Chapter 42

Chapter 42

In the blink of an eye, it was the sixth day of the winter month. Today was Lu Yun’s wedding day.

Yesterday, Lu Yao had arranged with the restaurant owner to deliver one more board of tofu and then not come again tomorrow. With the cold weather, the tofu would keep well, so missing a day wouldn’t be a problem.

Early in the morning, Lu Yao and Zhao Beichuan hopped onto the mule cart, taking Xiaonian and Xiaodou with them to Lujia Village.

When the mule cart arrived, the sky was still not fully lit, but the Lu family’s house was already brightly lit. Inside, Lu Yun wore a new cotton jacket made from fresh cloth, his hair simply tied up with a red ribbon, and his face lightly powdered, making him look particularly spirited.

Lu's mother and father also took out their best clothes from the bottom of their chests and put them on. The old lady’s gray hair was neatly combed, adorned with a hollow silver hairpin. This hairpin was a dowry gift from her family when she got married; after so many years, it had lost its luster and turned dark from oxidation.

Lu Lin and his wife, along with Lu Miao, wore old clothes, while only Xiaoshitou wore a new cotton jacket.

Compared to them, the Zhao family looked much more splendid. Zhao Beichuan wore a deep brown cotton outfit, which had a different style from others, with buttons down the front, two pockets on the side, and a collar lined with gray rabbit fur. He paired it with earthy gray cotton pants and thick cotton boots.

Zhao Xiaonian and Xiaodou wore stone-blue jackets, with Xiaonian’s hair adorned with two red ribbons, making her look festive and pretty.

Finally, there was Lu Yao, whose hair was simply tied with a cloth strip, wearing a cotton jacket made from the same color fabric as Zhao Beichuan’s, with a rabbit fur collar that accentuated his handsome face, making his clear and handsome features hard to look away from.

Soon, the wedding party arrived. The Wang family sent two mule carts: one for the bride and one for the relatives.

Lu's father and mother, along with Lu Miao, boarded the Wang family’s mule cart. Lu Lin and Hu Chunrong, carrying Xiaoshitou, got into the Zhao family’s mule cart. A gong sounded, and the mule carts clattered out of the village.

"Are you cold? Cover Xiaoshitou a bit." Lu Yao pulled over the prepared quilt and draped it over Hu Chunrong.

Hu Chunrong smiled, "Quick, thank your Uncle San."

Xiaoshitou said in a baby voice, "Thank you, Uncle San."

Lu Yao pinched his chubby little face, "Why thank me? We’re family. How’s the tofu selling?"

"It’s going well. We can sell sixty to seventy pounds a day. The colder it gets, the better it sells." With no fresh vegetables left in the fields, only stored radishes and cabbages remained, making tofu especially valuable.

With fifty to sixty pounds of beans, after subtracting costs, they could earn about two hundred coins a day. After just seven or eight days, they had already stockpiled four stones of beans. Selling until the end of the year and then taking them to town, they could earn at least seven or eight thousand coins, something she never dared dream of before.

Recalling the first time she and Lu Lin went to the village to sell tofu, both were too nervous to speak. When someone inquired, she stammered that they were selling tofu.

Unexpectedly, people quickly bought it. Knowing that Lu Yao and Lu Lin were from the same family and that Lu Yao knew how to make tofu, it was natural that Lu Lin could do it too, so there was no hesitation in buying.

A board of tofu sold out in less than an hour. When they returned with a sack of beans, they were still dazed. Could it be this easy?

Later, Hu Chunrong realized that it was because Lu Yao had paved the way for them, allowing them to sell tofu so easily.

The mule cart traveled for less than an hour before reaching Willow Village. By now, the sky was bright, and from a distance, they could see many people gathered at the Wang family’s home.

Someone shouted, and Zhao Beichuan quickly jumped off the cart to secure the mule. Firecrackers were about to be set off!

Hu Chunrong hurriedly covered her son’s ears, while Xiaonian and Xiaodou also covered their ears and stood up excitedly to watch.

Soon, the firecrackers exploded loudly, creating a festive atmosphere. Lu Yao couldn’t help but stretch his neck to watch.

The young man who had bought the mule last time, dressed in a deep blue cotton jacket and wearing a black cotton cap, walked over with a silly smile to greet Lu Yun and help her off the cart.

Someone came to greet them, asking Zhao Beichuan to park the mule cart to the side.

Everyone got off the cart and waited for the firecrackers to finish before entering the courtyard together.

The Wang family clearly belonged to a wealthy household. Six new houses occupied half the courtyard, looking grand and imposing. There was also a livestock shed with two mules tied inside.

Lu Yun’s husband, Wang Youtian, was the third son in his family, with two older brothers and three younger sisters, making it a large and prosperous family.

Wang Youtian’s father had a distinguished background, having once raised horses for the Northern Army and learned animal husbandry skills from his master.

Perhaps due to his military background, he governed his family strictly, and his sons all feared him, ensuring that despite the large family, there were no chaotic issues.

It must be said that Lu Guangsheng had good judgment; the two sons-in-law he chose were of top-notch character.

First, the newlyweds paid respects. Lu Yun was led by Wang Youtian into the main hall, where Lu Guangsheng and Wang Youtian’s father sat at the head, and Lu's mother and Wang’s wife sat in the secondary seats.

The officiant called out, "Good fortune comes with the blessing of virtue. The matchmaker brings joyful news. The couple bows to heaven and earth—first bow—second bow—third bow!"

"Bow to the parents for their upbringing—first bow—second bow—third bow!" On the high seat, Wang Youtian’s father and Lu Guangsheng nodded at each other, both pleased with the marriage.

"The couple exchanges bows. May they live together in harmony forevermore!"

After the ceremony, Lu Yun was escorted to the bridal chamber by her sister-in-law and sisters, while the relatives were invited to sit in the main room for the feast.

The Wang family’s main room had papered windows, with a warm fire burning inside, making it cozy and bright!

Lu's mother looked around and couldn’t help saying, "The Wang family is truly wealthy. I heard that paper costs two hundred coins per sheet, yet they’ve used it on their windows."

Lu Yao helped her sit down, "Once we become wealthy, let Second Brother replace your windows with paper too."

"That won’t do. It’ll get ruined in the rain. Money shouldn’t be wasted like that."

Lu Yao took off Xiaodou and Xiaonian’s shoes, letting them warm up on the heated bed. Hu Chunrong also brought Xiaoshitou onto the bed.

Lu's mother pulled Lu Yao aside and asked softly, "Fourth has married so well. Are you envious?"

Lu Yao laughed, "Envy what? I’m doing fine too."

"Sigh, I wanted your father to find you such a family, but he refused, saying your temper would cause trouble if you married into a large family and would surely get you divorced."

Her father wasn’t wrong; the original Lu Yao’s personality wouldn’t have suited life in a big family. Quarreling with sisters-in-law one day and fighting with sisters the next, being lazy and greedy would ruin any marriage.

"I’m doing great now, don’t worry about me."

"I know," Lu's mother sighed, acknowledging her favoritism towards Lu Yao. It was inevitable, like fingers of different lengths.

Soon, people brought tables into the room, signaling the start of the feast. Everyone took off their shoes and climbed onto the heated bed to wait for the meal.

Zhao Beichuan and Lu Lin stood by the door talking to the new son-in-law.

"Do you remember me?"

Wang Youtian scrutinized Zhao Beichuan, finding him familiar but unable to recall where they met. After a moment, he shook his head, "I don’t recognize you."

Lu Lin laughed, "This is your brother-in-law. His mule was bought from you."

"Oh, I remember! Wasn’t it the big flower?"

"Yes."

Wang Youtian scratched his head and smiled, "What a coincidence! How is Big Flower? Is it useful?"

"It’s very useful, strong and gentle."

"Yes, of all the mules we have at home, Dahua has the best temper. Selling it to family is right!"

Someone nearby called him over to greet the guests, and Lu Lin said, "Go ahead, come back when you have time."

Wang Youtian hurried over, and the two of them entered the house. Soon, people started bringing in bowls and chopsticks, signaling that the feast was about to begin!

It had to be said that the Wang family's feast was truly impressive, with a total of eight dishes—four meat and four vegetable.

The meat dishes included stewed mutton, stewed pork, stewed chicken, and a plate of cold-mixed pig ears. The vegetable dishes were stir-fried bean sprouts, cold-mixed heartleaf houttuynia, steamed radish cake, and sugar fritters.

The mutton was cooked until soft and flavorful, the pork wasn't gamey, and the crispy pig ears were especially popular with the children, making a satisfying crunch when bitten into.

Since they were all family, there was no rush during the meal. Everyone ate and chatted, "This feast must cost three hundred cash."

"More than that. Mutton is expensive; this much would cost at least three hundred and fifty cash."

Lu's mother marveled again at the Wang family's wealth, seeing more than ten tables set up in the courtyard, which would cost three or four thousand cash!

"This mutton is good; try some." Lu's mother served Lu Yao two pieces.

"Yeah, I can serve myself; you eat more."

Lu's mother then picked a chicken leg for Little Shitou, "Shitou, eat more." The little one held the chicken leg and gnawed on it, getting his mouth covered in grease.

Zhao Beichuan and Lu Lin didn't drink any alcohol; he had to drive later, and Lu Lin had to make tofu, fearing that drinking too much might cause trouble.

They hadn't eaten anything since getting up early, so their stomachs were empty. In no time, the eight dishes were devoured by everyone.

Lu Yao was so full he kept burping, and when wiping his mouth, he couldn't help but chuckle to himself, feeling more and more like an ancient person.

After the meal, everyone went to see Lu Yun in the new house. Lu's mother pulled him aside and said some heartfelt words, "Now that you're married, live well. Don't throw tantrums like you used to at home."

"Mm-hmm."

"You're the most sensible among your brothers. I won't say much, but remember, never let anyone bully you! If the Wang family dares to mistreat you, come back; I can support you!"

"Mm-hmm." Lu Yun choked up and tears instantly fell.

Lu's mother also had red eyes, holding his hand, feeling uneasy. They were all her flesh and blood, how could she not care?

Lu Yao felt a pang in his heart and turned away, understanding for the first time why ancient people preferred sons.

Having a son adds to the family, making the household livelier. Sons and daughters who marry out rarely return, making it hard to see them if they move far away.

After the conversation, the time was right. Zhao Beichuan brought the mule cart over, and everyone got on.

Lu's father had drunk too much again and kept saying, "I'm happy, really happy! My in-laws are great people! And my son-in-law is wonderful, robust and endearing."

Lu's mother didn't dare to hit him in front of the children but secretly pinched his thigh, "Talk less; no one will sell you as a mute!"

*

As the weather grew colder in late December, two heavy snowfalls blanketed the village, turning everything white, like a thick blanket of snow.

In recent days, Lu Yao started selling frozen tofu. He cut the prepared tofu into one-inch cubes and left them outside overnight. By the next day, they became frozen tofu.

Frozen tofu had a different texture from regular tofu, with tiny air pockets that made it chewier. When stewed and soaked in sauce, it tasted incredibly delicious.

When Lu Yao first tried cooking frozen tofu with cabbage, the three siblings ate the entire pot clean, leaving not even a drop of broth.

Zhao Xiaonian praised, "Sister-in-law, this frozen tofu is delicious; I wouldn't trade it for meat!"

Because the roads were snowy and pushing the wooden cart was inconvenient, Lu Yao didn't let Lin Daman go out to sell tofu. He just stayed home to watch the stall, helping customers weigh their purchases, and froze any unsold tofu.

Tofu deliveries to town continued as usual. Early in the morning, Zhao Beichuan woke up early, cleared the snow from the yard, fed the mules, and released the chickens, scattering some millet.

Inside, Lu Yao had just woken up, crawled out of bed, and instantly shrank back due to the cold.

It was so cold that putting on clothes every morning felt like torture. It took a while for the icy cotton clothes to warm up.

The colder the weather, the more he missed his previous life. Life without air conditioning and heating was unbearable!

"Achoo!" Lu Yao sneezed, rubbed his nose, and quickly put on his clothes.

He went to the kitchen, lit the fire, filled the pot with water, and warmed himself by the fire.

Zhao Beichuan came in with a wooden bucket to feed the pigs. The four piglets were already quite big, weighing over twenty pounds each, penned in the back garden. Now that the vegetables were done for the season, the pigs could root around without causing damage, providing manure for the soil. Next spring, he planned to build a new pig pen.

The water in the pot was almost boiling. Lu Yao scooped two ladles of tofu residue from a nearby earthenware jar into the wooden bucket and poured hot water over it to mix.

"Achoo!" Lu Yao sneezed again.

"Caught a cold?"

"No, just a tickling nose."

"Stay home today; I'll go to town to deliver tofu."

Lu Yao didn't insist, "Remember to wear gloves and a hat."

"Mm." Zhao Beichuan mixed the tofu residue thoroughly and went out to feed the pigs.

Lu Yao took the opportunity to wash his face with warm water and then started preparing breakfast. Today, they had vegetable porridge with a piece of pickled radish. As the meal was almost ready, the two children woke up.

"Come over and wash your faces; it's time to eat."

The children ran over, washed their faces, and the family gathered around the stove for a simple breakfast.

After breakfast, Zhao Beichuan hitched the mule and drove alone to town to deliver tofu.

Lu Yao and Lin Daman sat inside to sell tofu. Many people came to buy tofu throughout the morning. The warmth of the Zhao family's house made most people stay to chat after their purchases.

Lu Yao rarely interacted with the village women before, but in recent days, he had gotten to know almost everyone.

Aunt Yang from the Yang family bought two pounds of frozen tofu and sat down without leaving. She loved gossiping about village affairs, so Lu Yao sat nearby to listen.

"Hey, did you hear that Fang's third son lost all their money gambling in town recently?"

"How much did he lose?"

"Seven thousand cash!"

"Oh my, that's a lot; he must have lost everything!"

Aunt Yang said, "Well, they didn't have that much money. I heard he borrowed high-interest money from the gambling den and is now borrowing money all over the village to pay it back!"

High-interest money was known as 'legged money' because the interest kept growing along with the principal.

Aunt Ding from the Ding family slapped her leg, "No wonder! Yesterday, he came to our house to borrow money from Old Ding, saying there was an emergency. Luckily, we didn't have much money to lend; we only gave him two hundred cash."

Getting that money back will be difficult. Auntie Ding's face turned grim, and she quickly got up to go home and warn her husband not to lend any more money to Fang Laosan if he comes asking again!

As soon as she left, Auntie Yang also rose to go. Suddenly, she remembered something and said in a hushed tone, "Do you know that Song Changshun is going to marry the widow Song?"

"Ah?" Lu Yao nearly dropped his jaw in surprise. Those two are getting married?

"I heard that the widow Song is pregnant, about four or five months along, and her belly can't be hidden anymore. They have no choice but to get married now. Tsk tsk tsk, looking at her now, I wonder if she'll even be able to give birth."