The weather was getting colder. When Chen Xuan got up in the morning, she was hit by a gust of cold air as soon as she opened her mouth. She could not help but tighten her cotton cheongsam, rub her hands, and then breathe a breath of air into her palms. The blue brick ground outside the door was covered with a layer of white and shiny ice and snow. The sky above was also gloomy and cold, and from time to time, a few small ice fragments were blown down by the cold wind. If it weren't for Wei Nian's watch at home, Chen Xuan would think it was still early. Ever since Chen Xuan got up in the middle of the night to make breakfast, and then waited for two hours for the family to get up after making breakfast, Wei Nian would put the watch on the small kang table when he went to bed, and taught Chen Xuan how to read the watch, so that she didn't have to look at the stars to estimate the time.
Chen Xuan first swept the yard with a broom. Such a thin layer of ice and snow would make people more slippery. Chen Xuan never spared any effort in her work. She lived in the backyard, but she would not just sweep the backyard. She also swept the front yard where the old lady, the old man and the two sisters-in-law lived. Chen Xuan liked this quiet time in the morning. She could also recite the foreign language she learned yesterday, the poems and articles she recited silently, etc. twice. Afterwards, Chen Xuan looked at the strawberries covered with thick straw felt in the strawberry garden. Chen Xuan was afraid that the strawberries would be frozen to death in the cold. After all, she didn't know whether they could survive the winter like wheat. To be safe, Chen Xuan covered some of the strawberries with straw felt.
After finishing the work in the yard, Chen Xuan felt warm all over and there was a thin layer of sweat on the tip of her nose. She washed her face with some warm water, applied some cold cream, and went to the kitchen to prepare breakfast.
Chen Xuan has always been diligent. She always rushes to do the housework. She says, "You wash less dishes, I wash more dishes." Chen Xuan is not the kind of person who likes to care about things. What's wrong with doing more work? Chen Xuan is the kind of person who would rather do more. She is honest by nature. She feels at ease if she does more work. However, every time she goes out, sometimes she can't get back before dinner, so Li has to do the work in the kitchen by herself. Chen Xuan always feels sorry for Li.
After a while, Li also came over, and the two sisters-in-law talked and made breakfast together.
It was so cold, and the men had to go out to work. How could they just have porridge and steamed buns as side dishes? Old Mrs. Wei came over and told them to make a bowl of sugar-water eggs for the old man. As for Wei Shi and Wei Nian, just let Li Chenxuan watch over it.
Li said, "Just ask Jie'er's father to eat the sugar-water eggs too."
"Brother Anian can't eat sugar-water eggs, so I'll make him a scallion egg pancake." Chen Xuan took eggs from the bamboo basket and discussed with Li, "Sister-in-law, boil an egg for each of the children. Brother Jie and Brother Ming are both studying. In such a cold day, eating something solid can calm your heart. If you calm your heart, you won't feel cold." Chen Xuan used to live in her second uncle's house. In spring and autumn, there was a busy time, and her aunt cooked enough food. In winter, there was less work in the fields, and her aunt was meticulous, so she cooked as little as possible. Chen Xuan has always been honest, and she won't fight for food and drink. She just eats more if there is more, and eats less if there is less. But it was so cold in winter. The firewood I stuffed in the kang hole before going to bed was not warm at all in the second half of the night. I was hungry and felt empty in my heart. Until dawn, I felt that the winter chill didn't seem to come from the wind and snow in the north, but from my heart.
Li's hesitant voice brought Chen Xuan back to her thoughts, "Will the old lady agree?" Li had two sons and one daughter, and she was very willing to let the children eat better, especially on such a cold morning. However, she was used to being docile, and was worried that old lady Wei was too delicate and would not agree.
Chen Xuan has been making some decisions lately. She discussed with Li quietly, "As for my eldest sister-in-law's Feng and Yu, we won't eat them. We can just cook an egg for each of the children, and the old lady will have one, and my eldest sister-in-law and Ah Yin will also have one. The old lady will definitely not say anything about this."
If it weren't for the children, Li would not have dared to agree with Chen Xuan's idea. Sure enough, when the boiled eggs were served, Mrs. Wei's face was not very good. Chen Xuan quickly said, "It's the old lady and the children, one old and one young. It's cold today, don't feel wronged when eating. Sister-in-law and Yin are both aunts, and they can't feel wronged in their mother's home." Then she divided the eggs among the children. Mrs. Wei was sharp-eyed and understood it at a glance. She was not annoyed in her heart. On the contrary, the old lady was slightly satisfied. At least these two daughters-in-law were not greedy people.
Wei Yin said, "Sister-in-law, don't be like this in the future. If you want to eat, just eat together. It's not good for everyone to eat but you two don't."
Li smiled, "We don't like to eat."
"Yes, yes, this big white steamed bun tastes especially delicious." Chen Xuan broke off half of the bun, lowered her head to drink a mouthful of porridge, and ate it with pickled cucumbers this autumn. It was crunchy and chewing was so satisfying.
Wei Nian felt an indescribable feeling in his heart. He felt that the yellow and fragrant scallion egg pancake, which had always suited his taste, aesthetics, and appetite, no longer had any flavor.
After breakfast, Li cleaned the table. Chen Xuan said something to Li and took the opportunity to go out and sweep the ice and snow particles at the door again. It was really cold outside. After sweeping it when she got up, a thin layer of ice had formed again. It took a lot of effort to sweep it clean.
Chen Xuan was sweeping the door when Wei Nian came out and put his dog-skin hat on her head, saying to her, "Why don't you wear a hat when you go out? It's snowing."
"This is not snow at all, it's just some ice. I'm not cold, my cotton coat is thick and I sweat as soon as I work." She wanted to put it back on Wei Nian, but Wei Nian just patted her on the head twice and walked towards the entrance of the alley with his long legs. Chen Xuan looked at Wei Nian who was still wearing a three-piece suit and a dark thick woolen coat that was newly made this year, and couldn't help touching the dog-skin hat on his head. Wei Nian never wore this kind of rustic hat. Wasn't he taking it out specially for her
Chen Xuan felt that this was possible.
Oh, Brother Anian is such a good person.
Chen Xuan thought about it, and she couldn't help but feel a little sad. It was really strange. In her past two lives, no one had ever treated her so well, and she didn't feel anything. Suddenly, on such a cold morning, someone brought her a dog-skin hat. Although Chen Xuan was not really cold, she scratched the dog-skin hat that could protect her ears, and she still felt an indescribable warmth rising from the bottom of her heart. It seemed that even the broken ice on her eyelashes melted because of the warmth and accidentally fell into Chen Xuan's eyes, making her look like she was about to cry.
Chen Xuan cleaned the door with great effort, and Wei Nian came over in a car. Chen Xuan realized that Wei Nian had gone out to look for a car. Chen Xuan went home with Wei Nian, holding a broom. She pinched the broom handle with some force and asked with concern, "Brother Nian, you only have a woolen sweater inside, are you cold?"
"Not cold." Wei Nian put his hands in his coat pockets. His hair was styled into a sleek slicked back bun with hairspray. With his handsome face, he was definitely not cold.
Chen Xuan saw that he was so stubborn, so there was nothing she could do. Wei Nian went in and said that he had called a car. Old Mrs. Wei leaned over to help Old Man Wei put on the cotton shoes that were drying on the kang. Old Man Wei helped his eldest son get off the kang with one hand. He had been through hard times, and he said, "It's only two and a half steps, why call a car? Just walk."
Wei Nian said, "It's not just for you, Dad. We also have Brother Jie and Brother Ming. They are both young, and their school is in Dongdan, which is far away. We can just go together and send them to school first, and then we can go to the shop."
Old Master Wei loved his children and grandchildren, so he didn't say anything else.
Wei Nian called Wei Jie and Wei Ming and went out together.
Because of the bad weather, Mrs. Wei did not go out to watch a play today. Everyone was knitting sweaters or chatting in the house. It was so cold, Wei Jin was preparing stewed mutton for lunch. Mrs. Wei looked out the gray window, and from time to time there was the sound of ice chips wrapped in the cold wind hitting the glass window. She nodded, "It's okay to stew mutton. We have the best big white radishes at home. Chop some radishes and put them in. It will be delicious. Stew more, fill two large casseroles at noon, and send them to the shop. Roll some noodles and send them together. They will add some water and heat it on the coal fire. When the water boils, put the noodles directly in. It will be the best mutton noodles. It will keep you warm in winter. Your father also likes it."
Wei Nian is a delicate eater. He hates mutton and radish stewed together, saying that the flavors mix. Chen Xuan stewed a small clay pot of braised mutton for Wei Nian on a small stove. Chen Xuan didn't have any special skills, but she was delicate. Wei Jin saw it and nagged Chen Xuan. Chen Xuan was a man of few words and ignored Wei Jin. As long as Chen Xuan didn't eat mutton, Wei Jin's nagging would be in vain. However, Wei Jin still complained in front of Mrs. Wei, "Mom, you didn't see it. My second brother's wife cooked a small pot for my second brother, saying that my second brother didn't like radish. Oh my god, it was so delicate. They used the old clay pot we bought from Jingdezhen, put it on the coal fire, and simmered it slowly. The aroma is different from the one cooked in a big firewood pot."
Old Mrs. Wei handed a piece of lotus seed paste to her eldest daughter and said as a matter of course, "As a wife, isn't this how you should serve your husband?"
Wei Jin took the lotus seed paste and clicked his tongue twice, "Don't mention it, my second brother's wife is really good at serving people."
Chen Xuan not only stewed mutton in a clay pot for Wei Nian, but also did not add anything that would spoil the flavor except ginger, star anise, salt, cinnamon, rock sugar and other seasonings. She also found the lotus root that she and Li had bought at the market the day before and cut it into slices. She also cut frozen tofu and cabbage heads and put them all in a bowl without cooking them in the pot. Chen Xuan discussed with Li, "These dishes will easily go bad if they are cooked in the pot in advance. Just take them over like this. If you like them, there will be coal fire in the shop. You can heat them in the clay pot and they will be ready to eat. They will also be fresh."
"That's a good idea." Li also agreed.
Chen Xuan is such a person. If someone is nice to her, she would like to return the kindness to them tenfold.
However, even if she had such a heart, the first person who cared about her like this in her two lifetimes was only one Wei Nian.
Chen Xuan would not feel wronged. In this world, it is not easy for anyone to live. Her parents passed away early, and her uncle and aunt must take care of their own children first. She has no relatives or friends with the Wei family. In her previous life, the Wei family did not starve or freeze her. It was just that Wei Nian did not like her no matter what. In this life, she talked to Wei Nian about marriage early, and then she knew that Wei Nian was such a good person. Not only did he teach her foreign language, but he also gave her a dog fur hat on such a cold day.
Chen Xuan cherished the hat and baked it on the warm bed of Mrs. Wei for half a day, knowing that it was a hat she made for Wei Nian before and Wei Nian didn't wear it very often. After baking the hat to make it warm, Chen Xuan put it in the closet.
In the evening, she took out the cotton coat, trousers, robe and shoes she made for Wei Nian. They had been baked on the kang in Old Lady Wei's room in the afternoon. Now, if you touch them, they are still warm inside. Although it is funny that Wei Nian would hold the enamel pot filled with hot water to keep warm every night, Chen Xuan still decided to persuade him not to care about his face. Chen Xuan knew that Wei Nian was a conceited person. She thought about it for a whole day before coming up with an excuse. She took out the clothes for Wei Nian and put them on the kang. Chen Xuan said softly, "It took me a long time to make this dress. Even if Brother An Nian wears it for one day, my hard work will not be in vain, right? Brother An Nian treats me so well. I made it for him sincerely. Brother An Nian, please wear it. It will not be in vain, okay?" Then, she gave him a particularly earnest look.
Wei Nian did feel that the weather was getting cold, and Chen Xuan persuaded him like this, and Chen Xuan made it specially for him. Especially the word "specially", when Wei Nian thought of this, he felt as if he had drunk a bowl of hot soup on this cold winter night, which was very comfortable. It was rare that Wei Nian had to act reluctantly, "Okay then." He also said to Chen Xuan stubbornly, "I can't bear to disappoint you."
"Yes, yes, Brother Nian, you are the best." Chen Xuan hurriedly handed the clothes to her and went to the outer room to let Wei Nian change into cotton clothes. At night, Chen Xuan laughed secretly when she saw Wei Nian wrapped like a big cotton monkey and leaning against the quilt reading a book.
The author has something to say: ps: This is the first update, there will be another update later~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~