Chapter 49

The answer came quickly.

While Sang Luo sat on a low stool in the courtyard weaving straw nests for the ducks, two little toddlers were peeking inside through the half-open gate. When the housekeeper saw them, both kids flashed charming smiles to win her favor.

“Housekeeper, do you still want those pretty stones?” It was Shen Tie’s cute little baby voice.

Shen Yin turned and left briefly, then soon returned dragging a small dustpan to the gate. Sang Luo put down her weaving and went to look. Inside the dustpan was a shallow layer filled with what looked like dozens of smooth river stones.

“Did you pick these?”

The two little ones nodded together. “Do you want more?”

Sang Luo smiled. “Yes, bring them all into the courtyard.”

She helped lift the dustpan. Though not heavy to adults, it was somewhat weighty for the children.

Hearing Sang Luo call them inside, the brothers glanced back at the gate.

Before she looked outside, Huzi’s voice came from beyond the gate: “Shen Jin, are you bringing stones too? Why are you just standing outside?”

Shen Jin: ...

Sang Luo wanted to laugh.

She stepped out and looked around. Five children, carrying baskets or lifting dustpans, were all delivering river stones. Shen Jin was standing quietly by the corner of their courtyard wall, seemingly shy to enter. It was rare to see that little bear of a child embarrassed to come inside her gate, especially since he was usually bold around Shen An and Shen Ning.

Among the five children, she recognized Er Niu and Huzi, but the other three younger ones were unfamiliar.

Er Niu and Huzi were now quite familiar with Sang Luo, no longer shy at all. Carrying their loads to the gate, they smiled warmly. “Sister Shen, we brought stones.”

Sang Luo returned the smile. “Thank you all. Come inside. How did you all know we needed stones?”

Huzi grinned, scratching his head. “In the morning, I saw Xiao An and A Ning looking for stones. We heard sister-in-law wanted to pave the courtyard, so we helped find some. We got some in the morning and these are from the afternoon.”

The little guy was very comfortable around them, calling the younger brothers over and carrying the stones in, then pointing to the three smaller boys beside him. “Sister Shen, this is San Niu, Er Niu’s younger brother. These two little ones are Shi Tou and A Xu—they’re my brothers.”

Sang Luo listened with a smile as he introduced them one by one, then asked the older ones—Er Niu, Huzi, and Shen Jin standing by the gate—to take the younger boys to wash their hands by the mountain spring.

The three new little cuties from the Lu and Shi families didn’t quite understand yet, but Er Niu and the others who had helped out here before immediately caught on. Shen Jin’s ears perked up with delight.

Ah, this was too familiar!

When the housekeeper told them to wash their hands, it usually meant snacks were coming!

Their hearts practically leapt with excitement, and the bashfulness from earlier vanished. The five kids, already used to this routine, happily ran to wash their hands, dragging the three confused newcomers along. When they reached the spring, they noticed it looked different from before. Bamboo tubes had been added to extend the water pool, and a flat stone slab big enough for a person to stand on was laid by the water’s edge. On a raised mud mound nearby, flowers and plants had been carefully planted.

Of course, none of that mattered much to the children—only snacks mattered. After quickly washing their hands, they dashed back eagerly.

Just then, Shen An and Shen Ning returned from picking wild vegetables and saw a cluster of little friends gathered outside their house.

Seeing them, Sang Luo waved for the siblings to come over, quietly asking them to wash their hands before going inside to fetch some crystal jujube cakes to share—half a piece each for the children.

The jujube cakes were easy to tear into pieces, made large so they could be conveniently divided among many kids.

Shen An and Shen Ning’s first thought was to convert the number of cake pieces into their monetary value.

But looking around at the several dustpans and baskets filled with smooth, beautiful river stones that must have taken a long time to collect, they realized how hard it was to find stones that were small, pretty, round, and just the right size.

Shen An nodded and led Shen Ning to wash their hands. They exchanged greetings with the other children, who excitedly made funny faces at them. The sibling pair smiled softly and whispered for everyone to wait a moment. After washing, they went back inside.

Soon, they each came out with several pieces of jujube cake, diving into the crowd of kids.

Sang Luo heard Shen Ning say, “This is called crystal jujube cake. It sells for three to five cents in the county, very precious. I’m giving each of you half a piece.”

The little ones burst into cheers—snacks from the county!

Sang Luo glanced over but didn’t interfere, settling back down to continue weaving the straw nests.

Weaving straw nests for ducks wasn’t complicated. They had two openings, were round overall, with both a bottom and a top. As long as they didn’t get drenched by rain, lining them with soft dry straw made perfect homes for ducklings, chicks, kittens, or puppies.

Holding their jujube cakes, the kids eagerly took small bites. Er Niu was the first to thank Sang Luo. The little ones drooling over the crystal cakes quickly learned to say thanks too.

Sang Luo smiled, “No need to thank me. Eat, then go play.”

At her cue, the children obediently took tiny bites.

Food from the county looked so delicious, no one wanted to eat it all at once—they had to taste it first.

The moment the cake touched their tongues, their mouths flooded with saliva far more than before.

“It’s sweet and sour!”

“Delicious!”

“Really good!”

Shen Tie and the boy named Shi Tou were speechless, gobbling down bite after bite. The youngest, A Xu, took a small bite, then another, but when half a piece was left, he hesitated, looked it over carefully, reluctant to eat it all, and quietly slipped it into the pocket sewn on his coat.

Sang Luo kept weaving, occasionally glancing at the little ones’ satisfied faces and smiling.

Shen Jin’s sharp ears caught the chickens and ducks calling from the backyard. He leaned close to Shen An and whispered, “Did your family buy chickens and ducklings?”

Shen An nodded. “Yes.”

Huzi interjected, “The chickens are from my family, right? I heard Granny Chen asking about them at my house this morning.”

Shen An replied, “I’m not too sure. Granny Chen helped look for them, so probably.”

Huzi smiled proudly, “Our chickens are strong and easy to raise.”

Shen Jin looked envious. “That’s great. Having chickens and ducks means eggs later, and sister-in-law always buys you all kinds of food.”

He’d never even seen snacks from the county before.

Seeing Shen Jin’s regretful face for not being included, Shen An didn’t bother replying.

He looked at the stones delivered. Their dustpans were full, so he emptied the stones brought by the children into a corner of the courtyard. Then he said to them, “Thanks, everyone. You’ve been out in the sun all day. Go home now. I’ll help sister-in-law finish the work.”

“Okay, we’ll help pick stones again tomorrow,” Huzi said. Then added, “You don’t have to give us food.”

Having eaten, they felt a bit shy, and Shen An laughed.

The kids greeted Sang Luo and left, each carrying their baskets and dustpans.

Shen An saw them off. Shen Ning came over with a piece of jujube cake. “Sister-in-law, you eat some too.”

Sang Luo leaned back slightly, lowering her eyes. “Just tear off half a piece.”

Her years of convalescence had taught her to eat only in moderation, no matter how good the food.

Shen Ning knew her well and smiled, tearing half a piece for her, then splitting the other half in two—one half for herself, the other slipped into Shen An’s mouth.

After eating, Shen Ning went to prepare chicken feed. She chopped dandelion and mugwort with a bamboo knife, mixed some barnyard grass and bran, then realized, “Sister-in-law, we don’t have a feeding trough.”

Using bowls to feed chickens was impossible. If scattered on the ground, their newly built courtyard would get dirty.

Sang Luo thought for a moment, then fetched a piece of bamboo from yesterday’s work. She sawed off a thick segment, split it lengthwise in two, and fashioned two small troughs. She cut a thinner piece similarly for the ducklings.

“Let’s use these for now. We’ll replace them when we find something better.”

Shen Ning went inside to feed the chickens. Sang Luo put down the saw and finished the straw nest. It was delicate and well-made, no less charming than some pretty cat beds sold online, with a rustic beauty of its own.

She looked around the courtyard and asked Shen An to help bring in a thin flat stone they had been using as a small table. They moved it into the backyard, setting it under the main house’s eaves.

Sang Luo surveyed the spot. Even if it rained, it wouldn’t get wet there. She carried the straw nest inside and placed it on the stone slab under the eaves. With a stone floor beneath and a roof above, the nest was well sheltered unless there was a heavy downpour. When the ducks grew bigger, they could be raised outside.

While adjusting the nest and securing the feeding troughs, Shen An fetched soft dry straw, laid it carefully inside the nest, then gently placed the three ducklings one by one into their cozy home.

The nest, almost enclosed on three sides, clearly comforted the fluffy ducklings. They looked around happily, chirping cheerfully.

Watching the little creatures, Sang Luo stood and asked Shen Ning to cook some half-cooked rice to feed the ducks later. She grabbed a hoe and headed out to pick a spot beside the house to dig.

The ground had been cleared recently, so it was easy to level it out. After a few moments, she finished and silently estimated the bamboo left at home wouldn’t be enough for the chicken coop. Taking a curved knife, she called Shen An to help cut bamboo nearby.

After almost an hour of work, uncle and sister-in-law returned with a bamboo stalk, a small bundle of fir branches about the size of a child’s arm, and a huge pile of banana leaves. They didn’t enter the courtyard but took out a wooden block, saw, and curved knife outside, trimming the bamboo branches, keeping only the main stalk. Measuring the length, they began sawing.

After cutting the bamboo into segments, they split them into strips about two and a half fingers wide. These were woven into six sturdy bamboo panels, each with four vertical bamboo strips left a foot longer. One panel had a large enough door for easy chicken and duck access, and for cleaning.

Once all six panels were ready, they moved them to the leveled patch of earth. One panel was laid flat as the coop floor to prevent weasels from digging in. The other four were set upright, with the extended bamboo shafts hammered into the ground, forming a simple fence.

The sixth panel was placed on top as a roof. Shen An fetched hemp rope to tie and secure the eight edges, and the bamboo door was installed. A rough but solid chicken coop was complete.

Next, they used arm-thick tree branches for corner posts, sharpening one end and driving them deep into the ground. Testing with their hands to ensure sturdiness, they tied horizontal beams across with hemp rope and thick branches.

A roof frame twice the height and size of the coop slowly took shape. Layers of banana leaves were carefully laid for a waterproof, shady shelter.

Sang Luo admired the two-story coop taller than herself. “A little villa for chickens in the Ten-Mile Village,” she chuckled.

She placed two unused banana leaves inside carefully, then asked Shen An to bring out the remaining straw to layer atop the leaves.

Perfect!

Later, when it got dirty, they just had to pull out the banana leaves and the soiled straw would come out easily for replacement.

After finishing, Sang Luo inspected her hands. Though the bamboo strips were simply trimmed, she wasn’t a skilled carpenter or basket weaver. Her craft was rough, and the surfaces were not smooth.

Without gloves and despite caution, her palms had seven or eight small cuts. While working, it was bearable, but now, done, her hands itched and stung sharply.

She went inside to light a fire, heated one of her two needles by clamping it between two sticks over the flame, then sat in the courtyard painstakingly picking out every bamboo splinter until not a single one remained.

Shen An and Shen Ning were initially thrilled by the beautiful coop beside the house. Seeing their sister-in-law’s wounded hands, their joy vanished, replaced by guilt and sadness.

“Sister-in-law, this is men’s work. From now on, I’ll do it. If I don’t know how, I’ll ask Uncle You Tian. You don’t have to do this kind of work.”

His expression was serious.

Shen Ning strongly agreed, “Yes, sister-in-law, your hands are all cut up. It must hurt a lot.”

The sibling pair’s concern made Sang Luo, who was already itchy and sore, smile.

Men, huh?

Two first or second graders calling this men’s work made Sang Luo want to laugh.

Still, she encouraged their sense of responsibility. “Alright, our Xiao An is a little man. You learn well, so when you’ve mastered it, sister-in-law and A Ning can rely on you for these chores.”

Shen An took it seriously, nodding firmly. “I will. It’s not hard. I learned just by watching you today.”

Sang Luo laughed. After resting, she went to the kitchen to pour a bamboo cup of water and carried the wooden block inside to continue working with the saw.

Shen An was anxious. “Didn’t you say I’d do it once I learned?”

Sang Luo, holding the saw, smiled and raised an eyebrow. “The day after tomorrow, we’re having a banquet. You want to make a chopping board. Can you?”

Chen You Tian had done so much work for them that she had almost forgotten about the chopping board—a small item he’d help with for free. But she couldn’t always rely on others. If she could figure it out herself, she should.

Shen An was confused. “How do you make a chopping board?”

Sang Luo had said it casually but then gave it some thought. It seemed doable. She rummaged through some materials and found a piece of round wood Chen You Tian had sawed off. Tapping it, she found it solid. Turning to Shen An, she said, “It’s not hard. This is leftover elm from making the main beams. Perfect for a chopping board. We just have to saw off a piece. Want to try?”

Her certainty grew as she spoke. “Come, if you want to try, help me. I’ll watch you make it.”

If it went wrong, it’d just waste some material. She could make another.

Actually, it wouldn’t be ruined—the other side was already smooth from Chen You Tian’s saw. One flat side was enough for cutting.

Shen An was a bit unsure. Could he really make a chopping board?

Seeing his sister-in-law’s encouraging eyes, his doubt quickly turned to eagerness. “Okay! Teach me, sister-in-law.”

He felt a new excitement, ready to shoulder some family responsibilities.