Outside, the snowstorm continued. With nothing to do, Shen Xuanqing got up and fetched three sweet potatoes from the corner. Using a stick, he stirred the brazier’s embers and buried the potatoes beneath the ashes. After adding two more logs, the flames surged anew. Leaning back in his bamboo chair, hugging the heated brick, he looked utterly relaxed and content.
Guaizi whined softly, shifting his paws before settling again by the fire. He was bold, unafraid of the flames.
Seeing Lu Gu busy with embroidery, Shen Xuanqing didn’t disturb him much. Though they exchanged few words, the intimacy between them was unmatched.
Before long, he reached for Lu Gu’s hand. Despite the brazier, constant movement and distance had left it cooler than when he’d held tangpozi. “Take a break,” he said. “Warm up before continuing.”
“Alright.” Lu Gu didn’t refuse, taking back tangpozi to heat his hands. A hint of smile danced in his eyes. Since last winter, with thick clothes and tangpozi, his hands and feet had stayed free of chilblains.
Shen Xuanqing sat up straight, pulling Lu Gu’s hand closer. “At noon, we’ll stew pork ribs. Once the snow stops, if Meng Dayue slaughters another pig, we’ll buy some fatty meat to render lard. It’ll make stir-fries fragrant, and we can mix it into rice.”
“Speaking of which, we ought to raise a few pigs ourselves. There’s plenty of empty space in the backyard. Since it’s winter and work’s slow, I’ll build a pigpen with Brother one of these days. By next winter, we can slaughter them, no more worries about pork, and we can even sell some for money.”
Raising pigs was a significant matter. Lu Gu’s heart swelled with joy, his eyes brightening. With this, their family would have every kind of livestock. Delighted, he didn’t even mind Shen Xuanqing playing with his fingers.
Shen Xuanqing, taking full advantage, found his fulang's hand soft and warm, stirring a restless itch in his heart, one he didn’t know how to soothe. Smiling, he added, “But pigs eat a lot. Foraging for greens is another chore. Still, we can hire He Zhi. You and Mother won’t have to toil as hard.”
“Once spring comes, the grass grows tall. Cutting it won’t be hard. Mother, Shen Yan, and I can manage.” Lu Gu tried to pull his hand back, but Shen Xuanqing held fast.
Shen Xuanqing knew he worried about overspending. “Sheep, cattle, chickens, ducks, rabbits, and now pigs—all need grass. The three of you could gather enough, but with fieldwork sometimes added in, it’d be too exhausting.”
Lu Gu fell silent, frowning slightly as he weighed the pros and cons. To him, every family had to work hard. Though tiring, earning money brought joy. They’d hired He Zhi and Dong ger earlier to stockpile winter hay, spending money had been inevitable then.
Seeing this, Shen Xuanqing chuckled. “Times have changed. We found you an embroidery workshop. Two cartloads of grass cost three coppers, but one handkerchief earns four. If you skip grass-cutting and embroider two a day, that’s five coppers profit.”
This struck Lu Gu like a revelation, leaving him momentarily dazed.
Village women and fulangs did embroidery and knotwork in their spare time, after other chores. Having grown used to this, Lu Gu had naturally assumed the same.
Shen Xuanqing pressed on. “I say, from now on, you needn’t cut grass. Focus on embroidery and tending the chickens and ducks. The eggs alone bring in eight or ten copper coins daily, that’s what really matters. Hiring someone for grass is nothing.”
“Don’t you agree?”
“Yes, yes.” Caught off guard, Lu Gu quickly assented. He felt uneasy about skipping labor, but Shen Xuanqing’s logic seemed solid.
Amused by his dazed look, Shen Xuanqing smiled.
He wasn’t forbidding Lu Gu from working, with so much livestock, chores were inevitable. But now that they had money, and since Lu Gu enjoyed embroidery—which also earned income, he might as well focus on it. In the future, they’d hire help for grass-cutting and fieldwork. Lu Gu’s constitution had always been weak, there was no need to overexert himself.
Besides, gaining a little weight would make pregnancy easier, wouldn’t it?
Lu Gu trusted Shen Xuanqing implicitly. With the matter settled, his frown smoothed away. His hands now warm, he tried to withdraw them to resume work, only for Shen Xuanqing to tighten his grip, even nipping his fingertip with a sharp canine, gently grazing the pad.
The intimate gesture sent Lu Gu’s heart racing. Thankfully, they were alone.
Shen Xuanqing, oblivious, found the nibble eased the restless itch in his chest somewhat.
As the sky brightened, the snow and wind abated slightly. By late morning, the two locked the courtyard gate and headed to the old house—otherwise, Wei Lanxiang would brave the snow to summon them for lunch.
The stewed pork ribs were delicious, the pot simmering on the clay stove for over an hour.
The rich aroma was irresistible. In such heavy snow, cold and hunger came easily. So even before mealtime, the family gathered around the stove, bowls in hand, fishing out ribs and cabbage leaves from the broth.
Though lacking chili, the hearty, savory soup warmed them from within, banishing fear of the icy storm outside.
After eating, Lu Gu skipped cooking but not cleanup, heading to the kitchen to wash dishes. Outside, Shen Yaoqing swept snow with a long broom, clearing a path before it grew too deep to manage.
As Lu Gu scrubbed away at the dishes, Lu Gu assumed Shen Xuanqing was resting indoors. But before long, just as he set the dishes aside, faint puppy yips reached him. Stepping out, he saw Shen Xuanqing braving the snow, returning from Lin Jinhu’s house with two plump, round, earth-yellow puppies cradled in his arms.
Shen Xuanqing held one in each arm, the pups occasionally kicking their legs midair, whimpering cutely. At the sight, Lu Gu’s lips curved into a delighted smile.
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