Chapter 202: Drying Radishes
Fu Yucheng held Yun Tangyin's hand, and his fingertips rubbed the thin calluses on her palm.
Those were the marks left by daily embroidery and mending, and her heart softened. "Don't worry, I'll pick out a few more colors of embroidery thread, red, green, and light yellow. I guarantee that my second sister-in-law can embroider the pattern she likes."
He remembered something and added, "The last time I went to town, I saw that the supply and marketing cooperative was selling embroidery frames. They were made of wood and are more stable than the bamboo frames you use now. I'll buy one for you and your second sister-in-law so that you can embroider more easily."
Yun Tangyin smiled and nodded, leaning into his arms. The flames in the stove made them both feel warm. "You're so thoughtful. With a new embroidery frame, I can embroider the patchwork quilt for the child faster."
She gently stroked Fu Yucheng's collar with her fingertips, "When Second Sister-in-law comes back, we'll use the locust flowers in the yard to embroider a large handkerchief together. We'll embroider it all over with locust flowers and bamboo, and hang it in the house as a decoration. It will definitely look nice."
"Okay," Fu Yucheng lowered his head and kissed the top of her head. "Then I'll build a bamboo frame for you and hang the handkerchief under the locust tree. When the wind blows, the handkerchief will flutter, just like a painting."
The two of them talked about their plans for the spring in the moonlight, until the coal in the stove gradually burned to ashes, and then they fell asleep in each other's arms, and their dreams were full of blooming locust flowers.
The next morning, before daybreak, Fu Yucheng went out with his money bag.
The cold air in the snow was wrapped in the fragrance of pine branches. He tightened his cotton jacket and walked briskly.
Thinking about buying flowered cloth for Yun Tangyin, bringing embroidery thread for my second sister-in-law, and going to the post office to get letters, my heart was full of hope.
As soon as the town's supply and marketing cooperative opened its gate, Fu Yucheng walked in. Seeing him, the salesperson behind the counter smiled and greeted him, "Comrade Fu, are you here to buy something for your family again?"
Fu Yucheng nodded and pointed at the floral fabric on the shelf: "Comrade, I want that piece of lightly crushed floral fabric to make a small quilt for my child. Also, weigh me three pounds of brown sugar."
He pointed to the embroidery floss in the corner and said, "Two rolls of each color of embroidery floss, and two wooden embroidery frames. Wrap them all for me."
The salesperson packed the items quickly, Fu Yucheng paid, and hurried to the post office.
As soon as he reached the door, he saw Old Wang from the post office waving at him: "Finally, I've been waiting for you! There was a letter from your family yesterday, from Comrade Fu Yuanshan. I thought you would come today, so I left it for you."
Fu Yucheng took the letter and his heart suddenly tightened when his fingertips touched the familiar handwriting on the envelope.
He carefully opened it, and Fu Yuanshan's handwriting, with a burst of energy, jumped out from the paper: "It's like seeing you in person! Jianhua and I are doing well in the city. Jianhua has been busy lately and keeps thinking about home. He said that when he returns in the spring, he will definitely eat three big bowls of rice first."
"We're planning to leave in early March. I'll bring the children some crispy candies from the city, and two kilograms of donkey-hide gelatin for Yinyin, which is good for her health. Oh, and tell Aunt Zhang not to worry. I brought her some fine needles from the city, which will make embroidery easier..."
Fu Yucheng read the letter twice before carefully folding it and putting it in his arms, his steps lighter than when he came.
On the way back, he passed by a pastry shop and remembered that his second sister-in-law missed the taste of home in the letter, so he bought two more kilograms of sesame cakes.
That was Jianhua’s favorite food, so I wanted to let her satisfy her craving first.
When I got home, the aroma of scallion pancakes was already wafting through the yard.
Yun Tangyin was sitting under the eaves, sorting dried shepherd's purse with Zhou Desheng's wife. Seeing Fu Yucheng coming back, she hurried to greet him: "How is it? Did you buy brown sugar and floral cloth? Do you have any news?"
Fu Yucheng put the things on the stone table and took out the letter and handed it over: "There is a letter! Second brother said they will be back in early March. He also brought crispy candies and donkey-hide gelatin, and brought a fine needle for Aunt Zhang!"
Yun Tangyin took the letter with her hands trembling a little. Zhou Desheng's wife and Aunt Zhang, who came over after hearing the noise, also leaned over to take a look. The three women gathered around the letter, their eyes red as they read.
"Great! She'll be back in early March!" Yun Tangyin wiped her eyes and said with a smile, "Jianhua is still thinking about the shepherd's purse dumplings. We need to freeze more and let her eat as much as she wants when she comes back."
Aunt Zhang held the "fine needle" mentioned in the letter and smiled from ear to ear: "This child still remembered that I needed a fine needle for my embroidery work. How thoughtful of her."
Zhou Desheng came out of the house and saw everyone was happy. He came over and asked, "What did the letter say? Is he coming back soon?"
Fu Yucheng patted his shoulder and said, "I'll be back in early March. Then we can have a couple of drinks together. I'll learn how to fluff cotton from my second brother, and I can make new cotton quilts for your bed tomorrow."
Zhou Desheng smiled so hard that his eyes narrowed: "Okay! I'll ask my wife to cook some delicious dishes, and we won't leave until we're drunk!"
Xiaolan ran in with Zhou Ming and Zhou Liang, holding a newly woven bamboo basket tied with a red ribbon. "Sister-in-law! Brother Fu! Are Uncle and Auntie coming back soon? I've finished weaving a bamboo basket. It can hold a whole basket of dried shepherd's purse!"
Yun Tangyin took the bamboo basket and touched the smooth bamboo strips. "It's really beautiful. Lan girl is very skillful. When Second Aunt comes back, she will definitely treasure this basket."
The afternoon sun was warm, and Fu Yucheng took out the pine wood and started making a small wooden box.
He first used a plane to plane the wooden board until it was as smooth as jade, then measured the size with a ruler and drew a locust flower pattern on the board.
The saw was particularly obedient in his hands. After a while, the prototype of the wooden box came out, and the edges and corners were polished rounded to avoid scratching his hands.
Yun Tangyin sat next to him, holding the newly bought floral cloth in her hand, and started cutting a small quilt.
The light pink cloth was decorated with small white flowers. She cut along the pattern, and the stitches were so fine that they looked like a handful of rice grains.
Aunt Zhang was sitting under the eaves, knitting a scarf for Jianhua. The navy blue wool was mixed with a little light yellow, creating patterns of locust flowers. From a distance, it looked like real locust flowers had fallen on it.
Zhou Desheng's wife was busy in the kitchen. She took out the sesame cakes that Fu Yucheng had bought, wrapped them in oil paper, and fried some pumpkin seeds, putting them in a cloth bag. "These are Jianhua's favorites. When she comes back, let her eat them slowly."
She added another piece of coal to the stove. "I'll make some sweet potato porridge to fill the children's stomachs later so they can help dry the radishes in the afternoon."
By the evening, Fu Yucheng's small wooden box was almost finished. He carved the final stroke of locust flowers on the lid and polished it carefully with sandpaper. The fragrance of pine wood mixed with the texture of locust flowers made it more and more pleasing to the eye.
"Yinyin, what do you think of this wooden box?" He handed it over. "Once it's varnished, it will definitely shine brighter. It's perfect for holding my second sister-in-law's woolen rabbit and handkerchief."
Yun Tangyin took the wooden box, touched the carved locust flowers with her fingertips, and nodded with a smile: "It's really beautiful, more exquisite than the ones I bought in town. If my second sister-in-law receives it, she will definitely put it on the bedside every day and won't be willing to touch it."
She put the lining and embroidered handkerchief she had made for Jianhua into the wooden box, filling it up perfectly. "Look, it's neither too big nor too small, just right."
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