Divorced woman with child travels through time

With nothing else to do, everyone gathered around to look at the pheasant in Chen Xuanyu's hands. The pheasant weighed about three or four pounds, and Chen Xuanyu was struggling to lift it with both hands. It was a large, plump pheasant with vibrant colors and incredibly beautiful, dazzling feathers. Truly a phoenix of the mountains. Chen Wenfang stroked the feathers with her hand, finding them very comfortable; the feathers were of excellent quality. Seeing that Chen Xuanyu was having difficulty carrying it, Chu Yi reached out and took it from him.

Chen Wenfang said, "These chicken feathers are nice; I'll keep them to make shuttlecocks later."

Chen Xuanyu said, "But you can't kick."

Chen Wenfang retorted, "If you don't know how to kick, you can learn. We'll ask some older brothers to teach you, and you can all play shuttlecock together. If you can't kick with your feet, you can use your hands. Uncle Erniu will make a wooden board, and I'll teach you how to use it to hit the shuttlecock, okay?"

Chen Xuanyu said happily, "Great! Great!" Fifteen chimed in, "I want to learn too!" Little Ahao, not to be outdone, also said, "Me too! Me too! I've seen others play Cuju (ancient Chinese football), I think I can."

"Cuju? That's great. I'll have your dad make one later. It'll be just right for the four of you to play." Chen Wenfang thought this was even better than shuttlecock kicking. "Then everyone can play together, everyone can have a turn," Chen Wenfang said with a smile.

The children cheered together. They could play a new game! The jump rope was worn out.

Soon, Wang Erniu returned, dragging a fat, heavy wild boar. Chen Wenfang watched from afar, marveling at Erniu's strength; most people couldn't lift such a large boar. Chen Wenfang estimated the boar weighed at least two hundred jin (approximately 100 kg).

Such a big wild boar is enough to eat for a long time. Wang Erniu is really good. Everyone took the pheasants and rabbits and went home.

Upon arriving home, Chen Wenfang immediately boiled water, while Wang Erniu processed the wild boar, hurrying along. They gathered the food, salting any leftovers and hanging them to air-dry or dry near the stove, saving them to be eaten as cured meat during the New Year. Chen Wenfang calculated that she would need to buy some more salt and soy sauce later.

Chen Wenfang then took the wheat that Uncle Liu Hai had bought and made it into maltose. She also asked Uncle Liu Hai to buy ten catties of sesame seeds, which she roasted as well. She would add them to the rice candy later.

The day before the market day, Chen Wenfang and Wang Erniu went to Lijia Town and bought two large pots, a table, a large food box, and other tools for making rice puffs. They also bought fifty catties of oil and two loads of firewood. Chen Wenfang figured the market day would last about twenty days until the Lunar New Year, so she rented a house for a month to store her things. When she came back, she only needed to bring the dried rice and syrup.

The house was rented in advance by Uncle Liu Hai through Chen Wenfang, and Uncle Liu Hai also left his oven and charcoal there. The next morning, before dawn, the cool air was gentle when there was no wind, but when the wind blew, it felt like steel needles cutting into the bones, icy and piercing.

As soon as Chen Wenfang got up, Wang Erniu from the next room got up with his children. Using the residual heat from the previous night's two pots of hot water, they washed up and prepared to go out. Uncle Liu Hai's family also arrived at Chen Wenfang's house just in time. Wang Erniu put the things Chen Wenfang had prepared the day before—syrup, dried rice, roasted and pressed peanuts, etc.—on Uncle Liu Hai's flatbed cart. Fifteen, Chen Xuanyu, and Xiao Ahao, the three children, also sat on it, and they set off. The cotton shoes and trousers that Chen Wenfang and Aunt Liu had made were all finished the day before, and Wang Erniu and Xiao Ahao were also wearing warm, thick, brand-new cotton clothes and shoes. They were very cozy.

Worried that the children might be uncomfortable sitting there, Uncle Liu thoughtfully laid out a thick layer of straw. Shiwu and Chen Wenhao even held onto the syrup while sitting, worried they might fall. Fortunately, they got up early, and the weather had been sunny lately, making the road very flat and easy to walk on.

After traveling briskly for about half an hour, Chen Wenfang and her group arrived at Lijia Town. There were already a few pedestrians on the road, mostly vendors, some even setting up breakfast stalls. Not far from Chen Wenfang, Wang Erniu and Uncle Liu Hai went to their rented house to fetch their goods. Chen Wenfang and the others then stood guard at their stall, unloading and sorting the goods from the truck, waiting for the two to return.

Seeing that no one had eaten breakfast, Chen Wenfang bought a large bag of steamed buns, some flatbreads, and some porridge. She took two bowls for herself and returned to her stall. Wang Erniu had already set up the table. Chen Wenfang placed the breakfast on the table and called out to everyone, "Come and eat first, so you can get back to work!" Wang Erniu and Uncle Liu Hai agreed. She then led Dazhuang and Shitou to bring over the porridge, and everyone began to eat.

Chu Yi brought three children over for breakfast. While eating a steamed bun, Chen Wenfang instructed him, "Chu Yi, you don't need to do anything for a while. Just keep a close eye on these three and don't let them get lost. It'll be crowded and confusing later; if they get lost, it'll be hard to find them." She then repeatedly told the three children, "You two must watch yourselves carefully and don't run around." After thinking for a moment, she called Shi Tou over and said, "You two keep an eye on these three. Stay behind this table. Don't go out or run around, okay?"

Chu Yi nodded seriously and said, "Godmother, I understand. I will definitely not let them run around." Shi Tou also assured her, "Sister-in-law, don't worry, I will definitely keep a close eye on them."

Seeing the three little ones' somewhat indifferent expressions, Chen Wenfang was still a bit uneasy. Luckily, she had come prepared. Chen Wenfang reached into her handbag and took out a rope with several forked ropes tied to it. She tied one end to Chu Yi's hand and the other three forked ropes to the three little ones' hands. Chen Wenfang then squatted down and said to Chu Yi, "You're the older brother, you have to take good care of them, okay? We'll be too busy if there are too many people later." She also gave Shi Tou some instructions, and Shi Tou and Chu Yi both nodded seriously. Seeing Chen Wenfang's overly serious expression, the three little ones dared not be so playful anymore.

Wang Erniu and Uncle Liu and Aunt Liu felt that Chen Wenfang was worrying too much, but seeing her serious expression, they didn't say anything, only telling them to be good. Seeing that the children took her words to heart, Chen Wenfang began to carefully prepare to make rice candy.

After everyone had breakfast, the stalls were set up. Chen Wenfang lit the fire, heated one oil pan to heat the oil, and washed another pan to start making syrup. Gradually, more and more people arrived. Next to Chen Wenfang's stall was Aunt Liu roasting sweet potatoes, on the other side was a stall selling cloud cakes, and next to that was a stall selling candied hawthorns. Across the street was a stall selling steamed buns, and further along, there was a stall selling flatbreads and glutinous rice balls. The whole area was full of food. The street was filled with the aroma of food, and everyone who came had to buy something to eat, otherwise they couldn't bear to leave. Chen Wenfang was very satisfied with the location.