Chapter 40: Morning Light Melts the Frost, Warm Things Fill the House
As the morning light in the courtyard barely filtered through the branches of the old locust tree, Liu Hong treaded through a thin layer of frost as she made her way to the kitchen. The collar of her moon-white cloth jacket was stained with cotton wool. She pushed open the creaking wooden door. A thin, white steam rose from the copper kettle on the stovetop. A small, half-empty jar of rice wine, warmed by the hearth the previous night, remained, its sweet aroma mingling with the warm scent of pine wood filling the room.
"Good morning, Sister Hong!" Xiaoyanzi's voice echoed from outside the courtyard, like frost dripping from the eaves. Just as Liu Hong turned around, a ginger-colored figure rushed through the door. The red silk ribbon at the end of her braid swept across the pickled vegetable jars beside the stove, bringing with it a burst of sour fragrance. Xiaoyanzi held a bamboo basket in her arms, containing a pottery jar wrapped in cotton wool. "My mother asked the cook to make some mutton soup to nourish Grandpa and Grandma. Hurry and serve it up while it's hot!"
Liu Hong quickly took the pot, her fingertips touching the scalding pottery wall, and quickly placed a cloth under it. "You little girl, you ran away before dawn. Did you slip on the road?" She opened the lid of the pot, and the milky white soup with red dates and wolfberries floated in it. The aroma instantly filled the kitchen. "Hurry and sit down to warm yourself up. I'll serve you a bowl."
"I'm not sitting anymore!" Xiaoyanzi stood on tiptoe to look outside the yard, the red silk ribbon on the end of her braid swaying violently. "The carpenter we talked about yesterday should be here, right? I have to go see how Brother Liu Qing's stall is being renovated. I have to deliver a midnight snack to Manager Wang tonight!" As she spoke, she ran out. The corner of her clothes brushed against the bamboo sieve hanging on the wall, and the soybeans in the sieve made a rustling sound.
Beneath the sycamore tree in the corner of the courtyard, Liu Qing was squatting beside his stall, cleaning the griddle. The sleeves of his blue shirt were rolled up to his elbows, revealing his sturdy arms, stained with soot. Xiao Jian stood nearby, holding a carpenter's blueprint. The hem of his blue cotton robe was wet with dew. He gestured with his fingertips along the stall bed, "Let's add a movable partition here so we can store the soup in layers when we deliver late-night snacks. This way, the soup won't spill."
"Okay!" Liu Qing wiped the black spots off the griddle with a coarse cloth, a smile creased his dark face. "Yesterday, Shopkeeper Wang specifically said that the guys on the construction site were cold at night and wanted some hot soup, and I was worried I wouldn't be able to bring any." He suddenly remembered something and called toward the kitchen, "Hongmei, do you have enough jars for pickled radishes? Xiaoyanzi asked for two more jars yesterday!"
"That's enough!" Liu Hong came out with mutton soup, steam rising from the coarse porcelain bowl. She handed the bowl to Xiao Jian, "It's freshly poured. Warm your hands first. Xiaoyanzi brought mutton soup and cooked it until it's tender. Bring it to Grandpa Zhang and the others later. It's the most comfortable drink in cold weather." She glanced at the courtyard gate and suddenly smiled and waved, "Master Li is here!"
A carpenter carrying a toolbox came from the alley entrance. His cotton-padded jacket was stained with sawdust, and he held a bamboo basket filled with several planed bamboo strips. He placed the toolbox next to his stall, rubbing his reddened hands and smiling, "Here's the job that Brother Xiao Jian asked me to do! This stall has a sturdy frame, so adding a partition won't be difficult. I guarantee it'll work."
Little Swallow came skipping over, holding an oil-paper package containing a freshly bought sesame pancake. "Master Li, try it! Hot pancakes with mutton soup warm your heart!" She clung to the edge of the stall, watching the carpenter open his toolbox with sparkling eyes. "Master, can you add a small lamp stand to the stall? It's dark when I deliver late-night snacks, so hanging a lantern will brighten the road!"
Master Li smiled while biting a sesame cake: "This girl is so thoughtful! Okay, I'll make one for you. I'll weave a small frame with bamboo strips. It's light and strong." He took out a saw and began to cut bamboo strips. The rustling sound of sawing wood mixed with the aroma of mutton soup wafting from the kitchen, making the place particularly lively.
Liu Hong squatted beside the stone table, counting items. A small account book lay spread out on the table, with the words "Midnight snack: thirty pancakes, ten bowls of hot soup" written in charcoal, a small lantern drawn beside it. She counted the coins, then suddenly looked up and said to Liu Qing, "Yesterday's earnings were enough to buy five pounds of mutton. When we close the stall tonight, we'll stew a pot of mutton for everyone's meal!"
"Okay!" Liu Qing agreed, wiping the cloth in his hand more vigorously. "Buy some more radishes and vermicelli. Stew them in the soup and it'll be sweet. The kids will definitely love it." He glanced at Xiao Jian helping Master Li with the bamboo strips, and an embarrassed smile appeared on his dark face. "Brother Xiao Jian, I've made you spend money to hire a master again..."
"What are you talking about?" Xiao Jian handed over the tung oil without raising his head. "When we became sworn brothers, we agreed to share weal and woe. This little thing is nothing." He caught a glimpse of Xiao Yanzi secretly stuffing candy into Master Li's toolbox, and the corners of his mouth couldn't help but curl up - this girl always loves to do these heartwarming little things.
By the time the sun crested the treetops, the transformed stall had begun to take shape. New bamboo partitions sat securely in the bed, stacked with empty soup bowls and sauce jars. A small lantern stand stood beside the handlebars, and Liu Hong was sewing tassels onto lanterns with red cloth, red ribbons fluttering between her fingers. Master Li, packing up his toolbox, gazed at the remodeled stall and nodded, "Try pushing it tonight. I guarantee it'll be stable and bright!"
Xiaoyanzi ran over holding a large jar with a cloth covering the mouth. Inside the jar was the freshly pickled radish that she had just brought from the mansion: "Sister Hong, look! My mother asked the cook to pickle it according to your recipe, adding peppercorns and rock sugar. She said it's even crispier than last time!" She lifted the cloth cover, and a sour and spicy aroma wafted out, causing Liu Qing to sniff.
"Cover it quickly, cover it quickly!" Liu Hong smiled and covered her nose, "Save it for eating with mutton soup in the evening. I'm craving it just by smelling it." She picked up a pair of sewn cotton gloves from the stone table and stuffed them into Liu Qing's hands, "I made these for you. It's cold when you push the cart at night, so you'll feel warm if you wear them." The gloves were made of scraps of cloth, with a thick layer of cotton wool sewn on the palm, and the stitches were dense.
Liu Qing took the gloves, his dark face flushed red. He put them on his hands shyly. When his fingertips touched the warmth of the cotton wool, his heart felt warmer than after drinking mutton soup. "Hongmei's cooking skills are getting better and better..." Before he could finish his words, Xiaoyanzi interrupted him: "Try the stall cart! Let's push it around the alley and see if the light is on!"
Xiao Jian came over, holding a lantern with a candle inside. The warm yellow light shone through the red cloth, casting a circular halo on the ground. He hung the lantern on the stand and said to Liu Qing, "Try pushing it up and see if it's stable."
Liu Qing pushed his cart toward the alley entrance, the wheels rolling over the frosty road, much steadier than before. Lanterns swung gently beside the handlebars, their warm glow illuminating the path ahead. Xiaoyanzi and Liuhong followed behind, clapping their hands. The red ribbons on their braids and the lantern tassels fluttered, drawing the attention of passing neighbors. "Qing, you've really renovated your cart!"
As dusk fell, the aroma of mutton soup wafted through the courtyard. Liu Qing was pushing his repurposed food cart, ready to deliver a late-night snack. Pancakes steamed in the truck bed, soup bowls covered with cotton towels to keep them warm, and lanterns shone a warm yellow light in the twilight. Liu Hong shoved a hand warmer into his arms, "Go slowly on the way, and come back early after you're done. I'll keep the mutton soup warm for you."
"I know!" Liu Qing smiled and waved. The sound of the stall's wheels gradually faded away. Xiaoyanzi leaned against the door frame to watch. Suddenly, she turned back and said to Xiao Jian, "Brother, don't you think our compound is becoming more and more like home? There's soup, lights, people talking and laughing."
Xiao Jian looked at the lights on in the yard, white smoke billowing from the kitchen chimney, the mutton soup bubbling on the stone table, and the children crowding around Liu Hong asking for candy. He reached out and ruffled Xiaoyanzi's hair, the warmth in his eyes like charcoal in a stove: "Yes, this is our home."
The evening breeze swept through the old locust tree, rustling its leaves as if echoing the laughter within. Lights in the courtyard lit up one by one, casting shadows swaying on the window paper. The aroma of mutton soup, mixed with the warm scent of pine wood, spread through the twilight of the capital. Xiaoyanzi touched the jade pendant with the word "righteousness" at her waist, feeling the warmth in her palm, and her heart felt at ease and warm. No matter how cold the wind and frost in this capital, with such family and lights as these, she feared nothing. Thus, immersed in the warm soup and lights, the last page of the second volume came to a gentle conclusion.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
