“What a good boy.”
Lu Yang praised him, then asked about the household—whether things were busy, how Auntie Chen’s health was. Shun’er spoke up, mentioning that not long ago he had bought new clothes and silver jewelry for his mother, and she had even gone out for a stroll; her old friends were full of envy.
As they chatted, they reached their destination.
From afar, Shun’er began calling for his mother. Chen Guizhi came out of the house, saw them arrive, called to Lu Liu, then came out to greet them.
Shun’er helped Lu Yang carry the luggage inside. Chen Guizhi supported Zhao Peilan as she got out and exchanged pleasantries with her.
Both women had lived difficult lives, but now they were mothers-in-law to the Lu brothers. The two sons-in-law had very different temperaments, and so did the women. Chen Guizhi was straightforward, Zhao Peilan easygoing. Together, the louder voice of Chen Guizhi naturally dominated the conversation.
Lu Liu waited in the main room. When Lu Yang entered, his eyes lit up. “Brother!”
Lu Yang rounded the corner and walked to him, noticing his large belly and red-rimmed eyes. Seeing that Lu Liu’s face bore no shadow of grievance, he guessed it wasn’t from suffering and asked, “Why are you crying? Are you uncomfortable anywhere?”
Lu Liu replied, “I’ve been waiting for you so long, I was getting anxious!”
He spoke with a hint of coquetry.
Lu Yang pinched his arm gently, guiding him to sit a little longer. “I’ll finish unpacking and come find you. This time I’ll stay a while, spend time with you properly.”
Winter made visiting relatives cumbersome—thick clothing, extra garments, personal items, small sundries—all packed into a large bundle. Remaining luggage included gifts for the household.
By mid-November, preparations for preserved meats could begin. Lu Yang had brought twenty jin of pork, along with pig stomach, trotters, brown sugar, and red dates.
At the year’s end, Lu Liu’s small shop sold dried goods like peanuts and sunflower seeds, which were more popular than last year. Villagers had some spare money and were willing to buy more snacks.
Many families were arranging marriages, so items like red dates, peanuts, longan, and lotus seeds were in demand; Li Feng had brought some to sell in the village as well.
Lu Liu didn’t lack red dates but eagerly took two from his brother’s bundle.
The shop was lively, many people sewing books chatted, as Miao Xiaohe had mentioned—home was a little noisy.
Lu Yang and Zhao Peilan’s room was in the back; from there, the laughter and chatter of the front room were faintly audible.
They stayed in Shun’er’s room. Lately, Shun’er had been sleeping with Lu Liu in the same room and was inseparable from him.
Chen Guizhi suggested that after a couple of days, once they were accustomed, Zhao Peilan could move in with her. When Li Feng and Xie Yan returned, the two couples could spread out. Shun’er, being a child, would stay in the same room with them. The kang was large, spacious enough to sleep comfortably.
Shun’er whispered to Lu Yang, “Let’s make the kang into a big shared bed.”
Lu Yang noted his childishness and thought it wise that he wasn’t yet thinking about marriage.
The room was tidy. Small items were placed on the table; clothes stored in the kang cabinet. They washed their hands, and Chen Guizhi said she would make dumplings for them.
With guests, she dismissed those in the small shop.
Zhao Peilan, new to the mountain village, was guided by Shun’er on a short walk nearby. She rarely went out at home and seldom spoke with others, so being in a strange place naturally made her uneasy.
Houses in the village were relatively sparse, each separated by some distance, giving a sense of seclusion. Looking back at the great mountain, her heart calmed.
She carried Weimeng along. The dog sniffed everything curiously—withered grass, soil, every patch of the road. Ahead lay a small vegetable garden and two households.
They walked as far as the garden, then returned to inspect the backyard, checking the chicken coop, rabbit hutch, and the big dog Erhuang and little dog Weifeng.
Erhuang reacted strongly, circling the chubby Weimeng, sniffing and glaring.
Shun’er explained, “Erhuang thinks he’s the boss. We have too many animals at home.”
Lu Yang looked at Weimeng and didn’t want him to think of Erhuang as his dad. He nodded, “Being the boss is fine.”
Shun’er snickered.
They had dumplings for lunch. Afterwards, Chen Guizhi and Shun’er took embroidery hoops to make clothes for the baby. Knowing Zhao Peilan was skilled, they asked her to teach some patterns. Lu Yang went inside to talk to his younger brother.
Lu Liu, due in December, was uncomfortable. He ate little before feeling full, then sleepy, then hungry again.
Lu Yang felt his belly, helped him sit on the kang, and sat beside him. “I was worried about you. You’re so thin—your legs like chopsticks—how could they support such a big belly? Now I see you’ve gained some weight, and I can finally rest easy.”
Lu Liu said he had only started gaining last month, changing daily. Even drinking water added weight.
“Mother says you were already a bit plump. Now it’s hard to walk, swollen; that’s why it’s noticeable.”
Lu Yang rolled up his pants and pressed on his ankles; each poke left a dent. “This is way too swollen.”
Lu Liu often felt itchy. Li Feng made him a scratching tool, but he could only reach his legs; his back was hard to scratch. When it was unbearable, he’d ask his mother or Shun’er for help.
Morning sickness had eased, but cramps occurred often. He had gained weight, and their mother made a chamber pot so he wouldn’t have to go outside.
“I don’t like the chamber pot,” Lu Liu admitted.
If both needs came at once, he had to hold himself, which was uncomfortable.
Lu Yang, having grown up using one, explained: “Put some ashes in it. Urine will be absorbed, waste collected on top—quiet and clean, even reduces odor.”
Lu Liu nodded. “I’ll tell mother later.”
Lu Yang also brought some hair ties for Lu Liu to choose from, “Pick what you like; the rest can be gifts. I see you’ve made friends in the village.”
Lu Liu looked them over. He usually made do with scraps as hair ties, which he could craft himself.
This year they had plenty of fabric; after making clothes and shoes, he used leftover strips to make buttons and two hair ties—nothing bought was fancy.
He selected some with golden threads catching the light.
Lu Yang looked at his hand and saw it was a gold bracelet. He laughed, “Da Feng bought this for you?”
Lu Liu blushed. “Yes, last time he came back. It’s so expensive, I’m afraid to touch it.”
Lu Yang encouraged him to get used to it. “There will be more gold and silver in the future—you’ll never run out to wear.”
Lu Liu’s eyes shone with anticipation. One day, their family would be truly prosperous.
He had finished a pair of tiger-head shoes with bells. He moved aside for Lu Yang to take them from the kang cabinet.
“Jiuge’er taught me recently. I thought small shoes would take just a few stitches, but these tiger-head shoes took me several days.”
There were also wool sleeping bags in the cabinet. Lu Yang had never seen them and examined them carefully.
Lu Liu said, “Two sleeping bags were just brought home; several families already asked. After my kids use them, they’ll buy them. I want to keep them—kids grow fast. Once they’re too big, the bags are still good. Mother says selling them brings luck. When Da Feng was little, newlyweds bought his sleeping bag to ‘catch’ a chubby boy. Hearing that, I want to keep them more. After my kids use them, I’ll send you some. You’ll have two strong children too.”
Lu Yang reached inside the sleeping bag; the wool was soft and warm, his hands heated quickly.
He regretted not knowing about these earlier; he could have made a large one for their scholar child. The academy didn’t heat kangs—he worried about children catching cold.
As for good luck and twins… Lu Yang felt genuinely nervous.
“I’m thinner than you. Don’t squash me if you’re carrying two babies!”
