Chapter 186
It had been overcast for several days in a row. Though it hadn’t snowed, the north wind blew fiercely. At noon today, the sun finally came out, and the wind died down. Taking advantage of the bright sunlight, Lu Gu coaxed Little Lingjun to sleep and came out to bask in the sun while making a pair of thick shoes for Shen Xuanqing.
Shen Xuanqing had big feet, so just the soles of these shoes required more layers of cloth scraps than those for the rest of the family. He often traveled, either going up the mountain or to town, so making several pairs of winter shoes was necessary. Since they dried poorly in the cold, having spares was essential.
Winter was a slack farming season, so there wasn’t much work to do. Shen Yan sat beside him embroidering handkerchiefs. Her floral patterns had improved, and she had even sold five of them a couple of days ago.
Unlike Lu Gu, she hadn’t been holding a needle since childhood. A few of her earlier attempts hadn’t turned out well, so she kept them for family use. Now that Lu Gu had no free time for needlework, he gave her the embroidery threads and plain silk handkerchiefs. Even if they didn’t sell, at least a few new handkerchiefs had to be made for the family to use during the New Year.
Country folk couldn’t afford new clothes for the New Year, so they settled for new shoes. Those with a few copper coins to spare might also buy a new handkerchief to add a bit of festive cheer. Their family had no trouble buying new clothes, but new handkerchiefs couldn’t be overlooked either.
The two of them chatted idly as they worked - sometimes about Third Ahma’s steamed date cakes, which they’d fetch later, and other times about digging for winter bamboo shoots, since fresh vegetables became scarce once late autumn arrived.
After a while, Lu Gu got up and checked the room. Little Lingjun was still asleep, his cheeks rosy, clearly not cold. The quilt covering him was thick, and tangpozi kept the bedding warm, ensuring the child wouldn’t freeze despite wearing little while sleeping.
The sunshine was warm. Ji Qiuyue returned from the bew house with Zhao’er in her arms. The plump, fair child was well-liked, and along the way, various ahma (shuang'er) and aunties had teased and played with him. Country folk ate simple, mostly lean meals, so even chubby babies weren’t usually this plump. A child like Zhao’er, with his obvious good fortune, was especially adored by the elderly.
“Little Ahma and Auntie are both here,” she said cheerfully to Zhao’er as they entered, instantly livening up the house.
Lu Gu, who had just stepped out, smiled and mentioned washing a milk fruit for Lingjun to eat upon waking. Seeing Zhao’er reaching for him, he took the child and planted a kiss on his chubby cheek.
Having carried her son all the way back, Ji Qiuyue pulled over a stool and sat down, laughing. “You hold him awhile, my arms need a rest. He’s so heavy!”
The three of them played with the child for a while. Lu Gu sat Zhao’er on his lap and said, “Sister-in-law, could you wash a milk fruit? Lingjun will want it when he wakes up.”
“Sure.” Ji Qiuyue got up to fetch the milk fruit.
Just then, Guaizi came running in from outside, followed by Shen Xuanqing and Luo Biao. Early that morning, Shen Xuanqing had hitched the mule cart to deliver rabbits, chickens, and ducks to Fenggu Town. Unexpectedly, Luo Biao had returned with him.
Since last year, Luo Biao had taken to dropping by for meals and drinks whenever he had free time. The Shen family was used to it - just an extra pair of chopsticks.
“Sister-in-law.” Luo Biao was never shy. Last time, he’d even brought a rattle-drum for Lingjun. Having visited often, he was quite familiar with the Shen family.
Shen Xuanqing carried a small table into the yard and said, “Biao’s staying the night. We’re heading up the mountain to hunt at dawn tomorrow.”
Hearing this, Ji Qiuyue spoke up. “Alright, he can sleep over there. I’ll get the bed ready later.”
“In that case, many thanks, sister-in-law.” Luo Biao was close with Shen Xuanqing and Shen Yaoqing, visiting often. He hadn’t even missed Lingjun’s full-month celebration.
But due to social boundaries, his interactions with Ji Qiuyue, Lu Gu, and Shen Yan remained somewhat distant and polite. As an outsider, it wasn’t proper for him to chat too much with the women and fulang. Wei Lanxiang, however, being older, had fewer reservations.
Shen Xuanqing poured tea and sat down to chat with Luo Biao. After delivering rabbits to the brothel, he’d run into Luo Biao, who mentioned having free time these days. With the good weather, he wanted to go hunting for fun. Since the mule cart was handy, Shen Xuanqing had brought him back, planning to head up the mountain early the next morning.
Winter hunting wasn’t unusual. Shen Xuanqing had been planning a trip anyway.
These days, he no longer spent most of the month away from home. The mule cart made it convenient to deliver livestock to town, so he no longer needed to seek Luo Biao out for updates on the Li and Lu families. What had once been a looming threat was now just idle chatter. He’d long since learned that Li Mingshan’s illness remained uncured, while Lu Wen had given birth to a shuang’er. The Luo family’s eldest daughter, however, had given birth to a son.
Though the Li family now had an heir, Li Mingshan’s venereal disease persisted. Old Madam Li, who doted on her only son, spared no effort in seeking treatments for him.
Bedridden and frail, Li Mingshan could no longer shield Lu Wen, who had never been well-liked by the Li family. Without that backing, Lu Wen’s life lost its former glamour.
Old Madam Li despised the Lu family. If not for Lu Wen, the marriage alliance with the Luo family wouldn’t have required so much maneuvering. She’d had to appease the Luo family with sweet talk and concessions to secure their silk-merchant daughter as a bride. Though Lu Wen had given birth to a child for the Li family, ensuring their family’s continuation, she knew—if Li Mingshan’s illness remained untreated, not only he wouldn't have more children, but he’d be unable to even perform in bed.
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