Chapter 138
The full-month celebration wasn’t as grand as a wedding, with only close relatives and very good friends invited, along with the midwife and her husband who had assisted during the birth. The gathering wasn’t large, just four tables set up in the courtyard, one of which was for the children. Even so, in the countryside, this was considered quite lively.
Hiring an outside cook would cost money. Though the full-month banquet was important, there was no need to specially hire someone. Wei Lanxiang called Zhou Xiangjun to help with the cooking, while Lu Gu and Chen Xinlian assisted with washing and chopping vegetables. Early in the morning, before the relatives arrived, they were already busy in the kitchen, preparing everything in advance.
Since the river snails were plump now, they naturally had to be served at the banquet. Lu Gu and Shen Yan had gathered two bamboo baskets full from the river, they were
more than enough for everyone.
The fish had been caught by Shen Yaoqing, while the pheasants and rabbits were hunted by him and Shen Xuanqing in the mountains. This way, they didn’t have to slaughter any of their own livestock.
There was cured meat and fresh pork as well, not to mention plenty of vegetables from their own fields. Just by looking at the spread, one could see the sincerity with which they treated their guests.
Ji Qiuyue’s family was the highlight of the day, as they were presenting the child’s safety lock amulet. Moreover, since they were the maternal family, Shen Yaoqing treated them with extra respect.
[Ping’ansuo (平安锁): A safety lock amulet, traditionally given to children for protection and blessings.]
Lu Gu had been with the Shen family for a year now and had already met all the relatives, though seeing them only a few times a year made interactions somewhat awkward.
The house was noisy with people, children playing in the courtyard, and adults chatting over tea in the main hall or outside. Some even wanted to see the new house, so Shen Xuanqing led them there while Shen Yaoqing stayed behind to entertain the other guests.
Knowing that some relatives would bring children, Lu Gu had taken Guaizi and the other hunting dogs to the new house the night before. They were fierce, and he didn’t want to scare the little ones, so he left them there to guard the place during the day.
Wei Lanxiang’s family had also come. After finishing her tasks, she wiped her hands on her apron and went out to chat and laugh for a while, handing out pastries and fruits to the children.
Lu Gu stood at the chopping board, slicing bamboo shoots that Shen Yaoqing had dug up from the mountains the day before.
The cleaver in his hand thumped rhythmically against the board. Occasionally, he’d hear the laughter outside and glance through the window, a faint smile curling at the corners of his eyes.
Since today’s guests were all family, and Chen Xinlian who was washing vegetables beside him, wasn’t someone he knew well, he didn’t speak much.
If he really thought about it, he had no relatives of his own. His ties with the Lu family had been severed when he was sold to Shen Xuanqing. His mother had passed away long ago, and his father, Lu Daxiang, had remarried Du Hehua. The so-called "maternal family" from before was actually Du Hehua’s relatives.
His real maternal grandparents had died before his mother, and his uncle was a gambler who had fled from debts long ago, leaving his aunt to remarry.
He did have two aunts and an uncle, Lu Dahe, but since he had been sold away from the Lu family, there was naturally no contact.
Wei Lanxiang sat with her nephew, Wei Chengzhi, and soon burst into laughter, praising him, "Our Chengzhi is truly a scholar, look how sweet his words are!"
The courtyard buzzed with noise, including the sound of drinking games from Shen Xuanqing and Shen Yaoqing’s fourth uncle.
Every time Lu Gu looked up through the window, he could see the scene outside. He knew the three uncles, and as Shen Xuanqing had said, the fourth uncle was a drunkard. Sure enough, not long after arriving, he had already started drinking with Ji Qiuyue’s family, the rowdy shouts of their drinking game filling the air.
He also noticed the displeased glance from the eldest uncle. Drunkards often caused trouble, and Shen Xuanqing had once told him that the fourth uncle sometimes turned violent after drinking, regardless of the occasion. The eldest uncle, being a literate man who valued etiquette and education, and who had previous conflicts with the fourth uncle, disapproved the most of such behavior.
The varied expressions among the crowd made Lu Gu reflect for the first time on the complexities of human nature. Though he stood apart in the kitchen, he found it strangely fascinating. But this thought quickly faded when Shen Xuanqing led a group of relatives inside. The sight of the tall, sturdy man made his smile grow even wider.
Under the sunlight, he could clearly see the flecks of spit flying from the mouths of the men playing drinking games, splattering onto the wine cups and pastries. Shen Xuanqing and Shen Yaoqing rarely drank, and even when they did, they were neat, never slobbering like this.
His mind wandered, and he couldn’t help thinking; Luckily, I’m not a man, I don’t have to sit and eat with Fourth Uncle and the others.
But such thoughts bordered on disrespect, and if anyone knew, he’d surely be scolded. So he quickly suppressed them, muttering an apology in his heart, and focused on his work, not daring to look around anymore.
The sun moved swiftly, and before long, it was nearly noon. Wei Lanxiang, beaming with joy, came in to start cooking.
The sizzle of oil in the wok soon filled the air with the aroma of meat and vegetables.
Since these were all family, Shen Xuanqing made sure Lu Gu wouldn’t go hungry by arranging for him and Chen Xinlian to eat with the aunts and uncles. Meanwhile, he and Shen Yuping busied themselves serving dishes, taking bites whenever there was a lull in the cooking.
The women and Lu Gu sat together, next to the children’s table, where they had to constantly mediate to prevent fights or tears over food.
The noon sun was bright, and the wind gentle. Ji Qiuyue bundled the baby securely, and Shen Yaoqing carried him out to meet the relatives, giving her parents the chance to present the safety lock amulet in front of everyone.
After a month, the baby’s cheeks had grown chubby, making him even more adorable. Though he wasn’t wearing shoes, he had a small tiger-head hat, and even his swaddling clothes were embroidered by Lu Gu with tiger patterns. Everyone who saw him praised the exquisite craftsmanship.
[Hutoumao (虎头帽): A tiger-head hat, symbolizing strength and warding off evil spirits]
The baby was still too young, so after being shown off, he was quickly taken back inside. Compared to the relatives, Lu Gu got to hold his little nephew almost every day, helping to soothe him. The baby was soft and sweet, though the sour-milk smell when he wet himself was unmistakable. Still, it didn’t dampen the family’s love for him.
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