Chapter 212: October 6th

Chapter 212: October 6th

The weather wasn't great on the sixth of October; it had rained the day before. When Gu Lanshi woke up early in the morning and felt the chill of autumn, he was quite concerned about traveling conditions.

Pei Yan brought in hot water for his morning ablutions and said, "The rain has stopped, but the roads are muddy. The chill of autumn is creeping in, and it's cold outside. You should stay indoors this morning."

It was often said that each autumn rain brought a new wave of coldness. Unbeknownst to them, the leaves were no longer as green as they once were. After a night of rain, it seemed as if their colors had faded overnight.

Gu Lanshi rinsed his mouth first, spat out the water, and then said, "The roads are difficult to traverse. Father, Mother, and Brother are close by, so it's not a big deal if Elder Sister and Second Sister can't make it. They'd have to trudge through mud all the way here, and their shoes and pants would get dirty."

"Mm-hmm." Pei Yan nodded and handed him a small jar containing green salt.

A few days ago, when he went to town to buy wine and meat, he also bought green salt for dental hygiene and a small box of fragrant bath beans, which were more pleasant than wild soap nuts. Gu Lanshi was excited and said that after his confinement period, he would definitely take a good bath and try out the bath beans.

Xingxing woke up, opened his eyes, and heard voices. He turned his head to look but didn't make a sound until he realized no one was coming to pick him up. Then, with a wail, he started crying.

"I'll handle it," Pei Yan said with a smile, having already washed up.

Gu Lanshi had water in his mouth and nodded without saying anything.

Pei Yan picked up his son and patted him gently to soothe him. Gradually, Xingxing stopped crying.

Zhou Shuyun, who was busy in the kitchen, heard the baby's cries and hurriedly washed a breast fruit and cut it open. She came over and saw the door half-open. Smiling, she entered and said, "It's chilly today. I've poured the white juice into a small bowl and am warming it up. I'll bring it over shortly."

"Okay." Gu Lanshi responded, wiped his face, and hung the towel on a wooden rack.

Zhou Shuyun didn't leave, saying, "Liu Dagé is chopping chicken pieces right now. In a bit, I'll start stewing them. Should the pork be sliced?"

"There will be fewer people, but we still need two tables. Slice the pork belly into two bowls. Later, stir-fry them with chili peppers. Zhou Jiejie, slice some of that cured meat and stir-fry it with bamboo shoots."

"The dishes, whether meat or vegetable, should be enough to fill two bowls each. Make as much as possible; leftovers aren't a problem." Gu Lanshi thought aloud, discussing further details with her. The menu for the banquet was thus decided.

Remembering the bowl of breast fruit juice in hot water, Zhou Shuyun almost ran to fetch it from the kitchen. It was already warm, and she brought over two steaming buns for Gu Lanshi as well.

Pei Yan sat on the edge of the bed with his child in his arms. Seeing Xingxing wriggle, he helped adjust him into a comfortable position. Gu Lanshi stood beside them, scooping a small spoonful of white juice with a wooden spoon, blowing on it twice before feeding it to Xingxing.

It had been a little cold the day before, so they warmed the breast fruit before giving it to Xingxing. At first, he wasn't used to the wooden spoon, but by today, he had learned how to eat properly. His little mouth opened wide, swallowing the spoonful quickly, and then opening again for more.

Seeing his son eating so enthusiastically, Pei Yan smiled warmly.

"Xingxing is amazing," Gu Lanshi praised with a grin as he continued feeding him.

After the child was full, Pei Yan left to attend to other matters. Gu Lanshi finished his buns and played with his son inside, showing him a spinning windmill and a lucky wheel.

Xingxing could already notice bright colors, staring intently at the spinning windmill.

At the kitchen entrance, Pei Yan glanced around. Zhou Shuyun had already dumped the chicken pieces into the pot. With her hands full, she asked Liu Dagé to bring her a bundle of firewood.

The duck pieces had been steamed the day before and only needed to be reheated today.

Yesterday, Pei Yan and Liu Dagé had handled the bloody tasks of slaughtering chickens and ducks, ensuring there wouldn't be any feathers or blood for the guests to see.

Of the eleven roosters they had raised this year, they had eaten most of them, leaving only one strong rooster. This rooster recognized people and didn't peck randomly. With its red comb and colorful feathers, it looked majestic while crowing atop the chicken coop. Gu Lanshi and Pei Yan couldn't bear to kill it and occasionally let it roam free to catch insects in the vegetable garden and the small garden in the front yard.

During the summer, there were many insects, but fortunately, before planting vegetables, Pei Yan ground some medicinal herbs into powder and sprinkled it into the soil, preventing pest damage. There were still crickets and grasshoppers, but every few days, they would release twenty to thirty hens and roosters together to dig and catch insects.

Dahēi was very smart and wouldn't let the chickens peck at the vegetable leaves. After releasing more hens, he would herd Huīhuī and Huizai to watch over them. Even if some leaves were still pecked, there wasn't significant loss.

With Zhou Shuyun handling the cooking, Pei Yan didn't interfere anymore. He went to the backyard to chop straw for feeding the pigs and donkey.

*

Gu Lanyu and Gu Lanxiu entered the house together, much to Gu Lanshi's delight. He hadn't expected his sisters to come given the difficult travel conditions.

Miao Qiulian, living nearby, arrived mid-morning with Zhu Ge'er and Hua Xishuang. Once Zhang Chunhua and Li Yue arrived, Miao Qiulian sent them to help in the kitchen. After all, it was their grandson's full moon celebration, and even though they had hired people to cook, there were so many dishes that they couldn't afford to be careless.

Xingxing was already dressed in new clothes. As soon as Gu Lanyu and Gu Lanxiu entered, they changed their nephew into the tiger-head cap and tiger-head shoes they had made.

Since Xingxing wasn't sleeping, his little arms and legs were flailing nonstop. His large, dark, beautiful eyes showed he was full of energy. He was fatter and whiter than when he was born, no longer red and wrinkled, making him incredibly adorable.

Gu Lanshi held him in his arms, and people kept taking turns holding him.

Xingxing was very cooperative today, not crying when anyone held him. He opened his big eyes and looked around curiously, sometimes grabbing his tiger-head cap and tilting it to the side, babbling away as if speaking a secret language.

The house suddenly became lively. When Fang Honghua entered, she saw her great-grandson and couldn't stop praising his handsome appearance.

Zhu Ge'er was very fond of Little Xingxing. He had only ever heard nicknames like Doggie or Donkey before, but the name Xingxing sounded like a flower, exceptionally pleasant to the ear.

However, since the adults wanted to hold him, Zhu Ge'er could only watch from the sidelines, feeling a bit disappointed.

Xingxing shared some similarities with Gu Lanshi, but he looked more like Pei Yan. Despite being only a month old, one could already see his beautiful features.

He suddenly remembered what Gu Lanyu had told him a few years ago about Pei Yan's childhood beauty, saying that no one in the village could match his good looks as a young boy.

When Gu Lanshi and Pei Yan got married, he had wondered how someone so fierce-looking could resemble his younger self. Besides, it wasn't appropriate to stare at his brother-in-law. Therefore, he hadn't paid much attention. Over time, he no longer found Pei Yan intimidating.

But as he looked at Xingxing now, he felt that those stories might be true. This little one looked so much like Pei Yan. Perhaps Pei Yan looked just like this when he was young.

Zhu Ge'er sat there eating candied fruits and dried nuts, pondering these thoughts silently. Finally, he nodded in agreement, convinced that his reasoning was sound.

"What are you thinking about?" Gu Lanxiu poked his forehead, finding it amusing. Her youngest brother had always been like this, seeming somewhat dim-witted. She wondered what kind of thoughts filled his little head.

Zhu Ge'er couldn't tell her what he was thinking, so he smiled and brushed it off.

"Really, why do you just laugh like that?" Gu Lanxiu remarked, noticing her mother glaring at her. She laughed and gently patted Zhu Ge'er's head, refraining from calling him silly anymore.

They were all family, so there was no need for formalities during the meal and drinking.

Due to the rain the previous day, Pei Yan hadn't allowed Liu Dagé to return home. Today, he joined them for the celebration. The men set up a table in the main room, while Gu Lanshi and the others stayed inside.

Miao Qiulian hung a longevity lock around her grandson's neck and recited auspicious phrases. With this longevity lock, their Xingxing would grow up safe and sound.

The place was bustling with people, and outside there were sounds of dice being thrown. The stars, wide-eyed, seemed to be looking around in bewilderment, as if they too were slightly tipsy.

Guests arrived in high spirits and left with full bellies, even if the path home was difficult, it did not dampen their good mood.

After seeing off his guests, Pei Yan noticed that Liu Dagé was still around. There were leftovers of meat and vegetables, so he asked him to take some home, especially the dishes with meat. As for those with just a few bites left, there was no need to bring them along; it would be too embarrassing.

Liu Dagé, who had already been drinking and eating meat today, was quite content. Hearing that he could also take some food home, his heart swelled with gratitude.

Zhou Shuyun then packed a few dishes into a bowl for him, which he carried back home in a bamboo basket.

"Shuyun, pick something you haven't touched yet to eat. There's still chicken soup in the pot, scoop a hot bowl while it's warm, to warm yourself up." Pei Yan gave Zhou Shuyun a few more instructions, urging her to choose the best dishes to eat.

Gu Lanshi hadn't touched any alcohol, not even the plum wine. Seeing Pei Yan enter, she lowered her eyelashes slightly, her eyes blurred for a moment before she fixed her gaze on him, indicating that she had drunk too much.

"Wipe your face," he said, wringing out a hot towel and handing it over.

Pei Yan didn't say anything, sitting on the edge of the bed wiping his face and hands. His back slightly bent, no longer straight, gradually, after relaxing, his eyes became increasingly hazy, carrying an indescribable languid intoxication.

"Rinse your mouth," Gu Lanshi handed him half a bowl of hot tea.

Pei Yan followed suit without question.

Gu Lanshi smiled and said, "Alright, take off your shoes, lie down on the bed, and go to sleep."

Pei Yan complied, as if the drunkenness he had been holding back suddenly surged up. After lying down, he closed his eyes and fell asleep silently, without making a sound or causing a fuss.

Seeing that he hadn't even taken off his clothes, Gu Lanshi had to step forward, waking him up again to help him remove his outer garments, then covering him with a blanket.

Turning to close the windows and doors, to prevent the cold wind from seeping through the cracks, he didn't expect his hand to be held.

"Aren't you drunk?" Gu Lanshi asked with a smile, curious about what Pei Yan would say.

"Mm, I am drunk," Pei Yan wasn't as drunk as he thought he would be, his voice sounded surprisingly clear.

"Then why aren't you sleeping?" Gu Lanshi asked again, the smile in his eyes undiminished.

Pei Yan looked at him and said, "I can't sleep alone."

He stared at Gu Lanshi, who looked back at him. Finally, Gu Lanshi smiled and said, "It's windy outside, I'll go close the windows and doors."

Only then did Pei Yan let go.

After securing the windows and doors, Gu Lanshi also took off his shoes and clothes, slipping into the familiar embrace.

Despite not having drunk any alcohol, listening to the man's light and long breaths, the comforting embrace was almost like a furnace, hot and warm, and sleepiness gradually washed over him.