Chapter 48

“How could it be fake? Look at the clothes on me and the kids, and the ox cart. Oh, and here are some fabrics, rice, and white flour I brought for you,” Shui Qing took the opportunity to say.

Hu’s mother was very happy to see her daughter’s family’s new clothes. However, when she saw the things they brought, her smile faded a bit, and she quietly advised, “You just got some money, you should spend it on yourselves. Your father, brother, and I are living well. Why buy these expensive things?”

She looked with some distress at the rice and white flour on the floor of the main room. It must weigh over a hundred pounds, right?

“Mom, your stomach isn’t good. Eat some rice to nourish it,” Shui Qing said sincerely.

Hu’s mother still felt that the things her daughter bought were too valuable. Thinking it was hard for her to come back, and there were no guests for lunch today, she said, “I’ll make white flour and meat buns for lunch!”

The children were already cheering.

Shui Qing was also very happy. In her makeshift kitchen, which was almost like surviving in the wilderness, there wasn’t even a chopping board, so it was impossible to make buns, dumplings, or noodles.

Hearing her mother was going to make buns, she quickly rolled up her sleeves and stepped forward, “Mom, I’ll help you.”

Hu’s mother originally wanted her daughter to rest, but then she thought about having her daughter to chat with her for a while, “…Alright.”

When it came to making big meat buns, it wasn’t all meat. Hu’s mother prepared three kinds of fillings.

She finely shredded a large cabbage, sprinkled it with salt to draw out the water, and then mixed it with lean meat to make large cabbage and meat buns.

After rendering the fat into lard, the finely chopped oil residue was mixed with greens and shiitake mushrooms to make shiitake mushroom and vegetable buns. Adding the lard residue made them richer and could be considered meat buns.

These two were light flavors. For the last one, Hu’s mother decided to make a stronger-tasting filling.

She had bought two fresh tofu blocks at the market in the morning, just right for making spicy tofu buns.

Before the pork arrived, Hu’s mother first prepared the other fillings for the buns while Shui Qing kneaded the dough beside her.

“Mom, I brought eggs. How about making egg drop soup for lunch?” Shui Qing suggested. She really wanted to eat the spicy tofu filling but was afraid it would be too spicy without soup.

Hu’s mother didn’t expect there to be eggs. She hurried to get them and was stunned by the quantity.

She quickly returned to the kitchen and asked in a low voice, “Why did you bring so many eggs? Does your husband know?”

“He knows. It was his idea. Mom, you don’t know, we have 37 hens now and collect dozens of eggs a day. What are these few for you?” Shui Qing deflected the credit to her husband.

Actually, she bought them from the market, over a hundred eggs for less than a hundred yuan. If she weren’t afraid of drawing too much attention, she would have bought even more for her parents.

Hearing it was her son-in-law’s idea, Hu’s mother was relieved and very happy. She couldn’t help but say, “Next time, don’t bring so many. The kids are growing and need the nourishment.”

Shui Qing saw the deepening wrinkles on her mother’s smiling face and replied, “The kids are important, but you and Dad are just as important. We should all enjoy good food together.”

What parent doesn’t like their children to keep them in their hearts?

Hu’s mother turned away, wiping her eyes with her sleeve, saying, “I don’t know where this wind came from, making my eyes tear up.”

Shui Qing didn’t point it out, quietly kneading the dough.

“Sis! Mom, I’m back!” A hearty voice and heavy footsteps came from the courtyard.

The kitchen door was pushed open, and Hu Wenhua, tall and sturdy, walked in. He handed the meat to Hu’s mother, then couldn’t take his eyes off the prepared fillings and the dough on the board.

“Our family is eating well!”

Hu’s mother glanced meaningfully at her son, “You’ve been working hard these days, have something good to nourish yourself.”

Shui Qing quickly looked at her brother, puzzled.

Hu Wenhua scratched his head awkwardly and made an excuse, “I’ll take the nephews and nieces to the market!”

He had been doing odd jobs these days, earning over a hundred coins, just enough to take the kids to buy some treats.

“It’s fine to take them out, but keep a close eye on them! Watch out for kidnappers!” Hu’s mother called out worriedly.

“Don’t worry, Mom!”

“Don’t worry, Grandma, we won’t run around and will hold onto Uncle tightly!”

The five children followed Hu Wenhua excitedly.

Hu Wenhua’s name didn’t match his rugged appearance and sturdy build, nor his fifteen years of age. He walked like a solid little mountain, and even other strong men would avoid him to avoid bad luck.

Yan Qiuxing felt very safe with the children following behind him.

Fan Jin, who was feeding the oxen after cutting grass, saw his brother-in-law taking the children out and quickly finished feeding the oxen to join them.

The market was crowded, with stalls taking up half of the already narrow road, and people squeezed in the middle. Fan Jin worried about kidnappers and held his daughters tightly by the hand.

Hu Wenhua held Fan Hu with his left hand and Fan He with his right, letting Fan Jiang follow behind him. With him in front, no one could squeeze Fan Jiang.

“This season, there’s no candied hawthorn, but there’s sugar painting. Do you want to eat it? Uncle’s treat!” Hu Wenhua shouted to the children behind him.

What child doesn’t like sweet treats, especially the beautiful and delicious sugar paintings?

Fan Jin was about to offer to pay, but realizing he didn’t have money on him, he just watched as the five children crowded around Hu Wenhua, swarming the sugar painting stall.

He quietly waited on the side.

“Get out of the way! I want to go out alone today! Whoever stops me, I’ll beat them!” A sudden arrogant voice rang out, disrupting the festive market atmosphere.

Fan Jin and his group looked towards the sound, thinking some bully was harassing people.

They saw a handsome young boy, around twelve or thirteen, sitting on a pure white horse without a speck of dirt, holding the reins with an impatient look, scolding a circle of servants holding the reins for him.

“Young master, you can’t go out alone. If anything happens to you, we can’t explain it,” the servants pleaded bitterly.

Seeing the market crowd’s attention, the boy’s face, still childish, showed anger, “Let go! Even if it’s a dragon’s lair or tiger’s den, I’ll go!”

He pulled the reins, whipped the horse’s rear hard, and the horse, in pain, raised its hooves and galloped away.

Leaving the servants behind, chasing and shouting, “Young master, come back, it’s dangerous out there!”

“You don’t know the dangers outside, come back with us~”

The louder the servants shouted, the harder the boy whipped the horse. Soon, he disappeared at the end of the market.

The market returned to its previous lively atmosphere.

Hu Wenhua praised, “What a handsome white horse!”

The sugar painting stall owner chimed in, “That’s a rich young master who’s never suffered. Doesn’t know the heights of the sky.”

A bystander spat and cursed, “Living a good life but looking for trouble! Such people shouldn’t have it good!”

“Unfair heavens, why do such people get to be born into good families and enjoy life!”

Fan Jin frowned and gently defended the boy, “The boy has good character. You see, he didn’t whip the servants and didn’t let the horse charge into the crowd; he must be too controlled at home and wants to test himself. He’s not bad by nature.”