As night fell, oil lamps were lit inside and outside the house.
Zhou Shuqing, Li Xiuju, and the other able-bodied people carried the cooked food and dishes in and out of the kitchen, while Zhou Chenyu, taking advantage of her lame leg, sat quietly to the side with Old Mrs. Wang.
Seeing everyone busy running around, Zhou Chenyu couldn't sit still any longer and tried to get up to help, but was pressed back down onto a stool by Old Mrs. Wang.
Grandma Wang pointed to her feet and said kindly, "There are plenty of people there, we two won't make a difference. Let them keep busy. Taking care of children is a job too, we're very useful."
With Old Mrs. Wang as her backer, Zhou Chenyu was naturally not afraid and sat steadily on the bench waiting for her meal.
Dishes were gradually placed on the table, including braised pork ribs that had been simmering for an hour, freshly cooked spicy stir-fried pork liver, fragrant stir-fried pork with garlic sprouts, sweet and refreshing sweet potato leaves, crisp and refreshing spicy stir-fried pickled radish, stewed radish and pork lung soup, and sliced sweet watermelon chilled in well water. In no time, the square table was filled with dishes.
Everyone found their seats and sat down. Hongmei was still in the kitchen frying the last of the pig intestines. The sweltering kitchen made her sweat profusely. "The food is getting cold. You guys eat first. Don't wait for me."
Wang Zhao chuckled quipped, "Sister-in-law, you're the hostess. How could we guests dare to touch our chopsticks when the host isn't here?"
Zhou Shuqing held her son and stood guard at the kitchen door, "Oh, look, Mom, she's right here."
Hongmei had no choice but to finish the last step of the cooking process, adding plenty of sauce. She then took a clean plate, poured out the glistening, spicy pork intestines from the pot, and smiled happily. "Alright, the last dish is ready!"
Zhou Shuqing carried the baby in one arm and a plate of spicy pork intestines in the other as he went out. Hongmei took off her apron and followed behind, saying, "Come, come, I'm sorry to have kept you all waiting!"
The pork lung and radish soup had cooled down. Since the family was together, they didn't drink alcohol, so they ate the soup instead. Everyone picked up their bowls and clinked them together as if it were a festival. Zhou Chenyu, who had difficulty walking, also clinked his bowl next to Baoyu's.
Zhou Shuqing gulped down a large bowl of soup and laughed, "There's nothing good to eat at home, this is all we have to offer our guests. Please make do with this."
Li Xiuju glared at him in annoyance, "What are you saying, child? This table is full of delicious food, like it's Chinese New Year. Where are all the good dishes?"
After saying that, Li Xiuju turned to Hongmei and solemnly thanked her, "Thank you for making such a big meal for us all by yourself. You've worked so hard."
"I love cooking, it's not hard work at all." Hongmei had just come out of the kitchen when she was stared at by six or seven pairs of eyes again, making her even hotter. She said coquettishly, "Oh dear, the food is getting cold! You all need to eat quickly. No one is allowed to leave until all this food is finished!"
“If I’m not leaving, I’ll stay a few more days and see if my cousin gets annoyed with me or I get annoyed with him,” Wang Zhao said with a cheeky laugh. As a result, he got a hard slap from Zhou Shuqing. The son in Zhou Shuqing’s arms laughed when he saw this, and everyone laughed along with him.
A group of people were sitting in the courtyard eating, drinking, chatting and laughing. The sound of laughter kept coming out. The villagers who passed by thought that some important guests had come to the house, so they came in to see. As a result, they were pulled to drink two bowls of soup before they were allowed to leave.
They ate for almost an hour, from 6 p.m. to past 8 p.m. After they were full, everyone helped clean up the dishes and tidied up. Before they left, Hongmei insisted on giving them a plate of braised pork intestines to take with them.
The moonlight was dim tonight, so dark you couldn't see your hand in front of your face. Although they were only a short distance from home, they could hardly move without any light.
In those days, there were no flashlights, and it was inconvenient to carry oil lamps when going out, so firecrackers became the only option for lighting.
Fire bamboo is made from bamboo about the thickness of a thumb. When the weather is good, you can take a knife and go into the back mountain to cut two or three bundles.
Then throw it into the water and weigh it down with a large stone. Soak it for several days until it turns yellow, then put it in the sun to dry until it cracks and bursts. It can burn easily if you put a little fire on it.
At night, if anyone wanted to visit someone, they could light a fire stick, which was enough to wander around the village.
Li Xiuju held a plate in one hand and a fire stick in the other to light the way. The muddy road was still a bit slippery after the rain. Zhou Chenyu was supported by Baoyu and followed carefully behind.
"Sis, you're walking so slowly, shall I carry you?"
Before Zhou Chenyu could answer, Baoyu showed her his back.
Zhou Chenyu also felt like she was walking at a snail's pace, so she lay down on top of it. Li Xiuju slowed down and said, "Watch your step."
Baoyu took a few steps steadily at first, but after a few meters, his legs started to sway, and Zhou Chenyu almost fell into a ditch with him. "Can I entrust my life to you, sister?"
Baoyu gritted his teeth and asked, "Sister, did you eat too much just now? Why are you so heavy?"
Zhou Chenyu slapped him, "Pah, it's so easy for others to carry me, but you have to struggle so much? You're the weakling, you've wasted your time eating rice."
Baoyu stared at the doorway, just a few steps away, his vision blurring. "Others? Who?"
Zhou Chenyu thought of Yang Xi's icy face. She didn't know why she brought him up, and the gloom of her romantic setbacks enveloped her once again.
She pursed her lips and changed the subject, "Brother Shuqing and Sister Hongmei are so generous. Buying so much meat at the meat market must have cost a lot of money."
"That's right, having such good neighbors is something some distant relatives can't compare to." Li Xiuju sighed with emotion. After taking a few steps, she suddenly remembered something important: "Hongmei's son will be celebrating his 100-day celebration soon. It's time to prepare a silver bracelet for the child."
Back at the door, Little Soybean, who had been left at home to guard the house, rushed to the door. As soon as the door opened, it darted out and licked people's legs.
I had already fed Huangdou once before leaving the house, and this time I brought some bones for it. It was overjoyed and picked up a big bone to gnaw on by the door.
The three of them quickly finished their baths. The rain was pattering down again that night. Baoyu was so sleepy that he couldn't keep his eyes open, so he slipped back to his room to sleep. Li Xiuju then brought a large basin of boiled Chinese herbal medicine to her room.
Zhou Chenyu muttered as he lifted his trouser leg, "Grandma, my foot has gone down in swelling. It's so late, there's no need to trouble yourself anymore. You're not tired, but I am."
“You’re still young. If your foot isn’t healed, it will leave you with a lifelong problem. What does it matter if your mother is tired?” Li Xiuju took Zhou Chenyu’s foot and put it into the medicine.
Zhou Chenyu looked at her dark, chapped hands, which were peeling from being soaked in hot water. How much pain must they be in? "Grandma, Baoyu and I have grown up and can earn money to support you. You don't need to weave so many bamboo baskets anymore. Take a break now and then. You've suffered your whole life."
Li Xiuju didn't feel tired at all. "With your words, it's all worth it, no matter how tired I am."
Zhou Chenyu nestled her head on Li Xiuju's shoulder and murmured softly, "I will work hard to earn money so that you can live a good life."
Li Xiuju gently touched her cheek, a happy smile spreading across her face. "Such a big girl, why does she still act like a child?"
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