The silver hairpin in Tang Guo’er’s hair was very eye-catching. Many people in Hedong Village noticed it as soon as he entered. Tang Guo’er didn’t hide it. When someone asked, he directly said it was given by Miao Lianhua. Huang Shuang was even happier when she saw it.
Lu Xuesong handed the return gifts[mfn]gifts given by the groom’s family to the bride’s family on the third day after the wedding, when the bride returns to her maternal home[/mfn] to Tang Xiao and chatted and laughed with Tang Guo’er’s older brothers. Tang Guo’er glanced at him and the corners of his mouth curved up.
Knowing their son was doing well, Tang Xiao and Huang Shuang smiled so broadly their eyes crinkled. They immediately sliced half the meat they brought back and stir-fried it, then gathered the whole family around two tables for a lively meal.
When Tang Guo’er left, he obviously didn’t show the same reluctance he had shown when he got married. If nothing else, just for collecting fruit, he would have to come to Hedong Village several times a month.
Moreover, Tang Guo’er turned his face to look at Lu Xuesong, raised his head and smiled. Songzi said he would accompany him back.
“Happy?” Lu Xuesong asked with a smile.
Tang Guo’er chuckled softly, “Yes. Mother told me not to act like a child to avoid making you angry.”
Actually, it was when he was in the room with Huang Shuang and his sisters-in-law sharing some private talk that Tang Guo’er complained a few times about Lu Xuesong being too demanding, so Huang Shuang reminded him like this.
Lu Xuesong immediately stopped walking and looked back at his parents-in-law’s house, wishing he could return immediately. “I would never be angry with you!”
Tang Guo’er laughed out loud: “I know. Mother just said it casually. She would never let me wrong myself.”
Only then did Lu Xuesong relax. The two shouldered their bamboo baskets and continued walking home.
In the bamboo baskets was half a wild rabbit, hunted by Tang Xiao earlier. Several were slaughtered for the wedding banquet, and two were kept to be slaughtered today for Tang Guo’er’s return visit.
Lu Xuesong had only eaten rabbit meat a handful of times. He showed surprise at the dinner table earlier, so Tang Xiao insisted he take some home.
His in-laws values Tang Guo’er, but they couldn’t be stingy either. However, nothing else was given, so that others wouldn’t see it and think Lu Xuesong is incapable that he needed to take so many things from his father-in-law’s house.
It was already evening when they arrived home. Miao Lianhua had already eaten. Tang Guo’er said with a beaming smile, “Mother, Father asked us to bring some rabbit meat. Let’s stir-fry it with chilies tomorrow.”
Miao Lianhua was overjoyed. Wild rabbits could be sold for a good amount of money in town, and many people loved this kind of game.
“Wonderful. Thanks to you, I haven’t tasted rabbit meat in a long while.”
Tang Guo’er scratched his head and smiled. “I’m very skilled at spicy fried diced rabbit. Mother, just wait to enjoy it.”
Then he thought again, since Lu Xuesong had to deliver eggs to town tomorrow, he might as well go a bit further and bring some to his Da-ge and Qiao-gege too.
Tang Guo’er suggested this to Miao Lianhua and Lu Xuesong.
Miao Lianhua’s smile deepened. Having a good relationship between brothers-in-law who care about each other is something many families hope for but cannot obtain. She naturally had no reason to disagree.
As for Lu Xuesong, walking a bit more is nothing to him. And since Tang Guo’er suggested it, he had even less objection.
Life in Xiahe Village wasn’t much different from life at home, except that it was busier.
With so many chickens and ducks, they all need to eat. Fodder grass and small insects had to be prepared. Besides daily feeding, food for late autumn and winter also had to be prepared in advance.
Fortunately, the place where they cut the grass was not far away. When the bamboo basket was full and heavy, they could return home to put it down. Tang Guo’er was very happy collecting chicken and duck eggs every day.
Every few days, he had to make a trip to Hedong Village to collect fruits. Although some in Xiahe Village also grew fruit, he was not familiar with them and could not find the right varieties, so he had to go back to Hedong Village to pick them.
Thus, he could return home several times a month. Lu Xuesong accompanies him every time. Huang Shuang became increasingly satisfied and had no more worries.
Lu Xuesong often goes with Qiao Ruifeng to town to deliver eggs to the wine house and the Fang and Liu families. Tang Guo’er went along a few times and became familiar with those places.
Everyone in his family is in business. After marriage, no one restrained him anymore. Although it was a bit tiring, Tang Guo’er was still very happy. The clattering copper coins are coming in so he absolutely loves this kind of life.
He only needed to help in the fields during planting and harvesting. At other times, Lu Xuesong could manage alone. After the Dragon Boat Festival, Lu Xuesong won the dragon boat race again and got two taels of silver. Tang Guo’er cheerfully put it away into their money pouch.
Qiao Suiman had also moved back home now. Fang Yun would prepare meals at home, so he and Miao Lianhua suddenly had much less to do.
When Tang Guo’er has free time, he makes small shoes for the baby in Qiao Suiman’s belly. Back home, he had often made shoes for his nephews and nieces, so he was skilled at it.
Moreover, he could tell Qiao-gege wasn’t very proficient at embroidery. Embroidering a single bellyband took him longer than it took Tang Guo’er.
Qiao Suiman is good to him. Whenever Da-ge brought back any snacks or pastries from town, he always shared them with Tang Guo’er, sometimes even feeding them directly into his mouth. Thus, Tang Guo’er put even more effort into it.
When jealous people in Xiahe Village gossiped, he retorted and scolded them back.
In the middle of the sixth month, his little nephew Tangyuan was born. With a round head and fleshy arms, he truly resembled a small tangyuan.[mfn]汤圆 tāngyuán – a Chinese dessert made of glutinous rice flour and water, often filled with sweet or savory fillings, and traditionally eaten during the Lantern Festival[/mfn]
At night, Tang Guo’er thought of Tangyuan with a smile still on his face. He then touched his own belly.
He had only been married for two months, so he probably wouldn’t be pregnant so quickly.
“What are you thinking about?” Lu Xuesong hugged him from behind and asked with a smile.
“Tangyuan’er’s eyes really resemble Qiao-gege‘s.”
Tang Guo’er replied, then said, “I wonder who our child will look more like.”
“You want a child?”
Lu Xuesong asked in a low voice, pursed his lips and said, “There’s no hurry. We haven’t been married long. Besides, childbirth is too dangerous. Let’s talk about it in a couple of years.”
Qiao Suiman was in labor for most of the day, from the afternoon until late at night. In the end, the family was terrified and quickly called for a physician. Fortunately, it ended smoothly.
“Not really. I’m not ready to raise a child yet either.”
Tang Guo’er continued, “I’m just curious.”
“If they look like you, that would be best.”
Lu Xuesong held him, stirring desire all over Tang Guo’er’s body, and said with a laugh, “But a boy shouldn’t look like you, or else I can’t bring myself to discipline him.”
Tang Guo’er snorted lightly but didn’t stop Lu Xuesong’s wandering hands. “So full of yourself. As if you could decide who they resemble.”
“Just imagining it. It doesn’t take any effort.”
Lu Xuesong lowered his head and kissed the corner of Tang Guo’er’s mouth several times. Fortunately, he remembered that they had been busy all day, so he didn’t do anything else.
Tang Guo’er laughed softly. That’s true, imagining things doesn’t cost anything.
There are many eggs in spring and summer, but Lu Xuesong is good at talking and, together with Qiao Ruifeng, they managed to secure several business deals. They didn’t have to worry about selling the eggs at home. Tang Guo’er calculated the income and couldn’t stop smiling.
During this time, the drink shop had a supply of peaches and green plums from the Qiao family’s trees. He didn’t need to go back to Hedong Village to collect fruits, so he goes out every day to cut grass, dig for earthworms, and catch grasshoppers. Although the income from selling eggs are far less than that from Qiao-gege and Da-ge‘s shop, it is already very good for him.
His embroidery foundation is good, and Miao Lianhua often teaches him new embroidery techniques. The handkerchiefs he made were accepted by the embroidery workshop, though not as good as Miao Lianhua’s, and they only sell for eight wen each.
This was enough to make him happy. He and Lu Xuesong didn’t care whether they earned more or less; it was all income. Without exquisite skills, achieving this still made them better off than many in the village.
The bamboo grove behind the house was already well-established. Sometimes, they could even pick mushrooms there. Lu Xuesong heard that a type of free-range chicken is popular in town, with firmer and chewier meat, so he became interested.
Hens aren’t suitable for free-ranging, or the eggs may get damaged when laid. Besides, a hen could lay eggs for several years. Most villagers only sell them off when they stop laying.
Roosters are different. They could be sold after just a few months of raising. Coincidentally, Tang Guo’er had other ideas as well. The two hit it off immediately and decided on the spot to buy some rooster chicks. They would raise them in the backyard for a month before releasing them into the bamboo grove, which had long been enclosed with tall fences. Then they would put the dog over there so thieves couldn’t get in.
Tang Guo’er also wanted to raise goats. Not to mention the high price of mutton, the goat milk alone could make a lot of money. The milk tea in Qiao Suiman’s shop was often in short supply. What his uncle supplied wasn’t enough, so Tang Guo’er had this idea.
After discussing this matter with Miao Lianhua, Lu Dongqing, and Qiao Suiman, they all approved of the idea. However, Lu Dongqing mentioned that with more chickens and ducks, they would need to raise a few more dogs.
They weren’t afraid of thieves stealing, but of thieves coveting. A few more dogs can scare them away.
Lu Xuesong thought the same. He inquired around the village, looking not only for small yellow dogs but also fierce ones that could be trained well to be a good guard dog at home.
These tasks are complicated, and adding to the busy farming season, Tang Guo’er, Lu Xuesong, and even Miao Lianhua were busy all the time. Lu Dongqing also helped out when he was home. After three months, things finally fell into place.
They didn’t buy more hens or ducks. They now have forty hens and thirty-five ducks. They are all in their egg-laying age and eat a lot. This is already the limit they could raise. Any more and they wouldn’t be able to manage.
The roosters are all quite big now, and there are fifty in total. They planned to raise them until winter. Taking them to town just before the New Year would definitely fetch a good price.
The two female goats have become much tamer after being kept in captivity for a long time. A male goat was borrowed for breeding not long ago, but it is still unclear whether they are pregnant or not.
Qiao Ruifeng bought a young sow, planning to breed and give birth to piglets next year when it grows up. Tang Guo’er and Lu Xuesong were tempted by the idea, but since they don’t have enough hands unlike the Qiao family who hired long-term workers, they gave up on the idea.
They don’t have much land now, so hiring workers just to raise chickens, ducks, pigs, and goats would be too wasteful. They’ll save up more money first, and if they get lucky and someone sells land, they can hire help then.
In the blink of an eye, Tang Guo’er had been in Xiahe Village for over half a year. The New Year arrived quickly. His Da-ge and Qiao-gege brought little Tangyuan home early, and the house immediately became lively.
The New Year’s Eve dinner was still shared between both families, with seven adults and two children. Although there weren’t as many people as during previous New Years at his maternal home, it was still very lively.
Tang Guo’er drank a small half-bowl of clear wine. The sweet taste was addictive. Amidst the clinking of cups, his face was full of smiles.
Everyone made money this year. During the New Year, they prepared plenty of meat, pastries, and snacks. After eating and drinking his fill, Tang Guo’er washed his face, still smiling sweetly.
“Songzi, come count the money quickly.” Tang Guo’er sat down on the bed, pulled over the small table, and poured out the broken silver and copper coins from the money pouch with a clatter.
After winter set in, egg prices became expensive. Although the hens didn’t lay as many eggs as in spring and summer, the total income was actually a bit more than before. Additionally, there was the money from selling the roosters. All the scattered profits add up to fill the entire money pouch.
The roosters they raised had been running in the bamboo grove for more than two months. Their legs and wings were visibly firmer. Besides the chicken feed they gave daily, the roosters also catch insects and earthworms themselves in the bamboo grove. They were all large, the lightest being ten jin heavy.
Ordinary roosters sell for nine wen a jin, but free-range chickens could sell for double at eighteen wen. Near New Year’s Eve, some people even sell it for twenty-five wen per jin, which is twice as expensive as pork.
Since this was their first year and their home is not close to town, Tang Guo’er and Lu Xuesong were afraid something might go wrong if they waited too long to sell. So they didn’t delay much and sold all fifty at eighteen wen per jin just at the beginning of the twelfth month.
They earned over nine taels, nearly ten, from selling the roosters alone. Tang Guo’er clutched the pile of copper coins and broken silver, sighing, “All our hard work these past few months has paid off.”
In the first year of this business, the young couple was afraid something might go wrong. Whenever they had free time, they watched over the chickens and ducks in the backyard and the roosters and female goats in the bamboo grove. Sometimes they even ate meals while herding chickens in the bamboo grove.
This year’s earnings, combined with what they already had, now amounted to thirty-six taels of silver.
Eight of those taels were brought by Tang Guo’er himself. Lu Xuesong set aside those eight taels for Tang Guo’er to keep separately, so twenty-eight taels were what they saved together.
Tang Guo’er never dreamed of earning more than twenty taels of silver a year. He was smiling until he fell asleep.
That night, he was in high spirits, so he fooled around with Lu Xuesong until midnight before falling into a deep sleep.
During the New Year visits, the whole family went to Lu Xiang’s house to pay New Year’s respects. Tang Guo’er is the new fulang and received a big red envelope and he kept saying auspicious words, amusing Chen Fanhuan and Meng Yan until they couldn’t stop laughing.
Yangyang, Little Tangyuan, Little Tuanzi, and the little brother were playing. Qiao Suiman watched from the side with a gentle expression on his face.
Meng Yan’s second child is a little boy, born just over a month after Tangyuan. She had a poor appetite during pregnancy, so her son looked a little smaller than Tangyuan.
Tang Guo’er chuckled softly. With Tangyuan’s love for eating, if he isn’t chubbier than others, Tang Guo’er would feel the extra bowls of goat milk and rice gruel Tangyuan drank were wasted.
Tang Guo’er returned to his maternal home often. Huang Shuang and Tang Xiao knew about the business the two were doing. When they returned for New Year visits, they couldn’t help but ask a few more questions. Knowing that they made a lot of money, they felt relieved.
Both female goats were pregnant and would give birth after the New Year. Lu Xuesong and Tang Guo’er consulted Master Tang for a long time. They went to the goat farm to see how others assisted with births, and even tried their hands at it before feeling assured enough to wait for the female goats to give birth at home.
Sure enough, the female goats gave birth smoothly. The thinner goat gave birth to two kids, one male and one female. The plumper one actually gave birth to four, three females and one male.
Master Tang was surprised and came over to see.
Usually, female goats give birth to two kids, and three was rare. He had only heard of female goats giving birth to four kids from other people, but he didn’t expect to see it happen here at the young couple’s place.
Tang Guo’er and Lu Xuesong treasured these kids dearly, afraid they might get cold or hungry. The goat pen was built sturdily and provided all the milk produced by the female goat to the kids. This is the first step in developing their goat farming business, and nothing can go wrong.
Master Tang found it amusing and gave a few more instructions before leisurely heading home.
Four kids! His male goat is really capable. He will have something to brag about to others in the future.
As for business, he wasn’t worried at all.
Tang Guo’er is a young relative he watched grow up since childhood, and he has a good relationship with his own daughter. Goat milk and mutton were already in high demand. One more person in the business wouldn’t affect him.
They are all family. If they lived well, they would remember his kindness. Why wouldn’t he be happy about that?
The kids and female goats were fed meticulously. After a month, all survived. Tang Guo’er was very happy. When the young kids grow for another five or six months, they could be mated again. By this time next year, they could have over ten goats.
With things gradually falling into place, Lu Xuesong suddenly realized nearly a year had passed, yet he hadn’t taken Tang Guo’er out for fun.
In the season of sprouting grass and singing orioles, Lu Xuesong took advantage of his Da-ge and brother-in-law being home to watch the livestock, and he hitched the donkey cart and took Tang Guo’er to town for a day out.
On the western side of town, a peach blossom forest was in full bloom. Tang Guo’er stood beneath the trees, smiling brightly. “It’s so beautiful here.”
Lu Xuesong moved close to him and said with a smile, “You’re more beautiful.”
Tang Guo’er had heard these sweet nothings many times, so he wasn’t as shy as when they first started. He nodded with a smile and said, “You have good taste.”
Lu Xuesong laughed out loud, looked around, and seeing no one paying attention to them, quickly planted a kiss on the corner of Tang Guo’er’s mouth. “Guo’er, I really like you. Really, really like you.”
Tang Guo’er’s eyes curved into smiles. He pulled Lu Xuesong’s hand, signaling him to lower his head, then leaned close to his ear and said, “I like you the most too!”
The spring breeze blew, and peach blossoms fluttered and fell. Tang Guo’er and Lu Xuesong stood amidst the falling petals and forgetting where they were, immersed only in the overflowing love between them.
They are bolder than other young couples. Even if there are people on the road, they hold each other’s hands tightly, not caring about the surprised looks from passersby.
They ate several fresh things at the market, went to Chengting Lake to fly kites and fish, and spent a day full of happiness.
On the way home, Tang Guo’er didn’t sit inside the carriage and only put the snacks they bought inside. He sat next to Lu Xuesong while talking and laughing all the way home.
The setting sun shone on them, stretching their shadows on the ground very long, just like their days ahead, which lasted a very, very long time.
Author [陳皮皮梅]: Starting tomorrow, I’ll write extras about the whole family’s happy daily life~
If you enjoy my translations, consider buying me a milk tea 🥛🍵
Such a cute couple. Thank you