Chapter 193: Second Brother and Sister-in-law Won't Come Back for the New Year
The afternoon sun gradually set in the west, making the red lanterns in the yard look even warmer and redder. Aunt Zhang was cracking melon seeds when she suddenly remembered something and moved closer to Yun Tangyin.
"Yinyin, why don't Jianhua and Yuanshan come?"
Yun Tangyin paused with the embroidery needle in her hand, leaving a small knot in the tiger-head shoes. She looked out the gate and said softly, "Yuanshan sent someone to bring a letter the other day saying he'll be spending the New Year away from home this year and can't leave."
She placed the tiger-head shoes on her knees, and gently stroked the tiger eyes on the shoes with her fingertips. "Second sister-in-law said she wanted to accompany him. She was worried that he would be lonely outside, so she didn't come back."
She pointed towards the kitchen and said, "I left some bacon and sausage for him. I was planning to wait for him to come back to eat them, but now it seems I can only give them to him when he comes back in the spring."
Fu Yucheng had just finished playing chess with Zhou Desheng. Upon hearing this, he came over and sat next to Yun Tangyin. He took the tiger-head shoes from her hand and looked at them. "Second brother said in the letter that he is now a craftsman. He has good food and a warm house outside, and he even has dumplings to eat during the New Year."
He handed the tiger-head shoes back to Yun Tangyin, "He also specifically asked about you and the child, asking you to take care of your health and not get tired."
She reached out and adjusted the buttons on her collar, her tone full of concern, "Although his craft can make money, spending the New Year away from home is never as lively as at home. Jianhua is a female comrade following him, and there are no relatives around. It's so lonely."
Yun Tangyin picked up the hand warmer on the table and warmed it in her palm. The copper pattern on the body of the warmer was rubbed until it shined.
"The comrade who delivered the letter the other day said that my second brother recently took on a big job to make a batch of wooden cabinets for the supply and marketing cooperative in the city. They are under great pressure and have to rush the work even before the New Year."
She looked at the falling snow outside the yard and said softly, "He was afraid that returning would delay the construction period. Not only would he not get paid, but he would also have to pay liquidated damages. So he didn't dare come back."
Zhou Desheng's wife came over with freshly brewed locust flower tea and handed the cup to Song Yu: "Don't worry, auntie. Jianhua is a capable person. He can live a good life outside with Yuanshan."
Fu Yucheng took out a wooden box from the house and opened it. Inside was the things that Fu Yuanshan had someone bring.
There were silver longevity locks for the children, floral cloth for Yun Tangyin, and fruit candies for the neighbors in the yard.
"My second brother said that this longevity lock was made by a time-honored silver shop in the city. It is made of pure silver and can keep the child safe." He picked up the longevity lock. A small lock piece was hung on the silver chain, engraved with the four words "Long Life".
"He also said that after the spring work is done, he will bring Jianhua back and stay with us for a while."
Fu Yucheng smiled and took out a handful of fruit candies from the box and handed them to Xiaolan.
Xiaolan took the candy, carefully peeled one and put it in her mouth. The sweet fragrance spread in her mouth. She squinted her eyes and smiled: "It's so sweet!"
She suddenly remembered something and took out a small cloth bag from her pocket. Inside was the small purses she had embroidered for Fu Yuanshan and Jiang Jianhua, one embroidered with locust flowers and the other with bamboo.
Zhou Ming and Zhou Liang ran over. Zhou Ming stared at the longevity lock in Fu Yucheng's hand and asked curiously, "Uncle Fu, can this silver lock drive away bad things like the story says?"
Fu Yucheng smiled and handed the longevity lock to Zhou Ming, asking him to hold it carefully: "Yes, with this silver lock, our little brother will be able to grow up healthy and free from illness and disaster."
Zhou Liang came over and stretched his neck to look at the silver lock. "Uncle Fu, when Second Uncle comes back, can you ask him to make one for me too? I want to wear a silver lock, too."
Yun Tangyin took the longevity lock from Zhou Ming and gently wiped the fingerprints off it: "Wait until your second uncle comes back and ask him to give you and your brother one, so that you can be safe and sound."
She put the longevity lock back into the wooden box and carefully put it away in the cabinet. "This is a gift from your second uncle. You must keep it well and put it on the baby when he is born."
During dinner, the aroma of stewed meat wafted through the kitchen. Fu Yucheng had stewed last year's pickled bacon and fresh radishes in a casserole. The aroma of the meat mixed with the sweetness of the radish filled the entire yard.
Yun Tangyin filled a bowl with stewed meat and passed it to Aunt Zhang: "Aunt Zhang, try it quickly. The meat has been stewed all afternoon, so it should be tender. You have a bad tooth, so this is perfect for you."
Aunt Zhang took the bowl, picked up a piece of meat with chopsticks and put it in her mouth. The meat was tender and tasty. She couldn't help but nod: "It's delicious. Yinyin, your cooking skills are getting better and better."
Zhou Desheng took a sip of wine and said with a smile, "Brother Fu, why don't we go to town tomorrow to send something to Brother Yuanshan. We can send the bacon and sausage made by Yinyin, as well as the steamed rice cakes made by Aunt Zhang, so that they can have a taste of home even when they are away from home."
Fu Yucheng put down his wine glass and nodded: "Good idea, I will go to the town post office tomorrow morning to ask if I can send these things."
Yun Tangyin remembered something and put a piece of radish into Fu Yucheng's bowl: "Don't forget to send the cotton insoles I made for my second sister-in-law."
She pointed to the cloth bag in the corner and said, "There's also a small sweater I knitted for the child. My second sister-in-law said hers isn't as soft as mine, so she asked me to knit one for the child and send it over so she can see it."
After dinner, Fu Yucheng sat on the kang and wrote a letter to Fu Yuanshan. The light of the oil lamp fell on the paper, and the tip of the pen made a rustling sound on the paper.
Yun Tangyin sat beside him, watching him write the letter, and occasionally reminded him not to forget to write about things at home.
Fu Yucheng wrote all this in the letter.
"This way, my second brother can read the letter and know the situation at home," he handed the letter to Yun Tangyin, "see if there is anything else you want to add."
Yun Tangyin took the letter, read it, and said with a smile: "Don't forget to tell him to take care of his health and not to stay up late to work. Also, tell my second sister-in-law not to overwork herself and eat more good food."
The next morning, Fu Yucheng walked towards the town carrying a cloth bag full of things, leaving a trail of deep footprints on the snow.
The comrade at the post office took the cloth bag and said with a smile, "Is this package full of food and daily necessities? A lot of people have been sending these to their relatives living away from home lately. They're all gifts from home."
Fu Yucheng nodded: "Yes, my brother and sister-in-law are spending the New Year away from home. I'm sending them some things from home so that they can feel the warmth of home."
When Fu Yucheng came back from town, the yard was already bustling with activity. Aunt Zhang and Zhou Desheng's wife were changing the cotton wool for the rabbits, and Xiaolan and Zhou Ming and Zhou Liang were feeding soybeans to the rabbits.
Yun Tangyin sat under the eaves, holding a handkerchief embroidered for Jiang Jianhua. It was embroidered with two lotus flowers with fine stitches and bright colors.
"Has it been sent?" she asked Fu Yucheng. Fu Yucheng nodded and said, "It has been sent. The comrades at the Post Office said it will arrive in about a week."
The sun gradually set in the west, casting a warm red glow on the red lanterns in the courtyard. The snow slowly melted in the sunlight, dripping onto the blue brick floor, leaving small wet marks.
Yun Tangyin sat under the eaves, holding the tiger-head shoes she had embroidered for the child, thinking of Fu Yuanshan and Jiang Jianhua, how they looked when they received the packages, and the lively scene when they came back in the spring.
She knew that although they were not around this year, family love and concern kept everyone closely connected.
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