Another month passed after the confinement period, and it was mid-June. The weather was already very hot. It was better not to go out and stay in the house at noon. Once the sun shone on me, sweat would fall like rain.
Little Taole grew up quickly. Although he was still white and chubby, he was a lot bigger now. He smelled of milk all over his body. Zhao Fangchu loved to hold him and smell him hard. The two of them got along very well. Until now, whenever he got close to him, little Taole would laugh non-stop.
He started laughing earlier than other children. Today, Yunqiao brought Xia Xia to play, and everyone said that last year when Xia Xia was as old as Taole, she still couldn't grin.
Yun Qiao loved his child very much and made all his clothes for him. He didn't accept any old clothes from other people's families.
However, there were also several children in the village who were only a few months old. Children at this age grow fast and their clothes become too small in a few days. The old clothes that Xia Xia could not wear were taken away by others, leaving only a few pieces that were just right for little Taole to wear at the moment.
When he came, he wanted to ask Yang Donghu if he wanted clothes, but he gave up the idea as soon as he entered the door. The reason was simple. Not only were there clothes washed and dried in the yard, but there were also several piles neatly stacked in the house. It seemed that there was no shortage of clothes for the children.
The children in the village are different from those outside. They don’t care whether the clothes look good or not, as long as they can keep warm. Xia Xia is a boy, and his clothes are all pink and green. But families with boys don’t mind, because children don’t care about beauty anyway.
"How old is this little Taole? He only has so many clothes and a bellyband. The child still has a lot of room to grow." Yun Qiao loved the little baby. When she saw Taole, she put Xia Xia aside and gently rocked little Taole to sleep.
Xia Xia can already walk when he is over one year old, and he walks quite steadily. He is not angry because no one is holding him. He walks around the house and plays by himself. As soon as he comes, Yang Donghu brings him some delicious snacks. Now the two of them are very close.
"That's what I said, but it's hot now and I can't go out to kill time. There's no farm work to do at home. Auntie and An Jin are so bored at home. Sometimes I make a purse, sometimes a bellyband. I didn't realize I made so much."
After hearing what Yun Qiao said, Yang Donghu looked at the house again and felt that there were indeed too many small clothes. There were only four or five compartments in the cabinet for clothes, and Xiao Taole occupied one by herself.
"But that's true. All elders are like this. My mother was the same back then. She always made clothes for Xia Xia because she loved her child so much. But now, you and Fang Chu don't like to sew. Now that An Jin is born, my good craftsmanship can finally be passed on to someone else."
What he said was right. Yang Donghu wanted to laugh when he thought about how Zhu Cuilan gave all her best materials to Yang Anjin. Those were all good materials, and Zhu Cuilan never let them touch them.
On the second day after Zhao Fangyu got married, Zhu Cuilan carried her box of clothing materials into the bridal chamber, saying that the materials inside were for Yang Anjin and he could use them for whatever he wanted.
It was a hot summer day, so Yang Anjin set aside a piece of fabric. The fabric was brightly colored and was just right for the women and children in his family to make clothes. He also made a set for his mother-in-law. Men definitely couldn't wear these fabrics, as the bright red and green colors looked a bit out of place on a man.
Everyone in the family was generous and never hid anything. The material was there anyway, so they were all happy when they got more clothes. Zhu Cuilan said that she would give it to him and she would not ask any more questions. When she got another piece of clothing, she spread the word and praised Yang Anjin's dexterity to everyone she met.
After this conversation, Yang Anjin became much more familiar with the people in the village.
The two talked for a long time. It was almost time for dinner and Xia Xia was complaining of being hungry. Yang Donghu asked her to stay for lunch, but Yun Qiao waved her hand to refuse and hurriedly went back with the child.
He grabbed a handful of candy and sent Yunqiao out the door. Just then, Zhao Fangchu poked his head out from the wall in the yard and called him to eat. Little Taole had just finished his milk. Yang Donghu responded and turned back to the house to bring the baby out.
After not holding Taole for the whole morning, Zhu Cuilan was worried. Before Yang Donghu even sat down, she took the child away: "You guys eat first, I'll hold the child for a while, and you can take over after you finish eating."
Yang Donghu couldn't argue, so he had to sit down first. It was hot and the meal was simple, consisting of seasonal vegetables from the fields. Xiangping and the old lady didn't eat from the same pot as them, so they finished eating before them.
The two puppies gathered around the table, smelling the food. Yang Anjin broke off a piece of steamed bun and gave it to them. He had a small appetite, so after eating a little, he put down his chopsticks and took the child from Zhu Cuilan's hands. Then he said, "Mom, I have to go back to my parents' tomorrow. My brother is going on a long trip, and I'll go see him off."
Whenever Zhao Fangchu heard anything about Yang Anchen, he would become concerned, but Zhu Cuilan was right next to him, so he didn't want to show it too obviously. He lowered his head and listened quietly with his ears perked up.
The two villages were close to each other, so it was time to go back. Zhu Cuilan would never say anything, but Yang Anjin had to tell her. How could she just run back without saying anything? She nodded and said, "Let's go back. I've just finished making clothes for your mother. Take them back to make her happy. I'll give you some money later. You can buy some delicious food to take back tomorrow."
"No need, Mom, I have money, you can keep it for yourself." Yang Anjin gently rocked the child in her arms and patted the baby's back lightly with her hand.
"What's yours is yours, what mother gives is mother's. You should take it if it's given to you. Be obedient." Zhu Cuilan changed the subject: "Your brother is away on a long trip? What's he doing?"
"In August, for the Autumn Examination, he has to rush to Suizhou. It's far away and it will take at least half a month to get there. That's why he has to go early so that he can find a place to rest when he arrives."
"Oh, this is a big deal. We should go and see him off. It's not easy for him to go this trip."
Although scholars seem to have a glamorous life, without having to do anything and without suffering from hard work, they have to endure hardships in isolation, burying themselves in study day and night, regardless of rain or shine. Few of them become famous at a young age. It was not easy for Yang Anchen to pass the examination to become a scholar, and the provincial examination was even more difficult.
Yang Anjin nodded, and when no one was paying attention, he secretly glanced at Zhao Fangchu, and then said: "He will leave the day after tomorrow. I will go back tomorrow to help pack some things."
These words didn't seem to be spoken to Zhu Cuilan, so Yang Donghu also glanced sideways at Zhao Fangchu.
Zhao Fangchu noticed their gazes, raised his eyes and looked at them, but said nothing.
It was late at night when there was no one around, so he secretly put a purse in his pocket and went to find Yang Anjin, asking him to give the purse to Yang Anchen when he returned the next day.
In fact, Zhao Fangchu had known about Yang Anchen's departure for a long time. The two of them had met secretly a few days ago, and Yang Anchen had told him roughly when he would leave, but the date had not been set yet.
Zhao Fangchu hurriedly embroidered the purse over the past two days. The preparations for a long journey were complicated, and this was the only thing he could do.
Yang Anjin wanted to ask him if he wanted to see him off, but after thinking that it was not polite, he accepted the purse and gave up.
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