The carriage, a first for Xinghua Village, was driven by Qi Zhenzhen, who was taking Jin Niang home. Inevitably, they had to make a loop through the village.
This attracted a crowd of children who followed behind.
With everyone gathered around, Qi Zhenzhen dared not speed up the horse, so she slowly led the horse back home.
Qi Yi was in the courtyard and got very excited when he saw Qi Zhenzhen returning with the carriage.
"Big Sister, is this ours?"
Qi Zhenzhen nodded, "Yes, from now on, whether we go to town or anywhere else, it will be much more convenient."
Qi Yi ran into the house to call Yun Shi out, and pulled her along to see the carriage.
Yun Shi was also very pleased. Although she had seen all sorts of luxurious carriages before, none compared to this one. This carriage belonged entirely to their mother and children.
"Mother, when spring arrives, we can drive the carriage for an outing, and also go to the temple to offer incense," Qi Zhenzhen's mood was also surging, feeling as if she had gone from a QQ to a Mercedes-Benz overnight.
Yun Shi smiled and nodded, finding it convenient to travel by carriage.
Qi Zhenzhen took the pork belly and bones from the carriage and handed them to Qi Yi, while she herself wanted to drive the carriage into the house.
Then, to her dismay, she discovered that the horse could enter, but the carriage frame could not.
Qi Zhenzhen reluctantly unhitched the harness, led the horse to the backyard, and left the carriage frame at the entrance.
After tying up the horse, Qi Zhenzhen took a winnowing basket and scooped up beans and wheat. There was no fodder at home, so she could only feed it good grains for now.
"From now on, you are a member of our family. Please take good care of us," Qi Zhenzhen patted the horse's head.
The big black horse neighed, "I'm afraid of starving."
"You'll get plenty of fodder."
"But I prefer barley."
Still a picky eater, Qi Zhenzhen found it amusing, "Eating only barley will cause indigestion; you need to mix it with fodder."
"I like to be clean; you must brush my coat frequently."
The demands were outrageous.
"With so many demands, could your previous owner understand them?"
The big black horse snorted, "He was very stupid and couldn't understand. He only fed me fodder and brushed my coat once a month. That's why I had a bad temper and often kicked people."
Qi Zhenzhen raised an eyebrow, "So you're threatening me?"
The big black horse lowered its head and nuzzled Qi Zhenzhen, "I'm not threatening you, just telling you that I'm very docile when I'm well-fed and comfortable."
Qi Zhenzhen chuckled. This majestic horse, why did she feel like it was acting like a sycophant?
"The people outside are my mother and my younger brother. When you're with them, even if you're hungry, you must be more docile and not get agitated with them," Qi Zhenzhen earnestly instructed the big black horse.
With a neigh, the big black horse agreed to Qi Zhenzhen's request.
With food and drink and comfort, its horse life had no special requirements.
Meeting a master who could communicate with it was also considered fortunate.
After settling the big black horse, Qi Zhenzhen went to the kitchen. Fresh, skin-on pork belly was best for braised pork. The big pork bones could be stewed for soup with some radish slices. A bowl of that would be incredibly comforting. A plate of kimchi would be perfect to cut through the richness. Then, steam a pot of rice and crisp some rice crusts for dessert; both staples and after-meal snacks were covered.
Qi Zhenzhen enjoyed her time in the kitchen, focusing on preparing the ingredients, without having to think about anything else.
After cooking, Qi Zhenzhen called Yun Shi and Qi Yi to eat. The gravy from the braised pork was ladled over the rice, its aroma whetting the appetite.
Yun Shi didn't usually like eating meat, but under Qi Zhenzhen's preparation, her dislike turned into fondness, and her appetite increased significantly.
"Delicious, delicious, so delicious," Qi Yi was in his growth spurt, and his appetite also steadily increased.
When he encountered tasty dishes, he could eat four bowls of rice and still want snacks afterward.
After eating and clearing the dishes, Qi Zhenzhen brought out the crispy rice crusts, sprinkled with her own five-spice powder. They were crispy, fragrant, and slightly sweet and spicy, Qi Yi's favorite.
"Ahhh," Qi Yi's eyes lit up, "Big Sister, you're the best."
He popped two pieces into his mouth, biting into them with a satisfying crunch. While eating the third piece, Qi Yi seemed to remember something and went into the house to get a small white porcelain jar. "Sister, Hu Zi also loves your crispy rice crusts. I'll take some to him."
"Go ahead, don't rush," Qi Zhenzhen called after him.
"I know."
Qi Zhenzhen placed the remaining crispy rice crusts on the kang table, pushed them towards Yun Shi, and began to tell her about the day's events.
"So, buying the carriage was an impulse decision?" Yun Shi asked, somewhat surprised.
In Yun Shi's eyes, Qi Zhenzhen had always acted with prudence. What was happening?
"I was just so angry with that auntie; her words were so sour. Besides, we really don't need to squeeze with them anymore. I work hard to earn money, isn't it all for us to live better? If we're too stingy, people will call us misers," Qi Zhenzhen smiled.
"That's true. With a carriage, it will be much more convenient for you to go to town. However, Zhenzhen, are you going to drive it yourself?"
As Yun Shi spoke, Qi Zhenzhen knew what she meant and quickly replied, "I'm thinking of asking Brother Zhang Er to help drive the carriage. I'll be twelve this year and should start being more mindful. If there's anything, I'll ask him to help, and I'll pay him some money each month."
This was indeed Qi Zhenzhen's plan. In the future, for the pickled cabbage business, and even for the apricot forest, she needed to find a reliable person to help manage things. Zhang Erniu was the most suitable candidate.
Yun Shi nodded, approving of Qi Zhenzhen's decision.
"From now on, I'll stay home with you, hone my embroidery skills, and read more books. Isn't it said that 'a person with knowledge is naturally elegant'? I'll strive to be such a person, possessing both talent and outstanding temperament."
Yun Shi was even more pleased, feeling that her daughter had taken her previous advice to heart.
As mother and daughter were talking, Qi Yi returned, looking unhappy.
"What's wrong, Brother Yi? Didn't you play with Hu Zi? I thought you wouldn't be back until dinner," Qi Zhenzhen teased.
Qi Yi's brows were tightly furrowed. "Hu Zi's house has an extra person. Hu Zi's mother's expression isn't good, and Hu Zi is also listless. I asked him, but he didn't say anything. I felt uncomfortable staying there, so I came back."
An extra person? Li Shan's family only had three people, oh, plus the one in Li Shan's wife's belly, that's four people. Where else could an extra person come from?
"Is someone visiting?" Qi Zhenzhen casually asked.
"No, Hu Zi said she's been at his house for several days," Qi Yi shook his head.
Several days? What was going on?
"Tell Big Sister, who is this extra person?"
"A young girl, wearing a white dress and white skirt, with a petty expression," Qi Yi described. "She kept trying to go into Hu Zi's mother's room, but Hu Zi blocked her. She was teary-eyed, as if Hu Zi was bullying her. Clearly, it was Hu Zi's mother who said she didn't want to see her in the room!"