With more hands helping, the meal was prepared quickly. By mealtime, six dishes were laid out on the table. Each of the four meat dishes was different. The fried pork was rich and fragrant, the cured meat platter was salty and aromatic, the spicy stewed carp was both fresh and spicy, and the golden-fried meatballs were crispy and delicious. Alongside these were steamed dried vegetable buns, a soup of tofu with radish and cabbage, and steaming hot rice, all of which were steaming hot and tempting.
Most of the ingredients were bought together by both families, with only the meat and tofu purchased from others. The carp was caught by Qiao Ruifeng two days prior when he broke the ice by the river. The meal was both lavish and economical, and smiles bloomed on everyone’s faces.
After taking their seats in the main hall, Miao Lianhua sat in the seat of honor at the far end of the table. Qiao Suiman and Lu Dongqing sat side by side on the left, Qiao Ruifeng and Qin Yu on the right, while Lu Xuesong occupied the seat nearest the door.
The family was now complete. Miao Lianhua thought of Lu Lai’an, and her eyes grew moist. She quickly lowered her head to hide it. This was a joyous occasion, and shedding tears would be inappropriate. Lu Lai’an must be watching over them from heaven so that the children could have such a smooth life.
Miao Lianhua picked up her teacup, filled only with simple wild tea that Qiao Suiman had dried some time ago. She cleared her throat and said, “Today is New Year’s Eve, and our family is reunited. I won’t say much, just that I wish us all good health, success in everything, and thriving businesses!”
Qiao Suiman also picked up his teacup and said, “Thank you, Mother.”
The others followed suit, clinking their cups together before draining them in one go.
Picking up his chopsticks, Qiao Suiman took a meatball and chewed thoughtfully before his eyes lit up. He spat out a copper coin and exclaimed, “I got the coin!”
This dish was made by Miao Lianhua. She put a copper coin inside one of the meatballs. The coin was washed clean and boiled in hot water, so it is safe to eat. It’s for good luck.
“You’ll have great fortune in the coming year!” Qin Yu said with a smile, his eyes crinkling.
“Congratulations, Xiao Man-ge!” said Lu Xuesong.
Under Lu Dongqing’s warm and delighted gaze, Qiao Suiman grinned foolishly. “May we all have great fortune!”
Qiao Ruifeng burst into laughter. They had never celebrated such a lively New Year before. For him and Qiao Suiman, it was a fresh and novel experience. For Qin Yu, it was even more meaningful. The festivities in his maternal home had never included him, but now he has a real family that warms his heart.
The reunion feast left them all stuffed, with plenty of leftovers. Even Heijin got several pieces of meat. The remaining dishes were covered with a bamboo net in the kitchen to be reheated later.
After the meal, Qin Yu and Miao Lianhua went to Qiao Suiman’s room to chat, while the three men lounged in the main hall. The kang[mfn]炕 – refers to a specific type of bed made of brick or mud that can be heated by fire[/mfn] was heated in the room, and they sat cross-legged on it, warming themselves from head to toe.
Qin Yu’s face was full of joy, but Qiao Suiman sensed some hesitation and asked, “Qin Yu-ge, is there something you want to say?”
After a moment’s thought, Qin Yu couldn’t suppress his smile. “I, I’m pregnant.”
Qiao Suiman’s eyes widened, and he jumped up, staring at Qin Yu’s belly: “Really?!”
Then he smacked his own forehead. “What a silly question, of course it’s true! Qin Yu-ge, this is wonderful, truly wonderful!”
No one understood Qin Yu’s longing for a child better than he did. Now that the wish had come true, how could he not be overjoyed?
Miao Lianhua, however, remained composed. She patted Qin Yu’s hand and said with a smile, “Congratulations, Yu-ge’r. How far along are you?”
“The physician said just over two months. It’s still an unstable period,” Qin Yu replied, scratching his head. Then he added, “Auntie Lian, I don’t know much about this, and I’m afraid of making mistakes. I was hoping to ask for your advice.”
Miao Lianhua thought for a moment and asked, “Have you been feeling unwell these past few days?”
Qin Yu blushed slightly, “No, no, I just have a bigger appetite.”
The blushing was because he and Qiao Ruifeng discovered the baby in a rather inappropriate way. With winter leaving them more free time, Qiao Ruifeng would often pull him into bed for mischief. Three days ago, in broad daylight, he dragged Qin Yu under the covers. But as soon as Qiao Ruifeng began moving inside, Qin Yu felt uncomfortable. He pushed him away and began to vomit. This frightened Qiao Ruifeng so much that he went limp. He quickly took him to the physician, who then discovered that he was already two months pregnant.
Qiao Suiman thought Qin Yu was blushing from embarrassment, so he got up and opened a small window. Unaware of the details, Miao Lianhua nodded cheerfully. “A good appetite is a good sign, but don’t overeat. If the child grows too large, the birth will be difficult. The cold weather now is fine, but when summer comes, avoid anything too cold or raw. Eat more meat for nourishment.”
Qin Yu listened intently, afraid of missing a single word, while Qiao Suiman listened with great interest. After all, he was about to become an uncle!
Miao Lianhua chattered on for a long time, telling Qin Yu everything she had experienced while pregnant with her two children, so that he would know what to do if he ever found himself in a similar situation. Poor thing, with no elders at home, he didn’t know who to ask for advice when something happened.
“In the later months, your legs might cramp at night. Don’t feel bad for your husband at this time. Ask him to get up and massage them. Our hands are not as strong as theirs, and it won’t help much if we do it ourselves. Don’t worry too much and take good care of yourself. If you’re healthy, your child will be healthy too.”
“Mm, I understand.” Qin Yu stroked his belly, a smile spreading across his face.
Qiao Suiman brought out some pastries and placed them on the table. The three of them chatted and ate, and before they knew it, the afternoon had passed.
Lu Dongqing and the others took Heijin up the mountain to chase pheasants and hadn’t returned yet. With plenty of leftovers from lunch, Qiao Suiman simply reheated them and added some dried vegetables for a hearty dinner.
Heijin’s barking echoed from afar. Qiao Suiman looked up to see Lu Dongqing and Qiao Ruifeng each carrying a pheasant!
“They caught two!” he exclaimed.
Miao Lianhua and Qin Yu turned to look and laughed. “So capable! Where did you find them?”
“A little further into the front mountain. They were foraging. One was hooked with a tree branch, the other was chased down. They’re both alive.” Lu Dongqing lifted the pheasant by its feet for Qiao Suiman to see.
Qiao Suiman weighed it in his hand and smiled, his eyes crinkling. “So plump, even in this cold!”
Heijin jumped excitedly to Qiao Suiman’s feet, leaping up to rest its front paws on his belly. It opened its mouth and stuck out its tongue, its eyes sparkling.
Qiao Suiman bent down and rubbed its head, smiling and praising it, “Our Haejin is really amazing. All that meat wasn’t wasted!”
Heijin barked several times in response, drawing laughter from the group.
After dinner, they set off fireworks. Qiao Suiman held a chuantianhou[mfn]窜天猴 cuàn tiān hóu (sky-leaping monkey) – a type of traditional firecracker/firework that launches into the air using rocket-like propulsion[/mfn], lighting the fuse before the firework shot into the sky with a whoosh and exploded. He set off three or four in a row before he was satisfied.
“So fun!” Qiao Suiman exclaimed. “You try too!”
Lu Dongqing took a sparkler in hand. Once lit, golden sparks sprayed from its tip, illuminating their faces in the night. Qiao Suiman stared, momentarily dazed, before picking up another firework to play with.
They bought a lot of fireworks and saved some for later. Everyone had a great time. When night fell, Qiao Ruifeng and Qin Yu took their lanterns and headed home. Qiao Suiman and Lu Dongqing walked them to the crossroads and then slowly made their way back.
“This is wonderful,” Qiao Suiman shook his hand, which was clasped with Lu Dongqing’s. “Next year, we’ll have one more little baby to celebrate the New Year with.”
Qin Yu shared the news during dinner, so Lu Dongqing wasn’t surprised. A clear smile appeared on his face. “Mm, it’ll be even livelier.”
On the first day of the new year, the family wandered through the bustling parts of the village. Qiao Suiman wore the silver bracelet passed down by Miao Lianhua and a new water-blue padded jacket she had sewn for him. He looked both delicate and striking.
The others were also dressed in new clothes. When they met villagers on the road, they stared at their family with wide eyes. They didn’t look poor at all!
The family visited the Chen family, and Chen Xuesheng also returned. Qiao Suiman quietly pulled him aside and whispered, “The ointment is quite effective. Where did you purchase it?”
Then, under Chen Xuesheng’s teasing gaze, his face slowly turned red. After getting the answer, Qiao Suiman went back to chat with Zhou Shuifen and the others about family matters. They hadn’t yet mentioned buying a shop. There would be time for that later after they purchased it.
Although it was the New Year, apart from strolling around the village on the first day and visiting the Lu family on Xide Road on the second day, Lu Dongqing was busy making lanterns the rest of the time. Qiao Suiman was weaving auspicious tassels, Miao Lianhua was embroidering handkerchiefs and pouches, and Lu Xuesong was also busy. It wasn’t until the tenth day that Qiao Suiman and Lu Dongqing finally went together to Yunlang Academy to sell lanterns.
They asked Lu Xiang in advance and learned that the academy students has a regular day off on the tenth, and another day off on the Lantern Festival. Since there were more people on Flower Street on the Lantern Festival, they chose the tenth day to sell lanterns in front of the academy.
Today, they brought all their sheepskin parchment lanterns. The square and cylindrical lanterns were supported by dark brown bamboo poles, each carved with different images. Some depicted respected scholars such as Confucius and Mencius, while others depicted characters from folklore, such as Zhong Kui[mfn]钟馗 – A famous deity in traditional Chinese culture, known for his ability to protect homes and exorcise demons.[/mfn], as well as scenes such as high mountains and flowing water. In short, there was a wide variety to choose from, so everyone could find something they liked.
The hollow space was lined with sheepskin, and a candle was lit in the center, illuminating the texture of the sheepskin parchment paper and making it look even more special. Sheepskin parchment lanterns are expensive, so Lu Dongqing initially aimed at wealthy customers who were also well-educated, which meant the students from the academy.
Lu Lai’an taught the brothers to read without restricting them to the Four Books and Five Classics[mfn]The 四書五經 (sìshūwǔjīng | Four Books and Five Classics) are the foundational Confucian texts in Chinese tradition. The Four Books (四書 | Sìshū) include The Great Learning (大學 | Dàxué), The Doctrine of the Mean (中庸 | Zhōng yōng), The Analects (論語 | Lúnyǔ), and Mencius (孟子 | Mèngzǐ). The Five Classics (五經 | Wǔjīng) consist of The Book of Songs (詩經 | Shī jīng), The Book of Documents (書經 | Shū jīng), The Book of Rites (禮記 | Lǐjì), The Book of Changes (易經 | Zhōu yì), and The Spring and Autumn Annals (春秋 | Chūnqiū). Together, they formed the core of imperial Chinese education and civil service examinations for centuries.[/mfn], allowing them to explore miscellaneous texts as well. In addition, he asked Lu Xiang and Lu Huaqing, so Lu Dongqing knew what the scholars liked and made these lanterns to suit their tastes.
Qiao Suiman didn’t recognize the carved figures, so Lu Dongqing spent days explaining them, even recounting the tale of Zhong Kui. For several days, Qiao Suiman would pull Lu Dongqing to listen to stories every evening.
Early that morning, they arrived at the academy’s street, where many food vendors had already set up. The scholars’ families were mostly wealthy and generous, so whenever the academy was closed for vacation, this street was always filled with all kinds of stalls.
However, unlike the market, apart from food, most of the other stalls sold items used by scholars, such as brush hangers, ink boxes, and bookcases. The only stall selling lanterns was Lu Dongqing’s.
To make it look more elegant, Qiao Suiman and Lu Dongqing gathered large leaves from the mountains, cleaned and pressed them flat to line the lantern display, covering the wooden board beneath. This gave it a somewhat rustic look. As a result, not long after the stall opened, many scholars gathered in front of the cart to watch the excitement.
“Take a look, take a look. We have sheepskin parchment lanterns and bamboo lanterns, all sorts of designs to suit your taste!” Lu Dongqing called out, echoing the sales pitch Qiao Suiman had taught him.
“Interesting, interesting! Hahaha!”
A scholar picked up a lantern depicting Zhong Kui and examined it, showing it to his companion.
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I’m so happy for Qin Yu!!!