“Mother, this is tea. Drink some to cool down.” Lu Gu took a bowl from the water jar, poured half a bowl, and handed it to her.
“Good, good.” After finishing the water in her bamboo tube, Wei Lanxiang didn’t refuse the warm tea.
As Shen Xuanqing's imposing figure drew near, Lu Gu's eyes crinkled into a warm smile as he asked... “Have you finished your water?”
Only then did Shen Xuanqing smile. “Yes. I wasn’t thirsty at first, but since it’s tea, I’ll have some.”
Lu Gu fetched a bowl from the food basket for him. Shen Xuanqing lifted the earthenware jar to pour water into the bowl. After finishing it, Lu Gu served him a bowl of rice.
“There’s more in the pot. We steamed plenty today. If this isn’t enough, I can go back for more,” Ji Qiuyue added.
Shen Yan, ravenous, was too busy eating to speak. Noticing her younger sister-in-law covered in mud, Ji Qiuyue wiped her face with a smile.
Ge Chunsheng and Li Laiqing also ate, mostly picking at the vegetables with occasional bites of meat. Their restraint - not greedily piling meat into their bowls, earned them respect.
Without tables or chairs at the field’s edge, everyone either squatted or sat directly on the ground. Their clothes were already dirty, a little more mud wouldn’t matter.
“Have you eaten?” Shen Xuanqing asked between mouthfuls.
Lu Gu smiled. “Not yet. I’ll eat with Sister-in-law later. We’ve saved portions.”
Shen Xuanqing gave a hum of acknowledgment and resumed eating. Like Shen Yan, he was famished.
Transplanting took two and a half days. Even though the third day only required a half-day’s work, meals still had to be properly prepared. Today, Ji Qiuyue and Lu Gu had rolled out dough and cooked a pot of noodle soup.
Though it was just cooking, varying the dishes made a difference. Putting thought into meals kept the family happy.
The warm, nourishing noodle soup filled their stomachs. They also stir-fried spring greens with the leftover chicken, and Lu Gu fished out some pickled water celery, cutting it into small sections.
Today, Lingjun refused to nap. Too young to understand adult exhaustion, he resisted being rocked to sleep in his cradle. Lu Gu had no choice but to carry him on his back while helping Ji Qiuyue. Fortunately, Zhao’er was behaving today, the spanking yesterday had taught him a lesson. Knowing the adults were busy, he no longer threw tantrums and instead played with mud in the yard. Getting dirty didn’t matter as long as he didn’t run off. Ji Qiuyue let him be, freeing her hands to cook without interference.
Since yesterday evening’s work left little unfinished, Shen Yaoqing and the other three could manage it themselves. Upon returning from the fields, they settled two days’ wages with Ge Chunsheng and Li Laiqing.
Today, they could finally eat at the table. Each of the six adults had a poached egg in their bowl. Lingjun, fussing and crying for a taste, was fed a little egg and noodles by Lu Gu.
Zhao’er, now quite adept at eating eggs, was given his own bowl by Ji Qiuyue, who transferred her entire poached egg into it. The little boy sat at the table, clutching the bowl and eating the egg with his hands. Since his clothes were already dirty, they didn’t bother with a bib, letting him make a mess.
“Two days ago, Uncle He and Auntie He returned from cutting grass and saw us struggling with the children, so they helped feed the livestock,” Ji Qiuyue said between bites. She picked up a spring green but paused before eating it. “They’re frail, so I didn’t let them carry water. If they strained themselves, it wouldn’t be worth it. Guzi and I managed just fine, why trouble them?”
“Mm, that’s wise,” Shen Yaoqing agreed with a nod. Seeing Zhao’er finish his wife’s egg, he transferred the remaining half of his own into her bowl.
He Zhi’s parents had only managed to gather one cart of grass in the past two days. Still, the thatched shed held plenty of dry fodder, which could be mixed in for the livestock.
Shen Xuanqing ate quickly. Noticing Lu Gu had to feed the child while eating, he set down his bowl, picked up Lingjun to soothe him, and fetched a rattle drum from the room to entertain him.
Only then could Lu Gu eat in peace.
Seeing Zhao’er finish his egg and dash back outside to play with mud, Ji Qiuyue said, “Never mind. Let him be. We’ll just change his clothes tonight.”
Shen Xuanqing carried Lingjun into the yard to keep an eye on Zhao’er, lest he hurt himself. Squatting down, he teased, “Make something for Second Uncle. Let’s see if you can.”
“Can!” Zhao’er, now able to understand, replied in his childish voice before grabbing a handful of mud to shape.
Shen Xuanqing noticed the family’s gourd ladle lying on the ground, filled with muddy water. With a chuckle, he thought: What a little rascal.
After the meal, the rest of the family was exhausted. With Shen Xuanqing watching the children, Lu Gu washed the dishes before stepping out.
“The sun’s strong at noon. I’ll boil water so you can change and wash your hair.” He pulled a chair beside Shen Xuanqing, gently shaking Lingjun's tiny hand to make him giggle.
They had eaten early today, noodles were cooked right after returning from the fields. It was barely past midmorning.
Shen Xuanqing grinned. “Boil plenty. I’m filthy with sweat, I’ll take a bath. See if Mother and the others want to wash up too.”
“Alright, I’ll ask.” Lu Gu smiled. Boiling water was easy, just sit by the stove.
Shen Yan came in from the yard, having changed out of her muddy shoes. She’d left them outside with the others’ so they wouldn’t be forgotten during washing.
Hearing about the hair wash, she said, “Brother Guzi, I’ll wash mine too. My hair’s full of mud. Luckily, I put a cloth over the pillow last night, so it didn’t get dirty.”
“Good. I’ll boil extra. Wash as much as you need,” Lu Gu agreed cheerfully.
He didn’t say it aloud, but he was delighted Shen Xuanqing had been home these past few days.
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