Fu Yucheng walked in from the courtyard, holding a half-woven water chestnut basket in his hand: "No need for such formalities between neighbors. Next time you harvest corn, just give me a couple more tender ones."
Xiao Lan squatted in the yard weaving a grasshopper cage. The water chestnut vine spun in her hands, and soon she had woven a small basket base.
"Do you think this is the right way to weave it?" she asked Fu Yucheng, holding up the rattan basket. A bamboo rabbit basket was placed next to her, and half a plate of water chestnuts had already been peeled out.
Fu Yucheng put down his work and helped her tighten the rattan: "Just two more turns and it'll be finished. Add some red string for a handle, and it'll look even better than the ones you buy."
Nian'an held up a peeled water chestnut and fed it to Jiang Jianhua. The sweet taste of the water chestnut mixed with the fragrance of osmanthus blossoms spread on the tip of his tongue.
"Feed me slowly," Jiang Jianhua said with a smile, opening his mouth to catch the water chestnut crumbs. "Don't let any crumbs fall onto my undergarment, it was just mended."
Nian'an pointed to the reeds in the corner of the courtyard and exclaimed, "The flowers are white, like snow."
Everyone looked in the direction he pointed, and saw the autumn wind swirling reeds over the fence, landing on Zhou Desheng's straw hat like scattered silver.
By the time the midday sun reached the top of the locust tree, Jiang Jianhua's chili recipe was already written on a piece of paper, which Zhou Desheng carefully folded and put into his pocket.
"Thank you, Sister-in-law Jianhua," he said, filling the bamboo basket with sweet potatoes and sesame cakes. "I'll have my husband make some later and bring them to you to try as soon as possible."
Fu Yuanshan stuffed a handful of dried osmanthus flowers into his hand: "Stew them in tea to cut through the greasiness, and they'll go perfectly with your family's cornbread."
Yun Tangyin put the dried sweet potato slices into a ceramic jar. A red paper was pasted on the lid, which read "Nian An's Snack".
“This jar should be placed on the stove,” she said, wiping the dust off the jar’s mouth. “It’s cold in winter, so keeping it near the stove will keep it from getting too cold to eat.”
Song Yushuang walked in wearing Nian'an's cotton shoes, the tiger stripes on the uppers already half-embroidered: "I'll make the uppers wider so that my feet will grow bigger next spring and I can still wear them."
The evening glow painted the lotus pond golden red, and Fu Yucheng took Nian'an and Xiaolan to pick water chestnuts.
Nian'an sat in the wooden tub, her little hands paddling in the water, the silver longevity lock shimmering in the setting sun.
"Paddle slowly," Fu Yucheng said, holding the edge of the wooden basin. "Don't tip the basin over, or you'll get soaked before you even pick the water chestnuts."
Xiao Lan stood on the bank, using a bamboo pole to hook water chestnut vines. Her bamboo rabbit basket was already half full, and her laughter startled the ducks in the lotus pond, causing them to flutter and fly away.
Jiang Jianhua stood at the gate of the courtyard, looking around. The tiger-striped bib in his hand had been mended, and the tiger tail tassels embroidered with gold thread swayed gently in the evening breeze.
The earthenware jars in the storage room stood quietly in the corner, the sour aroma of eggplant sauce, the spicy fragrance of chili peppers, and the salty aroma of sesame salt blending together to create a unique warmth in the twilight.
She suddenly remembered the pumpkin seeds she had sown in the spring, which had now climbed all over the fence, and the little pumpkins that had grown were secretly laughing among the leaves, just like Nian'an's round face.
As the last rays of sunlight brushed past the locust tree leaves, Nian'an ran back carrying a full bag of water chestnuts, her tiger-head boots smeared with mud all over her body.
Jiang Jianhua led his little hand toward the kitchen. The firelight from the stove cast long shadows of the two of them on the wall.
"I'll make you water chestnut cake tomorrow," she said, stroking his sweaty hair. "I'll add some osmanthus flowers; it'll be even sweeter than sweet potato cake."
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