Chapter 204: My Belly Is Getting Bigger Again
The days passed quietly with the sweetness of dried radishes and the mellow aroma of stewed winter bamboo shoots with meat. In the blink of an eye, Yun Tangyin's belly had grown bigger. She had to hold her waist when walking, and even when she sat down, Fu Yucheng had to put a soft pillow behind her.
That afternoon, she sat under the eaves embroidering a small quilt for her child. After just two stitches, she felt her waist and abdomen feel heavy, so she had to stop sewing and gently rub her lower abdomen.
Fu Yucheng had just finished chopping firewood in the yard. Seeing her pale face, he quickly put down his axe and walked over to her: "Are you tired? I told you not to sit and embroider all the time, your waist will not be able to bear it."
He carefully helped Yun Tangyin to her feet and slowly walked around the yard twice. "I'll bring you a rocking chair. When you go to bask in the sun, sit in the rocking chair. Don't keep tensing up all the time."
Aunt Zhang came over with the newly knitted baby socks. Seeing Yun Tangyin holding her waist, she hurried forward to help: "This is what happens when you are late in pregnancy. Your body feels heavy. You need to rest more."
She handed Yun Tangyin the socks, which had small locust flowers embroidered on the cuffs. "They're made for children. They're made of soft wool and won't prick the skin. They'll be perfect for spring."
Yun Tangyin took the socks, touched the delicate wool with her fingertips, and her eyes warmed slightly: "Aunt Zhang, you always worry about us. You even think so carefully about the children's socks."
Aunt Zhang smiled and waved her hand: "We're all family, why be so polite? When Yuanshan and Jianhua come back, they'll definitely be happy to see their children wearing the socks I knitted."
Zhou Desheng's wife came over with a freshly steamed pumpkin cake. The cake was still steaming, and the sweet aroma filled the yard. "Yinyin, try the pumpkin cake. I added some red date paste to make it soft and easy to digest. It's perfect for you to eat now."
She helped Yun Tangyin sit down. "My mother said that you should eat more soft food in the later stages of pregnancy to avoid stomach discomfort. If you like it, I will steam it for you tomorrow."
Yun Tangyin took a bite of the pumpkin cake. It was sweet but not greasy, with the fragrance of red dates. She squinted her eyes in pleasure. "It's delicious. It suits my taste better than the snacks in the city."
She stuffed a piece into Zhou Desheng's wife's hand and said, "Try it too. You must have made such a trip." Zhou Desheng's wife took the cake and said with a smile, "It's not hard. It's hard for you to be pregnant. We are neighbors, so it's only natural for us to help each other."
Xiaolan ran in with Zhou Ming and Zhou Liang, holding a freshly woven bamboo basket filled with fresh shepherd's purse. "Sister-in-law! Brother Fu! We went to the back mountain to dig up some shepherd's purse. Do you think it's fresh? When Second Aunt comes back, we'll use it to make shepherd's purse dumplings!"
Yun Tangyin looked at the shepherd's purse in the basket, which was green and full of vitality. She smiled and said, "It's really fresh. Lan girl is getting more and more capable. The shepherd's purse she dug is even more tender than last time."
Fu Yucheng brought over a rocking chair, covered it with a thick cotton pad, and helped Yun Tangyin sit down. "Let the children go dig shepherd's purse from now on. Don't run after them. It's not good if they fall."
He stuffed a hand warmer into Yun Tangyin's hand and said, "There's hot water in the stove. Warm your hands and don't let them get cold."
In the evening, Fu Yucheng set up a wooden rack in the yard, preparing to dry more radishes.
He climbed up the ladder and put up the bamboo strips. Yun Tangyin sat in the rocking chair and watched, reminding him from time to time: "Climb slowly, don't fall, and don't put it too high, just enough to get some sun."
Fu Yucheng smiled and replied: "Don't worry, I know what I'm doing. If we build it higher, we can get more sun in the sun. When my second sister-in-law comes back, I'll ask her to bring more to the city. We can fry it when we want to eat it."
At dinner time, the aroma of millet porridge wafted from the kitchen. Fu Yucheng specially cooked millet porridge for Yun Tangyin, adding some red dates and longans, which was warm and easy to digest.
He filled Yun Tangyin's bowl with porridge and said, "Hurry up and drink some porridge to fill your stomach. You've been exhausted from embroidery today. Don't eat anything hard."
Yun Tangyin was drinking her porridge when she suddenly remembered something and said to Fu Yucheng, "When you go to town tomorrow, can you buy some rouge for my second sister-in-law? She always said the rouge in town wasn't pretty. The rouge that just arrived at the town supply and marketing cooperative must be the right color."
Fu Yucheng nodded: "Okay, I'll go there early tomorrow morning and buy you some soft cakes. If you get hungry in the middle of the night, it will fill your stomach."
At night, Fu Yucheng massaged Yun Tangyin's legs. Her legs were always swollen in the late stages of pregnancy, and massaging them made them feel more comfortable.
Yun Tangyin leaned in his arms, touched her belly and whispered, "Do you think the baby will come out early? If it can be born before Second Uncle and Second Aunt come back, they can hold it in their arms."
Fu Yucheng stopped and gently touched her belly: "Maybe, this child must be looking forward to seeing his uncle and aunt. When they come back, our family will be reunited, how lively it will be."
The next morning, Fu Yucheng went to the town with his money bag. He not only bought rouge and soft cakes, but also bought a thick cotton pad for Yun Tangyin to make the rocking chair softer.
On his way back, he passed by the post office and went in to ask again. Unfortunately, he did not receive Fu Yuanshan's letter this time, but he was looking forward to the arrival of early March even more.
Back home, Fu Yucheng handed the rouge to Yun Tangyin: "What do you think of this color? The salesperson said it's the most fashionable pink, and my second sister-in-law will definitely like it."
Yun Tangyin opened the rouge box, the light pink color exuded elegance, and she smiled and said, "It's really beautiful. If my second sister-in-law receives it, she will definitely use it every day."
Aunt Zhang came over to take a look and said with a smile, "This color is right. It will definitely look good when applied."
She picked up the cotton pad again and said, "You are so thoughtful. Yinyin will feel less tired when she sits on this."
Fu Yucheng spread the cotton pad on the rocking chair and helped Yun Tangyin sit down: "Try if it's soft. If it's not comfortable, I'll add another layer of cotton for you."
Yun Tangyin sat in a rocking chair, holding a hand warmer in her arms and a rouge box in her hands, looking at the dried radishes drying on the wooden rack in the yard, her heart full of anticipation.
In a few days, Fu Yuanshan and Jiang Jianhua will be back. Then the family will sit together, eat shepherd's purse dumplings, chat about family matters, watch the children wear the socks knitted by Aunt Zhang, and use the wooden box made by Fu Yucheng.
This warmth will be like the old locust tree in the yard, deeply rooted in everyone's heart, year after year, and will never dissipate.
As the days approached March, tender green buds gradually appeared on the branches of the old locust tree outside the yard. The snow had completely melted, and the soil was filled with the breath of spring.
Yun Tangyin's belly was getting bigger and bigger, and it was becoming more and more inconvenient for her to move, but she always had a smile on her face because she knew that the most anticipated reunion would soon come.
That evening, Fu Yucheng was varnishing a wooden box in the yard. Yun Tangyin was sitting in a rocking chair watching when she suddenly heard a familiar voice from outside the yard: "Acheng! Yinyin! We're back!"
They both looked up at the same time, and saw Fu Yuanshan and Jiang Jianhua carrying their luggage and walking towards the yard with smiles on their faces. The sunlight shone on them, as if they were coated with a layer of gold.
Yun Tangyin stood up excitedly, and Fu Yucheng quickly supported her, his eyes full of surprise.
Aunt Zhang, Zhou Desheng's wife and the children also gathered around, and the yard instantly became lively, with laughter and talking mixed together, filled with the warmth of a long-awaited reunion.
Jiang Jianhua put down his luggage, gave Yun Tangyin a hug, and then took the wooden box handed to him by Fu Yucheng. When he opened it and saw the lining, handkerchief and scarf inside, tears welled up in his eyes: "Thank you for thinking of me..."
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