Xiao Lan squatted by the rabbit cage, feeding the rabbits freshly dried shepherd's purse. Snowball ate the fastest, its little mouth moving rapidly. Occasionally, it would look up at her, its bright black eyes full of dependence.
"Snowball, eat slowly," Xiaolan said with a smile. "When your second uncle and aunt come back, they'll bring you something delicious too. It'll definitely be even more fragrant than dried shepherd's purse."
Fu Yucheng brought out bamboo strips from the house and continued weaving the rabbit cage. The bamboo strips spun quickly in his hands, and soon a basic shape was woven.
"Yinyin, what do you think of this rabbit cage?" He handed her the cage. "It's more spacious than the last one, and the rabbits can move around freely inside. If my sister-in-law sees it, she'll definitely praise my craftsmanship."
Yun Tangyin took the rabbit cage, her fingertips tracing the delicate bamboo grain: "It's so beautiful. Your craftsmanship is getting better and better. If my second brother knew, he would definitely want to weave with you too."
As evening fell, the setting sun painted the old locust tree in the courtyard a golden-red hue, and the snow on the branches melted into water droplets that dripped onto the ground, leaving tiny damp marks.
Fu Yucheng collected the dried shepherd's purse and put it in a cloth bag, intending to give it to Fu Yuanshan and Jiang Jianhua when they returned.
“Look how well these dried shepherd’s purse leaves are dried,” he handed the cloth bag to Yun Tangyin. “They’re so dry and green. Second sister-in-law, take them back and soak them. You can make shepherd’s purse dumplings, and they’ll taste just as good as fresh ones.”
Yun Tangyin took the cloth bag and placed it in the wooden box containing the handkerchief, sweater, and lining for Jiang Jianhua. The box was full of everyone's good wishes.
“When they come back and see this, they’ll be overjoyed,” she said softly, “knowing that we all think of them and haven’t forgotten them.”
Fu Yucheng held her hand and pulled it closer to his palm: "They definitely will. They're thinking of us while they're out there. Once the work is done in the spring, they'll definitely come back as soon as possible."
At night, the moonlight shone in the courtyard, making the snow bright and clear, like a layer of white frost.
Fu Yucheng and Yun Tangyin sat on the edge of the kang (a heated brick bed), looking at the moon outside the window, holding each other's hands.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com