Chapter 200: Just wait for the two of them to come back
Fu Yucheng brought out two bowls of corn paste from the kitchen. Steam was rising from the coarse porcelain bowls, and the sweet aroma mixed with the fresh fragrance of corn filled the air.
"Sister-in-law, try this quickly," he handed the bowl to Zhou Desheng's wife. "Yinyin specially added some millet to it. It's better for your stomach than pure cornmeal. You've just walked a long way, so drink this to warm you up."
Zhou Desheng's wife took the bowl, blew on it, and took a sip. The warm rice paste slid into her stomach, warming her eyes. "It's really delicious, much better than what my husband cooks. He always makes the corn paste too thin or too thick, never just right."
Yun Tangyin took out a new piece of cloth from the cabinet. It was the fine cotton cloth that Fu Yucheng bought from the town a few days ago. It had a light blue background with tiny white flowers printed on it, giving it a refreshing feel.
"I'm thinking of making a lining for my second sister-in-law," she spread the cloth on the kang and measured the size with a ruler. "This cloth is soft and fits snugly. She works outside, so if she can wear it more comfortably, she'll suffer less."
Zhou Desheng's wife came over and touched the cloth, her fingertips touching the fine grain of the cloth: "This cloth is really good, softer than the ones sold in the supply and marketing cooperative. If Jianhua wears the lining you made, he will definitely say it is more comfortable than the ones bought in the city."
When Xiaolan came with the bamboo basket, it was filled with freshly picked shepherd's purse and dried radishes pickled by her mother, and there was still a little dew on her red hairband.
"Sister-in-law! Brother Fu! I'm here to help you pick shepherd's purse!" She jumped into the yard and saw Zhou Desheng's wife kneading flour. She immediately went over and said, "Auntie, can I help you knead the dough? My mother said that the dough I knead is the most chewy, and the dumplings I make will not break no matter how long I cook them."
Zhou Desheng's wife smiled and handed the dough over: "Okay, Lan girl is skillful, the dough she kneaded must be good. If you are tired, just tell me, don't force yourself."
Aunt Zhang also came with a cloth bag containing freshly fried sesame salt and small shoes for the children.
"Let me help you," she put the cloth bag on the kang, "Sprinkling this sesame salt on the dumpling filling can enhance the flavor. Your second sister-in-law said last time that she loves the sesame salt I stir-fry, it's more fragrant than the spices you buy in the city."
She picked up the small shoes and showed them to Yun Tangyin. There were tiny tiger heads embroidered on the uppers, with fine stitching. "These are made for your child. They have soft soles, perfect for when he's learning to walk. If Jianhua saw them, he'd definitely want to make a pair for his future child."
Everyone divided the work and cooperated with each other. Fu Yucheng and Zhou Desheng were responsible for chopping the dumpling stuffing. As the kitchen knife rose and fell, the aroma of shepherd's purse and meat spread.
Yun Tangyin and Aunt Zhang were responsible for rolling out the dumpling wrappers. The dough turned very quickly in their hands, and soon they rolled out a pile of them, which were round like little moons.
Zhou Desheng's wife and Xiaolan were responsible for making dumplings. Xiaolan even pinched lace on the edges of the dumplings, making them look like small flowers, which made everyone praise her for her ability.
"Brother Fu, you chop the stuffing so evenly," Zhou Desheng wiped the sweat from his forehead. "When Yuanshan comes back, you have to teach him. He used to chop the meat and vegetables into large and small pieces, and the dumplings he made were not evenly shaped. Jianhua always laughed at him."
Fu Yucheng smiled and nodded: "Okay, then the two of us brothers will chop the stuffing together, and let the second sister-in-law and Yinyin embroider beside us, while the children play in the yard. It will be so lively."
He sprinkled some sesame salt on the filling. "Aunt Zhang's fried sesame salt is so fragrant. Sprinkling a little bit on it makes the whole filling fresh. If my second sister-in-law tastes it, she will definitely say it's better than the shrimp dumplings in the city."
Yun Tangyin was rolling out the dumpling wrappers when she suddenly remembered something and said to Fu Yucheng, "Don't forget to save some shepherd's purse for your second sister-in-law."
Fu Yucheng nodded: "Don't worry, I've left a basket and will put it under the eaves to dry later. I guarantee it will be dry so she can take a lot back."
At noon, the dumplings were finally wrapped, filling up two large grates. The plump white dumplings looked like small ingots lined up in a row, exuding a sense of joy.
Fu Yucheng put the dumplings into the pot to cook. The water gurgled and soon the fragrance wafted out.
"It's almost done," he added some cold water to the pot, "it'll be ready in a little while. Everyone, wash your hands and get ready to eat."
The dumplings were cooked and served on the table. Everyone sat around and bit into a dumpling. The fragrance of shepherd's purse mixed with the freshness of the meat filled their mouths with the warmth of home.
"It's delicious!" Zhou Ming bit into the dumpling and said vaguely, "It's more delicious than the ones my mother makes. Uncle Fu, I want to eat your dumplings next time."
Zhou Liang also nodded, his little mouth was so stuffy that he couldn't speak clearly.
Aunt Zhang put a dumpling into Yun Tangyin's bowl and said, "Eat more quickly. These dumplings are nutritious and good for you and the baby. Yuanshan and Jianhua will definitely like them when they come back."
She put another one into Fu Yucheng's bowl and said, "You should eat more too. You chop wood and weave bamboo baskets every day. It's very hard. You need to eat more."
After the meal, Fu Yucheng and Zhou Desheng froze the remaining dumplings in a cellar. The temperature in the cellar was low, so the dumplings froze quickly and could be kept for a long time.
"This way, when Yuanshan and Jianhua come back, we can cook and eat anytime," Fu Yucheng patted the flour on his hands. "It saves them from having to hustle when they come back. Let's prepare it in advance and let them stay at home comfortably."
Zhou Desheng's wife was clearing the dishes when she suddenly remembered something and said to Yun Tangyin, "Yinyin, shall I go to town tomorrow to buy you some red dates and longans? You're pregnant, so you need to nourish yourself more. Red dates and longans can replenish your qi and blood, which is better than eating anything else."
Yun Tangyin waved her hands quickly: "Don't bother you, there's still some at home, enough for me to eat. I feel embarrassed that you always think about me like this."
Aunt Zhang sat under the eaves basking in the sun, knitting a scarf for Jiang Jianhua. The navy blue wool turned rapidly in her hands, and she had knitted a piece in a short while.
"Don't be polite with her," Aunt Zhang said with a smile, "Desheng's wife is considerate and likes to help others. You are pregnant, so it's only natural for her to run errands for you. We are neighbors, and helping each other makes things lively."
Xiaolan squatted beside the rabbit cage and fed the rabbits with freshly dried shepherd's purse. Snowball ate the fastest, his little mouth moving quickly. Occasionally, he looked up at her, his bright black eyes full of dependence.
"Snowball, eat slowly," Xiaolan said with a smile, "When Uncle and Auntie come back, ask them to bring you something delicious. It's definitely more delicious than dried shepherd's purse."
Fu Yucheng took out bamboo strips from the house and continued to weave the rabbit cage. The bamboo strips turned quickly in his hands, and soon he had woven a rough outline.
"Yinyin, what do you think of this rabbit cage?" He handed it over. "It's more spacious than the last one. The rabbits can move around more freely inside. If my second sister-in-law saw it, she would definitely praise my craftsmanship."
Yun Tangyin took the rabbit cage and touched the delicate bamboo patterns with her fingertips. "It's really beautiful. Your craftsmanship is getting better and better. If my second brother knew, he would definitely want to weave with you."
In the evening, the setting sun dyed the old locust tree in the yard golden red, and the snow on the branches melted into water droplets, dripping onto the ground, leaving small wet marks.
Fu Yucheng collected the dried shepherd's purse and put it in a cloth bag, preparing to give it to Fu Yuanshan and Jiang Jianhua when they returned.
"Look how well this shepherd's purse has been dried," he handed the cloth bag to Yun Tangyin, "it's dry and green. Second sister-in-law, take it home and soak it. You can also make shepherd's purse dumplings. They are as delicious as fresh ones."
Yun Tangyin took the cloth bag and put it in the wooden box containing the handkerchief, sweater and lining for Jiang Jianhua. The box was full of everyone's thoughts and gifts.
"When they come back and see this, they'll be so happy," she whispered, "to know that we're thinking of them and haven't forgotten them."
Fu Yucheng held her hand and brought it to his palm: "Of course they will. They are also thinking about us outside. After the spring work is done, they will definitely come back early."
At night, the moonlight shines in the yard, illuminating the snow as if it were covered with a layer of white frost.
Fu Yucheng and Yun Tangyin sat on the kang, looking at the moon outside the window, holding each other's hands.
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