How much did a pound of meat or a chicken cost? At most, a hundred or so copper coins. Plus, the whole family—young and old—had been working hard all season and deserved some nourishment.
Lu Lao'er's wife overheard and said, "Father has worked hard all these years—he's done most of the farm labor himself. Now that we can afford it, we should celebrate."
Lu Laoda's wife nodded in agreement.
And since this was a milestone birthday, it deserved a proper celebration.
"Tomorrow, let's invite Second Uncle's family over to eat together—make it a proper lively occasion."
The next day, Lu Laoda went to town and bought three catties of meat and a fish.
The Lu family yard was big. Old Man Lu had two grandsons, Zhuangzhuang and Huzi, who were eight years old and got along best with Guaizai. Guaizai often brought Gungun and Dandan over to play. Seeing the Lu family killing a chicken and gutting a fish today, he got curious and hopped off his bicycle.
"Auntie." Lu Lao'er's wife was killing the chicken. Guaizai crouched beside her. "Are you guys killing a chicken today?"
She smiled. "Yes, we are!"
"Is there something special going on?"
Zhuangzhuang crouched over too and chimed in first: "I know! Because today is Grandpa's birthday."
Guaizai frowned. "Huh? Today's Grandpa Lu's birthday?" Why hadn't anyone said anything earlier?
Grandpa Lu was always kind to Guaizai, often giving him peanuts whenever they met.
Guaizai thought very highly of him.
But it was already midday now—too late to go into town to buy flour.
Knowing he had come all the way from the capital—so far from Hezhou—Lu Lao'er's wife said, "We're making steamed pork with rice flour today. Have you ever tried it, young master?"
Guaizai shook his head.
"Then stay for dinner tonight! Your Grandma Lu's steamed pork with rice flour is delicious."
Lu Laoda's wife overheard and chimed in with her own invitation, just as warmly.
It was hard to turn down such kindness, but Guaizai didn't agree right away. He said he needed to go home and ask his daddy first.
Zhuangzhuang was thrilled and wanted his little friend to stay for dinner. He couldn't wait and tugged at him: "Then let's go find Uncle Zhao right now!"
Once the invitation was made, saying no would seem distant. But if they sent too expensive a gift, the Lu family wouldn't dare accept it either—yet not sending anything at all would feel rude. The men in the village all enjoyed a drink now and then, so Zhao Ger thought it over and went to Zhang Quan to get two catties of wine for Guaizai to bring as a gift.
Old Man Lu had no idea his family was planning to celebrate his birthday. After dinner that day, he'd gone straight to the fields to work. An old woman passing by with a basket to pick vegetables saw him spreading fertilizer and exclaimed, "Oh my, Old Lu, you're still at it!"
"What's wrong?"
"You don't know?"
"Know what?"
"Today's your birthday!"
Old Man Lu didn't make a big deal of it and said calmly, "Yeah, so what?"
"Your daughters-in-law killed a chicken at home and said they're throwing you a birthday feast! The smell drifted all the way—I caught it walking past your yard. And here you are, still busy in the fields. Hurry on back now!"
Seeing that she wasn't joking, Old Man Lu was a bit surprised. The old woman watched him rush home and sighed to herself.
No matter how old you get, being remembered and cared about by the younger generation always makes you happy.
Old Man Lu was lucky too—his sons were filial, and his daughters-in-law were good ones too.
When Old Man Lu got home, there were several big dishes laid out on the kitchen table. He was pleased inside, but still said, "What's all this for? Such a fuss." His sons and daughters-in-law didn't say anything, but they all knew their father was happy.
That evening, gifts were presented first, then the sons and grandsons lined up to kowtow. Guaizai didn't really understand any of it, but he offered the wine. Old Man Lu tried to decline, saying the Lu family had only invited him to stay for dinner because they wanted him to taste their local steamed pork with rice flour, not for gifts—and this wine cost more per catty than meat, so how could they accept it?
But Guaizai insisted on pressing it into Old Man Lu's hands, saying that if he didn't take it, he'd feel too embarrassed to eat their meat—it was only proper to exchange gifts. So Old Man Lu had no choice but to accept.
Guaizai gave a deep bow and said loudly, "Wishing Grandpa Lu good health, fortune as vast as the Eastern Sea, and a life as long as the Southern Mountains."
"Ah, good, good, good." Old Man Lu pulled him close and patted his big head, eyes reddening. "Thank you, young master, for coming to celebrate this old man's birthday."
"Don't cry, Grandpa Lu. Today's your birthday—you should be happy!"
Villagers didn't usually say "birthday"—they said "celebrating a year" or "celebrating a long life." The word "birthday" sounded like something outsiders would say, but everyone understood it just fine.
The Lu family's children and grandchildren hadn't studied much, so they certainly couldn't have come up with phrases like "fortune as vast as the Eastern Sea." When Guaizai said it, everyone felt pleased—it was such an auspicious saying. For a full seventy years, it was a good omen, and surely their father would live a long life.
Dinner hadn't started yet, but the children were drawn by the aroma of meat and couldn't tear themselves away. They crowded by the kitchen window, staring in.
"Guaizai, do you have a grandpa (paternal)?" Zhuangzhuang suddenly asked.
The Fang family was small. Zhuangzhuang had been to Guaizai's house to play and had never seen any grandparents—just his father and daddy, not even uncles or aunts.
Guaizai knew what he meant. He did have a maternal grandfather, Grandpa Meng (the Left Chancellor), Grandpa Qin (Old General Qin), and Handsome Grandpa too—but his real grandfather...
"Yes, I do," Guaizai said. "If I didn't have a grandpa, where would my father come from?"
Zhuangzhuang asked in confusion, "Then why haven't I ever seen your grandpa? Grandpa Tang doesn't count! Did your grandpa not come with you to Hezhou? What does your grandpa look like? Is he like my grandpa?"
It was hard to explain.
And he couldn't say. Guaizai found an excuse to brush it off.
The steamed pork with rice flour was truly delicious. The pork belly was cut into large chunks and steamed with golden cornmeal. The cornmeal soaked up the oil, making it fragrant and not at all greasy.
Guaizai ate two pieces and stopped, only picking up two slices of smashed cucumber.
Grandma Lu put a chicken leg on his plate, and when he finished it, she tried to give him another. Guaizai said he was full and didn't want to eat too much.
The bowls used in the village were big, and Guaizai had eaten a full bowl. Even her own grandson, on his hungriest days, could barely put away that much. So Grandma Lu and her daughters-in-law figured he must truly be full.
Old Man Lu and his second brother sipped the wine Guaizai had brought, thoroughly enjoying themselves.
This wine cost more than meat in town. Old Man Lu rarely got to drink it — he'd only ever caught the smell walking past the tavern, and that scent had stuck with him. Now, he was finally getting a taste.
Big bites of meat, big gulps of wine—he'd never imagined he'd live to see such a day. A wife, sons and daughters-in-law, grandsons—two full tables, lively and warm. Old Man Lu felt this birthday was wonderful. He was happy.
But he owed this day to the prefect. He looked at Guaizai, his gaze growing even more tender.
Zhao Ger knew Guaizai would still need to eat when he got home. He understood that others didn't have it easy, so his son never ate his fill at someone else's house—otherwise, the three catties of meat the Lu family had put out wouldn't have been enough for him.
That evening, Zhao Ger had specially set aside food for him.
When Guaizai came home, he ate another meal, then bathed and got into bed. Fang Zichen told stories as usual, while Zhao Ger sat beside them with a palm-leaf fan, keeping them cool.
Gungun and Dandan had fallen asleep, but Guaizai was still wide awake. Something was on his mind—Zhuangzhuang's question earlier had sparked his curiosity.
No comments:
Post a Comment