The journey to the town was not short, and at the crack of dawn the next day, Xiaomi was picked up.
Even though it was already March, the morning still had a bit of a chill. Xiaomi and Tiedan were wrapped in swaddling clothes, then carried on the adults' backs with a long strap.
As usual, Jiang Hu carried Xiaomi, and Erniang carried Tiedan; Dawa and Erni followed in their parents' footsteps, pulling up a few green vegetables, which Jiang Hu carried with a grass rope.
In the morning, the couple got up early to cook, and now everyone was full, brimming with energy on their way to town.
However, before it was fully light, Erni had to be pulled along. Jiang Hu thought about carrying her since the weight was nothing to him as a grown man.
Unfortunately, Erni firmly refused, saying, "Papa works so hard, Erni can walk by herself, when Erni gets too tired to walk, then Papa can carry her."
Her words warmed Jiang Hu's heart, and he couldn't help but chuckle all the way.
Jiang Hu held Erni's hand, glanced at Dawa excitedly running ahead, and then looked at his wife beside him, "Erniang, are you cold?"
The road was still chilly, and a gust of wind occasionally made it especially cold.
But Erniang shook her head, wiping her forehead, "Not cold, just tired from lying in bed for so long after just walking for a bit."
Mom, it's postpartum weakness, it'll be better after some time.
Xiaomi waved to her mother with a gurgle.
Postpartum weakness is a process that all mothers go through. After having a child, it takes nearly a year for the body to recover, requiring plenty of rest.
Though, she's been secretly giving her mother Spiritual Spring water to drink every day, her mother will surely recover faster!
Jiang Hu didn't know what postpartum weakness was, but he knew that childbirth took a toll on the body.
Jiang Hu moved a bit closer to Erniang, as if walking closer could help him lighten Tiedan's weight somehow.
"Erniang, how about we find a doctor in town today and have you checked out properly?"
There is a doctor in the village, but Jiang Hu wasn't very confident in his skills.
Erniang shook her head repeatedly, "No need, no need, it was the same when having Dawa and Erni, it'll get better in a while."
Seeing a doctor once would cost dozens to hundreds of copper coins, not worth it at all.
But Jiang Hu insisted, "It's exactly because of that. We need to check to make sure nothing's wrong, just in case."
Erniang couldn't argue with him and agreed for now.
The family of six moved along, resting occasionally. Jiang Hu and Dawa were fine, but Erniang and Erni needed breaks.
Originally, it wouldn't take Jiang Hu alone two hours to reach the town, but it took two and a half hours this time.
They left at the hour of Mao, and now it was the hour of Si. Another hour and a half, and it would be lunchtime, and Xiangma Town was already bustling.
Jiang Hu couldn't help but let out a long breath, "We're finally here."
He said as he put down Erni, "Dawa, hold your sister's hand later; there are many people in town. Don't get separated."
Erniang stopped for a breath and added, "If you do get separated, wait here at the town entrance, don't go with anyone who calls you, your father and I will come looking for you."
Dawa nodded eagerly, "Don't worry, Mom, Erni and I won't get separated."
But instead of rushing into town, they found a sheltered spot to put down the two kids they were carrying first.
It's been a while; they needed to feed the kids first, or it would be even harder to find a place to feed them later when the town got busier.
Jiang Hu called over Dawa and Erni to help shield Erniang so she could feed the babies in peace.
"Dawa, Erni, are you tired or hungry?" Jiang Hu held Xiaomi, while Tiedan was already on the verge of crying, so he fed Tiedan first.
Dawa hesitated for a moment, then nodded, "A little of both."
They had been walking for so long, it was impossible not to feel tired or hungry.
Especially Erni, after a brief stint of excitement, she was starting to feel sluggish.
Feeling a bit sorry for them, Jiang Hu gently patted the heads of the two children, "There's wonton in town. Once I drop off the vegetables at the restaurant, I'll take you to eat wonton."
"Thank you, Dad!" Dawa and Erni shouted excitedly, forgetting their fatigue instantly.
Xiaomi wasn't feeling hungry since she could always supplement with her milk powder, but Tiedan was ravenous, eating noisily, and even making Xiaomi crave a bit feeling like the air was filled with the scent of milk.
After feeding the children, Erniang was rested. Jiang Hu handed the vegetables to Dawa to carry and carried one child on each arm, leaving Erniang to hold Erni's hand.
Jiang Hu was well-acquainted with the Tongfu Restaurant. When the porter saw him, he smiled, "Brother Jiang, you're here. It's been a while since we last saw you."
Though Jiang Hu had only sold wild game to the Tongfu Restaurant twice, each time was a considerable amount, particularly the matter of selling fish, making him a familiar face.
With a few guests already at the restaurant, Jiang Hu handed Xiaomi to Erniang and Tiedan to Dawa, telling them to wait by the door while he took a few green vegetables inside.
"Brother Xiaoer, is Shopkeeper Liu in?"
"He's in the kitchen, he'll be right out." Xiaoer just finished speaking when a customer arrived, "Brother Jiang, wait here for a bit, I'll go tend to them."
Then he went to serve the guest, but fortunately, Jiang Hu didn't wait long as Shopkeeper Liu came out of the back quickly.
Seeing Jiang Hu didn't surprise him, but seeing that he hadn't brought wild game and only two green vegetables did.
"Brother Jiang, welcome, those must be your wife and children outside? I've heard you had a pair of 'Little Lucky Stars,' why not invite them in so we can all take a look, spread a little luck."
Because after Jiang Hu sold his first batch of game, he spread the word among the villagers that the shopkeeper was a good person, so almost all the game from Fuan Village was directly sent here.
In autumn and summer, wild game was common, but recently it had been quite rare, and thanks to Jiang Hu's word, Tongfu Restaurant's business had improved significantly!
That's why despite not bringing game this time, the shopkeeper and the assistant were still very kind to him.
More so because he vaguely heard about the 'Little Lucky Stars' from the villagers of Fuan Village.
Jiang Hu: "It's just something the villagers are saying casually. Shopkeeper Liu, I'm here today mainly for these green vegetables. We ate them ourselves and found the taste amazing. This is for you, free of charge. How about letting the chef cook it and give it a try?"
Jiang Hu placed the green vegetables on the counter.
Shopkeeper Liu took a closer look at the vegetables, and with his experience, he instantly noticed something special about them compared to the usual produce.
"These greens of yours look even better than the ones we bought today from the market."
He said this as he pinched a bit from a cabbage heart and tasted it directly, his eyes brightening instantly.
"Brother Jiang, don't rush off this time, bring your family in, and I'll have Chef Zhang prepare a couple of small dishes for you. It's on me!"
With that, he called over Xiaoer to escort them upstairs and headed to the kitchen with the vegetables.