MFBOWSBTMT Chapter 43

“Do you have new flavors?” A thin, frail-looking man asked in front of the Qiao family’s stall.

 

Qiao Suiman turned toward the voice and widened his eyes. Isn’t this...

 

Fang Zhihe, dressed in men’s attire, quickly pressed a finger to her lips in a shushing motion. Qiao Suiman immediately swallowed his words and instead said, “Yes, we’ve newly added Jasmine Drink, and there are also new bamboo tubes. Would you like to take a look, customer?”

 

Behind her stood Liu Mei, also dressed as a man and looking rather uncomfortable, along with a man in his early twenties whom Qiao Suiman didn’t recognize. However, Lu Dongqing, who was setting up his stall nearby, recognized him and gave a slight bow.

 

Qiao Suiman was puzzled until Lu Dongqing quietly leaned in and whispered, “That’s Liu Mei’s betrothed. I saw him once while I was working.”

 

So that’s who it was. The man nodded at Lu Dongqing and picked up a bamboo tube to examine it. After a moment, he chose two tubes decorated with with magpies on a bridge design. “I’ll take two of these. One with Jasmine Drink and one with Green Plum Drink.”

 

“Eh, only two? I knew I shouldn’t have come out with you two!” Fang Zhihe pouted, feeling like an extra.

 

“What are you saying? Hurry up and buy one for Xiao He!” Liu Mei scolded gently as he took the jasmine drink from the man’s hands and turned to Fang Zhihe. “Xiao He, which one do you want?”

 

The man hurriedly said, “I didn’t get a chance to let her choose! Of course I was going to treat her.”

 

“Hmph, that’s more like it.”

 

Fang Zhihe casually picked up another bamboo tube. “This one, then. I’ll try the new flavor too.”

 

“Right away! Thank you, young masters and miss.”

 

While Qiao Suiman handled the payment, Qin Yu prepared Fang Zhihe’s order. They had often sent their attendants to buy from them before, and by now, they’d already tasted every existing flavor.

 

The group then moved to Lu Dongqing’s stall. Qiao Suiman overheard Liu Mei’s betrothed talking to him about the bamboo house Lu Dongqing had built. Liu Mei also expressed surprise, mentioning that he had once bought a hairpin from him. The two smiled at each other. It seemed they had a similar taste.

 

They spent quite some time at Lu Dongqing’s stall, picking out three lanterns and four or five small trinkets, including designs like swings and spinning wheels. They were utterly engrossed in picking them out.

 

Qiao Suiman also heard the young master praising Lu Dongqing’s craftsmanship, even asking about his stall hours and saying he’ll send a servant to visit in the future.

 

Hearing this, Qiao Suiman couldn’t stop smiling. Everyone admired Lu Dongqing. He’s so capable, yet he only has eyes for him. Just thinking about it made Qiao Suiman feel like his entire being was about to bubble over with sweetness.

 

The Qixi market was bustling with people. Those who had bought bamboo drinks earlier wandered elsewhere, and when asked where they got them, they pointed potential customers toward the stall. The story about the county magistrate drinking Qiao family’s bamboo tube drinks during the Dragon Boat Festival had spread widely. They were so busy that they didn’t even have time for lunch, constantly preparing drinks.

 

It wasn’t until the afternoon that they finally got a break. Qiao Ruifeng went to a noodle stall and returned with four bowls of plain noodles. Though simple, they were filling. Having lived through poverty, they still couldn’t bear to spend twenty wen on a bowl of noodles with meat.

 

After taking turns eating, they worked nonstop again. They prepared two extra barrels today, twelve in total, and sold out before the si shi.[mfn]巳时 : 9-11 AM[/mfn] Most of the trinkets Lu Dongqing had brought were also sold.

 

Since the Qixi market was filled with young women and ge’r, he had set a fixed price and let customers pick freely, so his stall was constantly crowded. Even scholars joined in, buying many of the small ornaments.

 

At si shi, Huajie[mfn]花街 – lit. “Flower Street”[/mfn] lit up.

 

Only a few small trinkets remained unsold at Lu Dongqing’s stall. Seeing the lanterns lining the street, he lowered the price by one wen each to sell them off quickly, not wanting to delay his stroll down Huajie with Qiao Suiman.

 

Both carts were now empty. Though Huajie was wide, dragging carts through it wasn’t practical, so they paid five wen to the uncle at the market entrance who looked after people’s belongings for two shi chen.

 

With too many copper coins to carry comfortably, they split them among themselves, tucking them into their clothes to avoid drawing attention. Besides, with two tall, sturdy men in their group, no one would dare cause trouble.

 

There was a lot of food on Huajie. The noodles they ate at noon had long been digested, so now everyone was hungry. After looking around, Qiao Suiman chose a homemade pancake stall. Lu Dongqing naturally chose the same one as him. Qin Yu and Qiao Ruifeng found another noodle stall. The four of them had dinner in two groups.

 

Qiao Suiman held the lantern Lu Dongqing had given him in one hand and a pancake in the other. He took a bite while it was still hot. The crust was very crispy and mixed with the homemade sauce of the vendor. Qiao Suiman exclaimed, “So good!”

 

He then looked up at Lu Dongqing, beaming. “Hurry, eat yours while it’s hot! It’s delicious!”

 

The glow of Huajie illuminated his face, casting a soft light that made even the fine hairs on his cheeks visible. His eyes sparkled with joy, and a tiny crumb clung to the corner of his mouth.

 

The image struck straight into Lu Dongqing’s heart. His chest pounded rapidly. For a moment, he forgot to move, unable to hear what Qiao Suiman was saying. He could only nod on instinct.

 

Seeing Lu Dongqing not reacting, Qiao Suiman’s expression grew puzzled. Was something on his face? He urged, “Eat quickly. It won’t taste good once it’s cold.”

 

Then he rubbed his face with the back of his hand, and touched a bit of crumbs at the corner of his mouth. So there was something on his face!

 

Embarrassment flooded him. Could it be that Lu Dongqing was looking at the crumbs at the corner of his mouth? Was his eating manners not good? He just took a big bite which was really not polite.

 

Flustered, Qiao Suiman quickly turned his back, not letting Lu Dongqing see him anymore.

 

Lu Dongqing was caught off guard by the sudden movement, thinking he had stared too long and upset him. “I – I didn’t mean to, Xiao Man.”

 

He stepped closer as he spoke, but Qiao Suiman still only showed him the back of his head. Panicked, Lu Dongqing rushed to explain, “You’re so beautiful today. I like you so much, I was stunned for a moment. Please don’t ignore me.”

 

I like you so much, I couldn’t help but stare.

 

Qiao Suiman suddenly felt heat rise from his toes to his head. So it wasn’t because he looked ridiculous, but because he looked good today!

 

Still, Qiao Suiman’s lips curled up, and he finally turned back. “Do I only look good today?”

 

“Of course not. You’re beautiful every day,” Lu Dongqing couldn’t help but smile too. “But today, you look especially good.”

 

That’s more like it.

 

Qiao Suiman’s eyes curved with joy, laughter spilling from his lips.

 

“Go on, get out of here! You young people, don’t hinder my business with your love affairs.” The owner of the pancake stall couldn’t stand it anymore, and waved his hand to signal them to leave quickly.

 

Standing in front of his stall being all lovey-dovey, how sickening! He should’ve brought his wife along!

 

The two, now with red ears, exchanged glances and burst into laughter, unable to stop for a long while.

 

How silly, Qiao Suiman thought.

 

But he was so happy. He wanted to stay with Lu Dongqing forever.

 

The two walked side by side on the road. The crowds of people were so dense that the distance between them was getting closer and closer. Without realizing it, their shoulders brushed, their arms occasionally bumping.

 

They stopped at a stall where people wrote wishes on slips of paper. Men and women huddled together, chattering about their dreams.

 

It is said that if you put your wish into a lantern today and let it float away, it will definitely come true. Therefore, this booth is very lively every year. After all, not everyone can write, so you can only pay a few cents to ask the stall owner to write.

 

Qiao Suiman and Lu Dongqing also went there. As soon as they approached, they heard a man telling the stall owner that his wish was to marry Wang Xiaohua next year. When he finished speaking, he looked at the girl next to him with a burning gaze, which made the man blush.

 

Qiao Suiman sneaked a sideways glance at the man beside him, only to find Lu Dongqing was already looking at him. The two smiled at each other.

 

Lu Dongqing said: “Let’s go write too.”

 

“Okay.” Qiao Suiman responded softly.

 

At the stall, Qiao Suiman asked the vendor and learned that writing it themselves cost only five wen. Too shy to share his wish with a stranger, he requested a brush and paper, then handed them to Lu Dongqing.

 

Qiao Suiman couldn’t read, and he was too embarrassed to tell Lu Dongqing his wish directly, so he made an excuse: “You write first. I haven’t thought of mine yet.”

 

Lu Dongqing saw through it but didn’t comment, his lips curving as he replied gently, “Alright, I’ll go first.”

 

He dipped the brush into ink and wrote two lines on the small slip of paper.

 

Even though Qiao Suiman had seen him write before, he was still captivated. The tall man bent slightly, his long fingers holding the brush, effortlessly forming characters with a few strokes.

 

Qiao Suiman secretly mimicked his posture, curling his index finger as if holding a brush, but he couldn’t replicate the strokes. Before he could even see how the characters were formed, they were already on the paper.

 

When Lu Dongqing glanced at him, Qiao Suiman quickly hid his hand behind his back, pretending nothing had happened.

 

Lu Dongqing chuckled softly. “Ahem,” he picked up the slip and said, “I’m done.”

 

Realizing he was caught, Qiao Suiman laughed awkwardly before asking curiously, “What did you write?”

 

Lu Dongqing’s eyes darkened, his gaze settling on Qiao Suiman with a weight that felt tangible. His voice was deep and sincere.

 

“To marry the Qiao family’s ge’r and become the Qiao family’s husband. May our loved ones be healthy, and our years be free of worry.”

 

Qiao Suiman stared blankly, blinking several times before finally finding his voice. “Oh. I… I see.”

 

“What do you want to write?” Not wanting to linger too long in the crowded space, Lu Dongqing asked, “Should I write it for you?”

 

“Okay.”

 

After a moment of thought, Qiao Suiman spoke solemnly yet shyly: “First wish, to become the Lu family’s fulang, and for both husbands to live in harmony. Second wish, for my family to live a hundred years in peace and to see each other often.”

 

“Xiao Man.”

 

Lu Dongqing’s voice was husky. “We’ll make them come true.”

 

Qiao Suiman nodded firmly. “Mm.”

 

Lu Dongqing carefully wrote the words, returned the brush, and folded the slip for Qiao Suiman to keep. They left the stall, heading toward the river.

 

With a loud bang, fireworks exploded in the distance. Colorful bursts filled the sky as everyone turned to admire them, gasping in awe.

 

Qiao Suiman’s eyes sparkled as he pointed at the sky, his smile radiant. He turned to Lu Dongqing and exclaimed, “Look! Isn’t it beautiful?”

 

Lu Dongqing was watching him all along. Their gazes met, and it felt as though the fire in their eyes burned brighter than any fireworks above, setting their love ablaze.

 

—

 

 

 

 

---

Translator [LUNE]: *smiling like crazy* I had to stop for a few seconds while reading this because my heart  boom boom ♡〜٩( ╹▿╹ )۶〜♡ (*remembers that i’m a single dog*)