The Sweet Litte Fulang (SLF)

Chapter 181 - Dealing with Relatives

After the busy farming season ended and the sun-dried rice was stored in large urns, there was no need to turn it over for further drying. Suddenly, the whole family could relax. By the end of the year, they would be able to rest through winter without being so exhausted.

The weather this year had not been the best. It rained for two days during the drying process, but since they were drying the rice in their own large yard, they managed to roll it up and collect it in time, so it didn't get soaked.

The river water was colder than before, but since the frost hadn't arrived yet, Zhao'er was still playing with Shen Yan, while Lingjun had finished his milk fruit and fallen asleep again. Taking advantage of this quiet time, Lu Gu and Ji Qiuyue brought a wooden basin to the river to wash clothes. With two people working together, the task went faster, and it was more pleasant having someone to talk with.

The sound of the wooden bat striking clothes on the slate echoed, and the crushed wild bath beads began to foam. As Lu Gu flipped the clothes over, he said, "We're running low on wild bath beads. I need to go up the mountain to pick more in the next few days."

"If the weather is good tomorrow, let's go together," Ji Qiuyue offered as she rubbed Zhao'er's little clothes in the soapy water.

The wild bath beads found on the nearby hills weren't as large as the ones Lu Gu had picked deep in the mountains before, but they still worked well enough. Now that the farming season was over, they could afford to spend some time gathering supplies.

The two of them laughed and chatted as they finished washing the clothes. When they got back to their home, they hung the clothes out to dry. Lu Gu carefully spread the babies' diapers on the wooden rack. With two little ones, they had a mountain of diapers to wash every day. Fortunately, with many hands at home, there were always enough clean ones ready for use.

Lu Gu gently opened the door to check on Lingjun, who was still sleeping peacefully in the wooden cradle. The thin quilt was neatly tucked around him, so Lu Gu closed the door quietly and didn't go inside.

"Mother, I'm heading over to the other house to take a look. Keep an eye on Lingjun," Lu Gu said to Wei Lanxiang, who was sitting in the courtyard making little shoes.

"Alright, I've got it. Go on," Wei Lanxiang replied. She was making new shoes for Lingjun. Though they had reused some of Zhao'er's old shoes, Shen Xuanqing had mentioned more than once that the little one deserved new shoes too. Wei Lanxiang took the hint and had been working on a new pair these past few days.

Lu Gu hadn't made many new shoes himself since children grew so quickly. Two pairs, one lighter and one thicker, seemed enough for now. These were all beautifully embroidered tiger-toed shoes, with two pairs made by Lu Gu, one by Wei Lanxiang, and one by Ji Qiuyue. The thick cotton shoes wouldn't be needed until the cold winter months arrived. Most days, the babies were carried in swaddling cloths, so they didn't always need shoes, especially when they were held close in someone's arms.

Since Shen Xuanqing didn't know how to make shoes himself, he had refrained from asking Lu Gu directly and instead hinted to the old lady.

On his way to the big house, Lu Gu passed three women gathering wild vegetables. With autumn in full swing, people were hurrying to dry wild greens while they could. Lu Gu had already set aside some dried bamboo shoots and planned to gather mushrooms soon to add to their winter stores.

He exchanged polite greetings with the women before continuing along the path. As he walked, he noticed a group of dogs running through the village. Among them was Guai Zi. At a glance, it was clear the dog had sneaked off to play instead of staying home to guard the house.