The calf trotted out on its own as soon as the gate opened, heading straight for the back door, even playfully startling the dogs, who barked and wagged their tails in excitement.
Guaizi, initially fascinated by the pigs, raced ahead when he saw the group heading out, darting through the back door first.
The calf mostly grazed on its own unless it wandered toward the fields. Sometimes it butted heads playfully with Guaizi or drank from the river, now thawed. A few villagers had already let their ducks swim, but their family had waited, fearing the water was still too cold.
Sure enough, as they stepped out, Shen Yan spotted them and called, "Second Brother! Brother Guzi!" Guaizi sprinted like the wind, charging toward her with heroic vigor.
With nothing urgent to do, Lu Gu watched the calf graze while Shen Xuanqing squatted to dig greens. He walked over to Shen Yan and asked, "Why’d you come so far today?"
Shen Yan herded the ducks upstream with a bamboo pole, the current here was gentle enough for them. "Who knows? They ate and swam, and I just followed. Didn’t realize we’d gone so far."
While she herded, Da Bai trotted over to join the fun. Since she was alone and bored, and remembering Shen Xuanqing’s warnings, she’d brought Da Bai for company when leaving the back door.
She carried a half-full basket of wild vegetables. Lu Gu took it, spotting more nearby, and the two squatted to dig.
"Sister-in-law said to gather a basketful for steamed buns. Haven’t had them in ages," Shen Yan said, shaking dirt from a root.
The mention made Lu Gu’s mouth water. "Good, let’s get more then."
Remembering the piglets, he looked up, smiling. "Check the pen when we get back, we brought four piglets home."
"Really?" Shen Yan’s eyes lit up. Shen Xuanqing had mentioned raising pigs so they wouldn’t need to buy pork later. The thought thrilled her.
"Really, your second brother’s digging greens now," Lu Gu said, dropping wild vegetable into the basket, still smiling.
Xiao Huang, following Lu Gu, pawed at the basket and nipped at the wild vegetables. Meanwhile, Shen Yan, stuck herding ducks but clearly excited, channeled her energy into playfully ruffling Xiao Huang's round belly, giggling uncontrollably like a fool.
The dog loved attention, his tail wagging as Shen Yan rubbed his belly. Even Lu Gu couldn’t resist petting the plump little belly.
As the grass grew taller with each passing day and wild vegetables sprouted abundantly, it was clear that spring was bringing its own blessings.
Though selling rabbits earned money and the lamb had grown, hunting was his skill, and Shen Xuanqing couldn’t abandon it. With Lu Gu pregnant, they’d need more funds to prepare for the child.
Last year’s savings of 400 taels remained untouched. Lu Gu had 40 taels, 35 of which Shen Xuanqing had given him over the years. He’d never spent the silver ingots, using only smaller copper coins for daily needs. Now, he had hundreds of copper coins and over ten qian of loose silver.
Shen Xuanqing had some silver and copper coins left, which he had partially spent on New Year's goods. After splitting the rabbit profits with Shen Yaoqing, they had just enough for daily expenses.
Since Shen Xuanqing would only be gone five or six days (though hunting was unpredictable), Lu Gu packed eight days’ worth of rations, including peanuts for snacking.
Salted duck eggs were a practical choice for travel since they kept better than raw ones. Shen Xuanqing packed four, knowing they'd provide essential fat and salt for meals, especially since hunting was tiring and cooking might not always be an option.
"Eating dry rations daily isn’t good. I’ll pack cured meat, remember to stir-fry it with wild vegetables like shepherd’s purse or fiddleheads," Lu Gu said, wrapping a small piece in cloth.
"Just slice and fry it," he added.
Grinning, Shen Xuanqing, sharpening knives upfront, agreed, "Got it."
He’d leave at dawn. After checking the basket, Lu Gu realized there was no rice for thin rice porridge, so he added, "I’ll buy rice wine. If there’s no rice porridge, boil some wine to soothe your stomach."
Rice wine cooked fast - just boil water, add wine, and simmer.
He hurried out to buy it from a village brewer. Shen Xuanqing, still sharpening blades, called after him to take his time. Hunting tools needed to be razor-sharp for emergencies.
Wei Lanxiang, back from feeding the animals, checked the supplies, fretting over whether it was enough. When Lu Gu returned with rice wine, she praised his thoughtfulness, admitting she hadn’t considered it.
After triple-checking everything, Lu Gu finally relaxed. That night, they slept together in the new house. After months of winter idleness, the impending separation felt abrupt.
By early March, Lu Gu’s belly was slightly rounded. At night, Shen Xuanqing would gently touch it, careful not to press too hard. At first, Lu Gu was shy and refused, which made Shen Xuanqing sulk for days.
"Remember to move back to the old house tomorrow," Shen Xuanqing murmured, holding his fulang close. As night deepened, they finally drifted off.
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