MFBOWSBTMT Chapter 112

The sun hung high in the sky, making people drenched in sweat.

 

Qiao Suiman finished boiling the goat milk and entered the room. Tangyuan was already awake and looking around. The moment he saw Qiao Suiman, he immediately pouted and began to cry.

 

Qiao Suiman hurriedly set the bowl on the table and quickly walked to the bedside. He picked up Tangyuan, rocked him in his arms, and patted his back. He spoke tenderly, “A-mu is here, time to drink milk, no more crying.”

 

He is now very skilled at holding the child. He can hold Tangyuan steadily with one hand and scoop up goat milk with the other hand to feed him. “Ah, time for milk.”

 

When Tangyuan woke up, he didn’t see anyone and was hungry. A two-month-old baby only knew how to cry when wronged or hungry. Not seeing Qiao Suiman was one thing, but once he saw him, he found an outlet for his grievances and wailed nonstop.

 

Seeing that even the goat milk wasn’t working, Qiao Suiman stood up and walked, gently swaying Tangyuan. He said softly, “Oh dear, did A-mu come too late? Our little Tangyuan is worried.”

 

He picked up a rattle drum from the long table against the wall and shook it a few times in front of Tangyuan. The gu dong gu dong sound caught Tangyuan’s attention and he gradually stopped sobbing.

 

With his son no longer crying, Qiao Suiman sat back on the chair. This time, Tangyuan cooperated and began drinking the milk. After feeding his son, Qiao Suiman changed him into a thin little clothes before carrying him to the shop.

 

The cradle was placed beside the money counter near the small side door, where it wouldn’t obstruct customers yet allow them to keep an eye on Tangyuan at all times.

 

After eating his fill, Tangyuan knew Qiao Suiman was by his side, so he laid down obediently and even put his fingers into his mouth and sucked them.

 

There weren’t many customers early in the morning. Fulang He was greeting customers, but over at the bamboo shop, a well-dressed middle-aged man was discussing business with Lu Dongqing. Qiao Suiman glanced over a few times, gently rocked the cradle, and whispered, “Father is earning money. In a few days, we’ll go look at the land.”

 

Tangyuan didn’t understand, but that didn’t stop him from being happy. He babbled in response, “yi yi ya ya.” A fulang who came to settle his bill saw this and said with a smile, “Shopkeeper Qiao, your son is truly adorable. So plump and round, like the little golden boy in paintings.”

 

Qiao Suiman held little Tangyuan’s hand and shook it, smiling in response. “Tangyuan, come, a-mo is praising you.”

 

Little Tangyuan obligingly cried “ah ah” twice, making the fulang laugh so hard he bent over. “This child is destined to bring wealth.”

 

“Thank you for your auspicious words,” Qiao Suiman replied cheerfully.

 

Tangyuan is easy to take care of most of the time. He would sleep after eating, play for a while after waking up, and then eat again. When he falls asleep, Qiao Suiman would put him back in the room. When he thinks he is about to wake up, he goes in to check on him. Many customers in the shop had seen him already.

 

Qin Xiaoyao especially would come over to hold him whenever he had time. He and Wu Qi had been married for three years but still hadn’t conceived. He adored Tangyuan so much that Qiao Suiman encouraged him to come hold him more often, hoping it might help him conceive.

 

Miao Lianhua also comes to the shop every few days. She couldn’t wait for them to go back, so she would take the five wen ox cart or come with Lu Xuesong when he delivered eggs to the town, so that she could see her eldest grandson a few more times.

 

With her grandson just born, Miao Lianhua doted on him endlessly. Tang Guo’er once suggested that Miao Lianhua stay in town for a while, but she refused without hesitation.

 

There was much work at home. The eldest son’s family business was stable, but the second son still needed support and wasn’t at a point where they could hire help. If she really stayed in town and leave the two children to manage the labor at home, it would be unreasonable and might cause resentment between the siblings, resulting in more loss than gain.

 

An hour and a half later, Qiao Suiman fed little Tangyuan half of a small bowl of rice gruel. Not long after eating, Tangyuan fell asleep. Qiao Suiman placed him in the cradle in the room to prevent the customers’ conversations from waking him.

 

Zhang Ning prepared the meal. Lu Dongqing and Chen Xiasheng closed the shop door and came over.

 

Lu Dongqing went into the room to check on little Tangyuan. Seeing him sound asleep, he stepped out and said to Qiao Suiman with a smile, “His face is flushed red from sleep. Did he cry this morning? I heard some noise, but there were customers, so I couldn’t step away. Otherwise, I would have come over.”

 

Qiao Suiman lowered his eyes and smiled. “He didn’t see anyone when he woke up and started crying as soon as he saw me. Even food didn’t work, he only stopped after playing with the rattle drum.”

 

He then asked, “What business were you discussing?”

 

“They wanted to order a bamboo carving with birds and flowers. I looked at the pattern, it’s not difficult, so I took the job.”

 

“Xiao Man-ge, that pattern looked really difficult to me,” Chen Xiasheng said with admiration. “The deposit alone was two taels of silver. Many people want to learn Master’s craftsmanship.”

 

“Then you must study hard so people will seek you out in the future,” Qiao Suiman said with a laugh.

 

Chen Xiasheng rubbed his head and chuckled. He would be satisfied just learning bamboo weaving well. Bamboo carving was too laborious, and only his master could handle it.

 

Lu Dongqing scooped three bowls of rice and placed them on the table under the awning. “Xiasheng is clever and learns quickly. In another year or so, he’ll be ready to complete the apprenticeship.”

 

“Really?” Chen Xiasheng’s eyes lit up. “I’d like to keep working at the shop. Da Zhang and the others are so envious that I get to learn a craft in town.”

 

Lu Dongqing was very strict when teaching him his craft. At first, Chen Xiasheng was always nervous and afraid of making mistakes. Later, when he got to know his master better, he realized his master actually had a very good temper.

 

Sometimes whenever he grow anxious about not doing well, his master would comfort him, saying that he himself also learned slowly in the past and had been scolded by the old bamboo craftsman. He told him not to be impatient, to take one step at a time, and that he would eventually do well.

 

Lu Dongqing had taken him as an apprentice with the genuine intent to teach him. Chen Xiasheng remembered this kindness and helped with whatever work he could in the shop and never complained. Sometimes, seeing how close Lu Dongqing and Qiao Suiman were, he felt a stir of longing to start a family himself.

 

However, he never mentioned this to anyone else to avoid being laughed at.

 

For lunch, Zhang Ning prepared stir-fried bamboo shoots with meat and a dish of shepherd’s purse with scrambled eggs, both generously cooked with oil.

 

At first, Zhang Ning was reluctant to use oil or salt in her cooking, and she didn’t dare to eat meat. Later, after Qiao Suiman reminded her that both he and Lu Dongqing spend much energy working and couldn’t survive without oil and salt, and it was the same for her and Fulang He. He told Zhang Ning not to always be so frugal, so she finally adjusted.

 

They always eat lunch quickly and finish it in no time.

 

Zhang Ning collected the bowls and chopsticks to wash. Qiao Suiman went back to the room to check and, seeing Tangyuan still asleep, returned to the shop front.

 

Tangyuan’s changed swaddling bands and clothes were in a wooden basin in the backyard. Zhang Ning would wash them whenever she sees them, so Qiao Suiman didn’t need to worry. He focused on collecting and counting money, occasionally chatting with customers.

 

In the afternoon, Tangyuan woke up, fussing to eat. Qiao Suiman fed him some goat milk and held him while playing in the shop. Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed a ge’r in a jade green long robe entered the shop and looked around.

 

“What would you like to drink, customer?” Fulang He immediately stepped forward to attend to him.

 

“Do you have milk tea here?” the ge’r asked curiously.

 

“Yes, we have four varieties in total,” Fulang He introduced them.

 

The ge’r thought for a moment. The servant behind him reminded, “Young master, what would you like to drink?”

 

The young master shook his head and looked towards Qiao Suiman as if he thought of something. He walked over and asked, “Did you make the milk tea?”

 

Qiao Suiman didn’t understand why he was asking, but nodded in response. “Yes, customer.”

 

The young master inhaled deeply, as though gathering courage. Hope shone in his eyes as he said quietly to Qiao Suiman, “The heavenly king suppresses the earth tiger.”[mfn]天王盖地虎  tiān wáng gài dì hǔ – It is a call-and-response code phrase popularized in Chinese revolutionary literature and later folk sayings, used to identify comrades. The expected response is “宝塔镇河妖” (bǎotǎ zhèn hé yāo, The pagoda subdues the river demon). In modern usage, it’s used humorously to refer to any exchange of secret codes or passwords. For example, if two friends are trying to verify each other’s identity online jokingly, one might say “天王盖地虎” and expect the other to reply “宝塔镇河妖”. (i also heard this is the code to identify fellow scammers online lol)[/mfn]

 

Qiao Suiman was stunned. What king and what tiger? Lu Dongqing never taught him this phrase.

 

The young master’s gaze was so intense that Qiao Suiman felt strangely reluctant to disappoint him. After a moment’s thought, he politely said, “I’ve never heard that phrase before. What does it mean, customer?”

 

The light in the young master’s eyes instantly dimmed, but he wasn’t ready to give up. He continued, “Palace Jade Wine?”[mfn]宫庭玉液酒 gōng tíng yù yè jiǔ – a famous quote that originates from a skit on CCTV Spring Festival Gala. Unlike “天王盖地虎,” which is a historical argot, this phrase is a modern cultural reference from comedy. The expected response is 一百八一杯 (yībǎi bāyī bēi, one hundred and eighty yuan a glass). The full quote (“宫庭玉液酒，一百八一杯”) is so deeply ingrained in Chinese pop culture that it’s seen as a basic piece of common knowledge for anyone who grew up watching the CCTV Gala. Because of this, netizens sometimes use it as an informal “test” to see if someone online is genuinely a native Chinese person familiar with mainstream culture, or a poser (e.g., a paid online commentator or troll from outside China who might not know this specific reference). If someone doesn’t recognize the phrase or can’t complete the line (“一百八一杯”), it might be jokingly suspected that they are not who they claim to be.[/mfn]

 

Qiao Suiman was still bewildered.

 

“It’s alright, you might not have heard of this one.”

 

The young master then tossed out several more phrases.

 

“Odd changes, even doesn’t?”[mfn]奇變偶不變 qí biàn ǒu bú biàn – A mnemonic from trigonometry in Chinese mathematics education, meaning “sin(90°±θ)=cosθ, cos(90°±θ)=∓sinθ.”[/mfn]

 

“Two-eight, two-five-six?”[mfn]二八二五六 Èr bā ‘èr wǔ liù – (I think this is from a nursery rhyme)[/mfn]

 

“Wisdom fruit on the wisdom tree?”[mfn]智慧树上智慧果 zhìhuì shù shàng zhìhuì guǒ – A reference to the opening theme of the children’s TV show “Wisdom Tree,” which was popular in China. The full phrase is “智慧树上智慧果，智慧树下你和我 (zhìhuì shù shàng zhìhuì guǒ, zhìhuì shù xià nǐ hé wǒ, Wisdom fruit on the wisdom tree, under the wisdom tree you and me).”[/mfn]

 

He rattled off several phrases in a row, none of which Qiao Suiman understood.

 

Fulang He thought this person was here to cause trouble, so he stepped in front of Qiao Suiman and said in a deep voice, “Kind customer, our shopkeeper doesn’t know these things.”

 

Qiao Suiman sensed that this person meant no harm but was rather dejected. He stepped out from behind the money counter, shook his head at Fulang He, and then said to the young master, “Customer, perhaps you’ve mistaken me for someone else?”

 

The young master sniffled and shook his head. He looked up and said gloomily, “It’s nothing. I understand now.”[mfn]This person is a transmigrator. Yes, it’s from the author’s other work with a transmigration theme. He was from the modern world and transmigrated into a frail ge’r in ancient times. He was testing QSM to see if he is also a modern person since he invented milk tea, which is a modern drink.[/mfn]

 

He then asked, “Which milk tea sells the best here? Give me one.”

 

“White Peach Tieguanyin Milk Tea,” Fulang He answered quickly and prepared a serving.

 

The young master raised an eyebrow and muttered something under his breath.

 

He left shortly after finishing the milk tea. Before leaving, he apologized to Qiao Suiman for taking up his time. Qiao Suiman repeatedly waved his hands and saw him out of the shop.

 

“That person was really strange. I’ve never heard any of those phrases,” Fulang He said.

 

“Maybe he came to the wrong place. I wonder who he is looking for.” Qiao Suiman replied.

 

He didn’t dwell on the matter, turning instead to coax little Tangyuan who was acting up because he was ignored during the conversation.

 

Life in the town remained the same and there was no big disturbance. They would close the shop on time. Lu Dongqing will change Tangyuan’s swaddling band while Qiao Suiman cooks in the kitchen. After dinner, they would either carry Tangyuan for a stroll around the streets or study writing. The time slipped quietly away.

 

After the autumn harvest, the fields on the outskirts of town became bare, leaving only the rough rice stubble.

 

Lu Dongqing and Lu Xuesong drove the donkey cart in front. Qiao Suiman, Miao Lianhua, and Tang Guo’er were in the cart. Tang Guo’er held little Tangyuan, laughing endlessly as he showered the baby with kisses before reluctantly handing him over to Miao Lianhua.

 

“Oh dear, my good grandson, your grandmother missed you so much,” Miao Lianhua said, her eyes narrowing into slits as she pressed her face against Tangyuan’s. Tangyuan waved his little hands and looked very happy.

 

“Qiao-gege, have you decided on the long-term worker?” Tang Guo’er asked.

 

Qiao Suiman nodded. “Dongqing went to ask that family a while back. Yang-laoge[mfn]老哥 – a respectful term for a male older than oneself[/mfn] is willing to work as a long-term worker for two hundred and fifty wen a month. When the rice planting and harvest season comes, we will hire his eldest son as well.”

 

During the autumn harvest, Lu Dongqing took the donkey cart back to the village for both families to use. After threshing the grain, Lu Xuesong drove the cart to bring Miao Lianhua and Tang Guo’er to town. One reason was to return the donkey, and the other was to go together to look at the land on the outskirts of town. If things went smoothly, they could go to the yamen to sign the deed today.

 

Buying land was a big event for them, and everyone was excited. When they reached the town outskirts and saw the five mu of paddy fields connected in a stretch that seemed endless, Qiao Suiman and Tang Guo’er both gasped in awe.

 

Lu Dongqing had been there several times and was familiar with the place. He found the Liu family who were selling the land. Old Man Liu then led the group to carefully inspect the fields.

 

They all farmed for many years and could tell that although this land wasn’t particularly fertile, it was still quite good.

 

“If it weren’t for the expenses for the children’s studies, we wouldn’t be willing to sell it.”

 

Old Man Liu said as they walked. “We bought it over ten years ago. It wasn’t nearly this good back then. It took a lot of effort to nurture it to this state.”

 

Land, like people, needed careful attention to thrive long-term. Lu Dongqing smiled and said, “Liu-dage has good foresight. Besides this area, you have several dozen mu elsewhere. Your child became a xiucai at a young age. Becoming a juren is surely within reach.”

 

They already heard of the Liu family’s situation from Lu Dongqing before, so they weren’t surprised. Qiao Suiman and Tang Guo’er also offered a few compliments.

 

Old Man Liu’s beard trembled with joy, and he immediately agreed to go to the yamen to sign the deed.

 

 

 

Author [陈皮皮梅]:

Sorry for the long wait!

A little cameo gg was inserted in the middle there, haha. It’s the protagonist of the next story, who will have a crossover with Xiao Man later. If you’re interested, you can check out the preview~

This story is about Xiao Man and Dongqing. Skipping this part won’t affect the plot, and this is the only time it will appear here.

 

 

 

 

 

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