Chapter 84 Neighbors

Chapter 84: The Neighbors

Meng Wan was writing a script in his room when he heard the commotion in the courtyard. Knowing that Bi Yun couldn't handle things alone up front, he went ahead to help Bi Yun, letting Lu Chunfang focus on settling her relatives.

"Sister-in-law, Mother said you love pickled vegetables, so she pickled two big jars and had us bring them. We held them the whole way, afraid we'd break the jars." Ju Niang was more talkative than her husband. Exhausted, she set her luggage on the ground and sat down directly.

Lu Chunfang quickly fetched her a stool. "Ju Niang, don't sit on the ground. It's cold. Here, sit on this."

Ju Niang rummaged through her things while saying, "It's fine, it's fine. Jinzhong and I are all dirty and dusty; we can sit anywhere. Hurry, help me unpack. There's also clothes Mother made for you, and new cloth shoes. She was afraid you'd be reluctant to buy them yourself in the city, so she made them and asked me to bring them."

Lu Chunfang took the items she handed over, her eyes reddening, and asked with a choked voice, "Are Father and Mother doing well? Did you tell them before you left? If the land is too much to farm, just rent it out. Don't overwork yourselves."

Ju Niang emptied the bag. She and Feng Jinzhong had only brought one set of clothes and some food; everything else was for Lu Chunfang.

"Don't worry, Sister-in-law. Ever since Big Brother became a *xiucai*, a lot of the clan's land has been registered under our household. Life at home is much better. Father's health is poor and he can't do heavy work. We rented out all the land before we left."

Ju Niang was parched. She picked up a tea bowl from the stone table and poured herself some tea. Lu Chunfang quickly said, "Ju Niang, don't—that's Wan-ge's tea bowl. I'll go get you and Jinzhong big bowls from the house. Wait a moment."

Ju Niang was stunned. How could a drinking bowl be for one person only? City life was really different from home.

Taking advantage of Lu Chunfang's absence, Jinzhong lightly scolded his wife. "Sister-in-law said this shop was entrusted to her by the Song family. How could she afford to rent the courtyard? This courtyard must belong to the Song family too. Watch your words and actions. Don't be careless and make things difficult for Sister-in-law."

Ju Niang looked at the smudge on the teacup and said regretfully, "You're right. I acted too hastily."

Ju Niang's temperament was exactly like Lu Chunfang's in the beginning—straightforward and guileless. No wonder the sisters-in-law talked to each other like sisters, without any reservations.

Lu Chunfang brought out bowls and poured them water to drink. "Let me heat some water for you two to wash up. Then I'll whip up some food. What do you feel like eating? Just tell your sister-in-law."

Ju Niang quickly said, "We'll eat anything. There's no need to go to any trouble. If you're busy, go ahead with your work. We'll heat the water ourselves."

Feng Jinzhong nodded in agreement.

Lu Chunfang didn't argue. She gathered firewood, and boiled a pot of water. She cleared out Xue Sheng's old room, moving its things into Meng Wan's room, and let Feng Jinzhong settle in there to wash up.

Ju Niang went to the room Lu Chunfang and Chang Jinhua shared. Each of them had brought a change of clothes, and they had no patches—probably newly made after the family's fortunes improved. At least they were better off than Lu Chunfang when she first arrived in the city.

They had traveled all the way, hungry and tired, so Lu Chunfang first gave them some fried dough sticks and tofu pudding to tide them over. At noon, she went to the market to buy meat and vegetables, and that evening she cooked a big meal to welcome them.

That night, Bi Yun shared a room with Meng Wan. Meng Wan, who wasn't used to sharing a room with others, was a bit uneasy.

With Lu Chunfang's family here, she had been working in the shop for a few days and, though not yet very skilled, could already help out with the work.

Meng Wan discussed with Chang Jinhua about moving before Song Tingzhou returned. Otherwise, when he came back, the courtyard at Liuti Alley would be too cramped, and after traveling a long distance, he and Xue Sheng would be exhausted. It would be better if they could rest directly in the new house.

Originally, Chang Jinhua had asked a Taoist priest at a temple outside the city to choose an auspicious moving date—the 8th of next month. Now she would have to go out to the temple again to consult.

It couldn't be helped. In ancient times, marriage and moving were major events. Not just for commoners; even an emperor's enthronement, rain prayers, or welcoming a queen were all required the Imperial Astronomical Bureau selecting an auspicious day.

This was tradition, and best to follow it respectfully.

On the 28th of the ninth month, around 4 AM (the hour of Yin), it was still dark. Lu Chunfang's family had just gotten up.

The day before, Meng Wan had hired a carriage. The driver was waiting at the door. Chang Jinhua got into the carriage, and Meng Wan handed her the very few pieces of luggage. He and Bi Yun walked alongside the carriage.

After about half an hour's walk, the sky began to lighten. They finally arrived at the new house. Meng Wan paid the driver, helped Chang Jinhua down from the carriage, and Bi Yun stepped forward with the key and opened the door.

Even though they had been here many times before, knowing that this would truly be their home from now on gave them a different feeling.

New lanterns hung at the main gate. The red couplets on the door had been written by Song Tingzhou before he left, and Meng Wan had drawn two cute cartoon lions on them.

Beside the well in the courtyard, two new wooden buckets sat. The windows were bright, the courtyard spacious, and the morning light spilled into the main room, the opposite room, and the entire yard.

"Mom, don't bother putting things away yet. Rest first."

Meng Wan stretched and yawned. He hadn't slept well all night and was still really sleepy.

Chang Jinhua, being older, wasn't as drowsy. "You and Bi Yun go back to sleep for a while. I'm not tired."

Bi Yun declined, saying she would help tidy up.

Meng Wan didn't argue. He walked drowsily back to his bedroom. The kang bed wasn't made yet. He removed his outer robe, hung it on the rack, found a small blanket, curled up on the soft couch, and took a nap.

Chang Jinhua and Bi Yun organized the luggage. The large items and useful things had already been moved to the new house. Some old things had simply been left behind for Lu Chunfang.

This morning's luggage was just clothes for everyday wear, so it was easy to sort. They finished in no time.

"Bi Yun, I remember Wan-ge said firewood was delivered to the new house too. Do you know where it is?"

Bi Yun said, "The woodshed is behind the east wing. Go through the east side to the backyard, and you'll see it. I'll fetch a bundle and put it in the kitchen."

The eastern wing room was her living quarters. Entering the backyard from beside it led to the woodshed, next to which was the outhouse. There was also an outhouse in the front yard beside the western wing room, near the opposite room.

The eastern wing room was divided in two: one half was the kitchen, the other half stored miscellaneous items. When Bi Yun brought firewood to the kitchen, Chang Jinhua had already washed the rice and started cooking.

"Old Madam, let me handle this. Please rest."

Ever since Song Tingzhou became a Juren, forty-year-old Chang Jinhua started being called "Old Madam," but she wasn't used to the title.

"I sat in the carriage the whole way; I'm not tired. I'm used to getting up early to run the shop. Even if I didn't work, I couldn't sit idle." She then brought out a small jar. "The pickled mustard greens that Chunfang's mother-in-law made are really good. I'll pickle two jars myself another day."

Lu Chunfang had originally wanted to give Chang Jinhua a whole jar of the pickled mustard greens, but it was a gift from Feng's elders. Chang Jinhua didn't have the heart to take it all. Yielding to Lu Chunfang's insistence, she accepted only a small portion.

She sliced the mustard greens into thin strips, rinsed them a few times, and dressed them with sesame oil.

"There. I don't know how long Wan-ge will sleep. Once the porridge is ready, you and I can eat first. We'll leave some porridge for him in the pot."

Bi Yun was tending the fire beneath the stove. "Yes, ma'am."

After they finished eating, Chang Jinhua saw that the weather was good and took the bedding from several rooms out to air with Bi Yun.

When Meng Wan woke up and saw that, he also took his bedding from the chest and hung it outside.

"Fulang, there's porridge left for you in the pot. Want me to reheat it?" Bi Yun asked.

He waved his hand. "No need. Not hungry. I'll just have a bit."

Now that the family wasn't running a business anymore, it took getting used to, but it was definitely quieter. In the southern part of the city, alleys like Huaxi Alley, where Meng Wan's family now lived, only had three or four households. Some alleys had just one family, like the Zhu family.

When moving to a new house, it was custom to visit neighbors with gifts. In Liuti Alley, that meant a few eggs or fruit. But in the southern city, pastries and snacks were the minimum.

Pastry shops in the southern city were pricier than those in the west, but they had more variety. A few extra coppers were fine, especially since Meng Wan was no longer a newly arrived slave.

He picked two kinds: lotus root and osmanthus sugar cakes, and fruit-filled puff pastries. He packed four portions for the neighbors and also bought some jujube and yam cakes and more puff pastries for the family.

Since it wasn't noon yet, Chang Jinhua led Meng Wan and Bi Yun with the pastries to visit each house.

First stop was the Jiang family, who Meng Wan had dealt with before. The Jiang family ran a cloth business, with several shops in the north and west of the city, plus their own dyeing workshop. Not as powerful as the Zhu family, but comfortably well-off. Their courtyard was naturally larger than the Song family's—a two-courtyard compound.

The Jiang family was small too: just Old Master Jiang and his wife, their son Master Jiang, his husband Jiang Fulang, and about a dozen servants.

Mr. Jiang was not at home during the day; it was the Old Madam and Jiang Fulang who received Meng Wan and his companions.

"I've long heard that a new neighbor had moved in next door, and I've been wanting to visit. Who would have thought that after all this waiting and hoping, you've only just now moved in?"

Old Madam Jiang, elderly and fond of company, chatted on and on with Chang Jinhua.

Chang Jinhua replied politely, "After purchasing the house on Huaxi Lane, there were other household matters that kept us busy. It's only recently that we found the time to move in."

Old Madam Jiang then took Meng Wan's hand and praised him, "Oh, look at this! What a fine-looking child. I've never seen such a handsome young man. Yu'er, take a look—his pregnancy mark is so vivid; he's a good child."

Jiang Fulang, sitting beside his mother-in-law, forced a smile and replied, "Indeed, Song Fulang clearly looks blessed." Being nearly forty and still childless was a constant ache in his heart.

Chang Jinhua was rather good at keeping her composure. Meng Wan felt that Song Tingzhou's temperament was partly inherited from her.

Even though she was pleased inwardly that others praised Meng Wan, Chang Jinhua stayed outwardly reserved: "He's still young. His appearance is the only thing decent about him. He's usually quiet and well-behaved, but doesn't know much. If he ever embarrasses anyone in the future, we hope everyone will be understanding."

Meng Wan stood at her side, looking docile and calm.

After Chang Jinhua had sat for a while, a servant from the Jiang household tiptoed in and whispered something in Jiang Fulang's ear. Jiang Fulang couldn't help frowning, his expression souring.

Chang Jinhua quickly said, "We still need to visit a few other neighbors, so we won't stay long. Since we live close by, I'll come again another day to chat with you, Old Madam."

Old Madam Jiang tried to persuade them to stay a little longer, but Jiang Fulang rose to see them out.

After seeing the Song family out the door, Jiang Fulang returned to update his mother-in-law.

"Mother, I have seen the guests off."

Old Madam Jiang asked, "What did Xingtao come in to tell you just now? It was quite rude to interrupt with guests present."

Jiang Fulang sighed. "That young lady in the back courtyard is causing a fuss again. Xingtao and the others couldn't calm her down, so they came to fetch me."

Old Madam Jiang said coldly, "Ours is a proper family. By our rules, it's only when a man has no son by forty that he takes a concubine. Her deed of sale is in your hands—what is there to make a fuss about?"

"She says she wants to see her parents and have her own mother send her into the house," Jiang Fulang said, his brow furrowed with worry. After more than twenty years of a loving marriage with his husband, having to personally select and buy a concubine for him was like a knife to the heart. And now that the girl had entered the house, she was causing no end of trouble.

Old Madam Jiang thought she must have misheard. "How ridiculous! She was bought—does she really think she's the proper wife? Wanting to be sent into the house? If we were to make a big deal over a concubine, wouldn't we become a laughingstock?"

"But she keeps refusing to eat and is threatening suicide. I... I don't know what to do with her." Jiang Fulang was kind-hearted and soft-hearted, had no idea how to handle someone so stubborn.

The Jiang household's back courtyard was in chaos. Meanwhile, Chang Jinhua and Meng Wan finished visiting one neighbor after another.

Most of the families on this lane were merchants. One family was scholarly; the husband worked as a tutor at a nearby private school. Upon learning that Song Tingzhou was studying at the prefectural school, they were especially welcoming to Meng Wan and his family.

After visiting the neighbors, it seemed there was nothing else to do. Meng Wan would practice calligraphy or write story scripts, and at other times he simply sat in the courtyard in a daze—like now:

The sky was gray, covered in dark clouds. Lightning flashed in the clouds, and rain fell hard, pounding the ground.

The pathways connecting the various rooms in the courtyard were paved with blue stone slabs, but under the eaves there was a strip of land left for planting flowers and herbs.

Rainwater gathered on the roof tiles and was channeled to drain under the eaves, forming a line of small puddles on the earth below.

Even with an oil lamp lit inside, the room was as dark as night. Meng Wan sat alone under the eaves, staring at the puddles—one drop, two drops, three drops—splashing tiny ripples in them.

Rainy days were both quiet and noisy. Meng Wan's eyes were vacant; his ears filled with the sound of rain striking the earth and the flagstones, making a "pitter-patter" sound.

Gradually, he noticed there was another sound mixed in—a heavier "thud-thud."

Meng Wan perked up his ears. Although the rain was a distraction, the sound grew clearer and clearer.

He suddenly stood up from the doorstep and rushed out impulsively, only to be hit square in the face by the rain before he came to his senses. He quickly retreated under the eaves, fumbled to open the umbrella, and then went out again.

By now, Meng Wan could hear the sound of someone removing the threshold at the gate. If not for the spirit screen blocking his view, he would have guessed he'd already seen the person.

Song Tingzhou came around the spirit screen holding an umbrella. The moment he appeared, Meng Wan threw himself into his arms.

Song Tingzhou moved his umbrella forward to cover them both. "Why did you drop your umbrella?"

Meng Wan buried his head in Song Tingzhou's chest, unable to control his emotions. If he spoke, he would probably break down, so he said nothing, simply tightening his arms around Song Tingzhou's shoulders.

Song Tingzhou sighed softly. Using one arm and the umbrella hand for leverage, he scooped up Meng Wan and walked steadily toward the house.

Xue Sheng, who had settled the horses in the back, picked up the oil-paper umbrellas that had fallen on the ground. Chang Jinhua, hearing the commotion, came out of the house.

"Xue Sheng? You're back. Where is Da Lang?"