Chapter 44

“Inviting us to a banquet?” A group of children playing outside in the mud were stunned. “Isn’t it usually our parents and grandparents who invite us?”

Shen An smiled brightly. “My eldest sister-in-law said that since you all helped me recently, I can also decide to invite you to the house for a banquet. So, your parents and grandparents are invited by my eldest sister-in-law, but you’re invited by me and A Ning.”

Huzi and Erniu, along with a few others, were amazed. Erniu murmured, “Shen An, your eldest sister-in-law is really kind.”

It was incredible that Shen An and Shen Ning could, like adults, take charge of such an important matter as inviting people to a banquet.

Shen Yin asked, “Second brother, did eldest sister-in-law really invite our parents?”

Their parents had been practically drooling these past few days from the enticing aroma of meat and vegetables wafting from the Chen family’s house; they barely had an appetite for their own meals.

At Shen Yin’s question, Erniu and Huzi, who were a bit more sensible, exchanged strange looks, and even Shen An hesitated. No one in their family had thought about inviting their third uncle and aunt.

Meanwhile, Shen Jin puffed out his small chest and retorted to Shen Yin, “Are you stupid? Shen An invites us because we helped out. I’ve been digging the ground for over ten days. What did our parents do?”

Actually, Shen Jin felt quite ashamed. Almost everyone in Xiao Ya’s family was helping, and even the fathers, uncles, and brothers of Erniu and Huzi had gone to assist with the house construction. Yet his own father hadn’t gone even once.

At first, he thought that since Erniu, Huzi, and his brothers were all helping, he deserved to eat more of what the eldest sister-in-law bought. Just the thought made him furious. But seeing how many people were helping to build the house and cultivate the land, Shen Jin realized that even though he was the oldest in his family, he wasn’t as involved as the youngest among Lu’s family, Huzi. As for Xiao Yin and Xiao Tie, it was hardly different from playing house—they were just freeloading.

Thinking about it, his anger dissipated; he felt guilty and lacked the courage to be assertive.

When he went home to ask his father why he wasn’t helping, his father glared and scolded him, telling him to go away and stop meddling in everything.

So Shen Jin didn’t dare to complain that even his father was up there helping.

Now, hearing his younger brother ask if eldest sister-in-law would invite their parents, and seeing the expressions on Erniu, Huzi, Shen An, and Shen Ning’s faces, Shen Jin snapped back, “Only those who work get to eat meat! Even when Dad helped build houses for others, he couldn’t bring us along to eat meat.”

Shen Yin: That seems true… but somehow something feels off?

He couldn’t quite put his finger on what was wrong.

The youngest, Shen Tie, didn’t think so much. He only thought about smelling the meat aroma next door every day, drooling, “Second brother, when can we go eat?”

Shen An smiled with eyes curved, “The day after tomorrow, at the evening meal.”

During the day, everyone would be busy harvesting rice, and even during meals, they couldn’t eat properly because they had to hurry back to work in the fields. So eldest sister-in-law decided the banquet would be at the evening meal, so everyone could eat at leisure and rest afterward.

Shen Tie fidgeted with his fingers, “Today, tomorrow, tomorrow, tomorrow…??”

He was confused, looking up at his brother dazedly.

Shen Jin said, “No need to count, it’ll be on the day our parents go to harvest rice.”

That day, their parents wouldn’t have time to care for them. Since their eldest brother left, there weren’t enough laborers at home, so their rice harvest always lagged behind others, and they wouldn’t return until it was completely dark. Usually, they only left some cold porridge at home for the children to eat by themselves.

Shen Jin warned, “Don’t tell Mom and Dad about the banquet, remember? If you tell, there won’t be any food for us.”

He hadn’t forgotten the last time he got scolded. Knowing their parents’ temper, if the two boys knew, they wouldn’t get to eat either. How could he and his brothers go? Hmph, this time, he wouldn’t say a word; he’d eat his fill first, then go home.

Feeling quite pleased with himself, Shen Jin suddenly remembered there was also Sweet Ya at home. Since their parents would be in the fields that day, he’d have to take care of Sweet Ya himself. If the three brothers all went to the banquet, what about Sweet Ya?

“Shen An, can I take Sweet Ya with me that day? We’ll all be gone, and no one will be home.”

Shen An nodded, “Take her along, just look after her yourself.”

Don’t let her fall or get hurt, or Auntie might cause trouble later.

Shen Jin patted his chest confidently, “Don’t worry, I’ll definitely take good care of her.”

With the banquet plans settled, and Sweet Ya out of the picture, Shen Ning was eager to invite her as well. Without more words, he grabbed Shen An and headed over to the Chen household.

…

By mid-afternoon, the Shi and Lu families, who knew they were invited to the banquet, were at the Chen household consulting with Old Madam Chen about suitable gifts.

The newly married Sang family had really built good relations with these two families!

Before, only men and children helped out, but now, even the women could join. Since this was their first real social visit, they wanted to be especially thoughtful and leave a good impression.

Representing the Lu family was Old Madam Lu, and from the Shi family, Shi Erlang’s wife came along with her eldest sister-in-law.

Shi’s eldest sister-in-law was the mother of Daniu and Erniu, whose two sons had been helping these days, so she had also received an invitation from Sang Luo.

Shi Erlang’s wife, though her son was too young to go, had long admired his two older brothers who had gone. Her husband was one of the main workers on the house, so she was also invited by Sang Luo to attend the housewarming banquet.

Because the Chen family was close with Sang Luo, these families came to Old Madam Chen to ask what kind of gifts were appropriate for the banquet.

In the village, when people attend banquets, if not very close, they usually don’t bring lavish gifts. You might bring some greens, turnips, or a few gourds—something casual is considered a gift.

But for Shi and Lu families, since several teenage boys had been working at Sang Luo’s place these days, enjoying really good food—despite being told not to take too much and not to fill more than half a bowl—their daily meals with meat and rich dishes were even happier than during the New Year.

Given Sang Luo’s nature, neither family considered just bringing vegetables and eggs enough.

Old Madam Chen was pleased to see Shi and Lu families valued their relationship with Sang Luo. As the saying goes, “a single piece of firewood is hard to ignite, and a single tree is hard to support.” The Shen family had originally fled famine, and now with the main and third branches at odds, Sang Luo was raising two children alone. In the village, she should befriend several households so that when troubles arise, there would be help and support.

She cheerfully pulled up a stool and invited a few people to sit in the main room, then smiled and asked, “Do you have any ideas or guidelines? Tell me so I can consider them.”

Old Madam Lu, being the same generation as Old Madam Chen, spoke first with a smile, “Though I haven’t dealt with Sister-in-law A Lie much, I’ve often heard my eldest and third sons and grandsons talk about her. She is a sincere, kind, and generous person. This invitation is genuine and heartfelt.”

In the village, no family invites every member of another family to their home.

The unspoken rule is usually one adult and one child per family. No one can afford to invite the whole household.

But the Sang family truly invited almost everyone from their family. Though two sons and three grandchildren worked on the site, and the eldest daughter-in-law and the elderly couple with a younger grandson also came, such warmth and thoroughness made everyone feel especially comforted.

Old Madam Lu said, “Huzi told me even he was invited. Shen An and A Ning especially invited several children. So basically, our whole family is going. I’m thinking, since Sister-in-law A Lie probably didn’t grow much from her garden, we don’t need to bring many vegetables. With so many of us going, we can just pick some from our fields and bring a basket or so. I guess that’s already planned?”

Old Madam Chen and the two Shi sisters-in-law nodded in agreement. “That’s exactly the idea. Bringing some produce from our own fields will add to the dishes and save her from having to buy everything.”

Old Madam Lu smiled, “In our area, there’s a custom of bringing rice to the host’s family for good fortune. Bringing rice and oil means the rice jar won’t be empty, symbolizing prosperity. We should add that for the Sang family since they’re outsiders; it’s a good omen.”

Old Madam Chen chuckled, “That’s exactly what I was thinking. Building a house is a big deal. Usually, we’re frugal, but this time we can’t be stingy. We should add something for wealth and prosperity.”

Old Madam Lu looked at the Shi sisters-in-law, who both smiled and nodded. Shi Dalao’s wife said, “My sister-in-law and I talked about this too. Early tomorrow, we’ll go to the market, buy six taels of pork, a jar to store some oil, and a bamboo measure for rice. My second uncle will also gather a bundle of firewood. It’s not much, but rice, oil, and firewood are the three essentials for opening a home, symbolizing wealth and prosperity.”

Old Madam Chen and Old Madam Lu smiled. Old Madam Chen praised warmly, “That’s generous, a proper gift. You sisters-in-law are thoughtful.”

Rice and firewood aside, six taels of pork plus a jar and measure was quite a sum—over twenty wen. For rural families who had to pinch pennies even to raise two children, spending over twenty wen on a gift, even split between two families, meant ten wen each. It showed how seriously they regarded the Sang family.

Old Madam Lu nodded. The two old ladies exchanged glances. Old Madam Lu said, “Sister, shall we in our two families follow Shi’s example? Each family brings vegetables, and for firewood, rice, and oil, we match their contributions?”

Old Madam Chen smiled and agreed, “Yes, let’s handle it the same way for the three families.”

After saying this, she looked toward Old Madam Lu and the Shi sisters-in-law. “One more thing—you all probably know that our family is quite close to Sister-in-law A Lie. My daughter Fangniang goes with her to the county market every day to sell goods. I won’t go into details, but she’s made some money. So besides what we just discussed, our family plans to weave a grass mat as a gift; it’s already half done.”

She pointed to the half-finished mat spread on the floor of the main room. “Since Sister-in-law A Lie cares for her two children, she asked us to make another bed for Xiao An. The bed frame is still being made. I asked for the measurements in advance so it’d be ready by the banquet day. That will count as a gift.”

Sang Luo had some knack for earning money. After ten or so days of enjoying her good meat and vegetables, Shi and Lu families had gradually noticed.

Not only was the rice and meat she provided substantial every day, it wasn’t something you could supply by just selling some bundles of wild vegetables.

Moreover, Sang Luo carried two full loads of wooden buckets back from the mountain paths daily.

Since both families had members working there, these details couldn’t be hidden. Even if overlooked for one or two days, seven or eight days would be noticed.

Unless Sang Luo stopped her stall entirely during the house construction.

It was clear Sang Luo wasn’t trying to hide this, so Old Madam Chen dared to hint half-jokingly, and Old Madam Lu and Shi sisters-in-law immediately understood.

Both families knew their limits. They listened to whatever Old Madam Chen said and understood that Sang Luo was keeping things from the village. They wouldn’t say a word out of place.

Old Madam Lu smiled, “It’s only right. This is your goodwill. We just need to keep things even on the surface; there’s no need to be absolutely equal.”

Relationships have their distances and closeness, and gift-giving depends on sincerity.

Since Old Madam Chen had openly hinted at this, it showed Sang Luo trusted these two families quite a bit.

Though no one knew exactly what Qin Fangniang and Sang Luo sold in the county, Old Madam Lu felt that true friendship meant knowing what should be known. When the time comes, they’d know what they needed to know. Maintaining distance and not prying was the proper way. She advised her sons and grandsons accordingly.

Shi Erlang’s wife was somewhat curious. When her husband mentioned this, she felt a bit restless. Who wouldn’t be curious about ways to make money?

But her eldest sister-in-law had warned her several times to rein in her curiosity.

“If they don’t want you to know, and you can’t control your curiosity and pry, then what little friendship you have will be over.”

“If you envy Qin Fangniang for making money, then at least be as mindful as the Chen family. Watch how the Chen family interacts with the Sang family. If you can be like the Chen family, whether or not Sang Luo takes Qin Fangniang along with us, having a capable friend who can support her family is never a bad thing.”

These were her eldest sister-in-law’s exact words.

Though Shi Erlang was currently the only adult male at home, the couple always listened to his eldest sister-in-law on important matters.

So they behaved properly. Shi Erlang, who was more prudent than Lu Dalang, wasn’t as shrewd himself. He followed his sister-in-law’s advice and didn’t get involved with the straw house. Besides the house building, he avoided looking into matters that weren’t his concern. Even if he saw something, he looked away, pretending not to notice. In fact, he never actually saw anything.

Shi Erlang’s wife, who loved chatting with village women, kept quiet as well. When she couldn’t hold back, she would whisper to her eldest sister-in-law at home to vent her gossip, then go out again with her mouth quiet.

Having one or two sensible people in a family, the Shi, Lu, Chen, and Shen main branch families formed a peculiar balance and tacit understanding regarding the secret earning methods they suspected Sang Luo and the Chen family had.

Shi and Lu families: We know you have secrets, but since you don’t say, we won’t pry or guess.

Sang Luo: I know you know I have secrets, but if you don’t look, ask, or pry, I’ll pretend you know nothing. Let’s observe and get along.

Chen family: I see everything clearly. Good. Our people are sensible.