In the past, Wei Lanxiang would have argued with Zhou Yunzhi. But now, their family was doing well, and she had a healthy grandson. Life was harmonious. Today, she could tell Zhou Yunzhi was just jealous.
Wealth and good spirits kept her from anger. Instead, she smiled and said, “Eldest Sister-in-law, you flatter me. If there were two pig trotters in that pot, I’d surely give you half. But there’s only one. If we share it, Qiuyue won’t have any, and she needs to recover.”
Shen Yaoqing, hearing the commotion, came out and said amiably, “Aunt, you might not know, but that day we stewed mutton because we’d invited the third A ma to help care for Qiuyue. Third A ma's family happened to be there when we cooked, so we couldn’t exclude them.”
[阿嬷 ā mā : grandma (Tw), here is used to address uncle's fulang]
Zhou Yunzhi snorted coldly but was cut off before she could speak.
“I bought some pastries yesterday. Since Aunt is here, why not try some?” He went inside and brought out a small plate with six pieces.
“That’s more like it.” Zhou Yunzhi’s expression shifted instantly as she picked up a piece.
Wei Lanxiang rolled her eyes inwardly and also took one, lest the shameless Zhou Yunzhi eat them all.
Shen Yaoqing just wanted to send her off quickly to avoid her souring the mood.
Sure enough, after eating four pastries and pocketing a few green autumn pears, Zhou Yunzhi left much more easily.
After she was gone, Wei Lanxiang didn’t even have time to curse her, she went straight inside to cuddle her awake grandson.
——
By the river, Lu Gu and Shen Xuanqing were gathering river snails. In three days, it would be the Mid-Autumn Festival, and the snails, now plump after spawning season, were perfect for eating. In their region, river snails were a must for the festival.
Looking along the riverbank, many people were collecting snails, some clustered together, others spread out. The two of them stayed farther from the crowd.
“Later, I’ll set a net here and leave Da Hui to guard it overnight. We’ll collect it early tomorrow,” Shen Xuanqing said, rolling up his pants as he waded into the river, tossing a handful of snails into the bamboo basket at his side.
“Alright.” Lu Gu crouched on a riverside rock, lifting stones to search for snails.
Autumn river crabs were also plump, and many families would catch a few for the festival. They were no exception.
Shen Xuanqing added, “After the festival, I’ll go up the mountain and return in three to five days, just in time for the baby’s full-moon celebration.”
Having stayed home for so long, it was time to hunt again.
Lu Gu, uncomfortable from crouching too long, stood and said, “Then I’ll steam more buns tomorrow for you to take as rations.”
They gathered many snails by the river. After coming ashore, Shen Xuanqing poured them from the basket into a bamboo crate and carried it on his back. Lu Gu followed beside him, holding the empty basket.
Back home, they emptied the crate into a wooden basin. Lu Gu brought a loofah sponge to scrub the muddy shells clean. After soaking in fresh water for two days to purge the sand, they’d be ready to stir-fry.
Shen Xuanqing left to set the net, while Shen Yan and Shen Yaoqing worked at the new house. Wei Lanxiang helped Ji Qiuyue with the baby.
Many villagers were catching crabs, and every stretch of the river had crab nets staked into the water.
Worried someone might steal the net at night, Shen Xuanqing had Da Hui and Da Hei stand guard. Dogs could sleep anywhere, curling up on the riverside rocks.
The next morning, at dawn, he woke and went to check on them. Dew had dampened their fur, but they were well-fed and thick-coated.
He tossed them two buns to nibble, something to fill their stomachs.
When the sky brightened, he and Shen Yaoqing hauled in the net. They’d baited it with leftover chicken bones and meat, and luckily, it was full of crabs.
The river crabs of Qingxi River were small, but this year, they’d been fortunate, about twenty-eight in the net, enough for a feast. No need to set the net again that night.
Since the new house was nearby, they carried the net and crabs through the back gate. Squatting in the yard, they carefully extracted each crab and placed them in a bucket filled with water, weighed down with a lid to keep them fresh in water.
Shen Xuanqing had slept at the new house last night. After dealing with the crabs, they returned home for breakfast.
After eating, Lu Gu kneaded dough in the kitchen for steamed buns at noon. Hearing Shen Xuanqing greet his uncle in the yard, he knew Shen Shunde had arrived. Wiping flour from his hands, he also called out a greeting from the kitchen door.
Early mornings were busy for every family, so Shen Shunde’s visit was unexpected. Shen Yaoqing poured him tea.
In the main room, Shen Shunde sipped his tea, chatting about farm work before circling to the baby’s full-moon celebration. Finally, he revealed his purpose: “Have you chosen a formal name yet? By our Shen family’s tradition, the next generation should use the character ‘Zhen.’ Your cousins Yutao and Yuxi’s sons follow this. You and Yuping should also name your children accordingly, starting with Zhen’er, the eldest grandson.”
Shen Zhen was Shen Yutao’s son, indeed the eldest in his generation.
Asserting his authority as the eldest uncle, Shen Shunde insisted Shen Yaoqing follow the naming tradition. Despite past conflicts, in his mind, the second branch was still part of the Shen family and should conform, after all, his branch was the main line.
“If you haven’t decided, I have a name in mind --” Before he could finish, Shen Yaoqing interrupted.
“Uncle.” Shen Yaoqing smiled. “Shortly after my wedding, my father asked a temple master to choose a name. My father said, if I had a son, he would be called Shen Wenzhao. Now that my father is gone, how could I change the name he chose?”
Shen Shunde’s face darkened, clearly displeased at being contradicted. But with the matter tied to Shen Shunfu’s wishes, he had no grounds to argue. The dead were to be respected, and their wishes were not to be disregarded.
No comments:
Post a Comment