The first update, asking for pink.
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For dinner, Lady Zhang indeed made a small pot of braised pork. The bright red at was so appetizing at first glance. Normally, Lady Zhang does not fry sugar when making braised pork, but today she really put efforts into it, making the fried sugar very authentic.
Everyone sat at the dining table for the al, and in no ti, Lian Shouxin’s bowl was piled high with braised pork. In fact, he hadn’t even reached for the braised pork with his chopsticks yet; it was Lady Zhang and the children who kept adding it to his bowl.
This al was the most harmonious and joyful for the family.
The next day, Wu Lang picked up the pen and wrote two more pages behind the letter originally intended for Old Master Lian, then sealed it again, planning to take it to the town to ask soone who travels for business to deliver it to Taicang.
"These days, Grandpa has been sending letters quite diligently, people say even though he’s gone, he still cares so much about us," said Wu Lang.
"He really does care about us," nodded Lian Manman.
She could guess sowhat what Old Master Lian was thinking. The incidents surrounding Lian Shouxin’s separation from the family had caused disharmony. Now, they were hundreds of miles apart and couldn’t see each other daily. Without keeping in touch like this, the two families might grow even further apart in the future.
Even though they had separated, Old Master Lian still considered all his children and grandchildren as part of his family beneath him.
Also, although Old Master Lian was following Lian Shouren in Taicang, he was hosick for his native land. In his heart, Thirty Mile Camp was his ho and he would always want to return. Currently, his only connection to Thirty Mile Camp was through his two sons, Lian Shouxin and Lian Shouli.
Of course, this relates to Old Master Lian’s personality. He was soone who tended to worry and was accustod to being the head of the family, wanting to manage everything. Even though he knew he couldn’t directly manage the affairs of his sons who had separated from the household, he still hoped to exert his influence.
Wu Lang and Xiao Qi went to the town to ask soone to forward the letter and brought back news when they returned. Zhao Xiue’s maternal family had also received a letter, learning that Zhao Xiue had given birth. They planned to go to Taicang to bring gifts for lactation, intending to go together with Lady Zhang.
In tenant farr families, when a child is born, relatives and friends typically bring congratulatory gifts, known as gifts for lactation, to encourage lactation. These gifts are generally eggs, fabrics, children’s clothes and socks, and sotis more valuable items like small silver locks or silver bracelets, or longevity locks made directly from copper coins.
Usually, the gifts from the maternal family, that is, the family of the woman who gave birth, are the most significant.
When the child is one month old, the family generally hosts a feast to invite these relatives and friends.
Lady Zhang, sitting on the kang, was sewing clothes and discussing with Lady Zhao about the gift for lactation for Zhao Xiue.
Lady Li, Zhang Caiyun, Lian Zhizhi, Lian Manman were also working on the kang, and Lady Zhao and Lian Yeye, when free, would also co over and help with a few stitches.
"If the Old Zhao family is going, then I won’t go. I’ll prepare so things for them to take; that would be just right," said Lady Zhang.
"I won’t go either," said Lady Zhao, considering the hundred-mile journey—a substantial expense for typical tenant farming families, not sothing every family can afford. "Aunty, what do you plan to send?"
"I was just about to discuss that with you... Send eggs?" Lady Zhang said, "But how to take them so far, they’ll get knocked about on the way, and who knows if they’d break or the yolks spill."
Lian Manman imagined a basket of broken eggs with spilled yolks and couldn’t help but laugh. Hearing her laughter, Lian Zhizhi, Lian Yeye, and Zhang Caiyun also started to laugh.
Girls of this age are carefree, and any amusing thing, or even no specific reason at all, can suddenly bring them to cheerful laughter.
As the family’s days grew better and the family mbers beca more united, especially since Lian Shouxin and Lady Zhang were no longer pushovers, Lian Manman felt more relaxed and beca more cheerful.
"Mom, eggs are hard to send, and making clothes or socks might not be ready in ti, so how about sending fabric?" Lian Zhizhi suggested.
"Aunty, what type of fabric do you plan to send?" Lady Zhao asked, "I will send the sa as you."
"No, Aunty, let’s follow what you send. Look, what do you want to send?" Lady Zhang thought for a mont and said.
"You gave that blue wool fabric during the festival, and I haven’t used it yet...," Lady Zhao ntioned that for neighbors and general relatives, three yards of blue wool fabric would be quite sufficient. "Should I add a few yards of printed fabric?"
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