The kang (heated brick bed) for left-behind women

"By the way, Ruoxue, your great-aunt's family is poor, and this place is cramped. There's only one kang (heated brick bed), and the kang is small. You'll have to squeeze in to sleep at night," your great-aunt said.

"Grandma, it's alright." Li Ruoxue was still sensible.

"So which side do you want to sleep on tonight? How about sleeping on the same side as Xiahe?" Auntie asked.

As soon as my great-aunt finished speaking, the dim light bulb in the cave seemed to sway.

The warm aroma of food, alcohol, and lively chatter that had just filled the air suddenly fell silent.

Several uncles and aunts who were drinking glanced over intentionally or unintentionally, with slight smiles on their lips.

Li Ruoxue glanced at Lin Dachun, unsure of what to do.

After a long while, she lowered her head, muttered softly, and said, "I and..."

"Sleep with...the same person."

Li Ruoxue felt her face suddenly heat up, even faster than when she was drinking rice wine.

"what?"

Everyone was surprised.

What Li Ruoxue was referring to was, of course, sleeping with Lin Dachun.

"How can you do that, child? How can you sleep with Da Chun? It messes up the generations!" Auntie immediately said.

Li Ruoxue lowered her head, not knowing what to do.

She felt somewhat embarrassed knowing that she had suggested sleeping next to Da Chun.

"Grandma, you're overthinking it. What they mean is that they feel embarrassed to sleep next to us since we're not familiar with each other, but they are familiar with Uncle Chun, right?" Sun Xiahe explained.

"Mm." Li Ruoxue nodded.

But her face was still as red as a monkey's bottom.

"It's no problem. Our whole family sleeps together, don't we? Ruoxue and her cousin are family too."

Lin Dachun's cousin gave a reply.

That's what they say.

But Sun Xiahe always felt something was off about her aunt. How could Ruoxue and Dachun sleep together?

We couldn't really say we slept together, but we just squeezed onto one kang (heated brick bed). That's how it is here on the Loess Plateau in Northwest China.

Later in the evening.

Lin Dachun chatted with his relatives for a while, and the whole family celebrated his birthday in a lively atmosphere.

My aunt and great-uncle went to wash the dishes and do housework.

"Mom, if Ruoxue and Uncle Chun sleep together, does that mean they always sleep together at home?"

"It's normal for people to squeeze onto one kang (heated brick bed)."

"That's not what I meant. I meant we should sleep together," my aunt explained.

"Oh dear, don't talk nonsense."

"It's just the two of them at home, how else would they sleep? Okay, stop overthinking it."

By the time they arrived late, the whole family had already washed up.

"Dachun, you and Ruoxue can sleep here," Auntie said, pointing to the edge of the kang (a heated brick bed).

"it is good."

Lin Dachun glanced at Li Ruoxue and then asked her to get on the kang (heated brick bed).

Everyone else got onto the kang (heated brick bed) as well.

The men were fine; they dressed casually.

But women can't sleep in their outer clothes either.

Sun Xiahe and her cousin-in-law also took off their outer clothes and went to sleep.

Li Ruoxue glanced at Lin Dachun, feeling somewhat embarrassed.

After all, Li Ruoxue was dressed very sexily; it wasn't a halter top, but rather a black lace bra.

There are other male relatives in this family as well.

Lin Dachun couldn't hide anything either.

Li Ruoxue took off her outer coat, revealing that she was only wearing underwear underneath, but thankfully she had cotton pants to keep warm.

Li Ruoxue lay down.

Lin Dachun also lay down; the kang (heated brick bed) was indeed very small and cramped.

People were packed tightly together.

Lin Dachun is standing to the left of Li Ruoxue and to the right of Sun Xiahe.

The awkward atmosphere only eased considerably after the lights were turned off.