Chapter 140: Learn to Coax People
As soon as Yuxia left, Jiang Jianhua grabbed Yun Tangyin and laughed, "Look at how anxious my sister-in-law is. She must have dug out all the floral fabrics she had hidden away. I saw the phoenix and peony fabric she brought as a dowry once. She said it was given to her by her mother. It's very precious."
Yun Tangyin touched the lavender in her hand and smiled: "It's good that sister-in-law is open-minded now. I saw her always frowning a few days ago, and I felt bad too."
As he was speaking, Fu Yucheng came in holding a small bamboo gadget. "Do you like this little windmill? I pasted colored paper on a piece of bamboo, and it will turn when the wind blows. When the child grows up, he will be happy to push it around."
"It's even fancier than the ones sold in town. You're too impatient." Yun Tangyin stuffed a piece of pumpkin pie into his hand. "Second sister-in-law made this. Try it."
Fu Yucheng had just taken a bite when Erzhuzi rushed into the yard holding a small bamboo bucket. "Look, Brother Fu! My bucket can hold water!"
He scooped some well water into the bucket and carefully passed it to Yun Tangyin, "Aunt Fu, look, it's not leaking!"
"Erzhuzi is really capable." Yun Tangyin touched his head, "When your little brother is born, you can use this bucket to fetch water for him to wash his face, okay?"
Erzhuzi patted his chest and said, "Great! I can even weave him a small bamboo basin for him to wash his hands!"
At lunch time, Yuxia came with a bamboo bag, which contained seven or eight pieces of flowered cloth, red, green and purple, which were dazzling to the eyes.
"How about this one?" She held up a piece of blue cloth with white flowers. "Make a little bellyband for the child. It'll keep him cool."
Jiang Jianhua leaned over to take a look. "This one's good. The lotus pattern on it is auspicious. I also have a piece of yellow cloth that would be perfect for making a small hat for the child to complete the set."
Yun Tangyin put a piece of pork ribs into Yuxia's bowl and said, "Sister-in-law, eat something quickly. You've been busy all morning."
She suddenly laughed out loud, "When the three of us have children, we can wear the patchwork clothes made by my eldest sister-in-law and run around in the yard in a line. That will be lively."
Yu Xia's face was as bright as a flower. "Then I'll weave three small bamboo bells for them and hang them on their wrists. They'll jingle when they walk, and you won't be able to tell who's running."
In the afternoon, Fu Yuanzheng came in carrying a small bamboo cradle with a swastika pattern woven on it, which made a squeaking sound when it was rocked.
"Look at this cradle? Yuanshan gave it to me. It has a little bamboo mechanism that adjusts the height." He placed a little bamboo tiger in the cradle, "for the child to keep company."
Yu Xia touched the cradle and smiled: "I have no idea yet."
She suddenly stuffed a piece of cake into Fu Yuanzheng's hand and said, "Try what my second brother's wife made. It's better than the ones you bought in town."
Fu Yuan was biting into the cake: "Well, it's really good."
He suddenly stuffed a small bamboo box into Yuxia's pocket and said, "I bought you rouge from Li's. It's more fragrant than the ones from the supply and marketing cooperative."
Yu Xia's face flushed red, and she stuffed it into Yun Tangyin's hand: "You are pregnant, you need to take good care of your complexion, you can use it."
"Sister-in-law, keep it." Yun Tangyin pushed it back, "I don't like to put these on. Fu Yucheng said I look good even without them."
Fu Yucheng listened nearby and nodded quickly: "That's right, Yinyin is more beautiful than the flowers in the yard even without rouge."
Everyone laughed, and Yuxia's laughter was the loudest, like a wind chime under the eaves, very crisp.
In the evening, Yun Tangyin sat in the yard embroidering baby socks, while Yu Xia and Jiang Jianhua gathered around to help thread the needle.
"Look, the stitches are crooked." Yu Xia took the needle and thread and sewed a few stitches expertly. "This is how you embroider it so it's strong."
Jiang Jianhua stuffed a plum into her hand and said, "Sister-in-law, you have really skillful hands. You embroider better than my mother."
Yu Xia smiled and said, "My mother used to be an embroiderer and taught me since I was a child. After I got married, I almost forgot how to embroider."
She suddenly looked up and said, "When the baby is born, I will teach you how to embroider tiger-head shoes. I guarantee they will look better than the ones you buy."
Yun Tangyin nodded: "Okay, I was just worried about not being able to embroider."
Fu Yucheng poked his head out from the kitchen: "What are you guys talking about? Why are you so excited? Come in for dinner. I made chicken soup with wolfberries to replenish your qi and blood."
As soon as everyone entered the house and sat down, Erzhuzi rushed in holding a small bamboo spoon: "Aunt Fu, look! I can drink soup with this spoon!"
He scooped some soup into Yun Tangyin's bowl and said, "Aunt Fu, have a drink. Is it sweet?"
Yun Tangyin took a sip and smiled: "Sweet, sweeter than honey."
Er Zhuzi smiled proudly: "I asked Brother Fu to put the sugar in it."
Fu Yucheng scratched his nose and said, "You clever little fellow, you only know that your Aunt Fu likes sweet things."
At the dinner table, Yu Xia kept putting food into Yun Tangyin and Jiang Jianhua's bowls, muttering, "Eat more, eat more. You're pregnant, you need to nourish yourself."
Jiang Jianhua put a piece of chicken into her bowl and said, "Sister-in-law, eat more too. You have to take good care of yourself so that you can give birth to a big fat nephew for us."
Yuxia's face turned red again, but she didn't refuse and ate it obediently.
At night, Yun Tangyin lay on the kang, touching the soothing pillow woven by Fu Yucheng and smiling: "It's really lively today. The eldest sister-in-law is happy, and the second sister-in-law is happy too."
Fu Yucheng snuggled into her arms and said, "It will be even more lively in the future. When the three children are born, the courtyard will be like a market every day."
He suddenly bent down and kissed her forehead. "Then I'll weave a big bamboo basket, put them all in it, and push it around."
Yun Tangyin laughed and punched him: "Just let your imagination run wild."
The moonlight from outside the window shone in through the bamboo window lattice and fell on the two people's clasped hands, so gentle that it could melt.
The sounds of Yu Xia and Jiang Jianhua's laughter came from afar, like a warm ballad, flowing slowly in the silent night.
The next morning, Yun Tangyin had just finished combing her hair when she heard the sound of a bamboo basket wheel coming from the gate of the courtyard.
When I looked out, I saw Yuxia pushing a small bamboo cart in, which was piled with colorful cloths and needlework baskets.
"Sister-in-law, have you brought all your wealth here?" Yun Tangyin greeted her with a smile, "Come in and rest. You look tired."
Yuxia wiped her sweat off her forehead and pointed at the cart, smiling: "Do you think this cart is nice? Yuanshan added a bamboo shock absorber to it yesterday, so it's very stable when pushed. I'm thinking of using it to push clothes for the kids in the future, so they don't have to carry the weight."
Jiang Jianhua also came over with a bamboo sewing box: "I brought all the silver needles my mother gave me. You need a fine needle to embroider tiger-head shoes to look good."
She opened the box, revealing a dozen silver needles neatly stacked inside. "Look at the tips of these needles. They're softer than iron needles and won't hurt your hands."
The three of them busied themselves around the bamboo table. Yuxia picked up the blue cloth with white flowers and gestured, "Yinyin, how about making a onesie for the child with this cloth? I'll embroider bamboo branches on the cuffs. It'll be both pretty and sturdy."
Yun Tangyin had just nodded when Fu Yucheng came in holding a small bamboo mold. "Do you think this tiger head mold is right? I spent half the night carving it, and it's even more lively than the one in the painting. Use this as a guide when embroidering tiger-head shoes, and I guarantee it won't go as planned."
"How come you can do everything?" Jiang Jianhua leaned over to take a look. "It's even more exquisite than the molds from the embroidery shop in town. Can you carve one for me?"
At lunchtime, Fu Yuanzheng came in carrying a small bamboo wardrobe with the words "Long Life" woven on the door.
"Xia'er, look inside this closet. I added some bamboo dividers to keep small clothes and socks separate."
He opened the cabinet door and found a few small bamboo hangers hanging inside. "It's more breathable than a wooden cabinet, so the children's clothes won't get damp easily."
Yu Xia put a piece of pork ribs into his bowl and said, "You're the only one who can do this. But this cabinet is really beautiful. It's even more exquisite than the ones sold at the supply and marketing cooperative."
She suddenly stuffed a poached egg into Yun Tangyin's bowl and said, "Eat quickly! I specially asked Yuanshan to go to town to buy foreign eggs. They are more nutritious than local eggs."
Yun Tangyin was about to thank him when she saw Yu Xia covering her mouth with her hands and laughing. "Yesterday he bought me a bamboo rouge box with a small peach blossom carved on it. Do you think he's learned to coax people now that he's old?"
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
