Chapter 207 If you are tired, take a break first

The evening glow dyed the locust tree courtyard a warm golden color. Fu Yuanshan and Fu Yucheng had just set up a new bamboo frame. The bamboo frame was straight and even, and was stronger than last year's. Fu Yuanshan patted the bamboo strips.

"This rack can dry a lot of things. In a couple of days, I'll bring up the dried radish and shepherd's purse. They'll be dried thoroughly and taste delicious."

Fu Yucheng wiped the sweat from his forehead and nodded with a smile: "That's right, my second sister-in-law can use it when she comes back. She will definitely be happy."

He looked up and saw Yun Tangyin waving under the eaves, and hurried over, "Are you tired? I'll help you go back to the house and rest for a while."

Yun Tangyin shook her head and pointed to the cloth bag on the stone table: "I made a few pairs of tiger-head shoes for the children. You can give them to Xiaolan and the others to try and see if they fit their feet."

Fu Yucheng opened the cloth bag and found a pair of small cloth shoes embroidered with tiger heads. The uppers had red soles embroidered with yellow and black tiger stripes, and the toes were decorated with small pompoms, which were particularly cute.

"Your craftsmanship is getting better and better," Fu Yucheng picked up a pair, "The children will definitely not want to take them off once they put them on."

As they were talking, Xiaolan came running over with Zhou Ming and Zhou Liang, holding up the grasshoppers they had just woven. "Look at the grasshoppers we woven! Uncle Er said he'll teach us how to woven bamboo dragonflies tomorrow!"

Fu Yucheng handed them the tiger-head shoes and said, "Try on the tiger-head shoes that Sister Yinyin made for you and see if they fit your feet."

Xiaolan couldn't wait to put them on. The soles were soft, and the tiger-head shoes just protected her ankles. "So comfortable! They fit better than the shoes my mom bought me! Thank you, sister-in-law!"

Zhou Ming and Zhou Liang also rushed to put them on and ran two laps in the yard. The small shoes made a "clacking" sound on the ground, which made everyone laugh.

Jiang Jianhua finished putting away the embroidery thread, walked over and said with a smile, "These tiger-head shoes look really good on Lan girl. Yinyin, your stitches are so even. I've learned to make tiger-head shoes before, but I always embroidered the tiger pattern crookedly. You have to teach me."

Yun Tangyin smiled and agreed: "Okay, when I feel better, we can make a few more pairs for the children to wear."

At dinner time, the aroma of stewed winter bamboo shoots and meat wafted through the kitchen. When the casserole was served on the table and the lid was lifted, hot steam filled with the aroma of meat, bamboo shoots and mushrooms hit us in the face.

Fu Yuanshan served Yun Tangyin a bowl of food, and specially picked out a piece of lean meat and a winter bamboo shoot that had been stewed till soft. "Try it now. It's been stewed all afternoon, so it must be tender. You're pregnant, so you need to eat more."

Yun Tangyin tasted the winter bamboo shoots, which were sweet with a meaty aroma, without any astringency. "They're so delicious! The method my second sister-in-law taught me is so effective. I can make them myself from now on."

Jiang Jianhua picked up a piece of mushroom and said with a smile, "These mushrooms were dried last year. They are soaked and stewed with meat. They are more fragrant than fresh ones. Let's go to the mountain to pick some in a few days, dry them and keep them for winter."

Aunt Zhang put a piece of meat into Fu Yuanshan's bowl and said, "Yuanshan, you should eat more too. You must have suffered a lot in the city. You need to replenish your energy when you come back."

Fu Yuanshan smiled and nodded: "Thank you, Aunt Zhang, the food at home is delicious, even better than the restaurants in the city."

After dinner, Fu Yucheng boiled some hot water for Yun Tangyin to soak her feet.

He sat on the edge of the kang and gently rubbed her ankles. Yun Tangyin's feet were a little swollen in the late stages of her pregnancy, and rubbing them after soaking her feet made them feel more comfortable.

"Are you tired today?" Fu Yucheng looked up and asked, "If you are tired from embroidery, just embroider a little less and don't keep pushing yourself."

Yun Tangyin shook her head, touched her belly and whispered, "I'm not tired. Thinking about making small clothes and shoes for the baby makes me feel at ease."

She suddenly remembered something. "By the way, when you go to town tomorrow, can you buy some fine needles for Aunt Zhang? She said last time that the needles she used for embroidery weren't fine enough, and the patterns she embroidered weren't delicate enough."

Fu Yucheng nodded: "Don't worry, I'll go there early tomorrow morning and buy you some osmanthus cake. Don't you like it?"

He added a piece of coal to the stove, and the flames leaped up. "My second brother said there's a kind of sesame candy in the city that's also delicious. I'll ask the supply and marketing cooperative if they have any tomorrow and buy some for the children."

The next morning, Fu Yucheng went to town with his money bag.

Seeing him coming, the salesperson at the supply and marketing cooperative greeted him with a smile: "Comrade Fu, are you here to buy something for your family again?" Fu Yucheng nodded: "Comrade, give me some fine needles and weigh out two pounds of osmanthus cake. If you have any sesame candy, give me a pound as well."

The salesperson packed the things quickly. Fu Yucheng paid and walked to the post office. Although he knew Fu Yuanshan had returned, he still habitually wanted to see if there was any letter.

When he came back from town, he went to the stream and picked up some smooth pebbles, intending to make marbles for the children.

When I got home, the courtyard was already bustling with activity. Jiang Jianhua was teaching Yun Tangyin how to embroider a butterfly. On the light pink cloth, a butterfly's wings were already embroidered, the colorful threads layered together, making it look like it was about to take flight.

"Look, when embroidering butterfly wings, you have to follow the grain, with the colors going from light to dark, so that they look three-dimensional," Jiang Jianhua said as she embroidered. "Try it, take your time, don't rush."

Yun Tangyin picked up the needle and thread and embroidered carefully according to the method taught by Jiang Jianhua. Although her movements were a bit slow, the stitches were very even.

"Very good," Jiang Jianhua said with a smile as he looked at the silk thread she embroidered. "It's much better than my first time. If I practice a few more times, I'm sure I can embroider it just like the real thing."

Fu Yucheng handed the needle to Aunt Zhang: "Aunt Zhang, I bought you a needle. Please take a look and see if it is suitable for you."

Aunt Zhang took the fine needle, compared it to the old one in her hand, and said with a smile, "It's just right! This needle is thin, just right for embroidering small patterns. Ah Cheng, you are thoughtful."

He handed the osmanthus cake to Yun Tangyin and distributed the sesame candies to the children: "Try it quickly, the sesame candies in the city are very sweet."

Xiaolan took the sesame candy and took a bite. The aroma of sesame mixed with the sweetness of candy made her smile so much that her eyes curved. "It's delicious! Thank you, Brother Fu!"

The afternoon sun was warm, and Fu Yuanshan was weaving bamboo baskets in the yard to hold dried radishes and shepherd's purse.

Jiang Jianhua came over to help, and the two of them worked together very well. Fu Yuanshan weaved the bamboo strips, and Jiang Jianhua wrapped red rope around the edge of the bamboo basket, making it look more festive.

"The bamboo baskets you weave are really beautiful," Jiang Jianhua said with a smile. "They are even more exquisite than the ones we buy in town. We won't have to buy any more bamboo baskets in our family from now on."

Fu Yuanshan smiled and nodded: "I'm glad you like it. I'll weave more in the future and make a few small bamboo baskets for the children to put their little things in."

Yun Tangyin leaned back in the rocking chair, looking at everything in front of her. The little one in her belly moved slightly, as if happy for this warm daily life.

She picked up the baby clothes beside her. It was embroidered with small locust flowers and butterflies. The stitches were fine and full of her love.

As the sun sets, the glow of the sunset dyes the courtyard a warm red. Fu Yucheng lights a fire in the yard and prepares to cook sweet potato porridge.

Jiang Jianhua and Yun Tangyin sat under the eaves, chatting while embroidering, while Aunt Zhang was sorting out the dried radishes. The children were playing marbles in the yard, their laughter drifting far away.