Chapter 141: I don’t care about that anymore
Jiang Jianhua was biting into a steamed bun when he heard this and laughed so hard he slammed the table. "Big brother has finally gotten the hang of it! The other day I saw him squatting in the bamboo workshop, thinking about making a dressing box with a mirror for my sister-in-law. It's lighter than the wooden boxes in town."
Fu Yuanzheng's ears turned red, and he scooped two spoonfuls of chicken soup into Yuxia's bowl: "Eat yours, don't listen to my second brother's wife's nonsense."
Yu Xia smiled with her eyes curved, and stuffed a piece of floral cloth into Yun Tangyin's hand: "Look at this pink one, how about making a small cape for the child? I'll embroider two little butterflies on the collar, it will look beautiful when it flies."
Just as Yun Tangyin took the cloth, Erzhuzi rushed in holding a pair of small bamboo scissors. "Aunt Fu, look! I can use scissors now! I can cut fabric samples for my little brother!"
The handles of the scissors were wrapped with red cloth, and Fu Yucheng had specially sharpened them to make them blunt.
"Be careful not to hurt your hands." Yu Xia quickly put away the scissors. "When you grow taller, I'll teach you how to sew clothes."
Erzhuzi straightened his back immediately: "I'm very tall now! I can reach Aunt Fu's waist!"
He stood next to Yun Tangyin, and it was indeed up to his waist, which made everyone laugh.
In the afternoon, Fu Yuanshan came in carrying a small bamboo wooden horse with a small bell woven on its head.
"Ah Cheng, do you think this wooden horse is interesting? I added bamboo pedals so the kids can step on them and it will rock on its own."
He spread a piece of velvet on the horse's back and said, "Erzhuzi said he wanted to be a test rider for my little brother."
Erzhuzi immediately climbed onto the wooden horse, shaking it so hard that the bells jingled. "Master Fu's wooden horse is more comfortable than the iron horse in town! My little brother will definitely like it!"
Jiang Jianhua smiled as she embroidered tiger-head shoes: "If this baby is a girl, I'll have her betrothed to the boy from Yinyin's family, and we'll be even closer."
Yu Xia paused her needlework and laughed, "Then my family should choose first. If I give birth to a boy, I will let them become sworn brothers and become brother and sister to your daughter."
Yun Tangyin stuffed a plum into her hand and said, "Sister-in-law, it's a new society now. We don't care about those things anymore."
Fu Yucheng had just finished weaving a small bamboo rattle when he heard this and said, "Both boys and girls are fine. Just look like Yinyin, with round eyes and a sweet smile."
Yun Tangyin blushed and twisted his arm: "You are the only one who talks sweetly."
When finishing work in the evening, Yuxia hung the three embroidered tiger-head hats in the bamboo wardrobe. Suddenly, she pointed at the tops of the hats and laughed: "Look at these tiger ears. I embroidered pointed ones for Yinyin's child and round ones for my second brother and sister-in-law's child. When my child is born, I will embroider one with pompoms so that we can tell them apart at a glance."
Jiang Jianhua held up the small socks he had just sewn and smiled: "I have marked these socks too. The blue ones are from Yinyin's family, the red ones are from my family, and the green ones are from my sister-in-law's family to match the bamboo in the yard."
As he was speaking, Fu Yuanzheng came in carrying a bamboo food box: "I bought you some osmanthus cake, made by Li Jixin."
He stuffed a piece into Yuxia's hand and said, "Try it, it's sweeter than last time."
Yu Xia took a bite and suddenly stuffed it into Yun Tangyin's mouth: "You're pregnant, eat more sweets."
Yun Tangyin had just swallowed when she saw Fu Yucheng bring out a bowl of Tremella soup from the kitchen: "I added lotus seeds, it's refreshing. Sister-in-law and sister-in-law should also have some, you've been busy all day."
The four adults sat around the bamboo table drinking soup. Erzhuzi lay on the bamboo wardrobe counting small clothes. As he was counting, he yawned: "Aunt Fu, when will little brother come out? The little bucket I woven is almost dry."
Yun Tangyin patted his head and said, "It will be soon. When the sweet osmanthus flowers in the yard bloom, my little brother will come."
Yuxia was putting her needlework into a bamboo basket when she looked up at the osmanthus tree in the corner of the yard. "This tree has lots of buds this year, so I'm sure it'll bloom more vibrantly than in previous years. I'll pick some flowers and make osmanthus cakes and wine for the children."
Jiang Jianhua finished embroidering the last stitch of the tiger-head shoes, held them up and smiled: "When the osmanthus flowers fall, I will use the flowers to make small pillows for the children. They are more fragrant than lavender."
She suddenly touched Yuxia's arm and said, "Smell it, sister-in-law, the rock sugar snow pear stewed by Acheng is ready. I can smell the sweet aroma through the window."
When Fu Yucheng brought in the casserole, there were three white porcelain bowls on the bamboo tray.
"It's freshly stewed with Sichuan Fritillaria to soothe your throat." He poured a bowl for each person, "Erzhuzi, come here quickly. I saved the sweetest bowl for you."
Erzhuzi jumped down from the wardrobe, holding the bowl and smacking his lips. "It's even sweeter than the sweet soup shop in town! Uncle Fu, how come you can cook everything?"
"I learned it from the veteran in the kitchen squad." Fu Yucheng scratched his nose. "When your little brother is born, I'll teach you how to stew egg custard. I guarantee it'll be as tender as tofu."
At night, Yun Tangyin lay on the kang, listening to the gentle rustle of bamboo branches in the wind outside the window. Suddenly, she touched Fu Yucheng's arm and asked, "Do you think that when my sister-in-law embroidered the tiger-head hat today, she deliberately made the green strip extra large?"
"That's right." Fu Yucheng stuffed a small bamboo pillow behind her waist. "This afternoon, I saw my eldest brother splitting bamboo strips in the bamboo workshop and weaving an adjustable crib. He said he had to prepare it in case he gave birth to a big fat boy."
Yun Tangyin couldn't help laughing: "They are hiding their hopes in the stitches and bamboo strips."
She suddenly felt the bamboo safety lock beside her pillow. The word "An" engraved on it was shining from being rubbed. "When the osmanthus flowers bloom, we will ask an old Chinese doctor to take my sister-in-law's pulse and ask about the children's pregnancy."
The next morning, Erzhuzi rushed into the yard holding a small bamboo basket. "Aunt Fu, look! I picked up half a basket of osmanthus buds! Once they bloom, we can make cakes!"
There was a crookedly carved "Fu" character on the edge of the basket. He learned how to do it from Fu Yuanshan last night.
She lined the basket with some tissue paper. "This will preserve the aroma. Once it's fully opened, it'll make delicious sweet wine."
Jiang Jianhua came out carrying a bamboo winnowing basket with freshly peeled lotus seeds drying inside. "Look at these lotus seeds. My mother sent them from home. She said to boil water for the children to drink to clear their internal heat."
She stuffed one into Erzhuzi's hand and said, "Try it. Is it sweet?"
Erzhuzi chewed the lotus seeds and nodded, "Sweeter than plums! Aunt Fu, wait until little brother comes out, I'll teach him how to peel the lotus seeds."
Yun Tangyin was about to respond when Fu Yuanzheng came in carrying a small bamboo rack with a few bunches of dried hawthorns hanging on it. "Do you see this bamboo rack? I made three layers of it. I can dry hawthorns and pumpkins on it to make snacks for the children."
Yu Xia stuffed a piece of osmanthus cake into his hand and said, "You're the one with so many ideas. But this frame is really solid, stronger than the wooden frame in the yard."
She suddenly pointed to the top shelf of the bamboo rack and said, "This is perfect for drying the children's socks. It's well ventilated."
Fu Yucheng came back from the bamboo workshop, holding a small bamboo rattle with a layer of gauze covering the drum surface. "Yinyin, look, I embroidered a little tiger on the gauze. It looks like it's running when it spins."
Yun Tangyin took it and shook it. The tiger on the gauze really came to life. "It's even more exquisite than the last one."
She stuffed a plum into his pocket and said, "My sister-in-law gave it to me. It's just the right sour taste."
Fu Yucheng squinted his eyes in pain, but nodded: "When the children grow up, I will teach them to weave this, it's better than playing with mud."
At lunch, Yu Xia put a piece of fried pumpkin into Yun Tangyin's bowl. "This pumpkin is grown in the yard. It's very sweet. The old Chinese medicine doctor said that pregnant women should eat more whole grains. They are more nourishing than refined rice and white flour."
Jiang Jianhua ate the rice in his bowl and laughed, "My sister-in-law is more knowledgeable than the old Chinese medicine doctor now. The other day I wanted to eat something spicy, but she chased me away, saying it was bad for the baby."
Yu Xia blushed. "I also heard from the monk in the temple that pregnant women should avoid spicy food."
She suddenly put a piece of tofu into Jiang Jianhua's bowl and said, "Eat this quickly to supplement your calcium."
Erzhuzi held up a small bamboo spoon and shouted, "I want calcium supplements too! I want to grow as tall as Uncle Fu!"
Fu Yuanzheng was amused and poured a spoonful of pork rib soup into his bowl: "Eat more meat, so you can grow taller."
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