This time, Lu Liu didn’t go along.
They needed to carry goods in the cart—freshly harvested mountain produce from home, plus a sheep and five pheasants Wang Meng had hunted. Once they reached Lujiatun, they’d also pick up Father.
Both fathers might be heading to the county seat. Since they rarely ventured out, and his brother lived in the county and couldn’t visit home often, it was a good chance to see them.
Father could oversee the chick catching, and Li Feng knew how to do it too. He wouldn’t need to take up a spot.
He told Li Feng, ” “Keep an eye on the date. I won’t be going this time. When you see my brother, check if his complexion has improved. If Brother Fu is there, ask him what the doctor said. I’m worried about him.”
Lu Yang’s complexion was indeed poor, and Li Feng agreed.
Not long after the three of them left the village, Lu Liu busied herself sorting seasonal clothing.
Having never worked with leather before, he’d only learned to make small items like gloves and hats after marrying into the Li village. Now that Li Feng couldn’t wear his large leather coat anymore, he suggested washing it.
It was Chen Guizhi who told him not to wash it: “It’ll shrink if you wash it. Just air it out. Rub any dirty spots clean.”
Lu Liu felt a chill of relief. Thankfully, when he’d stored them last year, thinking Li Feng would wear them soon, he’d only rubbed them with snowflakes. If he’d rinsed them, those garments would have been ruined. At least Li Feng wouldn’t have been able to wear them.
He chased after Chen Guizhi, showering her with praise.
This minor detail became a huge celebration in his eyes.
Chen Guizhi had only mentioned it casually, yet he praised her for a full quarter of an hour, until she couldn’t suppress the smile at the corners of her mouth.
“Alright, alright. Go back to your work.”
Lu Liu responded and returned to the room to continue tidying.
Shun Ge’er edged closer to Chen Guizhi and whispered, ” “Mom, I don’t think Big Sister-in-law is like a firecracker. If she is, she’s a dud. I think she’s pretty great.”
Chen Guizhi knew.
This was a genuine dud.
She asked Shun: “Have you tidied your room? Are you still waiting for your sister-in-law to help you?”
Li Feng gathered firewood and hauled it over to Lu Yang, clearing out half the room.
After frying some sauce and cooking a bit, they moved the remaining firewood to the small shop for now, freeing up the back room.
With the weather warming up, the stove wasn’t needed anymore. Shun Ge could move in and sleep by himself now.
Shun was diligent when working, but he liked to procrastinate before getting started.
When it came to non-urgent tasks like tidying rooms, he wouldn’t roll up his sleeves and dive right in.
He grinned, “Mom, I just want to sleep in the same room as you.”
Chen Guizhi refused to share a room with him: “I can’t even hide my secret stash of money comfortably.”
Shun: “…”
He didn’t know how to respond, but since his mother had been so blunt, he decided to pack his things and move into the small room. He had his own secret stash too!
That day, the family spent their time tidying up the house.
Before summer arrived, they still needed to wear quilted jackets, but Lu Liu didn’t have one. Chen’s family had given Lu Yang a meager dowry—thin garments were available, but thick clothes amounted to only the set he wore. Li Feng stripped off his padded jackets, all thick and sturdy. Seeing the weather warming, Lu Liu had no choice but to unravel his own padded jackets to sew a thin quilted jacket.
Chen Guizhi noticed her working on the quilted jacket and said, “Keep two sets of your cotton jackets. Later, take apart another thin one and pack the cotton more tightly. It’s colder down the mountain than out here. Mornings and evenings are chilly. You get hot working, but sitting still makes you cold. Season changes are when you’re most likely to get sick.”
Using the cotton from two coats for the quilted jacket left some leftover.
She set the extra aside to save up. Seeing Lu Liu’s cotton pants weren’t thick either, she planned to unravel the remaining two coats and alter them once it warmed up completely and the winter coats became too heavy.
Lu Liu was petite. Though Old Man Chen wasn’t tall either, he was at least a man. His cotton coat was too big for Lu Liu. Altering it to fit snugly would keep the wind out. She’d take out some more cotton batting. Next time she got silver from selling soy sauce, she’d buy a few yards of fabric nearby in the county seat and have him make a sturdy pair of cotton pants first.
If the sauce sold well, they could buy more fabric.
The old clothes from Chen’s family’s dowry were truly shabby.
Even wearing them in the village made them look poor and tacky.
Lu Liu listened, tears welling in her eyes. “Thank you, Mother. You’re so kind. I never thought of that.”
After the New Year passed, everyone grew busy, and fewer people came over to chat. The house had moments of quiet.
Chen Guizhi, finding herself free, joined him in carding cotton.
She told Lu Liu, “Now that we don’t farm the land, we have to keep our hands busy. Others have busy and idle seasons, but we must be ready all year round. Whenever you have free time, divide your tasks and work on them together. Save them up and set them aside. When the household gets busy, you won’t have time for your own affairs, and everything will fall into disarray.”
With everything settled at home, Li Feng, Wang Meng, and Da Qiang headed outside Lujiatun Village. They called on both fathers to join them for the trip to the county seat.
The carts were loaded with goods, making the ride a bit cramped. They made do on the way there, knowing the return trip would be more spacious.
The two fathers glanced at the roadside and suggested sending just one. Li Feng insisted they both stay.
His words were simple: “The shop is busy, and he’s not feeling well. Go talk some sense into him.”
The two fathers didn’t argue.
Daqiang, sitting next to Wang Meng, whispered, “Who is it?”
Wang Meng replied, “Lu Fulang’s older brother.”
Speaking of Lu Yang, he gave him a thumbs-up. “That guy’s got a sharp mind. Everything he says is about making money. He’s got drive.”
Daqiang’s thoughts turned sharp too. “Do you think selling the sauce could work?”
Yao’an had told him about it at home. In the past, if someone asked him to partner up, he’d give it a shot. He wouldn’t lose much silver—at worst, it’d be a few months of unpaid labor.
But he’d been hunting in the same beehive-filled territory for three straight years. He’d been working for free for ages, living off his savings. His parents were being drained dry by him. He couldn’t bring himself to join the partnership just yet.
Wang Meng thought it could work: “The profit margin’s a bit thin, but I don’t mind. It’ll give my husband something to do. That mouth of his is just as unwelcome as yours.”
Wang Meng thought it could work: “Sure, the profit margin’s thin. I don’t mind. It’ll give my husband something to do. That mouth of his? Just as unlikable as yours.”
“If he’s busy, he won’t have time to stir up trouble.”
Daqiang bristled: “Why drag my husband into this? I’m not the one cursing people out in public.”
Wang Meng retorted, “When did he curse anyone? Speaking bluntly doesn’t count as cursing!”
Dàqiáng glanced at Lǐfēng, his voice dropping lower. “You don’t know about him cursing Lù Fūlang?”
Wang Meng genuinely didn’t know.
He froze, “Huh?”
Daqiang sneered: “Let me tell you, when it comes to foul mouths, I can’t hold a candle to your husband.”
Wang Meng refused to listen: “Who do you think you are, comparing your foul mouth to my husband’s? Do you think I’ll beat you up?”
Daqiang laughed: “Scared of you? Even if you beat me up, it’d still be his foul mouth.”
They bickered all the way, their voices rising until they were nearly shouting.
Li Feng bellowed, “What the hell are you two doing?!”
Wang Meng fell silent.
It was a habit ingrained over years—team up with Li Feng for mountain treks, and obedience was paramount.
After hearing it, he thought it over and realized they weren’t on the mountain anymore. He told Li Feng, “He called my husband names.”
Dàqiáng protested vehemently, “His husband has a foul mouth! I was just telling the truth. He accused me of cursing, but what did I even say?”
Chenjiu was Li Feng’s cousin and a young man. Now married, with both her husband and brother present, Daqiang’s remark about foul mouths was unbearable to Li Feng.
“Foul mouth? He’s no real man! Your words are utterly offensive.”
Daqiang: “…”
These days, telling the truth only gets you cursed. The whole bunch had foul mouths.
As they walked along, Lu Erbao and Wang Fengnian dared not mention the child’s affairs. They listened to the quarrel for a while but couldn’t grasp the connection. After a moment, they finally brought up their own family matters with Li Feng.
They called Lu Yang the eldest brother, and when addressing children, they usually used their birth order. For instance, when Chen Guizhi called out to Li Feng, she’d also use the term “oldest.”
Wang Fengnian said, “My eldest found a money-making job for his uncle’s family—having them roast flour to sell. His uncle couldn’t leave us two behind, so we’ve been roasting flour these past few days too. They say they need two hundred pounds, and it has to be delivered before mid-month.”
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