Joyful Motherhood in a Rural Family

Chapter 26 - 26: 24: Sorrow of Parting

Unexpectedly, Zhang Yun pondered for a moment, then his eyes lit up: “Third Aunt, naturally this clear soup is the most delicious! It’s neither too salty nor greasy, so tasty!”

The three people next to them also nodded their heads in agreement.

“This soup?”

Liu Sisi was also quite surprised!

The soup was simply boiled with clear water and then cooked with vegetable leaves. She thought that in a time where there was a lack of fatty and meaty dishes, it shouldn’t be that popular, but she did not expect…

“Yes, this soup you made is indeed the most delicious.”

Di Yelei also spoke up, it seems that he also has a particular fondness for this clear soup.

“Mom, the food you made is the best. YingEr’s stomach is so full, give me a rub, mom.” Little Ying beside her leaned directly on Liu Sisi’s thigh, her face full of sleepiness.

Liu Sisi laughed and gently lifted YingEr: “Oh my, our YingEr is too full, huh? You need to rest now, rubbing your belly after you are full could hurt your stomach, what are we going to do then? Remember to eat less next time, understand?”

“I know, mom.”

YingEr squinted her eyes on Liu Sisi’s arm, rubbed her eyes, and let out a big yawn on her shoulder: ” Mom, YingEr is so sleepy.”

“Are you sleepy, YingEr? How about you wash your hands and face, and then we’ll take a nap together?” Liu Sisi, of course, was willing to spoil her four-year-old child.

“Okay, but YingEr doesn’t want to move, mom help YingEr wash.” YingEr agreed with her mouth, but her body was still sprawled on Liu Sisi’s thigh, showing no sign of moving at all.

On the other side, Zhang Yun was saying goodbye to Di Yelei.

“Third Uncle Di, if I go back too late, my parents will be worried. Third Aunt, I’m going home first.” After saying that, Zhang Yun turned and was about to leave.

“Wait a moment, Zhang Yun.”

Liu Sisi gently picked up YingEr, swiftly walked a few steps, picked up a small bowl that was being warmed on the stove, and put it into the basket hanging next to the stove. The bowl contained some eel fillets and dried shrimps, which she had intentionally left aside when she was cooking: “I’m not a great cook, take these dishes to your parents and let them give some suggestions.”

Zhang Yun quickly declined: “Third Aunt, there’s no need for these dishes, I have already eaten at your place, if I take more…”

“Don’t our Xuan’er and YingEr often eat at your place? Why so polite? Hurry up and take it! This dish is best eaten while hot, if it gets cold it will smell fishy, it won’t taste as good.” Liu Sisi didn’t wait for him to refuse, and firmly handed the basket to Zhang Yun.

Di Yelei on the side was very happy, he could tell that Liu Sisi genuinely prepared the food for Zhang Peng’s family: “Just take it if your Third Aunt gives it to you, hurry home and ask your dad if he’s going hunting with me tonight.”

Only then did Zhang Yun accept: “Okay, Third Uncle Di, I’ll go home and ask my dad right now.” After that, he quickly hurried away.

“You’re going hunting in the mountains again?” Liu Sisi instinctively asked.

“Yes, just take care of Xuan’er and YingEr at home, I’ll try to be back before it gets dark tomorrow, so we can sell it at the market the day after tomorrow.” As Di Yelei spoke, he walked over to the corner of the wall and picked up his bow and arrows.

“Mom, YingEr is so sleepy——” Di Ying, held in Liu Sisi’s arms, was so tired that she kept blinking, unable to keep her eyes open.

“I’ll take YingEr for a nap first.”

Without saying much, Liu Sisi washed Di Ying’s little hands and cheeks and carried her into the small room. She carefully placed her on the small bed and lay down next to her, gently patting YingEr’s back. She sang the lullaby to put her to sleep, but she was calculating everything in her heart.

Although Di Yelei’s hunting could earn money, as he said, the consumption power of the small town was limited. The county was too far away, and by the time you deduct travel expenses and time wasted, little would be left. Here, one egg only costs one copper coin. A thousand copper coins only make up one tael of silver. Compared to the modern price of one dollar for an egg, 20 taels of silver equals twenty-thousand dollars. It was indeed difficult to pay off the large sum of 20 taels of silver within half a year, especially for a family with little income!

However, there’s always a way out! When Di Yelei goes up the mountain, I will also go to the mountain to see if there’s anything that can be turned into money.

YingEr quickly fell into a deep sleep. Even in her dreams, she clung tightly to Liu Sisi’s clothes and wouldn’t let go. After some careful prodding, Liu Sisi managed to pull her clothes back.

She quietly left the room and closed the door. Seeing Di Yelei and teacher Di Xuan busy polishing their bows and arrows.

These bows and arrows were consumables. Before each hunt, Di Yelei would habitually recheck and adjust the bowstring, then take the feathered arrows out and polish them so they were bright and sharp. Father and son neither spoke, hearing Liu Sisi came out, they raised their heads and watched her, before burying their heads again and continued to polish the arrow tips on the grindstone.

Liu Sisi paid little attention to it and turned back to the kitchen. Seeing that the bowls and chopsticks had been cleaned up, she found a small hoe in the house, and then picked up the half-cut sweet potato sprouts and walked to the empty ground next to the house.

The big trees around the empty ground were still full of branches and leaves, forming a large area of shade where it was cool.

Liu Sisi began to dig the ground with the small hoe. The sweet potato sprouts were very easy to grow. The Di family did not raise any chickens or ducks, so it was easy to grow them in the courtyard. Whenever they wanted to eat, they could simply pick them. Furthermore, the sight of lush greenery offered a double benefit.

After a while, she turned the small area into a farmland and dug a hole to plant the sweet potato sprouts one by one.

By the time Liu Sisi had watered the few dozen sweet potato sprouts, a tall and big man came in from outside the house. He carried a domineering large bow and a quiver on his shoulder. He had a vegetable basket in his hand, which seemed a piercing flaw to his heroic image.

“Are you Third Sister-in-law? I am Zhang Peng. Is Yelei home?”

Liu Sisi stood up hurriedly, stepped out of the field, and said: “He is, he is busy sharpening his arrows. Brother Zhang, please come inside right away. It is hot outside.”

Zhang Peng replied bashfully, casually handing over the basket in his hand: “Third Sister-in-law, this is your basket. Honestly, your cooking skills are superb. My wife, Guihua, cannot stop praising your food. She said she will come and learn from you.”

“Oh, sister-in-law, you are really flattering me. As long as sister-in-law does not mind, she is welcome to come over anytime. I’m actually bored at home alone.”

Liu Sisi said laughingly while taking over the vegetable basket.

“Zhang Peng is here, just in time, I was about to go find you.”

Di Yelei from inside the house heard the conversation and rushed out. He also carried a large bow on his back, several dozens of feathered arrows were resting finely in the quiver.

“You are going to the mountain now? Not waiting until the sun sets?”

Liu Sisi walked over quickly, feeling a hint of reluctance in her heart for some reason as she looked at the man in front of her.

Di Yelei seemed slightly embarrassed: “Sisi, I…”

“Cough, Yelei, I’ll wait for you outside.” Zhang Peng, understanding that the two had something to say, hurriedly turned and left the courtyard.