Quick Wear: Cousin, Come to the Bowl Quickly

"No?" Li Bin raised his eyebrows and clicked his tongue in confusion. "Could it be that I'm so thirsty that I'm hallucinating?"

At this point, he rolled his eyes, pursed his lips, which were a little dry from lack of food, and said naturally, "How about you give me another taste?"

Song Guanwen did not respond, but just raised his eyes slightly, his gaze lightly sweeping across Li Bin's face, then reached out to pick up the straw hat thrown aside, put it on his face to block the dazzling sunlight, leaned back, leaned against the tree trunk and began to close his eyes to rest, making it clear that he did not want to pay any more attention to this man.

"Tsk..." Li Bin hit a snag and scratched the back of his head awkwardly. He felt a little embarrassed and mumbled something incoherently. He patted the grass debris on his trouser legs, stood up, and walked away angrily.

Silence returned under the shade of the trees. Amid the chirping of cicadas, Song Guanwen's chest rose and fell regularly. The light spots leaking from the edge of his straw hat swayed gently across the skin of his neck, which was a little red and swollen from the sun.

Not until the sound of Li Bin's footsteps faded away completely did the straw hat suddenly tilt and slip off Song Guanwen's head, revealing the face underneath, which was flushed red due to the heat.

Song Guanwen opened his eyes and looked at the treetops. His pupils turned amber due to the spots of light leaking through the branches and leaves. He stared at the leaves swaying in the wind in a trance, not knowing what he was thinking.

After a while, he suddenly reached out to grab the kettle, tilted his head back and took a big gulp. A few drops of water slid down the corners of his mouth to his jaw, and were about to roll down his neck into his collar, but were wiped away halfway by the back of a hand with protruding knuckles.

A faint sweetness spread across the tip of the tongue, as if it was going to slide into the lungs along with the cool well water. Song Guanwen lowered his eyes, his fingertips unconsciously stroking the uneven patterns on the pot, and he exhaled lightly.

How can water with rock sugar not be sweet?

"This awful weather..." Team leader Zhao Youde wiped the sweat from his face, his rough hands leaving a trail of mud on his tanned face. Normally, at this time of day, he would have toiled with the commune members until the sun set—using the women like men, the men like animals, and the educated youth like devils. But with the situation today, if he continued like this, someone might die. So, he finally showed some mercy.

Before the noon bell rang, Zhao Youde shouted at the top of his voice: "Go back! Go back and rest!" He waved his straw hat to drive the crowd away, as if he were herding a flock of ducks, "Come back in the afternoon when the sun is setting!"

The sun in the sky was shining brightly, showing no mercy at all. We had to wait until the sun set and the heat died down, which might not happen until three or four in the afternoon.

Therefore, upon hearing his words, the members who had been tossing and turning for the whole morning and were so tired that they could not straighten their backs suddenly became energetic, rubbing their backs, cheering, and it was very lively.

Several clever and sweet-talking young wives gathered around Zhao Youde. One said, "Captain Zhao is so considerate," and another praised, "He is an old hand after all. He knows how to care for the crops and even more so for people." The constant flattery made Zhao Youde's ears burn, and his usually stern face showed a blush, and it was not known whether it was from the sun or from shame.

"Go away!" He pretended to hit someone, but the corners of his mouth couldn't help but curl up, "Stop talking nonsense here! Go home and feed the men at home. They have to work hard in the afternoon!"

"That's right, these young wives, stop flattering their husbands and serve your own men well."

"You're wrong. The great leader once said, 'Women hold up half the sky.' In the new era, there's no such thing as one serving the other."

"That's right. Besides, my own man is not as considerate as our Uncle De."

"Oh, I dare not let your boss hear this!"

"What are you afraid of? Who wouldn't want a good man like Captain Zhao?"

"That's right. If Third Aunt wasn't keeping a close eye on me, I'd be happy to find someone like Third Uncle."

"Bah! You shameless bastard! Aren't you afraid that your Third Aunt will tear your mouth apart?"

"Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha"

Everyone was laughing and making noises, raising a cloud of cheerful dust from the ridges of the fields. The laughter swirled in the heat wave, startling the sparrows resting in the fields, who fluttered off into the distance, making the scorching sun seem less scorching.