Chapter 57: This Is What Life Is All About!
By the time Chen Fan finished his work at Team 7, ate his fill, and was sent back by their people, it was even earlier than the day before.
The folks from Team 7 helped carry the baskets into his room, politely invited him to visit again sometime, then headed out to mount their horses and leave.
After Chen Fan closed and latched the gate and came back inside, Jiang Lili walked over and said, "People from Team 4 brought your things back this morning. I've put everything else away already, and the bamboo basket, bamboo chairs, and bamboo backpack are on the empty bed in your room..."
"Wait a minute?"
Chen Fan suddenly cut her off, looking surprised. "Bamboo basket, bamboo chairs, and bamboo backpack?"
Jiang Lili paused for a moment before nodding gently. "Yes – they came by donkey cart. Besides the things from Team 5 yesterday, there was one bamboo basket, two bamboo chairs, one bamboo backpack – all new. Plus there's that kidney-shaped basin, which I put in your room."
After a short pause, she asked curiously, "The person who delivered them said you specifically asked for the kidney-shaped basin – what do you need it for?"
As Chen Fan walked inside, he said, "For taking baths."
"Ah?"
Jiang Lili was clearly shocked, hurrying to keep up with him, her face full of surprise. "Taking baths?"
Chen Fan looked back at her with a slightly strange expression. "What, can't people take baths here?"
"No, that's not it..."
Jiang Lili's gaze darted around, not sure where to look. "You're going to use a kidney-shaped basin to bathe?"
Now Chen Fan understood – it wasn't that bathing was not allowed, but there was something about the basin. He asked curiously, "You can't bathe in this kind of basin?"
Jiang Lili looked rather awkward, not sure how to answer. "It's not that you can't – it's just that no one's ever used one for bathing before."
Chen Fan's eyes shifted slightly as he went into the room to look at the "big bathtub." It looked just like the ones sold on JD and Taobao – solid wood bathtubs that cost over a thousand yuan, or even more than two thousand if the sides were taller. What was wrong with it?
Jiang Lili followed him inside and said softly, "You saw when Captain Yang's family butchered the pig yesterday morning – that's the kind of basin they used."
Chen Fan's face stiffened as he turned to look at her. "You mean this is a pig-butchering basin?"
Jiang Lili nodded gently. "Kidney-shaped basins aren't for bathing. They're too big – it would be such a waste of water. Usually they're used for scalding pig hair, and they're also used around ponds."
Chen Fan looked at her curiously. "Around ponds?"
Jiang Lili explained, "Yes – like when picking lotus seed pods, harvesting water chestnuts, or digging lotus roots. You can sit inside it like a small boat, but it's more convenient than a boat and cheaper too.
"We have lots of waterways and ponds around here, so these basins are pretty common. Some people even use them as boats to cross rivers. Not every household has one, but it's normal for a few families in a group to share one."
In other words – how could you not know what a kidney-shaped basin is, and why on earth would you want to bathe in one?
After thinking for a moment, Chen Fan asked quietly, "If I use it for bathing, won't that be considered making a mistake?"
Jiang Lili's eyes shifted as she looked rather awkward. "I don't think so?"
Chen Fan took this to mean that if she thought it wasn't a mistake, then it definitely had nothing to do with breaking any rules.
So he waved his hand and smiled. "No problem then – whether it's for scalding pigs or as a boat, this basin is new, so as far as I'm concerned, it's a bathtub now."
Seeing how pleased he looked, Jiang Lili couldn't help but cover her mouth and giggle.
She thought Chen Fan was really funny – even ordinary things seemed to turn into little jokes when it came to him.
But if he wanted to call it a bathtub, then so be it. After all, it was kept inside the house, so most people wouldn't know anyway.
Chen Fan checked the kidney-shaped basin and found it had clearly been dried for a long time – the surface was smooth, and it would be ready to use after a quick scrub. As for the bamboo basket, chairs, and backpack, they must have been gifts from the militia squad leader's father.
Now that everything had been delivered to his room, it would be impossible to return it. He'd have to think of a way to give them something in return later to make up for it.
Before crossing over, he'd hated social obligations – partly because he had no relatives, and partly because he'd been influenced by the "minimalism" trend. Aside from necessary work interactions, he'd had almost no other social connections.
Now experiencing the deep warmth and sense of community in this era's countryside, after an initial period of adjustment, all he felt was heartfelt warmth.
After a few seconds of being moved, Chen Fan suddenly slapped his palm against his thigh. "I'm going to boil some hot water – I'm taking a bath tonight!"
With that, he ran outside.
Jiang Lili watched the empty doorway and smiled to herself, then got busy tidying up the things that had just been delivered from Team 7.
Chen Fan boiled a huge pot full of hot water, then went to the river to fill the water vat completely.
Thanks to all the good food and wine over the past two days, his physique had now improved to 8.7, his strength to 7.1. He'd also gained 20 points in cooking experience and 30 points in teaching experience, successfully leveling up to LV3, and even his butchering experience had increased by 15 points.
His current personal stats looked like this:
Basic Attributes:
- Physique: 8.7/10
- Strength: 7.1/10
- Agility: 7/10
- Intelligence: 9/10
- Spirit: 9/10
Skills:
- Housekeeping LV3 (20/100)
- Animal Language LV2 (1/50)
- Cooking LV4 (40/200)
- Teaching LV3 (0/100)
- Butchering LV2 (20/50)
So now he could carry a full load of water without any problem.
Too bad it was nearly evening and no one else was coming to the river to fetch water – otherwise he'd definitely have let everyone see that he hadn't been weak before, just recovering from a serious illness.
Look at him now – back to normal!
He'd be even stronger in the future!
After refilling the vat, the water in the pot was boiling.
The kidney-shaped basin had already been scrubbed clean by Jiang Lili and placed in the empty room next to his.
Jiang Lili explained, "Bathing creates a lot of steam, which can make bedding and straw damp. No one uses this room, so you can bathe here. Also, I washed your bedsheet, quilt cover, and clothes – the bedsheet's already on your bed, and the quilt cover and clothes are in the wardrobe. You can take them over to that room and put them on a chair before you bathe, so you can put them on right after."
Chen Fan looked at her and couldn't help but say with feeling, "Whoever marries you will be the luckiest person in the world – they must have done good deeds for eight generations to deserve it."
Jiang Lili's face immediately turned bright red as she lowered her head and mumbled, "I-I don't do this for just anyone. You said we're friends, so friends help each other – it's only right."
Chen Fan nodded seriously. "Alright – you're a friend I can always count on!"
Jiang Lili couldn't help but let out a soft giggle.
So the reason he was willing to consider her a friend was just so she'd help him? What a funny guy!
Chen Fan dug out the new clothes, new shorts, and new shoes from the wardrobe, placed them on the new chair, and carried everything over to the next room.
Then he poured half a basin of water into the kidney-shaped basin.
No wonder no one used these for bathing – it really did use a lot of water.
But it was so comfortable to soak in!
Taking off the padded jacket someone had lent him, then the pajamas and underwear he'd been wearing for three days, he stepped into the basin and sat down.
Soaking in the water, Chen Fan felt like a clean white pig, humming contentedly.
Aside from not having soap – he had to use laundry soap to wash his hair and body – everything was perfect.
After his bath, he dried his hair with a towel, then lay down on the straw mattress covered with the clean bedsheet and pulled the thick quilt over himself. Chen Fan felt like his entire being had been elevated to a new level.
This is what life is all about!
(End of Chapter)
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