Shen Xuanqing placed the paper-wrapped seeds in Lu Gu’s bamboo basket, saving the bamboo backpack for the porcelain pillows.
At the ceramics shop, the clerk showed them several porcelain pillows. Shen Xuanqing finally selected two, one with a floral branch pattern and the other with honeysuckle vines. Both were simple in design and hollow inside, allowing them to be filled with cold water in summer for cooling or hot water in winter for warmth.
In the countryside, the poor couldn’t even afford soft pillows stuffed with old rags, often resting their heads on stones, at least those stayed cool in summer.
Lu Gu tapped the floral-patterned pillow lightly with his knuckle, confirming its hollowness. Smiling, he and Shen Xuanqing carefully placed both pillows into the bamboo backpack, padded with straw by the clerk to prevent chipping.
These weren’t overly expensive but not exactly cheap either. Given their plain designs, each cost forty copper coins.
The afternoon was waning, the air cooler now. They walked slowly on the way back, careful not to jostle the pillows.
"One’s for you, the other for Mother," Shen Xuanqing said as they walked.
Lu Gu turned to him. Shen Xuanqing added with a smile, "I don’t feel the heat much. Besides, Elder Brother bought zhu furens, they’ll be cool to hug at night."
"Alright." Lu Gu didn’t argue further but said, "But if it gets too hot, we can switch."
Shen Xuanqing’s smile deepened as he agreed.
Back home, they gulped down two bowls of water. Wiping his lips, Lu Gu saw Wei Lanxiang admiring the porcelain pillows and couldn’t resist trying his out.
Wei Lanxiang chose the honeysuckle-patterned one, leaving him the floral branch design. Resting his head on the cool, hard surface was undeniably refreshing.
But after years of soft pillows, Lu Gu found the porcelain pillow was uncomfortably rigid. Shen Xuanqing, who had come in to watch him adjust, suggested giving it a few days, he might get used to it.
Zhu furens had also been purchased. Shen Yaoqing bought four, ensuring all six family members had one to hug for cooler sleep.
Lu Gu fiddled with the porcelain pillow before picking up zhu furen on the bed. With a bamboo mat beneath him and a porcelain pillow under his head, his heart swelled with contentment and security.
As the day cooled, Wei Lanxiang changed into old shoes and headed to the fields with Shen Yan to weed. Hearing this, Lu Gu and Shen Xuanqing joined them.
By the time they reached the fields, Shen Yaoqing—who had been busy at the new house—was already there.
____
All twenty-two baby rabbits had survived. After half a month, their eyes were nearly open.
The dog days of summer brought relentless heat, making spring feel like a distant, fleeting memory. Wiping sweat from his brow and temples, Lu Gu reflected that he used to wash one handkerchief daily, now it was two.
He shoveled rabbit droppings into a basket and carried it, along with the shovel, to a distant dung heap, covering it with dry soil to deter flies.
Having cleared most of the droppings in the morning, only a little remained in the hutches now.
With chores done, Wei Lanxiang hadn’t returned from herding the ducks. The calf was still by the river, guarded by Da Bai, so there was no immediate worry.
After washing his hands and drinking a bowl of water, Lu Gu sat down to rest.
Shen Xuanqing had gone into the mountains two days prior, hoping to hunt deer or sheep. No one knew when he’d return.
With so much work at home lately, only Lu Gu, Wei Lanxiang, and Shen Yaoqing were left to manage it all. Shen Yan had taken over cooking duties while keeping Ji Qiuyue company, her due date was in half a month, and she couldn’t be left alone.
Wei Lanxiang had already secured a midwife, a renowned one from Wangli Village. Her services were costly, requiring good tea and meals, but most babies she delivered arrived safely, a testament to her skill.
As the family’s first grandchild, this baby was deeply cherished. No expense was spared.
With the due date approaching, Ji Qiuyue bore the discomfort well, though the child occasionally troubled her, her heavy belly disrupted eating and sleeping. She half-wished for an early delivery, believing relief would come afterward. Ironically, Shen Yaoqing was the more anxious one.
While working, he managed fine, but at home, he’d rush to support Ji Qiuyue at the slightest movement, muttering constant warnings. The summer heat frayed tempers, and Ji Qiuyue often scolded him for being annoying.
Shunned, Shen Yaoqing paced the courtyard in nervous agitation, peering through windows until Ji Qiuyue, softening, called him inside.
His restless pacing unsettled even Wei Lanxiang. Eventually, she banished him to the fields, ordering him to nap at the new house and not return until dusk, lest he unsettle the entire household.
Work proved a distraction, keeping Shen Yaoqing’s mind off childbirth. He buried himself in labor, just as he did today.
After a short break, Lu Gu locked the courtyard gate and carried a tea basket to the fields, delivering water for the third time that morning. In this heat, hydration was vital.
For rural folk, work was as essential as food. Idleness left hands and hearts uneasy.
That afternoon, as Lu Gu fed Da Bai at the new house, sudden barking erupted outside, it was Guaizi’s voice, drawing near. Da Bai abandoned his meal and bolted out with a yelp.
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