Fu Yuanshan put down his axe, took the red silk bib from Song Yu's hands, and carefully opened the chicken coop.
The chicks seemed to sense something, chirping and shrinking into the corner of the cage.
"Don't be afraid, don't be afraid, I'll put some warm clothes on you." He coaxed softly, picking up a chick's wing and clumsily putting a bib on it.
But the little chicks were restless, flapping their wings, and the red silk cloth kept slipping and slipping, making it impossible to tie them up.
Jiang Jianhua came out of the kitchen carrying a sieve. Seeing how flustered Jiang Jianhua was, he smiled and went over to him, saying, "Let me do it. You're so clumsy, you might hurt the chicks."
Her fingers deftly threaded through the straps of the bib, tying a small knot on the little chicken leg with quick and steady movements.
The other chick was also dressed in a bib, its tender yellow down feathers paired with bright red silk cloth, making it look like two festive little lucky babies.
Nian'an lay on the edge of the cage, her eyes wide with amazement. She gently poked the chick's bib through the bamboo strips with her little hand: "It's pretty and warm."
Song Yushuang smiled and patted his head: "Our Nian'an knows how to care for the chicks now. When it gets colder, Grandma will make them a cotton nest."
At this moment, Yun Tangyin stood at the doorway, leaning against the door frame, and looked at the scene in the yard with a smile: "You guys are raising chicks like children."
Fu Yucheng returned from drawing water from the well and chimed in, "Isn't this because Nian'an likes it? He even said yesterday that he wanted to sleep with the chicks."
Upon hearing this, Nian'an nodded vigorously, her little head bobbing like a rattle drum.
After breakfast, Fu Yuanshan went to the back mountain to cut bamboo, saying he wanted to make a small desk for Nian'an.
Song Yushuang and Jiang Jianhua were busy in the kitchen, one kneading dough to make jujube paste steamed buns, and the other washing and drying hawthorn slices.
The dough in the basin gradually became smooth under Song Yu's hands. She pinched off a small piece of dough, kneaded it into a ball, pressed a hollow in the middle, filled it with sweet jujube paste, and then shaped it into a little rabbit. She cut out ears with scissors and used red beans for eyes, making it lifelike.
"Auntie, your cooking skills are amazing," Jiang Jianhua praised as he cut hawthorns. "Even Nian'an might not want to eat these little rabbit-shaped steamed buns."
Song Yushuang smiled and said, "Let him play with it for a while after it's steamed, then I'll heat it up for you later. Oh, and pass me that jar of osmanthus sugar. I'll sprinkle some on the jujube paste buns later; it'll make them even more fragrant."
Jiang Jianhua handed over the osmanthus sugar jar, lifted the lid, and the sweet aroma of osmanthus immediately filled the air. "It smells so good!"
She took a deep breath. "If we make some osmanthus cakes, they'll definitely taste better than the ones from the pastry shops in town." Song Yushuang nodded. "Once we're done with this busy period, we'll make some and send some to our neighbors to try."
Around noon, Xiao Lan arrived with Zhou Ming and Zhou Liang, carrying a bamboo basket filled with freshly picked cucumbers.
"Auntie, my mom asked me to send some tender cucumbers to Nian'an so she can make cucumber puree for him." Xiao Lan tiptoed and peeked into the yard. "Where's Nian'an? I brought him some newly made straw frogs to play with."
“They’re playing with the chicks inside,” Jiang Jianhua said, taking the cucumber and washing it with well water. “Have a cucumber to quench your thirst first, and then Nian’an will go play with you in the yard later.”
Zhou Ming and Zhou Liang picked up cucumbers and started biting into them, the crisp juice dripping down their lips. Xiao Lan, on the other hand, squatted in front of the chicken coop, counting the chicks' red bibs: "These bibs are so pretty, who made them?"
“Your second aunt and grandma made this together,” Song Yushuang said as she came out of the house, holding a freshly steamed bun with a little rabbit on it. “Come on, try the jujube paste bun that grandma made.”
Xiaolan took the steamed bun, took a careful bite, and the sweet aroma of jujube paste spread in her mouth. Her eyes lit up: "It's so delicious! It's even sweeter than the sugar buns my mother makes."
Just then, Nian'an ran out of the house carrying straw grasshoppers. Seeing the steamed bun in Xiaolan's hand, she pointed and shouted, "Rabbit, eat!"
Song Yushuang quickly took another one from the kitchen and gave it to him. Nian'an held the steamed bun and nibbled on it in small bites. The syrup dripped down the corners of his mouth. He stuck out his tongue and licked it, his eyes narrowing into slits as he smiled.
In the afternoon, Fu Yuanshan carried back a few bamboo poles and put them in the yard to start chopping them.
Nian'an went over and squatted down next to him to watch him work. Her little hands kept trying to touch the sharp machete, but Fu Yuanshan stopped her in time: "You can't touch that. It's very sharp and you'll cut your hand."
He took a small trinket made of bamboo strips out of his pocket and handed it to Nian'an: "Here, this is a bamboo dragonfly. It can fly when it spins."
Nian'an took the bamboo dragonfly and, imitating Fu Yuanshan, rubbed it with his hand. The bamboo dragonfly actually flew up, though it didn't fly far, which made him giggle.
Xiao Lan, Zhou Ming, and Zhou Liang also gathered around, clamoring for bamboo dragonflies as well. Fu Yuanshan smiled and said, "Don't rush, I'll make one for each of you once I finish making the desks."
By evening, the small desk was finally finished. Fu Yuanshan moved the desk under the eaves, carefully sanded it smooth, and then applied a coat of clear varnish.
“Look at this desk, it’s sturdy and beautiful,” he patted the tabletop. “When Nian’an learns to write, he can write on this.”
Song Yushuang touched the tabletop, which was so smooth that there wasn't a single burr: "Your craftsmanship is really good, even more durable than what you buy in the city."
At dinner time, the kitchen was filled with the sweet aroma of pumpkin porridge and the meaty fragrance of braised pork.
Nian'an sat on a small stool next to the small desk, scooping porridge with a spoon. Although she still spilled some, she was much more skilled than before.
Fu Yuanshan placed a piece of braised pork in his bowl: "Nian'an, eat more meat so you can grow strong and have the strength to study."
Nian'an picked up her spoon and fed the braised pork to Fu Yuanshan, saying, "Second Uncle, eat."
Fu Yuanshan smiled and opened his mouth to catch it, feeling a warm glow in his heart. Song Yushuang watched this scene with eyes full of relief: "Our Nian'an is becoming more and more sensible, and knows how to care for others."
At night, Nian'an lay on her small bed, holding a straw grasshopper and a bamboo dragonfly in her arms, and soon fell asleep.
Song Yushuang sat under the oil lamp, sewing a new cotton-padded jacket for Nian'an, while Jiang Jianhua sewed shoe soles beside her. Yun Tangyin leaned against the headboard, watching them busy at work. The room was filled with warmth.
“When Nian’an gets a little older, we’ll send him to school,” Yun Tangyin said softly, “so he can become a learned person in the future.”
Song Yushuang nodded: "Yes, our Nian'an is smart, he will definitely do well in his studies. I will make him a new schoolbag then."
Jiang Jianhua said with a smile, "I'll make him a new pair of cloth shoes so he can wear them to school and climb higher with each step."
The moonlight streaming through the window illuminated the needlework on the table and the smiles on the faces of the three people.
The glow of the oil lamp cast fine, needle-like shadows on the window paper. Song Yu, with her fingertips holding a gleaming silver needle, finished embroidering the last fur on the tiger's tail.
She brought the little cotton-padded jacket closer to the light, and on the light blue fabric, the tiger's eyebrows and eyes looked even more spirited, and even its whiskers exuded a cleverness.
“Look at this tiger,” she said, turning to Yun Tangyin. “When Nian’an puts it on, it will be even more imposing than the chubby baby in the New Year’s picture.”
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com