Chapter 21 – Nourish and Replenish

After bringing the bamboo back home, Chen Rou had her hands full with new tasks.

She didn’t even need Han Guobin to split the bamboo strips—she could handle it herself.

But since Han Guobin insisted on doing it all, she didn’t argue with him. After they had a simple dinner, Chen Rou heated some water to help him bathe.

Well, it wasn’t exactly a bath—more like a wipe-down.

She used a bucket of water to clean him up, then they soaked their feet together, which was the most comforting part. Chen Rou thoroughly enjoyed their foot-soaking sessions.

However, since she was pregnant, she didn’t dare use water that was too hot. Han Guobin soaked first, and once the water cooled to a suitable temperature, she joined him.

The two of them took turns stepping on each other’s feet, their laughter spilling out into the air.

Though the weather was already quite cold, the little earthen house was filled with warmth.

After soaking their feet, they got ready for bed.

It was too cold, and there was no TV to watch. What else could they do but sleep? No point wasting lamp oil.

“Wife,” Han Guobin called softly.

“You’re not tired?” Chen Rou immediately understood his intentions.

“Not tired,” Han Guobin replied.

Well, if he wasn’t tired, then come on. Chen Rou wrapped her arms around his waist—she had been missing her man too.

Han Guobin understood right away. Naturally, the couple shared a tender moment of affection.

The next morning, Han Guobin got up early to split bamboo strips.

He prepared quite a few for Chen Rou—ready to be woven without any further processing.

In the days that followed, Chen Rou stayed home weaving bamboo baskets and sieves, while Han Guobin continued going out to hunt.

He went out twice more.

At the end of November, which was early November on the lunar calendar, it started to snow.

That morning, Han Guobin came back through the snow, his face pale and bluish. Chen Rou quickly rushed to the kitchen and made him a large bowl of brown sugar ginger soup, which she made him drink down. Then she boiled more ginger water for him to soak his feet. After soaking, he broke into a full sweat, and his cheeks turned rosy again. Only then did Chen Rou finally relax.

“From now on, you’re staying home and getting ready for New Year’s. You’re not allowed to go anywhere,” Chen Rou scolded him with a glare.

“Wife, make me something to eat,” Han Guobin grinned.

Seeing how worried his wife was about him filled him with a deep sense of comfort.

He didn’t need to say anything more—Chen Rou had already gone out to cook. She made noodles for him, and seeing that he brought back quite a bit of meat, she sliced some into the pot as well.

Only after eating the hot bowl of noodles did Han Guobin feel truly refreshed.

Sitting cross-legged on the heated bed, he pulled out the money he had made—eight yuan this time. The rest had gone into buying meat.

Since it was snowing and he couldn’t go into the mountains anymore, he brought back some meat to eat slowly. His wife was pregnant—she couldn’t go without meat. There was a child in her belly, after all. How else would the baby grow?

This time, he brought back nearly three jin (1.5 kg) of pork belly and several ribs. It would last until the year-end meat distribution.

“How come you got so much money?” Chen Rou was stunned.

Last time he went out, he only brought back four yuan. This time, it was eight—and so much meat, too.

“I took down a lone wolf. Worth more,” Han Guobin explained.

His tone held a trace of regret—he had been hoping for a wild boar. But since the one from last time, he hadn’t come across another. At least this time he caught a lone wolf.

Wolves fetched a good price—their fangs, fur, and meat were all valuable.

And besides the wolf, he also caught quite a few other animals. That’s how he ended up with so much money.

Chen Rou took the money and put it away.

They really had a good sum saved up now, though they were still some ways from affording a brick-and-tile house.

But there was no rush to build a house—it could wait until next year or the year after.

“Go sleep,” Chen Rou said.

It was freezing cold, but the heated bed in the house was nice and warm.

Han Guobin was tired and lay down to sleep. Chen Rou, still worried, gave him a packet of cold medicine from her space, mixed it into water, and made him drink it before letting him rest.

Chen Rou didn’t sleep. He was sleeping on the heated bed, but she sat on a small stool inside the room weaving a bamboo basket.

They only had one basket at home, and she wanted to make more. She had already completed some finished products in the past few days.

A new sieve and a bamboo container—now she was working on another bamboo basket.

With gloves on, she wasn’t afraid of hurting her hands.

And having such handicraft tasks helped pass the time. Otherwise, things would be too dull.

As she worked on the bamboo basket, Chen Rou checked the time and started preparing lunch.

Since Han Guobin was no longer going out, she planned to make more food in one go. For instance, she was planning to steam a batch of mantou (steamed buns)—a large amount at once, which they could simply reheat when needed.

Now that it had snowed, nothing would spoil easily.

Making more at once also saved effort.

She brought the mixing bowl over to the edge of the heated bed—being near warmth helped the dough rise. Otherwise, it would turn into dead dough.

While the dough was resting, Chen Rou continued weaving her bamboo basket.

Not long after, Zhou Zhen came over to ask if she wanted tofu. Her family had made tofu that day and had a lot.

“I’ll take some,” Chen Rou said, scooping some soybeans to exchange. She brought back a few large pieces of tofu, stored them in water, and planned to cook them with cabbage.

Once the dough had risen enough, Chen Rou kneaded it again and steamed the mantou.

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When the mantou were done, Chen Rou used the large chunk of pork belly Han Guobin had brought back to render a good amount of lard. The small cuts of meat, about the size of a pinky finger, were golden brown and crispy but not overcooked. One bite was pure fat and flavor—absolutely mouthwatering.

But they couldn’t eat it all at once—it had to be saved and eaten slowly. Using the pork-fat-coated pot to cook cabbage and tofu made it incredibly tasty.

For rural families, snowy days were about eating, sleeping, and not much else.

Of course, many men and women would gather to chat idly, or couples would just snuggle together on the heated bed.

That’s why so many babies were born the following year.

In contrast to the idle rural folks, Song Xiaoyu, who worked in town, still hadn’t gotten any time off. Back then, workers didn’t have the modern concept of holidays.

“Slog through the 30th, start again on the 1st” wasn’t just an empty slogan.

Han Guolin picked Song Xiaoyu up and dropped her off every day. Mother Han would praise her younger daughter-in-law to everyone, saying how diligent and hardworking she was.

But as soon as people’s backs were turned, she would sneer—“Twelve yuan a month plus ration coupons? Who wouldn’t be hardworking for that!”

Unlike the two of them, most others were hibernating, especially with the bitter cold.

The snow and ice were everywhere.

Thanks to Chen Rou’s care, Han Guobin didn’t get sick after returning through the snow, though his energy was still a bit low.

Chen Rou didn’t take any chances—she gave him two more doses of the cold medicine, and only when he truly seemed better did she stop fussing over him.

The snow outside was heavy, though it occasionally stopped. During those breaks, Han Guobin really wanted to go up the mountain.

Though deep snow made the forest dangerous, the nearby hills were still fine. When it snows, rabbits can’t run fast and pheasants move slowly—they’re easy to catch.

But his wife wouldn’t let him. She insisted he stay home.

That day, Chen Rou soaked some dried kelp, planning to make kelp and pork rib stew.

The half-jin of dried kelp they had bought in town had been sitting unused—today was the day to eat it.

Once it softened, she cleaned it thoroughly—otherwise, it would taste bad and be too salty. But Chen Rou knew how to handle it.

After cleaning it, she cut it into strips and tied it into knots, then stewed it with the ribs.

At the moment, Chen Rou had nothing else to do. Day after day, she just thought about eating—not only to nourish herself and the baby, but also to build up Han Guobin’s health.

They still had to earn work points next year. They couldn’t afford to neglect their bodies just because they were young—otherwise, they’d look strong but be weak inside.

Winter was the best time to build up strength. Miss it, and it would be hard to get through the next year.

Ever since he stopped going into the mountains, Han Guobin had been enjoying his wife’s tender care.

Three delicious meals a day were just the start—he even got milk sometimes. She would make him a warm cup now and then.

He was so well-nourished that by night, he often found himself wanting to mess around with his wife. But he knew better—she was pregnant, so he couldn’t indulge himself.

An occasional bit of cuddling was enough.

They stayed home through the middle of the lunar November. That afternoon, the snow finally stopped, and Han Guobin, desperate to stretch his legs, couldn’t wait to get outside.

Chen Rou didn’t stop him—it was good to get some fresh air. In fact, even she felt the urge to go out once she saw it had stopped snowing.

She took a piece of lamb, about two liang (100g), and went to her parents’ home.

Chen Mother couldn’t help but scold her: “Why are you buying lamb again? That stuff’s expensive!”

“Just a bit—for you and Dad, to keep warm,” Chen Rou said.

“Your dad and I have enough. You just focus on your life with Guobin. It’s not easy for him to earn money going into the mountains,” Chen Mother said.

Chen Rou nodded and agreed.

But with all that meat in her space, taking out a little for her parents really wasn’t a big deal.

“It’s winter—might as well nourish Dad too. When spring comes, there’ll be lots of work to do again,” she said, looking at her father.

Chen Father was just over fifty—not exactly old, but definitely not young anymore.

“You think I don’t know? Your big brother and the others caught some fish the other day and stewed it. Then yesterday, they caught a rabbit—I stewed half of it, and there’s still half left. Take it home with you later,” Chen Mother said.

“Take it,” said Chen Father. He didn’t talk much, but his love for his daughter was genuine.

“If I want to eat it, Guobin can get it for me. I’m just worried about the old superstition that eating rabbit while pregnant will give the baby a harelip,” Chen Rou joked.

Only then did Chen Mother remember that she was pregnant. “Then forget it. Next time your brother catches a pheasant, I’ll have him send it over.”

“No need. You eat it here. Guobin went out today—he’ll definitely catch something,” Chen Rou said. She always had that much confidence in her husband.

After sitting a while, Chen Rou headed home. She left the lamb behind, but her mother gave her some homemade tofu in return, which she accepted without fuss.

Once home, she stored the tofu in water and began prepping dinner.

She also grabbed a handful of red beans to soak—planning to make red bean porridge later.

The steamed buns were ready. Chen Rou used the large slab of pork belly that Han Guobin had bought to render a good amount of lard. The pork pieces, each about the size of a pinky finger, were a bit golden and crisp on the edges but not overcooked. One bite was all oil—rich and fragrant.

But that was something to be eaten slowly and savored. She used the pot that had rendered the pork belly fat to stew cabbage and tofu—the flavor was truly delicious.

Snowy days in the countryside were all about eating, drinking, and sleeping. Besides that, there wasn’t much else to do.

Of course, many men and women would gather to chat idly, and if not that, then couples would go lie on the heated bed together.

So, a lot of babies would be born the following year.

Compared to the idle farmers, Song Xiaoyu, who worked in town, didn’t get any time off—office workers nowadays didn’t have the concept of holidays.

The slogan “No ceasefire on New Year’s Eve, keep working on the first day of the year” wasn’t just talk.

Han Guolin drove Song Xiaoyu to and from work every day. Han Mother would praise her younger daughter-in-law to everyone she met, saying how hardworking and tough she was.

But while she smiled and agreed on the surface, the moment she turned away, she would curl her lips in disdain—twelve yuan a month, plus all kinds of ticket and coupon reimbursements. Who wouldn’t be hardworking with that kind of benefit?

Compared to those two, the rest of the villagers had basically entered hibernation mode—especially on days like this, when the cold was unbearable.

It was a world of ice and snow.

After braving the snow to return home, Han Guobin didn’t fall ill thanks to Chen Rou’s good care, though he still looked a bit drained.

Chen Rou didn’t dare underestimate illness. She gave him two more doses of powdered medicine. Seeing that he seemed much better, she left him alone afterward.

The snowfall outside was heavy, occasionally stopping and starting again. When it paused, Han Guobin actually really wanted to head into the mountains.

Although venturing into the deep mountains in snowy weather wasn’t safe, the nearby hills were still fine. With snow on the ground, rabbits couldn’t run fast and pheasants couldn’t move easily—perfect conditions for catching them.

But his wife wouldn’t let him go. She told him to stay home.

That day, Chen Rou soaked some dried kelp, planning to make kelp and pork rib stew for dinner.

The half-pound of dried kelp they’d bought on a trip to the city hadn’t been eaten yet. She figured today was a good day to finally use some.

Once the kelp softened, she washed it thoroughly—otherwise it would taste bad and be overly salty. But Chen Rou knew how to handle it.

After cleaning, she cut it and tied it into knots, then stewed it together with the ribs.

Chen Rou really didn’t have much to do these days. Day in and day out, she just thought about what to eat—not just for herself, but to nourish both of them. Han Guobin also needed to be well-fed and well-rested.

They’d still have to earn work points next year. They couldn’t afford to ruin their health just because they were young—otherwise, it’d be all for show with no real strength inside.

Winter was the best time to nourish the body. If they missed this window, how would they endure the next year?

Since Han Guobin had stopped going into the mountains, he was now enjoying all the gentleness from his wife.

Three hearty meals a day went without saying. She even made him milk sometimes, brewing a cup for him to drink from time to time.

He was being so well-nourished that he found himself wanting to mess around with his wife in the evenings. But deep down, he understood that his wife was pregnant now—there was no way he could act on it.

Occasionally getting a little close was fine, though.

They stayed home until the middle of the eleventh lunar month. That noon, when the snow stopped, Han Guobin couldn’t wait to go outside. Being cooped up at home for so many days had driven him crazy.

Chen Rou didn’t stop him. It was good to go for a stroll. In fact, not just Han Guobin—even she went out for a walk when she saw the snow had really stopped.

She brought along two taels of mutton and headed back to her parents’ home.

Mother Chen couldn’t help but scold her, “Why are you buying mutton again? That stuff’s expensive!”

“I just bought a little, so you and Dad can eat to keep warm,” Chen Rou replied.

“Your dad and I have enough to eat. You should take care of yourself and Guobin. It’s not easy for him to earn money going into the mountains!” her mother said.

Chen Rou nodded and agreed to everything.

But there was so much meat in the space anyway—taking a bit out for her parents really wasn’t a big deal.

“It’s wintertime. I want my dad to build up some strength too. When spring comes, there’ll be lots of work to do,” Chen Rou said, looking at her father.

Father Chen was just past fifty—not exactly old, but certainly no longer young.

“As if you have to tell me?” her mother said. “Your older brother and his family have nothing to do lately. The day before yesterday, they caught some fish and stewed it. Yesterday, they caught a rabbit—I stewed half of it, and there’s still half left at home. Take it with you later.”

“Take it back with you,” Father Chen said. He didn’t talk much, but his love for his daughter was solid and sincere.

“If I want to eat it, Guobin will bring it home. I’m just worried that eating rabbit might cause a baby to have a harelip,” Chen Rou said with a laugh.

Only then did her mother remember she was pregnant. “Then forget it. Next time we catch a pheasant, I’ll have your brother send it over.”

“No need. Just keep it and eat it here. Guobin went out today—he’ll definitely bring something back when he returns,” Chen Rou replied, always full of confidence in her husband.

She sat and chatted for a while before heading back home. She left the two taels of mutton behind, but her mother gave her a few pieces of homemade tofu, which she happily accepted.

When she got home, she soaked the tofu in water and began preparing dinner.

She also grabbed a handful of red beans to soak—she planned to cook some red bean porridge to drink.