Fu Yucheng chuckled as he chewed on a peanut: "Your wiping is much more comfortable than my brother's rough hands."

He suddenly slipped a bamboo box into her pocket. “Yesterday, when I was taking a detour, I saw some bamboo growing densely, so I wove a jewelry box on the spot. It’s better than your cloth bag at keeping out dust, and it’s perfect for storing your silver earrings.”

Yun Tangyin touched the intertwined floral pattern on the box and laughed: "Your hands are always busy."

She popped a chestnut into his mouth. "It's freshly peeled, softer than roasted peanuts."

Yu Xia brought in a bamboo sieve to dry red dates. Seeing Yun Tangyin feeding Fu Yucheng chestnuts, she laughed and joked, "This treatment is even better than being in postpartum confinement."

She poured a handful of red dates onto the table. "They were picked from the back hill. They're sweeter than the ones from the supply and marketing cooperative. They're good for replenishing Yinyin's blood and energy."

Yun Tangyin blushed and stuffed a red date into Fu Yucheng's hand: "You should eat one too, it'll help you replenish your blood."

Seeing that he was going to peel it himself, she quickly took it from him and peeled it, saying, "How can an injured person do anything? You have to take care of him more than a child."

Fu Yucheng chuckled as he chewed on a red date: "Then I'll stick with you, stick with you more than anyone else."

She blew on his arm and said, "Hurry up and get it done. When it's done, weave me a bamboo dressing table."

"Yes, sir." Fu Yucheng saluted, but because of his injury, his movements weren't quite standard, which made everyone in the room laugh.

Song Yushuang came in carrying a bamboo tray with a bowl of steamed egg custard on it: "Eat quickly, it has sesame oil in it, it's more fragrant than plain porridge."

She shoved a spoon into Yun Tangyin's hand as well, saying, "You should have some too, look at what you made."

Just as Yun Tangyin was about to feed Fu Yucheng, he pressed her hand down: "You eat first, you're in a hurry to replenish your energy than I am."

He fed her a spoonful of steamed egg custard. "Is it sweet? It's even more tender than the ones in the cafeteria."

At lunchtime, Yu Xia brought in a bamboo food box containing a plate of braised pork ribs: "Acheng, eat quickly. I added hawthorn, which makes it less greasy than plain braised pork ribs."

She put a piece in Yun Tangyin's bowl as well, "You should eat some too, it's better than always eating vegetarian food."

Just as Fu Yucheng was about to put the ribs into Yun Tangyin's bowl, she stopped him with her chopsticks: "You're injured, so you have to eat the meat. I'll just have the soup."

She put a piece of potato in his bowl, saying, "This noodle dish is easier to digest than pork ribs."

Yu Xia covered her mouth and laughed: "The other day I saw Yuanshan weaving a bamboo crib, saying it was for the baby. It's more breathable than a wooden bed, perfect for sleeping in the summer."

In the evening, when Fu Yucheng wanted to get out of bed and walk around, Yun Tangyin quickly helped him: "Slow down, you have to be more careful than a child learning to walk."

She tied a bamboo belt around his waist. "I made it. It's stronger than a cloth belt. It'll protect you."

A cotton pad was sewn into the belt. Fu Yucheng touched it and said, "It's even more comfortable than the military belt."

He took two steps into the yard and suddenly stuffed a small bamboo trinket into her hand. "I made this bamboo dragonfly for you. It's sturdier than the ones you can buy, and it spins longer than anything else."

The bamboo dragonfly spun around quickly in the yard, and Yun Tangyin chased after it with a smile: "It's even more fun than the ones we played with when we were kids."

Song Yushuang was drying chili powder with a bamboo sieve when she looked at the two of them and smiled: "This is more like a young couple, much better than staying cooped up at home."

At dinner, Fu Yucheng ladled a bowl of red date porridge into Yun Tangyin's bowl: "Look how well these red dates are cooked, they're sweeter than last time."

His own bowl only contained plain porridge. Yun Tangyin scooped half a spoonful into his bowl: "You're not allowed to just give me food, you need to eat too."

Fu Yucheng quickly ate, while Fu Yuan and his wife smiled at each other. In the glow of the bamboo lantern, the food on the table was steaming, just like the warmth of the day, making people feel warm and their hair stand on end.

That night, Yun Tangyin changed Fu Yucheng's dressing. Seeing that the swelling had gone down, she breathed a sigh of relief: "It's much better than yesterday. It will be fully healed in another three days."

She applied ointment to the wound, saying, "Don't get it wet, that's the most important thing."

Fu Yucheng snuggled closer to her: "Having you take care of me is better than any medicine."

He suddenly slipped a small bamboo sachet into her hand. "It's filled with mugwort. It repels insects better than ordinary sachets. Hang it by your bedside."

The sachet was embroidered with a pair of mandarin ducks. Yun Tangyin smelled it and said, "It smells better than the sachets from the pharmacy."

She popped a preserved plum into his mouth. "Is it sour? It's better than red dates for cutting through the richness."

Fu Yucheng squinted his eyes with envy, but smiled and leaned closer to her cheek: "I'm not as envious as you. You were just saying you wanted a dressing table."

He suddenly breathed into her ear, "When I'm better, I'll get you one with a mirror."

Yun Tangyin blushed and snuggled closer to him, saying, "Who's jealous?"

She ran her fingertips across the gauze on his arm. "Get better quickly, that's more important than anything else."

The bamboo wind chimes outside the window rang twice, as if echoing the sweetness inside the room.

Fu Yucheng pulled her closer to his chest. The small bamboo sachet swayed between them, the fragrance of mugwort mixed with the tartness of preserved plums, just like the days they had, sweet and sour, perfectly balanced.

The next morning, just as Fu Yucheng was about to sit up, Yun Tangyin pressed him down, saying, "Lie down a little longer."

She slipped a book into his hand. "It's from Mom. It's better than just sitting around doing nothing."

Fu Yucheng smiled, holding the book: "Looks like Mom knows I'm bored. It's not convenient for me to hold this. You can read it to me, just like I read it to you before."

Yun Tangyin smiled as she turned the pages of the book: "Just read it aloud, it's easier than you looking at it yourself."

She cleared her throat, and after reciting two lines, Fu Yucheng grabbed her wrist. "What's wrong? Is it worse than monks chanting sutras in a temple?"

“No,” Fu Yucheng placed a candied fruit in her palm, “It’s better to suck on it to soothe your throat than to drink it dry.”

He suddenly reached for the headboard and said, "I made you a bamboo bookmark. It's sturdier than a paper one when you put it in a book, and it's easier to turn the pages."

A little squirrel was engraved on the bookmark. Yun Tangyin tucked it into the book and traced the pattern with her fingertips: "It's even more exquisite than the ones I bought in town."

She continued reading, but when she got to an interesting part, Fu Yucheng suddenly interrupted her: "The bamboo flute in this story is definitely not as nice as the one I made for you."

Yun Tangyin closed the book and tapped his arm: "Listen carefully, don't interrupt."

Seeing that he sat obediently, she couldn't resist popping a red date into his mouth. "Is it sweet?"

Song Yushuang brought in a bamboo sieve to dry pumpkin seeds, and looked into the house with a smile: "This scene is even more beautiful than a New Year's painting."

She poured a handful of sunflower seeds into Yun Tangyin's hand. "They're freshly roasted, they smell better than raw ones. You can crack some when you get tired of reading."

Fu Yucheng snatched the sunflower seeds and stuffed them into her hand: "You're studying, I'll peel them for you, it'll save you the trouble of doing it yourself."

Her knuckles cracked as she pinched the sunflower seed shells, the kernels piling up like a small mountain in her palm.

Yun Tangyin popped a melon seed into his mouth: "This is a reward for you. You're better at taking on tasks than anyone else."

She suddenly remembered something and teased Fu Yucheng, "By the way, my second sister-in-law said the wild grapes on the back hill are ripe, and they're more sour than the ones we grow. Do you want some?"

Fu Yucheng quickly shook his head: "No, no, I'm remembering this even more strictly than a military order."

Yun Tangyin burst out laughing.

At lunchtime, Yu Xia brought in a bamboo food box containing a bowl of winter melon and meatball soup: "Acheng, drink up! I added dried shrimp; it's more flavorful than plain meatball soup."

She scooped a spoonful into Yun Tangyin's bowl as well, "You should drink some too, it's lighter than always drinking meat broth."

Just as Fu Yucheng was about to put the meatballs into Yun Tangyin's bowl, she stopped him with her chopsticks: "You're injured, so you have to eat the meatballs. I'll just have the soup."

She put a piece of winter melon in his bowl. "This is soft and easier to chew than meatballs."