The bamboo strip in Fu Yuanshan's hand snapped in two with a "crack." He glanced towards the kitchen and whispered, "You've caused trouble outside again?"
“I didn’t cause any trouble.” Fu Yucheng added a piece of pine wood to the fire, the flames crackling as they licked the firewood. “That year when we were recruiting, you gave me your spot and said you wanted me to see what the army was like for you. Now that I’ve done something good, I want you to see what this medal looks like.”
Fu Yuanshan spat towards the corner of the wall: "I don't care to look at that thing. The bamboo basket at home is much more practical."
Even so, he secretly joined the broken bamboo strips together and wove them even tighter.
Yun Tangyin was polishing the brass buttons on her military uniform when she heard this and looked up with a smile: "Second brother secretly looked through the military merit reports you sent back last night and read them for half the night."
"Who saw this!" Fu Yuanshan suddenly stood up, slamming the bamboo basket on the ground. "I'm going back now."
Jiang Jianhua chuckled, clutching his stomach: "His little schemes can't be hidden from our family."
She moved closer to Yun Tangyin and said, "I'll wear a red cotton-padded jacket at the celebration party, and you'll wear a lake-blue one. We sisters-in-law have to outshine all those officers' families."
“Second sister-in-law looks good in anything.” Yun Tangyin held up the embroidered purse. “I embroidered a longevity lock purse for the child, which matches your silver lock perfectly.”
Yu Xia brought out freshly steamed jujube cakes. As soon as she lifted the lid of the steamer, the sweet aroma filled the courtyard: "Try them quickly. I added brown sugar to help you replenish your energy."
She slipped a piece of food into Fu Yucheng's hand, saying, "Don't panic when you give your speech at the victory celebration. Just like when you told us battle stories when we were kids."
“Sister-in-law still remembers,” Fu Yucheng said with a smile, biting into a jujube cake.
He looked at Fu Yuanshan with a complicated expression.
He grew up with Fu Yuanshan.
When Fu Yucheng went to join the army, Fu Yuanshan wanted to go with him, but because of his status as a trusted son, Song Yushuang persuaded him to stay.
Even after all these years, Fu Yuanshan still feels some regret.
If he had been able to join the army, he probably wouldn't have just hung out with people in the cultural troupe for a while before being expelled.
Song Yushuang came out of the house while sewing shoe soles, the spool of thread spinning rapidly in her arms: "You two used to fight a lot when you were little, but now you're much closer."
She slipped a pair of new insoles into Fu Yucheng's hand, saying, "These are filled with mugwort, so your feet won't get cold. Make sure you wear them at the celebration party."
Fu Yucheng held the insole, the stitches still carrying the scent of mugwort, and suddenly walked out of the yard: "I'm going to the supply and marketing cooperative to get a piece of cloth to make a new jacket for Yinyin."
"No need, no need," Yun Tangyin quickly waved her hand. "I have new clothes."
"It has to be new." Fu Yucheng didn't stop walking. "Our Fu family members have to go out in style."
On the day of the celebration, the Fu family traveled to the military region in a jeep provided by the army.
Jiang Jianhua held a thermos containing millet porridge that Yu Xia had cooked in the early morning: "Acheng has a bad stomach, and he tends to panic when he goes on stage on an empty stomach."
Just as Fu Yucheng was about to speak, Fu Yuanshan took out an oil paper package from his cloth bag. Inside were six white steamed buns: "I've prepared these for you. Take a bite if you get hungry."
Yun Tangyin secretly winked at Fu Yucheng, and the two of them couldn't help but laugh as they watched Fu Yuanshan nervously clutching the steamed bun.
When they arrived at the military auditorium, Fu Yucheng was about to go on stage when Regiment Commander Zhang grabbed him: "What good stuff are you hiding, kid? Your second brother just slipped me a jar of hawthorn jam, saying it was homemade by your mother and ten times better than what you buy at the supply and marketing cooperative."
“Of course, my mom’s sauce is so good it’s like a tribute.” Fu Yucheng glanced down at the stage and saw Song Yushuang standing on tiptoe waving to him. “My family is here.”
"I saw it a while ago." Commander Zhang patted his back. "Your second brother just asked the guard if he could take a picture with his medals, saying he wants to hang them on the main wall of the main room."
Fu Yucheng's eyes suddenly welled up with tears, and as he turned to walk onto the stage, his steps were unusually steady.
When he spoke, he gave a standard military salute, his gaze fixed directly on Fu Yuanshan.
Yun Tangyin had reviewed and revised most of Fu Yucheng's speech for him.
There were absolutely no problems throughout the entire process.
Enthusiastic and passionate, yet perfectly appropriate.
The audience erupted in applause. Fu Yuanshan suddenly stood up, not even noticing the steamed bun in his hand fall to the ground, and kept wiping his face.
"And my family too." Fu Yucheng smiled in Yun Tangyin's direction.
Jiang Jianhua suddenly wiped away his tears and stuffed a handkerchief into Yun Tangyin's hand: "This brat, he always says things that make people cry."
At the victory celebration banquet, Fu Yuanshan was surrounded by a group of soldiers toasting him. He was a light drinker and got dizzy after just three cups. He hugged Fu Yucheng's neck and shouted, "My brother is a great hero!"
"Yes, yes, yes." Fu Yucheng poured him a mouthful of hangover soup.
On the way back, Fu Yuanshan fell asleep drunk, clutching his military medals, a smile still on his lips.
Yun Tangyin draped a military overcoat over him and turned to Fu Yucheng, saying, "The military medals in Second Brother's arms are more precious than any bamboo basket he has ever woven."
“He’s just being stubborn.” Fu Yucheng held her hand. “When spring comes, we’ll build a grape trellis in the yard and have my second brother weave a swing so we can take the kids to play on it.”
Jiang Jianhua suddenly clapped his hands: "I've got it! My child's nickname, regardless of gender, will be 'Niannian,' to remember the bond between our family."
“A good name.” Song Yushuang took out a red cloth bag from her bosom. “This is a peace charm I got for the child. The old monk at the temple said it’s very effective.”
The snow outside the car window had stopped sometime ago, and the moonlight shone on the snow, making it look as bright as if it were covered with a layer of silver.
As Fu Yucheng gazed at the passing shadows of the trees outside the window, he suddenly realized that no matter how heavy the military medals were, they couldn't be heavier than the concern of his family; no matter how great the honors were, they couldn't be heavier than the bowl of hot porridge on the kang (heated brick bed).
When they got home, the sauerkraut and pork stew pot on the stove was still bubbling. Yu Xia ladled a spoonful of soup into everyone's bowl: "Warm up quickly. No matter how lively the celebration party is, it can't warm your heart as much as hot soup at home."
Fu Yuanshan, holding a bowl of soup with his medal beside him, suddenly said, "Tomorrow I'll make a bamboo frame for this medal and put it in the most conspicuous place in the main room."
"And add a big red flower." Jiang Jianhua put a piece of meat in his bowl, "So that the whole village will know that our Fu family has a great hero."
Looking at the military medals on Fu Yucheng's shoulders, gleaming under the oil lamp, Yun Tangyin suddenly felt that life was like sauerkraut and pork belly in a pot, sour yet fresh, warming one's heart.
Fu Yucheng added a spoonful of soup to her bowl and said softly, "From now on, let's live a good life as a family."
The moonlight streamed into the room through the window, falling on everyone's smiling faces like a thin layer of icing sugar, just the right amount of sweetness.
The next morning, Fu Yuanshan's bamboo knife was clicking in the yard.
Yun Tangyin came out carrying water for washing her face and saw him splitting green bamboo into thin strips, the bamboo strips gleaming with an emerald light in the morning light.
"Second brother, are you making a frame for your military medal?" she said with a smile, placing a bowl of hawthorn tea on the stone table.
Fu Yuanshan paused, the bamboo strips curving gracefully at his fingertips: "Since I'm just idling around anyway, I might as well weave something to pass the time."
No sooner had he finished speaking than he saw him weave a... plum blossom on the bamboo frame?
The petals were layered upon each other, so lifelike that Yun Tangyin was stunned. He had such skill?
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