Chapter 331: Chapter 331: Eating a Rabbit Causes a Harelip
Felix Thorne and Byron Thorne were still drinking. Shane Thorne and the village chief had also been invited over. Phoebe Huxley had cooked a sumptuous spread, and Goldie Thorne had returned home as well. The women had already finished their meal, while the men were drinking and gossiping.
Phoebe Huxley had just fed the pigs and was now stitching a shoe sole. Phoebe Thorne and Raina were also stitching soles. Housewives in those days never stopped from the moment they opened their eyes. Even when they were chatting, they had to have a sole in their hands to work on. They had to make shoes for everyone in the family, young and old. This was especially true for Jim Thorne and his two brothers. Their feet were big and heavy, and they walked like they were beating gongs and drums, which wore out their shoes incredibly fast.
"Sister-in-law, have Jim’s feet grown again?" Phoebe Thorne asked with a smile.
After two months of recuperating at home, Phoebe Thorne’s energy and spirit were clearly much better. Her complexion was rosy, she had put on some weight, and her belly was large and pointed. She had gone for a prenatal check-up at the town clinic a few days ago, and all her results were quite good. The doctor said that as long as there were no accidents, the birth should go smoothly.
"You bet. His feet grow the fastest, like pig’s trotters. They grow a size every six months. I can’t make shoes fast enough."
Although Phoebe Huxley sounded like she was complaining, she had a smile on her face and a hint of pride. Her son was tall and strong; he would definitely be able to support a good family in the future. It was just that the shoes... they really did wear out too quickly.
She poked a hole in the thick sole with an awl, ran the coarse needle through her hair a few times, and easily pushed it through the hole. The end of the needle hooked the hemp thread, and with a strong pull, a light brown line appeared on the sole. Only when the entire sole was densely stitched with hemp thread would it be sturdy. This was the humble thousand-layer sole.
The soles were made from layers of scrap fabric glued together. The thread was spun from ramie bark, and the patterns were cut by hand. Though the rural women didn’t have much formal education, they were incredibly deft with their hands. They didn’t need to be told a shoe size; they could tell how big a foot was just by gesturing with their hands. The shoes they made would be a perfect fit, not a fraction too big or too small.
The three women—mother-in-law, daughter-in-law, and sister-in-law—stitched their soles in an orderly fashion, talking about the children in the family. Meanwhile, the men drank and boasted. Under the dim yellow light, this was the simple, warm daily life of ordinary people in those times.
"Grandma, Mom, Auntie."
Tang Xiaonan ran in, followed by Jim Thorne. Phoebe Huxley chided, "I told you to deliver the pig liver, and you disappeared along with it. Hurry up and go eat."
"I already ate at Mr. Hawthorne’s house. Mr. Hawthorne even gave me a rabbit. Mom, can we eat the rabbit tomorrow?"
Tang Xiaonan flopped onto Phoebe Huxley’s lap. Phoebe Huxley put down the sole and needle, afraid of poking her daughter. She wrapped an arm around Tang Xiaonan, looking at her lovingly. Seeing a bit of grease by her mouth, she wiped it away with her hand.
"Alright, I’ll cook the rabbit for you tomorrow."
Phoebe Huxley looked at the plump rabbit with satisfaction. ’It must weigh a good seven or eight catties. That boy, Adrian Hawthorne, is really capable.’
"This rabbit is so plump. Did that boy from the Hawthorne family catch it?" Raina was also pleased. A rabbit this fat could feed them for half a month.
Tang Xiaonan nodded. "Mr. Hawthorne caught two. He gave the bigger one to me."
She then looked at Phoebe Thorne and said with a wide grin, "Auntie, let’s give the two hind legs to my little cousin."
"You can’t eat that! He’ll be born with a cleft lip!" Raina and Phoebe Huxley protested in unison.
There were many things pregnant women couldn’t eat. The child didn’t know any better, but they certainly did.
Tang Xiaonan couldn’t help but laugh. She asked deliberately, "Why would he be born with a cleft lip?"
"Rabbits have cleft lips, don’t they? If you eat it, your little cousin will be born with one too," Raina explained patiently. This was a rule passed down by the elders, and she believed it without a doubt.
Tang Xiaonan fought to hold back her laughter and asked with a straight face, "Then since Auntie has eaten so much chicken, will my little cousin be born with a pointy beak?"
