Fu Yucheng took the ginger tea and drank it all in one gulp. He wiped his mouth and smiled, "My wife's ginger tea is still the best. It's so spicy that it warms you up from head to toe."
Yun Tangyin draped his thick coat over the rope: "Drink it right after it's cooked, be careful not to burn yourself. By the way, were there many people distributing cabbages today?"
“You can’t beat me.” Fu Yucheng proudly raised his chin. “I got up half an hour early to queue up, and I specifically chose the ones with dew on them, guaranteed to be fresh. Look at this one, the leaves are so juicy you could squeeze water out of them, perfect for making stir-fried cabbage with vinegar.”
Yun Tangyin squatted down and turned over the cabbage, her fingertips brushing against a tender leaf: "It's really good. But don't always think about me. Mom likes to eat the cabbage stalks, so we need to leave a few with thicker stalks."
"I picked them out for Mom a long time ago, they're at the very bottom." Fu Yucheng also squatted down and pulled out a round cabbage from the bottom of the basket. "Look at this one, the stalks are firm, it'll be perfect for stewing with tofu."
Jiang Jianhua came out carrying a wooden basin to wash clothes. Seeing the two squatting in front of the pile of cabbages and whispering, he smiled and called out, "Yinyin, do you want me to help you peel the cabbage stalks to dry? You said the other day that you wanted to make pickled vegetables, and I happen to have some free time."
"That would be great." Yun Tangyin straightened up. "Second sister-in-law, you've worked hard. I'll fry some sweet potato balls for you later."
“You said it yourself.” Jiang Jianhua poured water into the wooden basin. “I’m out of money for groceries this month, and your second brother is worried that we won’t be able to afford anything good.”
Fu Yuanshan returned from outside carrying a hoe. Upon hearing this, he muttered, "I didn't mention it."
"Oh, you're feeling embarrassed now?" Jiang Jianhua suppressed a laugh. "Who was it that stole the meatballs when I wasn't looking the other day?"
Fu Yuanshan's ears turned red as he carried his hoe toward the woodshed. Fu Yucheng called out from behind him, "Second Brother, are you going to check the vegetable cellar this afternoon? I'll go with you."
"Weren't you supposed to be with your wife?" Fu Yuanshan asked without turning his head.
"Checking the cellar is the priority." Fu Yucheng winked at Yun Tangyin. "I'll spend time with my wife after I'm done with this. We can do both at the same time."
Yun Tangyin was amused by him and picked up a small cabbage to walk to the kitchen: "I'll marinate the kimchi first, so I can deliver it to the educated youth this afternoon."
Fu Yucheng quickly followed, saying, "I'll start a fire for you."
Yun Tangyin's face felt as hot as if it had been roasted by a stove fire, and she lowered her head to continue slicing ginger.
Fu Yucheng's voice came from the stove, carrying the warmth of the firewood, "With you, with Mom, with my second brother and sister-in-law, the whole family is together, that's the best life."
His sudden remark left everyone a little bewildered. Yun Tangyin poured the prepared sauce into the cabbage, and her nose suddenly felt a little sore: "Hurry up and add firewood, the water should be boiling."
Just then, Song Yushuang lifted the curtain and walked in: "What good stuff smells so good?"
"This is spicy cabbage I made for the educated youth." Yun Tangyin put cabbage into the jar. "Mom, please taste it and see if it's salty enough."
Song Yushuang picked up a piece and put it in her mouth, smacking her lips: "Perfect! With Yinyin's skills, it's a pity she's not a master at the supply and marketing cooperative."
"Mom is teasing me again." Yun Tangyin closed the jar. "I'll make noodles for you once it's fermented."
"That would be great." Song Yushuang glanced into the stove. "Acheng, after you finish cleaning the cellar this afternoon, go to your uncle's house. He asked someone to bring you a bag of dried sweet potatoes. Go and pick it up."
"Okay, I'll go tell my second brother right away." Fu Yucheng added the last bit of firewood to the stove, patted the ash off his hands, and said, "Wife, I'm going to the cellar first. I'll come back and pack the kimchi for you after I get the dried sweet potatoes."
Yun Tangyin straightened up and wiped her hands with her apron: "Drive carefully on the road. Oh, and take this with you."
She took two freshly steamed cornbreads out of the basket, wrapped them in a cloth, and stuffed them into Fu Yucheng's hand, saying, "Take this to him as well."
“My wife is so thoughtful.” Fu Yucheng pinched her cheek, turned around and walked out. Just as he reached the gate of the courtyard, he bumped into Fu Yuanshan carrying a shovel. “Second brother, Mom asked me to go to my eldest uncle’s house this afternoon to get some dried sweet potatoes. Keep an eye on the work in the cellar. I’ll be right back.”
Fu Yuanshan nodded: "Go ahead, I'll take care of things in the vegetable cellar first, you should come back soon."
After Fu Yucheng left, Yun Tangyin divided the pickled kimchi into two jars. Jiang Jianhua came over to look and said, "These jars are really nice. Did you get them from the supply and marketing cooperative last time?"
"Yes, I thought the porcelain was good, so I exchanged two more." Yun Tangyin closed the lid of the jar tightly. "Second sister-in-law, can you help me move this jar to the side room? I'll deliver it to the educated youth's place myself later."
"Let me do it." Jiang Jianhua reached out to hug her, but Yun Tangyin stopped him.
“I’ll do it. You washed so many clothes this morning, take a break.” Yun Tangyin picked up the jar and walked towards the side room. “By the way, Second Sister-in-law, if you’re free this afternoon, you and Mom can go sunbathe. I’ll finish the rest of the work.”
Jiang Jianhua nodded with a smile: "You always take on all the work yourself. But you still have your sister-in-law."
As they were talking, Song Yushuang sat on a stone bench in the courtyard with a basin of needlework in her hands: "Yinyin, come and help me thread this needle. I don't know what's wrong with me, I can't even see the eye of the needle."
Yun Tangyin quickly went over, took the needle and thread and skillfully threaded it: "Mom, take a break, these things aren't urgent."
“It’s alright. Let’s finish sewing these shoes while the weather is nice, and then Yuanzheng can wear them.” Song Yushuang picked up the sole of the shoe. “Your older brother’s feet wear out shoes quickly. The pair he wore the other day wore out after only a few days.”
Yun Tangyin looked at the shoe sole in her hand, the stitches dense and numerous: "Mom, your craftsmanship is even better than the shoemakers at the supply and marketing cooperative. After this busy period, I'll learn how to sew shoe soles from you."
“If you want to learn, I’ll teach you.” Song Yushuang smiled, her eyes narrowing into slits. “But those hands of yours are for accounting. It took me a lifetime to learn that.”
As they were talking, Fu Yucheng arrived at his maternal uncle's house.
The eldest uncle was chopping wood in the yard. When he saw him come in, he quickly put down his axe and said, "Acheng is here. Come in and sit down."
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