Looking at the moon outside the window, Yun Tangyin suddenly remembered that at this time last year, Fu Yuanshan had set up a wooden frame in the yard to hang the dried radishes she had been drying, while Jiang Jianhua helped turn them over to dry. The two of them were chatting and laughing, and the moonlight shone on them, making them look like they were plated with silver.
"Do you remember last winter when my second brother and sister-in-law were drying radishes in the yard?" she said softly, her fingertips gently tracing the shape of Fu Yucheng's palm. "My sister-in-law also said that when she comes back in the spring, she wants to learn how to make dried radishes from me, saying that the dried radishes bought in the city are not as crisp or as fragrant as the ones at home."
Fu Yucheng recalled her words, and the corners of his mouth unconsciously turned up: "How could I not remember? That day, my second brother said he wanted to reinforce the wooden frame, afraid that the wind would blow it down. In the end, he spent the whole afternoon working on it, and his hands were all red from the friction. My second sister-in-law even laughed at him for making a mountain out of a molehill."
He added a piece of coal to the stove, and the flames leaped, making the room even warmer. "When they come back, we'll build a new wooden frame, even sturdier than last year's, and have my second sister-in-law dry more radish slices."
Yun Tangyin leaned on his shoulder, and the little one in her belly suddenly moved, gently nudging her palm, as if echoing their words.
“Look, the child is also looking forward to Uncle and Aunt’s return,” she said, holding Fu Yucheng’s hand and pressing it against her lower abdomen. “He moved several times just now. He must have heard us talking about dried radish and wanted to try the one my sister-in-law makes.”
Fu Yucheng pressed his ear against her lower abdomen, listening to the subtle movements inside, his eyes so tender they could melt water: "When it comes out, have your second uncle and aunt make it radish porridge. It's even more fragrant than milk powder in the city, and I guarantee it'll get chubby and plump."
The next morning, just as dawn broke, Zhou Desheng arrived carrying an axe. His military boots crunched on the snow, and the axe was still covered in snow.
“Brother Fu, shall we go to the back mountain to cut some pine wood?” He put the axe in the yard. “Pine wood burns for a long time and has a pine scent. It’s the best for heating the kang (a heated brick bed). My sister-in-law is pregnant, so we need to make sure the kang is warm so she doesn’t get cold.”
Fu Yucheng nodded and took out a cotton-padded coat from the house: "I was just thinking of cutting some pine wood, and I'll make a small wooden box for my second sister-in-law to put her woolen rabbit and handkerchief, so that she won't have nowhere to put her things when she comes back."
The two walked towards the back of the mountain. Their footprints on the snow were quickly covered by the newly fallen fine snow. In the pine forest on the back of the mountain, snow was hanging on the pine needles. When the wind blew, snowflakes fell down and landed in their collars, feeling cool.
“Look at that pine tree,” Zhou Desheng pointed to a sturdy pine tree not far away. “It has a straight trunk and good wood. It’s perfect for making wooden boxes, and we can also cut some branches to heat the kang (a traditional heated bed). It’s a win-win situation.”
Fu Yucheng raised his axe and chopped it down on the tree trunk with a loud thud, causing the snow to fall. The fresh scent of pine mixed with the chill of the snow invigorated everyone.
Yun Tangyin was busy at home making linings for Jiang Jianhua. The fine cotton fabric slowly took shape in her hands, and she specially sewed a circle of light blue lace around the collar and cuffs, making it look exceptionally delicate.
Zhou Desheng's wife arrived carrying freshly made scallion pancakes, still steaming hot, the aroma of scallions filling the yard: "Yinyin, try some! These freshly made scallion pancakes go perfectly with corn porridge. You must be hungry."
She leaned closer to look at the lining and couldn't help but exclaim, "Your craftsmanship is really good. The stitches are even better than mine. If Jianhua wears this, he'll definitely wear it every day and won't want to take it off."
Yun Tangyin took the scallion pancake, took a bite, and found it crispy on the outside and soft on the inside, with the aroma of scallions spreading in her mouth: "It's so delicious, even better than the ones I make. Sit down and rest, I'll pour you a cup of hot water."
She placed a piece of sweet potato in Zhou Desheng's wife's bowl, saying, "This sweet potato was steamed a few days ago with some sugar added. It's very sweet. Try it."
Zhou Desheng's wife took a bite of the sweet potato, and the sweet aroma spread in her mouth. She couldn't help but nod and say, "It's so sweet, even better than the sweet potatoes we buy in the city. When Yuanshan and Jianhua come back, we'll let them try it too. They'll definitely say they miss home."
Xiao Lan arrived with Zhou Ming and Zhou Liang, carrying a newly woven bamboo basket with red rope tied around it, revealing the children's ingenuity: "Sister-in-law! Brother Fu! Look at the bamboo basket I wove! When Uncle and Aunt come back, shall we use this to carry dried shepherd's purse back to them?"
Yun Tangyin took the bamboo basket, her fingertips tracing the smooth bamboo strips: "It's really beautiful. Lan'er is so skillful. The bamboo basket she wove is even more exquisite than the ones bought in town. If Second Sister-in-law saw it, she would definitely praise you."
As evening fell, Fu Yucheng and Zhou Desheng returned carrying pine logs, which were still covered in snow. The loads on their shoulders were heavy, but their faces were full of smiles.
"Yinyin, what do you think of this pine wood?" Fu Yucheng placed the pine wood in the yard. "The wood is good, perfect for making wooden boxes. I'll start making them tomorrow and try to finish them before they come back."
Yun Tangyin walked over and touched the grain of the pine wood: "It's really good, even more sturdy than I imagined. If my second sister-in-law knew that you specially made a wooden box for her, she would be overjoyed."
At dinner time, the aroma of stewed fish soup wafted from the kitchen. It was fish that Fu Yucheng had caught in the stream behind the mountain that afternoon. The soup also had some tofu added, making it so delicious that it made one's mouth water.
Aunt Zhang brought out a bowl of fish soup, with bright green scallions floating in it: "Try it quickly. This fish soup has been simmering all afternoon, it's very delicious. Yinyin, drink more of it to nourish your body, it's good for the baby too."
Yun Tangyin took the fish soup, took a sip, and felt the warmth slide down her throat into her stomach. She squinted her eyes comfortably and said, "It's so fresh, even better than the fish soup in city restaurants. Aunt Zhang, you should drink more too."
Zhou Desheng took a sip of wine, then suddenly remembered something and said to Fu Yucheng, "Brother Fu, shall we go to town tomorrow to buy some brown sugar for my wife? She's pregnant and needs to eat more nourishing foods. Brown sugar can warm her body and is better than white sugar."
Fu Yucheng nodded: "Okay, I'll go first thing tomorrow morning and ask the post office if my second sister-in-law has sent us any letters, so we won't worry about it."
At night, the moonlight shone into the courtyard, illuminating the pine trees.
Fu Yucheng sat on the edge of the kang (a heated brick bed) and massaged Yun Tangyin's legs, which were always sore because she was pregnant.
Yun Tangyin closed her eyes, feeling the strength from her husband's palm as the soreness in her legs gradually subsided. The corners of her mouth unconsciously curved up: "Your skills are getting better and better. It's even more comfortable than the massage from the old Chinese medicine doctor in town."
She reached out and touched the back of Fu Yucheng's hand, which still bore the thin calluses from chopping wood during the day. "You must have been exhausted from chopping pine wood today, right? Look how thick the calluses on your hands have become."
Fu Yucheng stopped what he was doing, gently placed her legs back in place, and covered her with a thin blanket: "I'm not tired. This little bit of work is nothing. As long as you and the baby are alright, that's more important than anything else."
He added a piece of coal to the stove, and the flames crackled twice, filling his eyes with warmth. "Tomorrow I'll go to town to buy brown sugar, and I'll buy you a piece of floral fabric while I'm at it. Haven't you always wanted a piece of floral fabric to make a small quilt for the child? The town's supply and marketing cooperative just got a new batch, and the colors are really bright."
Yun Tangyin's eyes lit up, and she sat up: "Really? That's great! I've been thinking about making a small quilt for the child for a long time, something soft and cozy so he can sleep comfortably."
She remembered something else and took Fu Yucheng's hand, saying, "Oh right, could you buy some more embroidery thread for my second sister-in-law? I want to prepare more for her so she can embroider some patterns she likes when she gets back."
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