Power and Wealth C.1605

Evening.

It's past eight o'clock.

Stars dot the sky, colorful and abundant.

After dinner, Zhang Longjuan happily leaned back on the recliner in the yard, gazing at the sky, lost in thought. Dong Xuebing took the initiative to take his bowl to the back and wash it. Looking at the time, it was getting late, and he was truly tired today.

"Sister Zhang."

"Yeah?"

"When will you rest?"

"Are you tired, little guy?"

"I've been busy all day. Of course, I'm tired."

"Haha, I know you did well today. Rest."

"Alright, then I'll take a shower first. You can go ahead if you want to."

"Look at the stars, so beautiful. The sky is clear today, and the stars are exceptionally stunning. Hey, I want to bathe in the yard. Bring the tub out for me."

"How can we bathe here?"

"There's nothing wrong with adding some romance."

"Even though there aren't many tall buildings around. But if someone climbs over the wall..."

"With you here, what do I have to fear? There's a wooden tub in the east house. Bring it out."

"This..."

"Hurry up."

"Alright, then."

Dong Xuebing busied himself, carrying the wooden tub from the east house and placing it next to the Chinese toon tree in the courtyard's center. Then he turned on the electric water heater and began to fetch buckets. Of course, the temperature was set to be quite hot. If the water temperature were just right, it wouldn't feel comfortable after a while, so Dong Xuebing fetched the hottest water. He carried bucket after bucket, poured them into the tub, and then returned for more water. He couldn't help but complain inwardly. Carrying these large buckets of water was no easy task, especially after massaging Zhang Longjuan all afternoon. He was so tired that he was losing his bearings. Zhang Longjuan kept ordering him around, and she hadn't mentioned the reward she promised earlier. Sigh, he had to endure hardship all his life. Dong Xuebing had been thinking about the reward Zhang Longjuan mentioned, but he didn't want to ask since she didn't bring it up. After all, she had already given him a courtyard, the best gift he could ever request.

Twenty minutes later.

Dong Xuebing went to the east house to fetch the seventh bucket of water. When he came out after fetching it, he was slightly surprised to find that Zhang Longjuan had already gotten into the tub.

"It feels comfortable."

"You've already started bathing?"

"I couldn't wait, haha."

"Oh no. I haven't filled it up yet."

"It's enough, it's enough. Just one more bucket of water."

Because it wasn't good to make it too bright and attract attention, Dong Xuebing had turned off the lights in the yard earlier. When he approached, he noticed that Zhang Longjuan had casually thrown her clothes on the stone table, including her underwear, all crumpled up. Dong Xuebing shook his head and went to the wooden tub. He saw Zhang Longjuan with both hands resting on the tub's edge, gazing at the stars in the sky. He couldn't help but glance into the tub. He knew that Zhang Longjuan was completely naked inside, but it was too dark outside, and without lights, he could only see some distorted flesh-colored shapes caused by the rippling water. He couldn't see clearly, but he could probably make out Zhang Longjuan's cleavage, which was faintly visible under the water.

"Pour it."

"Go ahead."

"The water is hot, be careful."

Splashing, Dong Xuebing poured the hot water down. After finishing, he peeked into the water again but couldn't see clearly. He felt itchy in his heart, thinking that Zhang Longjuan would probably spend half the day bathing. When he bathed later, the water would be clear, and he didn't want to use the water Zhang Longjuan had bathed in. So he returned to the east house, turned on the electric water heater again, and waited for her to finish bathing so he could change the water for himself.

Dong Xuebing was a very considerate person, especially towards women. After coming out, he asked, "Do you want some tea, Sister Zhang?"

"Yes, please."

"What kind of tea?"

"Black tea would be great, thanks."

Dong Xuebing returned to get a cup and brewed some black tea for her. Of course, he made one for himself as well. After handing her the tea, he sat down on the stone bench, took out a cigarette, and after a moment's thought, offered it to Zhang Longjuan, who graciously accepted. Dong Xuebing lit another one for himself, and they enjoyed the moonlight together. Just returning from a trip, feeling good, and now owning a courtyard with a beautiful woman bathing in a wooden tub nearby, Dong Xuebing felt relaxed and not as tired as before.

"It seems our little handsome guy is quite thoughtful."

"That's right. Did you check the water temperature?"

"It's fine. It's a bit hot but feels comfortable to bathe in."

"Let me know if it cools down, and I'll pour in another bucket. The heater is still on."

Smoking, drinking tea, and admiring the moon together, with someone keeping the water warm for her at all times, Zhang Longjuan was genuinely enjoying herself. After finishing a cigarette, she stretched her fair legs out of the water, placed her ankles on the tub's edge, and reached down to massage her legs.

"Do you need some bath gel?" Dong Xuebing asked.

"Not for now. We'll see later," Zhang Longjuan smiled.

Ah, look at her. She knows how to enjoy life.

Dong Xuebing also thought she was too good at it. This environment, this weather, and bathing in the courtyard were beautiful. Dong Xuebing had lived in a courtyard before, but his family's old house was too small, with too many neighbors. Although they were all familiar old neighbors, there were still boundaries between men and women. With so many people around, no one dared to bathe in the courtyard while admiring the moon. But now they had the conditions for it because they were the only ones living in this courtyard. Due to cultural preservation regulations, there weren't any tall buildings nearby. You can even sleep in the courtyard, where no one bothers you, as long as you don't mind getting bitten by mosquitoes and covered in bumps.

Buzzing.

Mention mosquitoes, and there they are.

It's almost the end of autumn, and there aren't many mosquitoes, but even one bite is uncomfortable.

Seeing this, Dong Xuebing brought a palm-leaf fan and started fanning the mosquitoes for Zhang Longjuan bathing there. Seeing how comfortable she looked, he also wanted to quickly go in for a wash, experiencing a bit of a petty-bourgeois lifestyle. After working so hard for many years, it would be a shame not to enjoy a few days.

"Little handsome guy." Sister Zhang called him.

"Yeah, what's up, Sister Zhang?" Dong Xuebing looked over.

"You've worn out today. I promised you a reward and compensation before, haha, do you want to come in and wash together?" Zhang Longjuan smiled.

Dong Xuebing hesitated, "How do we do that?"

"The tub is big enough. If we squeeze a bit, there's enough space," Zhang Longjuan said.

"That's not appropriate," Dong Xuebing was very awkward.

Zhang Longjuan, with a flirtatious air, said, "I will scrub your back for you. Come on, little handsome guy."