Sister-in-Law Lu happily carried a basket of things, waved goodbye to Liang Yuemei at the gate, then headed back to her own courtyard.
Although it was already dark, she was especially happy today.
As she entered the house, a wave of warmth greeted her. Her son Tietou and daughter Nier came out of the inner room together. Tietou took the basket from Sister-in-Law Lu, while Nier peered inside.
"What did you eat today?" Sister-in-Law Lu asked as she untied her headscarf. "What did your dad make you?"
"Dad made dough drops." Lu Tietou was seventeen and his voice had already broken; it sounded a little muffled. "There's still some in the pot. Mom, have you eaten?"
"Dough drops? In the afternoon or in the evening?" Sister-in-Law Lu paused after taking off her headscarf. "No dishes with it? You had that for both meals?"
"And toasted buns." Sharp-eyed Lu Nier had already spotted the sheep heads and hooves in the basket. She asked excitedly, "Mom, these sheep heads and hooves are ours, right? Can we eat them tomorrow?"
Li Long had given each of the women who helped two sheep heads and eight hooves. Once they took them home and cleaned them properly, there would be enough for the whole family to have a good meal gnawing on them.
"Not tomorrow." Sister-in-Law Lu waved a hand. "They're too much trouble to prepare. You have to singe off the hair, scrape the skin, clean them, then boil them for ages."
Disappointment immediately appeared on Lu Nier's face. Children were growing and particularly craved meat.
"But I brought back a basin of meat," Sister-in-Law Lu said with a smile, stroking Nier's head. "Go into the inner room first. I'll heat it up, and you can eat in a little while."
Her words were