Before dawn, the window paper was already covered with ice flowers.
As soon as Yun Tangyin opened her eyes, she saw Fu Yucheng adding coal to the stove, the firelight casting a flickering shadow on his profile.
"Awake?" He turned around and smiled, holding a white porcelain bowl in his hand. "I just made millet porridge, it took two hours to cook. Try it and see if it's thick enough."
A layer of rice oil floats on the surface of the porridge, and the sweet aroma of brown sugar wafts to your nose.
Fu Yucheng had just taken a couple of sips when he saw Yun Tangyin pull out a newly made cotton vest from the cabinet: "I had my sister-in-law alter it for me, try it on to see if it's tight."
On the dark blue corduroy surface, a crooked orchid was embroidered; though the stitches were sparse, the care taken was evident.
"I haven't made anything for you before because I always felt it wasn't good enough. But now I don't think about it that much anymore." Yun Tangyin smiled, touching the fur on her collar. "If you dare to complain, I'll never make anything for you again."
Fu Yucheng smiled and shook his head, then stuffed a cloth bag into her hand: "The cooks just distributed eggs. I boiled six; you can eat two this morning."
He suddenly lowered his voice, "Director Wang said there are wild walnuts growing on the back hill that are good for the fetus's brain. I'll go pick some at noon."
As they were talking, the rabbit in the bamboo cage suddenly started hopping and pawing at the bars.
Yun Tangyin added a handful of alfalfa to the cage, and the fluffy white ball immediately curled up into a ball, its three-lobed mouth moving rapidly.
"Look how greedy it is," she teased the rabbit with a smile. "When the walnuts are picked, I might share half with you, depending on my mood."
Just as Fu Yucheng was about to go to training with his gun, Aunt Li came in carrying her child, lifting the curtain and carrying a bamboo basket on her arm.
"I just steamed some egg custard with sesame oil," she said, placing the bowl on the table. The porcelain bowl clinked against the surface. "My husband got a bag of milk powder from the regiment headquarters and made you a bowl. Drink it while it's hot."
Yun Tangyin slipped a piece of milk candy into the child's hand: "I just got it from the supply and marketing cooperative, have a taste."
Aunt Li nodded, then suddenly slipped a packet of hawthorn slices into her pocket. "They're from my family. They're sour, you'll love them while you're pregnant."
The child kicked his legs in her arms, his little hands clutching the hem of Yun Tangyin's clothes, drool dripping from his chin onto the fabric, leaving a small wet stain.
After seeing off Aunt Li, Yun Tangyin sat in front of the embroidery frame, and began to carefully embroider the outline of a longevity lock on the red cloth with pink thread.
Sunlight streamed through the frost-covered window, casting dappled patterns of light onto the fabric.
The rabbit in the bamboo cage yawned as well, then suddenly pricked up its ears. Xiao Lan ran in carrying a rag doll, the red ribbon on her braid fluttering like a small flame in the wind.
“Sister-in-law, I’m here again!” This time, the little girl was holding up a cloth tiger with its ears sewn crooked to one side. “My mother said that the tiger’s eyes should be embroidered fiercely to ward off evil spirits.”
She slipped a wild apple into Yun Tangyin's hand. "I picked it from the back mountain. It's a bit sour, but Mother said it's perfect for you while you're pregnant."
Yun Tangyin took the cloth tiger and laughed: "The tiger claws are embroidered so well, much better than the first one I made."
She held Xiaolan's hand and taught her to embroider the tiger's eye more rounded.
As the sun climbed overhead, Fu Yucheng returned carrying half a basket of wild walnuts, his military green cotton-padded jacket covered in bits of grass.
“The walnut trees on the back hill are too tall,” he said, pouring walnuts onto the table, their shells still covered in fresh green husks. “I climbed up to pick them.”
Yun Tangyin stuffed a piece of locust flower cake into his hand: "Hurry up and have some."
She touched the scratch on the back of his hand and frowned. "How did you get it cut again? I told you not to climb trees."
"It's nothing," Fu Yucheng said, applying some lard to the wound. "This little injury is nothing. I had the cooks make a pot of chicken soup with red dates to help you recover."
As the chicken soup bubbled in the pot, Zhou Desheng's wife came in with a bowl of pickled cucumbers: "I heard you made chicken soup? These cucumbers are just what you need to cleanse your palate."
She glanced at the stove and saw the rabbit in the bamboo cage gnawing on walnut shells. She smiled, squatted down, and started teasing the rabbit.
Yun Tangyin slipped a pair of baby socks into her hand: "They're freshly knitted, keep them for the baby. By the way, have the cloth ration coupons been issued yet?"
“It’ll be sent tomorrow,” Zhou Desheng’s wife said, stuffing socks into her pocket. “My husband said he’d save you two feet of floral fabric, just enough to make a swaddle.”
She suddenly lowered her voice, "The regimental headquarters is going to give brown sugar to the families of soldiers, two catties per person, enough for you to drink until you die."
As the evening wind blew snowflakes against the window, Fu Yucheng was massaging Yun Tangyin's legs.
His large palms, warmed by the smoke of firewood, massaged upwards along the calves, relieving the soreness and swelling.
“During training today,” he suddenly laughed, “Zhou Desheng said that when his wife was pregnant, she could eat three steamed buns in one meal. You should eat more too.”
Yun Tangyin popped a walnut into his mouth: "What, you think, I'll eat five in one meal? Are you satisfied?"
She pointed to the New Year picture on the wall and laughed, "Look at this chubby baby, his face is as round as yours, but his eyes aren't as big as mine."
Fu Yucheng pulled her closer to his chest, the charcoal brazier glowing red at their feet.
“After the baby is born,” he said softly, touching her belly, “I’ll go to the logistics department and apply to have chicken soup made for you every day.”
The snow outside the window fell heavier and heavier, covering the woodpile in the corner of the yard in a white blanket, while the warmth inside the house grew thicker and thicker, like a bowl of millet porridge that had been simmering all night, so thick that it wouldn't melt.
At night, Yun Tangyin woke up thirsty and was about to fumble for water in the dark when Fu Yucheng suddenly sat up: "I'll go."
He turned on the light, and in the dim light, his shadow was stretched long. He poured warm water into the enamel cup and added a spoonful of brown sugar.
"Drink slowly," he said, handing the cup to me. "Don't burn yourself."
As Yun Tangyin drank her sweet soup, she saw him add a piece of coal to the stove, the firelight making his eyelashes look like they were covered in gold dust.
"Who do you think the child will look like?" she suddenly asked, drawing circles on the back of his hand with her fingertips.
“Like you,” Fu Yucheng said, tucking her hands into his arms to warm them, “with big eyes and fair skin.”
The oil lamp flickered on the desk, casting the shadows of the two people on the wall, like a painting imbued with warmth.
The rabbit in the bamboo cage sneezed, and the walnut shells rolled to the ground, making a soft crunching sound.
Yun Tangyin leaned on Fu Yucheng's shoulder and fell asleep listening to his steady heartbeat.
The next morning, the snow stopped, and the sun shone brightly on the yard.
This is the first snow of the year.
Yun Tangyin pushed open the window, and the cold air, carrying the crispness of snow, rushed in. The woodpile in the corner of the yard was covered with a thick layer of snow, like a white quilt.
The rabbit in the bamboo cage had somehow managed to pry open the cage door and was now squatting in the snow, munching on cabbage leaves, snowflakes clinging to its fur falling down in a soft rustling sound.
“Look at this little thing,” she called back with a smile. Fu Yucheng was adding coal to the stove when he heard the sound and came over. Following her gaze, he suddenly turned around and picked up a piece of coarse cloth. “I’ll fix the cage door so it doesn’t keep running out and get cold.”
Yun Tangyin placed a rough porcelain bowl on the stove, filled with crushed walnuts mixed with some brown sugar: "I just ground them. I kneaded the dough and steamed some snacks for you to take with you during training. Eat a bite if you get hungry."
She slipped another pair of cotton gloves into Fu Yucheng's hands so he could reinforce the rabbit cage and keep it warm.
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