Chapter 132
The wind had stopped, and the heat was intense. The sun blazed fiercely, causing the ground to emit waves of hot air. Sitting in the shade and glancing toward the sunny slope, the ground seemed to shimmer white under the sun, making one instinctively squint.
The dogs lay on the ground, panting with their tongues out. They were only lively in the early morning and at dusk, but by noon, they became sluggish.
In the yard, the flower branches attracted buzzing bees, while cicadas in the trees tirelessly chirped. There wasn’t a hint of wind, and the leaves didn’t move at all, making people feel drowsy.
Standing under the sun at noon on such a day could dry and scorch a person. Even the most diligent and capable people had to seek shade to avoid the sun, as fainting from the heat was no small matter.
Lu Gu and Shen Xuanqing lay on a bamboo mat, each holding a palm-leaf fan to cool themselves, but they were still sweating profusely.
Shen Xuanqing propped up one leg, fanning himself with the palm-leaf fan before turning to fan Lu Gu. He said, "I heard that porcelain pillows are hollow and can be filled with cool water. Even without water, the porcelain itself should feel cool. Since we’re going to town anyway, let’s buy two and try them out."
There were only two Zhu furens at home. One was being used by Ji Qiuyue, who was sleeping with it, and the other had been taken by Wei Lanxiang to her room. The younger members of the family didn’t argue with the elders over them.
[竹夫人 (zhú fū rén): lit. Bamboo wife, a traditional Chinese cooling device made of woven bamboo, shaped like a hollow cylinder (about 3-5 feet long). Used in summer for: hugging to dissipate body heat, placing between the knees while sleeping, and occasionally as a pillow substitute]
Since they couldn’t fall asleep after lying down, they started discussing buying more bamboo wives and selling the silk fans in the afternoon.
The silk fans were embroidered by Lu Gu. They sold well in the heat, and he had made twelve of them. The fan handles were adorned with tassels, making them quite exquisite. He planned to sell them in town once the weather cooled in the afternoon.
As for Zhu furen, they weren’t expensive, and everyone could have one to sleep more comfortably. Shen Yaoqing would either buy a few from the bamboo craftsman in the neighboring village, or they could pick some up on their way back from town. They could discuss it with the family after everyone woke up.
Summer days were long, and for country folk, being able to take a nap at noon was a great luxury. However, most households had to stay home and do other chores, so few could actually rest.
Lu Gu had been like that in the past. On hot days when he didn’t go out to forage for wild vegetables, Du Hehua would make him do embroidery work, keeping him busy without pause. This year, being able to rest at noon during the summer made life much easier for him.
He had rolled up his pant legs and sleeves, exposing his arms and thighs. Shen Xuanqing, lying beside him, had done the same. In their room, there was no need for modesty between the two of them.
Compared to Lu Gu’s fair arms and legs, Shen Xuanqing’s skin was darker. His limbs were long and muscular, with a bronzed, sturdy appearance.
Under the scorching sun, as they talked, the fatigue from the busy morning crept in, and they both closed their eyes and fell asleep. Their hands holding the fans would occasionally move, but sometimes they forgot to fan altogether. Eventually, they placed the fans on their stomachs, letting their arms rest.
Before lying down, they had brought in a basin of hot water to wipe themselves down, which helped cool them off. But now that they were lying down, they were too lazy to get up and move, no matter how hot they felt. Such was the lethargy of summer, making people lazy in the heat.
Lu Gu’s palm-leaf fan rested on his stomach, while Shen Xuanqing’s fan still moved slightly. Sometimes, when he woke up from the heat, he would remember to fan Lu Gu.
The bed was crowded with two people. Lu Gu slept groggily, and when the bamboo mat beneath him warmed up from his body heat, he instinctively moved to find a cooler spot. In doing so, he ended up brushing against Shen Xuanqing.
Their arms touched, and soon a thin layer of sweat formed where they made contact. Not only Lu Gu, but even Shen Xuanqing shifted toward the edge of the bed to create some distance, and both felt more comfortable afterward.
When one spot got too warm, they would turn to another part of the bed. Both of them did this, and though their sleep wasn’t the most restful, they managed to doze off.
When they woke from their nap, the sun wasn’t as intense. Lu Gu wiped the sweat from his forehead, tucking a few damp strands of hair behind his ears. He put on his shoes and went outside to wash his face. The water had been left in the sun to warm up, and after washing, a breeze blew by, instantly making him feel cooler.
"Drink this. Mother added brown sugar when she boiled it, and it’s completely cooled now," Shen Xuanqing said, handing him a bowl of mung bean soup from the kitchen.
For country folk, there weren’t many ways to cool off, and a bowl of mung bean soup was already a luxury, especially one sweetened with sugar.
Lu Gu took a sip. Though there wasn’t much sugar, it was still sweet. The mung bean soup had been cooling for a while, and it was both refreshing and thirst-quenching.
He drank the soup in big gulps, thoroughly enjoying it. At the bottom of the bowl were soft, slightly sweet mung beans.
Back in the Lu family, such sweet soup was only available during the New Year, and not every year at that. It showed that the Shen family’s life this year was relatively prosperous compared to others in the area.
The past few days had been extremely hot, and Wei Lanxiang had been boiling mung bean soup every day. Sometimes they drank it after their noon nap, and other times they enjoyed it after returning from work. When they were out in the fields pulling weeds, drenched in sweat and parched, a bowl of this soup felt like a lifesaver.
Shen Xuanqing watched with a smile as Lu Gu gulped down the soup. "Let’s buy some lotus seeds today. Lotus seed soup is also good for cooling off."
Lu Gu was chewing on the soft mung beans and could only nod in agreement, unable to speak.
Though the sun wasn’t as strong as at noon, walking under it was still sweltering. The two of them stayed at home for another half-hour before heading to the new house to spread out the thatch grass they had cut the previous day. Once it was completely dry, they could store it in the thatch shed, ensuring they had some on hand whenever they needed it.
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