Fu Yucheng stuffed the hawthorn into his mouth, grimacing from the sourness but still trying to sound tough: "Where's the sourness? I think it's just right."
Before he could finish speaking, the walkie-talkie in his pocket suddenly crackled to life, and the staff officer's voice crackled through the crackling words: "Order from above, emergency assembly! There's piping on the Jiangbei dike!"
Yun Tangyin's hand suddenly stopped in the pool, and foam dripped down the rim of the bowl.
She stared at Fu Yucheng, her expression momentarily blank.
"I have to go." He suddenly grabbed her hand and pulled her into his arms, the metal buckle on the holster digging painfully into her palm. "Yinyin, the folic acid is in the second layer of the medicine box. Remember to take one tablet every day."
"I know." She tiptoed to fasten his top button, her fingertips brushing against his earlobes, which were red from the cold. "Just take care of yourself. I'll be waiting for you to come home."
Fu Yucheng slipped a hot water bottle into her pocket; it had just been filled that morning. "Your eldest sister-in-law will bring you dumplings at noon, and your second sister-in-law said she made you some black chicken soup. If you're scared at night, have them come and sleep with you."
"You're the one who's scared." Yun Tangyin pushed him away, but her eyes welled up with tears. "Send me a telegram when you get there, don't make me guess."
"Definitely." Fu Yucheng suddenly turned and ran into the house. When he came back, he was holding the pair of silver longevity locks in his hand and pressed them into her palm.
Yun Tangyin was aware of how busy Fu Yucheng had been lately.
When the military vehicle engine exploded outside the courtyard, Yun Tangyin was still standing on the threshold, clutching a burning hot longevity lock in her hand.
Snowflakes fell on the lock, melting into tiny water droplets, like someone's tears.
Before she could react, the courtyard gate was pushed open, and Yu Xia walked in through the snow, carrying a food box: "Yinyin, these are some freshly made dumplings. Acheng has been busy lately, so come and chat with me when you have some free time."
Jiang Jianhua followed closely behind, a cloth bag slung over his arm: "Yes, isn't this how sisters-in-law get along? Now it's just a matter of who gets pregnant first, you or your sister-in-law."
Yun Tangyin suddenly laughed and handed the longevity lock to them: "It's not even a matter yet, but you've already prepared this. It'll make you two sisters-in-law laugh."
Yu Xia touched the pattern on the lock and suddenly smiled: "I've mentioned it before."
Jiang Jianhua opened the cloth bag, inside was a newly made cotton vest: "He asked me to make this for you, saying that you always like to go to the cellar, and there is no heating in that room, so wearing this will keep you warm."
As they were talking, Yun Tangyin suddenly felt something uncomfortable in her pocket. She pulled it out and saw that it was Fu Yucheng's notebook. The last page read: "Have your sister-in-law teach Yinyin how to make it, and put in twice the amount of sugar."
Laughter erupted again at the courtyard gate, and Song Yushuang, wrapped in a mink scarf, entered. "Oh, what are you whispering about?"
Song Yushuang took off her scarf, which was covered in snow, put the food box on the table, and opened the lid to reveal steaming hot brown sugar cakes. "I heard you laughing at the alley entrance. I guessed you were talking about that kid, Acheng."
Yun Tangyin quickly took the food box, her fingertips touching the hot porcelain: "Why is Mom here? It's so cold."
"Can you not come?" Song Yushuang tapped her forehead. "Acheng called me before he got on the bus and asked me to keep an eye on you while you ate breakfast, saying he was afraid you would forget the time if you were busy."
She glanced at the longevity lock on the table and suddenly laughed out loud, "I recognize these locks. I asked an old silversmith to make them for me, and he gave them to you first."
Yu Xia added a piece of coal to the stove: "Mom, you don't know, we even dug out the crib, saying it's the one he slept in when he was little, it's sturdy."
“That’s right.” Jiang Jianhua leaned closer. “I even had the clothing factory make two small quilts, with dragon and phoenix designs, just in case I’m pregnant with twins.”
Yun Tangyin's face flushed red, and she stuffed the longevity lock into the brocade box: "Don't make fun of me, he's just worrying for no reason."
“It’s good that you’re worried.” Song Yushuang picked up a piece of steamed cake and stuffed it into her hand. “That’s how a man should be. He only counts if he has his family in his heart. The other day I went to see Aunt Li. Her husband hasn’t been home for half a year. He’s almost forgotten what his child looks like.”
Just then, the sound of a bicycle bell came from outside the courtyard gate. Guard Xiao Chen came in carrying a large cardboard box, snow falling from the brim of his hat: "Sister-in-law, Brother Fu asked me to bring this. He said you'll definitely like it."
Upon opening the box, I found a brand-new radio, with several cassette tapes next to it.
Yun Tangyin picked up the cassette tape and saw that it was full of piano music. She suddenly remembered what Fu Yucheng had said about "listening to piano music during the second trimester of pregnancy," and her face flushed again.
“That silly boy.” Song Yushuang touched the radio casing. “Last time I saw this one at the department store, he said the sound quality was good and insisted on buying it for you to keep you entertained. I even told him he didn’t understand your feelings.”
Yu Xia suddenly clapped her hands: "Oh right, Yinyin, there are so many hawthorns, let me make you candied hawthorns. I said if I add twice the amount of sugar, they won't be sour. Shall we make them now?"
Yun Tangyin nodded and was about to move the hawthorn box when Jiang Jianhua stopped her, saying, "I'll do it with my sister-in-law."
Song Yushuang sat to the side, watching the three women busy around the stove, and suddenly smiled: "This is what a family should look like."
Yun Tangyin paused, holding the bamboo skewer in her hand. "Mom, aren't things getting better and better now?"
“Yes, Mom.” Yu Xia put the skewered hawthorns into the sugar pot. “When Acheng comes back, our family will have a lively New Year. If Yinyin gets pregnant then, it will be double happiness.”
Jiang Jianhua scooped a spoonful of sugar syrup and poured it onto the cold board. He didn't say anything, but what he was thinking was...
I wish she could get pregnant too.
But Jiang Jianhua no longer wants to think about people like Fu Yuanshan; he'll just make do.
As Yun Tangyin listened to their conversation, she suddenly felt that the longevity lock in her hand was not so heavy anymore.
The snow was still falling, and the aroma of sugar mixed with the sweetness of steamed cakes in the house warmed one's heart.
Jiang Jianhua spread a thin layer of syrup on the cool board, then suddenly chuckled softly: "If Yinyin gives birth, I'll give the child my pair of silver bracelets as a gift."
Song Yushuang was eating sunflower seeds when she suddenly pointed out the window: "Look, the snow has stopped."
Sunlight filtered through the clouds, casting a golden glow on the snow.
Snow was piled up on the old locust tree outside the courtyard gate, and it fell down in a rustling sound when the wind blew, like a handful of broken silver.
"The weather is perfect for airing out the quilts." Yu Xia wiped her hands. "I'll go and move Yin Yin's new quilt to the yard to air it out, so A Cheng can use it to keep warm when he comes back."
Just as Yun Tangyin was about to respond, she saw Jiang Jianhua suddenly cover his mouth and run towards the outhouse, staggering and almost falling on the threshold.
Yu Xia quickly followed, returning with a handkerchief in her hand: "I'm afraid she caught a cold; she just said she felt dizzy."
Song Yushuang frowned and added a piece of coal to the stove: "I told you not to always drink cold water, but you wouldn't listen."
She turned around and rummaged through the medicine box in the cabinet. "Where's the ginger tea I bought for you the other day? Make it quickly."
As Jiang Jianhua drank his ginger tea, his face slowly turned red: "Actually, it's nothing. Maybe the smell of sugar made me feel a little nauseous."
As she spoke, she moved closer to Yun Tangyin, "Isn't it strange? I used to hate sweets, but today, smelling the aroma of these candied hawthorns, I'm actually starting to crave them."
Yun Tangyin's heart stirred, and she suddenly remembered what Dr. Zhang had said. She quietly tugged at Yu Xia's sleeve.
Yu Xia understood and added another spoonful of brown sugar to Jiang Jianhua's bowl: "Drink more, and you'll feel better after sweating it out."
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com