Thinking of this, he couldn’t help but glare at Lu Dongqing again. If the baby spoke late, it would be his fault!
Lu Dongqing was inexplicably glared at, and apparently figured out the reason, so he whispered, “The baby takes after you, he’s clever and will surely speak early.”
Qiao Suiman then smiled, lowering his head to gaze tenderly at his belly.
After Lu Xuesong returned, he took a stick of tanghulu and ate it cheerfully, and said to them, “Today at Laifu Wine House, their business is really good. They wanted a hundred chicken eggs and a hundred duck eggs all at once. Good thing the Fang and Liu families sent some over earlier, otherwise it wouldn’t have been enough.”
“The wine house business is good. Eggs are used for toppings, and salted duck eggs can be side dishes. They definitely can’t do without them,” Qiao Suiman said. Back when he was making drinks at the wine house, he had taken note. He didn’t expect that it could also help his family get into the egg business.
“Qin Yu-ge also sent many of the gourds he grew. Those that weren’t sold out were sold quickly by hawking them along the street. We made a lot of money.” Lu Xuesong said with a laugh.
“That’s good. Earn more before the wedding, Guo’er will be happy too when he gets married.”
“En.” Lu Xuesong chuckled. He would see Tang Guo’er in a few days, and he was very happy.
Due to local customs, he hadn’t been to Hedong Village to see Tang Guo’er for a month, and he missed him dearly.
Life at home was more comfortable than in town. After waking up, he would gather eggs with Miao Lianhua. Qiao Suiman couldn’t bend over easily now, so he simply squatted sideways in one spot to gather them. After gathering over ten, he washes his hands with satisfaction, sweeps the floor, or organizes things needed for the banquet. He was never idle.
The tenth day of the fourth month.
Qiao Suiman started working early in the morning. Da Guai has a red ribbon tied around him and was kicking and stomping around. Many women and fulang from the village came, bringing their own tables and chairs. Qin Yu and Qiao Ruifeng even came early with Tuanzi.
He washed and sorted the vegetables. Though they hired a cook, some tedious tasks still had to be done themselves. Tables and chairs were set up in the yard. Qiao Suiman made a bucket of Sweet Orange Drink and a bucket of Fragrant Camelia Tea Drink. After quickly eating lunch, he returned to his room to nap for a while. When he woke up, Qin Yu told him that Lu Xuesong, Lu Dongqing, Qiao Ruifeng, and others had already set off for Hedong Village.
Lu Xuesong hadn’t bought a donkey or mule yet, so they used their donkey cart. Coincidentally, they had a new carriage. He looked very majestic driving the donkey cart on the road, wearing a red embroidered wedding robe.
Arriving at the Tang family, the Tang family relatives were all inside waiting to see the groom. When they saw the group arrive, even the donkey was in high spirits. Everyone praised Tang Xiao for finding such a fine son-in-law, saying that Guo’er would surely live a good life in the future.
Tang Xiao drank the wine and smiled as he accepted their praise. Tang Yuan and the other older brothers didn’t make things too difficult. After a while, they let Lu Xuesong into the house and talked with Lu Dongqing and the others outside to avoid missing the auspicious time.
After a while, Lu Xuesong led Tang Guo’er out of the room, stepped over the fire basin, and helped him into the carriage.
Being close, he could even hear him mutter, “Where did this new carriage come from?”
Mother Tang was crying and laughing behind and even Tang Guo’er’s sisters-in-law had reddened eyes. It wasn’t good to shed tears on such a joyous day, so they all turned away and wiped their tears secretly.
Tang Guo’er got into the carriage. Several of his older brothers would go with him to Xiahe Village for the evening banquet. He could hear their voices as he followed the donkey cart. At first, he didn’t feel much, but as the donkey cart creaked out of Hedong Village, he belatedly felt sad and quietly sniffled.
Lu Xuesong heard the faint sobbing from inside, took out a stick of tanghulu he brought along and handed it into the carriage, saying softly, “Guo’er, have some tanghulu. Xiao Man-ge bought it. It’s really delicious.”
Tang Guo’er saw that the tanghulu started to melt and laughed through his tears. He took it, unwrapped it, and ate. The sweet and sour taste burst in his mouth, easing his sad thoughts.
After the new fulang returned, the Lu family was bustling with excitement. Fearful that someone might take advantage of the chaos, Chen Xiasheng guarded the chicken and duck pens in the backyard, as it would be troublesome if anything were stolen.
Lu Xiang’s family also came, but Meng Yan was having a difficult pregnancy, so Chen Fanhuan stayed home to care for him and didn’t come along. Only Lu Xiang and Lu Huaqing brought Yangyang.
Yangyang had met Tuanzi once before and was now playing happily with him. Qin Yu watched them play with a smile and helped serve the dishes from time to time.
After the newlyweds paid respects to heaven and earth, Tang Guo’er entered the new room. The yard was bustling with noise, with conversations and the sounds of children playing.
The Tang family has many relatives. Several older brothers and cousins who came to show support filled two tables. Many in Xiahe Village wanted to bask in the Lu family’s joy. This time, there were five more tables than at Lu Dongqing and Qiao Suiman’s wedding two years ago.
With so many people, Qiao Suiman didn’t go out to chat much. His belly was big, and it wouldn’t be good if he bumped into something. He spoke with Chen Xuesheng in the room for a while.
The sky gradually darkened. Before the meal began, he went to the kitchen to get the meal prepared for Tang Guoer, and gently pushed open the door of Lu Xuesong and Tang Guo’er’s new house.
“Guo’er,” Qiao Suiman called with a smile.
Tang Guo’er immediately recognized his voice and said happily, “Qiao-gege!”
“Mm, you must be hungry. Eat a little first to fill your stomach. It’ll still be some time before the food outside is ready.”
Tang Guo’er lifted his own veil, smelled the food, and said shyly, “I really am hungry. Tanghulu isn’t filling.”
Qiao Suiman laughed. “Eat up. This will definitely keep you full.”
Tang Guo’er touched his belly and whispered, “Qiao-gege, what’s the little baby’s name?”
“We haven’t decided yet. We haven’t thought of one,” Qiao Suiman said with a smile. “You eat first. I’ll go check outside.”
“Okay, Qiao-gege.”
The banquet started outside. Qiao Suiman couldn’t hide away too long; otherwise, others would say he was putting on airs. The Tang relatives were also here. Though they had interacted before, he still had to be polite.
Lu Dongqing saved him a seat, and he went over to sit down. The table was full of familiar people, including his own family and a few members of the Chen family. They were chatting and laughing, and they were all asking him when he would return to the village to give birth.
“Soon. Isn’t this year’s Dragon Boat Race happening in our village? I’ll come back to sell for a while and then not go to town.”
Qin Yu patted Tuanzi’s back and smiled. “Before we knew it, it was another Dragon Boat Festival again. Two years ago, the drinks were just gaining fame. Thinking back, it feels like yesterday.”
“Yeah, time flies by so fast.” Zhou Shuifen sighed.
Qiao Suiman and Lu Dongqing exchanged a glance, their eyes full of tenderness. That year during the Dragon Boat Festival, they first fell in love. Lu Dongqing chased after him and said he wanted to marry him. At the time, he was so shocked he couldn’t form a complete sentence.
Lu Dongqing clearly also remembered what he had done back then and smiled gently. He was glad that he had directly expressed his feelings to Qiao Suiman. After marrying and living together, each day was happier than the last, and now they even have a little baby.
After dinner, Lu Dongqing and a few others cleaned up together, while Qiao Suiman just cleared the chairs and sat down to rest when he got tired of standing.
The evening was Lu Xuesong and Tang Guo’er’s wedding night. Everyone quickly finished cleaning and left, not disturbing them much.
Qiao Suiman and Lu Dongqing did the same. After washing up, they lay down to rest. Lu Dongqing had drunk a little wine and nuzzled against Qiao Suiman’s chest and belly, making him itchy. Qiao Suiman gently pushed him away. “Stop it.”
“Xiao Man, Xiao Man.”
After being pushed away, Lu Dongqing gently held Qiao Suiman, continuously planting light kisses on his face. Qiao Suiman was helpless and said softly, “I’m sleepy. I want to sleep.”
Only then did Lu Dongqing stop. Qiao Suiman curled his lips slightly, found a comfortable position in his arms, and fell asleep.
In the middle of the night, a familiar cramping sensation pulled him from his dreams. Lately, his legs have been cramping frequently, and the pain has been endless. Qiao Suiman couldn’t help but groan. Lu Dongqing immediately woke up and asked worriedly, “Your legs hurt again?”
As soon as he spoke, he skillfully began massaging his legs.
At first, massaging the legs was uncomfortable. Night is a time when it is easy to have a lot of thoughts. A few times before, Qiao Suiman couldn’t help but cry. He himself didn’t know why, but he always felt sad. After recovering, he felt embarrassed, which only worried Lu Dongqing more.
Lu Dongqing asked several fulang who had given birth. They all said pregnancy was like this: the later it got, the easier it was to get upset over small things.
So Lu Dongqing indulged him even more and accepted whatever Qiao Suiman would say without a single objection.
Today, Qiao Suiman was calm. After Lu Dongqing massaged him, he felt much better. Remembering how he had cried and made a fuss for no reason before, he whispered, “Do you ever get annoyed with me like that?”
“Never.”
Lu Dongqing answered without hesitation. “Xiao Man, the child is ours, but it’s only growing inside you. You’re bearing all the hardship. If I’d become annoyed, I’d be less than human.”
“So, if you’re unhappy, sad, or want to scold someone, tell me. Don’t keep it to yourself, understand?”
Qiao Suiman smiled faintly. “I understood, my child’s father.”
If you enjoy my translations, consider buying me a milk tea 🥛🍵
