CH 77

Zhulan took a piece of pork belly to stew with sauerkraut, two spare ribs, and a few backbones. The ribs were for children, and the spine was for the adults. Add the stuffed blood sausage, and it was a hearty pig slaughter meal.

Rong Chuan had also tidied up the courtyard, and there was no trace of pig blood to be seen. This child was meticulous in his work. Zhu Lan looked at Rong Chuan’s reddened hands from the cold and couldn’t help but feel uneasy. Their two sons were studying in the house, while this young one had never had a moment of leisure outside. Zhulan even sent Rong Chuan back to focus on his studies and not help with chores. However, Rong Chuan lacked confidence deep down. If it weren’t for Zhulan stopping him and emphasizing the importance of taking care of his health, Rong Chuan would have eagerly taken on all the household tasks.

Rong Chuan put away the broom, and rubbed his painful and itchy hands, “Shěnzi, I’m going back to study.” (1)

Based on her memory, Zhu Lan knew that frostbite was common in ancient times, and she didn’t want Rong Chuan to suffer unnecessarily. Unfortunately, she wasn’t a medical professional and was clueless about practical life skills. She didn’t even know a single home remedy. All she could do was keep it in mind and wait to go to the county town to find a traditional Chinese medicine practitioner and get some medicine for Rong Chuan.

Zhulan, “Okay.”

Rong Chuan went back to the house happily. He felt very happy now. No one was beating or scolding him. He had his own room, slept on a warm kang, wore warm clothes, and he could even read the book he had always dreamed about. It took him a long time to get used to it before he was sure it wasn’t a dream. And thinking about Xuehan again, his ears turned red.

Neighboring Aunt Zheng would often bring up Rong Chuan and Xuehan in conversations, whether there was a reason or not. Initially, the villagers didn’t believe the rumors about Rong Chuan being a foster child husband, but over time, they were gradually starting to believe it. Rong Chuan felt anxious at first, but as time went on and Uncle Zhou and Aunt Zhou never explained anything, he wasn’t a fool and began to understand somewhat. He dared not look at Xuehan but slowly started to pay attention to her. With a smile on his face, Rong Chuan continued to carry books on his back.

Zhulan’s family stewed a large pot of sauerkraut for lunch, but unfortunately, there was no vermicelli. In the end, Zhulan underestimated the Zhou family’s stomach and ate the whole pot of sauerkraut. She was afraid that the sauerkraut would not survive the New Year with this way of eating.

In the afternoon, she took another piece of meat and stewed it in a pot. This time it was even more fragrant with the steamed blood sausage.

The aroma of cooked meat filled Zhu Lan’s house every day. Occasionally, people passing by would catch a whiff of the enticing scent, and even children couldn’t resist peeking at the front door. Zhu Lan knew she had to be careful. Once she started treating everyone, it would be never-ending. Moreover, if too many children started coming to her house, the entire village would know what they were eating, and it would be seen as flaunting wealth in broad daylight.

Showing off one’s wealth was unacceptable, being low-key was the way to go.

Li shi returned to her mother’s house with the meat and soon came back. She did not come back empty-handed but brought back a catty of mutton.

Zhulan knew the price of mutton in ancient times. Because mutton nourished the body, it was several times costlier than pork. It costs twenty-five yuan a catty, and it was even more expensive in winter when the price reached nearly thirty yuan. “It’s too valuable, quickly send it back,” she said.

Li shi knew that her father had gone to the south of the Yangtze River with her father-in-law. And she also knew that all the kimchi at home had been transferred to the escort company. The cost of buying cabbage in her family was low, so just by selling the kimchi alone, her family earned ten taels of silver. Needless to say, her father went to Jiangnan to sell the recipe.

Moreover, Grandma said that she would receive twenty percent of the money from selling the prescriptions, and the whole family was grateful to her. In the past, her sǎozi didn’t like her when she went home. Since she gave the kimchi recipe last time, her sǎozi (2) had been very close to her, and this time she was even more fond of her. Looking at her, she had a straight waist in her natal family.

Knowing that she would have a sum of money coming into her hands and that her husband’s family had also helped her parents make money, Li Shi’s tone became more assertive. She confidently said, “What’s the big deal about being expensive? My parents have always helped me and my natal family. It’s only right for them to give you this little gift. If you ask me, even a pound is not presentable enough. We should start with at least ten pounds as a proper gift.”

Zhulan laughed, and looked at Li Shi’s stubbornness. Her tail was in the sky! (3)