Upon returning home, Lin Yuhe didn’t have a moment to rest. Carrying the mint she had transplanted with its roots and soil, she headed to the small vegetable garden in their backyard.
The garden wasn’t very large. The second crop of vegetables Mother Lin had planted had just sprouted, but what made Lin Yuhe happy was spotting several small cucumbers growing on the trellis, though they were still quite tiny.
Lin Yuhe planted the mint seedlings along the fence surrounding the garden. “Sister, I brought you water.”
Her younger brother Changan was the most observant. Seeing her bring a basket to the backyard, he knew she was going to plant something, so he even fetched water for watering.
Returning to the front yard, she told Mother Lin not to pull out what she had planted as if it were weeds.
“Grandma, I told Lin Tong to invite Third Uncle’s Wife and her family over for dinner tonight. When Father returns, have him go and call them,” she worried that Third Uncle’s Wife’s family might hesitate to come, thinking their household was too poor.
“Let them come! I originally planned to stir-fry some snail meat tonight and send them a bowl. Your Third Uncle’s Wife is easy to get along with. When you were sick, she specially brought you eggs, even though they couldn’t bear to eat them themselves.”
Grandma Lin was also a grateful person. With only these two brothers’ families in the Lin clan, it was important to maintain good relations.
She still hadn’t made the candy she promised Uncle Lin, so she needed to hurry.
“Grandma, which neighbor has a stone mortar we can borrow?” Lin Yuhe hadn’t seen one anywhere in their house.
“Your Third Uncle’s Wife’s family has one. Wait a moment.”
“Changping, Changan, both of you go to your Third Uncle’s Wife’s house and bring their stone mortar. Your sister needs it.”
Lin Yuhe wanted to ask if her two younger brothers, thin and small from not eating enough, could carry it and if they needed help. Before she could speak, the two brothers had already run out of the yard.
It must be said that the ancients were clever—they used ropes to drag it over.
With Mother Lin helping her tend the fire, the process began. This time, Mother Lin controlled the heat perfectly. Making sugar syrup required avoiding high heat; with just two or three pieces of firewood at the bottom of the stove, she maintained a slow, gentle simmer.
This batch was different from the last. As the peppermint syrup slowly thickened, a refreshingly cool minty aroma filled the air.
“Sister, what are you making? This smell alone makes me feel so energized.”
Lin Tong hadn’t dared to ask what Lin Yuhe was busy with in the kitchen, but upon smelling the aroma, he couldn’t help but speak up. One, two, three, four—along with Lin Tong from Third Uncle’s Wife’s family, four people crowded together at the kitchen door.
Lin Yuhe, closely monitoring the changes in the sugar syrup, didn’t respond to him. Seeing that the syrup was ready, she scooped it out with a large ladle and poured it into the candy molds prepared earlier. She set them aside to cool and solidify.
Only then did she address the group at the kitchen door. “What I’m making is called peppermint candy. Its benefit is that it refreshes and clears the mind. You all know the advantages of mint.”
She mainly thought that many men didn’t like eating candy, and this peppermint candy could actually fill that gap.
She brought out the candy molds Grandpa had made and placed them on a small table outside the kitchen, covering them with a cloth to let the candy ventilate and cool faster.
It was already past lunchtime when sounds came from outside the yard. Those who had gone out to work in the fields had returned, each bringing back some shell snails, more or less.
The observant Lin Tong noticed this but didn’t ask further. He had already seen the small half-basin of snail meat Grandma Lin had picked out, and now he saw the snails Great-Grandfather and the others had collected.
"What's our family making again? This smell is truly wonderful," Father Lin exclaimed as soon as he entered the courtyard.
"Shut your mouth, you fool. No one will think you're mute if you don't speak," Grandpa Lin, who entered alongside him, kicked his eldest son squarely on the backside, sending Lin Hai stumbling forward.
Did you forget yesterday's incident so quickly? Others have noses too—they can all smell it.
The kicked Father Lin patted the muddy footprint off his clothes, not angry at all, and even grinned widely. "Dad, you kicked me again. Can't you just talk properly?"
Lin Yuhe also ran up to Father Lin with concern. "Dad, are you okay?"
She had clearly seen Grandpa Lin's swift kick—it was no light tap, delivered with full force onto her father.
"Yuhe, your dad is fine. He's thick-skinned and tough—a kick won't hurt him," Grandma Lin, noticing her granddaughter's worry, shot a glance at Grandpa Lin.
Mother Lin hurried over as well. "Brother Hai, are you alright?" She reached out to help pat the mud off his clothes.
Seeing that her husband was truly unharmed, she switched into nagging mode. "You deserved that kick from Dad. Shouting as soon as you entered the courtyard, as if you're afraid others won't know what our family is up to."
Kicked and now nagged by his wife, Father Lin rubbed his head and chuckled sheepishly. "You're right. I didn't think much—it just slipped out."
Only after confirming Father Lin was truly fine did Lin Yuhe feel relieved. She brought a basin of water to Grandpa Lin. "Grandpa, you must be tired. Wash up quickly and sit down to rest."
Uncle Lin, already cleaned up, had long noticed the covered items on the small table in the courtyard. Without a word, he picked them up and carried them inside.
The formed peppermint candy left Lin Yuhe somewhat disappointed—it hadn't met her expectations.
Uncle Lin, however, was utterly amazed. The candy had a slightly yellowish tint rather than the pure green of mint leaves. Picking up an oval-shaped piece, he noticed tiny air bubbles inside.
Placing one in his mouth, a cool sensation immediately spread through his throat, clearing his mind slightly. It even felt as if his breath carried a refreshing chill.
"Uncle, what do you think? Can this candy be sold?"
"Yuhe, don't you realize how remarkable what you've made is? I've never seen candy like this before. I plan to sell it in the county town."
Uncle Lin still felt that such fine candy wouldn't fetch a good price if they sold it themselves, nor would they sell much. He had long considered supplying it to pastry shops in several nearby towns.
After a brief pause, Lin Yuhe said, "Uncle, let's wait a moment. There's something I want to discuss with all of you first. The candy matter isn't urgent. Once we're past this busy period, I'll go with you."
Everyone in the room sat on stools arranged in a circle. "Grandpa, Dad, did you enjoy the spicy stir-fried snail meat I made yesterday?"
Lin Yuhe looked at the heads of the household. Grandpa Lin picked up a bowl of water, took a sip to moisten his throat before speaking, hoping to appear more solemn.
"It was delicious, incredibly delicious—so good I could've swallowed my tongue. I saw more snails being gathered outside today. Are we having stir-fried snail meat again tonight, right?"
Before Grandpa Lin could speak, his son Lin Hai blurted it out. Grandpa Lin nearly choked on his tea. How could this son of his, grown as he is, still cut him off? Not beating him would be an injustice to public outrage.
Watching Grandpa Lin's face turn red from coughing, Lin Yuhe feared the hot-tempered old man might kick Father Lin flying. She even reached out to pull Father Lin back slightly.
"Look at you, a man of your age, and you still manage to choke on water," Grandma Lin came over to pat Grandpa Lin on the back, all while scolding him.
After the commotion, no one wanted to sit beside Grandpa Lin. What was wrong with this old man? The older he got, the worse his temper became.
"He girl, you heard what your father said. What do you plan to do?"