Xiao Ou’er swallowed a piece of mutton in one bite and chewed for a long while before swallowing. His eyes bright and sparkling as he said to Little Hetao sitting on his right: “Er gege, look, I ate a piece.”
Seeing this, Little Hetao ate the pork hock meat from his bowl and said: “I ate one too, a big piece.”
On the other side, Yuanbao chomped away at his food, shouting, “Yuanbao, ate too!”
“Gao’er ate his too!”
The little ones were even starting to compete.
Qiao Suiman sat to the right of Little Hetao, wiping the sauce from the corner of Hetao’s mouth with a smile, “You’re all impressive, all good children who eat properly.”
“Eat slowly now, don’t choke.” Miao Lianhua wore a face full of smiles. Who wouldn’t look forward to a New Year like this?
“During the first New Year spent here, there were just three of us. Times were so tight we didn’t even dare cook much rice.”
Miao Lianhua recalled the past and sighed, “All these years have flown by. Now that the New Year celebrations are so lively, I’m filled with joy even in my dreams.”
Tang Guo’er saw tears welling up in Miao Lianhua’s eyes and hurriedly comforted her, “Mother, it will be this lively every year from now on. Next year, there will be one more grandchild.”
“That’s right, Aunt Lian, look, we need such a big table just to seat everyone for meals now.”
On this joyous reunion day, Miao Lianhua’s spirits lifted as she thought about it, and she beamed, “Right, our good days are still long!”
Lu Xiang raised the wine bowl in front of him and said loudly: “Come, come, come, it’s so lively. We can’t let this pass without a toast!”
“Come, let’s have a drink.” Lu Huaqing chimed in.
The wine was brought by them and had just been warmed. All the adults present except Tang Guo’er raised their bowls. Tang Guo’er and the children used teacups filled with the milk tea made by Qiao Suiman.
Lu Dongqong took a sip first and said, “Come, let’s wish that may our days and years be all like today!”
Qiao Suiman also smiled warmly, “Happy New Year!”
After exchanging auspicious words, even the children chattered nonstop, and those who are studying began reciting poetry.
Yangyang started first: “Amid the boom of firecrackers a year has come to an end, And the spring wind has wafted warm breath to the Tusu wine.”[mfn]This is a poem by Wang Anshi from the Song Dynasty, titled “元日” (New Year’s Day), describing the traditional customs of celebrating the Lunar New Year.[/mfn]
Before he could say the next line, Tuanzi, Tangyuan, and Lu Xiao with several others shouted in unison.
“While the rising sun shines over each household, people always replace the old peach charms with new ones!”
Qiao Suiman laughed uncontrollably and clapped his hands repeatedly: “Good, good, good, you’re all little poets now.”
The younger ones couldn’t understand but knew it was happy and also clapped along. In an instant, the dinner table became incredibly lively.
Qiao Suiman picked up a large piece of fish meat, crushed it in his bowl, and after confirming there were no bones, he divided it in half and put it into Hetao and Ou’er’s bowls.
Hetao looked up, the corners of his mouth raised high, clearly eating happily, and said: “A-mu, I will eat it all.”
Qiao Suiman gently stroked his head a few times, “Little Hetao is so good.”
Since birth, Little Hetao had been somewhat quieter than Xiao Ou’er and Tangyuan were in their infancy. Even the formal name calculated for him at the Yuan’an Temple suited his temperament: Lu Chenwen.[mfn]晨文 (Chénwén) – “Morning + Culture/Literature,” symbolizing freshness, refinement, and hopeful new beginnings.[/mfn]
Qiao Suiman recited the name several times at that time and was extremely happy.
In comparison, Xiao Ou’er is more talkative and quite the charmer. Plus, being fair, tender, and especially adorable, his formal name is Lu Shiyu[mfn]詩榆 (Shīyú) — “Poetry + Elm tree,” suggesting elegance, literary grace, and steadfast vitality[/mfn], both unique and pleasant-sounding.
Xiao Ou’er devoured the meat in a few mouthfuls, tugged at Qiao Suiman’s sleeve and said, “A-mu, I’m full.”
Qiao Suiman knew how much food he had picked up for his child. Indeed, he had already eaten quite a bit already, so he said to him: “Go play in the main hall later.”
Xiao Ou’er’s eyes twinkled. “Alright.”
Lu Dongqing smiled and leaned over to pick up two pieces of pork neck for Tangyuan who couldn’t reach the barbecue. He reminded him, “That’s about enough. Eat some vegetables later, alright?”
Tangyuan pouted, “I know, Father.”
He was actually already full, only his mouth was greedy. But his father had previously told them that eating too much would make them fat, and he didn’t want to be a fat child.
There was a rather plump fellow at the private academy who couldn’t even manage a few steps sometimes, so Tangyuan obediently finished two pieces of meat before picking up some cabbage to eat.
Tuanzi also loved to eat, but he was, after all, a little ge’r. He put down his chopsticks after finishing the food in his bowl and left the table to look at his little sister in the cradle.
“Da-ge, is little sister still sleeping?” asked the third son of the Qiao family, Qiao Ting.
The little girl could already sit up and was now sitting in the cradle next to Qao Ruifeng, her big eyes looking around everywhere, but she was blocked from view, so Qiao Ting couldn’t see her.
“No, I was playing with little sister.” Tuanzi replied.
Qin Yu looked at the child, his face full of gentle affection. For several years before, he couldn’t conceive, but after his health improved, he had several children, a boy, a ge’r, and a girl. Nothing could be more perfect than this.
The table was too large, and Qiao Suiman couldn’t reach the dishes further away. Lu Dongqing half-stood, scooped a spoonful of steamed egg, and placed it into his bowl, beaming as he said, “Xiao Man, here, this is delicious.”
“En.”
Qiao Suiman’s eyes curved into smiles, and he lowered his head to eat it, his heart swelling with warmth.
They had been married for several years and had several children, yet Lu Dongqing still frequently served him food. Sometimes, when he delivered bamboo carvings to wealthy households and received some rare item, he would hurry back to the shop to tell him, just the same as before.
Miao Lianhua saw this, lowered her head, and smiled. The children’s feelings for each other had always been this good, and they had many little ones. Seeing it made her happy.
Lu Xiang and Chen Fanhuan were quite envious. However, they did not insist. They only have one son, Lu Huaqing, and now with two grandchildren, it was already double. Whether there are more in the future or not, as long as the family is happy and joyful, that is stronger than anything.
With many people chatting and laughing, the meal was both satisfying and joyous. After the meal, some heated water, some washed the pot, and others scrubbed bowls. Working together, they finished quickly. Once everything was tidied up, it was time to hand out the red packets.
This was the children’s favorite time. In the main hall, children of all sizes lined up neatly in a row, first kowtowing in turn to Miao Lianhua, Lu Xiang, and Chen Fanhuan.
“Wish Grandpa, Grandma, and Grandma Lian good health and happiness every day!” Yangyang, at the head of the line, said loudly, his voice very clear.
“Hey hey, happy, happy.”
The children behind said auspicious words one after another and jumped up after receiving the red envelopes.
Miao Lianhua, Lu Xiang, and Chen Fanhuan were overjoyed. The copper coins wrapped in red cloth in their hands jingled. They distributed them one by one, and just receiving the packets from them took quite a while.
Qiao Suiman and Lu Dongqing sat on the chairs next to each other, looking at each other with smiles on their faces.
Tangyuan led his two younger brothers, who knelt swiftly before them and kowtowed.
Tangyuan took the lead, shouting loudly, “Father, A-mu, Happy New Year! May all your wishes come true, and may you have a prosperous new year!”
Hetao and Ou’er followed behind, calling out, “May you have a prosperous new year, may all your wishes come true.”
Qiao Suiman’s eyes curved with laughter. Together with Lu Dongqing, he pulled the children up, brushing the dust from their trousers. “A-mu has you, and your father, everything is as I wish.”
Lu Dongqing smiled and took out red envelopes, giving one to everyone, and Qiao Suiman did the same.
After getting their packets from their own father and A-mu, Tangyuan led his two brothers and Yuanbao to pay New Year’s greetings to Lu Huaqing, Meng Yan, Qiao Ruifeng, and Qin Yu.
Lu Xuesong and Tang Guo’er’s were given to them yesterday as soon as they were wrapped. Similarly, Qiao Suiman and Lu Dongqing also gave Yuanbao his gift early on.
It took nearly half an hour just to hand out the red envelopes. After running around, the sky had already darkened. Qiao Ruifeng and Qin Yu then took their children home.
There wasn’t enough space for everyone to sleep at the Lu family home, so Lu Huaqing and Meng Yan took Yangyang to sleep over there. Lu Xiao was playing happily with Tangyuan, so they let him stay to sleep with his grandfather and grandmother.
Miao Lianhua and Chen Fanhuan chatted about old times. As they talked, they waved towards Tangyuan. “Tangyuan, would you like to sleep with Grandma tonight?”
With three children, sometimes Qiao Suiman and Lu Dongqing were too busy. Added to that, Miao Lianhua was often lonely at night. When they return home, they would often let one child go over to sleep with her.
Sometimes the children find it fun, and all three would clamor to go. Qiao Suiman and Lu Dongqing were happy to have the ease, giving them the chance to do other things.
“Alright.”
Tangyuan agreed without a second thought. The bed in Grandma’s room was bigger, so he could roll around without worrying about crushing his brother. He quite liked sleeping there.
“I want to sleep with Yuanfeng too!” Lu Xiao shouted.
“You little brat, is sleeping with your grandfather and grandmother not good enough for you?” Lu Xiang said with a laugh.
Lu Xiao stuck out his tongue sheepishly. “It’s not that, Grandpa and Grandma. I’ll sleep with Yuanfeng today and with you tomorrow!”
Chen Fanhuan laughed heartily. When children are having fun, they are like this, even wanting to stick together for sleep. She waved her hand. “Fine, don’t stay up too late.”
“Understood, Grandma!”
With Tangyuan and Lu Xiao settled, Xiao Ou’er grabbed Hetao and Yuanbao’s hands, his cheeks puffed out. “We’ll sleep together too, no Da-ge needed, hmph.”
Yuanbao looked troubled, glancing at Xiao Ou’er, then at Tang Guo’er, saying quietly, “But, but I still want to sleep with Father and A-mu.”
Qiao Suiman and Tang Guo’er couldn’t hold back their laughter and teased, “Then what should we do? There’s only one Yuanbao.”
Little Hetao’s mind turned, and he finally made the decision: “Yuanbao can come sleep with us tomorrow.”
Yuanbao nodded repeatedly.
Qiao Suiman laughed until his stomach hurt, leaning against Lu Dongqing and laughing like a trembling flower branch.
Lu Xuesong picked up his son, laughed a couple of times, and said to Tang Guo’er, “Not bad, he didn’t forget us.”
Tang Guo’er pinched Yuanbao’s chubby hand, smiling just as brightly. “A-mu didn’t dote on you for nothing.”
Xiao Ou’er didn’t manage to get someone to sleep with him, but it didn’t matter. Ge still have his Er gege to sleep with.
The moonlight was deep. Qiao Suiman packed Tangyuan’s new clothes and took them to Miao Lianhua’s room. He instructed the two boys not to make too much noise, lest Miao Lianhua not rest well, before returning to his own room.
Hetao and Ou’er were already sleepy, their little heads nodding. They stubbornly waited until he got into bed, then burrowed into his and Lu Dongqing’s arms, and mumbled.
Lu Dongqing took out a jar of fragrant ointment from the cabinet at the head of the bed and smiled. “Come, let’s apply some fragrant cream.”
Since the weather had turned cold, the two children had gotten used to having their faces moisturized every night before bed and upon waking. They obediently lifted their heads and waited.
Qiao Suiman scooped up a dollop of the ointment, dotted it in several places on little Hetao’s face, and gently spread it. Soon, the little face was moist and wouldn’t chap from the wind.
Xiao Ou’er nestled in Lu Dongqing’s arms. Lu Dongqing also moved gently, afraid of rubbing his little ge’r too hard. It took a while before he finished applying it to the children’s hands and faces.
The two children usually slept on the inner side of the bed, with their own separate, thick quilt. They both slept soundly and didn’t kick the covers off. Shortly after lying down, they fell asleep.
Qiao Suiman placed the hot water bottle filled with hot water into the little ones’ quilt. Then he scooped out a bit more ointment and applied it to his own face and hands, softly saying, “Looks like it’s almost used up again. We’ll need to buy a big jar next time.”
There were many children in the family, and everyone has a jar in their room. When the weather was cold, not applying it was really unbearable. Many people in the village refine lard to use, but it still couldn’t compare to this fragrant ointment, which have a floral scent and are liked by both adults and children.
Lu Dongqing nodded. “Let’s buy the plum blossom scent next time. We haven’t used that one in a long time.”
“Alright.”
In the darkness, Qiao Suiman’s eyes were bright. Lu Dongqing used the leftover ointment from applying to Xiao Ou’er to casually smear on his own face, then took Qiao Suiman’s hand and carefully stroked it.
After using the fragrant ointment for several years, his hands were much smoother than before. But he used to do a lot of work, and even now it wasn’t exactly easy, so they certainly couldn’t compare to those of young misses or masters. Still, it was quite good.
Qiao Suiman took the opportunity to apply some ointment to Lu Dongqing’s hands as well, smiling. “Your usual work is rough on your hands. You need to take good care of them too. Don’t use them all the time.”
Lu Dongqing chuckled. “I know, I’ll just use a bit of yours.”
Qiao Suiman yawned, took off his outer clothes, and got into the quilt. He patted the spot beside him. “Get in quickly.”
Lu Dongqing was very understanding. Once in the quilt, he pulled Qiao Suiman into his embrace.
“Comfortable?” Lu Dongqing moved close to Qiao Suiman’s ear and asked in a low voice.
Qiao Suiman buried his face in his chest and nuzzled, smiling. “Comfortable.”
Then he hummed with satisfaction. It was winter, but Lu Dongqing’s body was very warm. Holding him while sleeping kept him warm all night.
The room was warm from the charcoal fire. Heijin was already sound asleep on the cotton mat by the door. The two of them whispered for a while longer, glanced at the children sleeping soundly, and then they cuddled together and fell asleep.
Early the next morning, little Hetao and Xiao Ou’er woke up very early. They didn’t make a fuss but played under the quilt.
Ou’er pulled the quilt to the side, and Hetao followed, moving over. The two of them turned their heads and stared intently at their Father and A-mu.
Qiao Suiman’s breathing was long and even, and his face flushed. His forehead rested against Lu Dongqing’s chin, and the lower half of his face was buried in the quilt, showing no signs of waking yet.
Lu Dongqing was half-awake and instinctively lowered his head to nuzzle Qiao Suiman’s face a few times.
Xiao Ou’er let out a “Wow,” covered her mouth with her little hand, and whispered to Little Hetao, “Father, A-mu, shy shy.”
Little Hetao leaned in for a closer look, grinning as he held his index finger to his lips. “Shhh.”
Xiao Ou’er slowly wriggled out from under the quilt, lifted the edge of Qiao Suiman and Lu Dongqing’s large quilt, and slipped inside. He lay on his side and said to little Hetao, “Er gege, come quickly.”
Little Hetao thought for a moment, then dragged his small quilt over, stacking it with the large quilt. Only then did he lie down contentedly, knowing they wouldn’t get cold.
The two children played for quite a while before Lu Dongqing slowly woke up. When he opened his eyes, he saw that little Hetao and Xiao Ou’er, who should have been sleeping on the innermost side, had somehow moved behind Qiao Suiman and were burrowing inward. Qiao Suiman, being jostled, whimpered twice and shrank further toward Lu Dongqing.
Lu Dongqing laughed. “Why didn’t you wake Father?”
Hetao, acting like a little adult, said, “A-mu is sleeping. I was playing with Xiao Ou’er, not disturbing Father and A-mu.”
Ou’er also nodded, grinning widely. “Father kissed A-mu.”
Lu Dongqing was taken aback for a moment, then couldn’t help but laugh aloud, his chest vibrating. Qiao Suiman then woke up in a daze.
He looked up and saw Lu Dongqing smiling happily and was confused. Following his gaze, he turned over and saw the two children staring at him.
“A-mu!”
Xiao Ou’er burrowed straight into Qiao Suiman’s arms. Hetao also moved over.
Qiao Suiman laughed, moved the children between him and Lu Dongqing, and said, “You woke up so early.”
Little Hetao opened his round eyes. “A-mu, new clothes.”
“New clothes, new clothes, I want to wear new clothes too!” Ou’er sat up eagerly, pulling the quilt up a bit.
Qiao Suiman’s eyes curved into smiles. He looked at Lu Dongqing. “They’re right there. Get them.”
Lu Dongqing, with his long limbs, reached out from the bedside and fetched the four sets of new clothes for the adults and children onto the bed.
Tangyuan’s clothes had been taken to Miao Lianhua’s room last night. From outside came a few faint shouts. He was probably already dressed and playing.
Most of the children’s clothes were made by Miao Lianhua. Ever since the hired hands had more free time, she had taken over making all the family’s clothes. Tang Guo’er occasionally made some too, but not as often.
The two children’s new clothes were pale blue, the color of a clear sky. They put on the thick outer garments, then a cotton-lined jacket, and around the neck was white fur. Once dressed, they looked like lively, festive dolls.
“So pretty,” Qiao Suiman praised.
“A-mu, hurry and get dressed. A-mu is pretty too!”
Ou’er has a sweet mouth. Qiao Suiman was very pleased, smiling as he put on a light red long cotton-padded robe and also a jacket.
His skin was fair, and red suited him very well. Once dressed, he got out of bed and stood straight, slightly spreading his arms to the sides, and asked Lu Dongqing, “Is it pretty?”
Lu Dongqing was already stunned. No matter how long they had been married, he was always easily captivated by Qiao Suiman’s confident and straightforward manner. For a moment, he was speechless.
The two little ones chattered away in reply.
“A-mu is so pretty!”
Qiao Suiman chuckled softly, gave Lu Dongqing’s shoulder a light push, and waved his hand in front of his face. “Come back to your senses. You’re the only one not dressed yet.”
Lu Dongqing then hurriedly put on his clothes.
Xiao Ou’er giggled sneakily, leaned close to little Hetao’s ear, and said, “Father is silly.”
Little Hetao said with a serious expression, “You can’t say that about Father.”
“I know,” Xiao Ou’er stuck out his tongue.
They thought they were speaking very quietly, unaware that their Father and A-mu heard everything. Qiao Suiman smiled and shook his head at the two little rascals.
The man who had been called “silly” picked up his little ge’r and gave him a light pat on the bottom with his big hand. “What did Ou’er just say?”
“I said Father is pretty too!”
“Really?” Lu Dongqing turned his gaze to Hetao.
Little Hetao thought for a moment, then finally shook his head.
“Er gege!”
Qiao Suiman laughed until he doubled over. Lu Dongqing laughed heartily, put cotton shoes on Hetao and Ou’er, and they all left the room together.
Tangyuan and Lu Xiao were already playing in the main hall, discussing the nine-linked rings with great enthusiasm.
Miao Lianhua had already boiled water. Qiao Suiman first washed the faces of the two little ones, went back to the room to get the fragrant ointment, and applied it to them. Tang Guo’er also arrived, leading Yuanbao by the hand to wash up.
“Qiao-gege, is this osmanthus scented?”
“Yes, we plan to buy plum blossom scent next time.”
“The one I’m using now is the lotus scented one, but it’s not as fragrant as this. Plum blossom is nice too. It has a particular charm in cold weather.”
Since he had already brought it out, Qiao Suiman simply left it to the side. After washing his own face, he applied some too, and also rubbed some on Yuanbao.
Tang Guo’er scooped out a bit and applied it. They bought all the products from the same shop and tried several scents. He and Qiao Suiman are very close and don’t stand on ceremony. At home, many things were shared, and Qiao Suiman didn’t mind, so it’s fine to use them.
Today is the first day of the New Year. The weather is very good, the sun was high, and it didn’t snow. Though there’s a breeze, wrapping up with a scarf and pulling on a hat keeps the chill at bay.
After locking the rooms and closing the gates, and leaving a few dogs to guard the house, they went to the village in groups.
Heijin was clever and slipped out before the gate closed. Luckily, the other dogs didn’t see, or there would have been a lot of barking.
From a distance, they saw a group of people sitting on the roadside while chatting. Zhou Shuifen and Aunt Qian were among them. Qiao Suiman smiled and called them, and Tangyuan took the lead to greet them.
Life has been good in recent years, and the village has become more prosperous. Zhou Shuifen was just talking about Qiao Suiman and Chen Xuesheng, feeling like they weren’t that old yet, but were already A-mu to so many children.
Qiao Suiman glanced toward the Chen family compound and asked, “Aunt Shuifen, did Xuesheng arrive yet?”
Zhou Shuifen let out a soft sigh, though her tone was still happy. “You know how stubborn he is. He’d never be up this early, probably just woke up.”
Qiao Suiman pressed his lips together, holding back a laugh. Just as he was about to make an excuse for Chen Xuesheng, he heard a voice from behind.
“Mother, are you talking about me again?”
It was Chen Xuesheng and Wang Qi, bringing their children back.
“Xuesheng.”
“Xuesheng a-mo.”
“Eieiei.”
Chen Xuesheng acknowledged them one by one, then lifted his chin toward Qiao Suiman with a smile. “I always get up very early, right?”
Qiao Suiman couldn’t hold back his laugh. “Yes.”
“You two,” Zhou Shuifen shook her head. “Still so childlike.”
Chen Xuesheng promptly changed the subject. “Mother, what good dishes are there to eat today?”
Zhou Shuifen laughed and scolded him. “All you think about is eating.”
“Mother, it’s the first day of the New Year. Don’t nag me.”
Qiao Suiman didn’t interrupt the mother and son’s conversation. After greeting Auntie Qian and a few other aunties and a-mo, he entered the Qiao family courtyard with the children.
Qin Yu came out of the kitchen. Qiao Ruifeng moved tables and chairs into the main hall to welcome them inside to sit.
“I heard the noise from far away. Were you chatting outside?”
“Aunt Qian and Aunt Shuifen were at the entrance, so we spoke with them for a bit.”
They’ll eat here today. Although there were leftovers from yesterday’s meal, eating leftovers on the first day of the New Year didn’t sound good. Besides, they weren’t in the same circumstances as before, so they have to eat and drink well for good luck.
A large bone soup was already simmering in the kitchen. Meng Yan was helping. Qiao Suiman quickly rolled his sleeves and joined in.
New Year’s is all about the good meals.
Today, they didn’t make as many dishes as for the New Year’s Eve dinner. There were five meat dishes: braised pork, sweet and sour ribs, chestnut chicken, spicy stir-fried rabbit, and steamed fish. Then there were dishes cooked with pork fat and garlic leaves, pickled cabbage with glass noodles, braised tofu in soy sauce, and radish and pork bone soup. There were nine dishes in total. A large bowl of steamed rice was placed in the middle, making the table full and abundant.
There were many small toys here. The children were playing with great enthusiasm, taking turns with the rattle-drum, tops, and clay figures. The noise never died down.
Qiao Suiman called out several times before Tangyuan, Tuanzi, and the others reluctantly put the toys back into the basket.
Yuanbao even raised his hand and said to the spinning-top, “Farewell, little top.” Tang Guo’er laughed until his face turned red.
The tables and chairs were set. Once everyone was seated and the elders picked up their chopsticks, Tangyuan buried his head and ate with relish.
Qiao Suiman smiled helplessly. It wasn’t as if they usually starved him, yet he always acted like he hadn’t eaten for days.
On second thought, with Tangyuan’s restless nature, besides eating and sleeping, he was always running around madly the rest of the time. He really did need to eat more to keep up his energy.
Back in town, he could roam freely from one end of the street to the other. With his bold and spirited demeanor, he was especially beloved by other shopkeepers and neighbors. Sometimes, Qiao Suiman was at a loss with him.
Fortunately, Tang Yuan remembered what he and Lu Dongqing had told him, so he didn’t eat random things outside. Occasionally, when Qin Xiaoyao offered him something to eat, he would ask them both before eating it.
After eating and drinking to their heart’s content, Qiao Suiman and Lu Dongqing packed up their things and went out for a stroll. In the afternoon, the wealthy landowner of Hexi Village hired people to perform an opera. It would be fine to take the donkey cart there a bit later.
These past few years, they have been busy with the shop and haven’t spent many days in the village. Usually, when they returned, they didn’t look carefully, but now, walking around, they realized the village had actually changed quite a bit.
The old fulang from the Li family, who had discovered Qiao Chengfu’s fatal fall, didn’t make it through the previous winter and had passed away.
Li Da’s grandmother had passed away two years ago. His mother and his wife fought constantly, and the household was unsettled. He simply found a job as a long-term worker and went out to live in peace.
As for Wang Ling’er’s family, Li Yue was now managing the household, and it was somewhat better than before.
Qiao Suiman heard these domestic matters from either Qin Yu or Chen Xuesheng.
Speaking of Chen Xuesheng, he was living quite comfortably in the Wang family.
Wang Qi is capable. Besides the family business, he often bought live pigs from nearby villages, butchered them, and sold the meat at a stall in town, earning quite a bit of silver for Chen Xuesheng to buy silver bracelets and hairpins.
Lu Dongqing was also filled with emotion. He held Qiao Suiman’s hand and said warmly, “When I first arrived, my mind was full of only earning money to survive. After meeting you, my daily work gained greater hope. I wanted to see you, to marry you. So much time has passed in a blink, yet it still feels like it happened just yesterday.”
Qiao Suiman held Lu Dongqing’s large hand and swung it back and forth. He turned sideways and looked at Lu Dongqing, slowing his pace with a sweet look on his face. “Back then, you suddenly said you wanted to marry me. I was so stunned I couldn’t say a word.”
“It’s a good thing you brought it up. At the time, I didn’t even understand my own feelings. After returning, I kept thinking about you.”
“What did you think about me?” Lu Dongqing asked with a smile.
The two had been intimate countless times. When passion was high, they even said risky words. Qiao Suiman didn’t act shy. He threw a flirtatious glance at Lu Dongqing. “I thought you were a good person, good to me, skilled, so tall and handsome. I’m really lucky.”
No matter how many times his own fulang praised him, Lu Dongqing was always pleased. As they neared the western part of the village where there were few people, Lu Dongqing simply squatted down, patted his own back, and said, “Come on, your husband will carry you back.”
Joy overflowed from Qiao Suiman’s expression, his bright eyes sparkling. He bent down as he was told. As Lu Dongqing stood up, his feet left the ground, his legs straddling Lu Dongqing’s strong waist on either side.
With his chin resting on Lu Dongqing’s shoulder, Qiao Suiman moved closer to Lu Dongqing’s ear and blew a breath at him, and immediately saw the fine hairs on his face stand on end.
Qiao Suiman smiled slyly, then said in a teasing voice, “My husband is so amazing.”
Lu Dongqing instantly froze in place, his whole body shuddering. Hearing Qiao Suiman’s triumphant laughter, he threatened in a low voice, “Keep provoking me, and you’ll find out how amazing I am tonight!”
“How amazing?” Qiao Suiman continued to stir the fire.
Lu Dongqing chuckled softly and said, “Don’t you know exactly how amazing it is?”
As he spoke, his large hand groped Qiao Suiman’s plump buttocks, then spanked them a few times, making loud “pa, pa” sounds.
Qiao Suiman didn’t expect Lu Dongqing to take action outside. His face immediately turned red. “You rogue!”
He struggled to get down.
Lu Dongqing held him tightly. Qiao Suiman’s strength was naturally no match, and instead felt a surge of arousal below. Qiao Suiman resigned himself and continued to lie on his back amid Lu Dongqing’s teasing laughter.
Unexpectedly, that wasn’t enough for Lu Dongqing. As soon as he opened the courtyard gate, he shifted Qiao Suiman from his back to hold him in front, pressed him against the courtyard wall, and lowered his head to nibble on his lips.
The courtyard wall had long been replaced with stone bricks, built taller than Lu Dongqing.
Qiao Suiman refused at first. It was different in broad daylight than at night. Even if no one was at home, he was still terribly embarrassed.
But as they kissed, he became aroused, and many memories flooded his mind. His hands, which had been pushing against Lu Dongqing’s shoulders, slowly slid up to wrap around his neck.
The two people clung to each other in the shadow of the courtyard wall until they heard a few dogs barking.
Qiao Suiman woke as if from a dream. He glanced to the side and saw several dogs surrounding them, looking at them curiously. He was almost ashamed to tears. “Alright, alright, we still need to go watch the opera.”
No matter how much they fooled around at night, how could he… how could he act like this in broad daylight!
Lu Dongqing had a great time. He licked his lips and was in a good mood. He drove away the dogs before finally letting Qiao Suiman down.
As soon as his feet touched the ground, Qiao Suiman’s legs went weak, and he almost sat on the ground. Luckily, Lu Dongqing was quick to support him. Not only that, but he also laughed.
Qiao Suiman widened his eyes. “You dare laugh at me!”
Lu Dongqing couldn’t help but burst out laughing. “Xiao Man, it’s not laughing at you. It’s because I like you so much.”
“Hmph.”
Qiao Suiman’s cheeks puffed out. He originally wanted to kick him, but seeing his new clothes, he held back and instead pinched Lu Dongqing’s arm hard. He motioned toward the backyard with his chin. “Hurry up and hitch the cart.”
“At your command, Master Fulang.”
Having tasted the sweetness, Lu Dongqing immediately did as he was told.
As soon as Lu Dongqing went to the backyard, Qiao Suiman turned around and secretly laughed to himself.
No wonder Aunt Shuifen said he’s still child at heart.
Qiao Suiman wiped his mouth, pressed his lips together, and was still worried. He went into the kitchen and scooped up a ladle of water to look in his mouth. He was relieved only after confirming that his mouth was not swollen.
The Qiao family has one mule cart over there, plus Lu Huaqing’s horse carriage. They only needed to take one donkey cart out.
Qiao Suiman skillfully got into the cart. Lu Dongqing touched his face and laughed even when he was glared at.
He was happy.
Qiao Suiman almost blurted out “Silly,” but remembering it was the first day of the year and he shouldn’t scold anyone, he held it back.
But then he thought, it seemed he had just called Lu Dongqing a “rogue.” Qiao Suiman’s eyes darted around as he began to rationalize to himself.
This was just their playful banter, not actual scolding, not scolding.
Lu Dongqing locked the gate, humming a tune as he drove the donkey cart, exceedingly happy. He had no idea what Qiao Suiman was thinking.
Translator [LUNE]: I apologize for the late update today. This chapter is quite lengthy, totaling 5,700 words in English, which made it a bit challenging to finish. That said, I wanted to provide an update on the children in each family since I know there are many names to keep track of.
Lu Dongqing and Qiao Suiman
“Tangyuan” Lu Yuanfeng (boy)
“Hetao” Lu Chenwen (boy)
“Ou’er” Lu Shiyu (ge’r)
Qiao Ruifeng and Qin Yu
“Tuanzi” Qiao An (ge’r)
“Gao’er” Qiao Yun (boy)
Qiao Ting (boy)
(and unnamed baby girl)
Lu Xuesong and Tang Guo’er
“Yuanbao” (boy)
(there’s another one on the way)
Lu Huaqing and Meng Yan
“Yangyang” (girl)
Lu Xiao (boy)
If you enjoy my translations, consider buying me a milk tea 🥛🍵
