Chapter 172: New Year's Market
The snow on the gate of the courtyard was trampled into two deep marks by the footprints of the two people. Fu Yucheng suddenly stopped and stuffed an oil-paper bag into Yun Tangyin's pocket.
"I just bought it at the supply and marketing cooperative," he said in a muffled voice, his ears still red. "Sesame candy, the kind you loved when you were a kid."
The oil-paper package was softened by the body temperature, and the fragrance of sesame mixed with the coolness of snow spread out, as if returning to the twelfth lunar month many years ago.
At that time, he always hid under the old locust tree at the entrance of the alley, watching her smile happily while holding the sesame candy, and the red hairband on her braid turned into small flames in the wind.
Yun Tangyin pinched out a piece of sesame candy. The crystal-clear sugar strands stretched long in the sunlight. When the sweet fragrance filled her nose, she suddenly laughed out loud: "You still remember? I thought you had forgotten it long ago."
Fu Yucheng took the candy she handed him. The crisp sound of his teeth crunching the candy shell, mixed with the sound of snow under his feet, was particularly clear in the quiet alley.
"I remember everything you like to eat," he suddenly turned his head, the snow foam on his eyelashes glittering in the sunlight, "just like you always remember what I like and don't like to eat."
When the gate was opened, the rabbit in the bamboo cage was clinging to the railings and looking around. When it saw the white flour bag in Fu Yucheng's hand, it suddenly stood up.
Yun Tangyin threw a piece of cabbage into the cage and said with a smile: "This side is for steamed buns, so I won't give it to you."
The rabbit came to the cage with the cabbage in its mouth and rubbed her fingers with its forehead. The snow on its fur melted and it became wet like a ball of cotton.
When Fu Yucheng poured the white flour into the vat, Song Yushuang was squatting in front of the chicken coop counting eggs, with grass debris on his cuffs.
"I've saved six in total," she stuffed one into Yun Tangyin's hand, "They're freshly laid, still warm. I'll make you some soft-boiled eggs."
It felt heavy in the palm of my hand, with some chicken feathers on the eggshell and a faint smell of chicken manure. It was not very pungent, but it was the freshest smell of life.
Yun Tangyin had just put the eggs into the pot when Xiaolan ran in holding a red lantern with a red hairband wrapped around the bamboo frame.
"My mother made this." She hung the lantern on the door lintel, tiptoeing for a long time, and the snow on her braids fell on her cotton jacket. "They said hanging red lanterns can ward off evil spirits. Wait until the day of the Little New Year to light a candle. This is for you."
Fu Yucheng reached out to take the lantern and quickly fixed it on the door lintel. The red silk surface fluttered in the wind like a flower blooming in the snow.
"Look at the tassel of my lantern, sister-in-law," Xiaolan tugged at the tassel under the lantern and shook it. "I tied it with the pink thread you gave me. Doesn't it look good?"
Yun Tangyin touched the knot on the tassel and suddenly remembered the ball of pink thread she had given to Xiaolan a few days ago.
Originally, she was going to embroider the tassel for a tiger-head hat, but the little girl saved it and managed to weave a small peach blossom on the tassel of the lantern, which shows how much she put into it.
"They're even better looking than the ones sold at the market," she stuffed a handful of melon seeds into Xiaolan's pocket. "They're freshly harvested, salty and fragrant. Share them with your friends."
When the sun reached the top of our heads, Yuxia came in with a bowl of eight-treasure porridge, and a shiny film of brown sugar formed on the surface of the porridge.
"My mother said I should eat more whole grains when I'm pregnant," she said, putting the bowl on the stove. She saw the red lantern on the door lintel and suddenly clapped her hands and laughed, "This lantern is so lively!"
Yun Tangyin stuffed a piece of sesame candy into her hand: "I just bought it. Try it. It's sweeter than the one from the supply and marketing cooperative last year."
Yuxia chewed some candy and looked into the yard. She saw Fu Yucheng hanging bacon under the eaves. His army green cotton jacket was puffed up by the wind, like an eagle with its wings spread.
When Fu Yucheng turned around, he was holding a string of dried chilies in his hand, red as fire. He smiled and explained to Yu Xia, "Zhou Desheng's wife gave it to me. She said it's for celebration. Big brother, do you have any bacon? Give me some."
As she was speaking, Mrs. Li came in from behind the curtain, holding a child in her arms. The child was holding a piece of sesame candy in his hand, and the candy residue was all over his face.
"I just heard you talking in the yard," she put a piece of coarse cloth on the table, "My husband got some from town to make a mattress for you. It's softer than cotton."
The child suddenly pointed at Yun Tangyin's belly and laughed, giggling and unable to stop.
"This kid," Mrs. Li scratched the child's nose, "knows how to ask your aunt for candy."
Yun Tangyin stuffed a cloth tiger into the child's hand. It was the one Xiaolan had given her a few days ago. Now she had added a circle of gold embroidery on it, making it look more lively.
"Let him play with it, and give him some candy. It's just the right time to get some new year's goods." She stuffed a bowl of eight-treasure porridge into Mrs. Li's hand, "My eldest sister-in-law just sent it to you. You should try it too."
Sister Li was sipping her porridge when she suddenly said, "The regiment said they're going to have a New Year's goods market tomorrow, and they'll be selling flowered fabrics. Why don't you go and buy some?"
Fu Yucheng was hammering nails into the wall, planning to hang the new year picture he had just received. Hearing this, he replied, "I'll go after training tomorrow. What pattern do you want?"
Yun Tangyin picked out a blue thread and threaded it onto the embroidery frame: "I want one with small floral patterns and a light blue background. It looks fresh."
She suddenly remembered something, "Oh, right, let's get some for Mom too. She said a few days ago that she wanted to make a new coat. It's the end of the year now, so it's time to make her some new clothes."
The snow fell again in the evening. Fu Yucheng was frying meatballs in front of the stove, and oil splashed on his apron.
Yun Tangyin sat beside him peeling peanuts. The red skins fell into the bamboo basket and piled up like a small mountain.
"The market will definitely be busy tomorrow," she threw a peanut into the wok. "I heard that Sister Li stole a bag of brown sugar and even her cotton shoes disappeared when she came back."
Fu Yucheng picked up the fried meatballs, which were golden and round and rolled in the colander. "I'll go and queue up early. I'll definitely get the floral cloth back for you."
At night, Yun Tangyin pasted the cut paper-cuts on the window, and the paste left a faint mark on the red paper.
The silhouette of the fat baby holding the carp flickered under the light, as if it came alive.
Fu Yucheng spread a new mattress on the kang. The coarse cloth rubbed against his skin, bringing with it the warmth of the sun.
"The cloth Sister Li gave me is so soft," he patted the mattress. "It will definitely be a soft and comfortable mattress if it's made into one."
Yun Tangyin responded, supported her waist and slowly lay down. She rubbed her nose against the scent of soapberries on the mattress and closed her eyes to rest, but her hand suddenly touched something hard.
When he took it out, he saw that it was the silver lock that had slipped off his neck at some point and was sticking to the kang mat.
"Look," she held the silver lock to the light, "the pattern on the lock has become brighter."
This is the piece that Song Yushuang gave her.
Yun Tangyin now has quite a few silver lockets in her hands, but she thinks this one is particularly precious and has never taken it off since she started wearing it around her neck.
Because Song Yushuang said that this was passed down to her by her mother, and now she has given it to Yun Tangyin...
When the child is born, Yun Tangyin will tell the child the origin of the silver lock.
This is inheritance.
Fu Yucheng came over to take a look, his fingertips traced over the four words "Long Live a Hundred Years", and suddenly lowered his head to give her a light kiss on the forehead.
"When the baby is born," he said, his voice a little hoarse in her hair, "I'll apply to be transferred to logistics. I'll make you fried meatballs and locust flower cakes every day. I'll do whatever you want."
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