Chapter 13: The Wonderful Uses of the Spring
Even though Mother Ji said it like that, Su Danhong still went down to the kang to help her over.
Mother Ji asked, “Did your eldest sister-in-law and second sister-in-law come to learn today?”
“I told them everything I had to say, but they didn't seem to find it easy to embroider,” Su Danhong replied. 🅟🅛🅔🅐🅢🅔 🅡🅔🅐🅓 🅐🅣 🅕🅞🅧🅐🅗🅞🅛🅘🅒.🅒🅞🅜
Mother Ji went to Feng Fangfang and Ji Mudan before she came here, so she was not surprised when she heard this. She just wanted to come here to say that there was no need to care about them.
“Now that you've taught them, it's their business whether they can learn it or not. Mother has seen your embroidery. This bowl of rice is not for everyone to eat,” Mother Ji said.
She knew a lot about sewing and mending, but it was not the same as embroidery.
Mother Ji's eyes fell on the golden dragon she was embroidering, and immediately understood why Lao Da’s wife and Lao Er’s wife had been in shock like that. She examined the golden dragon embroidered by Lao San. It was so powerful that it was almost alive. One glance and she felt comfortable and peaceful all over!
“This time I embroidered double dragons playing with the pearl. Sister Hong said it would sell better,” Su Danhong said.
Mother Ji nodded repeatedly and said, “Good, good. Then you embroider and mother will go back first.”
Su Danhong sent her out. She stuffed a box of vanishing cream that had not been opened yet to Mother Ji, and said, “Mother, take this box for you and father to use.”Mother Ji hurried to say, “Keep it for yourself. Your father and I don't need this.”
“Take it.” Su Danhong pressed her to accept it.
Mother Ji just took it and went back to her home. She said to Father Ji, ”Look, Lao San’s wife gave us another box of vanishing cream.”
“She knows you gave it to those two,” Father Ji said.
“She knew, but she wasn't angry with me and she gave me another box?” Mother Ji asked in astonishment.
”Lao San’s wife is filial. Let's keep this box for our own use,” Father Ji said.
“Okay.” Mother Ji nodded and brought up the matter about learning embroidery. “Lao Da’s wife and Lao Er’s wife couldn’t learn it.”
“That’s their business. Don't get involved. Just help Lao San’s wife take care of the land in the backyard if you have time and see if you can plant some vegetables. She is busy with embroidery and has no time to take care of the land right now,” Father Ji said.
“All right, I'll go there this afternoon,” Mother Ji agreed and nodded.
Su Danhong did not expect Mother Ji to come again in the afternoon and came to help her plow the land.
Su Danhong wanted to do it herself, but she really couldn't. She had no choice but to let Mother Ji come and do it.
“You don't have to worry about it. Go in and embroider it. Mother can do this bit of work.” Mother Ji said as she dug the ground.
Su Danhong went back to her room to continue embroidering. New Year was coming. This should be the last time one could go out this year. If it went on like this, it would soon snow. The mountain would be covered by heavy snow, so she would not go out. It would be too cold to speak and also dangerous.
Su Danhong did not concern herself with the backyard and let Mother Ji be busy. There wasn’t a lot of land so it was not a big deal for Mother Ji.
When Mother Ji was finished and went back, Su Danhong quietly watered the straw-covered seeds with the spring water. She didn't know if this spring had any uses, but she always felt better after drinking it for a few days.
The last time she discovered this spring in her head, she was embroidering and didn’t feel like getting up to drink water. She just kept drinking from the spring water. That’s why she came to see if it was useful for these seeds.
When Su Danhong got up the next day, she only remembered the seeds in the backyard after getting ready. When she came over to have a look, the seed reacted a little, but it was not very big. It looked like it was sprouting.
Su Danhong had never planted a field, so she thought nothing of it. However, Mother Ji was amazed. “How did it sprout so soon?”
“It took one night to sprout. Is that fast?” Su Danhong ignorantly asked.
Mother Ji said, “It takes two or three days to sprout. It’s cold now, and sometimes can’t sprout. Isn’t it too fast to just sprout overnight?”
But no matter how suspicious Mother Ji was, Su Danhong insisted that she didn't know.
Mother Ji finally just let the matter be.
While Su Danhong breathed a sigh of relief, she told herself to be vigilant. It was really unexpected that the spring water had this effect on the seeds. She had drunk the spring water for a long time before she realized it was good for her health, but this overnight sprouting should not be misused in the future.
How would she explain it if someone found out about it?
Half a month passed in her life.
Su Danhong received the money and letter that Ji Jianyun sent back. Mother Ji brought it to her when it was placed in the village committee.
“Thank you mother.” It was the first time that Su Danhong had received a letter from Ji Jianyun. Her heart was pounding and she smiled shyly at mother.
Mother Ji smiled. “Go and read it. Mother is going to go look at the vegetable field.”
Su Danhong took the letter and went back to her room. She put aside some yuan and took the letter out to read it.
The beginning was a very formal greeting. Next, her Ji Jianyun expressed that he wanted to see her and missed her. He asked her how life was at home. He had received both the sweater and the new clothes she sent him last time. Several of his friends envied him. The new clothes fit him well and the sweater was also very warm.
At the end of the letter, he finally asked about his parents' health and other family matters.
Whether it was the lovely words at the beginning or the part at the end, Su Danhong read it back and forth three times before she put the letter away happily.
She took out the stationery she bought last time from the cabinet and began to write with a pen that she was not used to using.
After she finally wrote a letter full of letters telling Jianyun that everything was all right and her own shy thoughts, she wondered what to send to Jianyun this time.
In this cold weather, big men always had to eat more before they had the strength to work.
So the next day she went to town and bought a lot of beef and ingredients just to make delicious beef jerky.
These beef jerky also had some herbs that would strengthen the body added to it. There was a faint medicinal smell, but the taste was so excellent and appetizing that even Father Ji really liked to eat it.
Ji Jianyun had just finished his work and was tired when the loving package arrived with a letter.
“Jianyun, this is a package from your family. I think it’s from your wife again.” A friend came in carrying the package. 𝙿𝚕𝚎𝚊𝚜𝚎 𝚛𝚎𝚊𝚍 𝚊𝚝 𝚏𝚘𝚡𝚊𝚑𝚘𝚕𝚒𝚌.𝚌𝚘𝚖
Ji Jianyun didn’t even wash his face when he heard this. He threw the towel away and quickly came out. As soon as he saw the big package, he grabbed it immediately from his friend.
“What's the hurry? I'm not robbing you.” The friend grinned.
“I have the package now.” Ji Jianyun indicated for him to leave with his eyes.
But his friend didn't leave and said, “Look, what did she send you this time?” He smelled the food through the package.
Ji Jianyun opened the package. There were two packets and a letter inside.
“It smelled good when you opened the package!” The friend stared at the package.
Ji Jianyun focused on the letter. He took the letter and turned his back on his friend to read it. When he had read his wife's letter for him three or four times, he turned around. He saw that his friend had opened the packet and had started eating the beef jerky!
“Jianyun, this beef jerky is too good. Did your mother send it to you?” The friend who was eating the spicy beef jerky asked.
“My wife made it and sent it to me.” Ji Jianyun's face did not change, but his eyes were full of joy.
“Good boy, this is the second time this month that she has sent you something, right? You seem to have done a good job when you returned home last time,” his friend Tong Dahe said. “Do you want to apply for a return for the New Year?”