Chapter 11 The Wedding Banquet

Chapter 11: The Wedding Feast

The smell from his place lingered for days, but Xiao Mei next door no longer climbed the wall to ask what delicious food he was making. Having Xiao Mei bug him hadn’t bothered him much before, but now he found himself missing it.

The tofu was sold out by noon, and with nothing to do in the afternoon, Meng Wan grabbed his little basket and said, "Auntie, I wanna head up the mountain to see if there’s any mushrooms."

"Sure, but don’t go deep into the woods—there’s wolves out there."

After making tofu nonstop for days, Meng Wan was pretty tired. Chang Jinhua wanted him to take it easy, so she didn’t stop him from going anywhere.

With her okay, Meng Wan slung his basket over his shoulder and walked to the gate of the neighbor’s house. He peeked in first and saw only Zhu Ge’er hanging clothes in the yard. He asked, "Sister-in-law, is Xiao Mei around? I was gonna ask her to go pick mushrooms with me."

After the busy harvest, every house was washing clothes and cleaning up the yard. Harvesting and planting were tiring, and everyone was too busy to clean up until now. With a little more free time, there was still some farm work to wrap up slowly, so the chores around the house fell to the young wives or the daughters and ge’er of the family.

Zhu Ge’er had worked all morning and washed a few more clothes that afternoon. He hung the last piece on the line and answered Meng Wan, "Xiao Mei went back to her folks’ place with her second brother. Her family’s got a lot of land, so her brother went to help with the harvest."

"Oh, got it. I’ll head out then, Sister-in-law."

Meng Wan suddenly got it—no wonder he hadn’t seen Xiao Mei in days. He thought she might’ve been scared off by what happened last time and didn’t dare to play with him anymore.

"Hey, Wan Ge’er." Zhu Ge’er actually called out to him.

Living next door, and both being ge’er, Meng Wan had never really talked to him much. He turned around and saw Zhu Ge’er was carrying a basket too, so he asked, "Sister-in-law, you heading up the mountain too?"

Zhu Ge’er said shyly, "I wanna visit my folks’ place in a few days, so I thought I’d pick some wild stuff to bring back. I don’t dare go alone, so I wanted to ask if you’d come with me."

Meng Wan smiled. "I was just thinking it’d be boring by myself. Good to have company. Let’s head to Snake Gully."

Snake Gully sounds scary, but it’s just a regular little ravine. This hill was on the north side of another mountain, with little sunlight all year, so fungus grew easily.

By now, most villagers were done with their farm work. Winters up north were long and cold, and after the harvest, they had to pay part of their grain as tax. What was left was barely enough to survive, so they had to scrounge for extra food—mountain goods from the hills or fish and shrimp from the sea.

When Meng Wan got to Snake Gully, lots of village women, ge’er, and girls were already bent over, climbing the narrow path.

Zhu Ge’er said, "Looks like a lot of folks today."

Meng Wan pushed through the dry grass and followed the path up the mountain. "I wonder if we’ll find any mushrooms. Let’s hurry."

Zhu Ge’er followed him quietly. Meng Wan felt like Zhu Ge’er wanted to talk but was too shy to start.

He wasn’t close to Zhu Ge’er and didn’t plan to be a life coach—he just wanted company.

Halfway up, the tree roots had already been picked clean, leaving only small ones to grow for next time.

They each picked two or three mushrooms and looked at the big mountain blocking the path ahead. Zhu Ge’er suggested, "How about we go to the back mountain? Some guys from our village are cutting firewood there, so it’s safe."

Meng Wan remembered Chang Jinhua’s warning and stuck to the safe side. "Better not. Maybe we can pick more in a few days. I should get home, or my auntie’ll worry."

Zhu Ge’er wasn’t good at convincing people. Even though he wanted Meng Wan to stay, he couldn’t talk him into it. As they left, he glanced at the mountain and shook his head.

With the farming season over, good news came one after another. First, Xiao Mei came back from her folks’ place and felt dizzy for days. A visit to the village doctor in Red Temple Village showed she was pregnant.

The Tian family next door was thrilled. Aunt Tian, who rarely chatted, took the initiative to talk to Chang Jinhua. She praised Xiao Mei for being smart and whispered that when they first set up the match, they noticed Xiao Mei’s big hips—a sure sign she’d have kids easily.

Since it was a happy occasion, Chang Jinhua went along with the praise, adding that Xiao Mei often came to play with Meng Wan and was outgoing and not petty. Aunt Tian was pleased—she liked her daughter-in-law’s bold and cheerful nature—and returned the compliment about Meng Wan.

"Your Wan Ge’er is good too—he’s handsome. I just saw him, and he’s got a nice round butt too!"

Truth is, everyone in the village knew why Chang Jinhua had taken in a distant relative. Da Lang would turn nineteen after New Year’s, and she was probably worried about another mess like with the Yang family. Good families were picky about who their daughters and ge’er married, and delaying too long made it harder to find a spouse.

Meng Wan was pouring water into their tea jars when he heard that. He: "..."

He quietly slipped back to his small room, feeling his own butt in disbelief.

It was a bit round and had some curve, but was it that big???

Was it that big!!!!

Chang Jinhua had just seen off Aunt Tian, who was bragging about her sharp eye, when Old Six’s wife from the Song family came running over.

"Sister-in-law, will Tingzhou be home in the next few days?"

Chang Jinhua seemed to expect this. "He’ll be back in a few days. Is your house too full?"

"Exactly! My family’s from far away, and we have too many siblings, all coming with their families. Sister-in-law, can you spare a room? Just for two nights—after the wedding tomorrow night, they’ll leave the next morning."

Old Six’s wife was frantic. Tomorrow, her son Song Dali was marrying a lang, and distant relatives had arrived early today. They still needed to clear a room for the wedding, so there was no space left. She had to scatter guests among relatives’ homes, but she still had her fourth brother’s lang and three kids with no place to stay.

"They can stay, but they’ll have to squeeze onto the big kang with me." Chang Jinhua was blunt.

"Oh, as long as there’s room, even if they sleep on the floor! Sister-in-law, just give them a place to stay—I’ll handle everything else."

After settling the lodging, Old Six’s wife hurried off. It was her first time planning a son’s wedding, and there were too many trivial matters. Without a phone, she had to go door-to-door to find people.

She was already far down the road when she turned back to remind them, "Sister-in-law, have Wan Ge’er come early tomorrow. He’s steady—more reliable than those young wives and lang. Have him give me a hand."

Meng Wan heard her and replied, "Don’t worry, Sixth Aunt. I’ll be there early tomorrow."

"Good!" Old Six’s wife’s loud voice was full of joy.

That evening, Old Six’s wife brought a skinny lang and three children to Chang Jinhua’s house. The oldest was a girl of about ten, the second a little ge’er of seven or eight, and the youngest a three-year-old boy. All four were thin and dark.

Meng Wan was thin too, but he had a well-proportioned figure, a narrow waist, and long legs, with a bit of baby fat on his cheeks. They looked like refugees who hadn’t had enough to eat.

Old Six’s wife was busy. She dropped them off with a few words and asked, "Sister-in-law, if Wan Ge’er comes with me tomorrow, who’ll make the tofu?"

She had forgotten in her rush—she had ordered twenty-five pieces of tofu from Chang Jinhua for the feast!

Just as Meng Wan was about to say that Chang Jinhua could now make tofu too, Chang Jinhua tugged at him to stop him from speaking.

"I’ve already ground the beans during the day. Wan Ge’er can work late tonight to make the tofu before he comes to your place."

Old Six’s wife was touched. "Good child, you’re working hard. Tomorrow, Sixth Aunt will give you a big red envelope."

Meng Wan quickly declined. "No need, Sixth Aunt. Brother Dali’s wedding is a happy occasion, and I’m happy to help."

After some polite back-and-forth, Old Six’s wife hurried off again.

There were no extra quilts in the house, and Chang Jinhua didn’t want to lend her son’s to outsiders, so she found two thin summer blankets.

"Fourth Brother’s Lang, sorry, we don’t have extra quilts. Here are two thin ones—you and the kids can share them."

She thought Old Six’s wife’s fourth brother’s lang, who seemed honest, wouldn’t object. But to her surprise, he asked, "Aren’t you using a thick one? The older two can manage without, but my son can’t catch a cold."

The lang, holding his son, got up from the kang and looked around, completely unapologetic.

"Isn’t it too cramped for the five of us on this kang?"

Without any sense of being a guest, he pushed open the door to the small room. Meng Wan’s small room had few belongings, and he kept it neat and tidy. The bedding looked especially comfortable.

"This room looks pretty good to me. I'll take it for me and my son, and you five can go sleep on the big kang in the other room." He was about to take off his shoes and climb in, but not only were the shoes caked with black grime, the moment his feet were exposed, a sour stench was absolutely unbearable.

"Wait!" Meng Wan's soft, clean bed was about to be defiled by those stinky feet, and he urgently called out.

Chang Jinhua also spoke up at the right moment, "That's my son's room, it's not convenient for outsiders to stay in."

The man's face darkened, he snorted coldly, then shuffled back into his shoes and left.

As soon as he was gone, Meng Wan quickly cracked open a window to let some air in. Close call, close call. Those kids didn't look too clean either, and there was still one more night. The day after tomorrow, he'd have to strip and wash all the bedding they'd used with Chang Jinhua.

"Auntie, why don't you come sleep in the small room with me tonight?"

Chang Jinhua's head was also throbbing. "Forget it. I can tell this family isn't honest folk. It's better if I keep an eye on things tonight."

"Then call me if anything happens."

The next day, before dawn, Chang Jinhua woke up first. Meng Wan was young, and she always wanted to let him sleep a little longer.

Meng Wan was awakened by the aroma of beans. He pulled himself out of the warm quilt and changed into the new aoqun that Chang Jinhua had made for him last time. This one was a bit thinner, just right for wearing now.

"Auntie, I overslept."

Chang Jinhua was fully focused on curdling the tofu with a bowl of brine. "Not late. There's nothing here that needs you. I can come back during the day and take a nap. You've got a busy day ahead. There's soy milk left on the table. Go drink it and head to your Sixth Aunt's."

Meng Wan's eyes crinkled in a smile. "Auntie, you're so good to me."

Chang Jinhua kept her face straight, her tone brusque even when being kind. "Go on now."

After washing up, Meng Wan drank a bowl of soy milk in the kitchen, which also had a sheet of tofu skin in it. A big bowl filled his stomach, warm and satisfying.

The curtain to the main room was cracked open, and the girl and the boy were drooling over the bottom of Meng Wan's bowl. He could even see the transparent saliva dripping from the corners of their mouths, down their necks, and onto the stiff, dark fabric, making that patch of cloth even darker.

They had a father and mother, so Meng Wan didn't have any sympathy to spare for them. He didn't dawdle, washing the dishes and utensils before heading out.

Chang Jinhua stayed home to press the tofu blocks. Not only were these four just staying as guests—there was no way she was obligated to feed them—but that man's attitude alone rubbed her the wrong way.

That man got his son out of bed, saw no food in the kitchen, pursed his lips, and carried the kid off to Old Sixth Song's place.

By the time Meng Wan got to Old Sixth Song's place, the new groom hadn't been brought back yet. He joined a group of young Song family boys and girls in decorating the bridal chamber, scattering peanuts and red dates over the bed. They were all around the same age, chatting easily, making it lively and fun.

After the Chen hour (around 7-9 AM), the new groom stepped over the brazier, entered the house, and bowed during the ceremony. Guests at Old Sixth Song's place slowly took their seats, and the kitchen got busy again.

Once things got hectic, the young girls and boys didn't dare jump in. It was the aunties and older women close to Song Sixth Aunt who ran the kitchen.

The Song family was a big clan with lots of relatives, and the tables were set up in abundance. The kitchen was short-staffed, so Song Sixth Aunt quickly pulled Meng Wan in to help. First, he picked vegetables, then when that was mostly done, he started chopping. Finally, when the dishes were coming out too slow, he even took over for an auntie and started stir-frying.

The head chef was Aunt Tian from the village—not the one who lived next to Chang Jinhua. This Aunt Tian didn't brag; she was a good cook and worked fast. Whenever someone had a wedding or funeral, they'd hire her to run the kitchen, and at the end, they'd give her a red envelope and some meat.

Since the Song family had so many tables, besides her at the main stove, two other stoves were run by Song family women. The head chef handled the main dishes, while the two women did the simple veggie stir-fries.

One auntie, whether from nerves or something, kept running to the outhouse every so often. When she came back, she'd stir-fry without washing her hands. After a few trips, the bottom of her pot was about to burn. The head chef couldn't take it anymore. "Wan Geer, your family's tofu is here. You know how to handle this, right? Come stew a pot of tofu. Your Fourth Aunt has an upset stomach today, so use her stove."

"Oh, then I'll stew it with cabbage." With the head chef giving orders, Meng Wan had no choice but to step up.

Fourth Aunt was clearly displeased at being replaced by a younger person. She clattered the ladle noisily. "Fine, you do it. An unmarried boy, and you think you're so capable."

The head chef was anxious about the dishes not coming out and wasn't about to back down.

Hearing this, she shot back, "What are you throwing a tantrum at a kid for? I told him to step in. This tofu is precious stuff, not like that burnt pot you just made that you could still try to pass off."

Fourth Aunt, embarrassed by Aunt Tian's words, flicked her sleeves and was about to leave. Several aunties in the kitchen tried to persuade her.

Song Sixth Aunt came by to hurry things along and happened to witness the scene. Fourth Aunt Song was her sister-in-law; their husbands were brothers. She knew all too well what her sister-in-law was like.

"Fourth Sister-in-law, what kind of trouble are you stirring up now? Today is your eldest nephew's wedding. Can't you just keep it together and stop causing me problems?"

The head chef, Aunt Tian, explained the whole situation to the host, and Song Sixth Aunt was so angry her eyes welled up with tears.

"You insisted on being in charge of the stove, and I let you. Look at that mess you just made! I'd rather throw that dish away than serve it and let people laugh at us. And you're still arguing with Wan Geer? Aren't you ashamed?"

"Fine, if you think my cooking's no good, I'll leave. From now on, don't expect me to set foot in your shabby house!" Scolded in public by her sister-in-law, Fourth Aunt's face turned pale and green. She pushed through the crowd of curious women and stormed out of the kitchen.

Song Sixth Aunt had only spoken so harshly out of desperation. Seeing Fourth Aunt leave, she hurried out after her. Otherwise, quarreling with her sister-in-law on such a happy day would just give others something to gossip about.

Meng Wan stayed out of it. When the aunties told him to pick vegetables, he picked vegetables. When they told him to chop, he chopped. When the head chef told him to help at the stove, he stepped up.

Now that the pot of tofu stewed with cabbage was done, he carefully portioned it out evenly into dishes for the young girls and boys to serve.

The head chef, Aunt Tian, noticed how methodically he worked and how he stayed calm even when faced with someone as picky as Fourth Aunt. She nodded to herself in approval.