Farming for Three Meals a Day [Farming Life] 78

Chapter 78

On the day of the peach blossoms’ peak, Ye Xi made peach blossom pastries at home. He kneaded the washed peach blossom petals into the dough, made a peach blossom paste with honey, wrapped it in several layers of dough, and deep-fried it several times. Without a mold, he could only make them into small, round pastries.

The pastries were a delicate pink, their outer layer crispy and flaky, crumbling with every bite.

Lin Jiangshan, a man of simple tastes, only knew that his husband’s pastries were delicious. Before leaving for the fields, he stuffed two or three into his mouth, and Ye Xi had to remind him to eat slowly, handing him a cup of tea.

Before he left, Ye Xi packed a few pastries and two wheat flour pancakes in a bamboo basket for him.

After the winter wheat harvest, they no longer had to worry about food. With over five acres of land and occasional foraging in the mountains, they had plenty of grain. Ye Xi no longer had to be frugal with the white flour and could make whatever delicious food he wanted.

“What are you doing today?” Lin Jiangshan asked before leaving.

Ye Xi handed him a water pouch. “I’m going to the village to buy duck eggs for pickling. In the afternoon, Li-ge’er asked me to go to the next village to help with tea picking.”

The next village had a tea plantation, and it was the season for picking tender tea buds. They were hiring tea pickers, and the women and young men from the nearby villages were all eager to go, to earn some extra money for their families.

Lin Jiangshan knew his husband couldn’t stay idle, and since he wanted to go, he wouldn’t stop him, only reminding him, “Don’t rush to pick too much, your fingertips will get sore, and don’t stay out too late, come back before dark.”

Ye Xi smiled. “I know.”

Lin Jiangshan then led the cow and left for the next village to plow fields for others and earn some money.

After he left, Ye Xi took care of the household chores, checked on the chickens and ducks in the coop, and then stood by the rabbit hutch for a while, noticing that the rabbits seemed to have grown.

The fawn and goat were lying lazily under the eaves, the warm weather making them drowsy. Lin Jiangshan had cut off the fawn’s antlers a few days ago, applied lime to the wounds, and now only two round stubs remained, the wounds scabbed over, waiting for new antlers to grow.

Ye Xi checked on it again and applied some Sanqi powder, hoping it would heal quickly. “Your antlers sold for one and a half taels of silver, I used the money to buy a few dozen vegetable seedlings, when they grow, I’ll have more food for you.”

The fawn nuzzled against Ye Xi’s palm affectionately, and Ye Xi went to the kitchen and mixed some corn gruel for them.

The goat’s udders were full, and Ye Xi milked a large bowl of goat milk.

He would take it to the village and see if anyone wanted to buy it, and also ask if anyone had duck eggs for sale.

After locking the door, Ye Xi went down the mountain with the basin of goat milk. On the way, he saw a patch of wild mulberries, ripe and dark red. He picked one and tasted it, sweet and juicy, and then picked a handful.

At the village entrance, he placed the basin on the stone millstone and waited for the villagers to come and buy milk.

A woman passing by saw him and went back to the village to call for others. Soon, a few women came out with bowls.

It was Mrs. Sun, the youngest aunt in the village. She came over with a bowl. “Xi Ge’er (Ye Xi), give me a bowl of goat milk.”

Ye Xi filled her bowl to the brim with a bamboo ladle, the milk almost spilling over. Mrs. Sun carefully took the bowl and smiled. “Oh, don’t spill it, it would be a waste.”

She gave Ye Xi three wen. “Let me know when you come again, I’ll bring my bowl.”

Ye Xi smiled. “I will. Is this for your grandson, Auntie?”

Mrs. Sun’s daughter-in-law had given birth to a grandson last year, the apple of the family’s eye. Her son had been married for four or five years without any children, and the family was very anxious, especially her daughter-in-law, who was afraid she couldn’t conceive.

Gossip was rampant in the village, and people would whisper behind her back that she was barren. Later, the gossip shifted to her son, saying he was infertile, which made Mrs. Sun so angry that she chased them with a cleaver.

At the mention of her grandson, Mrs. Sun’s smile widened. “Yes, my grandson loves it. He was as small as a kitten when he was born, and I was so scared my heart was in my throat, I couldn’t sleep at night, afraid I wouldn’t take good care of him. After he turned one, he became stronger, but still a bit weak, so I thought goat milk would be good for him.”

Ye Xi nodded. “I’ll bring you more next time, goat milk will definitely make your grandson healthy and strong.”

Mrs. Sun said, “Xi Ge’er (Ye Xi) grew up drinking goat milk, look at you now, so fair and handsome. I’d say your parents really know how to dote on you, raising a young man so well.”

Other women came to buy goat milk, and Mrs. Sun, not wanting to delay Ye Xi’s business, took her bowl and went home.

In about half an hour, Ye Xi’s goat milk was almost sold out. He saw the youngest child of the He family staring at him from a distance. Their family was poor, the father had passed away, the mother was sickly, and she struggled to support her three children, a very difficult life.

Ye Xi smiled at him. “Go home and get a bowl, I’ll give you some goat milk.”

“Does it cost money?” He Xiao-wa asked with his large, dark eyes.

Ye Xi shook his head. “My goat milk is almost sold out, I’ll give you the rest.”

Hearing this, He Xiao-wa happily ran home and returned with a chipped earthenware bowl.

Ye Xi poured the remaining goat milk for him. “If I come again next time, wait for me here, I’ll give you the leftovers if there are any.”

He Xiao-wa nodded happily and carefully carried the bowl home, not letting a single drop spill.

His family didn’t have enough to eat, even coarse grain steamed buns, they could only have half a piece per meal. When He Xiao-wa returned home with the goat milk, his mother was washing clothes in the courtyard, coughing from time to time, her frail body worn out from hard labor.

Seeing her son carrying a bowl of white liquid, she called out, “What are you carrying?”

He Xiao-wa (Little One from the He family.) licked his lips. “Mother, it’s goat milk.”

“Goat milk?” Mother He was stunned, where did they get the money for goat milk? “Where did you get it, little one? Tell Mother.”

He Xiao-wa said, “The pretty uncle from the village gave it to me.”

Mother He frowned. “Who in the village would be so kind? Little one, we can’t steal, have you forgotten what Mother said?!”

He Xiao-wa was on the verge of tears. “Mother, the uncle gave it to me! He said he had leftovers and would give them to me, and to come back next time. It’s the uncle in the village whose face was burned and then got better!”

She finally understood who it was, the Ye family was always kind, and she knew Xi Ge’er (Ye Xi). “I understand, but little one, we can’t take things for free. We don’t have anything good to give in return, but if the uncle’s family needs help with anything, you have to go and help, do you understand?”

He Xiao-wa nodded vigorously and then asked timidly, “Mother, can we drink the goat milk then?”

The three children stared at her expectantly, and Mother He smiled faintly. “Drink it, the uncle gave it to you.”

The three children excitedly went inside, poured the goat milk into a pot without spilling a drop, and gathered around, waiting for it to boil.

The fragrant smell made their mouths water. One bowl wasn’t enough, so they added two bowls of well water, and although the taste was diluted, it was still a treat.

After the goat milk boiled, none of the children wanted to drink it first. They served the first bowl to their mother.

Looking at the goat milk, Mother He took the bowl with tears in her eyes and took a small sip. “Delicious.”

The three children then shared the rest, drinking it all down to the last drop, and the bowl of goat milk brought them happiness for several days.

After selling the goat milk, Ye Xi took some peach blossom pastries to his sister-in-law. Li Ran was due to give birth at the end of next month, and her belly was large and round.

“He kicks me often, even at night,” Li Ran said, rubbing her back as she walked in the courtyard.

Ye Xi sat beside her and smiled. “He’s a naughty one, he’ll be as strong as my brother when he’s born.”

Li Ran smiled. “My parents are also worried about me, they know childbirth is not easy and told me to choose a good midwife early.”

“Have you decided on a midwife?”

“The experienced Mrs. Zhang from the next village. She’s been delivering babies for half her life, hundreds of babies from her hands. My family will be at ease if I choose her.”

Ye Xi nodded. “It’s important to find an experienced one, even if she charges more, it’s worth the peace of mind. This is my brother’s first child, a precious one.”

Li Ran smiled. “Then when he’s born, he’ll be asking you to buy him candy and make him new clothes.”

Ye Xi said happily, “I’ll definitely dote on him, I’ll give him everything I have.”

“If you like children so much, then you and your husband should have one soon,” Li Ran said.

At the mention of this, Ye Xi’s eyes drooped, and he felt a bit down. He didn’t know why, after almost a year of marriage, there was still no news. Lin Jiangshan was very passionate, they were intimate almost every other day, but he still hadn’t conceived. Could there be something wrong?

“I don’t know why, but my belly is still empty, and I’m a bit anxious.” He was afraid he was like those young men in the village who couldn’t conceive.

Li Ran quickly said, “Xi Ge’er (Ye Xi), just try to relax, it’s harder for young men to conceive, maybe it will happen in the second half of the year, there’s no rush.”

“I know, I’m just a bit anxious.” He wanted a child, his and his husband’s child, a fair and delicate young man, or a strong boy, a good man like his father.

He would take him hunting in the mountains, fishing in the river, and farming in the fields, watching the wind blow through the rice paddies. Then, their small courtyard would be even more lively.