MFBOWSBTMT Chapter 110

After lying in bed for nearly ten days, Qiao Suiman felt as if his bones were going numb. Hua Yun was washing swaddling clothes outside, while Miao Lianhua brought in the warmed goat milk she had just boiled. Qiao Suiman was taking small steps, slowly moving around the room.

 

“Getting tired of lying down, aren’t you?”

 

Miao Lianhua said with a smile. Little Tangyuan had woken up, and upon seeing her come in with a bowl, he immediately stretched out both hands and looked at her eagerly.

 

“Yes,”

 

Qiao Suiman replied as he sat back down on the edge of the bed. His body was not yet fully recovered, and the movement tugged at his wound, making him hiss in pain.

 

However, it was not as painful as right after the birth. Moreover, Grandpa Yuan said that he needed to move around from time to time and should not lie down all day.

 

“Little Tangyuan, you’re hungry, aren’t you?” Miao Lianhua said cheerfully. “Your eyes light up when you see goat milk.”

 

Qiao Suiman also laughed. “All he recognizes is food. That’s good, he knows to eat when he’s hungry.”

 

“Of course. Our little Tangyuan is the smartest.”

 

Miao Lianhua walked over to Tangyuan and gently picked him up. Qiao Suiman took the bowl and fed him little by little with a small spoon.

 

Tangyuan opened his mouth slightly and gulped down the milk. If Qiao Suiman was too slow with the spoon, he would pout and start crying. Qiao Suiman could not help but laugh. This child was truly easy to raise.

 

After finishing nearly half a bowl of goat milk, Miao Lianhua carried Tangyuan around the room, humming a soothing tune as she walked. Soon enough, Tangyuan began rubbing his eyes, as if he was getting sleepy.

 

“He wants to sleep,” Qiao Suiman said as he took Tangyuan into his arms, gently rocking him and humming along like Miao Lianhua. “Sleep, sleep, little Tangyuan, a little piglet who sleeps right after eating.”

 

“How can you say that about your own child?” Miao Lianhua chuckled.

 

Qiao Suiman chuckled. Looking down, he saw that Tangyuan already fell asleep and could not help but smile. “Isn’t he just a little piglet? No wonder I had such a good appetite when I was pregnant. It must have been because he loves to eat.”

 

Miao Lianhua nodded in agreement. “Whether it’s rice gruel or goat milk, he never leaves a drop. Everyone who hears about it is envious. These two brothers, Tuanzi and Tangyuan, are such worry-free children.”

 

Some children in the village were difficult to raise, refusing to eat even the most delicious food. Despite their families not being poor, they remained thin and small. Tangyuan, on the other hand, ate whatever was fed to him.

 

Qiao Suiman had already figured out Tangyuan’s temperament. He would cry loudly when he’s hungry or needed a change. If he woke up and Qiao Suiman did not hold him immediately, he would whine incessantly and refuse to be held by anyone else. Not even Lu Dongqing could calm him down unless Qiao Suiman held him for a while first.

 

However, Lu Dongqing did not get to spend much time with Tangyuan while the child was awake. He left early for town before Tangyuan and Qiao Suiman woke up, and by the time he returned in the evening, Tangyuan had already finished his milk and gone back to sleep.

 

Tangyuan would wake up once around midnight. Hua Yun would warm the milk and bring it into the room, and only then would Lu Dongqing have a chance to feed him. At first, Tangyuan did not recognize Lu Dongqing and would insist on being fed by Qiao Suiman every night.

 

Lu Dongqing stayed home for two days and never left Tangyuan’s side. Only then did Tangyuan begin to grow familiar with him.

 

“Finally, he recognizes me,” Lu Dongqing said with a sigh.

 

“Tangyuan is still young,” Qiao Suiman reassured him. “He’ll get to know you better with time.”

 

Lu Dongqing gently touched Tangyuan’s chubby cheek as he slept and smiled. “Yes, so round.”

 

Lu Dongqing lay back down on the outer side of the bed, wrapped his arms around Qiao Suiman, and planted several kisses on his face. “Shopkeeper Hu has introduced a new lotus root powder osmanthus cake. I saw someone at the drink shop buying it to pair with the camellia drink. It must taste good. I’ll buy a pack tomorrow.”

 

Qiao Suiman nestled in Lu Dongqing’s embrace. The door was closed, and with the heat of the sixth month, lying close together made them sweat. He shifted away slightly and replied, “Alright. We’ve finished the sweet bean cakes at home. I also feel like eating roast chicken, and a bowl of tangyuan would be perfect.”

 

As he spoke, he could not help but swallow his saliva.

 

Lu Dongqing chuckled and did not pull him back. “Sure, I’ll buy everything tomorrow. I’ll tell Hua-dajie not to cook too many dishes. Two roast chickens will be enough.”

 

“Okay.”

 

Qiao Suiman felt he was being too greedy. Although the dishes Hua Yun makes for him every day were quite tasty, he often craved food from outside. Fortunately, the two shops now had a stable income and could afford their expenses.

 

Qin Yu found time to visit with Tuanzi. Tuanzi was already able to say a few simple words. The last time he visited, he  called Qiao Suiman xiao-mo, which delighted Qiao Suiman so much that he kissed the child several times.

 

Qiao Suiman placed Tuanzi on the bed. As soon as he touched the bed, Tuanzi immediately crawled over to Tangyuan’s side and looked at him with curiosity.

 

Qiao Suiman gently squeezed Tuanzi’s chubby little hand and said, “This is your didi,[mfn]弟弟 dìdi – younger brother[/mfn] Tuanzi. Say ‘didi.'”

 

Tuanzi’s speech was still unclear, but he obediently called out, “Li-li.”

 

Qiao Suiman and Qin Yu both laughed. “Tuanzi is so clever! He can say ‘didi‘ now!”

 

Pleased by the praise, Tuanzi grinned and giggled, calling out “li-li” several more times. Tangyuan babbled in response, as if answering him.

 

Leaving the two children to play on the bed, Qiao Suiman and Qin Yu chatted about other matters.

 

Qiao Ruifeng and Qin Yu now raised a total of seventy chickens and ducks. Just cutting grass, digging for earthworms, and feeding the poultry took up most of their time. Qin Yu also had to tend to the vegetables and gourds he planted, along with the work in the fields. The two of them were busy from morning till night.

 

Despite their busy schedule, they had managed to save a considerable amount of money. Not long ago, Qiao Ruifeng bought two mu[mfn]亩 : ~667 m²[/mfn] of paddy fields and was waiting for the current harvest to be completed before finalizing the deed.

 

This means that they have to take care of the farm work, raise chickens and ducks, send their eggs to town, and take care of the fruit trees and gourds at home. Little Tuanzi is also still young and cannot be left alone.

 

Qiao Ruifeng thought of hiring a long-term worker to live at home and assign the work of weeding and farming to him, so the remaining work would become much more manageable. Qin Yu would no longer have to carry Tuanzi on his back while weeding and watering. He could focus on cooking and looking after the child.

 

“Have you found a long-term worker?” Qiao Suiman asked.

 

Qin Yu nodded with a smile. “He’s from Hedong Village. Uncle Tang helped us inquire. He used to work as a long-term worker for Landlord He in Hexi Village. He’s forty years old now. Since Landlord He pays more, many younger men are competing for the job, so he wasn’t kept on.”

 

“Ruifeng went to meet him. He’s hardworking. His family has many children and little land, so they’re struggling. Hiring him for one hundred twenty wen a month will make things much easier for us.”

 

“That’s wonderful. We can make a lot of money every month by selling eggs. The chickens and ducks need to be well cared for, and the fields are precious, too. We can’t focus on one and neglect the other,” Qiao Suiman said softly.

 

“Dongqing has been looking at a few mu of land near the outskirts of town, but the price is higher than in the village. We’d also need to hire people to farm it, so we haven’t settled on it yet.”

 

They came from the village and their roots are in the land. No matter how well their business did, having fields of their own gives them a peace of mind.

 

Rice and flour were expensive in town. If the weather is bad and there is a shortage of grain, it will be impossible to buy it even if you have money. Therefore, after buying the shop, they planned to save up to purchase land.

 

Lu Xuesong put a lot of effort into the family’s fields. Although the yield still could not compare to that of fertile farmland, it reached about eighty percent, which was quite good. The grain harvested from the fields was stored away. Once the new rice from this season was harvested, the large jars in the storage room would be filled to the brim, and they would not need to spend money on grain.

 

Lu Xuesong got married and has to make plans for his own family. Qiao Suiman and Lu Dongqing didn’t want to ask for rice and flour from home, so they thought of buying land near the outskirts of town.

 

The information about the land near the town outskirts came from Aunt Xu and Fulang He. There were five mu of paddy fields in total, priced at ten taels of silver per mu, which was twice as expensive as the land in the village. The details would be discussed further after the autumn harvest.

 

“We’ve lived off the land since we were young, so we feel at ease only when we have land. Ten taels per mu is indeed expensive, but few people are selling land nowadays. It’s a rare opportunity,” Qin Yu advised.

 

Qiao Suiman nodded. “That’s what we think too. Dongqing went to see it. The yield from those fields is quite good. But since it’s near the town outskirts, there’s no helping the price.”

 

“That’s right. Even in Shanghe Village, the village nearest to town, the paddy fields there cost seven taels per mu,” Qin Yu said, sharing the news he had gathered recently and clicking his tongue in amazement.

 

As they spoke, Tangyuan grew hungry and began crying at the top of his lungs. Tuanzi was startled and started crying too. Qiao Suiman and Qin Yu quickly each took one child and started coaxing them.

 

Hua Yun brought in two bowls of rice gruel and said with a smile, “It’s about time. I just finished cooling them when I heard the cries.”

 

Tangyuan was easy to coax. As soon as he had something to eat, he stopped crying. Tuanzi, however, was still sobbing from the fright. Qiao Suiman gently patted Tangyuan’s arm. “You just ate two hours ago, and you cried so loudly you scared your gege.”

 

Tangyuan did not understand. Seeing that his a-mu stopped feeding him the rice gruel, he leaned toward Qiao Suiman. Hua Yun smiled, took the bowl and spoon from Qiao Suiman, and continued feeding him. “Crying so loudly, he’s certainly full of energy.”

 

Qin Yu patted Tuanzi on the back, and Tuanzi gradually stopped sobbing. Then he said, “It’s good that he loves to eat. He’s just a baby, so why scold him?”

 

Qiao Suiman defended himself, “I didn’t scold him. I was just teasing him. See, he didn’t even cry.”

 

Qin Yu smiled helplessly and also began feeding Tuanzi the rice gruel. The two brothers ate it more happily than the other and finished it soon.

 

After eating, Tuanzi also grew sleepy and ended up napping in the room. Qiao Suiman covered him with a thin quilt and continued chatting softly with Qin Yu.

 

Qin Yu stayed for lunch before carrying Tuanzi home. Tang Guo’er and Lu Xuesong went to Hedong Village that morning and brought back two female goats. They excitedly told Qiao Suiman about it.

 

Tang Guo’er pinched Tangyuan’s cheek, but when the child pouted as if about to cry, he immediately withdrew his hand. Turning to Qiao Suiman, he smiled and said, “Qiao-gege, we plan to raise the two goats in the bamboo grove. We’ll also let some chickens and ducks roam there. That way, they’ll become what people call ‘free-range chickens,’ and they’ll sell for a higher price.”

 

“You’ll need to send a dog there. If someone sneaks in to steal them at night, it would be trouble,” Qiao Suiman reminded.

 

“We asked Xu Ji for two more puppies. We’ll raise them for now. Later, we’ll put both grown dogs in the bamboo grove. Da Huang is fierce, any thief who dares to sneak in will be badly bitten,” Tang Guo’er said cheerfully.

 

“What about the female goats? Will you tie them?”

 

“Yes. Female goats are valuable. We’re counting on them to birth kids. Songzi will build a shed in a few days, raise the ground, and enclose it so they won’t get wet when it rains.”

 

Tang Guo’er continued, “Qiao-gege, once we have more goats, we might even be able to open a goat farm like Uncle’s. Then, we won’t have to worry about supplying goat’s milk to the shop.”

 

Master Tang’s goat farm also served small families and businesses, so the supply to the drink shop was limited. The shop could only make a limited amount of milk tea too.

 

Tang Guo’er noticed this and asked Tang Xiao to keep an eye out for female goats during hunts. If he managed to catch any, Tang Guo’er would buy them and raise them at home. When the time was right, he would borrow a male goat from his uncle for breeding. The kids would be raised and continue breeding, and soon enough, it would become a goat farm.

 

The more Tang Guo’er thought about it, the happier he became, his tone growing excited. Qiao Suiman was infected by his enthusiasm and agreed, “Not just goats, but chickens and ducks too. Guo’er is going to become a wealthy business owner.”

 

Tang Guo’er grinned from ear to ear as he happily went out to cut grass. Lu Xuesong asked, “Are you so happy to raise goats?”

 

“I’m happy raising chickens and ducks too. Everything makes me happy,” Tang Guo’er said, lifting his chin.

 

“Then if you’re happy, I’m happy,” Lu Xuesong said, taking advantage of the lack of people around to secretly hold Tang Guo’er’s hand with a smile.

 

Halfway through shenshi,[mfn]申时 : 3–5 PM[/mfn] Lu Dongqing returned home with two roast chickens. Miao Lianhua tore off a chicken leg and a wing, added some stir-fried shepherd’s purse and a large steamed bun, and brought them into the room. Lu Dongqing let Miao Lianhua and Tang Guo’er each have a chicken leg and shred the rest for everyone to share.

 

Qiao Suiman ate and drank well during the confinement period, and his body recovered quickly. Tangyuan also ate and slept well. After a month, he became fair and plump, very much like the Auspicious Wealth Child[mfn]散财童子 sàn cái tóng zǐ – (lit. “Wealth-Dispersing Child” or “Child Who Scatters Wealth”) – originated from the Buddhist figure Sudhana (善财童子, Shàncái Tóngzǐ), but in common folk usage and art, it refers to a depiction of a plump, happy, and auspicious baby boy, often in New Year’s paintings. These babies are portrayed with rosy cheeks, holding symbols of wealth, embodying health, fortune, and prosperity.[/mfn] in paintings.

 

On the day of Tangyuan’s full moon, Qiao Suiman thoroughly washed himself from head to toe using two buckets of water. He dried his hair under the sun, tied a light green ribbon around his forehead, and changed into a goose-yellow thin robe. He held little Tangyuan, who was wearing a big red bellyband, smiling as he chatted with the guests who had come for the full moon celebration.

 

Heijin danced around Qiao Suiman excitedly. During the confinement month, the dog wasn’t allowed into the room, so this was its first time meeting its little master. It was curious and stared at Tangyuan with its round eyes.

 

This time, the guests filled three tables for the full moon celebration. The Tang family and the Lu family from Xide Road also came, along with close acquaintances from the village, making it a lively event.

 

Little Tangyuan was very well-behaved today. He did not cry or fuss, allowing others to hold him and even grinning from time to time. Zhou Shuifen, Aunt Qian, and the others adored him.

 

Before the feast began, Qiao Ruifeng placed a longevity lock that he made around Tangyuan’s neck. Tangyuan opened his mouth and babbled ‘ah ya’, which made Qiao Ruifeng so amused that he lifted him high.

 

Lu Dongqing drank and ate with the men outside, while the women and fulang ate in the main hall. Qiao Suiman, having been cooped up indoors for a month, was delighted by the lively atmosphere and remained in high spirits until late into the night.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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