Chapter 152
In just two or three days, the weather grew even colder. Overnight, many leaves fell from the trees on the mountain, and gradually, there came a day when, stepping outside and looking toward the nearby hillside, one could see that the woods had gone completely bare, with only a few withered leaves remaining.
The persimmon tree had long shed all its leaves, and the ripe fruit had already been picked, leaving only seven or eight persimmons at the very top. Occasionally, birds would land on the branches to peck at them.
The skies in late autumn were never very good - no sun to be seen, though it didn’t rain either. When the wind blew, it swept up fallen leaves from the ground, making everything feel bleak and desolate.
With no more green grass to cut in the wild fields, Lu Gu took the opportunity to stay home and make winter shoes for Zhao’er. The small shoes were much easier to make than those for adults.
Shen Xuanqing had gone up the mountain several days earlier, hoping to hunt a few more fox furs to sell in the prefecture city.
Since daily chores were usually laborious, sitting by the window to sew shoes counted as rest for him.
The wind blew intermittently outside, so he didn’t venture out. Instead, he pulled a table and chair near the window to take advantage of the natural light.
Though small, babies grew quickly. Whether it was clothes or shoes, many had to be made in varying sizes.
He had already prepared the cotton for the winter shoes, spreading it flat on the table to evenly stuff into the fabric. This was leftover cotton from last year, which Wei Lanxiang had dug out, enough to make two pairs of small shoes. Later, when Zhao’er outgrew them, the cotton inside could be salvaged to make larger ones.
Their family was no longer short on money, so there was no need to sell outgrown shoes for money. Giving them to relatives with small children was an option, but no babies younger than Zhao’er had been born yet.
A gust of wind blew in, strong enough to lift the cotton and fabric weighed down by a teacup on the table. Lu Gu had no choice but to close the window a little.
"Guzi, what would you like to eat today?" Ji Qiuyue’s voice rang out before she even entered the room.
With Zhao’er asleep, she had nothing to do. Since everyone else in the family was busy, she thought she might as well wash and chop the vegetables in advance so that whoever cooked at noon could simply stir-fry them.
In the village, most women or fulang, once they had children, would have to carry their babies while working within two or three months, whether cooking or laboring in the fields, with hardly any time to rest.
But after giving birth, she had lived more comfortably than others. She didn’t have to work in the fields, and Shen Yaoqing wouldn’t let her cut grass, saying the child was too young to be left alone, she had to stay close to care for him. At most, she cooked and washed clothes.
Last time her mother came to visit her and her grandson, she took advantage of the moment when no one else was in the room to say that Ji Qiuyue was truly blessed, being treated even better than women in town. As a result, she often wore a smile and got along more harmoniously with the family. With everyone accommodating and looking after her, how could she have any temper left?
"Sister-in-law." Lu Gu paused his work, his eyes curving into a smile. "Anything is fine."
Ji Qiuyue feigned annoyance. "I wouldn’t be asking if I knew what to make. Just tell me what you’d like, I’ll cook today."
Lu Gu thought for a moment and said, "We’ve been eating steamed egg custard a lot lately. We’ve gathered quite a few duck eggs these past few days, how about steaming a bowl of duck egg custard? Daqing also brought back sesame oil yesterday."
"That’s good." Ji Qiuyue nodded in agreement, then asked, "What about other dishes? Mother picked a hanging melon (吊瓜) yesterday, how about slicing it and stewing it with red sauce?"
Since someone else was cooking, Lu Gu had no objections.
"With the red sauce, let’s have steamed rice today. I’ll go wash the rice now." Ji Qiuyue had always been a decent cook and rolled up her sleeves to go wash the rice and vegetables.
[红酱 (hóng jiàng): red sauce, a fermented bean or chili-based condiment]
With no need to help, Lu Gu remained seated, continuing his needlework. Before long, he heard a few barks from outside, it was Da Bai.
Shen Yan, having returned from feeding the livestock at the new house, looked up and saw Lu Gu through the window. "Brother Guzi, you’re still not done?"
"Not yet. The soles need finer stitching," Lu Gu replied. Da Bai, spotting him, trotted happily into the room, wagging his tail.
Since he was holding needles and thread, he didn’t play with Da Bai, lest the long needle accidentally poke him.
Shen Yan crouched to wash her hands in a wooden basin. "When I came back from behind, I saw Wu Tai digging up rat holes. Who knows how much grain he’ll find."
[挖鼠洞 (wā shǔ dòng): lit. digging mouse/rat holes; fig. scavenging for grain stored by field rodents]
When people were poor and had nothing to eat, they had to resort to all sorts of methods. A couple of years ago, she, Shen Xuanqing, and Shen Yaoqing had also dug up rat holes. Sometimes, if they were lucky, they could gather several catties of grain, enough to eat for days after washing it clean.
"Brother Guzi," Shen Yan hung the cloth on the wooden rack and added, "Since there’s nothing to do now, let’s go see what’s happening."
Lu Gu hesitated. There really was nothing to do today, but crowding around a man digging up rat holes didn’t seem proper.
"Come on, Grandma Wu is there too. On my way back, I also saw A Xia and her younger brother digging for earthworms by the river. Let’s call them along." Shen Yan, like everyone else, had daily chores, but being young, she was naturally curious. Though digging rat holes for grain was something the poor did, no one knew what might be inside until they dug it, so she wanted to see for herself.
Ji Qiuyue was washing vegetables with scooped water. Seeing her sister-in-law so eager to go, she smiled and said to Lu Gu, "Guzi, go with her to take a look. Otherwise, she won’t be able to settle down."
With more people around, Lu Gu had no more reservations. Making shoes wasn’t urgent, so he went out with Shen Yan.
Da Bai followed behind them. Today, since Shen Yaoqing was chopping firewood at the new house, no one paid much attention to the dog, letting him out to roam and play for a while.
In the wild fields, Wu Tai was digging rat holes with a shovel. A man of few words, he barely glanced at the four onlookers - Shen Yan and the others, pretending not to see them as he silently shoveled dirt. Many village men cursed him for being as mute as a stick.
Grandma Wu, clutching a patched-up sack, recognized Shen Yan and exchanged a few pleasantries. Perhaps because they had both known poverty, she could manage a few words with the Shen family’s second branch. With others in the village, she hardly dared speak, afraid of being looked down upon.
Though Wu Tai ignored them, Grandma Wu’s presence made Shen Yan stay, curiously watching as the burrow was gradually exposed.
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