Before dinner, Zhao Ying had already set up hot water for bathing.
So, after they finished their meal, she took Xiao Bao for a quick stroll, holding his hand.
Then, she bathed him thoroughly from head to toe and dressed him in a brand-new outfit that had just been completed.
“Wow!
I’ve never seen clothes like this before, Mother!” Xiao Bao exclaimed happily, thrilled to be wearing something new.
“Do you like it?” Zhao Ying asked.
“I like it a lot!” he replied eagerly.
“This outfit was made for you by your grandmother.
Now, let me fix the collar for you, and then go thank her, alright?” Zhao Ying said as she adjusted his shirt.
“Yes, I’ll go thank Grandma right away!” Xiao Bao replied, then ran off enthusiastically to Madam Zhang’s room.
Zhao Ying didn’t follow him but simply watched as he dashed off, followed by sounds of laughter from the other room.
Leaning against the doorframe of her own bedroom, she smiled, watching her son run to his grandparents’ room.
He looked so clean and adorable; she realized she was starting to fall in love with him a bit more each day.
If anyone from the village had seen her standing there smiling like this, they would’ve thought they’d seen a ghost.
The perpetually grumpy “chubby girl,” who always looked like someone owed her money, smiling absently like this?
The sun must be rising from the west!
The next day, Madam Zhang continued busying herself with sewing clothes for everyone in the family.
Meanwhile, Zhao Ying went into the kitchen to prepare deer blood broth for everyone to boost their health.
She then sliced the venison into strips, seasoning half with salt and a blend of spices, and the other half with added chili and Sichuan peppercorn for a hot, numbing flavor.
She let the meat marinate for about an hour.
While waiting, Zhao Ying crossed the stream to cut two medium-sized bamboo stalks.
She used one to make strings to thread the meat in bunches and split the other in half to create a rack for hanging the meat under the eaves to dry.
This drying method would result in a crunchy outer layer while keeping the inside tender—less tough and chewy than if dried directly under the sun.
After they finished lunch, it was time to start threading the meat onto the bamboo strings.
Madam Zhang and Father Lu joined in to help.
Father Lu’s leg had now completely healed, as the injury hadn’t reached the bone.
The outer flesh had healed, though it still bore an unsightly red scar.
With no proper stitching or hygiene practices of the time, it had taken longer to heal, leaving a lasting mark as a reminder of his injury.
Once the meat-drying process was done, Father Lu had time to go cut more bamboo by the stream to continue building the fence around the house.
Tang De, who had been hired to dig the well, estimated that the job would take about three days.
Since the Lu family home was located at the base of a mountain, they didn’t need to dig very deep to find water, and the well would have water nearly all year round.
Seeing Father Lu laying out bamboo in the courtyard, Tang De asked him what he intended to do.
Father Lu explained his plan to build a fence around the house.
Tang De, who had two sons, both strong and sturdy like himself, thought this would be a good opportunity for his younger son to gain experience.
His eldest son was already married and had inherited Tang De’s skills, taking on well-digging and masonry jobs independently.
His younger son, who was still unmarried at seventeen, was currently training under Tang De to gain more experience so he’d be able to support a family in the future.
Tang De offered to have his son help with the fence for a small daily wage of fifteen wen, adding that his nephew was also available to help.
Zhao Ying overheard this and went to discuss the offer with Madam Zhang, encouraging her to accept so the job would be completed faster.
“Mother, did you hear what Uncle Tang De offered?” Zhao Ying asked.
“Yes, I heard it.
Why?” Madam Zhang replied, puzzled.
“You should go and accept on Father’s behalf, so the job can be done quickly and without Father overexerting himself.
If you don’t agree, Father will end up trying to do everything himself.”
“You’re absolutely right.
Your father would never agree to hire anyone himself.
I’ll go talk to them,” Madam Zhang agreed, then added, “If they do a good job, we can give them a bit extra when we pay.”
“Yes, that sounds fair,” Madam Zhang nodded, then headed over to discuss the details with Father Lu and Tang De.
Tang De waved off the offer for extra pay.
“Oh, no need to pay more!
It’s light work, and it’s good for the boys to gain some experience,” he said.
“But if they do quality work, a little extra is only fair.
Besides, we’d like to provide a morning meal for them.
Please don’t refuse,” Madam Zhang insisted.
This idea of providing a meal came from Zhao Ying, who suggested that they could show their appreciation with food without overpaying.
By offering hospitality, the workers would feel welcomed and motivated to do their best.
Seeing Tang De’s pleased reaction, Madam Zhang felt confident Zhao Ying’s idea was the right approach.
“Haha!
Alright, alright, if you’re so kind as to offer, then I won’t refuse!” Tang De laughed, finally agreeing.
The next morning, Madam Zhang and Zhao Ying prepared vegetable-stuffed steamed buns and a rich venison bone broth for Tang De’s sons and nephew, who were named Tang Huai’an and Tang Yifen.
They also offered the breakfast to the well-diggers working on the water source.
The hearty buns and flavorful bone broth, with plenty of meat left on the bones, earned them praise from everyone.
Tang De’s family accepted the Lu household’s hospitality gratefully, pledging to do an excellent job in hopes of future work with the Lu family.
For many villagers, meat was a rare treat only enjoyed on New Year’s, so to have it during an ordinary workday was a real delight.
The addition of two more hands allowed the fencing project to be completed in just two days, leaving only the front gate.
They planned to finish it with sturdy hardwood posts and doors, which took another two days to finish completely.
The well was almost ready to use, only needing the surrounding brickwork to dry.
To celebrate the completion of both the fence and the well, Zhao Ying prepared another grand meal.
This time, she managed to catch several large grass carp, each weighing around four or five jin (roughly 2.5-3 kg), along with several mud carp and plenty of freshwater shrimp.
She also gathered wild greens, purchased some napa cabbage and leafy greens from villagers, and included pork ribs.
Altogether, it was a feast fit for the New Year.
For the meal, Zhao Ying began with the mud carp, carefully cleaning and scoring it with fine cuts to avoid bones—though they were soft enough not to be troublesome.
She fried the fish in plenty of oil until it was golden and crispy, then added scallions, coriander roots, ginger, Sichuan pepper, soy sauce, and seasoning powder.
After skimming off some of the oil, she added water and a splash of yellow rice wine.
As the broth boiled, she mashed the fish gently to dissolve it into a rich, white broth, which was then strained through a fine cloth to remove any remaining particles, leaving a creamy fish soup without any fishy smell.
Once the broth was reheated, she added thinly sliced grass carp fillets, scallions, and yuxingcao (fish mint), which has properties to support the kidneys and lungs and helps with respiratory health.
She set aside a small portion for the children and then enhanced the adult servings with Sichuan pepper and chili oil for extra heat and flavor, adding a spoonful of red chili oil on top of each bowl to give a rich aroma and mouthwatering appearance.
For the pork ribs, Zhao Ying cut them into bite-sized pieces and stir-fried them with garlic until fragrant.
When the meat browned, she added napa cabbage, creating a mild dish that paired well with the rich fish soup.
The freshwater shrimp, quite large, were peeled, chopped finely, and simmered with eggs, topped with a sprinkle of coriander and scallions for added freshness.
In addition to these dishes, Zhao Ying also served a pot of braised meat that she had prepared earlier.
Madam Zhang assisted as her apprentice, learning how to cook these dishes.
Zhao Ying intended to pass on the cooking responsibilities to Madam Zhang eventually so that she could focus on finding more ways to earn income for the family.