Chapter 210: Getting a grape trellis is great
After dinner, Fu Yucheng boiled some water for Yun Tangyin to soak her feet. He sat on the edge of the kang, gently rubbing her swollen ankle with his fingertips, as gentle as if he was afraid of breaking a treasure.
"You've been embroidering a tiger-head pillow all afternoon today. Are you tired?" Fu Yucheng looked up and asked, his eyes landing on the slightly red corners of her eyes. "If you are tired, do less embroidery in the future and don't push yourself too hard."
Yun Tangyin shook her head and lifted her feet out of the hot water. Fu Yucheng quickly wiped them dry with a dry cloth and put on soft cotton socks for her.
"I'm not tired. I feel at ease just thinking about making something for my child." She touched her belly, and the little guy moved gently again. "Look, he's making noises again. He must be happy because he knows the tiger-head pillow is almost done."
Fu Yucheng lowered his head and gently touched her belly. The warm touch came, and the little guy seemed to sense it and kicked again.
"This child is so lively," Fu Yucheng said with a smile, "When he is born, he will definitely be a capable boy."
In the next room, Jiang Jianhua was sorting her embroidery threads by the light of an oil lamp. Fu Yuanshan came in with a cup of warm honey water and placed it next to her: "Don't stare at the embroidery threads all the time. Your eyes must be tired. Drink some honey water to moisten your throat."
Jiang Jianhua took the cup and took a sip. The sweetness slid down his throat and warmed his heart.
"I found the cloth for the child's bellyband," Jiang Jianhua pointed at the red cloth in the bamboo basket. "I bought this cloth last year. It's soft and thick, and it's perfect for embroidering 'Long Live a Hundred Years' on it."
Fu Yuanshan leaned over to take a look and said with a smile, "The color of this cloth is really festive. When you finish embroidering it, I will sew a small tie on the bellyband to prevent it from strangling the child."
Jiang Jianhua looked up at him. The light from the oil lamp reflected on Fu Yuanshan's face, and the few strands of white hair at his temples were particularly conspicuous.
She reached out and straightened his hair, and said softly, "You've been tired these days. Don't always think about being busy. Take a break."
Fu Yuanshan held her hand, his palm rough but warm: "I'm not tired, as long as you are well, that's better than anything else."
The next morning, as soon as it was light, Aunt Zhang went to the town with a basket.
She was concerned about Jiang Jianhua's health and wanted to buy her some fresh crucian carp and make fish soup to replenish her qi and blood.
The morning market in the town was very lively. Aunt Zhang spent a long time picking at the fish stall, selected two of the freshest crucian carp, and bought some red dates and longans before slowly walking back.
When they returned home, the aroma of millet porridge was already wafting through the courtyard. Fu Yucheng was walking with Yun Tangyin in the yard, while Jiang Jianhua was drying an embroidered tiger-head pillow under the eaves.
"Aunt Zhang, you're back!" Jiang Jianhua greeted her with a smile and took the basket from her hand. "You bought so many things. Did you buy me some more to replenish my body?"
Aunt Zhang smiled and nodded. "I'll make you some fish soup to replenish your energy and blood. Once you're healthy, you can have another child sooner." She put the crucian carp into the basin and said, "This fish is fresh. I'll make it at noon and let Yinyin drink some. It's good for the baby."
Yun Tangyin came over, looked at the crucian carp in the basin, and said with a smile: "Aunt Zhang, you are so thoughtful. With you here, we don't have to worry."
Aunt Zhang patted her hands and said, "Silly child, we are all family, and we should take care of each other."
In the morning, Jiang Jianhua and Yun Tangyin started making bellybands.
Jiang Jianhua took a red cloth, drew the words "live a long life" on it, and then lightly outlined it with powder thread to facilitate embroidery.
"These four words need to be embroidered with gold thread to make them stand out," Jiang Jianhua found the gold thread from the embroidery basket. "I bought this gold thread as a dowry, but I never wanted to use it. It's perfect for making a bellyband for the child."
Yun Tangyin took the gold thread, threaded it into the fine needle, and carefully embroidered along the pink line.
Her hands were shaking a little in the late stages of her pregnancy, so she embroidered slowly, but her stitches were very even.
"Very good," Jiang Jianhua said with a smile as he looked at the Chinese character "长" she embroidered. "It's much better than my first time. If you practice more, you will definitely be better than me."
Fu Yuanshan and Fu Yucheng were varnishing the cradle in the yard. Fu Yuanshan took the brush and carefully applied varnish to every part of the cradle, including the carved locust flower patterns.
"The varnish must be applied evenly, otherwise there will be color differences after it dries," Fu Yuanshan said as he painted. "Wait until this coat dries, then apply it again. This way it will be more durable."
Fu Yucheng helped pass the paint bucket and occasionally used sandpaper to polish the corners of the cradle to ensure there were no burrs.
"Brother, look at this cradle. Doesn't it look brighter after being varnished?" Fu Yucheng pointed at the railings of the cradle. "It will definitely look better after it dries."
At noon, Aunt Zhang's crucian carp soup was ready.
The casserole was served on the table. When the lid was lifted, the milky white fish soup was steaming and the fresh aroma hit us.
Aunt Zhang served a bowl to Jiang Jianhua and another to Yun Tangyin: "Try it quickly. It's been stewed for the whole morning, and the fish bones are all softened. Don't worry about drinking it."
Jiang Jianhua took a sip of the fish soup and squinted his eyes. "It's so delicious! Aunt Zhang, your cooking skills are really good. It's even more delicious than the fish soup in the city restaurants."
Yun Tangyin also nodded: "Yes, this fish soup is fresh and not fishy. I must drink two more bowls."
In the afternoon, the sun was warm and Jiang Jianhua sat under the eaves with Yun Tangyin to embroider a bellyband.
Fu Yuanshan and Fu Yucheng built a grape trellis in the yard, planning to plant grapes next year. When the child is born, they can enjoy the cool air under the trellis and eat grapes.
"This grape trellis is really sturdy," Fu Yucheng patted the trellis. "When the grapes grow next year and the trellis is full, it will definitely look beautiful."
Fu Yuanshan smiled and said, "When the time comes, let the child sit in the cradle, and we can eat and chat under the grape trellis. It will be so comfortable."
Jiang Jianhua looked up at the grape trellis, then down at the bellyband in his hand, and said with a smile, "When the baby is born, we'll have a wedding banquet under the grape trellis and invite all the neighbors to come and have fun together."
Yun Tangyin nodded: "Okay, when the time comes, let the child wear the tiger head pillow and bellyband we made, and he will definitely be the most handsome little baby."
By the evening, the bellyband was finally embroidered.
On the red cloth, the golden words "Long Live a Hundred Years" are particularly eye-catching. Jiang Jianhua also embroidered some small locust flowers on the corners of the bellyband, making it more exquisite.
"It's so beautiful!" Yun Tangyin held the bellyband in her hands, "When the baby is born, wear it, and it will surely live a safe and long life."
Jiang Jianhua looked at the bellyband and his heart was filled with joy.
Although she lost her own child, the pain in her heart gradually faded as she saw Yun Tangyin's child about to be born and everyone busy and happy for the child.
She knew that things would gradually get better, just like the old locust tree in the yard, which, after experiencing the cold winter, would always sprout new buds in the spring and bloom with new hope.
At dinner, everyone sat around the table, eating the crucian carp and tofu soup made by Aunt Zhang, and talking about the full moon banquet for the child. Laughter filled the entire courtyard.
The moonlight sprinkled in the yard, giving everything a gentle halo, as if sending the best wishes to the upcoming new life.
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