Chapter 119: It is reasonable to separate the family
Fu Yuanshan's ears turned red when he heard Yun Tangyin's exclamation, but he didn't stop wielding the bamboo sword. "I practiced that the other day when I was making the cradle. I was just fooling around."
The bamboo strips fluttered in his palm, and in a blink of an eye, another curled bamboo leaf appeared, just enough to support the roots of the plum blossom.
Yun Tangyin was about to say something when she saw Yuxia coming out with a wooden basin to dry a quilt. The quilt cover was a brand new peony red. "Wow, Yuanshan, you could open a shop with this craftsmanship!"
She glanced at the bamboo frame again and again, and suddenly clapped her hands, "Let Yinyin add a few strokes of gold powder later. It will definitely look decent."
"No need to draw." Fu Yuanshan wove a small magpie onto the bamboo frame, with its tail raised high. "It's good plain, just like Ah Cheng's personality, not ostentatious."
Fu Yucheng came back from the well carrying a bucket of water. Hearing this, he suddenly laughed: "Second brother, are you praising me or insulting me?"
He poured water into the tub, splashing it on his trouser legs. "I think this bamboo frame is more valuable than a military medal. I'll have to ask a carpenter to make a glass cover for it tomorrow."
"It doesn't have to be so expensive." Song Yushuang stepped in through the dew, holding a handful of freshly picked wintersweets. "Put them in the cracks of the bamboo frame. They'll be fragrant and pretty."
The tender yellow petals falling on the emerald green bamboo strips are more elegant than any other decoration.
Jiang Jianhua, leaning on his waist, basked in the sun on the porch. Looking at the bamboo frame, he suddenly said, "Yuanshan, make a small bamboo basket and hang it on it. It will be perfect for Ah Cheng's meritorious service certificate."
She called into the house, "Yinyin, bring the certificate over so that Second Brother can measure your size."
As soon as Yun Tangyin took the certificate, Fu Yuanshan took out a tape measure and began to measure. He drew a crooked frame on the paper with the tape measure. "It's two fingers wider than a cigarette box and four fingers higher. It won't be difficult to weave."
"I know there's a bamboo forest in the back mountain." Fu Yucheng glanced at the sickle on the wall, "I'll go cut a few this afternoon."
"You take a rest." Fu Yuanshan stuffed the tape measure into his pocket. "Your waist is just getting better. I'll go."
He stuffed a steamed bun into the bamboo basket and said, "I'll pick some winter bamboo shoots and stew meat for Mom tonight."
The afternoon sun shines through the window lattice, casting a latticed shadow on the kang table.
Yun Tangyin was mending the scratches on the knees of Fu Yucheng's military pants. Jiang Jianhua was sitting opposite her, embroidering tiger-head shoes, the needle tip making dense holes in the cloth.
"Do you think Yuanshan would be more powerful than Acheng if he had joined the army?"
Jiang Jianhua suddenly sighed, "When he was in the art troupe, he played the flute better than anyone else. Later..."
"Things turned out fine," Yun Tangyin sewed the patch into the shape of a bamboo leaf. "Look at the bamboo objects he made. Who in the village wouldn't praise them? Aunt Li even came the other day and asked if I could make a bamboo horse for her grandson."
Jiang Jianhua suddenly laughed out loud: "That's right, the bamboo horses he made are very popular and the children are fighting over them. Last time, Erzhuzi from the village rubbed his crotch to pieces fighting for a bamboo horse."
The two were chatting and laughing when they saw Fu Yuanshan coming back with a bundle of purple bamboo on his back. His trouser legs were stained with mud, and he was holding a bunch of wild peppercorns in his hand. "The bamboo shoots in the back mountain have just sprouted, and I dug a few small ones, enough for a pot of stew."
He placed the purple bamboo in the yard and said, "This bamboo is old, so it will be strong when woven."
Fu Yucheng quickly took the bundle of purple bamboo and felt the cold bamboo joints with his fingertips: "Second brother, why is your hand broken?"
"It's just a scratch from the bamboo stubble, it's not a big deal." Fu Yuanshan walked towards the kitchen, "I'll go boil some water and soften the bamboo first."
The aroma of mugwort soon wafted from the kitchen. Yuxia was sprinkling the herb into the pot. "This is specially used to treat bamboo thorns. Wash your hands after soaking the bamboo to avoid getting pricked by the thorns."
She added a piece of pine wood to the fire. "Your second brother is always like this. He doesn't care about himself when he works. Last time, he was weaving a bamboo mat and his hand was cut by the bamboo knife, but he still insisted on finishing it."
At dinner time, the aroma of stewed winter bamboo shoots and meat filled the yard.
As soon as Fu Yuanshan finished soaking the purple bamboo, Song Yushuang pulled him to the table: "Eat first, the bamboo will be better after soaking overnight."
She put a piece of meat into his bowl and said, "Eat more. You ran so far this afternoon."
Fu Yucheng scooped a spoonful of soup into his bowl and said, "Second brother, next spring, let's open a bamboo shop for you. Let's call it 'Fu Family Bamboo Shop', and you'll be the shopkeeper."
Fu Yuanshan paused his chopsticks in mid-air: "What are you messing around with? My cooking skills are not up to par."
"Why can't we get on the market?" Jiang Jianhua stuffed a bamboo shoot into his bowl. "Last time, Director Wang from the supply and marketing cooperative came to buy bamboo baskets. He said they were better than the ones from the county town and offered a higher price."
Song Yushuang suddenly made the decision: "It's settled! Let Yuanshan take two apprentices and open up the bambooware shop. It will be a family asset for the children in the future."
She added another spoonful of soup to Fu Yucheng's bowl and said, "Just focus on your work in the army. We'll be at home."
Regardless of what Fu Yuanshan was thinking, Yun Tangyin had guessed what Song Yushuang meant...
Once the store is opened, it will be equivalent to allowing Fu Yuanshan to separate from the family business with the pregnant Jiang Jianhua in a legitimate way.
Yun Tangyin said nothing and lowered her head to eat.
Obviously Jiang Jianhua also understood and didn't say a word.
At night, Fu Yuanshan was weaving baskets under the lamp, and the purple bamboo strips were turning rapidly between his fingers.
Fu Yucheng came over with the oil lamp and saw the woven pattern on the edge of the bamboo basket. "Where did you learn this pattern?"
As Fu Yucheng was speaking, he suddenly pulled out a red booklet with gold lettering on the cover. "This is the veteran's certificate I asked someone to get for you. Although you didn't officially join the army, you did contribute to the army during your time in the art troupe."
He stuffed it into Fu Yuanshan's hand and said, "Take it."
Fu Yuanshan held the red book in his hand, rubbing his fingertips over the gold-plated writing, and suddenly walked towards the kitchen: "I'll boil some water to warm your feet."
The flames in the stove reflected his profile, and I don’t know if it was the firelight or something else, but his eyes were shining.
Yun Tangyin looked at the purple bamboo baskets drying in the yard and suddenly said to Fu Yucheng, "Look, this display of military medals has brought the hearts of the whole family together."
Fu Yucheng hugged her from behind, his chin resting on the top of her head: "We were together originally, but this posture makes it easier for us to see."
The moonlight outside the window fell on the bamboo frame, and the golden edge of the military medal glowed softly in the night. The wintersweets in the bamboo crevices were in full bloom, and their fragrance mixed with the fragrance of bamboo filled the entire yard.
Fu Yuanshan hummed the tune of the art troupe in the kitchen. His voice, as clear as a flute, was more beautiful than any other music.
The next morning, when the purple bamboo basket was hung on the bamboo rack, the whole village came to watch the fun.
Aunt Li touched the plum blossoms on the bamboo frame and smacked her lips. "With Yuanshan's craftsmanship, it would be a shame if he didn't open a shop in the county town!"
Erzhuzi's mother even pulled Fu Yuanshan's arm and said, "Weave a bamboo horse for my Zhuzi. I'll give you two kilograms of brown sugar in exchange!"
Fu Yucheng stood in the crowd, watching Fu Yuanshan being surrounded by villagers and asked questions, the smile on his face was brighter than a military medal.
Yun Tangyin quietly tugged at the corner of his clothes: "Look, this matter is settled."
Fu Yucheng nodded, he couldn't explain what he felt, he just simply felt...
If Fu Yuanshan just split up and moved out, it would seem like a good thing for him.
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