang Xuelan has already asked you to help, you should go give them a hand this afternoon. There's nothing urgent here for your sister-in-law right now."
Seeing Han Mei deliberately avoiding the topic, Li Qing felt a slight sense of loss.
He gave a low acknowledgment and then buried his head in stoking the fire.
After finishing the meal, Li Qing took the initiative to take care of the dishes, but Han Mei chased him out.
"What is a big man like you doing washing dishes? Hurry back home and rest a while, you still have to work in the fields this afternoon," Han Mei urged.
Li Qing looked up and said, "I want to rest here at my sister-in-law's place."
"It's not that your sister-in-law doesn't want to give you a place to take a nap, but people in the village will talk," Han Mei said, her cheeks turning red as she met Li Qing's gaze.
"Then let them talk," Li Qing said loudly, the frustration evident in his voice. "You said it yourself, sister-in-law, you like me. Let me stay here and keep you company for a while, alright?"
Han Mei sighed softly, her expression mixed with complexity, "Qingzi, have you... really thought it through?"
"What else do I need to think about? I just like you, sister-in-law; I am dead set on wanting to be with you," Li Qing declared with finality.
"But... aren't you afraid? I'm a widow, and I'm much older than you," Han Mei said, her hands anxiously rubbing her apron, her cheeks quietly flushed with a hint of anticipation, but more with apprehension.
She didn't know when it began, but her brother-in-law had firmly tied up her heart.
She was truly afraid, but she also genuinely liked him.
Seeing Han Mei's expression, joy sprang up in Li Qing's heart, "An older woman by three years holds a golden brick, I can't like it enough. And regarding this widowhood curse, it's pure nonsense! Death makes us equal; if sister-in-law is willing to be with me, I would willingly die happy."
Hearing this, Han Mei instinctively covered Li Qing's mouth, "What nonsense are you talking about? If you keep this up, I won't... won't be with you," she faltered.
Li Qing, smelling the faint fragrance around her, widened his eyes in surprise.
He clasped Han Mei's hand, overcome with happiness, "Does that mean you agree, sister-in-law?"
Han Mei bashfully nodded, her appearance coy and enticing like a rose blooming in the rain.
Ravishing, and heartachingly lovely.
"But, I have one condition," she said nervously.
Li Qing nearly jumped for joy and promptly promised, "Sister-in-law, name it; whatever the condition, I will agree."
"I can be with you, but you can't stay overnight here, and you can't tell anyone about us, and... you cannot touch me for now," Han Mei blushed as she looked down and spoke.
Li Qing immediately deflated a bit, "Sister-in-law, how is that any different from not being together at all?"
"So you want to be with me just to get me, is that it?" Han Mei asked, her eyebrows raised and a huff in her voice.
"No no no, definitely not," Li Qing recoiled in fright, hurriedly speaking, "Sister-in-law, you're so beautiful, of course, I would think about that if we were together..."
"How about later? Give your sister-in-law some time," Han Mei's voice softened.
"Okay."
Having received Han Mei's confirmation, Li Qing excitedly returned home as if he had just chewed on seven or eight ginseng roots.
Once at home, he hugged his quilt and chuckled gleefully to himself.
It was just past noon when suddenly a sunshower poured down, pitter-pattering against the window lattice and soothing Li Qing's agitated mind considerably.
Though there were some conditions, as long as sister-in-law's iron tree flowered, the rest could proceed slowly.
Li Qing looked up at the sky. Though the rain wasn't heavy, it would definitely delay harvesting the wheat.
With that in mind, Li Qing cheerily prepared to take a nap.
But just as he was starting to feel drowsy, a burst of footsteps sounded from outside.
It was Li Qing's habit not to close the main gate at noon, so visitors could walk straight into the main room.
He had just looked up to see who it was when Yang Xuelan's voluptuous figure appeared at the bedside.
"You... you came already? Didn't you say tonight?" Li Qing bolted upright and asked.
Yang Xuelan laughed lightly, casting Li Qing a sidelong glance, "All day long, your mind is full of how to get your hands on me, huh? I came to you for something else, not to be poked by your rod."
"It's just that I've been thinking, and up to now, I've only had the chance to satisfy my craving," Li Qing said somewhat despondently, and then, mustering some courage, pulled Yang Xuelan into his arms to sit, naturally reaching for her soft, proud peaks.
"You scoundrel, always bullying me."
Yang Xuelan didn't refuse and looked at Li Qing with watery eyes, pinching him gently around the waist, "Only because I see you, such a grown man, yet to have tasted the flavor of a woman, does sister-in-law take care of you. Otherwise, do you really think I'm that casual?"
"How could that be!" Li Qing said hastily, "I know it's only because you, sister-in-law, are so kind and caring that you take care of me this way."
Yang Xuelan chuckled melodically, "You little scoundrel, how come your mouth has become so glib all of a sudden?"
"Don't go lower, just touching the top is enough. I'll find another chance to come over tonight."
Li Qing was ready to explore the secret garden he had never seen before, but Yang Xuelan stopped him.
Yang Xuelan was well aware of her own sensitivities, knowing that if Li Qing stirred up her desires, she would be in a predicament whether to continue or stop.
And besides, it was still broad daylight, she didn't have the courage for that.
"Good sister-in-law, there's still rain now, perfect for a nap," Li Qing, inflamed by desire, wanted to tug at Yang Xuelan's trousers and test the waters.
Yang Xuelan placed her finger on her rosy lips and sighed softly, "It was Gao Li who sent me over, that useless wretch, shameless and skinless, asked me to find you to help harvest wheat again this afternoon."
"I was planning on helping your family with the wheat this afternoon anyway, we know what kind of person Gao Li is. He doesn't care about sister-in-law, but I do!" Li Qing said while kneading her full bosom, which was too much for one hand to handle.
Yang Xuelan's eyes became slightly blurred. She spun around abruptly, securing Li Qing's head, "You little scoundrel, why didn't I find you sooner? With your words, sister-in-law is content. I'll feed you."
With grapes offered so freely, there was no reason for Li Qing not to partake. He opened his mouth and held them firmly between his lips.
Teasing with his tongue, he sucked vigorously.
A faint fishy sweetness coupled with a mild fragrance blossomed on Li Qing's tastebuds and flared in his nostrils.
Li Qing's mind went blank in an instant, and he subconsciously held Yang Xuelan's voluptuous body tight, pressing her down onto the bed.
A hand stealthily slid inside his trousers.
Yang Xuelan, with a flushed face, moaned softly, abruptly crossing her long, straight legs tightly.
She closed her eyes lightly, and her long eyelashes trembled slightly.
On her well-maintained cheeks, the blush spread like evening twilight from her cheeks to the roots of her ears and eventually even her neck turned red.
Yang Xuelan's appearance left Li Qing utterly bewitched, costing him every ounce of his reason.
He reached down to undo Yang Xuelan's trousers.
At that moment, Yang Xuelan suddenly snapped to her senses.
She clung tightly to Li Qing's head and whispered breathlessly in his ear, "Good scoundrel, hold back for now. Tonight, okay?"