As the afternoon sun gradually slanted westward, it made the red lanterns in the courtyard appear even warmer and redder. Aunt Zhang, who was eating melon seeds, suddenly remembered something and moved closer to Yun Tangyin.
"Yinyin, why haven't Jianhua and Yuanshan come?"
Yun Tangyin paused in her embroidery needle, leaving a small knot in the silk thread on the tiger-head shoe. She looked up at the courtyard gate and said softly, "The other day, Yuanshan sent someone to deliver a message saying that he will be spending the New Year away from home this year and can't leave."
She placed the tiger-head shoes on her lap, her fingertips gently stroking the tiger eyes on the surface of the shoes. "My second sister-in-law said she wanted to stay with him, afraid that he would be lonely outside alone, so she didn't come back."
She pointed towards the kitchen, "I left him some cured meat and sausages, thinking I'd give them to him when he came back. But it seems I'll have to wait until spring to give them to him."
Fu Yucheng had just finished a game of chess with Zhou Desheng when he heard this. He walked over and sat down next to Yun Tangyin, took the tiger-head shoes from her hand and looked at them: "Second brother said in his letter that he is now a craftsman. He eats well and lives in a warm place outside. He even gets to eat dumplings during the New Year."
He handed the tiger-head shoes back to Yun Tangyin, saying, "He also specifically asked about you and the child, telling you to take care of yourself and not to overwork yourself."
She reached out and straightened the cloth buttons on her clothes, her tone full of concern, "Although his skills can earn him money, celebrating the New Year outside is never as lively as at home. Jianhua is a woman following him, without any relatives by his side. It's so lonely."
Yun Tangyin picked up the hand warmer on the table and warmed it in her palms, the copper patterns on the body of the warmer shining from being rubbed.
"The comrade who delivered the letter the other day said that my second brother recently got a big job making a batch of wooden cabinets for the supply and marketing cooperative in the city. They're pressing him hard, and he has to finish the work even before the New Year,"
She gazed at the fine snow falling outside the courtyard and said softly, "He was afraid that coming back would delay the construction schedule, and he would not only not get paid, but also have to pay a penalty for breach of contract, so he didn't dare to come back."
Zhou Desheng's wife came over with freshly brewed locust flower tea and handed the teacup to Song Yu's hands: "Auntie, don't worry, Jianhua is capable. He can make a good living with Yuanshan outside."
Fu Yucheng took out a wooden box from the house, opened it, and inside were things that Fu Yuanshan had asked someone to bring.
There were silver longevity locks for the children, fine floral fabrics for Yun Tangyin, and fruit candies for the neighbors in the courtyard.
“My second brother said this longevity lock was made at a well-established silver shop in the city. It’s pure silver and can protect the child,” he said, picking up the longevity lock. A small lock plate hung on the silver chain, engraved with the four characters “Long Life”.
"He also said that once the work is done in the spring, he will bring Jianhua back and stay with us for a while."
Fu Yucheng smiled and took out a handful of fruit candies from the box, handing them to Xiaolan.
Xiaolan took the candy, carefully peeled off a piece, and put it in her mouth. The sweet aroma spread in her mouth, and she smiled with her eyes narrowed: "So sweet!"
She suddenly remembered something and took out a small cloth bag from her pocket. Inside were the small purses she had embroidered for Fu Yuanshan and Jiang Jianhua, one embroidered with locust flowers and the other with bamboo.
Zhou Ming and Zhou Liang ran over. Zhou Ming stared at the longevity lock in Fu Yucheng's hand and asked curiously, "Uncle Fu, can this silver lock drive away bad things like in the stories?"
Fu Yucheng smiled and handed the longevity lock to Zhou Ming, telling him to hold it carefully: "That's right, with this silver lock, our little brother can grow up healthy and strong, without getting sick or suffering any disasters."
Zhou Liang leaned closer, craning his neck to look at the silver lock: "Uncle Fu, when Second Uncle comes back, could you ask him to make one for me too? I want to wear a silver lock as well."
Yun Tangyin took the longevity lock from Zhou Ming's hand and gently wiped away the fingerprints on it: "When your second uncle comes back, have him make one for you and your brother, so that you can both be safe and sound."
She put the longevity lock back into the wooden box and carefully stored it in the cabinet. "This is your second uncle's gift. You must keep it safe and put it on the baby after he is born."
At dinner time, the aroma of stewed meat wafted from the kitchen. Fu Yucheng had stewed the cured pork from last year with fresh radishes in a clay pot. The fragrance of the meat mixed with the sweetness of the radishes filled the whole yard.
Yun Tangyin ladled out a bowl of stewed meat and handed it to Aunt Zhang: "Aunt Zhang, try this. This meat has been stewing all afternoon, it should be tender by now. Your teeth aren't good, this is perfect for you."
Aunt Zhang took the bowl, picked up a piece of meat with her chopsticks and put it in her mouth. The meat was tender and flavorful, and she couldn't help but nod: "It's so delicious, Yinyin, your cooking skills are getting better and better."
Zhou Desheng took a sip of wine and said with a smile, "Brother Fu, why don't we go to town tomorrow and send some things to Brother Yuanshan? Send him the cured meat and sausages that Yinyin made, as well as the rice cakes that Aunt Zhang steamed, so that they can taste the flavors of home even when they are away from home."
Fu Yucheng put down his wine glass and nodded: "Good idea. I'll go to the town's post office first thing tomorrow morning to ask if I can send these things."
Remembering something, Yun Tangyin put a piece of radish into Fu Yucheng's bowl: "Don't forget to send the cotton insoles I sewed for my second sister-in-law."
She then pointed to the cloth bag in the corner, "There's also a little sweater I knitted for the child. My second sister-in-law said hers isn't as soft as mine, so she asked me to knit one for the child and send it over with her so she can see it."
After dinner, Fu Yucheng sat on the edge of the kang (a heated brick bed) and wrote a letter to Fu Yuanshan. The light from the oil lamp fell on the paper, and the pen tip scratched on the paper.
Yun Tangyin sat beside him, watching him write letters, occasionally reminding him not to forget to write about things at home.
Fu Yucheng wrote all of this in the letter.
“That way, Second Brother will know the situation at home after reading the letter,” he handed the letter to Yun Tangyin. “Take a look and see if there’s anything else you want to add.”
Yun Tangyin took the letter, looked at it, and said with a smile, "Don't forget to tell him to take care of his health and not to stay up all night to work. Also, tell your second sister-in-law not to overwork herself and to eat more good food."
The next morning, Fu Yucheng carried a cloth bag full of things and walked towards the town, leaving a deep trail of footprints in the snow.
The post office clerk took the cloth bag and said with a smile, "Is this package full of food and daily necessities? Recently, many people have been sending these to their relatives in other places; they are all expressions of their family's affection."
Fu Yucheng nodded: "Yes, my brother and sister-in-law are spending the New Year in another city. Sending some things from home will let them feel the warmth of home."
When Fu Yucheng returned from town, the courtyard was already bustling with activity. Aunt Zhang and Zhou Desheng's wife were changing the cotton wadding for the rabbits, while Xiao Lan, Zhou Ming, and Zhou Liang were feeding the rabbits soybeans.
Yun Tangyin sat under the eaves, holding a handkerchief she had embroidered for Jiang Jianhua. It was embroidered with two twin lotus flowers, the stitches were fine and the colors were bright.
"Has it been sent out?" she asked Fu Yucheng, who nodded. "It has been sent out. The post office staff said it should arrive in about a week."
As the sun gradually set in the west, it cast a warm red glow on the red lanterns in the courtyard. The snow slowly melted in the sunlight, dripping onto the blue brick ground and leaving small damp marks.
Yun Tangyin sat under the eaves, holding the tiger-head shoes she had embroidered for her child. She thought about Fu Yuanshan and Jiang Jianhua, how they looked when they received the package, and the lively scene when they returned in the spring.
She knew that although they weren't by her side this year, family ties and mutual concern kept everyone closely connected.
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