My father's Responsibility

Chapter 35

Invitation to Draw

Although he decided not to write Journey to the West, Ji Chunshan still had to finish telling the story. After the rain and snow on the first day of the new year, the sky was clear for two days, and then it began to be gloomy again. After the class, the children did not run out, but stayed on the warm kang of Ji's house to listen to stories.

That afternoon, Ji Chunshan was talking about the master and apprentice Tang Monk and Sun Wukong accepting Zhu Bajie as a disciple in Gao Laozhuang, when he suddenly heard someone talking outside.

"Is anyone home?" It was a woman's voice that sounded familiar.

"Someone is here." Ji Chunshan responded from inside the house. When he went out, he saw that it was not a stranger, but Wang Hunter's wife Du. He smiled and said, "It's sister-in-law, please come in."

Du didn't move, but smiled and asked, "Brother Ji is at home. Sorry to bother you. I wonder if Xiaoer is at your house now?"

"What do you mean by bothering or not? Sister-in-law is too polite. Xiaoer is in the room. Sister-in-law, please come in and talk." Ji Chunshan said, and lifted the door curtain for Du.

Du said, "Okay." Then she walked in with her skirt lifted.

As soon as she entered the east room, Mrs. Du felt a warm air mixed with a faint fragrance coming towards her, and she immediately sighed: "The room is so warm and fragrant, it feels like spring."

While she was talking, her eyes had already swept around the room. Compared with the first time she came, the furnishings in the room had not changed much, except for two pots of unknown flowers on the windowsill. The leaves were slender and straight, and the flowers were yellow and white, thin and small. The fragrance probably came from them. On the right hand side of the door, there was a half-person-high black thing against the wall. A big pipe that was also black and thick stood on the black thing, extending out of the window through a hole in the paper window. Although it was some distance away, she could still feel the heat emanating from the big black thing.

Mrs. Du recognized this big black thing. When she saw it, she couldn't help but say, "Brother Ji also installed this stove. No wonder the house is so warm. My mother's family also installed one. Although it costs one or two taels of silver and is a bit expensive, it is very convenient. It can warm the house and cook dishes. It is more convenient and saves firewood than a clay stove. It is very useful even in summer."

How could Ji Chunshan not know the benefits of this stove? He sent the drawings to the blacksmith shop, but there was no need to say this to outsiders, so he said, "Sister-in-law is right. I also considered this and installed one."

"Sister-in-law is here, please sit down." Ye Qinglan heard the conversation between Ji Chunshan and Mrs. Du outside, so he stood up and asked Mrs. Du to sit down, and then picked up a pot to pour water.

"Brother, please don't be in a hurry. I'm here to look for Xiaoer and I have to take him home quickly." Mrs. Du hurriedly took two steps forward and pressed the teapot in Ye Qinglan's hand.

Ye Qinglan had already poured a cup and handed it to Mrs. Du, smiling, "Sister-in-law always needs a glass of water when she comes. It won't take a while."

"Thank you, brother." Ye Qinglan said so. Mrs. Du couldn't refuse anymore, so she took the water and took a sip casually. Unexpectedly, she tasted a sour and sweet taste in her mouth. She looked down and saw that the plain white porcelain bowl was filled with bright red rock sugar hawthorn water. Surprise flashed in her eyes, and she lowered her head and took another sip.

After drinking, she looked up and smiled, "I've walked around the village and I'm really thirsty."

Ye Qinglan smiled and said, "Then drink more." As he said that, he picked up the teapot and added some more to Mrs. Du's cup.