“That’s right.” Yun Tangyin wrote the four characters “Fu Family Bamboo Workshop” on the blackboard. “From now on, you will learn the craft every morning and learn to read every afternoon. If you are naughty again, Erzhuzi, I will have Master Fu punish you by making you copy the text.”
Erzhuzi stuck out his tongue: "I'm not naughty! Brother Fu, can you teach me how to write my name?"
Fu Yucheng picked up the chalk: "Write 'two' first, then 'pillar'..."
I had only written half of it when I saw Fu Yuanshan bring over a long bamboo table with pen holders he had woven overnight on it, each pen holder engraved with the child's name.
“Zhou Ming’s pen holder is carved with an orchid, and Er Zhu’s is carved with a tiger.” Fu Yuanshan distributed the pen holders to the children, “You can use these to practice calligraphy from now on.”
Zhou Ming touched the orchid on the pen holder and said softly, "Thank you, Master Fu. It's even prettier than the porcelain pen holder my mother bought me."
Jiang Jianhua came out carrying a basin of water: "Wash your hands, everyone. The brown sugar steamed buns are ready."
When the steamer was lifted, a sweet aroma filled the courtyard. Each steamed bun was dotted with a red dot, like a little lantern.
Erzhu grabbed a steamed bun and stuffed it into his mouth, but Zhou Ming tugged at his sleeve: "Master Fu hasn't eaten yet."
Fu Yuanshan smiled and waved his hand: "You guys eat, your brother Fu and I still have something to talk about."
He pulled Fu Yucheng towards the bamboo shed, saying, "If the county newspaper reporter comes this afternoon, I'm afraid I won't be able to explain myself well."
“Just tell the truth.” Fu Yucheng stuffed a small notebook into his hand. “For example, if you say, ‘Bamboo strips should be split evenly so that life can be stable,’ that’s a good saying.”
Just then, the sound of a bicycle bell came from outside the courtyard, and Officer Liu brought in a young man wearing glasses: "Master Fu, this is Reporter Li from the county newspaper."
Reporter Li shook hands with Fu Yuanshan and exchanged pleasantries: "I heard that your bamboo weaving contains the bond between the military and the people. Could you tell us about it?"
Fu Yuanshan scratched his head, about to speak, when Erzhuzi ran in holding a bamboo bugle: "Master Fu, look, I made this! Doesn't it look like a bugle the army blows?"
Reporter Li's eyes lit up: "This was really written by a child? It's so vivid!" He raised his camera and snapped a picture. "Let's start with this bugle call."
Looking at the bugle, Fu Yuanshan suddenly started talking: "My younger brother is a soldier. I didn't become a soldier, so I wanted to make some things for the army. This bugle took three days to make. The bamboo strips had to be shaved very thin to show the curve of the mouthpiece..."
Jiang Jianhua stood at the door listening and whispered to Yun Tangyin, "Look how his eyes lit up when he talked about this."
Yun Tangyin nodded with a smile: "He always keeps the army in his heart."
During lunch, reporter Li looked at the bamboo bowls and chopsticks on the table and then at the certificates of merit on the wall. Suddenly, she said, "Master Fu, I would like to take some photos of you, including you teaching the children to weave bamboo utensils and your wife making shoe soles."
Jiang Jianhua blushed: "My skills are not good enough to be featured in the newspaper."
"Why can't you get on?" Zhou's mother arrived unnoticed, holding a bamboo basket in her hands. "Jianhua taught me to weave this basket, and Director Wang of the supply and marketing cooperative ordered ten of them!"
Reporter Li quickly raised his camera: "Take a picture of this! Military-civilian cooperation, passing down skills, what a great subject!"
In the afternoon, while the children were practicing calligraphy, Erzhuzi suddenly raised his hand and asked, "Brother Fu, how do you write the '立' in '自立门门' (to establish one's own household)?"
Fu Yucheng wrote a large character “立” on the blackboard: “This character looks like a person standing on the ground. You have to stand firmly to stand. Just like your Master Fu, you have stood firm on your skills. That is ‘立’.”
As Fu Yuanshan listened, he suddenly walked out of the bamboo shed and soon returned with a thick bamboo pole, which he split in two with a knife: "I'll make you a bamboo sign to use as a flagpole in the yard."
Jiang Jianhua leaned closer to take a look and discovered that he had also wrapped a red string around it: "When the wind blows, the red string moves, like the words are dancing."
Erzhuzi ran into the courtyard holding a bamboo plaque, shouting, "I'll put it in! It has to be perfectly straight!"
As he saw reporter Li off in the evening, he shook Fu Yuanshan's hand and said, "The article will be published next week, which will definitely let more people know about Fu Family Bamboo Workshop. By the way, the region is going to hold a craft exhibition, you must send a few pieces."
Fu Yuanshan nodded: "I plan to assemble bamboo screens depicting the close relationship between the military and the people, with soldiers helping villagers carry water and villagers sewing clothes for soldiers."
Officer Liu said with a smile, "Back when I was in the army, I helped the villagers carry water."
After the guests left, Fu Yuanshan looked at the bamboo plaques in the courtyard and suddenly said, "Tomorrow I'll teach you how to make five-pointed stars and hang them on the bamboo plaques."
Erzhu jumped up: "I'm going to make the biggest one! And hang it at the very top!"
Zhou Ming also whispered, "I want to make a small one and give it to my brother in the army."
Jiang Jianhua handed Fu Yuanshan a cup of hot water: "Look how tired you are, take a rest."
She pointed to the newspaper sample on the wall, "Reporter Li said this report can help our bamboo workshop recruit more apprentices."
Fu Yuanshan chuckled as he drank water: "When recruiting apprentices, you have to teach them to read first, otherwise they won't even be able to understand the orders."
He peered into the bamboo shed. "Have the words on the blackboard been erased? I'll teach them to write tomorrow."
At night, Jiang Jianhua mended clothes for Fu Yuanshan, listening to him humming a flute tune under the lamp.
It wouldn't be bad if she and Fu Yuanshan just continued living like this.
Jiang Jianhua had initially thought her life would be difficult after leaving the Fu family, but now it seems not so bad...
She's doing well now.
Yun Tangyin's life naturally became even better.
Just as Yun Tangyin put the dried blue-printed fabric into the bottom of the box, Fu Yucheng came in from outside, carrying a bamboo jewelry box in his hands.
The lid of the box is woven with lotus scrolls, and it has a faint bamboo fragrance when opened.
"Second brother just made this. He said it's for you to wear as earrings." Fu Yucheng pinned a newly made silver hairpin in her hair. "I went to the supply and marketing cooperative this afternoon and saw that the plum blossoms on this hairpin are carved just like the ones you embroidered."
Yun Tangyin touched the jewelry box and smiled: "Second Brother's craftsmanship is getting better and better. By the way, I altered your military green jacket, adding a bamboo strip trim to the cuffs. It looks crisp and nice now."
As soon as Fu Yucheng put on his coat, she pulled him to stand in front of the mirror: "Look, this looks like a military uniform but also has a casual feel to it. It'll be presentable to wear it to the army to see your comrades."
Lying on the kang at night, Yun Tangyin listened to the sound of the bamboo wind chimes outside the window and suddenly said, "Tomorrow, my second sister-in-law and I will embroider tiger-head shoes. She is pregnant, so it's perfect for her to do some light work."
Fu Yucheng tucked a hand warmer into her arms: "Don't tire yourself out. By the way, there's a military-civilian gala next month. I've already talked to Commander Zhang, and he'll have my second brother play the flute while you dance."
Yun Tangyin was stunned for a moment: "Huh? Then I have to finish embroidering the peony quickly."
She leaned against Fu Yucheng's shoulder, "With you by my side, I feel at ease doing anything."
Moonlight streamed through the window paper, falling on their clasped hands as if veiled by a fine gauze.
In the distance, the faint sound of Fu Yuanshan's flute drifted over, mingling with the gentle tinkling of bamboo wind chimes, making the night feel exceptionally warm and gentle.
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