Chapter 49

Chapter 49

After the noon meal, Gu Lan sat in the courtyard sewing clothes while Big Black lay in a corner gnawing on the bone he had been given the previous day, cradling it protectively as if it were a treasure. The man and dog coexisted peacefully without disturbing each other.

The land Pei Yan purchased was separate from the dowry land, requiring him to travel between the two. Fortunately, the two mu of paddy fields weren't extensive, and he had managed to clear the weeds alone over the past few days. There was no urgency with the wheat field; after the scorching midday sun passed, he could tend to it by pulling out any remaining weeds in the afternoon.

Sewing needed to be meticulous, for loose stitches would easily come apart, defeating the purpose of sewing. Neat and closely-knitted stitching not only served its function but also looked better.

Given their proximity to the woods, the stone mountain wall was just about fifty feet behind the backyard, thus eliminating the need for a back door. The yard was simply enclosed by a mud wall.

Unknown birds sang in the woods, and a few gray sparrows perched on the wall, pecking at something with rhythmic hops.

Gu Lan was engrossed in his work. Only when he heard the flutter of wings as the sparrows took flight did he lift his head to rub his neck. Daily tasks like mowing grass and tending the fields kept him busy, leaving him with sporadic moments to sew clothes. Thankfully, he was nearing completion.

He entered the main room to pour himself a bowl of tea. Although the cooled tea quenched his thirst, it wasn't ideal for prolonged consumption. He was accustomed to drinking hot water from a clay pot at home. A mud stove wouldn't be overly expensive - fifteen wen - but he would discuss the matter with Pei Yan upon his return. If they decided to buy one, they could easily acquire it from the village's pottery craftsman.

After satisfying his thirst, Gu Lan returned to the yard and picked up his needlework. Just as he did, he witnessed Big Black baring its teeth and growling before dashing out of the courtyard.

Startled by the commotion, Gu Lan heard a dog's pained cries. He quickly grabbed a wooden stick and rushed outside, only to find Er'hei being attacked by Big Black.

"Go away!" He hastily called out to Big Black, his fear of the large dog making him feel uneasy. However, he was also worried about Er'hei being mauled, so he brandished the wooden club as a threat.

A tuft of fur hung from Big Black's mouth. Unlike when facing Pei Yan, it didn't cower upon being reprimanded. It only retreated warily when Gu Lan Shi raised his staff.

Er'hei, startled, let out a fearful yelp and squeezed its way between Gu Lan Shi's legs, tail tucked between them. Its fluffy head wedged in-between his shins.

Gu Lan Shi didn't swing the stick at the big dog; he merely wanted to scare it off. Otherwise, if he provoked it further, both he and Er'hei might suffer consequences.

Seeing Er'hei so terrified, his heart ached. He put down the staff and examined the dog's injuries. Thankfully, there was no bleeding, just some lost fur.

If anyone else had witnessed this, they'd have laughed at how cowardly Er'hei was, not daring to even bite back at Big Black. But Gu Lan Shi didn't think it was shameful. Even some of the village men were afraid of Big Black, let alone Er'hei. The two dogs were vastly different in size; Er'hei couldn't possibly win a fight.

Moreover, Er'hei had accompanied him when he searched for Pei Yan before, forming a deep bond. Despite its appearance, Er'hei was clever when it came to guarding the house and could even detect his previous leg injuries.

"Why did you come here?" Gu Lan Shi rubbed the dog's head and ears.

"Whimper…" Er'hei whined, rubbing against his hand, clearly feeling wronged.

Observing that Big Black had retreated to the entrance, Gu Lan Shi stroked Er'hei's neck and got up to fetch a rough, unleavened bread from the kitchen for the dog. As he passed by Big Black, he instinctively stepped softly. Seeing that the big dog remained still, his pounding heart calmed.

He fetched half a rough steamed bun for Er'hei, then, after some thought, threw the remaining half to Dahei. As he stroked Er'hei's head, he said, "This is Er'hei, not any other dog. You mustn't bully it anymore in the future."

Feeling foolish for talking to a dog, he sighed and patted Er'hei's head. "After you're done eating, go back home. Don't wander off."

Knowing Dahei's strength, Er'hei rubbed against Gu Lan's calf before scampering away. It was highly vigilant, glancing back from time to time, fearful that Dahei might chase after it.

Gu Lan stood up and watched until Er'hei disappeared from sight at the crossroads before turning his attention to the large dog eating buns by the courtyard gate.

The dog's fur had yet to fully grow, so Dahei still looked rather ugly. However, compared to before, it appeared slightly more lively and less disheveled.

Indeed, its temperament was somewhat fierce, but with Dahei around, Pei Yan wouldn't feel scared when he went out alone. Dahei was an utterly loyal watchdog, alert to any slight movement outside.

Given this, it wasn't appropriate to scold or beat it. Guarding the house was simply part of a dog's nature.

Gu Lan refrained from provoking it further. Noticing dog hair from Er'hei's coat on his hands, he washed them before resuming his sewing on the stool.

Pei Yan was fastidious, and since he was making new clothes, naturally, he couldn't let dog hair soil them.

*

As the sun began to set, Gu Lan was chopping vegetables in the kitchen.

In the main house, freshly laundered clothes were neatly piled on the edge of the kang, awaiting Pei Yan's return so he could try them on. Any alterations needed could then be made.

The day before yesterday, Pei Yan had returned from working in town and purchased a large pot, which they were now using. With two pots, one for boiling rice soup and steaming buns, the other for stir-frying and cooking vegetables, they no longer had to prepare each dish sequentially. Otherwise, during colder days, either the congee or the fried dishes would turn cold by the time they were ready. During peak farming seasons, the two pots allowed them to eat more promptly.

With a sizzle, spring vegetables hit the wok, sending up a plume of white steam as oil met water. As Gu Lan Shi stirred the contents, the noise in the wok lessened, and he heard deliberately heavy footsteps outside.

Pei Yan didn't usually have such heavy steps. Puzzled, but not overly concerned, he continued stirring with his wooden spatula. Looking out the window first, he confirmed it was indeed Pei Yan and laughed. "You're back so early today. Dinner isn't ready yet."

Worried that the vegetables might burn, he added, "Fetch water for your hands yourself. I'll continue cooking first."

"Alright," Pei Yan nodded, agreeing. He hadn't seen the person peering from the courtyard entrance when he was further away and felt a bit disoriented. It wasn't until he drew closer and heard the sound of stir-frying that he realized what was happening.

Placing the small bundle he carried and the empty bamboo tube on the stack of firewood, he was about to go fetch water when he heard the chickens and ducks clucking within the fence. He asked, "Have you fed the chickens and ducks?"

Amidst his rush, Gu Lan Shi replied, "Not yet. I thought you'd be back later, so I planned to cook the food, let it simmer, and then chop grass for them. The millet bran is already boiled; it's probably cooled down by now."

"I'll do it now," Pei Yan said, rolling up his sleeves and picking up the chopping board leaning against the wall, along with the woodcutter.

The tender grass had been gathered, filling a large bamboo basket, along with several large vegetable leaves. Since the chickens and ducks were small, he had bought ten more chicks the day before, which needed to be minced finely and mixed with bran to keep them alive.

Compared to grass, the chickens and ducks clearly preferred the juicy and crispy vegetable leaves. However, they didn't usually receive many of these leaves, as the spring vegetables in the yard were reserved for human consumption.

Pei Yan stood by the fence, tapping the bottom of the wooden basin. With many livestock in the family that enjoyed hot meals, he had ultimately repurposed his old wooden basin for their use, as it was too small for them otherwise. He and Gu Lan would now share the new one.

After observing that the chicks were thriving without any signs of weakness, he felt relieved.

By the time he washed his hands, Gu Lan had already set the food on the table.

"Wasn't there much work today?" Gu Lan handed him the chopsticks.

Pei Yan nodded. "Yeah, not many cargo ships came in. Elder Brother mentioned that we'll need to plant rice in the fields in two days. If there's no work at the dock, it's better to rest our legs and conserve energy for the rice planting."

"That makes sense," Gu Lan said, taking a sip of rice soup. Even with a bit of savings, they couldn't afford to have thick porridge or plain rice every day. Rice soup, vegetables, and steamed buns were their usual fare. They were fortunate to have a bit of oil for stir-frying.

Pei Yan ate a few bites of the vegetables and swallowed before speaking. "Elder Brother said that the wealthy landowner in Baishui Village will definitely hire day laborers when the time comes. After we finish working on our own land, we can join them for more work."

Gu Lan was familiar with the wealthy landowner in Baishui Village, who owned over a hundred acres of land. Despite having several long-term workers, they still lacked hands during the rice planting season. Men from nearby villages, once done with their own chores, would rush to Baishui Village for work.

The young men were strong, and the supervisor wasn't an idiot; he only chose diligent workers, aiming to complete planting the rice seedlings as soon as possible.

Both his older brothers had been working on Bai's land for the past few years. With their help, Pei Yan was certain to join them.

"Sounds good. We'll rest tomorrow and gather our strength. This morning, I saw Father; he said they'll likely start planting on the day after tomorrow. So, we'll need to go then too," Gu Lan Shi said while eating.

Since his marriage was still uncertain last month, his parents had already prepared seedlings for their one acre of paddy field. Pei Yan only had one such field, so the seedlings wouldn't be enough for two acres. This year, he would have to work alongside his family.

Knowing that the Gu family owned six acres of paddy fields, Pei Yan paused before saying, "Alright, we only have two acres here. We can finish quickly and then assist Father-in-law and the others. With more hands, it won't take more than half a day. Afterward, I can join my brothers for more work."

Us.

Hearing this word, Gu Lan Shi felt inexplicably happy. Seeing that Pei Yan was willing to help his family, he beamed and became more talkative, recounting the incident with Er'hei at noon.

After listening, Pei Yan commented, "Probably won't bite next time. It's quite perceptive."

Gu Lan Shi's heart settled a bit upon hearing this, and he smiled, saying, "That's good. If Er'hei forgets its lesson and comes again."

He added, "I've finished making the new clothes. After lunch, you can try them on and see if they fit well."

Pei Yan paused in mid-air with his chopsticks, a hint of bewilderment flickering in his eyes. He then nodded heavily. "Mm."

With a grin, Gu Lan nibbled on his steamed bun, recalling his shoes. "I was thinking of sewing you a pair with patches, but I couldn't find any cloth to tear apart. Old clothes are needed for work, and it wouldn't be worth it to dismantle them."

Pei Yan pondered carefully and replied, "There's no usable scraps of cloth."

Gu Lan thought for a moment and chuckled. "It's alright. I'll check at home tomorrow. If there aren't any, I can spend a few copper coins to buy some from others. I'll just wash them when I get back."

Pasted patches were used for shoe soles and didn't require high-quality materials. There would be leftover fabric from cutting the clothes for the shoe uppers, which could be utilized then.

"Alright." Pei Yan agreed and quickly finished most of his rice soup.

He ate with great relish, obviously hungry. Gu Lan didn't disturb him further.

Putting down his chopsticks, not a grain of rice or a single drop of soup was left in the bowls. Pei Yan had wiped the remaining sauce with his steamed bun. Smiling, Gu Lan tidied up the tableware.

Pei Yan remained seated at the table, pondering before he softly spoke, "I'll go try on the clothes."

"That's great. Go ahead and put them on first. I'll come right over after I'm done here," Gu Lan said, unaware of Pei Yan's restraint.

With the approval, Pei Yan entered the room to change his clothes. After dressing up, he examined himself, looking down and then turning his arms to inspect the sleeves.

The new clothes, free of patches, were clean and tidy.

Feeling pleased, a hint of gentleness appeared on his face, though not to the extent of ecstatic excitement. His careful touch on the garment revealed how much he cherished it.

Upon entering the room, Gu Lan saw him in this state and smiled softly, asking, "Does anything not fit properly?"

Pei Yan stretched his limbs to check the length of the sleeves and pants, and pinched the sides of the waist to gauge the width. Finally, he looked up and said, "No, they fit well."

As he spoke, a subtle smile seemed to grace his brows. Gu Lan tilted his head slightly, puzzled, sensing something different about him. Yet, upon closer inspection, the hint of a smile appeared fleeting, as if an illusion.