Entering the house, mother and daughters all took off their shoes and went onto the kang. Meng Yulian touched the small cushion for their feet on the kang and looked at Liu Shi.
“Mother, your kang isn’t very warm.”
“Winter is still long, we just need to burn the stove when we cook in the evening.”
“Mother, how can that be? There’s no charcoal basin in the room, and the kang isn’t heated. How can we receive guests?”
“During the day, we all stay in your grandmother’s room. Your grandmother’s room is heated, there are many people, so it’s not only warm but also lively.”
Liu Shi didn’t tell her eldest daughter that their room was only used for sleeping, and no one entered it at other times.
Meng Yulian felt slightly relieved thinking of her grandmother’s always warm kang.
Liu Shi, however, looked at the cotton her eldest daughter had brought and began to scold, “Yulian, didn’t I tell you not to bring anything and everything to your maternal family? It makes people gossip.”
“Mother, this is what Changmin asked me to bring back.”
“Changmin asked you to send it back?”
“Yes. Changmin also said that Commander Qi asked him to go north in a few days and asked if you had anything you wanted to send to your father.”
Liu Shi hadn’t expected such good timing and expressed her thoughts.
“Mother, you want to make a padded jacket for Father.”
“Yes, we were just worrying about the cotton, and in the blink of an eye, you and Dabao came to send cotton.” My eldest daughter is not an outsider, so Liu Shi told her all her previous concerns.
“Back then, we were considering adding another layer of cotton to our own padded jackets so we could save one for your father.”
“Mother, how can that be? Even if you don’t go out, the cold wind still whistles through.”
“Yes. Even if we save one padded jacket for your father, your grandfather and your eldest uncle are also there. It would be difficult. Even if we don’t consider your eldest uncle and your eldest cousin, you have to consider your grandfather. Otherwise, even if the jacket is sent, your father will have to give it to your grandfather.”
Meng Yulian understood her mother’s difficulties and forced a smile, “Mother, you don’t have to worry this time. We definitely have enough cotton.”
“Yes. With Changmin and Dabao’s filial piety, there will certainly be enough cotton for the padded jacket.”
Seeing that she had solved her mother’s problem, Meng Yulian’s little face couldn’t help but show joy.
Liu Shi saw that it was getting late and urged her eldest daughter to return.
After seeing her eldest daughter off, Liu Shi went to the old lady’s room again. (After Mei Shi and her niece were divorced, the wall between the two households was removed, and they ate and drank together daily.)
After listening to Liu Shi’s plan, Li Shi’s eyes turned red. She held Liu Shi’s hand and said apologetically, “The old man’s share is what you as his descendants should provide out of filial piety. As for the eldest son and his son, it is your benevolence. I don’t know if they will ever be able to repay your kindness in this lifetime.”
“Old Madam, what kindness or no kindness. If we want to make a padded jacket for the second son, we can’t let the old man and the father and son from the main branch see it. I was already struggling, but it just so happened that both sons-in-law sent some cotton back.”
Li Shi held Liu Shi’s hand and patted it, constantly muttering, “Fortunately, there is you. Fortunately, there is you. If it weren’t for you, this family would have fallen apart long ago.”
“Old Madam, let’s not talk about this anymore. We still need to work harder, otherwise, four padded jackets won’t be enough to make.”
“Yes, I’ll help cut the outer fabric for the four men first.”
When Meng Yutang returned, he saw his grandmother and his second aunt and others making padded jackets. After greeting everyone, he took a brief look and knew that these padded jackets were for grown men.
Thinking of his grandfather, father, second uncle, and elder brother in the north, his heart was filled with mixed emotions.
Before sleeping that night, Li Shi called Meng Yutang to her side and told him the source of this cotton, asking him to remember the kindness of the second branch.
“Tang’er, your father and brother might not be able to repay these favors. The main branch is counting on you.”
“Grandmother, Tang’er understands.”
Looking at her ten-year-old grandson, she realized that his stature had grown taller when she made him a padded jacket yesterday.
Thinking that at such a young age, he had already become the pillar of the family, her heart couldn’t help but ache.
The winter night was long. Fu Xinci couldn’t sleep, so she busied herself in her space.
Everything that needed to be planted had been planted. She wouldn’t waste an inch of land. It was just that the huge pile of cotton looked rather unsightly.
Alas, still fretting, the person in question squatted on the ridge and picked a cucumber, biting into it with a crunch.
Xiaobai smelled the fresh scent of the cucumber and ran over, begging, “Zizizi.”
“Here you go.” Fu Xinci generously gave him more than half and continued eating the remaining small half in her hand.
She muttered to herself, “Alas, if only it were spring now. Then I wouldn’t have to hold back when doing things. Alas!”
She drew out a long sigh, startling Xiaobai. If it weren’t for being inseparable from this human every day, it would suspect that the human had eaten something it shouldn’t have. It didn’t see that it was having an episode.
Fu Xinci didn’t notice Xiaobai’s suspicious gaze. She was too preoccupied with her worries.
In the blink of an eye, it was the twelfth lunar month, and the weather turned even colder. Many families didn’t dare to go out. Even going to the latrine felt like running with rabbit shoes.
There was no other way. It was too cold, and they were afraid of freezing their bottoms off if they stayed outside for too long.
Fu Xinci sometimes wondered if this was why people ate more congee in winter. It wasn’t just for warmth and to save food, but also for convenience when going to the latrine.
She came out of the latrine and ran back to her room. After washing up in the privy, she prepared to go to the front yard for breakfast.
Alas, fortunately, it hadn’t snowed these past few days, otherwise, she would have started to doubt if people would freeze to death.
Puffing out her breath and rubbing her hands, Fu Xinci ran to the front yard.
Breakfast was still millet congee, three-grain steamed buns, cabbage and vermicelli soup, plus a plate of pickled radish.
The people in this courtyard had all experienced hunger. Even though the food on the table was simple, they all ate with relish.
Fu Xinci didn’t have a large appetite. A bowl of millet congee and half a three-grain steamed bun filled her up.
Seeing his sister put down her chopsticks, Yu’er didn’t want to eat anymore.
Han Zhi looked at the steamed bun still in his hand and didn’t know whether to continue eating or put it down.
Grandpa Meng pretended not to see and spoke kindly to his grandson, “Yu’er, do you still remember what grandfather told you about eating?”
“I remember.”
“Yu’er remembers very well. Then, Yu’er, tell grandfather, are you full?”
“…” Yu’er lowered his head and fell silent. He didn’t know whether to tell his grandfather that he was not full.
Seeing his grandson’s silence, Grandpa Meng didn’t press further. He picked up the small piece of steamed bun his grandson had just put on the table and placed it back in his hand.