Chapter 143: You Must Protect It Well
The next morning, Fu Yucheng took Yun Tangyin to the town.
He was carrying a small bamboo basket padded with blue printed cloth.
"Can this basket hold your favorite sweets and cakes?" Fu Yucheng shook the basket, and the bamboo strips made a crisp sound when they collided.
Yun Tangyin pinched the red string wrapped around the handle and said, "When has your basket ever been unable to hold anything? It could even fit the eight pieces of osmanthus cakes I bought last time."
She suddenly stood on tiptoe and stuffed a plum into his pocket, "Hold it in your mouth to cheer you up on the way."
Fu Yucheng smiled with a hint of sweetness in his eyes, and when the sourness washed over him, he tilted his head to look at her: "Look at that cloth shop in front, there's a piece of aqua cloth hanging at the door. How about I make you a new coat? It'll look better than the indigo one you're wearing."
"No, my coat is still new." Yun Tangyin grabbed his hand and walked towards the cake shop, "Buy the cakes first, or they'll be sold out if you're late."
Fu Yucheng was dragged along by her, the bamboo basket swinging from his arm, tickling his elbow. "Run slower, and watch your step."
He held her wrist with his backhand and said, "I'll buy you two kilograms so you can eat enough."
As soon as I stood in front of the cake shop, the shopkeeper greeted me with a smile: "Are you here to buy cakes for your wife again? I just made some with jujube paste filling today. Would you like to try some?"
"Yes, yes, yes." Fu Yucheng handed over the bamboo basket, "Five of each filling, and two of the jujube paste."
He turned to look at Yun Tangyin, "Don't you always say you want to eat jujube paste?"
Yun Tangyin felt sweet inside and punched him on the back: "You are the only one who remembers it so well."
As she walked back carrying the heavy bamboo basket, Fu Yucheng suddenly stuffed an oil-paper bag into her hand: "I just bought this from the shop next door. Do you like this flower rope bracelet? It's better than the one you lost last time."
There is a red agate on the bracelet, which looks like a small flame when it shakes.
Yun Tangyin was about to thank him when she saw him scratching his head and laughing: "I've been choosing for a long time. I heard that this agate can help with pregnancy."
"You." Yun Tangyin twisted the bracelet around his wrist and said, "You wear it first. I'll put it on you after I finish the work I'm doing."
Fu Yucheng grabbed it and tied it on her: "You have to wear it, why should a grown man like me wear this?"
His fingertips touched her wrist, and the heat made Yun Tangyin shrink her hand, but he held it tighter.
When they got home, Yuxia was drying pumpkin seeds in a bamboo sieve. Seeing them return, she smiled and said, "What goodies did you buy? Your bamboo basket is about to burst."
"I bought some candy cakes for Yinyin." Fu Yucheng stuffed two into her hands. "They're filled with jujube paste. Sister-in-law, try some too."
Song Yushuang came out of the house, holding a pair of half-embroidered tiger-head shoes in her hand: "Yinyin, look at the pattern on the upper. I added a circle of bamboo branches. Doesn't it look more lively?"
Yun Tangyin leaned over to take a look, and suddenly stuffed a candy cake into her hand: "Mom, take a break first and try this."
She held up the bracelet and smiled, "Acheng bought it for me. He said it can help with pregnancy."
Song Yushuang stared at the bracelet and nodded: "This red agate looks auspicious, even better looking than the amulet I prayed for last time."
In the evening, Fu Yucheng was chopping bamboo strips in the yard, and Yun Tangyin was sitting on a bamboo stool peeling walnuts.
Every time he split three bamboo strips, he would look back at her and would not even shake off the bamboo chips that fell on his shoulders.
"What are you looking at me for?" Yun Tangyin stuffed the peeled walnut kernels into his mouth. "Focus on your work."
Fu Yucheng chewed a walnut and smiled: "Look at the way you peel the walnut, it's more beautiful than a peacock spreading its tail."
He suddenly put the bamboo sword on the ground and said, "Let me make you a nutcracker. It's easier than chewing with your teeth."
"No, I just like chewing with my teeth." Yun Tangyin pulled his arm, "Just talk to me."
Fu Yucheng sat cross-legged across from her, picking up a thin bamboo stick and spinning it in his hands. "Okay, one Chinese New Year, I made a string of bamboo wind chimes for my comrades and hung them at the entrance of the barracks. Later, the instructor asked me to teach the new recruits how to make military uniforms, saying it would help them improve their character."
"Then why don't you teach me?" Yun Tangyin snatched the bamboo stick from his hand, "I want to learn too."
Fu Yucheng held her hand and taught her how to tie a bamboo knot: "Your hands need to be embroidered, and you can't let them be scratched by the bamboo strips."
He suddenly lowered his head and kissed the back of her hand, "You have to take good care of this hand."
Yun Tangyin's face flushed red, and she pulled her hand back and stuffed a handful of walnuts into his arms: "Peel them quickly, or you won't be able to eat until you finish peeling them."
Lying on the kang at night, Yun Tangyin touched her round belly and laughed: "I ate six candies today. Will the baby be too fat?"
Fu Yucheng placed a small bamboo pillow behind her waist: "It's better to be a little fatter, like you, it's more comfortable to hug someone who is plump."
He suddenly stuffed a hot water bottle into her hand and said, "It's freshly heated. Smell it. I added some lavender. It's more fragrant than last time."
The hot water bottle was wrapped in a newly sewn cloth cover with two mandarin ducks embroidered on it, with the stitching crooked.
Yun Tangyin touched the cloth cover and smiled: "Did you embroider this? It's even uglier than the first time I embroidered it."
"What do you know?" Fu Yucheng buried his face in the crook of her neck. "This is a token of my love. It's much more valuable than the gold you buy in the store."
He suddenly rubbed her ear and said, "When the baby is born, I will embroider a tiger head pillow for you. I guarantee it will be better than this one."
Yun Tangyin felt itchy from his rubbing, and she pushed him away with a smile: "Stop making trouble, go to sleep."
The shadows of bamboo outside the window swayed and the bamboo wind chimes tinkled.
Yun Tangyin touched the red agate on her wrist and listened to Fu Yucheng's even breathing. Suddenly, she felt that this day was like a freshly baked sugar cake, hot and sweet to the heart.
The next morning, Fu Yucheng kissed her on the forehead and said, "I'll buy you some soy milk later, with two spoonfuls of sugar."
Yun Tangyin grabbed the corner of his clothes and said, "I'll go with you. It's a good opportunity to get some exercise."
As they reached the gate, Erzhuzi rushed over holding a small bamboo windmill. "Aunt Fu, take me with you! I want some soy milk, too!"
The windmill blades are covered with colored paper, and when they spin they look like a colorful butterfly.
Fu Yucheng bent down and rubbed his head: "Okay, I'll buy you a bowl of sweet."
He turned to Yun Tangyin and smiled, "This kid is just like you, he loves sweet things."
Yun Tangyin stuffed a candy into Erzhuzi's pocket: "Eat it on the way, don't let him see it."
Erzhuzi covered his pocket and laughed secretly, but he didn't stop. He ran in front, jumping and skipping, and the bamboo windmill made a whirring sound.
Fu Yucheng walked slowly holding Yun Tangyin's hand. The morning light shone through the bamboo fence onto their feet, stretching their shadows very long.
"Look at how happy Erzhuzi is," Yun Tangyin said with a smile.
"Of course." Fu Yucheng held her hand tightly. "I have to let everyone in the town see how energetic my Fu Yucheng's child is."
When they arrived at the soy milk shop, the owner was scooping soy milk into a bamboo bucket. Seeing them coming, he called out, "You brought your wife with you today? Do you want two tea eggs?"
"I want three," Fu Yucheng stuffed a hot tea egg into Yun Tangyin's hand, "I peeled it for you, the egg white is very tender."
He took a shelled one and stuffed it into Erzhuzi's hand, "Eat slowly, don't burn yourself."
Erzhuzi blew and bit it at the same time, and the egg yolk residue fell all over his clothes.
On the way back, Erzhuzi was humming a song while holding an empty bowl, Fu Yucheng was carrying soy milk for Yuxia and Song Yushuang, and Yun Tangyin was walking in the middle, holding the tea egg given by Fu Yucheng in her hand, feeling warm all over.
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