Since there were always people sitting by the cart drinking and chatting, it attracted many other people to join in the fun. Many people who had come from elsewhere to visit the market wanted to find a place to rest their feet, and for a while, there weren’t even enough seats to accommodate them all.
Qiao Suiman had set aside three tubes of blackberry drink and two tubes of camellia flower drink. By the time noon passed, all the beverages had sold out.
The drinks he set aside were to be brought later to Lu Xiang’s home for them to try. Speaking of which, Qiao Suiman hadn’t formally met them yet. Aside from the drinks, Lu Dongqing had also bought several jin of meat from the butcher’s market after selling his bamboo crafts. They couldn’t very well go empty-handed.
Qiao Suiman and Miao Lianhua were tidying up the drink stall. Using the leftover water from washing the bamboo bowls, they scrubbed the stall clean where the blackberry syrup had been displayed and carefully placed it back into the barrel.
After organizing the money pouch, they put everything into the bamboo basket that Lu Dongqing carried on his back. Today, both the drinks and bamboo crafts have sold out, earning them a tidy sum. The whole family was in high spirits.
Once Lu Dongqing returned with the meat, Qin Yu and Lu Xuesong went together to the docks to find Qiao Ruifeng, giving him Lu Xiang’s address so he could head straight there after finishing work.
Lu Xiang was a hospitable man. Knowing that Qiao Suiman’s family only had two older brothers, he had previously mentioned inviting them all to his home for a visit. Today, since everyone was already in town, it was the perfect opportunity to go together.
Soon, Qin Yu and Lu Xuesong returned. The two Lu brothers each pulled a cart, while Qiao Suiman, Qin Yu, and Miao Lianhua walked toward Xide Road.
After leaving the east market, they passed by several households selling chicks and ducklings. Qin Yu went over to ask the price. They were six wen per chick and eight wen per duckling, which was the standard market rate.
Both families wanted to buy some, and together, they would need quite a few. However, remembering they still had to visit the Lu family, they decided against purchasing them now. It wasn’t appropriate to show up dragging a cartload of fowl. That would just be unseemly.
Xide Road was located in the central part of Shuiqing Town, where both shops and residences were plentiful. However, unlike their area, most of the businesses here cater to scholars.
Lu Huaqing ran a bookshop there. He and Lu Xiang were both scholars. Although they could not become officials, the income from the bookshop and Lu Xiang’s monthly stipend from the academy were enough for the family to live a comfortable life.
Entering Xide Road, they saw scholars in long robes coming and going. Lu Xuesong immediately fell silent, his head aching just from the sight.
Qiao Suiman, on the other hand, looked around curiously. The buildings here were made of blue brick[mfn]青砖 qīng zhuān – It is called a “blue brick” because of its distinctive bluish-gray color, which results from a unique firing and cooling process. Unlike red bricks, which oxidize during natural cooling, blue bricks undergo water quenching (oxygen-deficient cooling), reducing iron oxides in the clay to form ferrous compounds (e.g., Fe₃O₄) instead of the reddish Fe₂O₃. This gives the brick its characteristic muted blue-gray hue (青, “qīng,” denotes a range of colors from grayish-green to dark blue in ancient China). (Baidu)[/mfn], and the streets were paved with bricks as well, making them stable and comfortable to walk on. He followed Lu Dongqing and chatted with Miao Lianhua.
“Mother, what should I call them later? I’ve only met Yan-jie before,” Qiao Suiman asked.
“Just follow what Dongqing and Xuesong call them: Uncle Xiang and Auntie Huan. There’s also your Huaqing-da-ge. He and Xiao Yan’s daughter is called Lu Yuan, nicknamed Yangyang.”
Miao Lianhua patted Qiao Suiman’s shoulder and then turned to Qin Yu. “Yu-ge’r, Yan-jie is the same age as you. You can call her Xiao Yan or Yan-jie.”
Qiao Suiman and Qin Yu nodded in unison. “Okay, I understand.”
Miao Lianhua smiled brightly, “Don’t worry, they are all very easy to get along with. We’ll just chat as usual.”
As they talked, they arrived at the fourth alley on Xide Road. Lu Xiang’s house was the second one. In front was Lu Huaqing’s bookstore, and behind it was a courtyard with several rooms, enough for their family to live in.
Lu Dongqing and Lu Xuesong pulled the carts around to the backyard. Since the front was for business, they didn’t want to disturb them and knocked on the back door instead, which also made it easier to park the carts.
After knocking for a while, the door opened, and it was Lu Xiang’s wife, Chen Fanhuan.
“Autie Huan,” the younger ones greeted in unison.
“Ah, ah, ah, my dears, come in, come in!”
Chen Fanhuan was overjoyed and hurriedly opened the door to welcome them inside.
“Lian-jie!” She took Miao Lianhua’s hand, then looked at Qiao Suiman and Qin Yu. “This must be Man-ge’r, right? So handsome! Just looking at you makes me happy! Yu-ge’r, we met at the wedding.”
Qin Yu smiled and nodded, while Qiao Suiman called out again, “Hello, Aunt Huan.”
“Good, good, all good. Da Dong, Songzi, just leave the carts by the wall.”
“They’re here?” Lu Xiang, hearing the commotion, came out from the main hall to the back. He was very happy to see so many people.
He had been away from home for over a decade, returning to Yuntai Town only during New Year’s for visits. Ever since hearing about the disaster that struck Yuntai Town last year, he had been unsettled. In this world, every meeting was one less chance to see each other again. Now that he was older, he cherished lively gatherings even more.
Qiao Suiman and the others greeted him in unison, and Lu Xiang was so delighted that his beard trembled with excitement.
Qiao Suiman followed them into the main hall, where Meng Yan was sitting on the side playing with her child. He called out first, “Yan-jie.”
Meng Yan, holding the child, smiled warmly and said softly, “Man-ge’r, Yu-ge’r, I knew it was you as soon as I heard the voices.”
Then she lifted Yangyang’s little hand and waved it. “Yangyang, say hello to xiao-mo[mfn]term for younger aunt-like (or uncle, in this case) figure[/mfn].”
Yangyang wobbled toward them, mumbling, “Xiao-mo, one xiao-mo, two xiao-mo.”
Qiao Suiman and Qin Yu’s hearts melted, especially Qin Yu’s. Ever since he started recuperating his health, he had been longing to have a child. Now, seeing such an adorable little one, he quickly stepped forward to steady her, his lips curling into a wide smile. “Yangyang is so clever, knowing there are two xiao-mo.”
Meng Yan went to the kitchen to fetch several chairs, smiling as she said, “You’ve walked a long way. You must be tired. Take a rest first.”
“Thank you, Yan-jie.” Qiao Suiman rubbed his hands together and helped arrange the chairs.
“We’re a family, no need to be so polite.”
Lu Xiang and Chen Fanhuan nodded in satisfaction. If there was one thing they were most pleased about after moving to Shuiqing Town, it was gaining such a daughter-in-law.
Meng Yan’s father was a biaoshi[mfn]镖师 – armed escort of travelers or merchants’ caravans; bodyguard[/mfn] in town. He’s a rough-and-tumble man, yet his daughter was gentle and graceful. Back then, many had looked down on their scholarly family forming ties with a biaoshi’s household, but they never cared. A good daughter will bring prosperity to three generations.
Qiao Suiman hadn’t forgotten the drinks he had saved. He had Lu Dongqing take them out from the bamboo basket and place them on the table, saying, “Uncle Xiang, Aunt Huan, these are the new-flavored drinks we saved for today. Please try them.”
“Drinks, sweet, sweet, want, want!”
As soon as Yangyang heard about the drinks, she squirmed excitedly, her little legs carrying her toward the table. Worried she might fall, Qiao Suiman scooped her up and coaxed gently, “Shall xiao-mo get it for you?”
He glanced at Meng Yan for approval. When she nodded, he opened a tube of blackberry drink, tilting it slightly.
Yangyang, clever as ever, immediately pressed her lips to the rim and gulped noisily.
After several sips, Qiao Suiman straightened the tube. “Just a little for now. You can have the rest later, okay?”
Satisfied for the moment, Yangyang obediently agreed, “Okay, thank you, xiao-mo.”
Qiao Suiman held her gently and smiled tenderly as he capped the bamboo tube.
This scene caught Lu Dongqing’s eye, stirring thoughts in his mind. His gaze flickered slightly, lingering on Qiao Suiman’s waist.
No. Still a bit too thin. They just got married. Best to wait a little longer.
Chen Fanhuan beckoned. “Yangyang, come to grandmother. Let your xiao-mo rest for a bit.”
With so many people chatting away, the Lu household quickly grew lively. From the front of the shop, Lu Huaqing heard the voices and, after seeing off a customer, came into the main hall as well, making it even livelier.
The women and ge’r chatted about household matters, while the men mostly discussed business. When they learned that Lu Xuesong wanted to raise chickens and ducks to earn money, both Lu Huaqing and Lu Xiang thought it was a good idea. In the countryside, where space was plentiful, free-range poultry raised in bamboo groves would fetch a much higher price than those kept in pens.
After a while, a servant from the store at the front called out from the door separating the shop from the residence, saying a guest from their family had arrived. Qin Yu immediately knew it was Qiao Ruifeng. Once Lu Huaqing brought him inside, a more lively conversation followed.
Originally, Lu Xiang and Chen Fanhuan had wanted to keep them for dinner, but by then, it would have been late, delaying their purchase of the chicks and ducklings. So they didn’t insist; instead, they stuffed some dried fruits for them to take away.
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Translator [LUNE]: Translations of MFBOWSBTMT are going to be on a one-week break. Will definitely come back after finishing some stuff IRL. ₍ᐢ. .ᐢ₎
If you enjoy my translations, consider buying me a coffee ☕
Thanks for the chapter! More good people!