Looking into Yun Tangyin's clear eyes, Fu Yucheng's anxiety instantly melted away. He held her hand tightly, his fingertips stroking her fingertips: "Wife, I'm sorry you have to suffer like this, always being bothered by this kind of person."
Yun Tangyin draped the half-knitted sweater over the bamboo chair and grasped his hand in return: "What's there to be upset about? My man knows everything."
She moved closer to him, her nose almost touching his cheek. "Besides," she said, "the more she jumps around, the better I look at myself, finding a good man that others can't help but want."
Fu Yucheng chuckled softly, the vibration of his chest transmitted through their clasped hands, warm and comforting: "Then you'd better keep a close eye on things, lest your good man be snatched away by a stray dog."
"You can't take it away." Yun Tangyin reached out and hooked her arm around his neck, her fingertips brushing against his newly sprouted stubble. "My man only has me in his heart, and no one can take me away."
These words were like a piece of candy, sweetening Fu Yucheng's ears and heart. He lowered his head and kissed her forehead, his voice hoarse: "My wife understands me best."
Hearing the noise from inside, Song Yushuang lifted the curtain and peeked out: "It's broad daylight, be mindful of your behavior."
He said it, but his eyes were beaming with joy.
Yun Tangyin blushed, quickly let go of his hand, and glanced into the room: "Mom..."
Song Yushuang lowered the curtain. "I just came out to get a glass of water. You two continue. Just pretend I'm not here."
Fu Yucheng chuckled softly and reached out to pinch Yun Tangyin's burning earlobe: "Did you hear that? Mom has spoken."
"Stop fooling around." Yun Tangyin slapped his hand away, picked up a knitting needle, and said, "Hurry up and knit a sweater for Mom. She'll be worried if she can't wear it when it gets cold."
Fu Yucheng snatched the ball of yarn from her hand: "I'll wind the yarn, you knit."
He placed the ball of yarn on his lap and nimbly twirled it with his fingers. "I just went to the commune and saw Wang the blacksmith's daughter knitting a scarf. She said it was for her boyfriend. It was red and really pretty."
Yun Tangyin paused in her stitching: "You want one too?"
"What scarf should I wear?" Fu Yucheng paused, his hands winding the yarn. "I just think red suits you."
Yun Tangyin's heart skipped a beat. She lowered her head and continued knitting, her voice barely audible: "After I finish knitting this for Mom, I'll knit you a pair of gloves, navy blue, that won't get dirty."
"Okay." Fu Yucheng's voice was tinged with laughter. "But it needs to be knitted thicker."
As they were talking, Jiang Jianhua brought out the sifted sweet potato chips to dry. Seeing the two of them talking together, he laughed and joked, "The sun hasn't even set yet, and they're already sticky?"
Yun Tangyin's face turned even redder, but Fu Yucheng said frankly, "Am I bothering my second sister-in-law by talking to my wife?"
"It's alright, it's alright." Jiang Jianhua waved his hand and laughed, "I'm just afraid you'll absorb all the sweetness from the dried sweet potatoes, and then they won't taste sweet to us."
Fu Yuanshan came out of the woodshed and happened to hear this. He glanced over and said, "Third brother, want to come with me to till the land this afternoon? Let's loosen the soil in the cellar so we can store the cabbages."
"I'm not going." Fu Yucheng didn't even look up. "I have to knit with my wife."
Fu Yuanshan was taken aback and turned to walk towards the kitchen. Jiang Jianhua poked him in the waist from behind: "What do you know? This is called being affectionate. I'll go with you."
Only Yun Tangyin and Fu Yucheng remained in the courtyard. Sunlight filtered through the locust tree leaves, casting dappled patterns of light on the two of them.
Yun Tangyin was knitting a sweater, while Fu Yucheng was winding the yarn, occasionally exchanging casual words.
“The other day Yinyin said she wanted to eat candied hawthorns, so I asked someone to bring me two skewers from town and hid them in the kitchen cabinet.”
"I'll go eat after I finish knitting this sleeve."
"Tomorrow we'll be dividing the cabbages. I'll pick out some tender ones and make you stir-fried cabbage with vinegar, and add your favorite chili peppers."
"Okay, make Mom a cabbage and tofu soup, something light."
"By the way, you said you wanted to learn how to shoot last time. I'll teach you properly after I'm done with this busy period."
"Really?" Yun Tangyin's eyes lit up. "But I'm afraid..."
"I'm here for you." Fu Yucheng patted his chest. "I'll be with you, I promise I'll learn."
Looking into the light in his eyes, Yun Tangyin suddenly felt that this was how life should be. It had the practicality of daily necessities, and the sweetness hidden in the little things.
As evening approached, the sleeves of the sweater were finally finished. Yun Tangyin had just finished stitching when Fu Yucheng pulled her towards the kitchen: "Come on, let's go eat candied hawthorns."
Two strings of bright red candied hawthorns, coated in glistening sugar, shimmered under the light.
Fu Yucheng handed her one skewer, then took another for himself and carefully took a bite: "Is it sweet?"
Yun Tangyin, with a hawthorn in her mouth, squinted her eyes because it was so sour, but nodded with a smile: "Sweet."
Looking at her, Fu Yucheng couldn't help but lean over and gently bite into the candied hawthorn in her hand. The sourness of the hawthorn mixed with the sweetness of the sugar, along with the breath from her lips, made his heart burn.
"Fu Yucheng!" Yun Tangyin pushed against his chest, her cheeks as red as candied hawthorns. "Mom is still in the yard."
"What are you afraid of?" Fu Yucheng pulled her closer to him, his voice low and husky, "My wife."
Song Yushuang coughed as they entered the courtyard. The two quickly separated. Fu Yucheng nonchalantly chewed on hawthorn, while Yun Tangyin turned her back to straighten her sweater, her ears burning red.
Song Yushuang walked in, looked at the candied hawthorn skewers on the stove, and shook her head with a smile: "How old are you? You're still acting like a child."
She added a ladle of water to the pot. "Tomorrow is Frost's Descent. I'll make you some ginger tea to ward off the cold."
"Mom, let me peel an orange for you." Yun Tangyin quickly took an orange from the bamboo basket, peeled it clean, and handed it to her.
Fu Yucheng chuckled to himself as he watched her frantic movements, then reached out and tickled her palm, earning him a reproachful look in return.
At night, Yun Tangyin lay down next to Fu Yucheng, listening to his even breathing, and felt very at ease.
She recalled the vivid stories Uncle Li had told her during the day, including Fu Yucheng telling Xu Runli, "I only have Yun Tangyin as my wife," and couldn't help but smile.
Fu Yucheng seemed to realize she wasn't asleep, so he reached out and pulled her closer to him: "Aren't you going to sleep?"
"I'm thinking about something." Yun Tangyin snuggled closer to him. "Fu Yucheng, do you think we'll always be this close?"
"Silly wife." Fu Yucheng lowered his head and kissed the top of her head. "In this life, the next life, and the life after that, we must be this good."
Yun Tangyin buried her face in his chest, listening to his strong heartbeat, and finally closed her eyes in peace.
The moonlight streamed in through the window, illuminating their clasped hands like scattered silver, an effect of unbelievable tenderness.
The next morning, Fu Yucheng indeed arrived very early and returned with a full basket of cabbages, some large and some small, neatly stacked in the corner of the yard.
Yun Tangyin was brewing ginger tea in the kitchen. When she saw him return, she quickly handed him a bowl: "Drink some to warm yourself up."
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