Seeing Yun Tangyin staring blankly out of the courtyard, still clutching the unfinished tiger-head shoes in her hand, Xiao Lan skipped over and handed her the small bamboo basket she had just woven: "Sister-in-law, look at the bamboo basket I wove! When Second Uncle and Second Aunt come back, shall we use this to hold locust flower cakes for them to eat?"
Although the edges of the bamboo basket were a bit crooked, they were wrapped with red rope, revealing the child's unique ingenuity.
Yun Tangyin took the bamboo basket, her fingertips tracing the smooth bamboo strips, and nodded with a smile: "Okay."
She placed the bamboo basket on her lap and stuffed a freshly peeled orange into Xiaolan's hand. "Try it quickly. This was bought from the town's supply and marketing cooperative. It's very sweet. Your second aunt said that oranges in the city aren't as sweet as those from home. When the orange trees on the hillside behind our yard bear fruit in the spring, we'll send some to them too."
Zhou Desheng's wife came over carrying a sewing basket, holding the cloth shoe soles she was sewing for Jiang Jianhua, with dense and even stitches.
"Yinyin, do you think the pattern on these shoe soles is okay?" She handed over the soles. "I embroidered some lotus scrolls based on the design you gave me. If Jianhua doesn't think it looks good, I'll take it apart and re-embroider it."
Yun Tangyin took the shoe sole, looked at the lively patterns on it, and couldn't help but praise, "These patterns are so beautiful, Second Aunt will definitely like them."
Aunt Zhang sat on the stone bench next to her, shelling peanuts in her hands. The peanut kernels were piled in a rough porcelain dish, glistening with oil.
“When Yuanshan and Jianhua come back, we’ll have to have a big celebration,” she said, handing peanuts to Zhou Ming and Zhou Liang. “I talked to Old Wang from the back hill the other day and asked him to save two fat chickens for us in the spring. We’ll make chicken soup for Yinyin to help her recover, and Yuanshan can also taste the flavors of home.”
Fu Yucheng brought out bamboo strips from the house, preparing to weave a new feeding trough for the rabbits. Seeing everyone in the yard talking about Fu Yuanshan and his wife, he smiled and said, "Second Brother said in his letter that when he comes back in the spring, he will make a new stone mill for our yard."
He picked up a bamboo strip and gestured, "He also said he wanted to make a little wooden horse for Lan'er so she could ride it and play, just like the children in the city."
Xiao Lan's eyes lit up immediately when she heard "wooden horse." She put down the orange she was holding and went over to him: "Will Second Uncle really make me a wooden horse? Will it run as fast as in the stories?"
Fu Yucheng reached out and ruffled her hair, nodding with a smile: "Definitely. Don't you trust your second uncle's skills? We'll have him carve patterns on the wooden horse and paint it red. I guarantee it will be the most beautiful wooden horse."
Zhou Ming pulled Zhou Liang's hand and leaned close to Fu Yucheng: "Uncle Fu, when Second Uncle comes back, can you teach me how to make a small stool? I want to make a small stool for my mother so she can sit down when she's sewing shoe soles."
Fu Yucheng put down the bamboo strips, squatted down and looked at the two children: "Of course you can. Your second uncle is most willing to teach children crafts. I'll ask him to find you some soft wood, and I guarantee you can make some nice little stools."
At dinner time, the kitchen was filled with the aroma of corn porridge. Fu Yucheng also steamed some sweet potatoes. The skin of the sweet potatoes cracked open during steaming, revealing the golden flesh inside, which was sweet and fragrant.
Yun Tangyin ladled out a bowl of corn porridge and handed it to Aunt Zhang: "Aunt Zhang, try it quickly. This corn porridge has some millet in it, which is better for your stomach. Your teeth aren't good, so this is perfect for you."
Aunt Zhang took the bowl, scooped up a spoonful, and the warm corn porridge slid into her stomach, warming her heart: "It's so delicious, Yinyin, your cooking skills are even better than the chefs in the city restaurants."
Zhou Desheng took a sip of his drink, then suddenly remembered something and said to Fu Yucheng, "Brother Fu, shall we call them tomorrow? Let's ask if they received the package, and let them hear what's going on in the yard, so they won't miss home."
Fu Yucheng put down his wine glass and nodded: "Okay, I asked the post office the other day and they said the phone will be working again after the New Year. Let's go after breakfast tomorrow."
Yun Tangyin put a piece of sweet potato into Fu Yucheng's bowl: "Don't forget to tell your second uncle that the rabbits in the yard have all grown strong. Snowball can now jump half a foot high, and Flowerball can even follow Lan'er around."
Then she remembered something else, "Also, tell Second Aunt not to stay up all night helping Second Uncle grind wood. It's not good for her health. When they come back, we'll help them do it together."
The next morning, Fu Yucheng and Zhou Desheng walked towards the town through the thin snow, leaving two deep footprints in the snow.
The post office was warm and cozy. The staff on duty greeted them with a smile: "Calling relatives out of town again? A lot of people have been coming lately. The people on the other end of the line are so happy to hear their family's voices."
Fu Yucheng picked up the phone and dialed the number Fu Yuanshan had left. The phone rang twice before being answered quickly. Jiang Jianhua's familiar voice came from the other end: "Hello, who is this?"
Fu Yucheng smiled and said, "Second sister-in-law, it's me."
Jiang Jianhua immediately became excited: "Acheng! Are you all alright? How are Yinyin and the baby?"
"We're all doing well," Fu Yucheng said with a smile. "Second sister-in-law, we sent you some cured meat and rice cakes yesterday, as well as locust flower cakes made by Yinyin. They should arrive in about a week. You should try them when you receive them. Yinyin specially saved the most fragrant ones for you."
Yun Tangyin was feeding the rabbits with Aunt Zhang in the yard when she suddenly heard Fu Yucheng's voice coming from outside the gate. She quickly got up to greet him: "How is it? Did you get through on the phone? What did Second Sister-in-law say?"
Fu Yucheng smiled and handed her the paper package: "I got through. My second sister-in-law said they are all well and that she will write back to us when she receives the package. This is from the post office, which my second sister-in-law asked a colleague to forward it. She said it's a little silver bell for the child, which can calm the nerves."
Yun Tangyin took the paper package, inside which was a small silver bell that jingled when shaken, producing a clear and crisp sound.
“It’s so beautiful,” she said, hanging the silver bell on the child’s little cotton-padded jacket. “When the child is born, he can wear this silver bell and we can hear it wherever he goes.”
Xiao Lan leaned over, gently touched the silver bell, and said with a smile, "It sounds so nice! When Uncle and Aunt come back, let them make a silver bracelet for my little brother, then he'll have a silver lock, a silver bell, and a silver bracelet!"
As the sun rose above the bamboo tips, Zhou Desheng's wife arrived carrying freshly made scallion pancakes. The pancakes were still steaming, and the aroma of scallions filled the entire courtyard.
"Try it," she said, placing the pancake on the stone table. "My mother says scallion pancakes are best with corn porridge. You must be hungry since you just came back from town."
Yun Tangyin picked up a piece of pancake and took a bite. It was crispy on the outside and soft on the inside, and the aroma of scallions filled her mouth. She couldn't help but nod and say, "It's delicious."
Aunt Zhang sat under the eaves, sewing a cloth jacket for Fu Yuanshan. The fabric was coarse blue cloth bought last autumn, which was durable and comfortable.
Yun Tangyin leaned against Fu Yucheng, watching the busy crowd in the courtyard, listening to the children's laughter, and holding the small silver bell in her hand, her heart filled with anticipation.
She knew that although Fu Yuanshan and Jiang Jianhua were not by her side this year, every concern and every handmade item connected everyone's hearts tightly.
When the locust flowers bloom in spring, they will definitely come back. The courtyard will be even more lively then, and the sweet aroma of locust flower cakes will waft even further. This warmth will continue, growing stronger and warmer year by year.
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