Outside, the wind grew even fiercer, howling like ghosts and wolves. Before the sky turned completely dark, Shen Xuanqing stood and said, “I’ll check the back.”
“Mm.” Lu Gu added two thin sticks of firewood to the clay stove to make the flames burn stronger, hoping to finish washing their feet quickly and get into bed to avoid cold limbs.
Snowflakes danced wildly in the icy wind, tonight would surely be freezing. Shen Xuanqing added straw to the livestock pens to keep them warm and prevent frostbite.
When he returned to the main room, Lu Gu had already lit the oil lamp. The dim yellow flame cast a faint glow, flickering as Shen Xuanqing opened the door and let in a cold draft. Lu Gu hurriedly shielded it with his hand.
After washing up, they closed the doors and windows properly before carrying the lamp into the bedroom. The tangpozi had already been placed in the bed, making it warm and cozy. Even if some spots weren’t fully heated, they wouldn’t feel unbearably cold.
Lu Gu pulled the quilt up to cover his mouth and nose after lying down. The cold night air made even breathing feel chilly, so this way was much warmer.
Shen Xuanqing, lying on the outer side, blew out the lamp. The quilt shifted as he burrowed under, and after settling into a comfortable position, he groped around in the darkness until he found his fulang's hand, playing with it for a while.
Sharing a bed meant they were close, making intimacy irresistible. Lu Gu’s smiling eyes were hidden in the dark, but he secretly enjoyed it when Shen Xuanqing gently kissed him a few times. Yet soon, the tenderness turned into something more fervent. However, under the cover of night, nothing could be seen.
____
Time passed quickly, and in the blink of an eye, it was the twelfth lunar month. The family had more chores than the previous year, but they also earned more money. Batch after batch of rabbits grew up and were delivered several times to the brothel and Yang Xian’s tavern in Jixing Town. Sometimes, when Shen Xuanqing was free, he either went hunting in the mountains or drove the mule cart to town to sell rabbits along the streets.
Brothels were different from taverns and eateries, only customers there to drink and flirt would eat inside. Ordinary people wouldn’t enter, so selling rabbits on the streets didn’t affect the brothel’s business, meaning they had little to worry about.
Lu Gu often made handkerchiefs and decorative knots. Sometimes the embroidery workshop bought many, sometimes fewer, but it didn’t matter - to him, earning even a few copper coins was better than nothing. Occasionally, he’d ride the mule cart with Shen Xuanqing to town and sell some along the streets. Now that they had a mule, traveling wasn’t as exhausting as before.
Once the twelfth month arrived, following theLaba Festival, nearly half the month had passed in a flash. Counting the days, the New Year was approaching. With little to do in winter, households in the village began preparing early.
Early in the morning, Wei Lanxiang took a basket of peanuts to the third uncle’s house and returned with red dates instead. Their family had planted three acres of peanuts, so if they wanted to make date cakes, they couldn’t just ask for dates empty-handed.
After breakfast, Lu Gu didn’t return to the new house but stayed in the kitchen to pit the dates one by one. Later, they’d boil them in a pot and mash them to make date cakes. He had mentioned wanting to eat them yesterday, so naturally, he had to put in some work today.
“Smells so good.” Shen Yan walked in, rolling up her sleeves. She picked up a date to eat - the red dates were fragrant, sweet, and soft, quite delicious.
Working alongside Lu Gu, she widened her almond eyes and said, “Brother Guzi, you weren’t here this morning, Brother Daqing said that come spring, we’ll dig up two date saplings from Third Uncle’s place and plant them at our house. In two or three years, we won’t need to ask Third Uncle for dates, we’ll have our own.”
Lu Gu smiled, his eyes brightening. “That’s wonderful. The yard there is big, planting two and tending them well will be perfect.”
“Exactly.” Shen Yan nodded in agreement, pleased that the family was accumulating more and more. Wouldn’t it be nice not to go hungry anymore?
Since the red dates were soft and sweet, they snacked on them while pitting, keeping both hands and mouths busy. Chatting about what the family would plant and grow, the two of them were in high spirits.
After pitting the dates, Shen Yan lit the fire while Lu Gu added water to the pot. Once the dates were boiling, Shen Yan tended the fire while he idly nibbled on a leftover steamed bun from lunch. It was cold but softer than the others.
“Still hungry?” Shen Yan asked curiously when she saw him eating again, it hadn’t been long since lunch.
Lu Gu’s cheeks were too full to speak, but his eyes curved with a smile. After swallowing, he said, “I was full, but moving around made me want to eat again. Maybe it’s the cold lately, I keep wanting to eat more, or my stomach doesn’t feel settled.”
Shen Yan nodded. Cold weather made people crave more food, she sometimes felt the same. Eating more kept the body warm.
As the twelfth month progressed, preparations for the New Year picked up. More villagers went to the market, and this being Lu Gu’s second New Year with the Shen family, he was naturally happy. Yet lately, his appetite had grown, sometimes he ate nearly as much as Shen Xuanqing, and he often craved meat. When he couldn’t get any, he grew restless. It wasn’t until Shen Xuanqing noticed his unease and asked that he admitted he was craving meat.
No one in the family thought much of it, and neither did Lu Gu. He assumed it was just gluttony and felt a little embarrassed. Fortunately, the family raised plenty of chickens, ducks, and rabbits - killing a few was no issue. Shen Xuanqing even bought ten pounds of pork and some bone-in cuts from Meng Dayue in the neighboring village, letting him eat to his heart’s content.
With the cold weather, no one in the family grew tired of eating meat every day, least of all Lu Gu. He’d even grown clever about it, returning to the old house early each day to cook himself, lest Wei Lanxiang sometimes prepare only vegetarian dishes.
With just ten days left until the New Year, Lu Gu took advantage of the sunny weather to strip the bedding and wash it, then called Shen Xuanqing to help him wring it dry in the yard. Water splashed noisily onto the ground, startling Guaizi and the puppies, who had been circling their feet, into scattering. The two of them laughed.
With Shen Xuanqing handling the livestock feeding and cleaning, Lu Gu tidied up and returned to the old house to cook. Noticing his recent meat cravings, Wei Lanxiang had caught on and was chopping duck in the kitchen.
“Mother, I’ll do it.” Lu Gu rolled up his sleeves and stepped forward, but as soon as he approached, the watery, fishy smell of duck meat hit him. Normally, he was used to it, but for some reason, his stomach suddenly churned with nausea, impossible to suppress.
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