Zhulan prepared a pot with streaky pork stewed with sauerkraut, two pork ribs, and a few spine bones—the ribs for the children and the spine for the adults to gnaw on. Along with the stuffed blood sausages, it was quite a sumptuous pork feast.
Rongchuan had also tidied up the courtyard, not a trace of pig's blood to be seen. The boy was meticulous in his work. Zhulan observed Rongchuan's hands, reddened from the cold, and felt unsettled. While her two sons were studying inside the house, this child had never been idle outside. Zhulan had also driven Rongchuan back to his books, telling him not to help out, but Rongchuan, lacking confidence, would have seized all the household tasks if not for Zhulan holding him back under the guise of caring for his health.
After putting away the broom, Rongchuan rubbed his hands that were both hurting and itching, saying, "Auntie, I'm going back to study."
