Officer Wang from the military region walked into the courtyard carrying the congratulatory letter, the snow on his military cap still fresh: "Congratulations! This is the first first-class merit award in our regiment this year."
Fu Yucheng was about to get up when Song Yushuang pressed him down: "You sit down, I'll take over."
She held the good news wrapped in red silk in both hands, her fingertips trembling. "Come inside and warm up. I'll have Yinyin make you some tea."
Officer Wang glanced at the certificates on the wall and said with a smile, "Fu Yucheng made a great contribution to the dam this time. When he plugged the leak with his bare hands, we all thought something terrible was going to happen. He stayed in the ice water for two hours and plugged the leak."
Yun Tangyin's eyes suddenly reddened: "I knew he wouldn't let his family down."
She shoved a hot steamed bun into Officer Wang's hand, saying, "Try it, it's fresh out of the steamer."
Fu Yuanshan added a piece of coal to the stove, the firelight making his face glow red: "He's been stubborn since he was a child. Once he's made up his mind, nothing can change it. Back in the army, he broke his leg during training but still insisted on running five kilometers."
“That’s right.” Yu Xia brought out a cup of hawthorn tea. “Dr. Zhang said the other day that I need to take good care of myself.”
Officer Wang took a sip of tea and suddenly pulled a red booklet from his briefcase: "This is the consolation money receipt from the military region. You can collect it by signing it. It's enough to buy your wife a few new outfits."
Just as Yun Tangyin was about to take the money, Fu Yucheng pressed her hand down: "Give this money to your second sister-in-law. She's pregnant and needs to buy more nutritional supplements."
Jiang Jianhua waved his hand: "I don't need it, I have everything at home. It's Yinyin who needs it."
Song Yushuang suddenly slammed her hand on the kang table: "Stop arguing, I'll decide. Half will be used to buy tonics for Yinyin, half will be used to buy fabric for Jianhua to make baby clothes, and the rest will be saved as baby money for the two children's full moon celebration."
Fu Yucheng nodded with a smile: "Mom is so thoughtful."
He slipped a pack of cigarettes into Officer Wang's hand, saying, "Thank you for making this trip. Come inside and warm up for a bit before you leave."
Officer Wang waved his hand: "No, I still have to go deliver the notice to the next place. By the way, the military region is holding a celebration meeting next month, and they want you to speak on stage. Remember to wear your new uniform."
“I can still wear my military uniform.” Fu Yucheng touched the collar of his military overcoat. “It’s just that the cuffs are a bit worn.”
“That won’t do.” Fu Yuanshan suddenly stood up. “Tomorrow I’ll have Old Zhang make you a new one, and the fabric has to be the best khaki.”
Yun Tangyin slipped a handkerchief into Fu Yucheng's pocket: "I'll embroider your name on the cuff so you don't get confused with other people's."
Fu Yucheng smiled, clutching his handkerchief: "You're so thoughtful."
He suddenly remembered something and reached into his canvas bag. "Oh right, I brought a silver lock for the child to match my second sister-in-law's."
The silver lock was engraved with the words "Long Life and a Hundred Years" and had small bells inlaid on the corners that jingled when shaken.
Jiang Jianhua touched his silver lock and smiled: "That's good, now both children have their own talismans."
Before leaving, Officer Wang suddenly said, "Company Commander Fu, the atmosphere at your house is really nice, much more lively than ours. My mom always says that when the family is united, life will only get better and better."
Fu Yucheng watched Wang Ganshi's retreating figure, then suddenly moved closer to Yun Tangyin: "When spring comes, let's renovate the yard, build a swing for the child, and plant some roses."
"I want to plant wintersweet." Yun Tangyin pointed to the windowsill. "Look how well this pot is blooming. Next year, I can plant a few in the yard."
Yu Xia suddenly clapped her hands: "The other day I asked someone to bring me some vegetable seeds from the county town, including spinach and rapeseed. We can plant them in the spring, so we won't have to keep going to the supply and marketing cooperative to buy them."
Jiang Jianhua touched her belly and smiled: "After the baby is born, I will hold him in the yard to bask in the sun and watch you plant vegetables and weave baskets. Just thinking about it makes me happy."
Song Yushuang scooped a spoonful of porridge into Fu Yucheng's bowl: "Eat it while it's hot, it's not good for your stomach if it gets cold."
She suddenly remembered something, "Oh right, Cheng, you said last time that the pregnancy-preserving injections in Shanghai are very effective. Could you ask someone to get some more? To prepare for my second sister-in-law."
“I’ll call my comrade tomorrow.” Fu Yucheng put down his chopsticks. “He’s at the Shanghai Military Region Hospital, so it’ll be convenient for him to do this.”
Yun Tangyin handed Jiang Jianhua a hot water bottle: "I also have some prenatal calcium tablets that I bought from... somewhere else. Take two tablets every day; it's good for the baby."
“Yinyin always has a way,” Jiang Jianhua said with a smile. “When the child grows up, he will be filial to you.”
Fu Yucheng suddenly pulled Yun Tangyin into his arms and said, "That won't do. No one is as close as your own mother."
A burst of laughter suddenly erupted from inside the house, startling the icicles on the eaves, which fell to the ground with a "plop" and shattered into a pile of sparkling fragments.
Fu Yuanshan added a piece of coal to the stove, and the flames licked the bottom of the pot, casting warm shadows on everyone in the room.
Looking at the old and young on the kang (a heated brick bed), he suddenly felt that life was like millet porridge in a pot; the longer it simmered, the more flavorful it became.
Yun Tangyin leaned on Fu Yucheng's shoulder, smelling the faint scent of soap on him, and suddenly remembered what he had said: "After the baby is born, I will come back and stay with you every day."
Happiness is never about grand gestures, but about having a family, a lamp, a hot meal, and living a peaceful and quiet life.
The snow was still falling outside the window, but the laughter, conversations, and aromas of food inside had long kept the cold winter at bay.
Looking at the people filling the room, Fu Yucheng suddenly felt that all the hard work had been worth it. As long as the family was together, they weren't afraid of any storms.
Fu Yucheng was putting steamed buns into Yun Tangyin's bowl when he suddenly heard a bicycle bell ring outside the courtyard gate. Xiao Chen rushed in carrying a large sack, snowflakes splattering all over the ground from his cotton hat: "Brother Fu, everything you asked me to buy is here!"
The moment the burlap sack was untied, it revealed a can of milk powder and cod liver oil inside: "It's an imported product sent from Shanghai. I had to go to the post office three times to receive it."
Jiang Jianhua touched the foreign writing on the milk powder can, his eyes widening: "Is this stuff expensive? Don't waste money."
"It's not expensive, it's a subsidy from the military." Fu Yucheng handed her a can of cod liver oil. "Take one capsule a day, it's good for the child's eyes."
Yun Tangyin suddenly remembered something, ran into the house, and came back carrying a glass jar: "These are lemons I pickled in honey. Drinking water with them can help with pregnancy. Dr. Zhang said they are better than canned lemons."
"Yinyin really knows how to manage a household." Yu Xia poured a bowl of water into the pot on the stove. "I'll make you lemon tea, with two pieces of rock sugar."
Fu Yuanshan squatted in the yard weaving bamboo baskets, the bamboo strips spinning rapidly in his hands: "Acheng, I'll go with you to the celebration party."
"Don't say anything out of line when you get there." Song Yushuang stuffed a pair of new shoes into his hand. "You and your older brother are both going. Wear these. Don't always wear those old cotton shoes. People will laugh at you."
“We have to go!” Jiang Jianhua suddenly stood up, his belly protruding roundly. “You are his brothers, so you need to have family members with you when you go on stage.”
Fu Yucheng added a piece of firewood to the fire, and sparks flew high: "Second brother, just come with me for a walk, I have something to tell you."
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