Chapter 53.2

As the couple chatted, the radishes finished cooking.

Wei Ling stood and added the remaining fish stew to the pot. He replaced the lid, letting the dish heat thoroughly. Before long, it would be ready to serve.

The warm room kept the stew at a good temperature, even after it was poured into a large serving bowl.

After transferring the fish and radishes, Wei Ling took it upon himself to clean the pot, ensuring it would be ready to cook dumplings later. While he scrubbed the pot, Qin Qingman set the flat-bottomed pan used earlier at lunchtime on the stove. Using the residual oil from the pan, she added a bit more peanut oil and began frying dumplings.

The fried dumplings they had sent to Wang Chengping and the others had only left enough for their family to taste one each. This time, Qin Qingman planned to make a proper batch for her household to enjoy.

Fifteen minutes later, a fragrant plate of golden dumplings emerged from the pan.

Chuchu had already been waiting impatiently, holding a bowl in anticipation.

“Here, let it cool before you eat.” Qin Qingman said as she placed one fried dumpling into his bowl and reminded him.

“Got it, Sis.” Chuchu replied happily, taking his bowl and moving to a seat nearby. He began blowing on the steaming dumpling with enthusiasm.

“Wife, should we still boil more dumplings?” Wei Ling asked while peeling garlic at the side. Seeing the heaping plate of fried dumplings, he doubted they’d need more food.

Qin Qingman thought for a moment, recalling everyone’s usual appetite. She agreed that boiling additional dumplings might be too much. After some consideration, she said, “We still have two leftover mantou from lunch. If the fried dumplings aren’t enough, we can eat those.”

“Sounds good.” Wei Ling agreed, thinking the plan was more practical.

With the dumplings fried and the stew ready, the only thing left to prepare was the dipping sauce for the dumplings.

Wei Ling smashed the garlic, while Qin Qingman prepared the sauce. Dumpling vinegar had its nuances; plain vinegar alone was too sharp. Qin Qingman simmered soy sauce in a pot, adding other seasonings to enhance the flavor. After a few minutes, when the aroma was rich and inviting, she poured it out and mixed in minced garlic and vinegar. The sauce was so appetizing that even Chuchu remarked it smelled good enough to drink as soup.

With everything ready, it was finally time for dinner.

The family hadn’t enjoyed dumplings together in quite some time, and the vinegar cut through the richness of the fried dumplings perfectly. The three of them devoured the meal with gusto.

Taking their time to savor the food, it was half an hour before they finished.

“Sis, these dumplings are amazing! I love dumplings!” Chuchu exclaimed, patting his satisfied stomach with a contented grin.

This meal of dumplings came several years after the last time he had dumplings. Finally, Chuchu had the chance to enjoy dumplings again. The dumplings made by his elder sister tasted even better and more flavorful than the ones their mother used to make. 

These dumplings prepared by Qin Qingman replaced the memory of his mother’s dumplings in Chuchu’s mind. 

After eating and drinking their fill, the family of three slowly cleaned up the dishes. Once they were done, they sat by the stove to enjoy the warmth of the fire. 

Before joining them, Chuchu obediently went to heat the kang bed-stove. 

That day, both Wei Ling and Chuchu had bathed, leaving only Qin Qingman. She glanced at the glowing red stove and said, “Ah Ling, you go and tell Chuchu a story. I’d like to take a bath.” In the countryside, conditions were simple, and families didn’t have strict notions of privacy. She expressed her needs directly. 

“I’ll bring in the tub for you first.” Wei Ling replied. 

He went to the east room, brought out the bathing tub, cleaned it, and placed it close to the stove. He filled it with clear well water and waited. 

Once the water on the stove boiled, it was mixed with the well water in the tub to create warm water for bathing. 

Qin Qingman didn’t start bathing immediately. Instead, she took a small piece of tea seed residue wrapped in gauze from the storage room and began pounding it. In this rural setting without showers, washing hair and bathing were separate tasks, especially since she had long hair. 

As she continuously pounded the tea seed residue with a wooden mallet, it broke apart, and a pale green liquid oozed out onto the gauze. This liquid was the residual tea oil. 

Though it appeared to be an oily substance, it was excellent for washing hair. 

Not only did it not leave the hair greasy, but it also removed excess oil. More importantly, it nourished and moisturized the hair. 

Hair washed with tea seed residue became smooth, clean, and carried a faint, refreshing fragrance. 

When Chuchu saw Qin Qingman pounding the tea seed residue, he ran off to fetch the washbasin. Once the residue was ready, it would need to be soaked and kneaded in hot water. 

The water produced by this process was used as shampoo. 

This was Wei Ling’s first time witnessing how rural girls washed their hair. 

The tea seed residue wrapped in gauze, once soaked and kneaded, turned into a clear, pale yellow liquid free of impurities. 

After this step, Qin Qingman added warm water to the washbasin. When it was half full, she carried it back to the stand and placed it down. 

The height of this washstand was just right for her to lean over and wash her hair comfortably. 

However, as she bent over, her curves became accentuated, and Wei Ling couldn’t take his eyes off her. 

Qin Qingman’s clothing wasn’t revealing in the slightest, but from behind, her silhouette had an unusual allure for Wei Ling. 

Unaware of the effect she had on Wei Ling, Qin Qingman was completely focused on washing her hair. Next to the washstand, she had placed a foot basin to catch the dirty water dripping from her hair during the process. 

This way, the hall wouldn’t get wet. 

This method of washing hair was typical for girls in rural households during the winter. 

As Qin Qingman loosened her hair and submerged it in the tea seed residue water, kneading it gently, Chuchu happily flitted around like a busy little bee. 

Using a bucket, he mixed warm water to rinse her hair when she was done scrubbing. 

“I’ll take over. You go rest.” Wei Ling said. At first, he hadn’t understood what Chuchu was busy with, but after watching for a while, he realized the purpose. Seeing little Chuchu bustling about like a spinning top, Wei Ling snapped out of his daze and stepped forward to take over the next step of rinsing Qin Qingman’s hair. 

Chuchu, startled as Wei Ling took the water ladle from him, looked up at him, then glanced at Qin Qingman, who was bent over washing her hair. Nodding in understanding, Chuchu returned to the stove to warm himself by the fire. 

Qin Qingman’s hair was quite long, and when fully submerged in the basin, it filled most of the space. 

Tea seed residue didn’t produce much foam—just a little. 

After thoroughly scrubbing her hair, Qin Qingman wrung out the excess water and moved her head over the foot basin. She called softly, “Ah Ling.” 

Although she had been focused on washing her hair, she was aware that Wei Ling had stepped in to help Chuchu. 

Hearing her call, Wei Ling quickly ladled some warm water, testing it to ensure the temperature was suitable, before gently pouring it over Qin Qingman’s head. 

As the clean water flowed over her hair, the tea seed residue water washed away into the foot basin below. 

The wooden comb, already cleaned beforehand, glided through her long hair repeatedly along the flow of water. Under the clear rinse, Qin Qingman’s long hair appeared glossy and black, reflecting a faint sheen. 

After using up an entire bucket of warm water, her long hair was finally clean. 

Wrapping her hair in a towel, Qin Qingman gently pressed to absorb the water. Once most of the moisture was absorbed, she removed the towel. 

The towel, now heavy with water, felt weighty, but her hair no longer dripped. 

“Brother-in-law, change the water. Replace Sister’s hair-washing water with clean water. She needs to wash her face and towel.” Chuchu reminded Wei Ling. 

Since Qin Qingman had bent over while washing her hair, some of the tea seed residue water had splashed onto her face, so she needed to clean up thoroughly. 

Wei Ling acted quickly. The moment Chuchu reminded him, he got to work. By the time Qin Qingman removed the towel from her head, he had already fetched fresh water for her washbasin and even emptied and cleaned the foot basin that had held the used hair-washing water. 

“Thank you, Ah Ling.” Qin Qingman said as she thanked him and began washing her face, using the opportunity to freshen up as well. 

Once Qin Qingman sat by the stove to dry her hair, Chuchu obediently went to clean himself up. With the kang bed-stove already heated, he could move to his warm spot. 

Since Qin Qingman was about to take a bath, Wei Ling couldn’t remain in the hall, so he joined Chuchu to wash up. 

The night before, Wei Ling had shared a foot basin with Qin Qingman to wash their feet. Tonight, he shared one with Chuchu. 

Chuchu, being a child and fond of Wei Ling, couldn’t resist playing while washing his feet. 

The little boy’s tiny feet frequently stepped on Wei Ling’s feet for fun, splashing water out of the foot basin in his excitement. 

As Qin Qingman sat by the stove slowly combing her hair, she noticed Chuchu was getting carried away. Seeing Wei Ling being bullied too much, she finally spoke up, “Chuchu, aren’t you tired yet?” 

Children were different from adults. 

Even though Chuchu was bursting with energy while playing, he would undoubtedly fall asleep as soon as his usual bedtime arrived. 

Hearing Qin Qingman’s reminder, Chuchu froze momentarily. Not daring to play with the water anymore, he quickly finished washing his little feet. 

Chuchu was still eager to hear Brother-in-law tell the story of the great general! 

Wei Ling noticed how a single sentence from Qin Qingman immediately subdued Chuchu. His gaze shifted to his wife, and their eyes met in mid-air, brimming with sweetness. 

After finishing his own washing up, Wei Ling carried Chuchu back to the heated kang. Once Chuchu was tucked in, he returned to tidy up. He cleaned the foot basin, checked the doors and windows, lowered the curtains, and added several sizable logs to the stove. When everything was in order, he turned to Qin Qingman. 

Everything was ready—his wife could now bathe. 

Qin Qingman had already taken out clean undergarments from the wardrobe and was busy tying up her hair. 

Her hair, mostly dry from sitting by the fire, needed to be tied up properly for convenience during her bath. 

As Qin Qingman stood before him, Wei Ling naturally stepped in to help her tie her hair. Though it was his first time, he was quick to figure it out. After a few attempts, he successfully tied her hair up. 

His slightly rough, calloused fingers brushed through her smooth, silky hair, and to Wei Ling, it felt like touching the finest silk. 

“Ah Ling, go keep Chuchu company. If you don’t, he might fall asleep again.” Qin Qingman said, her cheeks flushed as she gently pushed him away. 

Since she was about to bathe, she naturally needed privacy. 

“Alright.” Wei Ling replied, his gaze lingering on her. His eyes moved from her smooth, full forehead to her delicate pink cheeks, then to her elegant nose, before finally resting on her rosy lips. 

Her plump, rosy lips always captivated him. 

Feeling Wei Ling’s lingering gaze, Qin Qingman finally stood on her tiptoes and gave him a light kiss on the lips. 

It was brief, a fleeting touch. 

Their eyes lingered on each other, filled with longing, before they finally separated.