MFBOWSBTMT Chapter 33

Lu Dongqing and Qiao Ruifeng were called back to wait for the second round of the competition, so they didn’t linger.

 

Qiao Suiman remained where he was, flustered and unsettled. What did Lu Dongqing mean by that? And why did he feel a flicker of anticipation? He had only wanted to discuss a partnership with him. How did things turn out like this?

 

Suddenly, someone nudged his arm. Chen Xuesheng, standing beside him, teased, “Xiao Man, what’s going on with Lu Dongqing?”

 

“I don’t know,” Qiao Suiman tightened his grip on the handkerchief in his hand. “I really don’t.”

 

“You…” Chen Xuesheng was about to say something more when someone interrupted them.

 

“Is this the bamboo tube drink that the magistrate praised so highly?”

 

The speaker was a man dressed in a dark blue robe, lazily fanning himself with a paper fan.

 

“Yes, kind customer. The magistrate and the others drank the ones bought from us. What would you like?”

 

Despite the earlier chaos, Qiao Suiman quickly composed himself when a customer arrived. Fortunately, the bloodstained wooden barrel had already been hidden and washed clean, so it wouldn’t scare anyone off.

 

The man picked up a bamboo tube to examine it. There’s only two styles remained, and he chose the one carved with a dragon boat. “This one, then. Fill it with Perilla Drink.”

 

“Right away!”

 

Qiao Suiman had just accepted the twenty-two wen from the man when several more people approached the stall, murmuring among themselves about the fight and the attempted abduction.

 

They must have been spectators from earlier.

 

Qiao Suiman lowered his gaze briefly before forcing a smile. “What would you all like to drink?”

 

“I’ll take the Peach Blossom Drink,” said a young woman, her eyes filled with pity and indignation. “Those people are truly vile. Tomorrow, we’ve all agreed to go to the yamen to watch their punishment. Such cruel people deserve to be crippled!”

 

The woman didn’t buy a bamboo tube, so Qiao Suiman filled her waterskin to the brim as usual, letting her take a few sips first.

 

As soon as she drank, her companions eagerly asked, “Is it good?”

 

After savoring the taste, she nodded firmly. “Delicious! There’s even fruit pulp in it.” She took another sip. “Worth every coin. They weren’t exaggerating!”

 

Seeing her high praise, the other young masters and misses swarmed forward.

 

“Then I’ll have the Perilla Drink, served in that bamboo tube carved with zongzi![mfn]粽子 : a traditional Chinese rice dish made of glutinous rice stuffed with a range of fillings and wrapped in bamboo leaves, traditionally eaten during the Dragon Boat Festival[/mfn]”

 

“I want the Green Plum Drink. No bamboo tube, just fill my waterskin.”

 

“You all have no taste. The Immortal Peach Drink is obviously the best!”

 

Amid their lively chatter, Qiao Suiman and Qin Yu worked quickly, filling their orders as requested.

 

“Thank you, honored customers. Here you are. Please enjoy.”

 

Unlike Liu Mei and Fang Zhihe, these customers drank directly from their containers, praising the flavors after just a few sips.

 

“Do you only sell here?” one of the young ladies asked.

 

Qiao Suiman’s eyes brightened. “After a few days of rest, we’ll be selling at the East Market docks. You can find us there. We’ll still have these flavors.”

 

The young lady nodded. After such an ordeal, it was only natural to take a break. If it had been her, she would’ve been scared out of her wits long ago.

 

“Alright, I’ll visit the docks in a few days. It’s close to my home anyway. I’ll try the other flavors too.”

 

“Thank you for your patronage, miss.”

 

“It’s nothing.”

 

The group soon left to explore elsewhere. With the second round of the competition about to start, the crowd’s attention naturally returned to the races.

 

As soon as they left, another group of scholars came together. Qiao Suiman quickly perked up to greet them.

 

“Do you still have the type of bamboo tube the county magistrate was using?”

 

“That one’s all sold out, sir. Would you like to look at the other styles?”

 

“Will you make more of that kind?”

 

Qiao Suiman’s eyes flickered. “Those were specially made for the festival today and won’t be available again. But we’ll be at the East Market dock in a few days with new styles in limited quantity as well. You’re welcome to come take a look then.”

 

“Then I’ll take this one,” the scholar pointed to the dragon boat design. “The Perilla Drink, please.”

 

“Of course, honored customer. Please wait a moment,” Qin Yu replied, shooting Qiao Suiman a puzzled glance. Why refuse to make the style they wanted?

 

Qiao Suiman smiled confidently and turned to the other customers.

 

These people had all heard about the magistrate’s high praise and sought out the stall specifically. As aspiring scholars, they naturally wanted to familiarize themselves with the magistrate’s preferences to avoid being clueless if it came up in conversation.

 

“I’ll take the zongzi one then, for novelty’s sake. And a Peach Blossom Drink, please.”

 

“Immortal Peach Drink sounds interesting. I’ll have that. As for the bamboo tube… never mind. If I can’t get that one, I’ll wait for another time.”

 

“Cheng-xiong, opportunities like this don’t come often. If you don’t buy it now, you might miss the opportunity later,” one of the scholars teased.

 

A scholar who was traveling with him laughed.

 

“Honored customer, there’s only one bamboo tube left of each style. Next time, they’ll all going to be different,” Qiao Suiman seized the moment to press.

 

“What?! Only one left? Then I’ll take the dragon boat one filled with Green Plum Drink!”

 

Before Cheng could respond, another scholar hurriedly claimed it. Missing out now would mean losing a potential conversation topic.

 

Cheng rubbed his fingers together. His classmate had a point. What if he regretted not buying it later?

 

“I’ll take the zongzi one then.”

 

“Right away, honored customer!”

 

With that, all the bamboo tubes they had brought were sold out, and only a little of the drinks remained.

 

Qiao Suiman beamed as he saw off the customers before refilling the Chen family’s bamboo tubes with the remaining drinks for them to try.

 

Zhou Shuifen refused at first, and said that they could earn twelve wen from it, insisting that they keep it to sell. But after much persuasion, Qiao Suiman managed to pour them half a tube each.

 

Chen Xiasheng gulped down the Immortal Peach Drink in one go, raving about how delicious it was. No wonder so many people had come to buy it! Qiao Suiman and Qin Yu both chuckled.

 

Not long after, more people came asking about the bamboo tube drinks. Qin Yu was a little stunned. He hadn’t expected word of mouth to spread so fast, and couldn’t help but feel more grateful to the county magistrate.

 

Qiao Suiman, however, had anticipated this. From what he had observed, not everyone in the pavilion had gotten to taste the drinks. Some scholars or wealthy families seated farther from the magistrate, and outsiders hoping to curry favor with him had missed out.

 

But they had all heard the magistrate’s praise. Combined with Liu Mei and Fang Zhihe’s support, Qiao Suiman knew the most crucial thing now was to let them know he would be at the East Market next time, and that there would be new bamboo tube designs.

 

Speaking of bamboo tubes, though, he still hadn’t discussed it with Lu Dongqing. And Lu Dongqing said he has something to say after the race. Just thinking about that made Qiao Suiman’s face grow hot again.

 

Two more groups came and went, and all the drinks they brought were sold out. Aside from the Lin family’s vile actions, the day had gone far more smoothly than Qiao Suiman had expected. Once again, he silently thanked Fang Zhihe and Liu Mei in his heart.

 

It was only just past noon, and the first round of races had already finished three heats.

 

Their group decided to move closer to the riverbank to continue watching the races. They pulled the cart toward the shore, but the best spots were already packed. Instead, they headed to a small hill near the riverside woods. Though farther away, the elevated position offered a clear view, so a few scattered groups had gathered there as well.

 

From the hill, Qiao Suiman easily spotted Lu Dongqing waiting by the riverbank for the second round. Remembering how he had saved him at the critical moment and then helped beat up those thugs, his heart began pounding wildly.

 

Only now did it occur to him. Was Lu Dongqing hurt? He didn’t even had the chance to thank him properly.

 

As he was lost in thought, the final group finished their race, and the village chiefs gathered again to draw lots for the next order.

 

Chen Xiasheng waved his arms and shouted, “Ruifeng-da-ge! Which group are you in?”

 

Not only did Qiao Ruifeng hear the call, Lu Dongqing did too, lifting two fingers toward Qiao Suiman’s direction.

 

Qiao Suiman smiled and nodded to show he understood.

 

Chen Xuesheng tugged at Qiao Suiman’s sleeve, giving him a sidelong glance. “Xiao Man, what’s going on here? You’re still hiding things from me?”

 

“I… He, he was just being nice by telling me, that’s all.”

 

“Don’t lie to me. Why would he only tell you?”

 

“Maybe because… because… you’re imagining things!”

 

Qiao Suiman blurted out, then pressed his lips together and refused to say more.

 

“You’re hopeless.”

 

Chen Xuesheng ruffled Qiao Suiman’s hair. Anyone with eyes could see what was going on. Why hadn’t he noticed anything between them before?

 

“Hey, don’t mess up my hair!”

 

“Then stop hiding things from me. I’ll get angry.”

 

“My head’s a mess right now,” Qiao Suiman huffed. “I’ll tell you once I’ve figured it out.”

 

“Fine, but hurry up.”

 

Qiao Suiman sighed. How was he supposed to hurry with something like this?

 

But Chen Xuesheng’s attention soon shifted, and Qiao Suiman’s gaze returned to the riverbank. The first heat of the second round had ended, and now it was Xiahe Village’s turn in the second lane.

 

Lu Dongqing and Qiao Ruifeng focused intently ahead. For now, Li Da’s matter could wait. Winning the race comes first.

 

At the signal, Xiahe Village shot forward as swiftly as before. Qiao Suiman’s eyes skipped right over Qiao Ruifeng and fixed on Lu Dongqing at the front. His arms pumped with effort, his shouts ringing through the air. It was as if he could smell the scent on him again, the mix of mountain soapberries and fresh bamboo leaves.

 

His gaze followed Lu Dongqing as he rounded the bend, sped down the straight, and crossed the finish line.

 

“First place again!” Qiao Suiman jumped up excitedly and turned to Qin Yu.

 

“They’re sure to win first place this year!”

 

“Yeah!”

 

The first-place prize this year was rumored to be two taels of silver!

 

Tired from standing, Qiao Suiman moved a rock over for Qin Yu and himself to sit on. The two of them had been on their feet all day so it was about time they take a break.

 

There were only three heats in the second round, and it didn’t take long before the third heat wrapped up. From his vantage point, Qiao Suiman could see clearly. None of the other village teams had matched Xiahe Village’s speed.

 

The finals arrived swiftly.

 

Xiahe Village drew the lane farthest from the riverbank. Without a team ahead to chase, it was easy to lose focus. Fortunately, Liu Tian and the drummer were experienced. Even though their route has the widest bend, they stayed in perfect sync. By the time they rounded the turn, they were still half a zhang ahead of the others. Once they hit the straightaway, there was no need to hold back. They rowed with all their might.

 

Finally! Lu Dongqing and Qiao Ruifeng, manning the front paddles, were the first to shoot past the finish line again!

 

They took first place!

 

“We did it!”

 

Qiao Suiman was beyond excited. The whole group erupted in cheers. This was Xiahe Village’s first ever championship! They will have plenty to brag about when they get home!

 

With the rankings decided, the prizes were distributed. People crowding behind the riverside barriers started to disperse. Watching the race was thrilling, but since they weren’t the ones getting the rewards, there was no need to stick around and envy others.

 

Remembering Lu Dongqing’s words, Qiao Suiman tugged Qin Yu’s sleeve. “Qin Yu-ge, let’s wait here for Da-ge.”

 

Qin Yu narrowed his eyes, clearly knowing what was on his mind. “Got it.”

 

Zhou Shuifen quietly pulled Qin Yu aside. “Yu-ge’r, that lad from the Lu family and Man-ge’r…”

 

Qin Yu chuckled. “Two little fools who haven’t pierced the window paper yet.”

 

“So there’s something between them?”

 

“They’ll probably end up together!”

 

“Well, that’s great then. Say what you will about that boy from Lu family, but with that build of his, no one’s gonna bully him.”

 

Qiao Suiman had no idea what they were whispering about. His head was full of thoughts about what he should say to Lu Dongqing later. He counted off on his fingers: thank him for helping out, convince him to cooperate in the future, make sure the handkerchief is washed clean before returning it…

 

“You want to marry me?!”

 

Under the shade of a tree, Qiao Suiman stared in shock. He had never thought about marrying him!

 

“Yes!” Lu Dongqing nodded firmly.

 

 

 

Author [陈皮皮梅]: Turns out, Xiao Man’s the straightforward type~

 

 

 

 

 

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Translator [Lune]: They’re sailing! And that’s it for today’s updates. See you next time! ᡣ˶ᵔ ᵕ ᵔ˶𐭩 ♡