Chapter 68: Stocking Up on All Kinds of Winter Clothing

After deciding, Leng Yun and Leng Chen took turns going out to chop bamboo and drag it back. The thin parts and branches were used for firewood, leaving only the thick sections.

Leng Chen used a saw on the long bench in the yard to cut the bamboo into tube shapes, while Leng Yun picked up the scattered bamboo sections from the ground and carried them under the eaves, neatly stacking them one by one from thickest to thinnest.

The two worked swiftly and cooperated seamlessly, achieving high efficiency.

In the kitchen, Wen Nuan Nuan was preparing lunch.

They still ate three meals a day.

Mainly because Wen Nuan Nuan was accustomed to three meals a day.

Another reason was that she wanted to take advantage of the cat winter to help the three younger ones catch up in height and weight. Over the past month, the three had clearly grown better, but perhaps due to the short time and the physically demanding work they did, their weight gain wasn’t very noticeable—they were still on the thin side.

Also, staying at home every day would be quite dull without making some delicious food.

With fewer people at noon, she reheated a portion of Red-Braised Pork Trotters, added some hazel mushrooms to the young chicken, stir-fried a dish of vinegar-braised cabbage, and made a pot of Pickled Mustard Tuber and Egg Soup.

Whenever it was time to cook, Wen Nuan Nuan felt particularly grateful that she hadn’t been lazy back then and had prepared several cooked dishes to store in the refrigerator. Now, she could simply take one out and reheat it for each meal, ensuring there was enough meat.

All she needed to do was stir-fry a vegetable dish and make a soup.

Even oil and salt were used sparingly, leaving a large portion saved each day.

Moreover, the four of them preferred meat, and she felt the cooked dishes she had prepared were more like they were made for them.

Back then, she had clearly done it to save money and time.

“Sister-in-law, I’ve brought back the pastries you wanted! Why are there so many bamboo tubes?” Leng Tian’s loud voice carried into the kitchen even before he entered the yard.

Wen Nuan Nuan waited until Leng Tian entered the kitchen before saying, “The thick bamboo tubes are for storing wontons and dumplings, and the thin ones are for making bamboo tube rice. Did you bring everything I asked for?”

“Yes, Eldest Brother remembered everything and made sure I bought it all. It’s still in the carriage. Here are the pastries.” Leng Tian handed over the pastries.

Wen Nuan Nuan took them and opened the box of jujube flower pastries, calling out loudly, “Second Brother, Little Brother, come in and have some snacks first.”

After trying them last time, she discovered that these traditional Chinese pastries were truly delicious!

Especially the jujube flower pastries—they had a strong jujube aroma upon the first bite, not overly sweet but with a natural sweetness. The pastry crust was incredibly flaky, the kind that crumbles with every bite.

The chestnut cakes were also delicious, with an especially thin, golden-brown crust and a soft, glutinous filling, perfect for pairing with tea.

These traditional pastries were so good that she had already given up on her plan to make pastries for money. The people of this era were far more skilled in this professional field than she was.

Taking advantage of Eldest Brother’s trip to the city, she bought more to keep at home and satisfy her cravings.

Going out here was far too difficult.

No wonder they had to stock up on a lot of goods even before winter arrived. With many people consuming quickly, heavy snow making travel difficult, and the city being far away, buying anything was a challenge.

They could only stock up on everything before the long winter arrived.

“Sister-in-law, come out and see the new clothes first!” Leng Yun rushed into the kitchen, nearly pulling his sister-in-law along in his excitement.

“I already have plenty of clothes. What’s there to get excited about—” Wen Nuan Nuan shook her head with a smile as she walked outside. But when she saw the spectacular scene in the yard, her unfinished words trailed off.

The carriage had already been unloaded, and the two horses were led to the stable to eat grass.

Leng Tian had brought back a large vat of corn and several smaller vats.

And now, the large vat, the small vats, and the carriage frame were all draped with various new clothes!

Unlike in Huaguo, where fur was typically worn on the outside, here the soft, fluffy fur was placed on the inside, with the leather on the outside.

It looks so warm.

“The furs from the last hunting trip weren’t sold—they were all taken to a specialized tannery for processing and used to make clothes, shoes, and hats!

Sister-in-law, look: the buck’s hide was used to make two pairs of deerskin boots, and the leftover leather was used to make two sets of hand muffs.

The rabbit fur was used to make a lined jacket and two snow hats.

Eldest Brother said the wolf king’s fur was glossy and smooth, so it was used to make a chair cushion for you, and three wolf pelts were used to make a heavy cloak for you.

Eldest Brother also told me last time to find good fox fur for a cloak for you. Coincidentally, I came across a red fox with excellent fur, but it wasn’t enough for a cloak, so I made a fur collar instead. The cloak’s lining is still made from wolf fur.”

Leng Tian’s voice grew softer toward the end. The biggest expenses for these clothes were the tanning and tailoring costs, along with the red fox fur.

He should have checked another shop. Eldest Brother had said wolf fur was too coarse, which was why he was told to find good fox fur.

But he hadn’t understood at the time and hadn’t handled it properly.

As Wen Nuan Nuan listened, she mentally calculated. It was one thing for all the deer and rabbit fur to be used on her, but out of just over ten wolf pelts, how many had been used on her alone?

“All of it was used on me. What about all of you?”

“Not all of it was used for you, Sister-in-law! We each made a lined jacket from wolf fur! Look, Sister-in-law, they’re extra thick!” Leng Yun happily held up a lined jacket and gestured with it for her to see.

Wen Nuan Nuan looked over. The lined jacket resembled a vest, using less material. After making two snow hats for her, the rabbit fur probably only sufficed for one lined jacket.

But with so much wolf fur, the four of them had only made one lined jacket each!

“I don’t have much work to do in winter, and I already have plenty of warm clothes. You all are the ones who need more.” Wen Nuan Nuan spoke honestly. She spent her days either indoors or in the kitchen, and all these fur garments were coordinated sets—she had too many.

“We have enough! Lined jackets are perfect for our work—they’re convenient and flexible. Making heavy cloaks would be impractical.” Leng Yun replied, not understanding her concern.

Wen Nuan Nuan suddenly remembered the heavy cloak that had used three wolf pelts and wondered what it looked like.

Actually, it was easy to identify. She recognized the lined jackets and cloaks.

But on the cart frame, there was a garment with a front opening, wide sleeves, loose-fitting with ties—it stood out from the rest. What else could it be but the heavy cloak?

“Eldest Brother said this style is perfect for you to wear at home, especially when going from the main hall to the kitchen. You can slip it over your clothes for convenience.”

“Your Eldest Brother thinks of everything.” It really was convenient, Wen Nuan Nuan had to admit.

Leng Xiao was meticulous and thoughtful, even considering such small details!

Wen Nuan Nuan touched the rabbit-lined jacket again. The leather was unexpectedly soft and supple, with a thick, fluffy circle of white rabbit fur around the collar. Even without wearing it, it looked incredibly warm.

She sniffed it—there wasn’t the slightest hint of odor.

“Don’t worry, Sister-in-law. The tannery I found is the best—it preserves the softness of the leather without leaving any odor.

With so many mountains and wild animals around here, even the craftsmanship in Nanyang Commandery probably can’t compare to Tongcheng’s!” Leng Tian said with pride.

Wen Nuan Nuan nodded in agreement. Not only could Nanyang Commandery not compare, but she felt even later generations might not surpass it.

And the craftsmanship now was entirely done by hand.

Suddenly, Wen Nuan Nuan felt a bit worried about her braised food business.