ps: Revised and awaiting approval.
In the darkness, Han Anniang pressed her cheek against Chen Mo's chest, quietly listening to the strong heartbeat, her face blushing hotly, her body soft and limp.
Clearly, it was almost winter, but tonight was so stuffy, with the window inside not open, the room felt like a steamer.
The two were tightly embraced.
The night outside the window was misty.
...
Until Chen Mo lit the oil lamp, the pitch-black room was filled with dim yellow light, Han Anniang stopped singing, the sudden brightness caused her to squint her eyes, slowly coming out of her trance.
Immediately, she noticed Chen Mo's burning gaze, raised her hand to cover his eyes: "E... Erlang, don't look."
Her tone was already soft and tender, now even more so, clearly a person from the North, yet possessing the tenderness of a Jiangnan woman.
"Slap!"
Chen Mo removed Han Anniang's hand, then gently patted it, raising an eyebrow he said: "Didn't I tell you to call me uncle."
"E... Erlang, don't humiliate this humble woman."
Han Anniang's tone was reproachful, instinctively wanting to push Chen Mo away, but she had no strength at all, so she gave up helplessly.
Chen Mo leaned down and kissed Han Anniang's forehead, gazing at her deeply: "Sister-in-law, you are truly beautiful!"
At this moment, Han Anniang's hair was already a chaotic mess scattered at the head of the bed, a few strands stuck to her fair forehead with sweat, like black pines on white rice paper.
Her autumn eyes slightly narrowed, at the corners hung a few crystalline drops of sweat, making Han Anniang's entire face appear somewhat pitiable, her prominent nose below, cherry lips slightly parted. The snow-white swan neck presented Han Anniang's delicately shaped collarbone, marked with a few red imprints.
"Uncle, please... don't ridicule this humble woman, I am just a rural village woman, where is the beauty."
Inside, Han Anniang's heart was a fluttering Xiaolu, not daring to meet Chen Mo's eyes.
"Sister-in-law is willing to call me uncle now."
Chen Mo teased.
"...Uncle."
Han Anniang shyly buried her head into the bedding beside her.
"Sister-in-law, you are beautiful without knowing it..."
Chen Mo smiled, then was about to get out of bed to make dinner.
He knew his own strength, and realized his sister-in-law wouldn't be able to do anything tonight.
"Hiss..."
Chen Mo had just jumped out of bed when it tugged at his back injury, causing him to suck in a breath of cold air.
"Uncle, your injury..."
Han Anniang poked her head out from the blanket.
"The wound might have opened a bit, it's fine. Sister-in-law, you rest, I'll go make dinner."
Chen Mo dealt with the bloodstains on the kang, put on his clothes, and carried out a wooden basin.
But he quickly returned inside, carrying a teapot in his hand.
"Sister-in-law must be thirsty, have some water first."
Chen Mo placed the teapot on the bedside and then went out again.
Feeling Chen Mo's subtle care, Han Anniang's heart was filled with a sweet tingling sensation.
Hearing the bustle outside, Han Anniang thought of something and said: "Uncle, the food this humble woman made earlier might be cold now, just heat it up."
Having just started the fire in the kitchen stove, Chen Mo responded.
Chen Mo set a pot on the stove, put a scoop of clear water inside, then placed a wooden rack in the water, putting the cold meal on the wooden rack, finally covering the pot.
Once the water in the pot boiled, the meal would be heated.
Then he took a piece of over five pounds of bear meat and congealed bear blood, cutting them into small pieces.
Once the meal was heated, he removed the wooden rack from the pot, drained the water, and added a small piece of pork fat.
Once the pork fat melted, he added the bought sugar frosting, simply caramelized it, then poured in a ladle of clear water, next he added the bought spices and salt.
When the aroma arose, he added the chopped bear meat and bear blood.
Before long, the kitchen was filled with a rich fragrance.
But in this deep winter, the howling wind and snow kept the aroma from spreading too far.
Chen Mo tasted a piece of bear meat, his eyes squinting instantly.
Fragrant.
Compared to the bland meals eaten before.
This was true cooking.
This is what life should be like.
Extinguishing the stove fire, Chen Mo carried the meal into the room.
Han Anniang was lightly stroking the hairpin Chen Mo had given her, seeing him enter, she shyly hid the hairpin, softly saying: "Uncle, why does it smell so good?"
She sniffed hard, propping herself up to sit.
"I bought spices and sugar frosting in the city, this makes the dishes more aromatic."
Chen Mo pretended not to see Han Anniang's small actions, placed the meal on the kang, then helped her sit against the wall, cushioning her back with a pillow to keep her warm.
Han Anniang saw all this, her heart felt warm, and she murmured in her heart: "Uncle knows how to care for people..."
Chen Mo knew Han Anniang hadn't recovered yet, served her a bowl of rice, and placed food on her plate, saying: "Sister-in-law, have a taste."
"Mm."
Han Anniang took a bite, blinked, bit her chopsticks, and said: "I didn't expect uncle to have such good cooking skills."
"Sister-in-law is exaggerating, it's only thanks to the spices, if you made it, it would definitely taste better than mine."
Chen Mo picked up a piece of bear blood, eating it.
[Intake of beast blood increased by one, Blood Nourishing Technique experience +1.]
...
After finishing the meal, Chen Mo glanced at the cultivation technique section.
Blood Nourishing Technique (Small Success 77.2/500).
Han Anniang ate very little, so most of the bear meat and bear blood was eaten by him.
Perhaps due to becoming a martial artist, his appetite was now bigger, and digestion quicker.
Previously, Chen Mo would need to move around, pacing in the house to aid digestion.
But this time, after washing the dishes, Chen Mo returned to the room, blew out the oil lamp, and embraced Han Anniang again, the two of them snuggling together.
Had it not been for considering that Han Anniang might not be able to bear it, Chen Mo would have wanted to push the grindstone again.
However, he still took advantage of every opportunity.
...
The next day, before dawn.
Chen Mo felt the soft body in his arms moving, seeing this, he tightened his embrace around Han Anniang a bit more, mumbling: "Sister-in-law, what's wrong?"
Han Anniang struggled, flushing red, said: "This humble woman needs to return to her own room, otherwise if caught, this humble woman would have no face to see anyone. I don't care, but uncle is a scholar, don't ruin your reputation."
Hearing this, Chen Mo's drowsiness faded slightly, opening his eyes, not only didn't he let go of Han Anniang, instead hugged her tighter, smiling: "Sister-in-law, don't be silly, ever since the eldest and mother left, you and I living under the same roof, the village gossip has probably whispered about us long ago."