"Second Uncle, what brings you here? Come inside and warm up on the kang (heated brick bed) in this freezing weather."
Zhao Xiuxiang was about to lead Liu Ercheng to her side when she said that she was embarrassed. However, Liu Ercheng waved his hand, indicating that he would not go to her side. He said that he had something to tell them and that it would be more convenient to go to Wujiaqiao. So he walked towards Wu Qiaoqiao.
Then Wu Qiaoqiao and the others heard a knock on the door. Fortunately, when they realized someone was coming in, Wu Qiaoqiao and Lin Yuyou sat up and tidied themselves up a bit. Hearing the knock, Wu Qiaoqiao got up and opened the door to let everyone in. After Liu Ercheng came in, he didn't immediately go to sit on the kang (a heated brick bed). Instead, he took off the old military overcoat he was wearing and hung it on the rack behind the door. He then went to the kang to warm up and took the pear soup that Lin Yuwei poured for him.
Wu Qiaoqiao's family has been making pear soup without interruption since they started heating their kang (a traditional heated brick bed). The pears were picked when Wu Qiaoqiao and Liu Mingfeng discovered a small pear orchard deep in the mountains. They gathered villagers to pick them together. The orchard wasn't small, and each family picked about two baskets. Because Wu Qiaoqiao and Liu Mingfeng found it, their family picked the most. The pears weren't particularly tasty, but they were suitable for making pear soup and frozen pears. Wu Qiaoqiao, however, always used them for soups—for phlegm, coughs, and heat—she could make a different kind every day as long as she had the ingredients. After all, they had a breastfeeding mother, a pregnant woman, and several young children. Without pear soup, staying on the kang for long periods could cause dryness and nosebleeds. They made the pear soup in two batches. The first batch, without sugar, was for the two little ones. Then, after mixing the children's portion, they added sugar—the portion for everyone else.
Liu Ercheng was drinking sweet pear soup until the chill in his body dissipated before sitting down on the edge of the kang (a heated brick bed) and picking up Liu Xiangguo, who was rolling around on it. He teased Liu Xiangguo, making him laugh heartily. Seeing this, Liu Xiangdang crawled over to Liu Ercheng and clung to his legs, drool dripping onto Liu Ercheng's pants.
Seeing this, Wu Qiaoqiao quickly took a handkerchief and wiped the mouths of the two babies. They had started teething recently, and their mouths were always drooling. Liu Ercheng saw Wu Qiaoqiao's slightly rough manner and took the handkerchief from her with heartache, gently wiping the drool from the corners of his two grandnephews' mouths. After wiping the drool from the two darlings, he took the teething jerky that Wu Qiaoqiao and the others had prepared for the two children from the kang table. He put one in each child's hand, and then held one in each arm, letting them lean against him to chew on the jerky. After doing all this, Liu Ercheng began to explain the purpose of his visit.
"Fifth sister-in-law, Qiao, Wei, I came here because the brigade went to Huluze yesterday and found that the ice there is already very thick, so winter fishing is possible. The brigade leader announced that winter fishing is about to begin. How many people from your family will be sending?"
Wu Qiaoqiao was overjoyed to hear this, for she had been waiting for this day for a long time.
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