Wei Lanxiang poured tea for them, and Lu Gu fetched a wooden basin of water for them to wash their hands.
Shen Xuanqing put down the empty basket, squatted, and washed his hands while saying, "We delivered the meat. Uncle also said that you should go back and visit sometime. Chengzhi’s essays are coming along very well, and his handwriting is excellent too."
Wei Chengzhi was Wei Lanxiang’s nephew, the cousin of Shen Xuanqing and Shen Yaoqing. He had always been filial to his aunt, but with his heavy academic workload, he hadn’t visited much in the past year or two.
Sure enough, Wei Lanxiang’s face lit up with joy. "Is that so?"
"Of course. I even went to his desk to take a look. He’ll definitely pass the imperial exams in the future," Shen Yaoqing said as he stood up to dry his hands.
"I’ll definitely go visit sometime soon," Wei Lanxiang said happily.
Shen Yaoqing tossed the cloth to Shen Xuanqing and said, "As soon as I entered, my mother-in-law said she’s already picked out the mold for the peace lock and is just waiting to have it made. I told her not to rush since the baby hasn’t been born yet, but it’ll definitely be ready by the time of the full moon celebration."
In their tradition, the silver peace lock worn around a baby’s neck during the full moon celebration was supposed to be a gift from the maternal grandparents. The Ji family wasn’t stingy, and after Ji Qiuyue became pregnant, her mother had been thinking about the peace lock. She had even gone to a reputable gold and silver shop in town to have it custom-made instead of buying a ready-made one.
Lu Gu listened to their conversation without interrupting. After Shen Xuanqing finished washing his hands and dried them, Lu Gu handed him a bowl of tea and brought over a stool for him to sit and rest.
Shen Xuanqing took a sip of tea and glanced at Lu Gu’s expression.
Since Lu Gu had cut ties with his family, there would be no maternal grandparents to gift a peace lock for their future child. But Shen Xuanqing had already thought of a solution: he would pay for it himself. Their child wouldn’t lack for anything.
As for Lu Gu, he had never expected Du Hehua and Lu Daxiang to provide a peace lock. Those two had always been stingy with him and would never spend the money, so he felt no disappointment. He listened to the family’s conversation calmly, not interjecting, and sat quietly.
When he noticed Shen Xuanqing’s gaze, he was oblivious to the concern behind it. He simply looked back, pursed his lips, and gave a faint smile.
Seeing this, Shen Xuanqing’s eyes curved slightly, and he let go of the slight worry in his heart.
The rain had dispelled the summer heat, making it much cooler. Even though the fields were wet and muddy, the sky had cleared, and the sun was still far from setting. Many people went back to the fields to pull weeds and work. Besides, the paddy fields were already wet, so there was no fear of getting their legs and feet dirty.
Wei Lanxiang and her two sons rested for a bit and then also went to the fields to pull weeds in the dryland.
Lu Gu took Guaizi and headed home with a basket of vegetables. The vegetables in the basket had been washed out by the rain. The larger ones hadn’t been replanted, so they decided to cook them for dinner. He needed to go back and remind Shen Yan to prepare them for the evening meal.
As he passed by Lin Jinhu’s house, he saw the big yellow dog with a bulging belly inside the gate. Shen Xuanqing had already spoken with Uncle Jinhu, and they had agreed to take two of the puppies once they were born.
Although the puppies were free, to ensure they could pick the two with the best traits, Shen Xuanqing had been bringing meat scraps and bones to the yellow dog whenever they slaughtered a pig. Lin Jinhu, benefiting from this arrangement, would naturally let them choose first.
The yellow dog and Guaizi knew each other. The dog came out to sniff Guaizi, but Guaizi didn’t linger and quickly ran after Lu Gu.
Running through the mud, Guaizi’s legs and paws were wet and covered in mud, making him look quite disheveled. When Ji Qiuyue saw him, she said, "Once the ground dries and the sun is out, we should give Guaizi a bath. Look at how messy he is, not caring about his appearance at all."
A good dog was supposed to have a shiny, clean coat. Lu Gu turned to look and had to agree. "He really does need a bath."
Despite her complaints, Ji Qiuyue still patted Guaizi’s head when he came over. Ever since she became pregnant, Guaizi had been very well-behaved around her, not as rowdy as before.
After instructing Shen Yan about the meal, Lu Gu went to the fields, leaving Guaizi at home to avoid getting even dirtier.
The last time they went to the paddy fields, Guaizi had been quite mischievous. He had jumped into the field, his front legs sinking into the mud, and he had whined pitifully. Shen Xuanqing had to pull him out. After emerging from the field, Guaizi shook his fur, sending water droplets flying everywhere, including all over Shen Xuanqing’s face and head. Enraged, Shen Xuanqing picked up a shoe from the ridge and smacked Guaizi’s butt several times.
____
Shen Xuanqing wasn’t in a hurry to go back to the mountains and stayed home for several days. Time flew by, and soon it was already July, the hottest time of the year.
Five mother rabbits had given birth, and Shen Xuanqing and Shen Yaoqing were confident that the ten pairs they had caught later were also pregnant. Rabbits were very fertile and usually got pregnant after just one mating.
The rabbit hutches were lined with clean wheat straw, and the mother rabbits were fed the freshest grass and water.
Within three days, the five mother rabbits had all given birth. Although the weather was hot, they were lucky this time. With the whole family paying close attention, providing tender grass and fresh water, and regularly cleaning the hutches to reduce flies and pests, only two of the twenty-four baby rabbits died, leaving twenty-two alive, more than the previous litter.
The baby rabbits were very small and would require a lot of care in the coming days.
There were only seventy-two hutches, but they still had the old rabbit cages from before. Once the baby rabbits grew up and were weaned, they could be separated to prevent fighting and biting.
By the river.
The calf was soaking and drinking in the river, while Lu Gu gathered grass for the rabbits in a bamboo basket.
He had always known that cows were gentle and loyal, but he hadn’t realized that calves were as playful as puppies. Sometimes, while he was busy in the yard, the calf would moo, even though it had water and grass. Over time, he realized it was calling him to play or asking to go outside.
Wei Lanxiang was nearby, herding the ducks and also gathering grass in a basket. Like humans, pregnant mother rabbits needed to eat more, so gathering grass daily was an important task.
Country folk always had endless work to do, but it was a busy yet fulfilling life.
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