Chapter 156
The night was too cold, the water in the vat had frozen over, and the stone troughs in the sheep and cattle pens were covered with a layer of ice shards. Feeding the sheep was manageable, as they had to scald bran and wheat chaff with boiling water every day, stirring it into a warm paste. The four sheep, big and small, ate and drank their fill, and by mid-morning, they were given some dry hay, so they never suffered from cold or hunger.
The calf had grown a little bigger. The floor of the cattle pen was thickly padded with dry hay. Cattle feared the cold, and in such freezing weather, they naturally needed warmth. Both sides of the pen were enclosed, with even the entrance half-blocked, leaving only enough space to pass through.
The calf lay in the thick pile of hay and only stood up when Shen Xuanqing came in with more. Warm breath puffed from its nostrils as it walked over.
Seeing that the usual water trough had frozen, Shen Xuanqing carried an empty bucket to the front hall and scooped boiled water from the earthen pot. He mixed it with cold water to make it lukewarm, then tossed in a handful of ground bean powder and two large handfuls of bran. After stirring, he carried it back to the cattle pen and poured it in.
Though the calf hadn’t yet started working in the fields, a block of rock salt sat on the trough—something Shen Xuanqing had bought earlier. The calf was clever and would sometimes lick it on its own, making it much easier to raise than cattle that refused to touch salt bricks.
Meanwhile, Lu Gu and Wei Lanxiang finished feeding the rabbits, then chopped hay and napa cabbage leaves mixed with wheat chaff and bran for the chickens and ducks. The water they pecked at had also iced over, only melting after being doused with hot water.
Shen Yaoqing shoveled rabbit droppings into the far corner of the yard. The sheep and cattle dung was mostly mixed into the hay piles, which had been refreshed just yesterday, so there was no need to clean it today.
With the livestock fed, there was nothing else to do. The snow still fell, but the sky had brightened slightly.
Since no stove had been set up here, meals were taken at the old house. But it was still early, so Lu Gu and Shen Xuanqing didn’t head over yet. The weather was freezing, and the dogs wanted to warm themselves by the fire. If the two of them left, who would add firewood? Or what if something caught fire unnoticed? It was safer to stay. If the chickens, ducks, sheep, or cattle in the backyard made noise, they could check on them promptly.
Besides, Lu Gu had gradually moved his needlework here over the past few days. Sewing shoe soles or doing embroidery here was just the same.
After Wei Lanxiang and Shen Yaoqing left, the snow and wind grew heavier. Keeping the doors and windows tightly shut made the air stifling, so they left a small gap and lit a brazier by the window in the main room for warmth. Now all four dogs could claim a spot around the fire.
Before the snow, Lu Gu and his family had gathered plenty of firewood from the mountains. Shen Xuanqing and Shen Yaoqing had also gone chopping, stocking both houses’ firewood sheds well. On snowy days like this, burning firewood for warmth was pure comfort.
Flames leaped up, and two sections of dry bamboo in the brazier crackled as they burned.
Lu Gu rested for a while, his hands warming up. Feeling idle, he passed the warming pan on his lap to Shen Xuanqing and took an embroidery hoop from the sewing basket beside him.
Sitting by the window gave him better light, and with the fire’s glow, embroidering wouldn’t strain his eyes.
Compared to women and fulangs, men had little to do during the idle winter. With snow falling, hunting trips were impractical, leaving them stuck at home. Those who enjoyed drinking might grab a small jug and spend half a day with a few friends. The liquor brewed by Wu Shun’s family in the village wasn’t as good as the town’s winery, but it was cheaper.
But Shen Xuanqing had no desire to go out today. He sat beside Lu Gu, leaning against his fulang's leg as he warmed himself by the fire, chatting idly and occasionally admiring Lu Gu’s embroidery.
Now that things had improved, the Zhiyun Embroidery Workshop would buy Lu Gu’s handkerchiefs, four copper coins apiece, one copper coin more than if he hawked them on the streets. After returning from the prefectural city, Shen Xuanqing had negotiated with the workshop owner. The business needed to turn a profit, and with only a few seamstresses, they couldn’t produce much. Many fulangs like Lu Gu sold their embroidery piece by piece to the workshop.
Only after inspecting the goods did the owner agree. Lu Gu’s handkerchiefs were finely stitched and exquisitely embroidered, with colorful patterns and hues that were far from crude.
Shen Xuanqing had initially hoped for five copper coins each. Though he’d asked Luo Biao about handkerchief prices, buying and selling rates were bound to differ. To play it safe, he first consulted Shen Yutao, who kept accounts for several shops in town. Shen Yutao, though fond of cutting corners, still had some conscience. Having previously accepted favors, he helped inquire when Shen Xuanqing approached him.
Rural embroiderers’ handkerchiefs were bought cheaply—three copper coins at minimum, four at most, never five. So Shen Xuanqing had to relent. The owner, impressed by Lu Gu’s work, struck the deal. Now Lu Gu no longer had to peddle his wares on the streets, he could simply deliver finished handkerchiefs to the workshop.
“Is that a butterfly frolicking among peonies?” Shen Xuanqing had learned to recognize some embroidery patterns now, though he’d never had the patience for such things before.
“Yes.” Lu Gu’s needle wove in and out. The handkerchief’s designs were small, confined to the corners, making them quick to complete. This peony was tiny, and the butterfly even smaller.
Otherwise, he wouldn’t have sold them for just three copper coins before. Colored embroidery thread wasn’t cheap. He’d stitched a few with more elaborate floral designs, but those were for family use, selling them wouldn’t have been worth it.
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