Chapter 23

After Bei Bei had finished washing up and put on new clothes, the little girl seemed like a completely different person, endlessly admiring herself. 

Except for being a bit thinner, the two little ones really were quite good-looking, their facial features very delicate.

Perhaps it was because it was the first time they were wearing new clothes, the joy on their faces was obvious, and Gu Qinghuan couldn’t help but feel a pang of sadness.

She carried in a basin of water and entered the east room, asking Da Bao to help Xu Huai’an wipe himself down.

Gu Qinghuan then began to prepare the rabbit meat.

The two wild chickens hadn’t died yet, so they could be kept for a while, but the rabbit had to be cooked tonight.

Originally, she planned to blanch the rabbit to remove the fur, but then remembered that the rabbit’s fur was quite good for warmth, and it would be a shame to ruin it.

The task of skinning the rabbit was truly a difficult one for her. In the end, while murmuring “Amitabha.” she clumsily managed to pull the skin off.

After that, the rest was easy. She put rice in a small iron pot to steam, cut the rabbit into pieces, marinated it, and prepared the side dishes so she could start cooking.

The two children couldn’t handle too much spice, so after thinking it over, she decided to make a braised rabbit, with potatoes and hazel mushrooms—fragrant, satisfying, and filling.

She first stir-fried the rabbit meat until slightly golden and set it aside.

In the same pan, she left some oil, added Sichuan peppercorns, star anise, chopped scallions, and ginger slices. Then, she added the pre-cooked rabbit meat, along with soy sauce, cooking wine, white sugar, and salt, stir-frying it all together.

She poured in a big bowl of spring water, brought it to a boil, adjusted the seasoning, added the hazel mushrooms, and simmered it for a while before adding the potato chunks.

She simmered it until the meat was tender and the potatoes soft and sticky. When there was only a little broth left in the pot, she turned up the heat to reduce the sauce, and the dish was ready to be served.

“Big Brother, can you smell that?”

“I smell it. Mom made rabbit meat.”

“Big Brother, you called Mom! You called her, and now you’re the traitor! You used to call me a traitor!”

“I felt like calling her now, is that a problem?” Da Bao huffed, turning his head away proudly.

“Big Brother, I feel like I’m dreaming. I’m wearing new clothes and new shoes, and Mom made this delicious-smelling food. I just wish this dream would never end.”

“I hope so too.” He wished he could never wake up.

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The two little ones were leaning against the window of the east room, whispering to each other, their mouths watering at the increasingly delicious scent wafting from the kitchen, almost as if they could taste it in the air.

Just as Gu Qinghuan was about to take the dish off the stove, she heard a knock at the door.

It was Lin Shengnan delivering firewood.

“Thank you, Comrade Gu.” Lin Shengnan said, handing over the axe.

An irresistible fragrance filled the air, and Lin Shengnan had a hard time swallowing his saliva. What was Gu Qinghuan making? It smelled so good. Just from the smell, he felt like he could devour two blackened steamed buns.

Gu Qinghuan didn’t say much. She took the axe, then started moving the firewood into the house.

Lin Shengnan, picking up on her silence, wisely left. If he stayed too long, he might not even get to eat any of those blackened buns when he returned.

The delicious meal was ready. Steamed rice paired with braised rabbit meat, with potatoes and hazel mushrooms soaked in savory meat juices, it was so fragrant that one couldn’t resist.

After these past few days of sparse meals, the two little ones were no longer afraid of going hungry. They ate whatever Gu Qinghuan gave them.

For this meal, Gu Qinghuan intentionally brought the food to the kang to eat together, marking the family’s first meal together.

While eating, she fed Xu Huai’an, and the children laughed and talked.

The cheerful atmosphere was meant to help him feel as relaxed and happy as possible.

Good food made people feel happy, and after they had eaten their fill, the three of them lay comfortably on the kang, feeling content.

“Da Bao, take your little sister and wash the bowls. I’m going out for a bit. While I’m gone, don’t go to the well by yourselves to fetch water; it’s too dangerous. Use the water in the jar to wash.”

“Okay, Mom.”

The two little ones could do some small tasks, and it was good for them too.

Dinner in the countryside was usually early, and it was still not fully dark when Gu Qinghuan, with money in hand, headed to the carpenter Liu’s house at the east end of the village.

They had just finished eating there as well, and Liu was busy in the courtyard.

“Uncle, Aunt, we’re missing a few practical pieces of furniture at home. Could you come take a look?” 

The Liu family lived by their craftsmanship, working for others in exchange for labor, and their life was going well.

“It’s the Xu family from Huai’an, huh? What do you need? Come take a look.” Aunt Liu, seeing the potential business, called out with a smile.

Good news doesn’t travel far, but bad news spreads quickly. In the village, there were no secrets. The news of Gu Qinghuan marrying Xu Huai’an, known as “The Madman.” had long since spread.

Aunt Liu led her into a large room.

Inside, various finished pieces of furniture made by Liu were neatly arranged: a five-dou cabinet, kang tables, a kang cupboard, a standing cabinet, and a dish cupboard, among others.

Gu Qinghuan had initially thought she would have to wait a while before she could use any furniture, but to her surprise, he had ready-made pieces, which was even better.

After thinking it over, Gu Qinghuan chose two kang cupboards, two kang tables, one dish cupboard, one dining table, and a large cabinet for storing grain.

The kang cupboards could hold clothes, blankets, and small items, one for the east room and one for the west room.

Kang tables were essential for the kang, so one was needed in each room.

Then there was the dish cupboard, to store some items for the kitchen.

On occasions when there were guests or when there were more people, the kang tables would be too crowded, so the dining table was necessary.

The large cabinet, with its spacious interior, would be perfect for storing grain.

Liu’s craftsmanship wasn’t particularly impressive; the furniture was all in its original wood color, simply polished smooth with no paint at all.

It could only be said that the furniture was functional. He usually made pieces for local families, nothing too fancy.

But his prices were reasonable, just earning some labor fees. In the end, he charged twenty coins.

Families who were a bit more particular about their wedding furniture would usually go to the county market for custom-made pieces. Gu Qinghuan wasn’t picky; as long as it worked, that was enough. At least unpainted furniture was environmentally friendly and healthy.

Aunt Liu, seeing Gu Qinghuan pay so readily, happily counted the money and called for her little daughter to bring a cup of brown sugar water for the guest.

Gu Qinghuan repeatedly waved her hand in refusal.

“Aunt, I won’t drink the water. It’s getting late, and I’m in a hurry to use these at home. Do you think you could help me get them over tonight?”

It was better to avoid unnecessary attention. Given how much furniture she had bought, it would likely be the talk of the village for a while. Moving it in the evening would be more discreet.

“Haha, of course! I’ll have the head of the house and my eldest son deliver it for you right away. You’ll definitely have it set up by tonight.” Aunt Liu, confirming the payment was correct, stuffed the coins into her pocket.

She then shouted toward the courtyard: “Head of the house, eldest son, stop what you’re doing! Bring out the cart and help deliver the goods to Huai’an’s family.”

Liu and his eldest son were both practical men who didn’t say much, just focused on getting the job done.

They loaded the furniture onto the cart and headed toward the mountainside.

By the time it got dark, there were fewer people around to notice.

It took two trips to get everything over.

Because the solid wood furniture was quite heavy, they helped Gu Qinghuan place everything in the spots she had designated before leaving. Once it was arranged, the house seemed much more pleasing to the eye.

That twenty coins was well worth it.

To be honest, the colorful, fancy furniture she had seen in the county market last time wasn’t as pleasing as this simple, natural wood. It looked clean and elegant.

Gu Qinghuan, with the help of the two children, wiped down all the new furniture and started putting things away.

She specifically placed the large cabinet for storing grain in her own room, where it would be easier for her to manage and smuggle grain.

She filled it with the three hundred pounds of grain from the Xu family and the grain she had smuggled from the commune. It fit perfectly.

Most of it was corn—three hundred pounds—along with one hundred and forty pounds of wheat, one hundred pounds of rice, and five pounds of soybeans.

She also had over a hundred pounds of potatoes, which she stored in the cellar to preserve them for a longer time.

As for the dish cupboard, she put it in the kitchen. The top shelves held bowls, chopsticks, and plates, while the bottom shelves were used to store some grain she had sneaked out of her space, for easy access when needed.

The dining table was placed in the main room.

The kang cupboards and kang tables were set up in the two rooms.

For now, everything was empty inside because Gu Qinghuan hadn’t had the chance to buy winter clothes yet.