V3: Chapter 8: Grind! Grind Harder!
Of course, in reality, Liang Lin was exaggerating. Even with her incredible stamina, she couldn't possibly work her wrists for three hours straight; they'd be flying off!
Even a pile driver couldn't do that.
Liang Lin was playing cat's cradle.
Her fingers moved nimbly through the rope, her thumb and forefinger gently pinching one end, while her middle and ring fingers skillfully weaved through the gaps, sometimes tightening, sometimes loosening, causing the rope to trace beautiful arcs in the air. Her little finger sometimes provided support, sometimes nimbly connecting with the other fingers, working in tandem to transform the simple rope into endless patterns.
As her fingers flew up and down, the rope sometimes intertwined into a net, sometimes woven into flowers.
With slight wrist rotations and continuous finger flips, the rope traced smooth trajectories in the air.
Every bend, extension, crossing, and separation of her fingers was a test of skill and patience. In this constant flux, the movements of her hands seemed to weave stories.
Yes, it was just cat's cradle.
Liang Di's babbling filled Liang Lin with a sense of accomplishment.
After about half an hour, Liang Lin felt a slight soreness in her wrists. She realized she couldn't overuse her hands; if she did, she'd get tenosynovitis.
The thought of being relegated to Liang Di's mercy filled Liang Lin with dread, and she couldn't help but shudder.
Just then, Liang Di looked up, her eyes hazy, and asked, "Sister Liang Lin, are you done? If it's over..."
"?"
"Finished?! How could it be over? Do you think I'm the kind of person who ends things so easily?!"
Liang Lin became excited and quickened her movements.
Liang Di was actually quite innocent; she didn't mean to provoke her. She genuinely wanted to ask if it was over so they could proceed to the next step.
As a result, this sentence ignited Liang Lin's competitive spirit, and Liang Di had to continue babbling.
Twenty minutes later, Liang Lin gave up again.
Liang Di wanted to say to her, "Sister Liang Lin, you've really done a great job already, you don't need to push yourself," but she thought that if she said that, Liang Lin would definitely misunderstand it as a provocation and continue to do her needlework.
No, if Liang Lin continued doing crafts, they would both be too exhausted to move on to the next crucial step…
Liang Di wanted to get pregnant quickly; she really wanted to witness her and Liang Lin's child grow up. She hadn't witnessed Carol's birth, which was one of her greatest regrets.
"Liang Lin, Sister Liang Lin," Liang Di swallowed hard, her throat dry from shouting for so long, "I... I really can't go on anymore, Sister Liang Lin, let's rest for a bit, then we can continue, okay?"
Liang Di's willingness to back down meant that the stubborn Liang Lin would finally stop.
Sure enough, after Liang Di said that, Liang Lin stopped what she was doing.
Phew~
Finally, I can rest for a bit.
Liang Lin thought to herself.
However, on the surface, she remained calm, even putting on a smug "Oh, you can't take it anymore?" look.
Liang Di chuckled to herself; she was already used to Liang Lin's arrogant personality. Honestly, Liang Lin's personality now was much better than it used to be; back then, she was incredibly willful, capricious, and even "vicious."
That's right, when they first met, Liang Lin was only sixteen years old, her mind not yet fully developed. Liang Lin is now twenty-two years old, a mature young lady, definitely much more composed than before. Her personality tends to soften with age (probably).
Liang Lin lay down next to Liang Di, thinking that was the end of the day. She lay comfortably, planning to take a shower and then sleep with Liang Di.
But Liang Di grabbed her arm again.
"Sister Liang Lin, why are you lying down?"
Huh?
Liang Lin was taken aback.
What else am I going to do but lie down? Am I going to sleep sitting up? Hmm… did Liang Di not want to rest and wanted to take a shower now?
Liang Lin sat up, slightly confused.
"Then, should we go now?"
Liang Di was a little confused; she didn't know what "go" meant.
"Yes, yes, is it because you're tired, Liang Lin, and you want to rest for a while before we continue?"
"Tired? How could I be tired!"
Liang Lin immediately sat up straight.
"Okay, let's go take a shower now, and then we can rest."
Liang Di blinked twice, not understanding the meaning behind the other's words. "Liang Lin, are you tired? Is it over for today? I thought we were going to continue. Ah... if you're tired, then let's take a shower."
Hiss~
So what Liang Di meant was that she wanted us to continue.
"I thought you were tired and wanted to take a shower." Liang Lin stubbornly refused to admit it.
Whether it was going to war on the battlefield or wrestling with Liang Di in bed, Liang Lin adhered to one principle—a real woman should never say she can't do something.
"Continue, Liang Di, I'll continue."
Liang Lin had just rested a bit, and her wrists weren't so sore anymore; she could still fight. But Liang Di grabbed her, stopping her from the next move.
“Sister Liang Lin, that’s not what I meant. I don’t need your hands anymore, I think…”
Liang Di looked down at both of them.
Liang Lin immediately understood what she meant. After all, they had made this kind of dish before, so they knew what it was—it must be related to making a tofu feast!
Before making tofu, the ingredients needed to be prepared: soybeans. Only after the soybeans are ground can they become genuine tofu.
Liang Lin and Liang Di placed their hands together and slowly pushed the heavy stone mill. Their movements were steady and powerful, each push accompanied by a deep, rhythmic sound.
As the millstone turned, the stone slab and the trough made a “pop pop” friction sound. This sound, though not loud, was full of historical weight (hmm…why not?).
The soybeans on the millstone, under the pressure of the stone slab and the trough, gradually broke down and were ground, turning into fine soy milk, which slowly flowed down the edge of the millstone, dripping onto the floor and the bed.
Ah…
The 'tofu' hasn't been ground yet, but the soy milk is already flowing out.
As the soy milk accumulates, a rich aroma of soybeans gradually fills the air—the most simple and pure scent of nature (just kidding).
Author's Note
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