Chapter 144 You two are so annoying
As soon as I entered the courtyard, I saw Song Yushuang sitting on a bamboo rocking chair picking vegetables. The vegetables in the bamboo basket were so tender that you could squeeze out the water.
"Finally I'm back," she smiled, looking up. "I just made some steamed locust flower cakes and am waiting for you to dip them in sugar."
Yun Tangyin came over to help pick the vegetables: "How did you know I like to eat this?"
When my fingertips touched the dew on the leaves, I felt a cool and comfortable sensation.
"You were mesmerized yesterday when you saw Yuxia drying the locust flowers." Song Yushuang stuffed a tender stem into her hand and said, "Try it, it's sweet."
Fu Yucheng put the soy milk on the bamboo table and suddenly stuffed a tea egg into Song Yu's hands: "I peeled it for you. The egg white is not broken. It's more tender than the ones cooked in the army cafeteria."
Song Yushuang bit her tongue and smiled: "You are really careful. Your father has never peeled eggs for me in his life."
She suddenly scooped a spoonful of honey into Yun Tangyin's bowl and said, "Dip it on the locust flower cake. It's more soothing to the throat than sugar."
Fu Yucheng was squatting in the yard weaving a bamboo basket, the bamboo strips flying in his hands, while Yun Tangyin was sitting beside him embroidering a baby's hat.
The sunlight passed through the wisteria flowers on the bamboo frame and fell on her hair like a handful of golden scraps.
"Look at the pattern on the bottom of this basket," Fu Yucheng held it up for her to see. "I added a circular pattern, so it's sturdier than the last time."
There was a small handle on the edge of the basket, wrapped with a red rope she had woven.
Yun Tangyin touched the bottom of the basket and said, "It's even more solid than the ones sold at the supply and marketing cooperative." She suddenly stuffed a piece of locust flower cake into his mouth and said, "Is it sweet with honey?"
"It's just the right amount of sweet," Fu Yucheng smiled as he chewed the cake. "It tastes better than the fruit candies the army gives out."
He suddenly pulled her hand and placed a small bamboo gadget in her palm. "This is for you. Freshly carved."
It is a little bamboo rabbit with a small peach blossom carved on its ear.
Yun Tangyin pinched the rabbit's ears and smiled: "It's much more delicate than the tiger you carved last time."
"That's right," Fu Yucheng moved closer to her, "The rabbit suits you, and the tiger suits me, they're a perfect match."
At lunchtime, Yuxia came in with a bamboo tray containing a bowl of black chicken soup. "Yinyin, drink it quickly! I added angelica root. It's more nourishing than yesterday's."
She put a piece of chicken liver into Fu Yucheng's bowl and said, "You should also replenish your energy. I see you've been making bamboo utensils recently."
Fu Yucheng was about to refuse when Yun Tangyin stuffed a piece of chicken into his mouth: "Sister-in-law left this for you, eat it quickly."
She picked up a piece of chicken skin, but Fu Yucheng reached out and snatched it away: "You have to eat lean meat, chicken skin is too oily."
Yu Xia covered her mouth and laughed, "You two are so sweet, it's sweeter than locust flower cake." She suddenly stuffed a cloth bag into Yun Tangyin's hand, "This is the roses I dried. They are more fragrant than the ones sold in the pharmacy when you soak them in water. It's perfect for you to drink when you can't sleep."
In the afternoon, Fu Yucheng took Yun Tangyin to the bamboo workshop. On the bamboo frame hung his newly made bamboo rocking bed. The bed rails were carved with lotus flowers. When it was rocked, it made a squeaking sound like singing.
"Look at this bed board," he said, touching the red velvet on it. "It's softer than wood. It won't hurt the child lying on it."
Yun Tangyin leaned over the bed and shook it: "It's more exquisite than the one made by the carpenter in town."
She suddenly discovered a small bamboo drawer hidden under the bed. She opened it and saw a few hawthorn candies inside. "Why did you hide this again?"
Fu Yucheng lowered his voice and said, "Aunt Zhou said that eating two pieces before dinner would be a good appetite, so I saved them for you."
His eyes were shining, as if he was afraid of being heard.
Yun Tangyin had just put the candy in her pocket when she saw Fu Yucheng coming over with a piece of bamboo. "I carved another pair of longevity locks. Do you think the pattern looks good?"
The word "peace" is engraved on the bamboo lock, and silver wire is wrapped around the edge.
"It's more beautiful than a silver lock," Yun Tangyin touched the lock surface, "It's perfect for wearing in the cool summer."
She suddenly snuggled into his arms and said, "When the child has had enough of it, we'll hang it by the bed as a reminder."
In the evening, Fu Yucheng was stewing Tremella soup in the kitchen, and Yun Tangyin was watching through the door frame.
He put lotus seeds and lilies into the casserole and sprinkled some wolfberries. The red and white fruits floating in the soup looked like a painting.
"I added rock sugar," Fu Yucheng scooped a spoonful for her to taste, "It's a little sweeter than last time. You like it."
The porcelain spoon touched her lips, and she shrank back because of the heat, but he gently wiped the soup stains from the corners of her mouth with his fingertips.
"It's so hot," Yun Tangyin patted the back of his hand and laughed, "It's even hotter than the black chicken soup you made last time."
"That's right," Fu Yucheng turned off the fire, "The old Chinese doctor said that hot soup is nourishing."
He suddenly pulled out an oil-paper bag from his pocket and said, "I bought you some mint candy. It's so cool to hold in your mouth."
Lying on the kang at night, Yun Tangyin touched the bamboo calming pillow woven by Fu Yucheng, which was stuffed with dried lavender and had a fragrance that made her sleepy.
"Smell this," she leaned closer to his arms, "it's more soothing than the mugwort my sister-in-law gave me."
Fu Yucheng placed a small bamboo pillow behind her waist: "I added a layer of cotton padding, it's softer than last time."
He suddenly bent down and kissed her forehead. "Tomorrow I'll go to the back mountain to pick some wild chrysanthemums and put them in a new pillow for you. They're better at cooling down heat than lavender."
Yun Tangyin tugged at his collar and laughed, "How come you know everything? Even better than the old Chinese doctor."
"For you and the child," Fu Yucheng buried his face in the crook of her neck, his voice muffled, "I learn everything quickly."
He suddenly stuffed a small bamboo box into her hand and said, "This is for you. I didn't feel comfortable giving it to you during the day."
The box was covered with red velvet and contained a pair of silver earrings. The pendants were small bells that jingled when shaken.
He suddenly kissed her earlobe and said, "Let me keep it first. It's safer than hiding it in a bamboo box."
The bamboo wind chimes outside the window rang twice, as if responding to the sweetness in the house.
Yun Tangyin touched the red agate on her wrist and listened to Fu Yucheng's heartbeat. She suddenly felt that this day was like the bamboo basket he wove. It looked simple, but was tightly wrapped with thin bamboo threads and full of warmth.
The next morning, just as Fu Yucheng had moved the small bamboo dining table into the yard, he saw Yun Tangyin holding up a small dress and smiling, "Look at the pattern on the cuffs. I embroidered a circle of bamboo branches. Does it look like the bamboo basket you wove?"
Fu Yucheng leaned over to take a look, and suddenly stuffed a hot roasted sweet potato into her hand: "It's just been simmered in the stove, and it's sweeter than steamed ones."
He took a bite of the one in his hand and said, "I'll peel the skin for you, so you don't burn your hands."
Yun Tangyin smiled as she held the sweet potato in her hands. The sweetness of the sweet potato mixed with the bamboo fragrance on his body filled her nose. Suddenly, she felt that all the sweetness in her life was gathered in this yard.
Fu Yucheng stared at the bamboo pattern on the cuffs of the small dress and nodded: "It's more lively than the bamboo baskets I weave, and your stitches are more even than those made by a machine."
He suddenly stuffed an oil-paper bag into Yun Tangyin's pocket. "This is for you. I just bought some hot buns made with sugar from Zhang's in town. They're still hot."
Yun Tangyin smiled as she held the oil-paper bag in her hand: "Why do you always buy these for me? If I keep eating these, I'm going to become a fat girl."
Having said that, he couldn't help but open it and take a bite. The sugar juice flowed down the corners of his mouth and Fu Yucheng reached out and wiped it off with his thumb.
"It's better if you're fatter." His fingertips were warm from roasted sweet potatoes, burning Yun Tangyin's ears red. "I love hugging your chubby side. It's more solid than hugging a bamboo pillow."
Song Yushuang came out with a bamboo winnowing basket to dry sesame seeds. Hearing this, he laughed and joked, "Do you two think I'm blind? Yinyin, come over here and help me sift the sesame seeds. Stay away from him or you'll be choked by the sweetness."
Yun Tangyin ran over with a red face, and Fu Yucheng followed behind like a tail, squatting beside her to hold the handle of the bamboo dustpan.
"Let me help you two shake it." He exerted his arms, and the sesame seeds in the winnowing basket rustled. "It's much faster than you two can do it manually."
Song Yushuang stuffed a handful of sesame seeds into Yun Tangyin's hand and said, "Try the newly harvested ones. They are more fragrant than last year's."
She suddenly patted Fu Yucheng on the back and said, "Don't always cling to Yinyin. Go and fix the bamboo fence in the yard. I saw a bamboo stick was loose yesterday."
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