Warning to readers: The following chapters contain sexual content. Reader discretion is advised. These scenes are written as part of the story's emotional and character development. Please continue only if you are comfortable with mature themes. Thank you for your understanding.
Yaelle poured some dew liquor from the jar into a small teapot, placed it on the stove to boil, then poured it into another pot that had honeysuckle flowers in it, and finally poured it into a teacup. The honeysuckle had been washed before use. She didn't bother with those elaborate methods online, nor could she manage them, and she was afraid of getting burned.
She added a few pieces of rock sugar to the cup because she liked the sweet taste. "Try it and see if it's sweet enough. I like it sweeter, but if you don't, you can use less or none at all."
Maxim picked up the teacup and took a sip. Since she had added only a little sugar, it had a mild sweetness and floral fragrance, with a faint bitterness that was hardly noticeable. The texture was soft and smooth, and the tea was pleasant to drink.
"It goes down very smoothly. There's a light sweetness. It's very comfortable to drink and would probably be popular with noblewomen."
"You and I think alike. I always felt regular tea is too bitter and not suitable for women. This one should be more acceptable."
"I'm thinking of opening a small tea house just for women, maybe invite someone to tell stories too. It has always been easier to make money from women, especially in this age when women are considered precious. Plenty of men are willing to spend money on women."
As for storytelling, she could easily do it herself. Her head was full of stories. She could adapt a few at random and amaze these people from ancient times.
Honeysuckle tea usually tasted slightly bitter at first but had a sweet aftertaste. The bitterness came from its nature as a medicinal herb. Though some might find the bitterness strong, most people could accept it.
If someone didn't like the bitter taste, adding a bit of rock sugar when brewing could improve the flavor. Honeysuckle helped clear heat and detoxify, and could relieve symptoms like heat-induced sores, swelling, sore throat, or fatigue from external heat. But it had a cold nature.
If consumed regularly, it could harm the body's yang energy, especially the spleen and stomach, causing coldness and weakness. That could lead to poor appetite, bloating, abdominal pain, bland mouth, or loose stool. For people with weak spleen and stomach, it wasn't suitable for long-term consumption.
Drinking too much could worsen their condition. Since the spleen was responsible for nutrient transport and blood management, prolonged damage could result in deficiency. So she planned to limit supply.
Honeysuckle wasn't easy to gather anyway. She'd also see if she could get jasmine, rose, chrysanthemum, roselle, hawthorn, kumquat, lemon, and passion fruit. A flower tea house like that should be popular, and she personally liked it too.
"That's a good idea. I support you. Just don't tire yourself out."
"Got it. Everything will be handled by the staff. I won't be exhausted."
After finishing their tea, the two of them sat next to each other on the small couch nearby. Yaelle held Maxim's hand and played with it while they chatted.
"Maxim, will you still be this busy later? How many days off do you have this time?"
"The last time we met, my teacher had something going on at home, so I had four days off in a row. I used two months of vacation days."
"The academy gives us two rest days a month. Last month, there was a poetry gathering during my break, so I couldn't come. Tomorrow I have another day off."
"That's still quite tiring. You'll be busy later too. Do you want to get married before the exam or after the spring outing?"
Yaelle was a bit emotional. He was in a situation similar to preparing for the college entrance exam. She wondered if marriage would affect his performance.
He was an eighteen-year-old boy. In modern terms, that was still a high school student. "Yaelle, would you be willing to get married this year?"
Maxim was pleasantly surprised. He had waited so long. They had been engaged for years, but still weren't married.
Even people younger than him already had children. "I'm fine with anything. I just worry you'll be too busy preparing for the exam."
"We'll be on break before the New Year. I'll need to get ready to go to the capital, and arrange a place to stay. Usually, that takes at least two to three months to prepare." Maxim explained.
"Then you can pick a convenient date and let me know."
"Can I really choose?" Maxim was happy. If she let him pick the date, it meant she respected him and valued his opinion.
"Yeah. I'm just a free person, once my mourning is over, I'm available anytime. But you're different."
"I'll go back and ask my father and mother to see when it would be suitable."
"Okay."
"Thank you, Yaelle."
"Thank me for what? We're going to get married sooner or later anyway."
"It's not the same. I still want to thank you." He hugged Yaelle and gently kissed her on the forehead. "The sooner we get married, the longer you can stay with me."
"Since women must marry three husbands, once you take in the other two, the time we have together will only get shorter." Maxim felt a little sad. In this world, life was hard for men. They had to earn money outside, take care of their wives and children at home, and even share their wives with other men.
Hearing this made Yaelle uncomfortable too, but she didn't know how to comfort him. She wanted to say she only wanted him, but the law didn't allow that. Saying she would only stay with him seemed unfair to the two future husbands she hadn't even met.
Yaelle wrapped her arms around Maxim's neck and gave him a kiss on the lips. She was about to pull away, but Maxim held the back of her head and deepened the kiss.
Yaelle's initiative made Maxim a little uncontrollable. One arm wrapped around her waist, while the other hand, though gentle, firmly supported the back of her head, making it impossible for her to retreat. Fine, they were already in the room.
A little affection was okay. But this position was uncomfortable, so Yaelle simply straddled his lap. Maxim was stunned for a moment, then responded more eagerly.
Such a beginner.
Yaelle thought, "You're not learning fast enough. Let big sister teach you what a real kiss is." She gently licked his lips and then slipped out her tongue a little to probe inside and dance with his.
Maxim's heart skipped a beat. So it could be like this. He immediately copied Yaelle's movements and got lost in the soft touch of her sweet tongue.
His lips and tongue slowly sucked on her soft lips, carefully savoring them. A tingling sensation rose slowly from the soles of Yaelle's feet. She let out a soft moan.
She wrapped her arms around Maxim's neck and leaned her body gently against his. Her lips slightly parted, welcoming his movements. Maxim didn't know why, but her soft moan sounded so pleasant to his ears.
His body started to feel hotter, and his kisses became rougher. His breath was warmer as he held Yaelle tightly. He wished he could press her body into his own, as if they could become one, inseparable forever.