Chapter 117: Chapter 69: Hometown Feelings (Part 2)

Juhua couldn’t help but chuckle. ’It’s only a few tarts,’ she thought. ’Zhang Huai is my brother’s best friend. I can’t leave him out!’

She hurriedly carried the plate over to him and asked, amused, “Why isn’t my brother back yet? This is all that’s left; I was saving it for him to eat tonight. It’s your fault for being late. You can just share them with him!”

Only then did Zhang Huai realize that everyone outside had been eating tarts. He was especially pleased to see Juhua bring him all that was left, and he said with a smile, “Your brother is helping the teacher clean his room. He should be home soon. I was on my way to get my dad. I saw people in the courtyard earlier but didn’t know what was going on. If I’d known there was food, I would’ve come sooner.”

As he spoke, he held up the rabbit for her to see. “My dad caught two rabbits in his traps, so we’re giving one to you all. I’ll take four tarts, then there’s one for everyone at my house.”

He set the rabbit down and reached for the tarts with his bare hand.

“Wait, I’ll find some paper for you to wrap them in,” Juhua said quickly. She went and found a few sheets of rough paper, wrapped up five fruit tarts, and handed them to him. ’He brought a rabbit, after all,’ she thought, giving him an extra one. The little calculation amused her.

Meizi, however, asked Zhang Huai curiously, “Are there a lot of rabbits on the mountain? You guys always seem to be bringing them back. Gosh, my dad has never found one, not even once. I can’t eat rabbit even when I’m craving it.”

Her words made Zhang Huai laugh. “We don’t just find them,” he said. “You dig a few traps and check them the next day. If you’re lucky, you’ll get something. Your dad knows how; he just doesn’t want to bother.” He then glanced gently at Juhua. “I’ll be going now.”

“Okay!” Juhua called out. “If you see my brother, tell him to hurry back.” Zhang Huai acknowledged her and left.

After everyone was gone, Juhua looked at the five fruit tarts she had hidden in the cupboard, unsure whether to laugh or cry. She didn’t know if she should be happy or heartbroken.

On one hand, she should be happy—they were a unanimous hit, which meant her baking was a success. But on the other, thinking about how she had worked all day only to be left with these few tarts made her heart ache. She had been hoping she wouldn’t even have to cook breakfast tomorrow. Wasn’t all that work for nothing?

Zheng Changhe walked into the kitchen, looking sheepish. He chuckled, scratching the back of his head, and said placatingly to Juhua, “Let’s make some more tomorrow. Dad will help you with the fire. I can knead the dough, too.”

Yang Family shot him a look. “She’s been working hard all day, and you want her to make more tomorrow? In your dreams! Let Juhua rest for a couple of days!”

Zheng Changhe grew even more embarrassed and said hurriedly, “You’re right, no more, no more!”

Seeing her father’s guilty expression, Juhua’s eyes crinkled into a smile. She said to Yang Family, “Mom, it’s alright. Today was mainly a test run. Now I know how to make them for the future. It won’t take so much effort if I just make a smaller batch.”

That evening, Qingmu ate all five tarts in one sitting, along with a bowl of corn porridge.

Juhua said to him, “I saved ten for you, but Zhang Huai brought a rabbit, so I gave him five. Brother, are you full?”

“Mhm,” Qingmu grunted in affirmation, looking up at her with a smile. “I’m full. You should get to bed early tonight. We have tomorrow off, and I’m going up the mountain with Huai Zi. His dad set a bunch of traps up there, so we might catch something. Want me to take you along for a look?”

Juhua was overjoyed. “I’ve wanted to go for ages!” she said quickly. “I was just worried there wouldn’t be anything to see in winter and that it wouldn’t be any fun.”

“That’s not true; there are still rabbits,” Qingmu said. He got up, rummaged in a corner, and pulled out a slingshot. “I’ll hit them with the slingshot first to stun them, and Huai Zi will chase them down. That’s how we usually do it.”

Juhua was immediately captivated by this primitive, rustic method and grew giddy with anticipation.

Yang Family also chimed in, “Have your dad watch the house tomorrow. You go out with your brother for a bit. It’s not good for you to be cooped up at home all day.”

Zheng Changhe quickly agreed. “You go. I’ll stay and watch the house. All I need to do is tend the fire for the pig’s head meat.”

The couple was in an especially good mood today.

Meizi and the other girls coming over to play with Juhua had been a delightful surprise for them. It meant that Juhua would have friends from now on. The other young women didn’t look down on her; they even wanted to learn how to cook from her. Because of this, the two of them had been cheerful all day. When they heard Qingmu wanted to take Juhua up the mountain, they agreed without hesitation. Normally, they would have forbidden it. The weather was cold, and Juhua’s health was fragile; they would have worried about her falling or getting hurt—especially since Zheng Changhe’s leg had only just healed. But in their happy mood, they let her go.

However, plans are always subject to change. At Zhang Huai’s house, his maternal grandmother had bought and sent over three little piglets, and their pigpen was no longer big enough. So, his father had urgently invited a butcher over first thing in the morning to slaughter one of their pigs. Zhang Huai came over to ask Zheng Changhe and his son to help out and, while they were at it, to have some fresh pig-butchering soup.

He invited Juhua to come along, suggesting she could help his mother clean the pig offal.

But there was no way Juhua would go. Zhang Huai could visit her house five times a day and no one would gossip—his friendship with her brother went back years. But if she were to set foot in his family’s courtyard, it would instantly become the talk of the entire village! Though she didn’t really care about such things, being the topic of discussion among the village gossips was still annoying, wasn’t it? She had only just started enjoying some peace and quiet.

So, she told him, “Brother Huai Zi, the pig’s head is still simmering in the pot, so someone has to stay home. It’s fine if my dad and brother go; they can just bring some meat back for me. My dad knows how to clean offal too, so just have him help your mom with it.”

Seeing that Juhua had indeed refused, Huai Zi’s wheat-colored cheeks flushed red with frustration. His narrow eyes stared at Juhua, filled with hurt, but there was nothing he could do. He had specifically mentioned helping his mother with the offal because he was worried Juhua wouldn’t agree to come. He knew perfectly well that her excuse was reasonable—someone did need to stay home—but his heart felt as if it were being twisted by a knife. He was utterly miserable.

’Because of that past mistake,’ he thought, ’when will this torment ever end?’

Seeing that Juhua didn’t want to go, Qingmu quickly said, “Then don’t go. It’s a hassle to run back and forth anyway. What do you want to eat? I’ll bring some back for you.”

Zhang Huai also looked at her expectantly. ’You’re not going to refuse to even eat pork from my family, are you?’ he thought.

This time, Juhua didn’t stand on ceremony. She said to Qingmu and Zhang Huai, “Bring me back some of the pig liver; I’ll make soup for lunch. Also, when you slaughter the pig, make sure to collect the blood in a clean basin and add a bit of salt. I’m sure it will taste just as good cooked with pickled vegetables as the offal does.”

Only then did a smile return to Zhang Huai’s face. He left with Qingmu. Zheng Changhe had already gone on ahead.

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