Fu Yucheng added a piece of coal to the stove, and sparks flew onto the blue bricks, making the corner of his military green cotton-padded jacket glow warmly: "Director Wang's little grandson is holding a cake and spinning around in circles."
He took off his snow-covered military boots, the soles scraping up bits of straw on the ground. "He also said he wanted to be friends with the rabbits and asked me to bring him to see the baby rabbits in the spring."
Yun Tangyin was wiping the flour off her chopsticks with a cloth when she heard this and laughed out loud: "This child is just like Xiao Lan, she can't move when she sees a rabbit."
She stacked the chopsticks wrapped with red ribbons into the chopstick holder. The red ribbons swayed in the morning light like a string of tiny lanterns. "When the rabbits have their babies in the spring, I'll have them take turns feeding them, so I won't have to worry about it every day."
Zhou Desheng's wife carried an empty bowl toward the kitchen, her blue cotton jacket cuffs stained with vinegar: "My two boys should be counted too. Yesterday they were clamoring to learn how to weave rabbit cages, saying they wanted to compete with Brother Fu."
She suddenly turned around and pointed to the locust flower cake on the cutting board, "Is there any cake left? I'll take two pieces back so the kids can try it too."
Yun Tangyin stuffed a paper bag into her pocket: "Take more, Fu Yucheng steamed a whole basket, enough to last two or three days."
Li Sao sat down on the edge of the kang (a heated brick bed) with her child in her arms. The child was holding a piece of unfinished dumpling wrapper and stuffing it into his mouth.
“Yinyin, you’ve wrapped these red ribbons so beautifully,” she said, smiling as she touched the ribbons on the chopsticks. “My husband’s chopsticks should have been replaced a long time ago. I’ll have him wrap some ribbons on them too; they’ll look so festive.”
Fu Yucheng added a handful of pine needles to the stove, and the fragrance of pine resin mixed with the lingering aroma of dumplings wafted out: "Have Desheng find a piece of red cloth. I still have some paste, I'll help you wrap it tomorrow."
The snow outside the window started falling again sometime earlier, landing softly on the windowsill like a sprinkle of salt.
Zhou Desheng glanced into the courtyard, his military boots making a dull thud on the blue brick ground: "This snow is quite heavy; we'll probably have to shovel it tomorrow."
Fu Yucheng stuffed a hot roasted sweet potato into his hand: "Take this to warm your hands. I'll get up early tomorrow."
Zhou Desheng smiled and waved his hand: "How could I let Brother Fu go through this trouble? I can do this myself."
By the time I finished cleaning up the dishes, the sun had already sunk below the treetops in the west, and the snow's light illuminated the courtyard.
Li Sao carried the sleeping child out, a thin layer of snow clinging to the back of her blue cotton-padded jacket: "I'll come and help you tomorrow to cut out the child's little cotton-padded jacket. The blue cloth that Zhou Saozi gave me is just right."
Yun Tangyin stuffed a handful of roasted pumpkin seeds into her pocket: "Drive carefully, the snow is slippery."
Aunt Li turned around and smiled, "Don't worry, I'm very steady on my feet. Back in my hometown, I could walk on ice without ever stumbling."
As Zhou Desheng's wife was leaving with the empty vinegar bottle, she suddenly remembered something and took out a piece of ginger from her cloth bag: "I'm saving this for you to make chicken soup. My mother says that eating ginger in winter can ward off the cold and is good for pregnant women."
Fu Yucheng slipped a piece of locust flower cake into her hand: "Have something to eat on the way, don't go hungry."
She walked towards the alley entrance through the snow, her blue cotton-padded jacket casting a long shadow on the snow, like a drifting cloud.
The courtyard finally quieted down, with only the occasional crackling of firewood in the stove remaining.
Yun Tangyin sat on the edge of the kang (a heated brick bed), watching Fu Yucheng wipe the tung oil off the pine cage with a cloth. The brush left shiny marks as it brushed across the wood.
“The carvings on this cage door are so beautiful,” she said, reaching out to touch the intertwined floral patterns on the cage door, her fingertips still carrying the scent of tung oil. “They’re even more exquisite than the ones sold in carpentry shops.”
Fu Yucheng put down the brush and stuffed a piece of cotton cloth into her hand: "Wipe your hands, it's hard to wash off the tung oil."
The rabbits in the bamboo cage had woken up sometime earlier. The gray mother rabbit was pawing at the cotton wadding with her front paws, while the white rabbit squatted beside her watching, like a sensible little follower.
Yun Tangyin added a handful of soybeans to the cage: "Judging from their appearance, they're probably really going to build a nest."
Fu Yucheng threw a carrot into the cage: "Aunt Zhang said she'll send some more old cotton wadding tomorrow. Her grandson's outgrown cotton-padded jacket is perfect for this."
He suddenly sat down on the edge of the kang (a heated brick bed), gently stroking her lower abdomen with his palm: "Once the rabbits have given birth, the babies should be able to crawl. Then we can let them play together in the yard."
Yun Tangyin leaned closer to him, listening to his steady heartbeat. The scent of soap and tung oil from his military green cotton-padded jacket filled her nostrils: "Do you think the child will look like you or me?"
Fu Yucheng lowered his head and kissed the top of her head, the stubble tickling her: "You're the best, with bright eyes and skillful hands, unlike me."
Yun Tangyin punched his arm: "Who said that?"
In the celadon vase on the stove, a thin layer of frost clung to the petals of the winter plum blossoms, shimmering like pearls under the lamplight.
Fu Yucheng added some warm water to the bottle: "Aunt Zhang said that wintersweet likes moisture, so it can bloom for a longer time."
He suddenly pulled a cloth bag from the cabinet, inside which was a piece of light pink fine cloth: "It's for making swaddling clothes for the baby. It's a new arrival from the supply and marketing cooperative, and it's even softer than the blue cloth from last time."
Yun Tangyin touched the dark pattern on the cloth and smiled: "You've prepared all the cloths for the child from birth to adulthood?"
Fu Yucheng slipped a rock candy into her hand: "It's always good to have more on hand. I can't skimp on anything for my wife and kids."
In the middle of the night, Yun Tangyin was awakened by the commotion of the rabbits. By the moonlight, she saw the gray mother rabbit circling around a pile of cotton, while the white rabbit squatted beside her, occasionally rubbing its nose against her back.
She nudged Fu Yucheng beside her, and he sat up groggily, a strand of her hair clinging to the collar of his military green cotton-padded jacket: "What's wrong?"
Yun Tangyin pointed to the rabbit cage: "Look, isn't it about to give birth?"
Fu Yucheng put on his clothes and got out of bed. He added a small oil lamp to the cage, and the dim light cast the shadows of the two rabbits on the cage wall.
“Aunt Zhang said that the mother rabbit will pluck fur to make a nest before giving birth,” he threw a clean piece of cotton cloth into the cage. “Looks like it’s coming soon. I’ll keep watch, you go to sleep first.”
Yun Tangyin draped an old cotton-padded coat over him: "I'll wait with you, maybe we'll even see the little bunny born."
The oil lamp's light flickered, casting the two people's shadows that swayed gently on the wall.
Fu Yucheng added a piece of coal to the stove, and flames shot up, making Yun Tangyin's face glow red.
The two people's laughter startled the rabbit, making it twitch its ears. The gray mother rabbit suddenly burrowed into the pile of cotton and became silent.
As the sky began to lighten with the first hint of dawn, a faint squeaking sound suddenly came from inside the cage.
Fu Yucheng leaned closer to look, then suddenly turned back and waved to Yun Tangyin, his voice extremely low: "They've been born! Three! One white and one gray!"
Yun Tangyin tiptoed over and saw three fluffy little rabbits lying in the pile of cotton wool, like three little moving balls of fluff.
The gray mother rabbit was licking them with her tongue, while the white rabbit squatted beside her, its red eyes shining like two rubies.
“It’s so small,” Yun Tangyin’s voice trembled slightly, “smaller than a finger.”
Fu Yucheng added a handful of soybeans to the cage, moving so gently as if afraid of disturbing them: "Although it's a little less, at least they've given birth. Aunt Zhang said not to touch them for the first three days, as the mother rabbit will protect her babies."
He suddenly shoved a hot roasted sweet potato into Yun Tangyin's hand: "Eat something quickly, it's been frozen all night."
As morning light streamed through the frost-covered window, Xiao Lan rushed into the yard carrying a bunch of greens, the flakes of snow on her red hair tie shimmering in the light: "Sister-in-law! I'm bringing some for the rabbit..."
Before she could finish speaking, she saw the baby rabbits in the cage, suddenly covered her mouth, and stared wide-eyed, "They've given birth! They really have!"
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