In the kitchen, Jiang Jianhua and Yun Tangyin were tidying up the dishes, the crisp sound of porcelain bowls clattering together mingling with the chirping of insects outside the window.
Fu Yucheng and Fu Yuanshan sat in the courtyard smoking. The flickering light from their pipes illuminated the small fish tank in the corner, where minnows swam among the water plants.
The locust leaves rustled and sang, as if saying that life should be like this, wrapped in sweet fragrance and soaked in warmth, slowly flowing through every ordinary morning and evening.
Just as dawn was breaking, Nian'an was awakened by the splashing of fish from the fish tank.
He rubbed his eyes and sat up. The pebbles beside his pillow were translucent in the moonlight, like a piece of jade soaked in water.
"Fish, fish!" He ran barefoot into the yard, where the minnows in the small fish tank were circling the water plants, their tails stirring up tiny silver ripples.
Fu Yuanshan came out to fetch water, wearing his clothes on. When he saw him barefoot, he laughed and said, "Little ancestor, the dew is cold. Quickly put on your tiger-head boots."
The kitchen was filled with the salty aroma of pickled vegetables, and Yun Tangyin was packing the pickled cucumbers into a ceramic jar.
“These pickles need to be sealed for three days,” she said, sprinkling salt into the jar. “When they’re served with barley porridge, Nian’an will definitely have a couple more bowls.”
Jiang Jianhua was steaming buns, the dough was kneaded smooth in her hands: "I steamed a few extra brown sugar filling ones for Xiaolan, she loves sweet buns the most."
When the steamer is lifted, white steam carrying the aroma of wheat wafts out, condensing into tiny water droplets in the morning light.
Fu Yucheng, carrying a hoe, was heading to the field when he stopped past the fish tank: "These fish need some fresh water."
He added a spoonful of well water to the jar. "Nian'an, come with me later to pick some lotus leaves. They'll look nice lining the bottom of the jar."
Nian'an immediately raised her little hand to follow, the tassel of the tiger bib brushing against the edge of the vat, bringing up a string of water droplets.
When Xiao Lan entered the door carrying a rabbit basket, she bumped into Fu Yucheng teaching Nian An how to pick lotus leaves.
“My mother asked me to bring some freshly picked eggplants,” she said, placing the bamboo basket on the stone table. The eggplants inside were a deep purple, glistening with morning dew. “These eggplants are so tender; they’re best when stir-fried.”
Fu Yucheng smiled and took it: "Perfect, it'll make eggplant sauce, and it'll taste even better than meat when eaten with steamed buns."
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