Chapter 38: Warmth on Frost Street, New Guests and Old Friends
The old locust tree in the compound had shed its last few leaves, its bare branches drawing sparse lines against the frost. At daybreak, Liu Qing was pushing his cart toward East Street, an old cotton waistcoat over a blue shirt. The wheels of his cart creaked softly over the frosted road, and the aroma of freshly steamed batter in the cart bed, mixed with sweet bean paste, drifted through the cold air.
"Second brother, wait for me!" Liu Hong chased after him, carrying a bamboo basket. She wore a green cotton-padded jacket over a moon-white cloth coat. Her braids were hastily tied back, a few strands of hair stuck to her frost-red cheeks. "I forgot to bring the pickled vegetables! The pickled radish I picked yesterday is just right. Try adding it to the pancakes." She tiptoed to stuff the bamboo basket into the truck bed. Her fingertips touched Liu Qing's hand, and she retracted her hand in surprise. "Why are your hands so cold? Put them in your arms to warm them up!"
Liu Qing grinned, revealing two rows of white teeth. A thin layer of frost formed on his dark face. "It's okay. I'll warm up after pushing the cart for a while." He adjusted the jar of pickled vegetables in the bamboo basket. Glancing at Liu Hong's ears, which were red from the cold, he took off his old scarf and wrapped it around her. "It's windy. You can go back. I'll bring the sugar painting back at noon."
Just as Liu Hong was about to decline, she saw Xiaoyanzi running towards her from the alley like a ball of fire. Her ginger-colored jacket was particularly bright against the frost, and the red silk ribbons on her braids fluttered high. In her hands, she held an oil-paper bag. "Brother Liu Qing! Sister Liu Hong! Wait for me!" She ran to the stall, her breath spreading in puffs of white air. "My mother asked the cook to make some sesame candy. It's sure to be delicious if you sprinkle it on pancakes. Hurry and take it!"
The sesame candy in the oil-paper package was shimmering, covered in a thin layer of frost. Liu Hong's fingertips trembled as she took it. "Girl, you ran out before dawn. What if you get frozen?" She reached out and touched Xiaoyanzi's forehead, feeling a chill. She quickly wrapped her scarf around her neck twice and said, "Go back and put on some more clothes!"
"It's not cold!" Little Swallow hopped and stamped her feet, the frost on the soles of her boots falling off. "I've made an appointment with my brother to come watch you set up your stall today and learn how to hawk!" She clung to the edge of the stall, her eyes sparkling as she looked at the items in the truck bed. "Oh, a new bamboo shovel! Better than the old wooden one, right?"
"It works great!" Liu Qing patted the bamboo shovel in the cart bed. The bamboo was polished smooth and the handle was wrapped with a non-slip cloth. "Brother Xiao Jian sent it to me yesterday. He said that the bamboo shovel doesn't stick to the batter. It's indeed more convenient to use than a wooden one." He was about to push the cart when he saw Xiao Jian coming from the alley with a food box. He wore a navy blue cotton robe over his blue cloth gown. His posture was as straight as a pine tree, and he didn't even notice the frost falling on his shoulders.
"Mother asked me to bring some hot soy milk for you to drink on the way." Xiao Jian handed the lunch box to Liu Qing and took out a small cloth bag from his sleeve pocket. "This is ointment for frostbite. Remember to put it on your hands when you get home tonight." He looked at Xiao Yanzi, frowning slightly, and reached out to pinch her ear. "Your face is so red from the cold. Come home with me and put on more clothes, or I'll hurt your skin."
Xiaoyanzi stuck out her tongue and hid behind Liu Hong. "I won't! There's a temple fair on East Street today, it's bound to be lively, I want to go see the acrobatics!" She clung to Liu Hong's arm and shook it, the red silk ribbon at the end of her braid brushing against the back of her hand, making it tickle. "Sister Hong, please help me talk to them. I promise I won't run around!"
Liu Hong was so distracted by her that she glared at her, smiling, "You're so clever." Then she turned to Xiao Jian and said, "Don't worry, Brother Xiao Jian, I'll keep an eye on her. I'll make sure she doesn't get cold or get lost." She took a hand warmer from the bamboo basket and stuffed it into Xiao Yanzi's pocket. "I sewed this yesterday. It'll keep you warm."
The hand warmer was a little rabbit made of pink satin scraps and stuffed with fluffy cotton. When Xiaoyanzi put it in her arms, her heart was immediately warmed. She stood on tiptoe and whispered in Liu Hong's ear, "I secretly put a piece of malt sugar in it. We'll share it later." This made Liu Hong smile and pinch her cheek.
East Street was bustling with activity. Temple fair banners fluttered in the cold wind, and the cries of candied haws vendors, the jingling of bells making dough figurines, and the laughter of children all mixed together. As soon as Liu Qing set up his stall in its usual spot, a regular customer surrounded him. "Qing, you're here early today! Give me a double-egg bun with extra sweet bean sauce!"
"Alright!" Liu Qing responded by scooping up the batter. With a twist of his wrist, the batter spread out in a round circle on the griddle, and a crispy crust appeared on the edge. He quickly spread sweet bean sauce on it, sprinkled it with chopped green onions and sesame seeds, and added a spoonful of Liu Hong's pickled radish cubes. He rolled it up and handed it over, "Brother Zhang, enjoy! We added freshly pickled radish today. Try it!"
Little Swallow was learning to shout at the side, her crisp voice wrapped in white mist and floating far away: "Sweet bean paste sesame pancakes! With eggs and diced radish! Warm, sweet and delicious, you won't be cold after eating it!" She clapped her hands like the vendor, and the red ribbon on the end of her braid swung with the movement, attracting the attention of passers-by, and many people stopped and smiled.
Liu Hong stood by the stall collecting money, jotting down notes in her small notebook. She drew small circles on the paper with charcoal pencil to represent pancakes, and a copper coin mark next to them. Occasionally, she looked up and smiled at the customers: "It's hot from the oven, please take it!" An old woman's hands were shaking violently as she took out the money, so she quickly took an extra piece of sesame candy and said, "I added some sweetness for you to warm you up."
Xiao Jian hadn't known when he'd stopped at the old elm tree on the corner of the street. The collar of his navy blue cotton robe stood up, half obscuring his face, his gaze fixed on the three busy people. Seeing Xiaoyanzi's nose reddened from the cold, yet she was still yelling, he turned and walked into the nearby grocery store. A moment later, he emerged with a cotton cloak, quietly standing behind her. When she turned around, he gently draped it over her shoulders. "If you keep making such a fuss, your nose will really turn red from the cold."
"Brother!" Xiaoyanzi tugged at the laces of her cloak in surprise. The cloak was embroidered with intricate patterns, and the warm wool lining clung to her body. "Why haven't you left yet?"
"Mom asked me to see if your sales are good. By the way..." Xiao Jian pulled out an oil-paper bag from his sleeve pocket. Inside was a newly bought sugar painting of a majestic tiger. "This is for Xiao Douzi and the others." He couldn't hide the smile in the corner of his eyes. He glanced at the customers in line and said to Liu Qing, "Looks like we can close the stall early today."
As he was speaking, a young man in a brocade cotton robe stopped in front of the stall, playing with a jade pendant in his hand, frowning and looking at the stall cart: "How can this shabby stall be delicious?" Although his words were harsh, his eyes were fixed on the freshly baked pancakes, and his Adam's apple moved.
Just as Xiaoyanzi was about to retort, Liu Hong quietly tugged at her sleeve. Liu Qing, however, didn't care at all and smiled as he handed over a freshly made pancake: "Sir, try it. If it's not tasty, it's free."
The young man took a bite with a doubtful look on his face. His eyes suddenly widened as the crispy crust and the aroma of sweet noodle sauce exploded in his mouth. He quickly took another big bite and mumbled, "Two more! No, five! Pack it up!"
Xiaoyanzi chuckled, and Liu Hong couldn't help but curl her eyes. Liu Qing was making pancakes skillfully. The batter on the griddle sizzled, and clouds of white steam rose in the winter sun, mixed with people's laughter, warming the frost on East Street a little.
By the time the sun reached its zenith, the batter was gone, and the purse weighed heavily on Liu Hong's wrist. She counted the coins, a smile spreading across her face. "I sold sixty-two coins today! Twenty more than yesterday!" Liu Qing handed the last pancake to a passing beggar and wiped the sweat from her forehead. The heat condensed into white mist in the cold air.
Xiaoyanzi, clutching her hand warmer and nibbling on the remaining candied tiger tail, mumbled, "I knew sesame candy would work! Tomorrow we'll add peanuts. The more variety, the more customers!" Her eyes raced, and she dragged Liu Hong towards the cloth shop on the corner. "Hurry! They're having a sale! Grab some new cotton for the grandparents!"
Liu Qing followed behind, pushing the empty cart. Xiao Jian walked last. Watching his sister's bouncing back, then glancing at Liu Hong's bulging purse, he suddenly felt that this winter in the capital wasn't cold at all, thanks to these warm and caring feelings. A chill wind swept past the street corner, carrying fallen leaves, but it couldn't blow away the sweet aroma of pancakes and the laughter of young people, weaving a warm and cozy world of fireworks against the frost.
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