MFBOWSBTMT Chapter 132

Miao Lianhua and Tangyuan rode in Lu Huaqing’s carriage, while Tang Guo’er, Yuanbao, Qiao Suiman, Ou’er, and Hetao took the donkey cart. Lu Xuesong helped drive the Qiao family’s mule cart. Qin Yu couldn’t manage looking after all four children by himself, so Qiao Ruifeng also rode inside.

 

The donkey cart was padded with thick, cloth-covered cotton, making the seat soft and comfortable. Lu Dongqing drove slowly to avoid jostling the passengers.

 

Hexi Village wasn’t far and traveling by cart made the journey even quicker. They arrived in less time than it takes for two incense sticks to burn.

 

The opera performance was one of the few major events in the nearby villages that everyone could participate in, aside from the Dragon Boat Festival races. Therefore, many people had already arrived early, fearing they wouldn’t secure a good spot and would be pushed to the back.

 

They were quite lucky, as there happened to be an empty space nearby. Although it was a bit farther away, the view was still reasonably clear. Had they arrived any later, they probably would only be able to see the backs of people’s heads.

 

They brought many small stools. The adults could manage, but the children’s legs would inevitably get sore if they had to stand for long periods without running around. Before leaving home, they had repeatedly emphasized to the children that the opera would be crowded and that they were not allowed to run off and play on their own. If they were taken by child abductors, it would be a great disaster.

 

When Xiao Ou’er heard that if he were abducted he would never see his Father and A-mu again, he almost cried and promised repeatedly that he would never run away.

 

Fortunately, the children could amuse themselves happily. Qiao Suiman and Tang Guo’er kept an eye on Ou’er, Hetao, and Yuanbao, while they sent Lu Dongqing to buy some snacks.

 

Tangyuan and Lu Xiao were looked after by several elders. Meng Yan and Yangyang were also with them, and they helped Qin Yu look after Tuanzi, who particularly enjoyed being with Yangyang.

 

The little girl was wrapped in a small quilt with only her eyes exposed. She was looking around happily in Qin Yu’s arms, while Qiao Ruifeng held the two boys, his second and third sons, firmly under each arm.

 

Knowing today would be bustling, many people came to sell zaotang, tanghulu, sweet cakes, and such. There were even people specifically offering to watch over carts and stalls. Lu Dongqing remembered one of them, a man from Hexi Village who had once asked him to make bamboo strips. The rate was thirty wen per cart to watch until the crowd dispersed, and they provided dry grass and water for the animals which was quite reasonable.

 

After parking the carts, Lu Huaqing and Lu Xuesong went over first, while Lu Dongqing wandered around the stalls.

 

Lu Dongqing often bought things for Qiao Suiman and the children, so he knows exactly what they like to eat. Since there are dried fruits, candied fruits, and pastries at home, he simply bought ten sticks of tanghulu. The children couldn’t finish a whole stick each, so sharing with the adults would be just right.

 

Additionally, he bought a few pieces of sugarcane and asked the stall owner to chop them into small pieces and pack them up, and then bought two packages of sweet preserved plums. That was about enough.

 

The bright red tanghulu were indeed the most popular treat. Even before Tangyuan could call out, Qiao Suiman took a stick first, unwrapped it, and ate one happily himself.

 

Xiao Ou’er watched with eager eyes. Qiao Suiman took one piece off the stick to prevent him from getting poked by the skewer.

 

As soon as they got the tanghulu, Xiao Ou’er couldn’t wait to take a bite. Qiao Suiman then immediately gave one to little Hetao as well, instructing them both, “Remember to spit out the seeds.”

 

“Okay, A-Mu.”

 

Qiao Suiman smiled, held the tanghulu stick up to Lu Dongqing’s mouth, and said, “You have one too.”

 

Lu Dongqing lowered his head and bit into it, his lips curling into a smile as he fixed his gaze on Qiao Suiman. In a voice only the two of them could hear, he whispered, “So sweet.”

 

So improper!

 

Qiao Suiman glared at him angrily. Luckily, Tang Guo’er and Lu Xuesong had their backs to them, otherwise it would have been really embarrassing.

 

Lu Dongqing chewed and smiled. He only tease Qiao Suiman when he was sure no one was paying attention, lest Qiao Suiman become angry and embarrassed and refuse to share a bed with him at night.

 

The crowd grew noisier as more people arrived. It wasn’t until the opera began that the bustle quieted, leaving only the voices of the actors on stage.

 

The opera today was The Tale of General Yuan, telling the story of a border general and his beloved, who endured countless hardships, overcame obstacles, and finally grew old together hand in hand.

 

The opera troupe’s music closely followed the plot. It was bright and lively when singing of the general falling in love, and became sorrowful and gentle when the general had to part from his beloved for the sake of the common people. It captivated the audience so much that they even forgot to eat their snacks, concentrating intently for fear of missing anything.

 

Although the children couldn’t fully understand the meaning of the characters’ words, the splendid costumes and various props on stage were enough to captivate them.

 

The opera lasted nearly two hours before concluding. When the lovers were finally united at the end, the entire audience erupted into thunderous applause. After the performers left the stage, Qiao Suiman was still discussing it with Tang Guo’er.

 

“That person was truly detestable. The general didn’t like her, yet she kept throwing herself at him and even framed Ying-jie,” Tang Guo’er said angrily.

 

Qiao Suiman felt the same way. “Thankfully, the young general proved Ying-jie‘s innocence, and they ended up together. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have dared to keep watching.”

 

Lu Dongqing listened to them with a smile. A single play unfolded a whole world of love, hate, passion, and sorrow, which is truly fascinating.

 

The children, of course, understood none of that. All they knew was that good people had good endings and bad people were punished. They started arguing over who would play the general, quarreling even after they got back into the carriage.

 

It was amusing to see that even Xiao Ou’er wanted to be the general. Little Hetao was also unusually excited. They were all getting red in the face, so Qiao Suiman had to interrupt them, giving each a piece of sugarcane. With food to eat, they finally stopped arguing.

 

They watched an opera today and ate a lot of snacks. After they got home, they didn’t cook immediately. While the sun was still out, they wiped down the children.

 

After sitting outside for a while, they noticed most of the villagers had also gone to watch the opera. Qiao Suiman and Chen Xuesheng got into a lively conversation before Qiao Suiman finally returned to heat up the meal.

 

Lu Dongqing had nothing to do, so he took an axe and chopped wood in the yard. Lu Xiang and Lu Huaqing went to the backyard to look after the poultry and livestock. The dinner was prepared quickly and was on the table soon.

 

By the time they sat down, they weren’t very hungry anymore. But after bustling around, Qiao Suiman’s stomach growled, and he first ate several soft steamed buns before finally feeling full.

 

Lu Dongqing hurriedly served him some meat. “Eat some meat.”

 

“Father, I want some too,” Tangyuan called out, his arms not yet long enough to reach.

 

“Me too, me too.”

 

“Hetao wants some too.”

 

“Alright, alright, Father will get some for you.”

 

Qiao Suiman was happy to relax and focused on gnawing the spareribs in his bowl.

 

Once they had eaten their fill, it was already dark. Qiao Ruifeng brought out the fireworks and firecrackers bought before the New Year from the storage room.

 

They didn’t set them off last night after dinner as it was quite late, and they had only lit a string of firecrackers. Today, however, they could enjoy them to their heart’s content.

 

As usual, they started with several strings of firecrackers. After that, they began playing with the various colored fireworks.

 

Tangyuan had started playing with fireworks at the age of one and was very skilled at it. He held a cuantianhou[mfn]竄天猴 – A type of firework, also known as a “rocket” or “missile” firework in English. It typically consists of a small paper tube attached to a thin stick. When lit, it shoots into the air with a whistling sound and often explodes or produces a visual effect at its peak.[/mfn] himself. After Qiao Ruifeng used an incense stick to light the fuse for him, he pointed it towards the sky. The firework at the top shot out with a “whoosh,” flew into the mid-air, and exploded with a “bang.”

 

Tuanzi lit a sparkler and the sparks immediately sprayed forward. He shouted excitedly, and even the slightly older Yangyang was thrilled, running back and forth while holding her sparkler.

 

Qiao Suiman took a box of xiangpao.[mfn]響炮 xiǎngpào – Also known as pop pops, snap pops, or throw-downs. A firecracker (paper-wrapped gravel dusted with a minute amount of silver fulminate), which pops on impact.[/mfn] He threw them on the ground, and they went “pop” with a bang. He hadn’t played with these before and was having a great time throwing them one after another.

 

With so many people, the fun was endless. The basket of fireworks was soon spent, though some were left in storage for the coming days.

 

Night grew late, and it was time to rest. As the night before, Lu Xiang and Chen Fanhuan took Lu Xiao to the west of the village. They would be returning to town tomorrow after breakfast.

 

They had already wiped down the children before the meal. Upon returning to the west end, they only needed to wipe the three children’s hands and feet. Tangyuan would stay with Miao Lianhua again today, but for some reason, even Xiao Ou’er and Hetao wanted to go along.

 

Qiao Suiman thought about it. Perhaps Tangyuan had been talking about the general again on the way back, piquing the younger ones’ interest. He didn’t think much more of it.

 

Lu Dongqing was even more pleased.

 

The two of them hadn’t bathed yet. With the brazier lit inside the room, Lu Dongqing brought in hot water, shut the door, and immediately stripped, tossing his clothes onto the wooden chest.

 

Qiao Suiman turned around and was caught off guard by this sight. His hands, which had been removing his short robe, paused, and he nearly choked on his own saliva. “What are you doing?”

 

“Wiping down.”

 

Lu Dongqing sat on the bed with a natural expression, took off his inner garment, and effectively blocked Qiao Suiman at the bedside.

 

“You, you, you… if you’re wiping down, then why, why like this!”

 

A mischievous smile tugged at Lu Dongqing’s lips. He soaked the cloth, turned around, and said in a low voice, “Xiao Man, wipe my back for me.”

 

Qiao Suiman knew exactly what he was up to, but he simply couldn’t bring himself to refuse. In truth, he himself felt a bit tempted and mumbled, “O-okay.”

 

Little did he know, Lu Dongqing was wearing a triumphant expression.

 

After finally finishing wiping his back, Qiao Suiman was coaxed into wiping other places for Lu Dongqing.

 

The candlelight flickered. No matter how familiar they were with each other, Qiao Suiman’s face turned completely red under the bright light.

 

When at last Lu Dongqing was done, Qiao Suiman was sweating all over. Lu Dongqing claimed it was only fair to reciprocate. Qiao Suiman knew full well what was on his mind. In the last year or two, as Tangyuan gradually grew older, he had restrained himself. It was more frequent before they had children.

 

Anyway, there was no avoiding it tonight, so Qiao Suiman let him “help.”

 

Once the washing was finally done, Qiao Suiman dove straight under the quilt. Lu Dongqing slipped on an outer garment and went outside to pour the water.

 

After coming back, he first warmed himself by the brazier. When he no longer felt cold, he lifted the quilt and went in. He quickly took off the excess clothes, hugged Qiao Suiman tightly, and turned around to change his position.

 

Heat spread through his body wherever touched. Qiao Suiman dared not make a sound, trembling and clutching the quilt with all five fingers.

 

“Do you know my strength now?” Lu Dongqing teased wickedly.

 

Qiao Suiman whimpered and moaned. He naturally knew what he meant, but he gritted his teeth and refused to say it out loud.

 

The two of them sometimes had a sense of secret rivalry. Most of the time, Lu Dongqing emerged victorious. On rare occasions, Qiao Suiman would resort to underhanded tactics to leave Lu Dongqing utterly flustered, making him agree to anything he demanded. But clearly, this was not one of those rare occasions.

 

Qiao Suiman held out for a while gritting his teeth, but ultimately had to admit defeat, saying in a trembling voice, “I-I know.”

 

Only then did Lu Dongqing change his rhythm. Qiao Suiman bit his arm hard, leaving a neat set of tooth marks.

 

How could he tickle someone!

 

But this is what he fears the most!

 

That said, Qiao Suiman wasn’t upset at all. It was nothing more than some added spice in their marital life.

 

The clouds outside were so thick that the moon was invisible. Inside the room, even after the candles were extinguished, nothing could be seen clearly. Only the sounds they tried so hard to muffle filled the space.

 

On the second day, after breakfast, Lu Huaqing drove the carriage over from the Qiao residence to pick up Lu Xiang, Chen Fanhuan, and Lu Xiao and take them back to town first.

 

Tangyuan was reluctant to part. He and Lu Xiao held each other’s little hands tightly. Lu Huaqing felt like the villain separating a pair of lovers as he parted the two little ones, and said with a laugh, “It’s not like you’ll never see each other again. You can meet again once the private academy opens.”

 

The two little ones knew this, but it was still hard to say goodbye. In the end, Tangyuan ran to the backyard and refused to watch them leave. Only then did Lu Huaqing take the others back.

 

As an A-Mu, he couldn’t be the first to laugh out loud. Qiao Suiman tried hard to suppress the smile tugging at his lips and went to the backyard to comfort him.

 

Tangyuan’s private academy would reopen on the ninth. They would have a one-day break on the fifteenth, after which they would only be able to return to the village once every ten days or half a month.

 

He would still have plenty of time to play with Lu Xiao at the private academy, but afterwards, he wouldn’t be able to see Tuanzi, Yuanbao, Gao’er, and the others often. Qiao Suiman explained this to Tangyuan, who then regained his spirits and decided he needed to play with Tuanzi and the others as much as possible in the coming days.

 

Satisfied with his own ability to comfort, Qiao Suiman nodded to himself.

 

The next few days were neither busy nor idle. Every year for the Lantern Festival, Lu Dongqing made lanterns to sell. Now they no longer needed to go to the academy gate to sell them. Those who knew about them would go to the shop to pick them out when the time came.

 

The year he first became well-known, a crowd had already lined up outside the shop before it even opened. This surprised not only the surrounding shopkeepers but even themselves.

 

Before they knew it, they had been running the shop for several years, and business had remained consistently good. Ever since Tang Guo’er and Lu Xuesong’s goat-raising business got on track, the supply of goat’s milk for the drink shop was sufficient, and the income from milk tea had increased even more.

 

The long-term workerd and Hua Yun had gone back to their homes for the New Year and hadn’t returned yet. The chickens, ducks, and goats still required attention. Gradually, the adults became busy again, while the children remained as happy as ever.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Translator [Lune]: Thank you Angela for buying me a milk tea! Trully appreciate it. I also posted Chapter 133 as the final chapter for this story. You can check it out now!

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If you enjoy my translations, consider buying me a milk tea 🥛🍵