Traveling Through Those Years Of Farming (Quick Transmigration) - Chapter 32

“Dingyuan, your cousin cooks so many dishes every day. She must be very tired, right?”

Today is Tang Dingyuan’s mid-month break. Tang Xiuyuan is not a student of Tianxia Academy, so they can only meet briefly during his half-day break. 

As soon as Tang Xiuyuan leaves the academy, he follows Dingyuan like a little shadow.

“Your cousin is really amazing. My dad praises her to the skies, and you know how hard it is for my dad to praise anyone with his bad temper. Oh, right, my dad says that ginger, the root of the mountain, can be used in cooking. It was your cousin who first suggested it. If it weren’t for her discovery, my dad wouldn’t have accidentally developed ginger milk pudding, which is now one of the best-selling desserts in my family.”

Tang Xiuyuan’s little mouth keeps chattering, and he hasn’t stopped talking since they met. “And your cousin…”

“Isn’t that strange?” Tang Dingyuan stops and turns to look at his chatterbox friend. “Since we met today, you seem to always be talking about my cousin.”

Tang Xiuyuan has always been a chatterbox, but he’s never stuck to one topic for this long. His mind usually jumps around, and even the smallest things interest him. Whenever he and Dingyuan meet, Xiuyuan shares hundreds of little observations and stories about what’s been happening around him.

But today, something’s different. Xiuyuan doesn’t immediately dive into the usual tales of the love-hate drama between his family’s cats and dogs, or his sister’s incredible feat of eating ten bowls of sweet soup in one day.

Tang Dingyuan feels a bit uneasy.

“You can’t possibly…”

Tang Dingyuan looks deeply at the chatterbox in front of him, as if trying to see through his thoughts.

“I’m not!” Before he can finish the second half of his sentence, Tang Xiuyuan jumps like a cat whose tail has been stepped on, his fur practically standing on end. “You’re talking nonsense! I’m not going to be friends with you anymore.”

The embarrassed chatterbox raises his hand and hits Tang Dingyuan’s chest hard, blurts out something harsh, then turns and runs away.

……

Tang Dingyuan stands frozen in place for almost half a tea’s time, then rubs his still-aching chest, utterly confused. 

What just happened? That conversation doesn’t feel like something between men—it is oddly delicate.

Seeing that Tang Xiuyuan has run off without any intention of returning, Tang Dingyuan decides to focus on his own matters. In the past half month, he has already written over half of his book, and since today is a half-day off, he plans to take his finished work to the library and see if they are interested in it.

It’s really strange. Tang Dingyuan glances one last time in the direction where Tang Xiuyuan ran off, then shakes his head and leaves.

******

“Brother, why are you back? Didn’t you say you were going to catch up with your friends?”

Tang Xiaoxiao is sitting on the swing in the yard, happily eating a bowl of ginger milk. Suddenly, a gust of wind rushes past her, and when she looks up, she sees her brother hurrying home, head down, as if there’s a fire behind him.

Tang Xiaoxiao is a chubby little girl, eight years old, weighing 80 kilograms—almost double the size of other girls her age. Her family worries about her weight, but the Tang family’s elderly ancestor believes that a little fat on children is a sign of good fortune. Under the protection of the old lady, Tang Xiaoxiao has become the family’s little bully. Even her brother, Tang Xiuyuan, is somewhat afraid of this little devil.

“I had something to take care of, so I came back early. By the way, where’s Dad?” Tang Xiuyuan stops in his tracks, rubs his face, and asks while trying to catch his breath.

“Dad went to the shop at Sandangkou,” Tang Xiaoxiao replies nonchalantly.

The situation of the Tang family is somewhat similar to that of the Lu family. The family business is mostly inherited by the eldest son, especially the secret recipes for sugar water and the ancient method for preserving fresh fruits. No one except the eldest son can know these secrets. Tang Xiuyuan and Tang Xiaoxiao’s father, being the eldest son, is personally responsible for many aspects of the sugar water business. Every day, he is either at one shop or another.

The old man of the Tang family has been in poor health, and a few years ago, to avoid future conflicts among his sons, he decides to divide the family. The eldest son inherits several sugar water shops, while the other shops and land are equally divided among the other brothers.

Those properties are valuable too, but the rule that the eldest inherits the primary business is an ancient one. So the family division is relatively peaceful.

In the past two years, the Tang family’s two elders passed away. Now, the only remaining elder with high seniority is the old lady, who serves as Tang Xiaoxiao’s protective amulet.

“So he went to Sandangkou, huh?” Tang Xiuyuan’s face lights up. “Perfect! I just happen to have something to take care of, so I’ll stop by the shop to find Dad.”

After saying that, Tang Xiuyuan prepares to head out.

“Wait, brother, are you going to Sandangkou to find Dad? Take me with you!”

As soon as Tang Xiaoxiao hears that her brother is going to Sandangkou, she can’t contain her excitement. She licks her lips, remembering the food her father and brother often bring back from Sandangkou Village.

Lu Xiuyu’s rice bowl business is thriving, so it’s no surprise that the owner of the sugar water shop near Lu’s meat stall is familiar with it. In fact, even seven years ago, when Lu Xiuyu’s business had just started, Tang Xiuyuan’s father, Tang Changyu, was already one of her customers.

However, the Tang family has strict traditions and dislikes extravagance. With a cook at home responsible for three meals a day, Tang Changyu doesn’t often buy ready-made meals from Lu Xiuyu. Plus, he doesn’t stay at the shop in Sandangkou every day, as he has other shops to oversee.

But ever since Lu Xiuyu invented tofu, Tang Changyu has become a more frequent customer. The Tang family’s elderly ancestor has lost all her teeth, and tofu is the perfect food for someone like her.

Sometimes, Tang Changyu doesn’t go to Sandangkou himself; instead, he sends the housekeeper to Lu’s to buy half a plate of tender tofu.

It’s easy to prepare. You can add some to fish soup or simply mix it with green onions and pour some sauce over it—either way, it’s so delicious it makes you eat extra bowls of rice.

The last time Tang Xiuyuan comes back from Lu’s house, the hospitable Lu Miao packs him a basket of food as a return gift for the Tang family. Many of the dishes are complex and not sold in the shop, so the taste is naturally excellent.

That meal leaves Tang Xiaoxiao smiling from ear to ear, and she remembers fondly the powerful eldest sister of the Lu family her brother often speaks about.

So, when she hears that her brother is going to Sandangkou again, Tang Xiaoxiao immediately insists on tagging along.

Tang Xiuyuan doesn’t want to bring the little devil with him, but he knows that if he refuses, she won’t let him off easily. After thinking it over, he finally gives in to her demands.

******

“Sister, that’s the person Mother is talking about.”

These days, Lu Baoyin hasn’t been idle. He neglects his farm work, spending all his time keeping an eye on that household. At last, he manages to catch sight of the man leaving the house.

“He’s even more pampered than a young girl. He hasn’t left the house in days, and his mother’s been bringing his meals to him.”

At first, when he goes to spy on the man who might become his future brother-in-law, Lu Baoyin has a good impression of him. His mother has said that he is a scholar, as studious as Yuan Ge’er. But after watching him for some time, Lu Baoyin’s favorable opinion vanishes completely.

Like this man, Yuan Ge’er is also a scholar supported by the whole family. But Yuan has never spent much of the family’s money. Whenever he’s home, he helps out with some work. During the busy farming seasons, he even goes to the fields with the other men. He never acts like he’s above it all just because he’s a scholar.

But this guy? He’s different. He takes his family’s support for granted. Even though he comes from a farming family, he behaves as if he’s the young master of some wealthy household. For over ten days, Lu Baoyin hasn’t seen him lift a finger—not even to carry a water basin—let alone help his brothers and sisters-in-law with the fieldwork.

In Lu Baoyin’s eyes, this man is even worse than his second uncle. At least his second uncle isn’t shameless enough to ask Grandma to pour out his bathwater for him.

What Lu Baoyin doesn’t know is that his second uncle would never dare ask that of Grandma because, if he did, she’d slap him without hesitation, favorite son or not.

This amusing misunderstanding keeps Lu Baoyin’s opinion of Lu Jiafu somewhat intact in the eyes of the younger generation.

“Sister, I don’t think that guy’s any good. He’s not worthy of you.” After hesitating for a moment, Lu Baoyin finally speaks up. Even though his mother says it’s normal for a scholar to leave the dirty and tiring work to others, he is starting to doubt her reasoning.

“I know what I’m doing,” Lu Xiuyu says with a shake of her head, signaling her brother to head home first.

Lu Baoyin knows his sister is someone with her own plans, and that the pretty boy poses no real threat to her. So, he doesn’t say anything further and obediently heads home as instructed.

While they speak, the man in question has almost reached them.

“You’re the eldest daughter of the Lu family from Sandangkou?”

The man hesitates for a moment, still uncertain about Lu Xiuyu’s identity.

“It’s me.”

By this time, Lu Baoyin had already walked away. Lu Xiuyu carries a bamboo basket on her back, looking like she has just bought something from the market and is heading back to the village. This road is the only path between the two villages. The man comes from her village, and Lu Xiuyu is returning to Sandangkou. It appears as though they’ve run into each other by chance.

Originally, Lu Xiuyu just wanted to take a quick look at him, but she doesn’t expect to be recognized here. It seems that he has been spying on her for some time.

“My father is the village chief of Tieying Village. You must’ve heard about our engagement,” the man says bluntly.

But Lu Xiuyu doesn’t like the way he looks at her, as if she’s an object for sale.

“I don’t like my future wife showing up in public. When you marry into my family, let my mother handle the business. You’ll only need to stay at home, taking care of your husband and children.”

He looks her up and down, clearly displeased by her appearance and skin tone. He has heard that the Lu family has been butchers for generations, and the thought makes him feel as though Lu Xiuyu must be tainted by the stench of blood and filth. If it weren’t for his mother begging him in tears to marry Lu’s daughter, emphasizing how much their family needs the dowry money she would bring, he wouldn’t agree. He can hardly stand the idea of marrying a woman born into such a lowly family, whom he also believes behaves improperly.

“What are you talking about?” Lu Xiuyu almost bursts into laughter. How could someone be so absurdly self-righteous? It’s clear that his parents have completely spoiled him.

“Are you questioning me?” The man’s voice rises, his face flushing with embarrassment. He’s a scholar and the son of a village chief—marrying her, the daughter of a butcher, should be a blessing she’s fortunate to receive.

“Sister Lu!”

Just then, the Tang family’s carriage happens to pass by on the road, and Tang Xiuyuan catches sight of the confrontation.

He quickly jumps off the carriage and positions himself in front of Lu Xiuyu. “Is this man bothering you?” Tang Xiuyuan glares warily at the flustered man, his back to Lu Xiuyu, and asks her anxiously.

“No, I just heard a few crazy words. With just him, how could he possibly bully me?” Lu Xiuyu slightly raises her chin, her expression proud and disdainful.

When Tang Xiuyuan turns his head, he sees her strong, confident demeanor.

Suddenly, he feels less like the protector of the eldest daughter of the Lu family and more like he’s being protected by her.

“You—you—” The man is so enraged that he can barely speak.

“Sister Lu, let’s ignore this madman. I see you’re carrying a lot of things. Why don’t you take my carriage? My sister and I are heading to Sandangkou to find my father.”

Tang Xiuyuan steals a glance at the now red-faced man, and a sense of vigilance rises in his heart.

“Okay, thank you,” Lu Xiuyu replies, no longer refusing when she hears that Tang Xiuyuan’s sister is in the carriage.

“You, you, you shameless woman! You can forget about me agreeing to marry you!”

Seeing Lu Xiuyu and a strange man climb into the carriage sends the man into a fit of rage, shaking his hand as he points at them and cursing away.

“That man…” Tang Xiuyuan hears him and feels a tightness in his chest. What is the relationship between that man and Sister Lu?

“Just an insignificant person,” Lu Xiuyu replies, shaking her head. This marriage will never happen.

Hearing Sister Lu’s cold answer, Tang Xiuyuan feels an inexplicable sweetness in his heart. Sitting across from her, he finds himself lost in thought, enjoying this rare moment of quiet.

Tang Xiaoxiao looks at her brother, then at the cool sister, her eyes darting back and forth as if she has caught onto something.

******

“I love drinking your yellow peach honey water. The yellow peaches are crisp and tender, and the honey water is not only sweet but also fragrant with fruity aromas. It tastes amazing.”

Lu Baobao comes back from outside and sees a strange fat girl sitting with her chubby brother at home. From a distance, the two look exactly alike.

“I love your braised pork elbow. The meat is so tender and soft that you can pierce it with a chopstick. I adore the skin; it’s so fragrant and tender that I could eat an extra bowl of rice!”

With a “gulp,” someone swallows, and upon listening closely, it seems the sound echoes—perhaps more than one person is swallowing their saliva.

“I also love your family’s snow fungus soup. Your ginger milk pudding is exceptional too. My cousin makes delicious meals, but when it comes to desserts and sweet soups, she can’t compare to your family’s.”

It’s said that the Tang family has a special recipe for making honey, which makes their sweet desserts particularly delightful without being cloying.

“I like…”

“I like all the dishes your cousin makes! Last time, I nearly devoured all the pot-fried pork my brother brought back. It’s a pity it’s been a while since then. By the time I got home, the pork skin wasn’t as crispy as when it was just fried. But I still crave that sweet flavor. How wonderful it would be to eat the pot-fried pork fresh out of the pan! It must be crispy and fragrant, and you wouldn’t want to swallow it!”

The two chubby kids sit together, discussing food. 

As Lu Baobao listens, tears of longing begin to flow from the corners of her mouth.

The author has something to say:

Lu Baobao: The corners of my mouth will never drool, and I will never do that in my life!