Chapter 985 The Heated Bed at Second Sister's House

For these playful children, starting a family is a shackle that is both irresistible and hard to ignore.

The other children remained silent, but Tudan'er said thoughtfully, "But Aunt, after we get married, we'll have to have children. Once the children are born, my wife won't be able to travel with me anymore. When I'm away from home, I'll have to worry about them. Just thinking about it gives me a headache."

“Oh dear, you don’t understand. You won’t find it troublesome after you get married.” Song Chunxiang carried two large roosters and walked into the narrow alley behind the house. “Keep that one to crow. We just happen to need one to crow.”

As she spoke, she looked at Song Chunxue and said, "Fifth brother, you really are something. You brought so much stuff with you, even the chicken we're going to eat tonight. Although I really can't bear to kill the hen, since you rarely come here, I'll kill it and raise it again."

As she spoke, she walked towards her chicken coop. "I'll take one with me when I leave. Chicken soup is good for you. You look too thin and need to take better care of yourself."

As she spoke, she touched Song Chunxue's waist. "Hey, if you hadn't had so many kids, you wouldn't have worn yourself out like this. You've become so thin. How much do you eat on a regular basis?"

Song Chunxue was both amused and exasperated by this action. "Second sister, I'm not too thin now. I'm full of energy. My appetite is a little smaller than before, but I can still eat at least two big bowls. I'm in great health."

"Yes, Auntie, my master is amazing! Her swordsmanship is superb, and her stamina is incredible. Her waist is even stronger than ours, and she can even do somersaults now. After practicing, even after giving birth, her body is fine; she'll always recover." Changyun's serious words made the two sisters burst into laughter.

Changyun was embarrassed by the laughter and said, "Master, I'm going inside."

Changfeng followed behind them, asking, "Do you need any help?"

The group of people who entered the courtyard looked around at the clean, earthen yard. Only the area under the eaves where rainwater fell was covered with stones and broken tiles to prevent the raindrops from creating holes; the rest of the yard was made of rammed earth.

The house has small doors and windows and looks quite old, but there are no houses on the west side, only some earth, as if a new house is to be built there.

Everyone arrived at the main room on the north side. A curtain was draped over the door, and the room was bright and clean, with blue bricks paving the floor.

The kang (heated brick bed) was swept clean and smooth. Although the sheet covering the kang was made of patched-up pieces of old cloth, it looked comfortable.

But for Master Han, the smell of the kang (heated brick bed) was too strong. He sat down on the chair by the kang and reached out to touch the dust on the table.

Master Zhang smiled and said, "I just swept the floor, so the dust will fall onto the table; it won't get dirty. I'll start a fire. I brought tea sets. Master Han, would you like some red dates?"

“One is enough.” Master Han looked at Lord Zhao, who was already sitting cross-legged on the edge of the kang (heated brick bed), and was somewhat surprised. “Aren’t you the most particular?”

“When in Rome, do as the Romans do,” said Lord Zhao, taking out a teacup. “I think this house is quite nice, with a strong sense of local life. It’s much better than living in a cave in the mountains.” He added, “However, I brought my own tea set.”

After lighting the stove, Master Zhang put two pieces of apricot wood inside to burn for a while. When he turned his head, he noticed that Master Han's gaze was fixed on the kang (a heated brick bed).

To be honest, farmers only sleep on heated kang beds during June and July.

For a snake, a warm, cozy kang (heated brick bed) would be quite tempting.

But Master Han frowned slightly, clearly disgusted by the shavings that hadn't been swept away.

Master Zhang took out a cloak from the bundle behind him and placed it on the kang (a heated brick bed). After spreading it out, he looked at Master Han and said, "It will be a while before they finish cooking. If you want to lie down for a while, you can get on. This kang is actually more comfortable than you think."

Lord Zhao turned his head and touched it. "It's warm. Aren't you afraid of the cold? It feels very comfortable."

Master Han remained expressionless, took off his shoes under the gazes of the two men, climbed onto the kang (a heated brick bed), and sat upright.

Master Zhang wanted to laugh, but he calmly turned his head and put something into the tea canister.

As dusk approached, they had been in the carriage for an hour, and his bones were feeling a bit loose. He also wanted to take a nap on the kang (a heated brick bed).

But they were just guests, and he felt a little embarrassed that they sat on the kang (a heated brick bed) as soon as they arrived.

Before long, Tudan brought out steamed buns from Song Chunxue's house from the kitchen.

"Auntie also made sesame cakes and buckwheat oil dumplings, they're sweet, Master, you should try them." Tu Dan'er held one in his hand, put down the plate, grabbed two more and walked out. "I'm going to go outside and see the little donkeys. They're not even a month old yet. I haven't seen such small donkeys in years. Wuji and Yebai definitely haven't seen them before. I'll take them for a ride."

Master Zhang picked up two cups and stood up. "Senior brother, you drink first, I'll go check on things."

He hadn't seen a baby donkey for many years. No matter what species it is, they are always the cutest when they are young.

The little donkey's eyes were bigger than thin-shelled walnuts. He was simple and clumsy, loved playing with people, and wanted to move around.

Lord Zhao remained seated, thirsty, and wanted to drink a couple of cups of tea to relieve his fatigue.

When Master Zhang and his disciples came in from outside, Master Han was already asleep, leaning against the quilt, with a white fox fur coat draped over his body.

If I remember correctly, that fur coat belonged to Lord Zhao.

Lord Zhao also leaned against the other side, lying under Song Chunxiang's quilt.

Liu Tong and his son, who had just returned from the fields, also quietly left the main house to help in the kitchen.

Everyone's stewed chicken with potatoes tasted different. Song Chunxue really wanted to try her second sister's cooking, so she helped out.

Liu Tong's noodles were quite good, evenly thick. He scooped them into a bowl, added a few drops of cooked oil, and mixed them well. When the stewed chicken with potatoes was ready, everyone had a bowl of noodles in plain water. They used a small spoon to scoop some of the rich stewed chicken broth and mixed it in. Even without eating any other dishes, it tasted delicious.

There were many people tonight, and the kang table in the Liu family's house was rather small, so the elders sat on the kang table on the kang, while the other side gathered at a low table on the ground.

But there still wasn't enough room, so the children brought a large plate of stewed chicken and placed it on a tree stump outside the door. Tu Dan'er found some low wooden stools for everyone to use as benches, and they ate with great relish.

Liu Tong's son felt a little embarrassed. He couldn't help at all, so he held his bowl and joined them, listening to what these Taoists, who were about his age, were talking about.

Song Chunxue sat on the edge of the kang (a heated brick bed), and to her surprise, Master Han was still asleep, and Lord Zhao and her senior brother did not intend to wake him.

She then huddled together with her second sister and brother-in-law, chatting quietly about last year's harvest, the phenomena of this year's various solar terms, and which grains might have a good harvest this year.

My second sister's cooking skills are quite good, better than I expected.

Although she was in the kitchen, watching her second sister casually sprinkle seasonings, she worried that too much salt had been added.

"Fifth brother, I really didn't expect that you would actually become a proper Taoist priest now," Song Chunxue said curiously while eating noodles. "Do you think it's something wrong with our maternal family's ancestral graves, or is it the Jiang family's ancestral graves that led you down this path?"

"..." Master Zhang, who had excellent hearing, and Lord Zhao were stunned for a moment. Their faces were expressionless, but they really wanted to laugh out loud.

"Second sister, anything is possible," Song Chunxue changed the subject, "I want to visit eldest sister's grave, do you know where it is?"

Song Chunxiang paused with her chopsticks, her eyes dimming. "I know, I'll take you."