Chapter 645 - 335: Beguiling Yun Ying

Chapter 645: Chapter 335: Beguiling Yun Ying

Early the next morning, Juhua was feeding the chickens in a corner of the courtyard when she saw Qingmu walk through the Zhang family gate, a small bamboo basket in one hand and two peaches clutched in the other.

Juhua quickly called out, "Brother! What brings you here so early? Is something the matter?"

Qingmu grinned good-naturedly at his younger sister and said, "I picked some toona shoots and thought I’d bring some over while they’re fresh. These peaches are almost ripe, so I picked a couple for you to try."

Juhua waited for him to approach before taking the basket. She looked at the two peaches, which had a faint blush of red, and asked, puzzled, "They didn’t look ripe a couple of days ago. I thought it’d be a while longer. These two look quite good, though."

Qingmu smiled. "I saw two peaches at the very top of the tallest tree by the wall that were already getting red at the tips. I was already using a long bamboo pole to get the toona shoots, so I just hooked them down too. Thought you’d like a fresh taste. How are you feeling today? Did you get sick again this morning?"

Juhua looked through the fresh, tender red toona shoots in the basket. She pinched off a tender sprig, held it to her nose, and inhaled. "Mhm," she answered. "I always get sick once in the morning, but I feel better after it passes. Brother, these toona shoots smell amazing. You brought so many for me. Is there any left at home?"

"There’s still some left," Qingmu said. "It’s not often you have a craving for something, so it’s no big deal if we eat a little less. It’s not some great delicacy we can’t do without. The smell is so pungent, you’re sure you don’t mind it?"

Juhua shook her head. "Not at all. I think it smells wonderful. I’ll fry some with an egg later."

Qingmu was glad to see she liked them. He smiled. "Our gourds are ready for picking too. I’ll bring some over at noon to give you a change of flavor." He suddenly slapped his forehead in frustration. "Ah, I forgot to bring the pickled bamboo shoots! Ours are done pickling. Mom was just saying yesterday that I should bring some for you to have with your morning porridge."

The Zhang family didn’t pickle bamboo shoots, they dried them instead, which was why he offered.

Juhua smiled. "If I’m craving them, I’ll just go over and get some myself. You don’t have to bring them."

Qingmu handed her the peaches, smiling. "Mom packed a whole jar just for you. I’ll bring it over later. I have to go—I need to work the fields after breakfast." With that, he turned and left.

Watching his retreating back, Juhua thought, ’I’m still their spoiled little girl.’ She smiled to herself, then went to wash the peaches and toona shoots before frying the shoots with an egg for her breakfast.

She was busy in the kitchen with He when Yang bustled in, carrying a large jar. She set it down on the work counter with a thud and said with a smile, "The pickled bamboo shoots are ready, and they taste great. They’re delicious fried with pickled chili slices—nice and crunchy. Perfect for eating with cornmeal mush in the morning."

He was overjoyed to see it and thanked her profusely. "I was just regretting being lazy and not pickling any bamboo shoots myself. We have pickled cowpeas, savory paste, pickled gourds, and Huang Gua, but none of them have quite the right flavor. And poor Juhua is having such a hard time with her meals. If we don’t try to tempt her appetite, she’ll eat even less."

Yang raised an eyebrow. "I may not be her mother, but must you worry about every little thing? You’re already so busy you can’t catch a break. I just pickled extra, it was no trouble at all."

He said gratefully, "Who isn’t busy? You have a little one at home, so you’re even busier."

Yang patted Juhua’s hand, then leaned in, lifted the kerchief from her face to get a better look at her complexion, and smiled. "Not bad, you have some color in your cheeks." She then turned to He. "You said I’m extra busy with a little one at home, and that’s for sure. But Yun Ying is very capable too. When she was a girl, people used to say she was ’quick with her words and quicker with her hands.’ I feel like she must have several pairs of hands—she works so fast! Goodness, I’m almost embarrassed to compare myself to her. She puts little Hulu in a cart and watches her while she works, without missing a beat."

He smiled. "When it’s time to transplant the seedlings, we should all just go do the heavy lifting in the fields and leave the house to her. Juhua can look after little Hulu and help her out by fetching things."

Yang laughed. "Of course! We’re better off just sticking to the fieldwork. At home, we just potter around, grabbing a bit of this and a bit of that. We’re nowhere near as efficient as she is."

After a bit more cheerful conversation, Yang hurriedly took her leave.

He quickly scooped out some of the pickled bamboo shoots, added a few slices of chili, and fried up a bowlful. The sharp, spicy-sour aroma made Juhua sneeze. She laughed. "That smells wonderful. The sourness is different from the pickled cowpeas. It’s much more appetizing."

He watched her, amused. "It’s not that it smells better, it’s just that the grass is always greener on the other side. If we had pickled these ourselves, you wouldn’t be nearly as excited." The things one doesn’t have always seem better.

Regardless, that morning Juhua ate two large bowls of cornmeal mush with the pickled bamboo shoots, plus half a bowl of fried toona with egg. Finally satisfied, she picked up a small hoe and, munching on a peach, headed to the vegetable garden to tend the beds and walk off her meal.