Following the direction he pointed, Sister Wang looked and laughed: "You want two boxes of hibiscus cake? These are rare items, they just arrived a few days ago."
She quickly tied it up with straw rope. "Was this bought for Comrade Jianhua?"
Fu Yuanshan's ears turned bright red instantly. He mumbled an "Mmm," paid the money, turned around, and left as fast as if he were on fire.
Sister Wang called out from behind him, "Take care! Tell me what you want to eat next time, and I'll save it for you!"
He didn't turn around, but his grip on the oil paper package loosened slightly. He had clearly pointed to the cheapest brown rice cake, but Sister Wang had given him hibiscus cake instead.
But Fu Yuanshan was a man of pride, so even if he pointed out the wrong person, he couldn't say it wasn't true.
Just as I was about to reach my doorstep, I bumped into Fu Yucheng as he returned home.
The moment the two met, Fu Yuanshan instinctively hid the paper package behind his back.
"Second Brother went to chop firewood?" Fu Yucheng's gaze swept over the bundle of firewood on his shoulder. "This firewood looks pretty dry."
"Hmm." Fu Yuanshan's voice was harder than stone as he turned to try and go around him.
"Wait a minute." Fu Yucheng suddenly spoke up, shoving a military water bottle into his hand. "It's fresh water from the well, it's still cold."
Fu Yuanshan's hand holding the kettle froze, the coolness of the kettle creeping up his palm.
He recalled Jiang Jianhua's words from the previous night, and his Adam's apple bobbed: "Thanks."
"No need for formalities, we're brothers." Fu Yucheng smiled, his eyes shining with sunshine. "By the way, Yinyin said she's making steamed buns for lunch, with chive and egg filling. Second brother, come back early."
Fu Yuanshan didn't reply, and walked home in silence, but hesitated to go in when he reached the gate of the courtyard.
The sounds of Yun Tangyin and Jiang Jianhua chatting and laughing came from the courtyard, mixed with the "thump-thump" of the rolling pin hitting the cutting board, like a soft thorn gently pricking my heart.
"Second sister-in-law, do you think these folds are right?" Yun Tangyin's voice was crisp and clear.
"Pinch it tighter, or the filling will leak out when steaming." Jiang Jianhua's voice was filled with laughter. "Your skills are much better than when you first married into the family."
"It's all thanks to my eldest and second sisters-in-law for teaching me so well."
Fu Yuanshan stood outside the door and heard Jiang Jianhua suddenly cough, followed by Yun Tangyin's exclamation: "Second sister-in-law, what's wrong? Did you choke?"
"It's nothing," Jiang Jianhua's voice was a little hoarse. "Just pour me a bowl of water."
His heart tightened, and he pushed open the door and went inside.
Jiang Jianhua was clutching his chest, panting. He was taken aback when he saw him come in: "Why are you back?"
Fu Yuanshan didn't say anything, put the bundle of firewood against the wall, and walked straight to the kitchen.
Yun Tangyin had just brought out a bowl of water when he bumped into her, causing her to stumble and fall to the ground with a crash, shattering into several pieces.
"Second Brother!" Yun Tangyin exclaimed in surprise.
Fu Yuanshan then came to his senses, looking at the shards of porcelain scattered on the ground, and then at Jiang Jianhua's pale face. He didn't know what was wrong with him either.
"Where have you been!" Jiang Jianhua grabbed his arm, the heat of his palm making him shiver. "You...this..."
The two stood frozen in place, and Yu Xia tactfully squatted down to pick up the broken pieces of porcelain: "I'll sweep it up, I'll sweep it up."
Fu Yuanshan's gaze fell on Jiang Jianhua's hands. His knuckles were white from the force he was using, and there was a shallow scar on the web of his hand. It was from when he was sewing shoe soles for Jiang Jianhua two years ago, when he was pricked by an awl.
"You..." He opened his mouth, wanting to say something, but was interrupted by Jiang Jianhua: "Did you buy the hibiscus cake for me?"
He then remembered the paper package in his hand, hurriedly handed it over, and said in a voice barely audible, "Sister Wang gave it to me."
Jiang Jianhua took it, and when her fingertips touched his hand, she recoiled as if she had been electrocuted, but hugged the paper package tightly: "How much?"
"No need," Fu Yuanshan said, turning his face away. "Just eat it."
Yun Tangyin clapped her hands from the side: "Second brother has finally figured it out! Second sister-in-law, try it quickly, this hibiscus cake is delicious."
Jiang Jianhua opened the paper package, took out a piece, and handed it to Yun Tangyin's lips: "You eat first."
"I won't eat it, Second Sister-in-law will," Yun Tangyin said with a smile, dodging away. "This is Second Brother's thoughtfulness."
Fu Yuanshan's face turned even redder, and he turned and walked towards the woodshed.
He had just raised his axe when he heard Jiang Jianhua shout from the yard, "Yuanshan, come help me start the fire!"
His hand trembled, and he almost dropped the axe on his foot. He quickly replied, "Coming," but his steps were unusually light.
In the kitchen, Jiang Jianhua was adding water to the pot. When he saw him come in, he moved closer to the stove and said, "Sit here."
Fu Yuanshan sat down as instructed, picked up a match and struck it. The flame leaped up and warmed both of their faces.
"Why did you suddenly decide to buy pastries?" Jiang Jianhua's voice was very soft, as if afraid of startling something.
"I saw it when I was passing by." He added some firewood to the stove. "Don't you like sweets?"
Jiang Jianhua paused for a moment, then sprinkled some baking soda into the pot: "The sugar packets I made for you before, you said they were too sweet."
"That's...that's because I was worried you'd get tired." Fu Yuanshan's voice sounded a little flustered. "Actually, it's quite delicious."
She couldn't help but smile, her smile as sweet as honey: "I'll steam some sugar buns for you tonight, and I'll put in two extra spoonfuls of sugar."
"Hmm," he replied, adding more firewood to the stove. The firelight cast his shadow on the wall, very close to Jiang Jianhua's shadow, as if they were snuggling together.
When Yun Tangyin and Fu Yucheng walked in, they saw this scene.
Fu Yucheng nudged Yun Tangyin with his elbow, the two exchanged a smile, and quietly slipped out.
“Look at Second Brother and Second Sister-in-law, aren’t they getting better and better?” Yun Tangyin leaned on Fu Yucheng’s shoulder.
"I told you, Second Brother is just being stubborn." Fu Yucheng hugged her tighter. "Maybe we'll be able to attend our nephew's one-month celebration soon."
"You're quite the thinker," Yun Tangyin said with a laugh, playfully punching him.
“It’s only natural,” Fu Yucheng said, lowering his head to kiss the top of her head. “I’ll have my second brother buy my second sister-in-law a silver bracelet to fulfill her wish from back then.”
In the kitchen, Jiang Jianhua suddenly coughed, and Fu Yuanshan quickly handed him a kettle: "Drink slowly."
She took a couple of sips, handed the kettle back, and her fingertips accidentally brushed against the back of his hand. This time, neither of them flinched.
“This afternoon…” Fu Yuanshan’s voice was a little hoarse, “I’ll go with you to buy some cloth.”
Jiang Jianhua's eyes lit up, like stars falling from the sky: "Okay, I'll make you a new jacket and a dress for Mom."
"I'll make one for you too," Fu Yuanshan said, looking at her. "I'll make a red one."
Her face flushed instantly, and she looked down at the water in the pot, stirring it: "Why are you wearing red?"
"It looks good," he said earnestly. "Red suits you very well; it looks good on you."
The fire crackled in the stove, and the water in the pot gradually heated up, emitting fine white steam that warmed the shadows of the two people.
Looking at Jiang Jianhua's profile, Fu Yuanshan suddenly realized that those messy thoughts were like ashes in the stove, destined to be blown away by the wind. She was right.
We've already come this far, if we still can't see the reality of the situation...
They'll just be kicked out.
He picked up the firewood beside him and slowly added it to the stove, and the flames leaped even higher.
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