"It's not far, only twenty li." Fu Yucheng wiped the sweat from her forehead with his sleeve. "I'll drive you there, it'll only take half an hour. I heard they also make clay figurines, I can make you a little tiger in a military uniform."
Yun Tangyin nudged his arm: "You're making fun of me again."
She twirled the embroidery hoop in her hand even more enthusiastically, "Then I have to get Erzhuzi a string of candied hawthorns. Last time he was drooling over the sugar paintings at the supply and marketing cooperative."
"I can't forget it." Fu Yucheng picked up the thread she had dropped on the ground. "I'll buy my second brother a bamboo carving knife; his is all worn down."
Just then, Erzhuzi rushed into the yard carrying a small bamboo windmill: "Aunt Fu, look! It spins when the wind blows!"
The windmill blades were covered with red silk cloth, and when they turned, they looked like small flames.
"How ingenious." Yun Tangyin stuffed a handful of pumpkin seeds into his pocket. "When we go to the temple fair, I'll ask your brother Fu to buy you an iron one so it can spin for a longer time."
Erzhuzi suddenly tugged at Fu Yucheng's sleeve: "Brother Fu, can you make a bamboo wooden horse for your little brother? It has to be even more impressive than the one I have."
Fu Yucheng hoisted him onto his shoulders: "Once you learn how to weave bamboo dragonflies, I'll weave a wooden horse with wings."
In the evening, Jiang Jianhua came to deliver the stewed chicken soup. When he saw the bib embroidered by Yun Tangyin, he smiled and said, "This embroidery of the carp leaping over the dragon gate is so lifelike. The child will surely be clever if he wears it."
She glanced into the kitchen. "Where's Acheng? Is he fiddling with that crib again?"
"I'm wrapping the bed legs with cotton cloth," Yun Tangyin said with a smile as she scooped up some soup. "I'm saying I'm worried the child might bump into something when he's learning to crawl."
Jiang Jianhua suddenly lowered his voice: "I found you a piece of old ginger. Put two slices in when you make the soup to warm your uterus."
She slipped a cloth bag into Yun Tangyin's hand, saying, "Don't let Acheng see this; he always says I'm superstitious."
At night, Fu Yucheng was attaching wheels to the crib, while Yun Tangyin sat beside him sewing shoe soles: "Does the temple fair sell floral fabric? I want to make a little cotton-padded jacket for the baby."
“Of course.” He placed a wooden board under the bed. “What pattern do you want? Peonies or chrysanthemums?”
"I want bamboo branches." Yun Tangyin tied a knot in the thread, "to match the pattern on the bed railing."
She suddenly remembered something, "Oh right, the old Chinese medicine doctor said we should take more walks, so let's walk a few more steps on the day of the temple fair."
Fu Yucheng smiled and nodded: "I'll do as you say. I'll let you walk inside and I'll protect you from the outside so you don't get jostled."
The next morning, Fu Yucheng had just finished cleaning his bicycle when Zhou Mingniang came in carrying a bamboo vegetable basket: "Acheng, do you see the mesh in the bottom of this basket? I was thinking of asking you first because I said it was for the army canteen."
Fu Yucheng picked up the basket and weighed it: "Aunt Zhou's craftsmanship is even sturdier than a wire basket."
He winked at Yun Tangyin, "Have your sister-in-law wrap strips of cloth around the basket handles so your hands won't get cold when you carry it in winter."
Yun Tangyin smiled and nodded: "I have some leftover blue cloth strips here, I'll wrap them up tomorrow."
After Zhou Mingniang left, Fu Yucheng stuffed an oil paper package into Yun Tangyin's hand: "I bought you donkey-hide gelatin. Commander Zhang asked someone to bring it from the county town."
Yun Tangyin opened the paper package, inside was a piece of shiny black donkey-hide gelatin. "I can just buy it myself at the supply and marketing cooperative."
“The ones from the supply and marketing cooperative aren’t as good as this.” He flicked her nose. “The old Chinese medicine doctor said that only aged ones are effective.”
In the afternoon, Yun Tangyin was decocting medicine when Fu Yuanshan came in carrying a bundle of thick bamboo strips: "Acheng, let's make a footrest for the crib, so the child can use it when he learns to stand."
He spread a bamboo diagram on the ground. "I've drawn a design. Do you think it's okay?"
Just as Fu Yucheng was about to take the medicine, Yun Tangyin stopped him: "Take your medicine first."
She slipped a piece of red date cake into Fu Yuanshan's hand, saying, "Second brother, try some too. It's good for replenishing your qi and blood."
Fu Yuanshan smiled as he ate a cake: "Yinyin is so thoughtful. By the way, there are shadow puppet shows at the temple fair. You should go and see them; you'll definitely love them."
Yun Tangyin's eyes lit up: "Really? I saw it once when I was a child, it was the TV series 'Mu Guiying Takes Command'."
Fu Yucheng slipped a jujube into her hand: "I'll let you watch it to your heart's content, and after you're done, I'll buy you a shadow puppet as a decoration."
In the evening, Erzhuzi ran in holding a small bamboo bow and arrow: "Brother Fu, look! This one I made can shoot paper balls!"
He suddenly leaned closer to Yun Tangyin, "Aunt Fu, if you have a little brother, I'll teach him archery so he can be a soldier like Brother Fu."
Yun Tangyin smiled and pinched his cheek: "Then you should have your Master Fu teach him how to weave bamboo ware first. We can't forget our roots."
Fu Yucheng lifted Erzhuzi above his head: "When the little brother grows up, I'll teach him to shoot a gun, and you'll teach him to weave bamboo crafts. We'll be one scholar and one warrior."
Lying on the kang (heated brick bed) at night, Yun Tangyin touched the amulet on Fu Yucheng's chest: "You've prepared so many things, it's like you're already pregnant..."
Yun Tangyin leaned closer to him: "We don't need to buy so many, one is enough." She suddenly laughed, "Don't you think we're being too hasty?"
"No rush." Fu Yucheng hugged her tightly. "Wait patiently. When the baby arrives, we'll give him all the good things we've saved up."
The moonlight from outside the window fell on their clasped hands, and the silver bracelets jingled.
Yun Tangyin suddenly felt that the days of looking forward to a little life were like simmering donkey-hide gelatin in a clay pot, slowly simmering and filling the whole house with a sweet fragrance.
On the morning of the temple fair, Fu Yucheng rode his bicycle with Yun Tangyin to the town.
As they passed a stream, he suddenly stopped the car: "Let me get out and wash my face, it'll be nice and cool."
As soon as Yun Tangyin bent down, he hugged her from behind: "Look at this stream, doesn't it look like the ripples on your embroidered handkerchief?"
"Stop fooling around, or we'll miss the shadow puppet show." She pulled her hand away from his, but he dragged her towards the willow trees by the stream. "I'll make you a willow hat, like the one you wore in the army back then."
The willow hat was woven crookedly, but it was adorned with a few small wildflowers.
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