MFBOWSBTMT Chapter 102

Qiao Suiman was just about to drift off when Lu Dongqing leaned close to his ear and whispered, “Xiao Man, the drink shop should hire someone.”

 

“Why did you suddenly think of this?” Qiao Suiman murmured softly, clearly not taking it too seriously.

 

“You have to make drinks and milk tea, greet customers, clean the tables and chairs, and wash bamboo tubes. You are too tired.” Lu Dongqing turned him over to face him as he spoke.

 

Although Lu Dongqing often helped with these tasks, sometimes customers urgently pressed him for bamboo carvings. Once he got caught up in work, he couldn’t spare the time. Qiao Suiman often ended up so busy that his feet barely touched the ground. By the time the shop closed, he would be utterly exhausted. Even then, there were customers who missed out on milk tea and urged him to make more.

 

“In town, hiring someone for errands and odd jobs costs at most five mace of silver a month. You make the milk tea, then leave it to them to handle. Wouldn’t that allow you to make more? The extra money earned would be enough to pay the helper and keep the customers happy,” Lu Dongqing continued.

 

“But the shop… it’s too cramped. If we bring in another person, it’ll be too crowded.” Qiao Suiman said, his eyes narrowed sleepily.

 

Lu Dongqing had already considered this, but there were still matters he needed to inquire about, so he hadn’t discussed it in detail with Qiao Suiman yet. Seeing that he was so sleepy that he couldn’t even open his eyes, he kissed Qiao Suiman on the eyelids and said, “Go to sleep, I have a solution.”

 

“Mm.” Qiao Suiman gave a soft hum and quickly fell asleep.

 

Lu Dongqing held him, gazing at him for a long while before finally closing his eyes.

 

The next day, when Qiao Suiman returned to the Qiao household, Hua Yun was in the room feeding rice gruel to Tuanzi. Qin Yu was lying on his side, covered with a thin quilt.

 

“So energetic, he actually finished the whole small bowl,” Hua Yun remarked, having rarely seen a child so easy to feed.

 

“Being able to eat is a blessing. Our little Tuanzi should eat well and grow strong,” Qiao Suiman said with a smile. As he spoke, he took out a silver bracelet. “Qin Yu-ge, Da-ge already bought the longevity lock[mfn]长命锁 cháng mìng suǒ – a traditional Chinese ornament, usually made of silver or gold, worn around children’s necks. It means “locking life” and protecting children from illness, disasters, and evil spirits, so that they can grow up healthily and safely.[/mfn], so Dongqing and I had this small bracelet made.”

 

Traditionally, when a child turned one month old, the maternal family should gift a longevity lock. But Qin Yu had long severed ties with his birth family, who now acted as if he didn’t exist.

 

Qiao Ruifeng didn’t contact them again anyway, and now it was even less necessary. Making it themselves was just the same, and they could even make it larger and more beautiful.

 

Since it was for little Tuanzi, Qin Yu accepted it with a smile. “You came back at just the right time yesterday. Tuanzi must have known you were about to arrive, so he decided to come out.”

 

The physician had calculated the date to be two days earlier, but little Tuanzi had delayed his arrival by two days, coinciding precisely with Qiao Suiman and Lu Dongqing’s return home.

 

“Little Tuanzi must like me,” Qiao Suiman said, curling his lips into a smile.

 

“Of course he does.”

 

The two chatted for a while. Lu Xuesong came into the room to take a look at Tuanzi before heading out again. He still had to deliver eggs and duck eggs to several other families in town with Qiao Ruifeng and couldn’t afford to delay.

 

Because of Tuanzi’s arrival, Qiao Suiman was cheerful and happy for two whole days. When it was time to return to town on the afternoon of the thirteenth, he was still reluctant to leave. In the end, Qin Yu had Lu Dongqing take him away. It wasn’t as if he wouldn’t return, so the two finally set off back to town.

 

Passing by Liu’s Food Shop, they noticed people inside clearing things out. Qiao Suiman glanced a few times, and then, reminded of what Lu Dongqing had brought up that night, a sudden idea flashed through his mind.

 

“Dongqing, their shop is quite spacious,” Qiao Suiman said quietly.

 

“Mn.” Lu Dongqing smiled faintly. “I once heard a few customers say that someone in the Liu family is pursuing a career as an official. This incident has caused them to lose face, so they want to settle the matter quickly and sell the shop off as soon as possible.”

 

“But since something happened at that shop, and it even went before the authorities, no one has gone to inquire about it.” Lu Dongqing added.

 

Qiao Suiman narrowed his eyes. “What if we took it over? What do you think?”

 

As the saying goes, strike while the iron is hot[mfn]趁他病要他命 chèn tā bìng yào tā mìng (lit. “to take his/her life when he/she is sick”) – idiom meaning to take advantage when someone is in plight or difficulty (Wikipedia)[/mfn]. Taking advantage of this situation to buy it at a low price would be a great opportunity for them. Moreover, Liu Tianfu and Xiao Shun had colluded for their evil schemes. If their plan had succeeded, the one most affected would have been him, the actual winner of the competition.

 

If he were the one to buy it, that Liu family member pursuing an official post would surely be willing, since it would mean this matter was resolved.

 

Lu Dongqing lowered his gaze. “We’re thinking the same thing, but this matter needs to be carefully considered.”

 

The two circled to the backyard and entered their shop. Heijin was already very familiar with the place. It jumped off the cart and scurried back to its bed. Qiao Suiman laughed and gave it a light kick. “You look comfortable.”

 

Setting down the bamboo baskets from the donkey cart which contained eggs and gourds that Qiao Ruifeng had asked them to bring back to town to eat, Qiao Suiman closed the backyard gate. “What should we be mindful of?”

 

“I heard from customers before that the shop is currently priced at sixty taels. I estimate the price might drop even further after some time. If we can get it for forty-five taels, we’ll have made a huge bargain.”

 

“Then we need to let others know we’re considering buying another shop. That way, they’ll have a reason to seek us out.”

 

Qiao Suiman grinned slyly. “I must look like a cunning merchant right now.”

 

“Not at all. You’re very adorable.”

 

Lu Dongqing chuckled a few times before continuing, “If it works out, that’s excellent. If not, we’ll just squeeze a little in our current shop.”

 

“We need to think about hiring someone, Xiao Man. Regardless of whether we buy the Liu family’s shop or not, we definitely need to hire help. With helpers, you’ll only need to focus on making the drinks and milk tea and handling the silver. Leave the running around to the helpers. Wouldn’t it be more enjoyable to just concentrate on counting silver?”

 

“I know. I listened to everything you said that night. But it takes time to make inquiries.” Qiao Suiman pursed his lips.

 

Seeing that he wasn’t refusing anymore, Lu Dongqing smiled. “I’ll keep an eye out too. Then you’ll truly be Shopkeeper Qiao.”

 

“Nowhere near as impressive as Master Lu,” Qiao Suiman said, a teasing smile tugging at one corner of his mouth.

 

Ever since Chen Xiasheng became an apprentice in the shop, the customers had started calling him Master Lu. Qiao Suiman found it funny. He was only just over twenty, yet the title made him sound like he was in his forties or fifties.

 

“Such a sharp tongue.” Lu Dongqing smiled with tenderly.

 

It was late in the afternoon in the sixth month and they had dinner at home before setting out. After washing up, there was nothing else to do. Qiao Suiman took out the Three Character Classic again and asked Lu Dongqing to teach him. The more he learned, the longer it took to review the characters he’d learned before.

 

Lu Dongqing told him that he couldn’t just keep learning new things and forget the old ones. This is what’s meant by ‘reviewing the old to understand the new.’[mfn]温故而知新 wēn gù ér zhī xīn – from The Analects of Confucius, which means that revisiting old knowledge helps one gain new insights[/mfn]

 

Qiao Suiman had already progressed to ‘To raise without teaching is the father’s fault’[mfn]養不教，父之過 yǎng bù jiào, fǔ zhīguò – a proverb from the Three Character Classic, which means: It is the father’s fault to raise a child but not educate him, and it is the teacher’s failure to educate students without enforcing strictness. This sentence emphasizes the importance of family education and school education, and points out that both parents and teachers have the responsibility to educate their children in morality and knowledge.[/mfn] in the Three Character Classic. He deeply felt the truth of this line and sighed, “Scholars certainly know how to put things into words. In the future, we must send our children to study. We shouldn’t ask for anything else, but at the very least, they should understand reason.”

 

Lu Dongqing continued to teach him how to write characters hand-in-hand, his breath falling on Qiao Suiman’s ear and raising goosebumps. His voice was low, “There’s an enlightenment school[mfn]啟蒙學堂 qǐméng xuétáng – the earliest stage of formal education in ancient China, where children were first introduced to reading, writing, and basic classics under the guidance of a teacher; like the primary or elementary education in modern times[/mfn] in town. If the child shows talent for study, after the basics, he can be sent to Uncle Xiang.”

 

“That would be wonderful. Perhaps Uncle Xiang can even teach them to become a xiucai,” Qiao Suiman whispered, his heart was itching and his hand trembled that his brush suddenly trailed off to the side.

 

Lu Dongqing stopped writing, put away the brush and ink, and said no more. He picked up Qiao Suiman, pressed him onto the bed, and said in a hoarse voice, “Let’s have a baby first.”

 

Qiao Suiman obediently wrapped his arms around Lu Dongqing’s neck, letting him move as he wished. His body and voice rose and fell with the motions. The low growls and muffled moans in the room lasted late into the night before finally quieting.

 

As he surrendered to the waves of pleasure, Qiao Suiman thought to himself that, fortunately, Qin Xiaoyao and the others didn’t live in their shop.

 

A month passed in the blink of an eye, and suddenly it was time for Tuanzi’s first month celebration.[mfn]满月宴 mǎnyuè yàn – 满月 (mǎnyuè) means full moon, referring to the baby being one month old; it is a traditional celebration marking the baby’s survival of the first critical month[/mfn]

 

The Qiao family set up two tables, inviting some close villagers. After everyone had eaten and drunk their fill, Qin Yu carried Tuanzi out for everyone to see. The little one had obviously grown a lot since he was born. Perhaps because he drank goat’s milk and rice gruel every day, his little face and arms were fair and soft, and his whole body exuded a milky scent.

 

Having been confined indoors for a month, Qin Yu had long grown restless. After entertaining the guests, he walked around outside several times before finally sitting down.

 

Tuanzi lay quietly in Qiao Suiman’s arms, not crying or fussing. His dark, bright eyes looked around everywhere. Qiao Suiman kissed his cheek and the giggled.

 

Seeing this, Qin Yu laughed and said, “What about you and Dongqing? Aren’t you planning to have one?”

 

Qiao Suiman mumbled, “We’ve been trying all along. The other day I suddenly felt a bit nauseous, so we went to see a physician. But it was just indigestion from overeating. It was so embarrassing.”

 

That day, for some reason, he had suddenly craved pork knuckle. He and Lu Dongqing went to Beiyuan Cookhouse and ordered one, enjoying it to his heart’s content. But not long after returning to the shop, he began to feel slightly nauseous. They were so frightened that they immediately went to Huichun Hall. Lu Dongqing even cautiously asked the physician if he was pregnant.

 

The physician took his pulse, stroked his beard, and told Qiao Suiman not to overwork himself and to avoid eating too much meat in one go. He also said that since they were both young and strong, pregnancy would happen sooner or later.

 

The people nearby overheard and were secretly laughing. Qiao Suiman was so embarrassed that he ignored Lu Dongqing for the entire evening.

 

Qin Yu lowered his head and secretly smiled before saying, “Have you found a helper? And what about that shop? Tasks like making drinks and greeting customers should be hired out to someone else. It’ll make your life easier.”

 

“It’s settled. It’s Aunt Xu’s nephew, Fulang He. He lives in town too and is in his early thirties. I’ve seen him; he’s quick and efficient, and an honest person. We’ll pay him four hundred and fifty wen a month. He starts on the fourteenth.”

 

Qiao Suiman patted Tuanzi’s back and continued, “Lately, quite a few people have learned that we want to buy another shop. The Liu family also sent someone to inquire. It was Scholar Yuan. It seems that scholar from the Liu family has some connection with him. He already disliked that branch of the Liu family to which Liu Tianfu belongs. Now that he’s been innocently implicated, he just wants to resolve the matter quickly.”

 

“So it’s almost settled then?”

 

“Almost. Scholar Yuan helped us before, so it’s not good to drag it out. Including the tables, chairs, beds, and cabinets left in the shop, it totals forty-seven taels. We’re getting a huge bargain.”

 

The more Qiao Suiman thought about it, the happier he became, and he smiled like a little fox.

 

“That’s wonderful. In the future, you two will each have your own shop, right across from each other. Close enough to keep an eye out for one another.”

 

As they were talking, Lu Dongqing also woke up from his rest. During the meal, the men’s table inevitably had wine, and he had drunk a few cups too many, so he laid down for a while.

 

Tuanzi fell asleep, and Qiao Suiman carried him back into the house. Qin Yu was feeling sleepy too. In the rear courtyard, Qiao Ruifeng was feeding the chickens and ducks, while Hua Yun was sunning the bedding and swaddling cloths. A gentle breeze drifted by, lifting the white cloth like rolling waves.

 

It was getting late, and there were other chores to do at home. Qiao Suiman closed the courtyard gate and returned to the west end of the village with Lu Dongqing. Miao Lianhua and Lu Xuesong had already returned home after the meal.

 

Busy days always passed quickly. After purchasing the Liu family’s shop, Qiao Suiman and Lu Dongqing repaired it slightly, then moved all the drink shop’s belongings, including the signboard, over there.

 

It was indeed much more spacious now. People who wanted to drink in the shop no longer had to wait for a seat like before. The business was even better and the income was almost doubled. Qiao Suiman found himself unable to keep up with counting the silver every day.

 

In addition, there was an unexpected surprise: there was a cellar in the backyard of the new shop!

 

Qiao Suiman had previously worried about how to store the goat milk during the hot seventh and eighth months. He had even considered buying ice, but ice was expensive, which would raise the cost too much. At twenty-five wen, milk tea was already quite expensive, and any higher prices would make it more difficult to sell. This cellar solved the problem and could also be used to store more fruit.

 

Fulang He was diligent and hardworking. When Qiao Suiman has free time, he would go to the original shop to chat with Lu Dongqing. When Lu Dongqing has no work, he would ask Chen Xiasheng look after the shop for a while and go over to Qiao Suiman’s side to sit for a bit. People on the street would laugh, saying the two of them were overly inseparable.

 

Let them laugh. Qiao Suiman and Lu Dongqing didn’t care, continuing to do as they pleased.

 

Before long, autumn arrived. One morning, Qiao Suiman yawned as he put on his outer robe and stepped outside. Lu Dongqing had already prepared longevity noodles and placed them under the eaves.

 

Today was the twelfth day of the ninth month, Qiao Suiman’s birthday. The two of them had already informed the family that they would return to the village later, intending to spend some time by the outskirts of the town.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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