“It smells so good.”
Lu Dongqing sliced a lot of meat and added it to the noodles, along with two eggs. Qiao Suiman picked up the chopsticks, stirred the noodles, and ate them one bite after another.
Lu Dongqing had woken early to cook two bowls of noodles. He had already finished his own, which included an egg. He sat aside and watched Qiao Suiman eat heartily. He smiled and said, “The kite is ready. The wind is strong today. It’ll surely fly high.”
Qiao Suiman’s eyes lit up. He looked up at Lu Dongqing while eating noodles. Lu Dongqing understood what he meant and immediately went to get it.
The room in the fragrant drink milk tea shop was considerably more spacious, but they were used to sleeping in the bamboo ware shop, so they didn’t move there.
Lu Dongqing quickly brought the kites. There were three in total. One was a common swallow shape, one was square which Chen Xiasheng had left behind, and another one…
Qiao Suiman looked at it. “Is it a fox?”
Lu Dongqing nodded, a faint smile on his lips. “It looks like you, little fox.”
“You’re the fox.” Qiao Suiman pouted. And a male fox at that.
Lu Dongqing laughed heartily. “Then we’re a fox couple.”
Qiao Suiman couldn’t help but laugh as well. Who else would say such a thing?
Lu Dongqing fed Heijin. After Qiao Suiman finished eating and rested for a while, the two of them took Heijin, hitched the donkey cart, and headed for the outskirts of town.
As the name suggests, Shuiqing Town is a place with beautiful mountains and clear water. The outskirts featured a stretch of continuous grassland and a hillside of ten or twenty zhang[mfn]丈 : ~3.3 m[/mfn] high called Lovers’ Hillside, next to Chengting Lake. Many trees grew by the lake, making it the favorite spot for townspeople for trips or leisurely strolls.
They have been in the town for more than half a year. They are usually busy during the day. When they have time, they rush back to the village. It was only now that they finally found an opportunity to go and have some fun.
Heijin had also been feeling cooped up in the shop. Upon reaching the lakeside, it dashed off wildly. Qiao Suiman called after it, “Don’t go too far!”
The response was several excited barks from Heijin.
“He’s smart, he’ll be back soon. It’s been cooped up for over ten days, let it run around.”
Lu Dongqing said, taking the kites down and handing the little fox one to Qiao Suiman with a smile. “Let’s run too.”
Qiao Suiman hadn’t flown a kite in many years. When they were young, he and Chen Xuesheng used to fly a kite together. They made it themselves using large grass leaves and it could only fly when the wind was particularly strong.
The ones Lu Dongqing made used bamboo strips for the frame and were covered with thick paper. They had been selling quite well these past few months, though he didn’t make many himself. After teaching Chen Xiasheng, he let him take over.
The square one was made by Chen Xiasheng and intended to take it home, but he forgot it yesterday when Chen Ping picked him up in a hurry. They would bring it back together.
Qiao Suiman first let out a small section of string. The wind was quite strong as autumn had set in, and the kite floated up as soon as he released the string. Qiao Suiman broke into a slight run, letting the string out longer.
Lu Dongqing colored the little fox kite. Others were flying kites nearby, but his was the most eye-catching. Qiao Suiman’s laughter drifted with the wind until the string was nearly all let out and the kite flew very, very high.
Lu Dongqing was flying a swallow kite near him. Their footsteps followed one after the other, the kites led by their strings also following one after the other. Heijin ran a circle and came back. Seeing that the two of them were flying their kites, it chased after them. The laughter and Heijin’s barking never stopped.
After having a great time, Qiao Suiman and Lu Dongqing took a walk under the shade of the nearby trees. Women and fulang were washing clothes by the lake and children were catching fish.
Qiao Suiman was just about to remark on the size of the fish here when he saw Heijin charge into the lake in a flash, paddling forward with all four legs. Seizing the moment, it clamped its mouth around a carp the length of an arm.
Qiao Suiman’s eyes widened. Many children nearby saw it too and exclaimed “Wow!” in unison.
The carp thrashed its tail wildly, but Heijin maintained a firm but careful bite, not letting the prey in its mouth escape. Once back on shore, it ran a few more steps, putting distance between itself and the lake, before flinging the fish onto the ground. Then it shook its fur left and right, looking utterly triumphant.
Qiao Suiman hurriedly picked up the fish and placed it in a bamboo basket on the donkey cart to prevent anyone from casually taking it.
Several children of seven or eight surrounded Heijin and chatted excitedly.
“So amazing.”
“This dog can catch fish! The one at my home can’t,” one child said and reached out to stroke Heijin’s head.
Heijin clearly enjoyed the attention, even raising his head to lean into the touch.
“I told you, yours is a dumb dog. It only knows how to eat and can’t even catch mice,” another boy teased.
“It is not! Don’t you call Xiao Huang a dumb dog!”
“It is a dumb dog, dumb dog, dumb dog.”
The two children began to quarrel. When Haejin saw that no one was petting him anymore, he shook his tail and trotted back proudly to Qiao Suiman’s side.
The two children pushed and shoved each other a few times. Other children stepped in to separate them before they could truly fight.
Qiao Suiman found it amusing. He bent down and patted Heijin’s head a couple of times. “You’re truly capable now!”
Heijin lifted its head and barked happily, clearly thinking Qiao Suiman was praising it.
Lu Dongqing laughed. “It’s all wet. We didn’t bring a cloth to dry it. Let it sun itself on the way back later so it doesn’t catch a cold.”
“Mn, let’s go back now.”
They woke up late today and ate a big breakfast, so they weren’t hungry and didn’t have lunch. By the time they returned, it would be close to dinner.
“We’ll grill the fish tonight and give Heijin a portion.”
After the trip, Qiao Suiman was in high spirits, and his tone was laced with happiness. “We still have some of the spices we brought home last time. It should taste good if we put it before grilling.”
Heijin, as if understanding, barked several times in a row, drool even trickling from the corner of its mouth, causing both Qiao Suiman and Lu Dongqing to laugh nonstop.
Qin Yu took Tuanzi to play in the west of the village. Tuanzi was wearing a tiger-head hat, and his little head was round. When he recognized Qiao Suiman, he stretched out his hands and babbled to be hugged.
Qin Yu smiled and placed Tuanzi into Qiao Suiman’s arms, saying, “Did you have fun?”
Qiao Suiman grinned from ear to ear. He first kissed Tuanzi on the cheek before saying, “Mn, it was fun.”
He asked further, “Where’s Da-ge?”
Qin Yu replied with a smile, “Still cutting grass. With so many chickens and ducks, and winter approaching, we need to prepare more. Aunt Lian and I came back because we knew you were arriving soon.”
“We’re raising forty hens and forty-five laying ducks at home now. They’re all laying eggs. Just collecting the chicken and duck eggs takes two hours every day. Your Da-ge goes out early to cut the grass, while I collect the eggs at home. And in the afternoon, I also go cut grass and dig for earthworms too. The chickens and ducks are raised very well.”
Hearing this, Qiao Suiman was very happy. By this calculation, they got nearly a hundred eggs a day. The price of eggs in town had already reached six or seven wen each. If they could all be sold, the income would be four or five mace of silver a day, which can be considered as one of the best earnings in the whole village.
“During the busy harvest season, it was a good thing you left Da Guai at home, otherwise, we truly couldn’t have managed,” Miao Lianhua added.
Lu Xuesong didn’t raise as many chickens and ducks as Qiao Ruifeng, and he was a novice, so he was afraid that something might go wrong with the chickens and ducks. At the slightest sign of trouble, he would run to the Qiao family to ask. Qiao Ruifeng had seen many other people raising chickens and ducks, so he knew a lot about them and kept giving him instructions.
Qiao Suiman smiled. His elder brother could talk as much as Xuesong. He smiled then sighed, “We are indeed short-handed.”
They happened to be home when the grain was being harvested. They worked hard in the fields for two days before they finished harvesting both families’ fields. They didn’t take Da Guai back to town, and instead spent ten wen to take an ox cart back. Later, after the grains were threshed, Qiao Ruifeng drove the donkey cart to Beide Road.
This year’s weather had been as favorable as last year’s, and the harvest even better. Miao Lianhua said happily, “Now that things are under control and the grain’s all harvested, all that’s left is to cut more grass.”
That evening, Qiao Suiman grilled the fish. Aside from the portion saved for Heijin, the rest was shredded and placed in a bowl. They ate with great relish, accompanied by steamed buns and stir-fried shepherd’s purse with eggs.
Since the chickens and ducks from both families started laying eggs, Qiao Suiman never lacked for eggs to eat. Every time he returned, either Qin Yu or Miao Lianhua would insist he take some to town.
After washing up, Qiao Suiman leaned by the window to look at the stars. Lu Dongqing entered with a smile, took a small cloth bundle from his chest and placed it in Qiao Suiman’s hands.
“What’s this?” Qiao Suiman was confused at first, then quickly realized. “A birthday gift for me?”
“Mn, so clever.”
Lu Dongqing leaned close to steal a kiss from Qiao Suiman’s lips. Then opened the folded silk cloth, revealing a bamboo-shaped silver hairpin. On the end of the pin was a single small character: “Man” (满).
“Do you like it?” Lu Dongqing asked in a low voice.
Qiao Suiman was silent for a moment before answering hoarsely, “I like it. I like it very much.”
Lu Dongqing’s eyes held a tenderness that seemed to overflow. “Try it on.” After saying that, he pulled Qiao Suiman to the bronze mirror and reached out to take off the bamboo hairpin he was wearing.
After their marriage, he often carved bamboo hairpins for Qiao Suiman, who also enjoyed wearing them. However, many of the wealthier ge’rs and young ladies in town wore silver hairpins, so he came up with this idea. He went to the silverware shop that made Tuanzi’s bracelet before, drew a design for the shopkeeper, and waited a little over half a month to get it.
Lu Dongqing gathered Qiao Suiman’s loose hair and pinned it up. The hairpin circled the hair and held it securely in place instantly. The bamboo-shaped end was exposed, looking very exquisite.
“This is too beautiful,” Qiao Suiman murmured, reaching up to touch the silver hairpin.
“Mn,” Lu Dongqing looked at their reflections in the mirror, stroking Qiao Suiman’s hair a few times. “You look beautiful no matter what you wear.”
Qiao Suiman chuckled softly. If someone else said that, he would take it as flattery. But every time Lu Dongqing said such things, his gaze was sincere and fervent. Qiao Suiman recalled the saying, “In the eyes of a lover, one becomes a Xi Shi.”[mfn]情人眼裡出西施 qíngrén yǎn lǐ chū xīshī – (Xi Shi is one of the renowned Four Beauties of ancient China); This proverb uses Xi Shi’s beauty to describe a person who is perfect in the eyes of a lover, emphasizing that love can blind people and make them unable to see any shortcomings of the other person, and no matter what the other person looks like, they are perfect, even the most beautiful.[/mfn] It certainly held truth. In his eyes, Lu Dongqing was also more handsome than anyone else.
No matter how beautiful the hairpin, it had to be removed for sleep. Qiao Suiman carefully wrapped the hairpin back up, placed it in the drawer beneath the mirror, then took off his outer robe and burrowed into the quilt.
Lu Dongghing also got in but he didn’t stop. His fiery breath traveled downward, to that place which made Qiao Suiman feel as if he had ascended to paradise.
Qiao Suiman gripped the bedsheet beneath him tightly with both hands, his fists clenched tight. A heat that he had never felt before enveloped him until he let out a suppressed moan, trembling as he released.
Lu Dongghing emerged from under the quilt but did not stop. He took a bowl of water by the bed to rinse his mouth, then embraced Qiao Suiman and changed their position, his movements becoming more powerful.
When the commotion died down, the moon was already high in the sky. Qiao Suiman’s body was still trembling. Everything today had been too wonderful. He lay with eyes slightly unfocused and breathing in small pants.
Lu Dongqing fetched water, and Qiao Suiman, as usual, spread his legs and lay down, letting him wipe his body. He gradually fell asleep only after Lu Dongghing had finished tidying up and held him.
The days passed leisurely. After winter set in, the milk tea business got better and better. The weather was cold, and everyone wanted something warm to drink. On Little New Year[mfn]小年 xiǎo nián – Minor New Year, also known as the Festival of the Kitchen God, is a festival in the traditional lunisolar Chinese calendar. It honors the Kitchen God and takes place roughly a week before the Chinese New Year.(Wikipedia)[/mfn] especially, Qiao Suiman was making milk tea from morning till night, thinking to himself it was a good thing they hired Fulang He, otherwise how could they possibly manage.
Lu Dongqing’s shop was also very busy. Not long ago, his carved bamboo brush holder, engraved with the design “Listening to the Spring, Brewing Tea,” had been chosen as a congratulatory gift for the newly appointed Investigating Censor[mfn]監察禦史 jiānchá yùshǐ – An official position in imperial China responsible for monitoring and reporting on governmental affairs and the conduct of officials, directly under the oversight of the Censorate.[/mfn]. It received extremely high praise and his reputation spread overnight. Now the orders for his bamboo carvings and engravings were scheduled until after the New Year, yet people still come to him daily for orders.
After the Little New Year, the festive atmosphere on the streets became stronger day by day. Qiao Suiman tidied the shop and posted a notice on the door early, stating that the shop is closed from the twenty-fifth of the twelfth month until the fifth day of the first month.
With the doors of both shops closed, it was time to return home for the New Year.
If you enjoy my translations, consider buying me a milk tea 🥛🍵
