Chapter 026
Author: Feast of Masks
Raws: https://www.jjwxc.net/onebook.php?novelid=3185016
Translated by Pill Bug
Edited by Gumihou
The two of them returned to their room and sat down on the kang.
To show that they were really writing up a list of things, Zhao’er purposefully brought a brush and some ink and had Xue Tingxiang sit down and write. She would name an item and he would write it down on the paper.
Afraid of missing out on the things they needed to prepare, she repeatedly had him confirm the things that were needed again. Despite exerting so much effort, only seven or eight items were listed down, six of which were the items required for the Six Rites of Apprenticeship ceremony.
Was there such a need to make a fuss and waste a piece of paper for so few items? Zhao’er felt quite embarrassed, but true to her nature, she refused to expose her shortcomings and confidently told Xue Tingxiang to keep thinking, insisting that they must have forgotten something.
Helpless, Xue Tingxiang racked his brain a little harder and added two more items to the list before Zhao’er finally nodded in satisfaction.
Sun’shi prepared dinner and called everyone to eat.
At that moment, the Xue family still ate together as they did before. However, the ingredients and rations were provided by each household. Those who do not eat at home would not cook. As for the vegetables from the vegetable garden and pickling jars, anyone could take as much as they liked since vegetables were of little value.
The atmosphere at the dining table was much better than before, likely because most of the people at the table had let go of their most intense worries. Moreover, Old Man Xue had been quite unhappy ever since the division happened, so everyone did their best to appease him. The 3 branches did their best to find something to talk about at meal times. Although the main branch family occasionally spouted some sarcastic rhetoric, no one took their words seriously.
After the meal, Zhao’er helped wash the dishes. Then, she boiled water, intending to take a bath.
Xue Tingxiang went for his bath first. Zhao’er carried two buckets of water to the bathhouse in the vegetable garden, collected his dirty clothes and set out clean clothes for him. Then, she settled herself down in the front yard to do her washing.
It was dusk and the farmyard was peaceful and serene.
Zhao’er dropped a bucket into the well and drew some water up.
Once the bucket emerged, when she expertly hoisted it out by the handle and was about to pour the water into a wooden basin by the side, she was startled by someone who suddenly appeared behind her.
She turned around to see Xue Juncai standing behind her. There was a strange look on his face.
“What are you doing standing here?!”
Xue Juncai’s gaze flickered. “I just want some water to wash my hands.”
Zhao’er glanced at him for a moment. Then, she lifted the bucket and poured some water into a wooden basin in a corner.
This water was meant for him to wash his hands in, so Xue Juncai trotted over.
Favour done with, Zhao’er ignored him and started rubbing soap into the clothes.
She kept her head down as she worked when a shadow fell over her. Annoyed, she looked up, “Why are you standing there now?”
There was a faint blush on Xue Juncai’s face. “I just want to say thank you.”
Zhao’er responded with a short ‘oh’ before resuming her struggle with the clothes.
Xue Juncai looked at her half-hidden face, and after some hesitation, he said, “Zhao’er, I know you look down on me. Well, I’m going to pass the exams and become a Xiu Cai, just watch me.”
“What does your passing the Xiu Cai exam have to do with me? You just need to live up to Grandfather and Grandmother’s expectations!”
Xue Juncai was left speechless for a moment. After a while, he said, “Anyway, I will definitely achieve Xiu Cai status! You just watch. I will show you. I’ll prove to you that Gouzi is no match for me!”
There he goes again, that show-off! What Zhao’er hated most about Xue Juncai was this habit of his. Even as a young boy, he liked to step on her little man just to make himself look good! She was just about to say something, but Xue Juncai had already walked away.
What the heck?!
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Qinghe Academy and Qingyuan Academy both opened on the same day. As early as the day before, Xue Qingshan had borrowed a mule cart, planning to take Xue Juncai to town early the next day.
Although the family had spent a lot of money to send Xue Juncai to Qinghe Academy, to the point of selling land, Old Man Xue was still quite happy. He even told Xue Tingxiang to ride with Xue Juncai in the mule cart, since ox carts are too slow, thinking that it would be late by the time they reached town.
Yang’shi stood on the side and said nothing, but her face was so unpleasant that her nose did not look like a nose and her face was unlike a face at all. Zhao’er and Xue Tingxiang took one look at her ugly, displeased expression and tactfully refused the offer.
When they reached the farmhouse, Zhao’er said to Xue Tingxiang, “Once we have the money, let’s quickly build a house and move out.”
So this was why she had wanted land instead of the family room. Xue Tingxiang was not surprised.
“Don’t worry about these things, you’ll only upset yourself,” he advised.
Zhao’er eyed him up and down, causing Xue Tingxiang’s heart to skip a beat, wondering if she had seen through him somehow. In the end, Zhao’er looked away and said, “I’m not worried, just a bit annoyed.”
Later, when Xue Tingxiang took out the book he had borrowed from East Gate House and began transcribing it, Zhao’er left the room.
He did not think much of this, assuming that Zhao’er had gone out to do some chores. It did not take her long to return.
At dinner, the table was laden with all kinds of luxurious dishes. Old Man Xue had specially asked Old Zhao to cook some meat, a pot of tofu and slaughtered a chicken. The three daughters-in-law, including Zhou’shi, prepared the meal.
The whole family sat around two tables. The little ones, like Maodan, Shuanzi, and Youcai, were restless as they stared at the rich foods, but the adults waited for Old Man Xue to speak.
Old Man Xue seemed to have a lot to say but was unsure where to start.
After a long while, he sighed and said, “Let’s not speak of the past. From now on, I hope you three brothers can live and work in harmony. Live a good life and ensure the prosperity of the Xue family. If I were to die now, I can rest in peace.”
“Old man, why are you talking about dying? Isn’t this too depressing?!”
“That’s right, ah, Dad, why are you saying such things!”
“Don’t worry, Dad. Even though we have split the family, we’re still brothers, still a family. Brothers are bound together, no matter what. Even if our bones and our tendons are broken, we will definitely live well together.”
Old Man Xue nodded with some relief. “If all of you can think this way, I am also content.” As for other matters, there was no way to control or even manage them, so that was as much as he could do.
“Tomorrow is the day Juncai and Tingxiang go to school. Our Xue family has been farmers for generations, so Grandpa hopes you can become a promising talent and bring honour and face to the Xue family!”
Although those words were addressed to both of them, Old Man Xue was clearly looking at Xue Juncai, making it obvious whom he valued more.
Under the dim yellow light, Xue Juncai’s face was flushed with excitement as he stood up and said, “Grandpa, don’t worry. This grandson will definitely not disappoint you!”
“Good, good!” Old Man Xue nodded repeatedly and picked up his chopsticks. “Let us eat. Eat well, and consider it encouragement for the two young ones.”
That meal was particularly harmonious with laughter and cheerful conversation flying around the table. Everyone avoided topics that would make others unhappy and only spoke of good things.
Old Man Xue drank too much again, his face glowing red. But it was clear he was very happy, a happiness chocked full of hope and contentment that no one could bear to disrupt.
After the meal, everyone dispersed. Old Man Xue, still smiling, chatted with Old Zhao. In such a situation, not even Old Zhao could keep pulling a scowl. Instead, she slapped her old husband playfully a few times, saying that she did not know what he was so happy about.
What was he happy about? In fact, he was not sure either. He was just happy.
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Early the next morning, the Xue family got up.
The third and fourth branches did not want to be up so early, but the commotion caused by the main branch people was so noisy that they could no longer rest. Constant sounds of activity had been happening in the east wing for some time now, with people moving around and talking excitedly to each other.
Yang’shi’s voice echoed throughout the courtyard. One moment, she was asking when Xue Qingshan’s cart would arrive, and the next, she was saying she had forgotten to pack something and needed to hurry and pack it.
So, everyone got out of bed.
Zhao’er and Xue Tingxiang also woke up.
Unlike the commotion on Yang’shi’s side, it was quiet here. Zhao’er had packed everything the night before. There was one large bag containing bedding, a few changes of clothes and some of Xue Tingxiang’s daily essentials.
“Don’t bother washing your dirty clothes, I will come by the school to pick them up and wash them. Anyway, you are allowed to return home every 10 days, so there’s no need to worry about a lack of clothes. Keep your money close to you. There are many people at the school so you should be cautious of wandering hands. Guard against gentlemen, not just the petty people. Be sure to value and take care of yourself. Don’t let others take advantage of you and don’t be too frugal and buy whatever you need. Let me know if you need more money.”
Zhao’er nagged like an old mother hen.
Xue Tingxiang stood beside her, watching as she went through the things he was bringing to the school. As her nagging filled his ears, melancholy weighed down his heart a little.
He had privately considered whether to be a day student or to board at the school. In the end, after pondering over it for a long time, he decided to stay in the school dormitory.
In the end, a dream was just a dream, no matter how mystical and prophetic. After all, none of it was his true experience. He just needed to focus his attention on his studies and the best way to do that was to separate himself from Zhao’er temporarily.
“Don’t you worry. I can take care of myself. As for your business, do it if you can. If it doesn’t go well, it’s fine. We still have some land and even after parting some grains for Third and Fourth Uncles, there’s still enough for us. If we don’t have enough money, I still have this transcribing job.”
“Yes, yes, yes, as you say,” [1] said Zhao’er distractedly as she pawed absently through the bags.
It was clear that Zhao’er was not listening at all.
He had mentioned all of this to her several times ever since the family had separated in hopes that she would not work so hard on her various businesses anymore, but all that information had gone in one ear and out the other. Zhao’er was clearly not taking his words to heart. Usually, she was a woman of her word, but on this matter alone, she had learned to be evasive.
Xue Tingxiang felt quite helpless against this attitude.
However, who is to be blamed? He could only blame his past ignorant self for being awkward about having Zhao’er, a woman, go out to earn money to support him. As a man, his heart found it especially hard to accept it and he had quarrelled with her several times about this despite not having any solutions of his own.
Because of that, Zhao’er had always avoided discussing money issues with him. It was also clear that she would not take anything he said about her money-making dealings seriously.
Xue Tingxiang still wanted to say something when a burst of voices came from the courtyard.
One of the voices belonged to Jiang Wu.
“Wu’zi, why are you here at this time?” Came Zhou’shi’s voice.[2]
“I’m here to take Tingxiang to the academy in town. Isn’t today his first day of school? Zhao’er came to our house yesterday to tell us about it. My father had me come early to avoid any delay.”
At this, Zhou’shi immediately understood what was going on.
It must be said that Zhao’er really hated being on the losing side. Just yesterday she was one-upped by the main branch, but she had still found a way to bounce back.
In Yuqing Village, only the Lizheng family and the Jiang family owned mule carts. The Lizheng family needed it for frequent trips to the county and town, whereas the Jiang family… Well, they were genuinely wealthy.
Moreover, they were a low-profile kind of wealthy.
The Jiang couple were modest, and their two sons were well-liked and well-regarded in the village. Among the younger generation in Yuqing Village, two young men stood out. One was the scholarly and handsome Xue Juncai, the other was Jiang Wu.
Whether it was appearance or family background, Jiang Wu was considered the cream of the crop. Not only that, he was also a skilled hunter with untold hordes of girls in the village hoping to marry him.
The Jiang family also had some ties with the second branch family. Jiang Wu’s father, Jiang Hai, had a close friendship with Xue Qingsong, the Xue family’s Old Second. After Xue Qingsong’s death, Jiang Hai had a falling out with Xue Qingshan and the Jiang family rarely visited the Xue family since. Even so, everyone within the Xue family was aware of this connection.
Therefore, Zhou’shi did not think too much of it. She assumed that he came to help because Zhao’er asked him to on the strength of this old connection.
Jiang Wu was tall and sturdy, and even while dressed in a deep blue short robe, he exuded a very heroic spirit. His hair and eyebrows were still misty, as March in Yuqing Village was still a bit cold, especially with the morning fog yet to lift. He looked very dependable.
Zhao’er came out of the house. “Elder Brother Jiang Wu, why are you here so early? Have you had breakfast yet?”
“Not yet. I was afraid I’ll be late, so I set out early.”
“Still, this is much too early. Stay for breakfast, I’m just about to make it.”
Zhao’er turned and went back into the house, while Xue Tingxiang stood at the door, watching Jiang Wu.
Jiang Wu walked over with a grin. “Tingxiang, aren’t you going to let your brother Jiang Wu come in and sit?”
Xue Tingxiang had no choice but to step aside.
Zhao’er had gone back to the room to fetch some white floor before heading towards the kitchen.
After the family separated, the second branch family received a share of fine white flour. Zhao’er already had plans to make something special for Xue Tingxiang this morning. Jiang Wu’s timing was just perfect, in time to eat this nice meal.
Zhao’er was fairly skilled at cooking, but she rarely did it. In the past, she was not part of the kitchen rotation work, and later, she was too preoccupied with looking for ways to make money, with no time to spare for these random chores.
After kneading the dough, Zhao’er went to the vegetable garden in the back.
Spring was the season of rebirth. Thanks to the cold weather, the Yuqing Village grounds haven’t fully thawed out yet and could not be ploughed, which meant that spring planting was delayed. However, the vegetable garden had long been planted, and although the plants were not fully grown, lush garlic sprouts looked especially tender and appealing.
Zhao’er picked a handful and went to the well to wash them.
Zhou’shi was occupying one stove, so Zhao’er collected some dry firewood and lit the second stove. Then, she cleaned a large wok and set it on the stove to heat up. While the wok was heating up, she cracked open a few eggs. These eggs were also part of the largess received during the split. Old Man Xue had kept his word; when dividing the rations, everything edible, including pickled vegetables, sauces, eggs, and preserved meats, had been divided equally.
She beat the eggs until frothy so that they would be fluffy when cooked. She poured the frothy egg mixture into the hot oil and in a flash, it puffed up.
Zhao’er stirred the eggs a few times with an iron spatula before setting them aside. There was still some oil in the wok, so she tossed in some tofu which she had bought from the tofu-making family in the village.
The tofu that had been cut into small cubes turned slightly yellow from the hot oil. After flipping them over a couple of times, she pushed the tofu to the side and added a touch more oil, as well as chopped ginger and chilli peppers, and fried until they were fragrant. Then, she returned the fried eggs to the wok and added water, some seasoning and covered the wok
The mixture in the wok gurgled away merrily, the fragrant aroma filling the air. Just before serving, Zhao’er tossed in the chopped garlic chives and soon, a large bowl of delicious and fragrant noodle toppings was done.
She set the toppings aside and added water into the pot, enough for boiling noodles. While the water was heating up, Zhao’er took that moment to start rolling out the noodles.
Her hands moved very swiftly. Zhou’shi watched as she quickly rolled out the dough, flattened it and started cutting the noodles into neat rows on the cutting board. Soon, the ball of dough had turned into lines of noodles.
“This girl is so nimble. Compared to you, Thid Aunt is old.”
Zhao’er smiled as she lifted the lid off the wok and steam enveloped her face. Her voice was clear and cheerful as she said, “No need to praise me, Third Aunty. I’m just fast, I’m not as skilled as you.”
“This girl is so modest!”
Meanwhile, in the second branch’s room, Xue Tingxiang sat face-to-face with Jiang Wu.
[Gumihou: Zhao’er is popular with the guys. She’s cheerful, busty and can make money. What’s not to like?] [1] Add details [2] Since the scene started out as ‘voices in the courtyard’ and was further reinforced by ‘the person speaking with Jiang Wu was Zhou’shi’ pushed down Jiang Wu’s description until Xue Tingxiang made visual contact with the man in question
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