Chapter 188: She's Still Careful
The halo of the oil lamp swayed on Fu Yucheng's shoulders, and the cotton wool on his army green cotton-padded jacket was dyed light yellow by the light and shadow, like a fallen piece of dried locust flower.
He wiped it very carefully, even rubbing the locust petal patterns carved on the edge of the feeding trough with the corner of the cotton cloth, for fear that any sawdust would scratch the rabbit's delicate mouth.
"Why aren't you sleeping again?" Yun Tangyin walked over and gently placed the old cotton jacket on his shoulders. Her fingertips touched the tip of his ear, which was slightly cool.
When Fu Yucheng turned around, the vapor from the oil lamp had not yet dried on his eyelashes, reflecting the light like small dewdrops: "I just heard the sound of the feeding trough. I was worried that the female rabbit might have rubbed against the wood splinters while eating at night. I wiped it off to make sure it was safe."
He pointed into the cage and saw the female rabbit lying beside the new feeding trough, with the tip of her nose gently touching the wall of the trough, as if she was getting familiar with this new object.
Yun Tangyin squatted beside him and saw Huaqiu coming out of the mother rabbit's arms. She staggered towards the feeding trough on her short legs. She stumbled after taking only two steps, but immediately got up and continued to move towards the feeding trough.
"Look how persistent it is," Yun Tangyin couldn't help laughing, her voice very low, "Just like you, once you decide on something, you have to do it well."
Fu Yucheng held her hand and brought it closer to his palm: "It wants to eat, I want you and the child to feel comfortable."
The two of them squatted in front of the rabbit cage, watching Huaqiu finally move to the side of the feeding trough, sniff it with her little nose, and then looked up at Fu Yucheng, as if to confirm whether it was safe.
"This little thing understands human nature," Fu Yucheng said softly, taking out a dried carrot from his pocket and gently placing it in the feeding trough, "Leave this for it. It can eat when it's hungry at night."
The flower ball came over immediately, chewing quickly with its three-petal mouth, and its little tail left tiny marks on the snow.
When I returned to the kang, the coal in the stove was still crackling softly, making the room warm.
Yun Tangyin leaned in Fu Yucheng's arms, her fingertips touching the thin calluses on his palm.
That was acquired while practicing shooting in the army and later while chopping wood and doing carpentry.
"Do you think your child will be as dexterous as you in the future?" she asked softly. The little one in her belly suddenly kicked, as if in response.
Fu Yucheng put his ear to her belly and laughed out loud: "It's better to be like you, thoughtful and can embroider."
"Who said that?" Yun Tangyin gently hit his arm. "The troughs you made are more beautiful than those made by the carpenter's shop, and the locust flowers you embroidered are more lively than mine."
Yun Tangyin smiled and said, "I didn't expect you to be so thoughtful."
Fu Yucheng kissed the top of her head: "I never dare to be rough with you."
The next morning, just as it was getting light, Fu Yucheng got up and polished the trough.
He took some fine sandpaper and rubbed the edge of the trough bit by bit. The wood chips floated in the morning light like tiny snowflakes.
When Yun Tangyin came out with the hot water, she saw some sawdust on his military cap and couldn't help but reach out to take it off for him: "Go slowly, don't scratch your hands."
Fu Yucheng looked up and smiled, the fine lines at the corners of his eyes gleaming with light: "It's almost done. After this polishing, I won't be able to shave rabbits anymore."
When Xiaolan came with the bamboo basket, the trough had already been polished.
As soon as she entered the yard, she shouted, "Sister-in-law! Brother Fu! I brought some freshly picked vegetables for the rabbit!"
The green vegetables in the bamboo basket were still covered with snow foam, and they looked particularly bright and green.
"My mother said these are stored in the cellar and are the most tender when eaten in winter," Xiaolan squatted beside the cage and carefully placed the vegetables into the trough. "Snowball, Coal Ball, Flower Ball, come and eat!"
The three little rabbits gathered around immediately. Snowball was eating the fastest and accidentally knocked some of the green leaves off. Coalball immediately rushed over to grab some, and the two rabbits were squeezed so hard that they kept spinning in circles.
"Don't fight over it, there's more!" Xiaolan smiled and put a few more pieces of vegetables in. However, Huaqiu didn't rush to eat them. Instead, she held a piece of vegetable in her mouth and put it to the mother rabbit's mouth, which made Yun Tangyin laugh out loud: "This Huaqiu is really sensible. She even knows to give in to her mother."
Fu Yucheng stuffed a piece of freshly steamed sweet potato into Xiaolan's hand and said, "Eat it quickly. You've been freezing all the way here. Warm yourself up."
Xiaolan took the sweet potato and took a bite. The sweet juice spread in her mouth. She suddenly remembered something and took out a small stuffed doll from her pocket. "I made this for my little brother. My mother taught me how to sew this rabbit. Do you think it looks like Snowball?"
The doll's ears were crooked, but it was still very cute. Yun Tangyin took the doll and said with a smile, "It's really like it. My little brother will definitely like it."
Zhou Desheng came sweeping the yard with a broom, his boots crunching on the snow. "Brother Fu, is the trough ready? I'll help you clear the snow from the yard to prevent the rabbits from slipping when they come out to play."
He glanced into the cage and saw three rabbits eating vegetables. He suddenly smiled and said, "This trough is really well made. If my two kids see it, they will definitely ask me to make another one."
Fu Yucheng stuffed a piece of locust flower cake into his hand and said, "Eat here at noon. Let Yinyin make you sweet potato porridge."
When Zhou Desheng's wife came over with a pot of millet porridge, there was still some flour on her blue apron: "Freshly cooked millet porridge, for Yinyin to nourish her."
She added a spoonful of millet porridge to the cage, and the female rabbit immediately came over to drink. "Aunt Zhang said that millet porridge is good for the stomach. The female rabbit will have enough milk after drinking it, and the rabbit will grow strong after drinking it."
Yun Tangyin took the porridge pot and said with a smile, "Thank you for your care and always sending us things."
The afternoon sun shines through the ice-flowered windows, weaving a glittering web on the ground.
Fu Yucheng sat in the yard making a nest for the rabbit. He wove a small basket with thin bamboo strips and filled it with soft floral pieces cut by Xiaolan.
"When spring comes and it gets warmer, we'll put this little nest under the old locust tree," he said to Yun Tangyin, "Let the rabbits play outside during the day and go back to the cage to sleep at night."
Yun Tangyin leaned against the door frame, watching him weaving the bamboo basket, and suddenly felt the little one in her belly move, gently, like a locust leaf falling on her heart.
Xiaolan squatted beside Fu Yucheng and handed him bamboo sticks: "Brother Fu, please teach me how to weave a bamboo basket. I want to weave a small basket for my rabbits so that they can carry vegetables."
Fu Yucheng smiled and nodded: "Okay, I'll teach you how to weave the simple ones first, take your time, don't rush."
He taught Xiaolan how to weave bamboo strips step by step. The sunlight fell on the two of them, warm as a piece of melted candy.
In the evening, the small bamboo basket was finally woven. Fu Yucheng put the small bamboo basket into the cage, and the three rabbits immediately came over, crawled into the bamboo basket, and huddled together to take a nap.
"It's so comfortable," Xiaolan said with a smile, "They must like this little nest."
Yun Tangyin added some soybeans into the cage, and the mother rabbit also crawled into the bamboo basket, holding the three little rabbits in her arms like a gentle mother.
When Zhou Desheng and his wife came to say goodbye, they saw the rabbits sleeping soundly in the small bamboo basket.
Fu Yucheng stuffed a piece of locust flower cake into their hands: "Take it back and let the children try it. It's freshly steamed."
Zhou Desheng's wife took the cake and stuffed a cloth bag into Yun Tangyin's hand: "Inside is the egg my mother gave me. It's for the child's nutrition. Eat one a day and he will grow strong."
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