Fengying grew up and married. Her mother-in-law was Madam Zhu's old childhood friend. The two families had liv…
Fengying grew up and married. Her mother-in-law was Madam Zhu's old childhood friend. The two families had lived in the same village for generations. Her husband, Tang Ming, was someone she'd known since they were little, a playmate who had never quite left her side.
They were deeply in love. Tang Ming was gentle, a perfect match for Fengying's sharp efficiency.
Fengying never lost her gift for making food. The buns she steamed and the meat sauce she simmered sent rich, comforting aromas drifting down the entire lane.
People praised Madam Zhu for raising such a capable, virtuous daughter. Yet in her heart, she was still that little girl on the doorstep, gnawing on a bun while the neighbors laughed.
She and her husband built a small farm with their own hands. In time, they had a daughter and named her Yiduo.
Raised among clear water and rich grass, Yiduo grew bright and carefree, like an early spring flower opening to the light.
Rooted in land that was gentle and free, even her laughter seemed warmed by sunshine.
Fengying never forgot the look her mother once gave her at the doorway, nor the quiet pride she felt the first time she kneaded a dough so smooth it gleamed.
"Yiduo, come help Mama knead the dough," she said now, guiding her daughter's small hands. She spoke softly, almost to herself.
"Don't force it, use skill. Knead it through, until it's smooth, not sticking to your hands or the bowl..."
After just a few presses, Yiduo pouted. "Mama, this isn't fun. I don't want to knead dough."
Fengying froze for a moment, then heard herself ask the very words she once knew so well. "Then what do you want to do?"
Yiduo's answer came tumbling out. "I want to herd sheep and raise chickens! I want to ride a big horse! And pick mushrooms! Oh—and I want my own farm too. A huge one!"
In that moment, Fengying was carried back to a long-ago afternoon. Had her mother looked at her the same way: part relief, part surprise, and something like hope quietly blooming beneath it all? If this was what her daughter wanted, how could she ever say no?
"Well then," Fengying said with a smile, her voice warm and sure, "you'll be the greatest farmer in the whole wide world."