bigabreads Chapter 17: Seven men almost got into a fight over her bathwater!
Chapter 17: Seven men almost got into a fight over her bathwater!
=Before the oxcart even entered the yard, the aroma of meat had already lured open the dilapidated doors.
"Big brother! Second brother! Sister-in-law is back!" The twins rushed out like two little wolfhounds that had caught a whiff of something.
Although Qin An, the seventh brother, walked slowly, his usually lifeless eyes now shone like two will-o'-the-wisps.
"Move things! Be gentle! Don't spill my good wine!" Qin Meng jumped out of the car, directing his brothers as he carefully helped Su Wan down. His movements were so gentle, as if the tyrannical man who had just torn people apart on the road was not him at all.
That night, the Qin family's courtyard was even more lively than during the Lunar New Year.
The large square table in the main room was piled up to the brim.
White rice, fine flour, fatty pork, and bolts of soft cotton cloth that make your hands feel soft.
"These... these are all ours?" Qin Feng, the fifth brother, touched the piece of pork fat, his mouth practically watering down to his feet.
He'd never seen so many good things in his entire life!
"They're all ours." Su Wan smiled and pushed the thick stack of Chengxintang paper and Huizhou ink in front of her second brother. "Second brother, this is for you. Whether our family will produce a high-ranking official in the future depends on this pen."
Qin Mo's hand, which was adjusting his glasses, suddenly paused. He looked at the fine Huizhou ink, its fragrance filling the air.
In this harsh and cold place, books and ink are more precious than gold. He thought he would spend his whole life practicing calligraphy on the sand, but unexpectedly... his sister-in-law remembered.
He raised his head, his eyes, which always held a hint of calculation, now held only burning sincerity. "Don't worry, sister-in-law," Qin Mo said in a low voice, each word carrying immense weight, "From now on, Qin Mo's life will be your pen. Wherever you point, I will write."
[Beep! Deep-seated intellectual attraction detected!]
[Target: Qin Mo. Heart Rate: 160 (A gentleman will die for one who understands him!)]
[Farm Feedback: Herb Garden Quality Upgraded! "Rare Herbs" Planting Permissions Unlocked!]
After distributing the gifts, the family was immersed in the joy of sudden wealth. But Su Wan felt unwell all over. She had ridden in an oxcart all day, been frightened by wild boars, and had just broken out in a cold sweat on the road. Her body felt sticky and uncomfortable.
"I want to... take a shower," Su Wan whispered.
Upon hearing this, the lively atmosphere in the room instantly quieted down.
In the water-scarce Northwest, taking a bath is an extreme luxury.
Ordinary families are lucky if they can bathe once a month. But Qin Lie only glanced at her before immediately standing up: "Third brother, go fetch water! Boil all the water in the water tank!"
"Fifth and sixth brothers, scrub that big wooden tub clean! Scrub it three times!"
Not a single person complained about wasting water.
My sister-in-law smells so good and feels so soft, how can she be as dirty as these stinky men? She has to wash! Wash her clean!
……
Half an hour later. The side room was steaming hot.
The largest bath tub was placed in the very center of the room, filled with hot water mixed with spiritual spring water.
To keep the room warm, Qin Lie specially had two more charcoal braziers lit in the room.
"Sister-in-law, the water is ready." Qin Meng carried in the last bucket of water, put it down, and ran away with a red face, afraid that he would make a mistake if he looked at it for too long.
Su Wan closed the door and took off her old clothes, which were covered in dust.
The moment the warm water enveloped her body, she couldn't help but sigh with comfort. She took out the freshly made "Supreme Jade Complexion Cream," scooped out a large amount, and applied it to her body. The milky texture melted, releasing a rich yet not cloying sweet fragrance that seeped out through the crack in the door along with the steam.
Outside the door... Seven large men, like seven door gods, squatted neatly at the base of the wall.
Hearing the rushing water coming from inside, everyone's Adam's apple bobbed in unison. *Gulp.*
"It smells so good..." Qin Yue, the fourth brother, waved his tattered fan, his eyes glazed over. "It smells a hundred times better than the top courtesan in 'Red Sleeve Pavilion'."
This smell... it's absolutely irresistible.
Qin Lie, his face dark, slapped him on the back of the head: "Shut up! I'll cut your tongue out if you talk nonsense again!" But he himself wasn't much better off.
The hand gripping the knife hilt had bulging veins, and the palm was covered in sweat.
He could even picture the water droplets sliding down her fair back... Damn! I can't think about it! My pants are going to explode if I keep thinking about it!
After a long while, Su Wan's soft, sweet voice came from inside the room, carrying the languor and dampness of someone who had just come out of the bath. "Um... I'm done washing."
The door opened. Su Wan walked out wearing the loose-fitting new undergarment, her hair wet and draped over her shoulders, her face flushed pink from the steam, making her look like a freshly peeled peach, exuding an alluring sweet fragrance.
The seven men held their breath instantly, their eyes fixed on the screen, unable to look away.
Feeling embarrassed by their stares, Su Wan quickly burrowed into the bed in the main room: "I'm going to sleep now. As for the water... you can dispose of it as you see fit."
It collapsed? The atmosphere in the courtyard changed instantly the moment the door closed.
Qin Meng was the first to rush into the side room. He looked at the bucket of steaming water. A few unknown flower petals floated on the surface (system effect). Although the water was a bit murky, the fragrance was even stronger.
That was the water my sister-in-law used to wash in. It smelled like her all over.
"Pour my ass!" Qin Meng didn't even think twice. He took off his shirt, revealing his muscular physique, grabbed the wooden ladle Su Wan had just used, scooped up a ladleful of water, and was about to pour it over himself. "This water is so hot, it's such a waste to pour it away! I'll just take a cool shower!"
"Put it down!" A sinister voice rang out. The fourth brother, Qin Yue, had somehow appeared blocking the doorway, his fan snapping shut, his eyes gleaming with malice. "Third brother, one shouldn't be too selfish. This water… I want to use it too."
"Me too!" "Me too!" The twins squeezed in, not to be outdone.
"I'm a patient, I have priority." Although Qin An, the seventh brother, was physically weak, he ran faster than anyone else at this moment, already holding a towel in his hand.
A bucket of bathwater instantly sparked a civil war within the Qin family. In this water-scarce region, water is life.
And this bucket of water, imbued with Su Wan's fragrance, is her lifeline! No one wants to let anyone else have it all to themselves, not even their own brother!
The third brother's fist was about to hit the fourth brother's face.
"Stop it, all of you!" Qin Lie strode across the threshold and roared, silencing the crowd.
He stared at the bucket of water, his gaze unsettlingly deep. He strode over and reached out to test the water's temperature. It was a little cool, but the smooth, slippery feel was like touching her skin.
"This water...can't be poured away." Qin Lie's voice was hoarse, his Adam's apple bobbing. "There are many of us, but not much water. This bucket of water...we'll all take turns using it."
"Take turns? How do we take turns?" Qin Meng stared wide-eyed.
"Dry yourselves off." Qin Lie made the final decision. "No one is allowed to go in and soak! How will the others use the water if it gets dirty? Everyone take towels, wet them, and dry yourselves!"
This... Although it sounds a bit perverted, it was a blessing for these rough men who were already thirsty!
Then, a bizarre scene unfolded.
Seven tall, burly men, ruthless killers, surrounded a wooden barrel, as if performing some kind of sacred ritual.
Qin Lie went first. He soaked the towel in the water, wrung it out, and then slowly wiped his broad chest and burning back. The water carried her scent, and even... seemed to carry her body temperature. The towel rubbing against his skin felt like her small hands caressing him.
Qin Lie closed his eyes and let out a suppressed groan. This wasn't a bath; it was like drinking poison to quench his thirst! The more he washed, the angrier he became!
Then came the second brother, the third brother… Everyone washed themselves exceptionally carefully, not even missing between their toes. Especially the fourth brother, Qin Yue, who even secretly drank a small sip of the bathwater, then licked his lips with a look of ecstasy: “Sweet.”
That night, on the Qin family's large kang (heated brick bed), the sounds of men turning over rose and fell. Each man carried the same faint, sweet fragrance. It was Su Wan's scent.
Smelling this scent, their dreams were filled with the red undergarment they hadn't had time to wear, and the delicate body that was faintly visible in the bucket of water.
Qin Lie dreamt he became the bucket of water, tightly enveloping her. Qin Meng dreamt he became the bath towel, held in her hand. The fourth brother… his dream was so filthy that he secretly went to wash his underwear early the next morning, sporting huge dark circles under his eyes.
Meanwhile, Su Wan, fast asleep in the corner, had no idea that the bucket of water she had casually left behind would become the most insane "fuel" for these men's revelry that night.