Chapter 134: Bamboo Heralds Peace and Prosperity
Yun Tangyin was awakened by the sound of bamboo sieves colliding.
When she opened her eyes, Fu Yucheng was squatting in the yard drying gauze on the bamboo medicine box. The morning light shone through the bamboo strips onto his back, like a layer of gold powder.
"Awake?" He turned around and smiled, "I made you a white fungus soup with red dates."
Yun Tangyin had just sat up when Erzhuzi rushed into the room holding a small bamboo wooden horse. "The wooden horse I made has a tail!"
The wooden horse's tail is made of thin bamboo thread and can swing left and right when pulled.
"It's more exciting than what your brother Fu made up." She stuffed a handful of pumpkin seeds into the child's pocket. "Go play in the yard, and don't touch the medicine box."
Erzhuzi had just run out when Jiang Jianhua came in with a bamboo dustpan: "Yinyin, come and take a look. I fried pumpkin seeds for you and mom and added some salt."
She stuffed a cloth bag into Yun Tangyin's hand and said, "This is the dodder seeds I found. Drinking it in water is good for pregnancy."
Fu Yucheng suddenly poked his head out from the kitchen: "Sister-in-law, don't give her anything to drink all the time. She hasn't finished the medicine prescribed by the old Chinese doctor yet."
"This is a legitimate medicinal herb." Jiang Jianhua glared at him. "That's what I drank back then. Ask Yuanshan."
Yun Tangyin quickly tried to smooth things over: "I'll just make some tea, sister-in-law, please sit down and have a rest."
She stuffed a piece of bacon into Jiang Jianhua's hand and said, "Mrs. Zhang gave it to me. Take it back and stir-fry it with garlic sprouts."
In the morning, Fu Yucheng went to the army to deliver lampshade samples, and Yun Tangyin sat in the yard embroidering gauze paper.
She had just finished embroidering the bamboo branch pattern when Zhou Mingniang came in holding a small bamboo bookshelf. "Yinyin, do you think this bookshelf has room for medicine bottles and donkey-hide gelatin?"
The bookshelf is divided into three layers, and each layer has a guard bar to prevent bottles from sliding down.
Yun Tangyin stuffed a piece of sesame candy into Zhou Mingniang's hand and said, "This is better looking than the iron racks sold at the supply and marketing cooperative. I'll put a piece of blue cloth on each layer later."
Zhou Mingniang suddenly lowered her voice: "When I made your medicine box, I added a secret compartment for brown sugar. Don't let Ah Cheng see it. He always says you eat too much sugar."
Yun Tangyin was about to thank him when she saw Fu Yucheng pushing a bicycle in with a red cloth bag in the basket.
"Captain Zhang's wife gave it to me." He dumped the cloth bag onto the table, and out rolled a pile of small baby cloth pieces. "She said these patterns can be used to make patchwork quilts for the child."
Yun Tangyin picked up the tiger head pattern and smiled, "It's a perfect match for the jacket I'm embroidering."
She suddenly remembered something and asked, "Have the judges' certificates for the bamboo weaving exhibition been issued?"
"It's made." Fu Yucheng took out two small bamboo tags. "Do you think the tassels are tied properly? I added bells."
In the afternoon, Erzhuzi ran in holding a small bamboo bucket: "Look, Brother Fu! The bucket I made can hold water!"
The bottom of the barrel was soaked in tung oil and it really did not leak.
Fu Yucheng put a small bamboo spoon into the bucket and said, "We can make a small shoulder pole and carry water."
He suddenly winked at Yun Tangyin and said, "Ask your sister-in-law to sew the cloth around the edge of the bucket, don't rub your shoulders."
Yun Tangyin smiled and nodded: "I have some leftover red cloth strips here, I will sew them tomorrow."
During dinner, Fu Yuanshan came to deliver the bamboo screen. Seeing the patchwork quilt on the table, he was amazed: "This tiger head is so lively! I'll weave a bamboo tiger head hat according to it. I'm sure I'll win a prize."
He stuffed a small bamboo abacus into Fu Yucheng's hand and said, "It's for the child to learn arithmetic. It's more sophisticated than Erzhuzi's."
Yun Tangyin put a piece of bacon in his bowl and said, "Brother, try it quickly. Sister Zhang gave it to you. It's very delicious."
Fu Yuanshan bit his flesh and smiled: "Reporter Li just called and said that the sample issue of the pictorial has been printed and asked us to pick it up tomorrow."
Lying on the kang at night, Yun Tangyin touched the amulet on Fu Yucheng's chest and said, "When you pick up the illustrated magazine tomorrow, can you buy Erzhuzi a sugar-painted tiger? He stared at it for ages last time."
"I've remembered it for a long time." He snuggled into her arms, "I'll buy you two more boxes of vanishing cream. You see, your hands are dry from embroidering the gauze paper."
Yun Tangyin twisted his arm and suddenly yawned, "The old Chinese doctor said to go to bed early, let's rest."
Fu Yucheng had just blown out the oil lamp when he heard Yun Tangyin laugh: "Do you think our child, if he saw a room full of bamboo objects, would he think he was transformed from bamboo?"
"That's good." He kissed her forehead in the dark. "May the bamboo bring peace and prosperity."
The next day, when Fu Yucheng went to the county town to pick up the picture magazine, he deliberately went around to the sugar painting stall.
As soon as the old master handed over the candy tiger, Erzhuzi came out from behind and said, "Brother Fu, I'm here too!"
He held up a small bamboo kite and said, "The kite I made can fly!"
The kite's tail is made of bamboo silk and red silk cloth, and it flutters in the wind like a little snake.
Yun Tangyin stuffed a handful of pumpkin seeds into his pocket and said, "Hurry up and put away the kite. We're at the magazine gallery now."
Reporter Li held up the sample magazine and laughed, "Look at how well-taken this photo is! The bamboo crib as a backdrop is even better than the scenery in the city."
In the photo, Yun Tangyin was wearing a blue cloth jacket, and a silver hairpin was shining in the sun. Fu Yucheng's hand was on her shoulder, and the smiles in their eyes seemed to be overflowing.
On the way back, Yun Tangyin touched the sample magazine and smiled: "I should have changed into a new coat earlier."
"This one looks the best." Fu Yucheng pedaled his bicycle. "The bamboo branch pattern you embroidered on the cuffs is so eye-catching."
He suddenly reached into the basket and said, "I forgot to take the vanishing cream I bought for you. I'll go to the county town later."
"No need." Yun Tangyin tugged at the corner of his clothes, "There's still half a box at home."
When they were almost home, Erzhuzi suddenly pointed to the sky and shouted, "My kite is flying!"
The bamboo kite, with a red silk tail, floated far away in the blue sky.
Fu Yucheng suddenly stopped the car and said, "Let's make a big kite for the child, taller than this one."
Yun Tangyin looked up at the kite and smiled: "Embroider a little tiger on it and let it fly with the child's name on it."
The setting sun stretched the shadows of the three people very long, and the bicycle bells jingled, mixed with Erzhuzi's laughter, like a sweet song.
Yun Tangyin suddenly felt that such days were really good. With him by her side, she had hope, and even the wind carried the scent of bamboo strips and sunshine.
When I got home, Yuxia was sitting in the yard sewing a cloth lining on a bamboo tiger-head hat. "You're finally back."
She held up her hat and smiled, "This tiger head that Yuanshan woven is more lively than Erzhuzi's rattle."
The bamboo tiger whiskers on the brim of the hat stood out. Yun Tangyin touched them and said, "It would be more majestic if we sew some black cloth strips on them as eyelashes."
She suddenly stuffed a piece of candy into Yuxia's hand and said, "Try it, Mom. It's the fruit candy I bought in the county town."
Fu Yucheng had just parked his bicycle when Jiang Jianhua came in holding a bamboo steamer. "I steamed some brown sugar cake to replenish Yinyin's blood."
She stuffed a pair of bamboo chopsticks into Yun Tangyin's hands. "These are newly made by Yuanshan. They are lighter than wooden chopsticks."
Yun Tangyin picked up a piece of cake and smiled, "It's sweeter than the red date cake I had last time. By the way, I've finished embroidering the lampshade with gauze paper. Has second brother applied the varnish yet?"
"Just finished." Fu Yuanshan poked his head out from the west wing, holding a small bamboo lantern in his hand. "Do you think this lantern frame is well woven? With the gauze paper you embroidered on it, it will definitely light up half the street."
The lantern frame is hexagonal, with a small lotus woven at each corner.
Yun Tangyin stuffed a piece of cake into his hand and said, "It's even more exquisite than the ones I bought at the temple fair. I'm sure it'll win a prize at the bamboo weaving exhibition."
In the evening, Erzhuzi rushed into the yard holding a small bamboo fishing boat: "Look, Brother Fu! The boat I made can carry peanuts!"
The sail was made of red silk cloth given by Yun Tangyin, and it swelled up when the wind blew.
Fu Yucheng put a peanut on the boat and said, "We can make a small fishing net and catch fish."
He suddenly winked at Yun Tangyin and said, "Ask your sister-in-law to sew a piece of oil paper on the bottom of the boat so it can float in the basin."
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