Chapter 37.1

Translated by Aviana

Upon returning home after receiving the work, Yao-shi, as if she was injected with chicken blood, went on to full throttle and started doing needlework.

Usually, when there is no work and idle, they just stayed in their rooms. For several consecutive days, Lin Qingwan saw Yao-shi with her eyes bloodshot and sighed at her tenacity to finish the work. Seeing this, she was also stimulated by her to complete the work sooner.

They continued doing so for several successive days until He-shi asked Yao-shi if this year’s pickles have been made. Only then did Yao-shi realize that they hadn’t made the pickle yet. She quickly called out Wang-shi and Lin Qingwan to start making them.

First, they planned on making Suan Cai. The basic raw material used for it is was Baisong, which was commonly referred to as ‘Napa Cabbage’ in Lin Qingwan’s previous life.

酸菜 (suān cài): Suancai (also called suan tsai and Chinese sauerkraut; lit. ‘sour vegetable’) is a traditional Chinese pickled Chinese cabbage (napa cabbage)

白菘 (bái sōng) : Baisong is a colloquial name of Napa cabbage(dàbáicài )used in ancient china

大白菜 ( dàbáicài): In Modern mandarin, Napa cabbage is literally called “big white vegetable”, as opposed to the 'small white vegetable” that is known in English as bok choy.

First, they sundried the baisong in the yard. They didn’t have to dry completely, it’s enough to dry them till their outer leaves were wilted completely. Then they removed these outer leaves, and the head of the cabbage was cut. As the Yang jia’s pickle jar was quite big, it was fine not to cut the cabbage further and be put aside for use in the next step.

Yao-shi then washed the pickle jar clean and wiped it dry. After which, she sprinkled a handful of coarse salt at the bottom of the vat. He-shi prepared this coarse salt in advance. The granules’ size of coarse salt is much bigger when compared with what they use in cooking. Upon this layer of salt, one by one, they neatly arranged the cabbages in two layers before sprinkling a handful of salt again. Once again, they arranged the cabbages into two neat layers on which a handful of salt was sprinkled once more. They continued this process until the entire jar was filled with cabbages. In the end, they sprinkled a handful of salt yet again before covering it with blue cloth and placed a huge rock on it. They then placed the vat by the wall.

The next day, Yao-shi filled the jar with well water until all the cabbages were soaked. After this, Yao-shi added another stone on the top; only then could it be considered to be finished.

Yang jia prepared two jars of Suan cai in total. Yao-shi said that it would take one full month before they could eat the pickle. During the winters, there were very few vegetables; thus they could use only these few pickled vegetables to eat.

Naturally, there wasn’t only suan cai; there was also pickled gai choy. The recipe of pickled gai choy is also more or less similar to that of suan cai. It’s just that gai choy needs to be peeled and washed clean and needs to be soaked in water for two days before they could be pickled.

Other than these, there were also pickled garlic chives and eggplant, cucumber, and the likes. As Lin Qingwan had lived in the south in her previous life, it was her first time to see this way of pickling vegetables. Thus, it was inevitable for her to feel a bit amazed, as she followed around Yao-shi and learned a lot of stuff.

Only after pickling a few large jars, the entire process of picking vegetables could be said to be truly finished. Throughout this period of time, Wang-shi always looked for excuses to not help, and all the pickling was done merely by Yao-shi and Lin Qingwan, truly tiring both of them to death.

Although the process was taxing, both of them felt very happy. Because these are all the only things they could eat in winters. Looking at all these closely packed jars, they were overwhelmed with a sense of accomplishment.

Every day, the men not only went into the mountains to chop wood but also found time to clean the chimneys and kangs in the house thoroughly. The vegetable cellar in the house was orderly, and many vegetables such as potatoes, baisong, radish, and the likes that could be stored for a longer time were all moved into the vegetable cellar.

Only then did Lin Qingwan learn that Yang jia was also equipped with a vegetable cellar. It was located in the corner of the courtyard in the backyard. She also went in to take a look. It was not big, just some ten cubic meters. It was completely dark inside; to go in, one would need an oil lamp.

Once everything was done, few days had already passed.

This while, eldest sister Yang was quite taciturn and didn’t stir up any more troubles. For the most part, she usually stayed in the main room and didn’t come across her anywhere. And naturally, she didn’t lend any hand in house chores either. During meals, her habit of picking food and table etiquette was still poor. Anyhow, as long as she didn’t stir up any trouble, it was fine. After all, they haven’t separated yet, and with Yang laoyezi and He-shi allowing her to stay at home, it wasn’t their’s these sons’ and daughters-in-law’s turn to say anything.

老 爷子 (lǎoyézi): polite appellation for an elderly male/ old father

Lin Qingwan’s temperament was such that so long as you didn’t go pick a quarrel with her, everyone can live together in harmony.

…………

This day, Yang Xuezhang returned from his schoolmate’s house, appearing in a quite rush with a rarely seen big smile on his face.

Lin Qingwan was quite surprised at this.

How to say? Yang Xuezhang was an orthodoxy sort of scholar, always carrying an air of arrogance around him and superiority. He was not the one who had his nose high as sky but is also the type who considers everyone else beneath him.

Truly the kind who considers everyone else beneath him. His appearance doesn’t show that he looks down upon you, but it is as if no one can enter his eyes. Apart from speaking a bit of words with He-shi and Yang laoyezi, even when seeing other family members, it is as if he hadn’t seen them. It has been quite a while since she married in, but Lin Qingwan hadn’t even spoken a word with Yang Xuezhang.

Anyway, the time Yang Xuezhang usually spends at home is also pitifully less. For the most part, he stays in the academy and only comes back in the evenings or on vacation from the academy.

For him to be this happy, could it be that he had passed the exam? But on second thought, exams don’t seem to be have started yet.

In the evening, waiting till everyone was done eating, He-shi and Yang laoyezi asked all of them to stay while driving kids along with sister Yang and Yang Ermei out to bed. Then they narrated the ins and outs of the entire matter; only then did Lin Qingwan realized what was going on—

But is this truly okay?

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