“Looks good.”
In the courtyard of the Yu family, everyone gathered with acquaintances clustering together to chat. Seizing the opportunity, Lu Dongqing sidled up to Qiao Suiman and immediately noticed the hairpin adorning his head. Just as he had imagined, it suited him perfectly.
Qiao Suiman pursed his lips into a smile. Lu Dongqing’s gaze remained as fervent and sincere as ever. For a moment, it was unclear whether he was praising the hairpin or the person wearing it.
He must be praising the person, Qiao Suiman thought, his face blooming red.
“You carved it beautifully,” he blurted out, suddenly at a loss for words and managing only this simple reply.
It’s the person who’s beautiful, Lu Dongqing thought.
Though the two stood close, Qin Yu and Miao Lianhua were chatting nearby, making their interaction appear normal enough that no one paid them undue attention. After a moment’s thought, Lu Dongqing leaned in slightly and said in a low voice, “I’ve taken on a job. Starting the tenth, I’ll be working at the main house in town. When are you going to the market?”
“I’ll go on the ninth and plan to go every first, fifth, and ninth day,” Qiao Suiman answered honestly at first, then asked, “What kind of job is it?”
“You know the person. The child of Magistrate Liu. Their betrothed’s family wants a bamboo house built and I was recommended for the job. The pay is good.”
“The Mei-ge’r’s family?!” Qiao Suiman exclaimed in surprise. He didn’t expect such a coincidence.
“Mm.” Lu Dongqing nodded. “The one who recommended me is someone you’ve met. Scholar Lu from yesterday. He’s the elder brother from the same family branch.”
“What a coincidence!” Qiao Suiman’s eyes widened. Then, as if remembering something, his expression cleared with understanding. “No wonder that Scholar Lu kept staring at the carvings on the bamboo tube yesterday. He must have recognized your craftsmanship.”
“It’s nice to have relatives around after coming here,” Qiao Suiman sighed. Unlike his own family, who lived alone without relatives. Even during the New Year or festivals, there was no one to visit or be visited.
“It’s thanks to them, we settled in Xiahe Village and have what we do now.”
Back then, Lu Xiang and Lu Huaqing had inquired about many villages before finally choosing Xiahe Village for them to move to. The reason was simple: Xiahe Village was a mixed-surname village[mfn]雜姓村 (záxìng cūn) – “multi-surname village” ; village with no single dominant clan, often more open to outsiders compared to villages controlled by large kinship groups. Migrants usually seek mixed-surname villages to avoid discrimination or land disputes.[/mfn] without a dominant clan, and the village chief was kind-hearted.
But the luckiest part was meeting Qiao Suiman, Lu Dongqing thought.
Unaware of these reflections, Qiao Suiman swung his legs slightly as he sat on the chair and couldn’t help but praise, “You’re amazing. Not only can you carve, but you can also build a bamboo house.”
“The principles are similar. After construction, it’s still mostly carving and polishing.”
Lu Dongqing paused before continuing, “I’ll make a trip to East Market on the ninth. After that, I’ll be going straight to the main house. The pay is two mace of silver a day, and it should take about a month to finish. By then, I’ll have saved enough.”
As for what he was saving for, he didn’t say it aloud. But Qiao Suiman understood. A flush of warmth surged up to the top of his head, and he replied awkwardly, “Th-that’s great.”
Lu Dongqing looked sideways, and seeing Qiao Suman’s shy look, he couldn’t help but reveal a silly and honest smile.
Qiao Suiman stopped swinging his legs, resting his hands on the chair as he smiled faintly, stealing glances at Lu Dongqing from the corner of his eye.
Neither of them spoke, but the air between them seemed thick with unspoken words. The sun dipped westward, casting their overlapping shadows on the ground. Silent, but in perfect harmony, just like their hearts.
“Time to eat, time to eat!”
Aunt Qian’s booming voice broke the moment.
During the meal, the men sat at separate tables from the women and ge’r, so the two naturally couldn’t stay together.
Qiao Suiman and Qin Yu sat together at the family table, which was occupied by the relatives of the men in the village team, including Auntie Qian, Miao Lianhua, and Liu Tian’s family.
No one from the Li family came. Given the recent disgraceful incident, even Li Yue didn’t have the face to show up.
With a table full of women and fulang, the conversation inevitably turned to the younger generation’s marriages. As the only ge’r of marriageable age yet to be betrothed, Qiao Suiman naturally became the center of attention.
“Yu-ge’r, have you found a suitable match for Man-ge’r?”
Miao Lianhua suddenly felt like she was facing a formidable enemy. She looked at the person asking the question. It was Liu Tian’s wife. If she remembered correctly, his nephew seemed to be of age too.
Qin Yu was momentarily startled by Miao Lianhua’s sudden straightened posture. He pressed his lips together to stifle a smile and answered quite seriously, “Ruifeng and I are currently considering one family.”
“I see,” said Liu’s wife, noting Qin Yu’s tone, which suggested they were quite satisfied. She tactfully dropped the subject. “I was thinking about my nephew, who’s also at that age, but it seems this isn’t his good fortune. Man-ge’r is such a fine child. Take your time getting to know each other, no rush.”
Earlier, while chatting with Qin Yu, Miao Lianhua had mentioned visiting the Qiao family the next day. She couldn’t let her son chase after Qiao Suiman alone. As his mother, she has to show sincerity too.
On their way back from town yesterday, she specifically bought two packs of sugar cakes. Conventionally, wine should have been included, but she guessed the Qiao siblings weren’t fond of liquor, so she swapped it for a pack of brown slab sugar, which Qiao Suiman could use for his drinks.
Tomorrow morning, she planned to head to Butcher Wang’s house to get two jin of meat. With these three gifts in hand, their sincerity would be properly expressed.
She hadn’t told Qin Yu what gifts they were bringing since this wasn’t a formal proposal. Being too explicit would be impolite.
Qiao Suiman stayed silent during this discussion, and others assumed he was simply shy. Little did they know his mind was preoccupied with thoughts of Lu Dongqing, his eyes secretly darting toward the men’s table.
There, he was talking to Liu Tian about something, and he was so excited that he didn’t notice his gaze. Seeing this, Qiao Suiman quickly looked away to avoid drawing attention.
Finally, the topic shifted, and as the dishes were served, everyone focused on eating. Once full, they divided the leftovers to take home.
Back at home, after washing up, Qiao Suiman lay in bed, wondering if Lu Dongqing could deliver the bamboo tubes before the ninth. With a month of work in town ahead, he wouldn’t have time to carve more.
That meant he would have to rely on his elder brother to make the bamboo tubes for the market as before. Fortunately, the drinks had gained enough popularity that selling them alone wouldn’t be an issue. Still, to keep customers, they would need to announce that new tube designs would come later.
If Lu Dongqing’s work lasts until early Liuyue[mfn]六月 – the sixth month of the traditional Chinese lunar calendar.[/mfn], then he won’t be able to make it to the Autumn Sun-drying Festival[mfn]曬秋節 / 晒秋节 (shàiqiū jié) – A festival on the 6th day of the 6th lunar month, where communities sun-dry crops, books, and textiles to prevent mildew. It symbolizes purification and abundance.[/mfn] on the sixth.
But the Qiqiao Festival[mfn]乞巧節 – Also known as Qixi Festival (七夕节), it falls on the seventh day of the seventh lunar month and celebrates the myth of the Cowherd and Weaver Girl. It is also known as the “Chinese Valentine’s Day.”[/mfn] in the seventh month, that he’d surely make! They could prepare bamboo tubes carved with the Cowherd and Weaver Girl[mfn]牛郎织女 (Niú Láng Zhī Nǚ) – A Chinese folktale about a celestial weaver and a mortal cowherd. Despite their love for each other, their romance was forbidden, and thus they were banished to opposite sides of the heavenly river. Once a year, on the seventh day of the seventh lunar month, a flock of magpies would form a bridge to reunite the lovers for a single day. (Wikipedia)[/mfn], and by then, the mountain jasmine would be in bloom, offering a new variety to replace the peach blossom drink.
Thinking about business and then thinking about a certain someone, Qiao Suiman drifted into sleep.
A rooster’s crow from the Chen household roused the Qiao family from their slumber.
Qin Yu had informed the Qiao brothers about Miao Lianhua’s visit that day, so they rose early to tidy up. They just cleaned thoroughly not long ago, so today was more about sprucing up the vegetable garden and sweeping the main hall. Qiao Suiman also brewed two pots of Immortal Peach Drink and Green Plum Drink.
By the time everything was ready, it was already si shi[mfn]巳时 : 9-11 AM[/mfn] when someone knocked on the Qiao family’s gate.
Everyone knew who it was. On such an occasion, it wasn’t proper for the one being proposed to to be present, so Qiao Suiman quietly returned to his room to wait.
—
