Yun Tangyin was sitting on the edge of the bed mending Nian'an's little jacket when she heard Song Yushuang's words. She couldn't help but look up and smile: "Your tiger doll is getting more and more lifelike. I'm afraid even Nian'an will have to treat it with respect when she sees it."
Song Yushuang put down her needlework, held the doll up to the light, and said, "It has to be like this to be dignified. Look at this 'king' character, it needs a few more stitches to be solid."
She pinched the red thread between her fingers and added a few more stitches to the doll's forehead to make the words stand out more.
The aroma of wheat wafted from the kitchen as Jiang Jianhua preheated the iron pot, preparing ingredients for making snowflake crisps tomorrow.
She chopped the dried mulberries into small cubes and cracked open the walnuts to extract the plump kernels: "These mulberries need to be dried a little longer, otherwise the moisture content will be too high and the snowflake crisps will stick easily."
Song Yushuang went into the kitchen, picked up a mulberry, and tasted it: "The sweetness is just right, no need to add any more sugar."
Jiang Jianhua smiled and nodded: "That's what I think too. The original flavor is healthier."
At night, Nian'an turned over, muttering "tiger, tiger" under her breath, her little hands still groping around on the pillow.
Song Yushuang quickly stuffed the tiger plush toy into his arms, and the little guy immediately hugged it tightly, a satisfied smile on his lips.
Watching this scene, Yun Tangyin said softly, "This doll has become his talisman; he can't sleep soundly without it."
Song Yushuang tucked the blanket in: "The child is still young, so I feel at ease knowing he has something to remember. When he grows up, he'll know that this is all from his grandmother's heart."
The next morning, Fu Yucheng hurried to town with his money bag in his hand. When he passed Aunt Zhang's house, Aunt Zhang was walking out with a basket on her shoulder, which was filled with freshly picked green beans.
"Yucheng, going to town?" Aunt Zhang asked with a smile. "Could you bring back two pounds of coarse salt for me? We're almost out of salt at home."
Fu Yucheng replied, "No problem, Aunt Zhang. Your green beans are really fresh, did you grow them yourself?"
Aunt Zhang nodded: "Yes, they were just picked from the garden. I'll bring you some later; they're so tender when stir-fried."
Fu Yucheng bought everything he needed at the town's general store, including brown sugar, granulated sugar, and sesame seeds, and even picked out some plump walnuts.
The shopkeeper smiled and said, "Fu, you've bought so many nice things today, is there some good news at home?"
Fu Yucheng replied with a smile, "I'm making some food for the child; the little guy is very greedy."
He paid the money, carried the heavy bag back home, and imagined how happy Nian'an would be when she ate the snowflake pastry.
When I got home, the courtyard was already bustling with activity. Aunt Zhang had brought over some green beans and was sitting under the eaves with Song Yu, picking vegetables.
Jiang Jianhua was busy in the kitchen, with various ingredients for making snowflake crisps laid out on the cutting board.
Nian Anze and Xiao Lan were playing with bamboo dragonflies in the yard, their laughter as clear and crisp as wind chimes. "I'm back,"
Fu Yucheng placed the bag on the stone table. "I've bought everything." Jiang Jianhua poked his head out from the kitchen: "Great, I'll start cooking right away."
Fu Yucheng poured the sesame seeds into a winnowing basket, sat on the doorstep and carefully sifted them, picking out all the small stones.
After Song Yushuang finished selecting the vegetables, she came over to help: "These sesame seeds need to be washed clean and dried before they will be fragrant."
She brought over some water, poured the sesame seeds into the basin, and gently stirred it with her hand. Immediately, a layer of fine impurities floated to the surface of the water.
“You have to rinse it several times,” Song Yushuang said, “otherwise it will be gritty to eat.”
Jiang Jianhua melted the butter in a pot, then added granulated sugar and simmered it over low heat until the sugar was completely melted and emitted a sweet aroma.
She added the diced mulberries and walnuts and stir-fried them evenly. Then she added the broken biscuits, quickly mixed them together, sprinkled sesame seeds on top, and poured the mixture into a wooden tray lined with parchment paper, pressing it down flat.
"Once it's completely cooled, we can cut it into pieces," Jiang Jianhua wiped the sweat from his forehead. "It looks delicious."
Nian'an and Xiaolan were peering longingly at the snowflake crisps in the pot by the kitchen door, their little noses constantly sniffing the air.
“We’ll have to wait a while,” Jiang Jianhua said with a smile, “it will only be crispy after it’s completely cooled down.”
Nian'an reached out her little hand to reach the wooden plate, but Fu Yucheng gently pulled her back: "Don't rush, once it's done, I'll pack a small bag for you and Xiaolan each."
In the afternoon, the snowflake crisps were finally ready.
Jiang Jianhua cut it into neat small cubes and put them into a clean paper bag.
The golden pastries are garnished with purplish-red mulberries and black sesame seeds, making them look incredibly tempting.
"Try it," Jiang Jianhua handed a piece to Song Yushuang, "and see how sweet it is."
Song Yushuang took a bite. It was crispy and crunchy, sweet with a hint of mulberry tartness. She squinted her eyes in delight: "It's so delicious, Jianhua, your cooking skills are truly amazing."
Fu Yucheng also picked up a piece and tasted it, nodding in praise: "It's even better than the pastry shops in town. I'll send some to Zhou Desheng's family and Aunt Zhang's family later, so they can try it too."
Jiang Jianhua quickly packed two small bags: "I'll deliver them right away, and I'll also take Aunt Zhang's coarse salt to her while I'm at it."
Nian'an took her own little paper packet, carefully took out a piece and put it in her mouth. Her eyes immediately lit up, and she picked up another piece and handed it to Xiao Lan next to her: "Sister Lan, eat."
Xiao Lan took it, took a bite, and nodded repeatedly because it was so sweet: "It's so delicious, even better than the sugar cakes my mother makes."
As evening fell, Fu Yuanshan returned from the fields carrying a bunch of fresh grapes, which he had found on the back hill.
“These grapes are ripe and very sweet,” Fu Yuanshan said, placing the grapes on the stone table. “They’re for Nian’an to have as a snack.”
Nian'an ran over, picked up a grape, and popped it into his mouth. The sweet and sour juice burst in his mouth, and he laughed and said, "Sweet, sweet."
At dinner time, the kitchen was filled with the aroma of stir-fried green beans and pork, along with a pot of fragrant rice.
Nian'an sat on a small stool, eating with a spoon by herself, occasionally picking up a piece of green bean with her chopsticks, her little face turning rosy from eating.
Fu Yucheng picked up a piece of meat and gave it to Yun Tangyin: "Eat more, this meat is stewed until tender and easy to digest."
Yun Tangyin smiled and said, "You should eat more too; you've been working in the fields all day."
After dinner, the family sat in the courtyard to enjoy the cool air.
Fu Yuanshan took out the bamboo fan he had woven during the day and fanned Nian'an.
Song Yushuang leaned back in her rocking chair, humming a familiar old tune.
Jiang Jianhua was mending Nian'an's little clothes under the lamp.
The moonlight spilled into the courtyard, bathing everything in a gentle glow. The locust leaves rustled, as if telling the story of these ordinary yet happy days.
Nian'an lay in Song Yushuang's arms, holding a piece of snowflake pastry in her hand, chewing slowly, her eyes gradually narrowing.
Song Yushuang gently patted his back, her voice growing softer and softer.
Fu Yucheng and Fu Yuanshan sat on a stone bench, chatting about the crops in the fields and their plans for the coming year. Their voices were soft, but full of hope.
Life in this courtyard is like the snowflake crisps made by Jiang Jianhua—sweet but not cloying, filled with heartfelt sentiment.
Every ordinary moment is filled with warmth and happiness, flowing quietly in the long river of time, exuding a faint sweetness.
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