Yun Tangyin held the egg in the cloth bag, her fingertips touching the warmth of the eggshell, and her heart felt warm as well.
"I can't accept this, it always costs you so much," she said, pushing the cloth bag into Zhou Desheng's wife's hands, but the other woman smiled and pushed it back, "We're all neighbors, why be so polite? You're pregnant, you need to eat more so that your baby will be strong in the future."
Zhou Desheng chimed in, "That's right, Yinyin, just accept it. My two boys can't finish it, and it won't be fresh if it's left out for too long."
After seeing the two off, Fu Yucheng put the eggs into the earthenware pot in the kitchen, and deliberately lined it with a layer of wheat bran: "This way they can be stored for a longer time. I'll cook one for you every day to help you recover."
Yun Tangyin leaned against the kitchen door frame, watching him carefully arrange the eggs. She suddenly remembered that when she first married him, he did the same thing, tidying up all her things neatly, even arranging the needles and threads for her embroidery in a neat order by color.
"When did you become so good at managing your household?" she asked with a smile. Fu Yucheng turned around and said, "I learned it from Aunt Zhang. She said that you have to be careful with your household to make it work."
Xiao Lan was still squatting by the cage, watching the rabbits sleeping in the small bamboo basket, her fingers gently touching the cage bars, afraid of disturbing them.
“Brother Fu, this bamboo basket is so soft,” she said, looking up with eyes as bright as stars. “Once I learn how to make it, I’ll make one for my kittens so they can sleep in such a comfortable nest too.”
Fu Yucheng walked over and patted her head: "Okay, I'll invite you next time I'm knitting, and we'll knit an even bigger one for the kitten together."
As dusk fell, the snow began to fall again, gently settling on the old locust tree in the courtyard, and a thin layer of snow quickly accumulated on its branches.
Yun Tangyin saw Xiaolan off at the door and slipped a piece of locust flower cake into her hand: "Take care on the way."
Xiao Lan took the cake and skipped towards the alley entrance, her red ribbon flickering like a dancing flame in the snowy night: "Don't worry, sister-in-law! I'll come first thing tomorrow morning to learn how to weave bamboo baskets from Brother Fu!"
Back inside, Fu Yucheng had already added coal to the stove, and the flames licked the bottom of the pot, making the sweet potato porridge simmer and bubble.
He shoved a hand warmer into Yun Tangyin's hand: "Warm your hands quickly, it's snowing heavily outside, you don't want to get cold."
Yun Tangyin held a hand warmer, leaned against him, and looked at the rabbit in the cage.
In the small bamboo basket, three baby rabbits were nestled in their mother's arms, fast asleep. Flower Ball's little paws were resting on the mother rabbit's back, like a spoiled child.
"Do you think they might have sweet dreams?" Yun Tangyin asked softly. Fu Yucheng ladled a spoonful of sweet potato porridge into her bowl: "They definitely will. They'll dream of mountains full of green grass and carrots, and the little bamboo baskets we wove for them."
He suddenly remembered something, and pulled a wooden box out of the cabinet, which contained the little trinkets he had prepared for the child.
There are small tigers carved from peach wood, small rattles made of bamboo, and small locust flower purses embroidered by him.
"I'll let the baby play with these after it's born," Fu Yucheng said with a smile, his eyes full of anticipation. "I learned all of these from a book; I don't know if the baby will like them."
Yun Tangyin picked up the small rattle drum and shook it gently; the "dong dong" sound was crisp and gentle.
“I’ll definitely like it,” she said, holding the rattle to her ear. “Look how fine the workmanship is; it’s even more exquisite than the ones sold at the supply and marketing cooperative.”
She suddenly felt the little one in her belly move, as if saying "I like it," and couldn't help but laugh out loud: "See, the baby likes it too."
Fu Yucheng pressed his ear against her lower abdomen, listening to the sounds inside, his smile growing even gentler: "If it likes it, I'll make it even more."
In the middle of the night, Yun Tangyin woke up and saw that Fu Yucheng was not by her side again, so she knew that he must have gone to see the rabbits again.
She put on her clothes and got out of bed, and sure enough, she saw him squatting in front of the rabbit cage, holding a piece of cotton cloth in his hand, gently covering the rabbit in the small bamboo basket.
The light from the oil lamp fell on him, and the cotton wadding on his military green cotton-padded jacket looked like it was bathed in moonlight, so gentle.
"Why are you up again?" Yun Tangyin walked over and draped an old cotton-padded coat over him. "Be careful not to catch a cold."
Fu Yucheng turned around, a smile in his eyes: "I heard the flower ball whimper, so I covered it with something because I was worried it was cold."
He pointed into the cage, where Flower Ball was burying its head in its mother rabbit's arms, its little body rising and falling gently. "Look, it stops whimpering once the cloth is on it, just like a child who needs to be coaxed."
Yun Tangyin squatted down beside him, looking at the sleeping rabbits, and suddenly felt a sense of peace in her heart.
With Fu Yucheng around, she, the children, and the rabbits were all taken care of perfectly.
"How about we move the rabbit cages to the old locust tree after spring?" Yun Tangyin asked softly. "Let them bask in the sun and smell the fragrance of the locust blossoms; they'll definitely be very happy."
Fu Yucheng took her hand and pulled it into his palm: "Okay, I'll build them a little shed so they can shelter from the rain and bask in the sun on sunny days."
He suddenly remembered something, "Oh right, I also need to build a swing under the locust tree. You can't swing while you're pregnant. After the baby is born, we can swing together with the baby and let it see what spring looks like."
Yun Tangyin leaned on Fu Yucheng's shoulder, listening to him describe the days after spring, her heart filled with anticipation.
She could almost see the swing gently swaying under the old locust tree, her holding her child on the swing, Fu Yucheng pushing it from behind, the rabbits sleeping in their little nests nearby, Xiao Lan chasing kittens in the yard, the neighbors chatting and laughing at their doorsteps, and the sunlight shining on everyone.
The next morning, just as dawn broke, Xiaolan arrived carrying a bamboo basket filled with jujube buns steamed by her mother and pieces of cloth she had cut overnight.
They're all for making small mats for rabbits.
"Brother Fu! Sister-in-law! I've come to learn how to weave bamboo baskets!" she exclaimed as soon as she entered the yard, her voice full of excitement. "I also brought some jujube buns, for you and the rabbit to try!"
Fu Yucheng was splitting bamboo strips in the yard when he saw Xiaolan arrive. He smiled and handed her a thin bamboo strip: "Try this first. You need thinner bamboo strips to weave bamboo baskets, so they're softer."
Xiao Lan took the bamboo strip and tried to imitate Fu Yucheng, clumsily twisting the strip around with her fingers, but always making mistakes. "Brother Fu, this is so difficult!"
Xiao Lan was a little discouraged, but Fu Yucheng patiently taught her: "Don't rush, take your time. First, arrange the bamboo strips neatly, then wrap them one by one, just like cutting a piece of cloth. You have to be patient."
Yun Tangyin brought out hot water and saw Xiao Lan studying diligently, so she couldn't help but smile: "Lan girl, don't rush."
Hearing this, Xiaolan mustered her courage again and continued to learn how to weave bamboo strips from Fu Yucheng.
As the sun rose above the bamboo tips, Xiaolan finally finished weaving the bottom of a small bamboo basket, though it was a bit crooked.
"Sister-in-law! Look at what I wove!" she exclaimed excitedly, holding up the bottom of the bamboo basket. Yun Tangyin walked over and touched the bottom of the basket: "It's really good. Lan'er is so smart. She can learn it in no time."
Fu Yucheng also smiled and said, "It's much better than the first time I wrote it. I'll practice some more."
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