Chapter 197: Making Mustard Dumplings
When Xiaolan heard Yun Tangyin say this, she smiled so much that her eyes curved. She ran to the rabbit cage with the rabbit mat in her arms and carefully spread the mat in the corner where Snowball often stayed.
Snowball seemed to have smelled a familiar scent and immediately moved over from the mother rabbit. He dug his little paws into the mat and stepped on it, then curled up and lay down, his little tail wagging gently.
"Look! It really likes it!" Xiaolan turned around and shouted towards the eaves, her voice full of joy. Zhou Ming and Zhou Liang also leaned over to take a look. The three children surrounded the rabbit cage, and their chirping laughter filled the yard.
Zhou Desheng's wife put down her needlework and moved closer to Yun Tangyin, looking at the bamboo embroidery she had just finished on the handkerchief. "Yinyin, the bamboo you embroidered is so charming. The veins of the bamboo leaves are so vibrant. If Jianhua received this handkerchief, he would definitely keep it in his pocket every day and would not want to use it."
She picked up the handkerchief and shook it gently. The mulberry silk threads shone softly in the sunlight. "When they come back in the spring, you can teach me how to embroider this pattern. I also want to embroider a handkerchief for my husband. He always says that I am clumsy and can't embroider anything beautiful."
Yun Tangyin smiled and handed over the spool of thread: "It's not difficult. You are good at it. You can learn it in two days. Then we can embroider together. I will also embroider a piece for the second brother so that the two brothers can also have something to remember."
She looked up at the old locust tree outside the yard. The snow on its branches had melted a little, revealing its dark brown branches. "When the locust flowers bloom, we can use the juice from the flowers to dye the thread. The colors we embroider will be more unique and more beautiful than the dyes we buy."
Aunt Zhang came over with freshly cooked corn paste. Steam was rising from the coarse porcelain bowl, and the sweet aroma mixed with the fragrance of corn made people feel warm just by smelling it.
"Try it now," she handed the bowl to the children. "It's freshly cooked cornmeal with a little sugar. You'll definitely like it."
Zhou Ming took the bowl, blew on it, and took a big sip. It was so hot that he grimaced, but he still smiled and said, "It tastes good! It's sweeter than the one my mom cooks!"
Zhou Liang also nodded, his little mouth was so stuffy that he couldn't speak clearly.
After Fu Yucheng polished the bamboo strips, he picked up the newly woven trough and took a look. The edges were polished smooth and round, and there was a small pattern woven on the outside, which was both beautiful and practical.
"Yinyin, what do you think of this trough?" He handed it over. "Rabbits always spill their food when they eat. This trough is deep, so it should be better."
Yun Tangyin took the trough and touched the delicate bamboo grain with her fingertips: "It's really beautiful. Your craftsmanship is getting better and better. It's even more exquisite than the ones I buy in town. Everyone will definitely praise you again."
During dinner, the aroma of stewed chicken soup wafted through the kitchen. It was from an old hen that Aunt Zhang had brought from home and had stewed for an entire afternoon. Golden oil floated on the surface of the soup, and it was sprinkled with chopped green onions. It was so delicious that it made one's mouth water.
Yun Tangyin filled a bowl of chicken soup and brought it to Aunt Zhang: "Aunt Zhang, try it quickly. This chicken soup is really delicious. Drink more to nourish your body."
Aunt Zhang took the bowl and scooped a spoonful of soup with a spoon. The warmth slid down her throat into her stomach. She couldn't help but sigh, "The chicken soup at home is still the best. The ones in the city restaurants don't taste like this. If I could have a bowl of it when I come back from Yuanshan, I would definitely say I miss home."
Zhou Desheng took a sip of wine and suddenly remembered something. He said to Fu Yucheng, "Brother Fu, let's go to the back mountain tomorrow to take a look. I heard from Old Wang the other day that the spring in the back mountain has thawed. Let's go and get some spring water. My sister-in-law is pregnant, so spring water is better than well water."
Fu Yucheng put down his wine glass and nodded: "I'll go there early tomorrow morning and take a look at the wild vegetables in the back mountain to see if they've sprouted. If there's any shepherd's purse, I'll dig some up and make shepherd's purse dumplings for Yinyin."
Yun Tangyin put a piece of chicken into Fu Yucheng's bowl and said, "Wear more clothes when you go there. The spring water in the back mountain must be slippery. Be careful not to fall."
The next morning, Fu Yucheng and Zhou Desheng carried buckets of water and walked towards the back mountain. Their footprints were deep in the snow, and when the wind blew, the snow on the branches fell down.
The spring in the back mountain had indeed thawed, and the spring water flowed down through the cracks in the rocks. It was clear and you could see the bottom, and there was a faint warm steam coming out.
"This spring water is so sweet," Zhou Desheng scooped up a handful and took a sip. "It's sweeter than well water."
Fu Yucheng took out a bucket and carefully collected the spring water. When the bucket was full, the two of them looked for shepherd's purse nearby. The green shepherd's purse had just sprouted and was so tender that water could be squeezed out of it. In a short while, they dug a full basket.
Yun Tangyin was busy embroidering handkerchiefs at home, Zhou Desheng's wife helped her organize the threads, and Xiaolan took Zhou Ming and Zhou Liang to feed shepherd's purse to the rabbits in the yard.
"Sister-in-law, look how much Snowball loves to eat shepherd's purse!" Xiaolan shouted, holding up a piece of shepherd's purse. "It will definitely grow stronger after eating shepherd's purse. When Uncle and Aunt come back, they will see a chubby Snowball!"
Yun Tangyin smiled and nodded: "Yes, when Second Uncle and Second Aunt come back, we will make dumplings with shepherd's purse and let them taste the taste of home."
When Fu Yucheng and Zhou Desheng came back, it was already noon. The buckets on their shoulders were heavy, and they were holding baskets full of shepherd's purse in their hands.
Yun Tangyin hurried over and helped them take the basket: "This shepherd's purse is really fresh. Let's make shepherd's purse dumplings this afternoon and let the children have a taste too."
Fu Yucheng put down the bucket and wiped the sweat from his forehead: "I tasted this spring water, it's very sweet. You can make some red date tea this afternoon. Using spring water will definitely taste better."
The afternoon sun shone warmly in the yard. Yun Tangyin and Zhou Desheng's wife were making dumplings under the eaves. Fu Yucheng was playing hopscotch with the children in the yard. Aunt Zhang was sitting on a stone bench basking in the sun, knitting a scarf for Fu Yuanshan.
"Yinyin, what do you think of the pattern on this scarf?" Aunt Zhang held up the scarf, which was knitted with simple stripes in navy blue wool. "I thought Yuanshan would need a thicker scarf since he's working outside, so I knitted two extra layers. It's sure to keep him warm."
Yun Tangyin looked up and said with a smile, "This pattern is beautiful and thick. Uncle will definitely be warm when he wears it. If he knew you knitted a scarf for him, he would be so happy."
After Xiaolan finished wrapping a dumpling, even though it was crooked, she still held it up to show everyone: "Look at the dumplings I made! Do they look like little ingots? When Uncle and Auntie come back, I'll make dumplings for them too!"
Fu Yucheng smiled and coaxed her: "Yes! Our Lan girl's dumplings are the most delicious!"
Zhou Ming and Zhou Liang also started making dumplings. Soon, the chopping board was filled with various kinds of dumplings. Some looked like gold ingots, some looked like crescent moons, and some looked like small buns, exuding a strong sense of home.
At dinner time, the aroma of shepherd's purse dumplings wafted through the kitchen. The dumplings were cooked and served on the table. When I bit into one of the plump white dumplings, the shepherd's purse filling inside was so delicious that I squinted my eyes.
Yun Tangyin filled a bowl of dumplings and passed it to Aunt Zhang: "Aunt Zhang, try it quickly. These shepherd's purse dumplings are really delicious. Please eat more."
Aunt Zhang took the bowl and took a bite of the dumplings. The fragrance of shepherd's purse spread in her mouth. She couldn't help but nod, "It's delicious, even fresher than cabbage dumplings. If I can eat it when I come back from Yuanshan, I will definitely eat a big bowl."
The sun gradually sets, dyeing the sky orange. The red lanterns in the yard are lit, and the warm red light reflects on the snow, as if the yard is wrapped in a layer of sugar coating.
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