“Did Dongqing bring this?”
Qin Yu returned home and spotted the package of preserved fruit. He didn’t need to guess where it came from.
That boy, whenever he had anything good, he’d send it over to their family. He once saw someone selling fish on the way and bought two extra just to deliver to them, leaving them both exasperated and amused. They hurried to send over some fresh vegetables and flatbreads to the Lu household in return.
Qiao Suiman unwrapped the paper packaging. “Yes, the head of the household rewarded him with it. It’s from Jiangnan. Da-ge, Qin Yu-ge, have some.”
As he spoke, he picked up a few pieces and held them out to Qin Yu and the others.
Qiao Ruifeng took one and put it in his mouth, chewing slowly before his eyes lit up. “It’s apricot.”
Qin Yu also picked up a piece and sighed in admiration after tasting it. “No wonder it’s from Jiangnan. It’s delicious! We’ve finally had a taste of something rare!”
“It really is tasty.”
Qiao Suiman’s cheeks kept moving as he chewed, the sweetness of the preserved fruit spreading from his mouth straight into his heart. He thought Dongqing was treating him far too well. He didn’t even know how to repay him.
Thinking of Lu Dongqing made Qiao Suiman’s heart pound wildly. What should he do? It seemed like he was growing fonder of him by the day. The mere thought of being with him filled him with such joy he could hardly contain himself.
Who in the world thinks about a man day in and day out? If word got out, he’d die of embarrassment. Qiao Suiman inwardly scolded himself.
Preserved fruits were a precious treat for them. They didn’t dare eat too many at once. Each of them only had one piece, savoring it thoroughly before swallowing.
“Xiao Man, put it away and keep it for yourself. It’s his way of showing his heart. We’ve had a taste, and that’s enough,” Qiao Ruifeng said.
“But he said it was for you and Qin Yu-ge too.”
“If your Qin Yu-ge wants more, I’ll buy some for him. This pack isn’t very big. Once you finish it, I’ll buy you more too!”
In the past, they didn’t have the means. But ever since Qiao Chengfu left, they had been selling drinks and vegetables openly. The money they earned now far surpassed most in the village. These days, they would occasionally buy some affordable snacks as well.
Qiao Suiman and Qin Yu burst into laughter and quickly agreed.
Once the meal was set on the table, they ate, cleaned up, washed, and prepared to rest.
Just like usual, Qiao Suiman took out the wooden box to count their earnings. Ever since the Dragon Boat Festival, every time they sold drinks at the East Market, they managed to sell out before noon.
However, other vendors had since caught on and started setting up stalls selling Immortal Peach Drink and Green Plum Drink, even using the exact same names. Although it was frustrating, there was nothing they could do.
Some customers, too lazy to wait, went to those stalls instead. Fortunately, the county magistrate’s endorsement still carried weight. Many people witnessed it with their own eyes, so they weren’t worried about imposters claiming that name. Their drinks still sold out every time.
It wasn’t safe if it’s just him and Qin Yu, so Qiao Ruifeng stopped working at the docks and instead helped them with the stall. That way, no troublemakers would dare target them.
As a result, the money earned from selling drinks naturally had to be shared with Qiao Ruifeng. Each market day, they could earn about one tael and three mace, and Qiao Suiman would give eight mace to Qiao Ruifeng and Qin Yu.
All along, the big and small expenses of the household were shouldered by them. Now that he could earn money himself, it was only right to repay them.
Calculating it all, excluding the two times they couldn’t go due to rain, Qiao Suiman had saved up four taels, nine mace, and seventy-three wen or nearly five taels of silver.
Of that, three strings of one thousand copper coins each were neatly tied together. One tael and three mace were in loose silver, and the remaining copper coins were strung in bundles of one hundred wen each. Once he gathered enough for another full string, he’ll tie them all together.
The jingling of the coins accompanied Qiao Suiman as he curled up on his side, hugging the wooden box. Imagining the days ahead, he fell asleep with a smile on his lips. Who knew what sweet dreams awaited him?
—
Lu Household
“Mother, the auspicious time has been calculated. The roof beam will be raised at sishi[mfn]巳时 : 9-11 AM[/mfn] the day after tomorrow.” Lu Dongqing wiped his hands clean. The empty space behind the courtyard was already replaced by the new house. The walls around it had been laid; now all that remained was to set the roof beam and cover it with tiles.
Though they had hired workers, there were still countless small tasks they had to handle themselves. When Lu Xuesong wasn’t working in the fields, he stayed home to supervise, ensuring the workers didn’t slack off or steal materials. Lu Dongqing did the same, tidying up loose ends whenever he had time.
Lu Xuesong was also very happy that his eldest brother was getting married, and he threw himself into the preparations. He met Qiao Suiman a few times and even exchanged greetings. Qiao Suiman even brought him drinks and flatbreads to try.
Lu Dongqing had long since asked a fengshui[mfn]风水 fēngshuǐ- An ancient Chinese practice involving spatial arrangement and orientation to harmonize individuals with their surrounding environment.[/mfn] master from town to calculate the best time. With the money nearly saved up, once the house was complete, he could pick an auspicious day and send a matchmaker to the Qiao family.
He already inquired about matchmakers. Matchmaker Luo from the village has a good reputation. She was eloquent, could go on with auspicious phrases for half a shichen[mfn]时辰 : a traditional Chinese unit of time equal to two hours.[/mfn] without pause, and her prices were fair. For just one mace of silver, she could arrange everything with dignity and propriety.
“Good. I’ll ask your aunt for advice. We’ll prepare all the necessary gifts so no one can look down on us. We’ll make sure Man-ge’r enters our family in a dignified and elegant manner!”
This aunt referred to was Lu Xiang’s wife. Her daughter-in-law had been married into the family for several years, and she even helped arrange other marriages. She knew more about these matters than Miao Lianhua did.
Lu Dongqing’s face brightened. “Mother, I bought a bolt of fabric. When the time comes, we’ll have the matchmaker bring it along. He’s sure to like it.”
“You bought fabric too?”
Miao Lianhua was surprised. When Lu Dongqing returned, she was in the backyard overseeing the workers and fetching water, so she didn’t notice him carrying fabric.
Lu Xuesong, who shared a room with Lu Dongqing, had seen it. “I saw it. The color is really nice.”
“Mn.” Lu Dongqing chuckled lightly in acknowledgment before retrieving the fabric from his room. It was the very same bolt Qiao Suiman had admired last month but found too expensive!
“Ah, you picked this out?” Miao Lianhua exclaimed in amazement. The fabric was of excellent quality, soft and smooth to the touch. It’s perfect for wearing in hot weather.
Clearly, Miao Lianhua didn’t believe him. Based on Lu Dongqing’s usual eye for such things, he either bought poor quality or paid far too much.
So she pressed, “How much was it?”
Lu Dongqing felt a little aggrieved. Why didn’t she trust him? He wasn’t the same clueless youth he used to be. “Last month, I went to the fabric shop with him. He liked this one but thought it was too expensive. I figured, since proposing marriage is such an important matter, we should show sincerity. So after getting paid today, I bought it.”
“Only fifteen chi[mfn]尺 : ~33 cm (about 1 ft.)[/mfn] were left. I bargained with the shop assistant for a long time before he agreed to forty-two wen per chi. Mother, you should look at some other fabric later.” Lu Dongqing scratched his head sheepishly. “An uncle I work with said that in Shuiqing Town, it’s customary to prepare at least two types of fabric.”
Miao Lianhua’s laughter deepened the wrinkles on her face. So he went shopping with Qiao Suiman. As the saying went, no one knows a child better than his mother, so she knew that he didn’t choose it himself.
“Good. I can’t speak for other things, but I am best with fabrics. You didn’t get swindled on this one.”
She put the fabric away and added, “We’re doing this sincerely. The Qiao family isn’t greedy either. We haven’t even finished the vegetables and gourds they sent. With people like that, it’s a blessing to marry into such a household.”
“Mn. I’ll go do some more work.” Having settled the matter with Miao Lianhua, Lu Dongqing didn’t idle. He still had bamboo tubes and bamboo beds to make. The more he made, the more they could earn, and the better their life would be in the future.
“Don’t stay up too late.” Miao Lianhua couldn’t help but fret over her son. Though earning money was important, he needed balance. He’d been working in town every day lately and never rested even after returning home.
“Understood, Mother.”
Lu Dongqing’s determination to earn money and marry reminded her of Lu Lai’an. Back then, he was the same, taking on any job he could, from copying books to doing accounts, stubbornly saving up several taels for the betrothal gifts.
Miao Lianhua’s eyes slowly filled with tears. She didn’t want to lose composure in front of her son.
In the early days after Lu Lai’an’s passing, she was like a lost soul, scaring the children terribly. Now, her eldest was about to marry, and the family had new hopes to look forward to. She had to arrange everything properly. It was the least she could do for Lu Lai’an’s spirit in heaven.
—
Thanks for the chapter!