Just then, Lin Qinshi walked into the courtyard carrying farming tools. Seeing Lin Wanwan about to take out the portable stove to make breakfast for herself, she quickly said, "Wanmei, don't bother, let me do it."
She came back at this time precisely because she had calculated the time to make breakfast. The mornings were cool, so they would first head out to the fields for a bit of farm work at dawn, and then come back to make breakfast.
"Wanmei, you're still carrying your own portable stove? Such a stove costs quite a bit. I heard that young ladies in the city love this thing, as it can be used as a small kitchen during spring and autumn outings." Lin Qinshi curiously looked around the portable stove for a while.
"Yes, I find the portable stove very convenient."
This was something Lin Wanwan bought at the market in Wanghai Town.
The history of portable stoves is long, with Sun Bin's story about reducing the stove being a classic example. It's one of the most convenient and portable cooking tools. Of course, by the Tang Dynasty, the portable stove had been improved, becoming more convenient and easy to use. The most down-to-earth poet Bai Juyi once described a portable stove in a poem: "At the bow, there's a portable stove, cooking rice and red carp. Satisfied, I dance and sway, rinsing in the autumn river water."
Lin Qinshi watched the stove with envy. Such a portable stove costs at least four guan, and their family would have to save for six months without spending at all to afford it.
Lin Wanwan put away the stove and then talked about how little Qingyu was sick last night.
Hearing that little Qingyu had a fever last night, Lin Qinshi quickly fetched an egg, ready to make sugar water egg for Qingyu.
But Lin Wanwan stopped her, "Sister-in-law, no need to hurry. When the little one is sick, she's fussy and doesn't like to eat eggs. I've already prepared some fruit for her; a little sweet taste will do."
Lin Qinshi couldn't help but say, "Oh my, there are children who don't want to eat eggs?"
Eggs are sold at one wen each, and if it weren't for Lin Wanwan saving her eldest daughter, Lin Qinshi wouldn't be willing to take one out. Normally, they can't bear to eat them themselves and save them to sell at the market.
Last night, Lin Wanwan crammed knowledge on caring for sick children, knowing that it's best for children with fevers to eat fewer eggs. The protein content in eggs is relatively high, as is the calorie content, so she could only graciously decline Lin Qinshi's goodwill.
Lin Qinshi glanced at the fruit placed on the dining table in the main room and said, "Alright, no eggs needed then. Just wait; I'll go borrow a big rooster from the clan leader's house for little Yuer to hold, which can drive away illness."
Finishing her words, she hurried off, leaving Lin Wanwan stretching out her hand in a gesture of acceptance, unable to hold back a wry smile.
Holding a chicken to drive away illness, the medical practices of the Great Tang are indeed eye-opening.
No wonder children are not added to the family registry until they're seven, as they are said to be hard to raise. With medical practices like this, it would indeed be difficult to raise them well. Human infants are naturally among the most fragile, and to raise them this way is quite rough. Those who grow up smoothly are truly those with strong resistance.
When Lin Qinshi returned with the big rooster, Lin Wanwan did not particularly oppose it, simply saying that if little Yuer had a fever again in the evening, letting her hold that rooster might work. Of course, by nightfall, she would have left Lin Family Manor, and whether the rooster is held or not, it would be the family's own matter.
For breakfast, Lin Qinshi made a pot of slightly harsh scorched rice, accompanied by a soup of song vegetables, which are essentially the modern pak choi. The scorched rice wasn't made purely from white rice; it seemed mixed with bran or something else, and was generally hard to swallow. Lin Wanwan only had one piece before stopping.
In the early years of the Tang Dynasty, the government kept rice prices very low, but due to the scarcity and poverty, the priority supply was for city residents.
This little cousin's aristocratic ways, Lin Qinshi could see through them. She used to say she lived secluded with an old sage, but in reality, she lived a completely comfortable life.
Wearing silk and satin, and likely eating delicacies were not things that ordinary families could aspire to. It seemed she would not live long in this impoverished land of Lin Family Manor. The clan leader's talk of allocating her a homestead was probably in vain.
"Ah, Wanmei, is this a fragrant pear? You let the children eat it raw? How about I boil it before they eat it." Lin Qinshi, while eating her scorched rice and watching the children, finally noticed the fragrant pear on the fruit plate.
In the Great Tang, fragrant pears are usually boiled to eat. If someone eats them raw, they would likely be contemptuously mocked by nobility as a "farmer."
"Boil them?" Lin Wanwan was a bit surprised; she'd never heard of it but remained calm and smiled, "Raw is fine; my master loved to eat fragrant pears raw, so I got used to it."
"Oh, oh." Lin Qinshi nodded, though still finding it a bit strange in her heart, she didn't say more. As a fishing family, they didn't have such concerns. Since the old sage ate them raw, she wouldn't boil it either, as cutting firewood from the mountain was quite tiring, better to save some.
After a simple breakfast, Lin Wanwan picked up a bamboo basket with a few pears and followed her memory from yesterday to the clan leader's house, stopping at the gate and calling, "Clan Leader Uncle, are you busy?"
"All done! So, how was the stay at Mengbo's house last night?" The clan leader had just finished his morning farm work and was washing his muddy feet in the corner of the yard.
In Lin Family Manor, although they mainly fished for a living, paying sea rent and taxes to the court, they would also clear some land on the slopes to grow rice and vegetables for themselves, although the fields were quite barren with not much harvest.
Lin Wanwan said, "It was good; I've found a sense of belonging with the family."
The clan leader chuckled, "Isn't that so! People always need to find their roots. You came early today about the homestead matter?"
Lin Wanwan nodded, "You can't hide anything from Uncle."
The clan leader clattered in his wooden clogs, cheerfully said, "Come on, I'll take you to see it. To the east of Mengbo's house is a vacant rocky land that isn't being used. You can build a house next to their home for convenience."
Lin Wanwan had no objections and left the fragrant pears in the bamboo basket as a gift.
"What's this for? Such a nice thing, save it for yourself."
"No, clan leader uncle, giving it to you makes me happy."
In the end, the clan leader couldn't argue with Lin Wanwan and kept the bamboo basket and pears, pleasing his family greatly. Although it was the season for fragrant pears, they usually couldn't afford to buy them; they were something only townspeople ate.
After seeing her own homestead with the clan leader, Lin Wanwan thought for a moment and brought up little Qingyu's matter.
The clan leader was shocked, "What did you say? Little Yuer isn't your real child, you found her? You say she's from our Lin Family Manor?"
Lin Wanwan replied, "Yes, I found little Yuer right when I came down the mountain. She's very dear to me. Little Yuer said she has no parents, so I thought it's just perfect. What do you think, clan leader uncle?"
The clan leader sighed, "No wonder little Yuer seemed familiar; without a doubt, she's from Guofu's family. Half a month ago, Guofu's younger daughter-in-law went to town for supplies, saying she was taking the child to see a show, but ended up losing her."