058 – The First Confrontation of Du Shi and Wei Shi
“Yes, yes, it’s Brother Lei.” That villager looked at Lei Tie again. He knocked the porcelain plate with his chopsticks and spoke with a smell of liquor in his breath. “Brother Lei, we’re all from the same village. If there’s a chance to make a fortune, you’ve to show consideration to fellow countrymen. Am I right, everyone?”
Lei Tie’s expression slightly sunk.
Qin Mian raised his eyebrows as he looked at that villager.
The other people at the table were embarrassed and secretly scolded that villager for eating Lei Tie’s hot pot but still running his mouth non-stop. Even if people really had a chance to get rich, they would consider their blood brothers or people who had a good relationship with them. Who did you think you are? It simply broke the harmonious atmosphere at the table.Wu Di hooked an arm around that villager’s shoulder as he said with a smile: “Brother Qiu, don’t just talk. Come, let’s have another toast! Or are you afraid that sister [wife] will make you kneel on a broom when you go back?”
“Who is afraid of her?” The man was stubborn, raised his glass and said in a loud voice, “Come, drink a mouthful!”
“Come, drink again!” A few others also came along.
Qin Mian sped up his eating action. After finishing, he took advantage of people’s inattention to slip away, hid outside the gate of the courtyard and hooked his finger towards Lei Tie.
Lei Tie silently put down the bowl and walked over.
Qin Mian pulled him to leave for fear that someone else had drank too much and asked them to “show consideration”.
“Not full.” Lei Tie honestly let himself being pulled by Qin Mian.The sun had just set. Most people had gone to the old house to attend the wedding reception; therefore it was very quiet all around.
Qin Mian promptly said: “I’ll make noodles with diced meat for you when we’re home.”
As soon as he finished speaking, it changed to Lei Tie who pulled him home.
Qin Mian then remembered something, “There was a woman who kept staring at us when we’re eating just now. Who is that?”
Lei Tie thought for a moment, “[Paternal] Aunt.”
“Oh.” Qin Mian’s response was flat. At the beginning of their separation from the main family, relatives from everywhere were informed, but none of them went to their house. Those relatives did not care about him and Lei Tie, let alone any of them came to help [financially], so neither did he need to care about them.
Back home, both of them felt much more comfortable than in the old house.
Lei Tie went directly to the kitchen, “What to wash and what to cut?”
“You don’t have to, I’ll do it.” Qin Mian picked a block of pork with fairly fat skin from the beam of the house. The pork was three parts fat and seven parts lean, which was suitable for making diced meat. He cut the meat into thin pieces and asked Lei Tie to make a fire. When the oil in the wok heated up, he poured the diced meat in and constantly stirred. At 30 percent cooked, Qin Mian added ginger powder and salt to it, and continued to stir-fry. At 60 percent cooked, he added vinegar and stir-fried. At 70 percent cooked, he added soy sauce and Sichuan pepper. When it was about done, he added a proper amount of chili powder and water to simmer for a while and only then the diced meat soup could be scooped out of the wok. The meat was soft, tender and spicy, with bright red oil.
When Qin Mian looked at it, he also craved it unbearably. He took a pair of chopsticks to pick up two pieces of meat to taste and then praised himself, “I surpassed my skill; it’s soft and tender.”
Upon seeing Lei Tie staring at his mouth, he took a small bowl, put a few pieces of meat and handed it to him, “Here.”
Lei Tie took the bowl, grabbed the chopsticks in his hand and ate the meat in the bowl.
Qin Mian looked at him in shocked, “That’s my chopsticks!”
“En.” Lei Tie did not even lift his head.
Qin Mian kicked him, “You can’t get another pair?”
“What’s the difference?” Lei Tie raised his head with a look of ignorant.
Qin Mian’s mouth twitched, unable to speak. Could he tell Lei Tie that “you kiss me indirectly by using my used chopsticks”?
The noodles were cooked in another wok. When the noodles were cooked, he dredged up the noodles, poured a spoonful of diced meat soup, added a handful of scallions and stirred them with chopsticks. The appetizing aroma assailed the nostrils. The rest of diced meat soup could be kept for tomorrow. The soup would not go bad since it was cold nowadays.
“It’s ready to eat.” Qin Mian was careful not to spill the soup on the stovetop as he said unhappily.
“I’ll take it.” Lei Tie beat him to it, lifted the noodles bowl and put it on the dining table.
Qin Mian came out from the kitchen after he washed his hands and did not see a figure. After a while, he saw Lei Tie come out of the utility room with a jug of wine in his hand.
He could not help complaining, “Eating noodles and still want to drink.”
“It looks good to have with wine.” Lei Tie put down the wine jar, but did not immediately sit down, “Wife, have a drink too?”
“No.” Qin Mian shook his head.
Lei Tie then took a wine cup, poured and drank from himself. Qin Mian had nothing to do, so he sat beside Lei Tie and watched him eat.
Lei Tie seemed to be in a good mood. He tasted the wine leisurely and ate the noodles slowly.
Watching him, Qin Mian felt anxious and itched to feed him. He was really bored. He simply went to the kitchen and took a pair of chopsticks to eat the meat in Lei Tie’s bowl.
“This is my noodles.” Lei Tie said.
Qin Mian provocatively put four pieces of meat into his mouth at a time, “What’s the difference?”
Lei Tie shook his head.
Qin Mian complacently picked out all the meat in his bowl and ate it.
Lei Tie said nothing. Holding a white porcelain wine cup in his left hand and chopsticks in his right hand, he helped Qin Mian find the meat in the noodles.
Qin Mian’s cheeks heated up. He put down his chopsticks and suddenly stood up. He ran to the settee and lay down – his heart was pounding. He did not dare to look at Lei Tie.
Lei Tie stared at him for a long time before taking back his eyes. He turned the wine cup upside down and concentrated on eating the noodles. The noodles had been soaked in the soup for too long and were already soggy, but he still thought it was delicious. He even drank up the soup.
——-
At dawn, after Qin Mian and Lei Tie washed up, they went to the old house early.
In addition to Du Shi, Lei Xiangren, Lei Xiangyi, Lei Xiangli, Zhao Shi, Qian Shi and the three children, there was also Lei Daqiang’s eldest brother Lei Dagang’s family – which consisted of Le Dagang, Lei Dagang’s wife, their two sons, two daughter-in-law, two grandsons and two granddaughters. Lei Daqiang and Lei Dagang had some conflicts when they separated during those years. The relationship between their two families was only so-so and they also were not familiar with each other. They only paid a visit when there were festivals, weddings and funerals.
The full room of people was chatting, and when they saw two people walking in side by side, they were impressed and tandemly fell into silent. The man on the left was tall, with hair as black as ink. He wore a right-lapel azure wide robe and a black cowhide belt on his waist with a red “peace” knot[1] hung from it. He looked cold and his paces were steady where within each foot lift, it faintly revealed an unable-to-ignore aura. The youth on the right was handsome with eyes as black as lacquer. He wore a sky blue arrow sleeves robe, covered with a black overcoat which cuffs sewn with two pieces of pure white rabbit fur, and a pair of satin blue ankle boots on his foot. His presence was out of the ordinary that simply made people dazzled and wondered which family’s gongzi had gone to the wrong door.
Zhao Shi, Qian Shi, Lei Chuntao and several other women were in a daze.
Lei Xiangren’s eyes fell on Lei Tie, and his mood felt complex. His eldest brother was older than him, but looked several years younger than him. If he (LT) did not have that scar on his face, he would be even more handsome ad charming. At the bottom of his heart, he could not help but feel a bit jealous. When he caught a glimpse of Zhao Shi in a daze, he sulked. He lifted his foot and kicked her leg hard.
Nevertheless, Zhao Shi thought he was not careful. She rubbed her leg as she grumbled, “What are you thinking?”
Lei Xiangren snorted without speaking.
After Lei Tie looked around the room, he pulled Qin Mian to an inconspicuous corner and sat down.
Qin Mian also swept a glance around and did not see the bride.
Du Shi sat anxiously on the main seat, a little absent-minded instead of staring fiercely at the closed door of the [bride] room.
This time, the door of the room creaked open and a smiling Lei Daqiang walked out together with a wholly clothed in red Wei Shi.
Qin Mian looked at Wei Shi and nodded to himself. She was indeed a beauty, but it was a pity to be paired with Lei Daqiang.
Lei Daqiang went to the main seat and sat down. He said casually: “All are here.”
Wei Shi looked shy, but her manner was very natural and relaxed. She walked briskly to Du Shi and knelt down to offer her tea. Although both of them were wives and had the same status, Du Shi had married first. This cup of tea should be honored to her.
“Please have some tea, [elder] sister.”
Du Shi did not respond. She stared at her coldly and said chillingly, “Oh you still know to wake up? How bold of you to have so many of us waiting for you? Is this the rule of your Wei family?”
Wei Shi did not mind the critic and apologetically said: “I asked husband yesterday and he said that sister usually gets up at the beginning of dragon hour[2]. [Younger sister] I was thoughtless. I didn’t expect sister to get up at the rabbit hour[3]. This is my fault. I apologize to sister, please have some tea.”
Lei Xiangren and the others embarrassingly bowed their heads in silent. It was true that Du Shi got up early. Before dawn, she moved tables and chairs in the house, and repeatedly knocked on the wok that woke them all up with the noise.
Qin Mian soundlessly laughed and glanced at Du Shi with a look of delight in her misfortunes.
Du Shi’s face looked rigid. What else should she say? Lei Daqiang put on a straight face, “Alright, why don’t you pick up the tea? She still has to make breakfast later.”
Du Shi had no choice but to pick up the tea slowly and put it down after a sip. Grudgingly and unwillingly, she took out two peach-wood hairpins with silver pendants, and brusquely said: “From here on, take good care of the master.”
“Many thanks, sister.” Wei Shi politely thanked, and then handed her a pair of exquisite silver bead earrings, “This is a little regard from me. I hope sister likes it.”
The two silver beads were not small and it worth at least a silver tael, which was much more valuable than the silver pendant hairpins. Du Shi felt the load in her heart slightly lifted.
Zhao Shi’s eyes brightened. She walked quickly to Wei Shi and held her arm as she said: “Little mother, I’m the second daughter-in-law. This is Eldest Uncle and Eldest Aunt. This is… ”
For the people of the same generation, Wei Shi gave them blessing ceremony one by one and handed over the shoes and purse made by her own.
For the younger generation, Wei Shi’s first-meet gifts to them were also generous. There was no favoritism as each of them got a silver lock. Qin Mian and Lei Tie also got one each.
After claiming kin[4], Du Shi said impatiently, “Alright, go to cook. We’re all hungry.” The second day, the bride would have to cook breakfast. It was not only to test the bride’s ability to manage the family, but also lay the foundation for the bride’s life in the new home.
Lei Dagang’s family stood up and took their leave.
Lei Daqiang held back Qin Mian and Lei Tie to have breakfast. Qin Mian wanted to see how things play out, so they stayed.
Wei Shi went to the kitchen to cook, Zhao Shi and Qian Shi took the initiative to help. Qin Mian knew that the two women must have gone to get close to Wei Shi.
Within an hour, Zhao Shi and Qian Shi began to serve dishes on the table. There were a lot of ingredients left from treating meal to guests yesterday, including meat and vegetables. Wei Shi prepared ten dishes complete with color, aroma and flavor.
“We can start breakfast.” Wei Shi sat down beside Lei Daqiang with a smile.
Du Shi said with a straight face: “Wei Shi, you’re sitting in the wrong place. What are you doing sitting with the adult men?”
“Sister, that’s not right.” Wei Shi turned to see Lei Daqiang. “Husband, I feel that since we’re all one family, there’s no need to separate the women. It’s convenient for me to take care of husband when I sit next to you, isn’t it? Old Two and Old Three sitting together with their wives can also help cultivate their feelings. In the future, they’ll give birth to more grandchildren. My husband, what do you say?”
“You’re right.” Lei Daqiang nodded, “From here on, men and women don’t have be divided into two tables for a family to eat. I’ll sit with your mother, my wife and Chuntao, and the rest will sit at another table.”
Wei Shi warmly invited Du Shi, “Sister, come to sit here.”
Du Shi looked livid. She had reached the end of her forbearance, she was about to get angry.
Lei Chuntao hurriedly walked over and pushed her to sit down on the other side of Lei Daqiang and soothed her in a low voice.
Wei Shi helped Lei Daqiang picked up dishes as she said with a smile, “Husband, mutton nourishes body, eat more. My cooking skills are not bad. Afterwards, I’ll make some dishes to supplement you.”
“Good, good.” Lei Daqiang laughed heartily and all the more felt that marrying this wife was the right thing to do.
Lei Xiangren stuffed a small fried pork into his mouth and praised, “Little mother’s cooking is really good.”
“I feel the same way.” Zhao Shi chimed in, “The vegetables are also well fried. Stir-fried vegetables even need more oil to taste good.”
Qian Shi murmured: “It would be nice if little mother cook all the meals afterwards.”
Lei Xiangyi glared at her and scolded: “Shut up!” He knew that his mother was economical in cooking, and still Qian Shi did not dare to speak out in front of so many people.
Qin Mian shot a glance at Du Shi’s glum face and then at Wei Shi’s smiling face. He was in a good mood. He was very sure that Du Shi had no time to go to trouble him and Lei Tie. As for the future of the old house, he did not care.
“Brother Tie, I’m done eating.”
Lei Tie nodded his head, put down his chopsticks and stood up.
“Father, mother, little mother, we’ve finished eating. We’ll go back. You all eat slowly.” Qin Mian was very polite.
Du Shi said nothing.
Lei Daqiang just nodded.
However, Wei Shi stood up and said with a smile: “Alright. Come to visit whenever you two have time.”
Note:
[1] Chinese knot means love, marriage and reunion in Chinese. The knot is often used for ornament, as a gift exchange, pray for good luck and ward off evil spirits.
[2] 7-9 a.m
[3] 5-7 a.m
[4] visit/greet/acknowledge new in-laws after a marriage
Translator’s side note: Thanks again for all the comments and sorry for not replying, I’m an awkward person (uwu). Also, sorry for not providing images for their clothing (I tried searching but it took time and a distraction) but here the link to have the general idea of ancient China clothing. Until next time~
