Chapter 222: The Feeling of a Family
Fu Yuanshan put down his hoe, scooped a ladle of cold water from the well and washed his hands. Water droplets dripped through his fingers onto the bluestone slab, leaving a small wet mark.
"You guys are eating like you haven't seen food in centuries." He joked with a smile, picking up a mulberry and throwing it into his mouth. The purple juice instantly dyed the tip of his tongue purple. "Don't tell me, these mulberries are sweeter than last year's. It seems that the rain this year is nourishing the fruits."
Song Yushuang brought over a wet cloth and wiped Nian'an's sticky hands first, then handed it to Xiaolan: "Wipe it quickly, otherwise it will get on your clothes and you won't be able to wash it off."
Xiaolan wiped her hands obediently, but her eyes were still fixed on the mulberries on the plate: "My mother said that mulberries can be used to make wine. When we pick enough, I'll ask my father to make two jars and send some to you, Auntie."
"That's great," Song Yushuang agreed with a smile, "The plum wine your family brewed last year was very fragrant, and I still haven't had enough."
She turned to look at Jiang Jianhua, "When the mulberry wine is ready, we'll eat it with the osmanthus cake you made. It will definitely be a perfect match."
Jiang Jianhua nodded repeatedly: "I will dry the osmanthus sugar again so that it will be easier to use when making osmanthus cake."
Nian An finished the mulberry in her hand, grabbed another and put it into Jiang Jianhua's mouth, raising her little arm high: "Second Aunt, eat."
Jiang Jianhua bent down to catch it, the sweet juice melted in his mouth, and his heart was warmed: "Thank you Nian'an, you are so good."
Fu Yuanshan was watching from the side and laughed: "This little guy, now he knows how to be caring. Yesterday he even snatched the steamed bread from my hand."
As he was speaking, Zhou Desheng's wife came in carrying a bamboo basket filled with freshly baked corn tortillas.
"I can smell the fragrance of your yard from so far away," she said, placing a tortilla on the stone table. "These freshly baked tortillas are perfect with mulberries."
Seeing the purple stains on the corners of Nian An's mouth, she couldn't help laughing, "How many mulberries did you eat? You look like a purple-faced judge."
Song Yushuang picked up a corn tortilla and handed it over: "Try the scallion rolls made by Jianhua, they are more delicious than the corn tortillas you have."
Zhou Desheng's wife took a bite and her eyes lit up immediately: "This cooking skill is really amazing! Sister Jianhua, please teach me someday. My two naughty kids love the noodles you make."
Jiang Jianhua smiled and waved his hands: "It's not difficult, it's just that you have to knead the dough more. If the dough is kneaded well, everything you cook will taste good."
The afternoon sun shines through the locust leaves, casting mottled shadows on the ground.
Nian'an and Xiaolan were squatting in the yard playing with stones, while Fu Yuanshan was sitting on the doorstep weaving a bamboo basket. The bamboo strips moved flexibly in his hands, and he soon weaved a round bottom of the basket.
Jiang Jianhua sat under the eaves, sewing shoe soles. His stitches were dense and even, and there was a small lotus embroidered on the soles.
"Brother, you weave this bamboo basket really fast," Jiang Jianhua looked up and saw, "Is this for Nian to assemble toys for?"
Fu Yuanshan nodded. "Yeah, he has a pile of stones and straw scattered all over the yard. It would be neat to make a basket for him to put them in."
When Nian An heard the word "toy," he immediately ran over holding a white stone and said, "Pretend, pretend."
Fu Yuanshan put the stone into the bamboo basket with a smile: "I'll give it to you when it's finished. Don't touch it now, the bamboo strips will prick your hands."
He pulled out a freshly made bamboo rattle from his pocket and handed it to Nian An, "Play with this first. It's sturdy and won't break if dropped."
Nian An took the rattle and shook it, making a "dong dong" sound, which attracted Xiaolan to come over and take a look.
Song Yushuang found some scraps of cloth in the house and planned to make a doll for Nian An.
She picked up a piece of blue cloth, cut out the shape of a little tiger, and embroidered tiger patterns with yellow thread. The stitches were fine, and the tiger's eyes were sewn on with black cloth, which made it look quite majestic.
"You made this puppet so lifelike," Jiang Jianhua came over to take a look. "It's even more lively than the ones sold in the grocery stores in town."
"It's just for fun," Song Yushuang said with a smile. "Once it's done, let Nian'an hold it while he sleeps at night. It's better than holding a bamboo dragonfly, which is so uncomfortable."
She placed the doll on the small desk, right next to the Thousand Character Classic, making them look like two little guards protecting Nian An.
In the evening, Fu Yucheng came back from the field with a bundle of fresh mugwort on his shoulders.
"This mugwort is freshly cut. After drying it, put it in a purse. It can repel insects." He spread the mugwort on the stone table in the yard. "Wait until it's dried thoroughly tomorrow. Make a purse for Nian'an and Xiaolan. They can wear it to feel fresh."
Nian An ran over, grabbed a handful of mugwort and put it to his nose, choking and sneezing, which made everyone laugh.
At dinner time, the kitchen was filled with the aroma of stir-fried bamboo shoots and meat, as well as a pot of fragrant corn grits porridge.
Nian An sat on a small stool, drinking porridge with a small spoon, occasionally picking up a piece of bamboo shoots with chopsticks, and her little face turned red from eating.
Fu Yucheng picked up a piece of meat and gave it to Yun Tangyin: "Eat more, the meat is well stewed and easy to digest."
Yun Tangyin took it with a smile: "You should eat more too, you've been busy all day."
After dinner, Fu Yuanshan took out the woven bamboo basket, covered it with a piece of floral cloth, put Nian'an's bamboo dragonfly, straw grasshoppers, and stones in it, and placed them on the small bookshelf, which made it look much tidier.
Nian'an lay beside the bookshelf, counting his toys one by one, muttering to himself. Although he spoke incoherently, he was extremely serious.
When the moonlight climbed up the wall, Nian An had already fallen asleep in Song Yu's arms, still holding the tiger doll in his hand.
Song Yushuang put him on the bed, covered him with a small quilt, and placed the mugwort purse next to the pillow. The faint medicinal fragrance mixed with the sweet fragrance of mulberries during the day filled the room.
After Jiang Jianhua cleaned up the dishes, he sat under the oil lamp and continued to mend shoe soles. Fu Yucheng and Fu Yuanshan sat in the yard, talking in the moonlight.
"I'm going to town to buy some brown sugar tomorrow," Fu Yucheng said. "We're almost out of brown sugar at home, and Jianhua needs it to make hawthorn paste."
Fu Yuanshan nodded: "By the way, buy some malt sugar for Nian An. I haven't bought it yet as I mentioned last time."
The leaves of the locust trees outside the window rustled, as if responding to the whispers in the house.
This ordinary day is like the moonlight in the locust tree courtyard. It is not dazzling, but it gently illuminates every corner, gently embracing the warmth and happiness of the family, and creating the most mellow sweetness in the years.
The thread Jiang Jianhua was sewing on her shoe soles cast a silver arc of light under the oil lamp. Suddenly, she remembered something and looked up at the courtyard. "Don't forget to buy two pounds of granulated sugar when you buy brown sugar tomorrow. I want to make some snowflake crisps for Nian'an. Mix them with mulberries and walnuts. They're fragrant and satisfying."
Fu Yuanshan replied through the window paper: "I've made a note of it. By the way, I'll buy a bag of sesame seeds to sprinkle on top to make it more flavorful."
Song Yushuang was sewing a tail on a tiger puppet. Upon hearing this, she smiled and said, "Your thoughts are more meticulous than embroidery thread. The food you make will surely be both beautiful and delicious."
She turned the puppet over and took a look at it. She used red thread to embroider a small "king" character on the tiger's forehead. "This is more realistic and can ward off evil spirits."
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