Chapter 65 Spring Rain and Qingming Rain
Willows along the banks of the Bian River droop down to the water, casting green shadows on the water. Painted boats glide by, stirring up ripples and captivating the hearts of those who admire the scenery.
A small group of people gathered under the willow tree, especially the younger women and men, who broke off willow branches, wove them into willow wreaths, and wore them on their heads, playfully teasing each other.
After Cui Niang caused trouble that day, Lu Ji was also affected and became deserted for several days. Wei Pan couldn't hold back her worries and looked gloomy all day long.
Lu Qiong comforted her, "Even without Cui Niang, there are often troublesome customers causing trouble. It will pass soon."
After all, in her opinion, this was not a big deal at all. Compared to imprisonment, talking about this was trivial.
Wei Pan remained preoccupied, lost in thought, and didn't even read the storybooks until a few days before Qingming Festival when her mood improved.
Seeing that the green rice dumplings, milk cakes, and jujube cakes were prepared in advance and there was no shortage of manpower, Lu Qiong told her to go out for a spring outing with Lu Xuan, to the Bian River or to the pear orchard to enjoy the flowers, and to relax and clear their minds. Wei Pan had probably been cooped up for a long time.
Just as she expected, Wei Pan smiled when she saw the spring scenery all over the street. But unexpectedly, she met Cui Niang at Zhou Bridge. However, Cui Niang looked unwell and was much thinner than usual. She did not dare to go forward when she saw Wei Pan.
Lu Xuan also noticed Cui Niang, and immediately her face fell. She then led Wei Pan away elsewhere.
Many diners came to watch the spectacle that day, and the news eventually spread throughout the neighborhood. Everyone knew that the Wei family treated their daughter badly, and they all talked behind her back.
Cui Niang knew that her neighbors' attitude towards her had changed, and she couldn't stand it anymore, so she got into a fight with them, which ultimately affected Wei Rong's reputation at the school.
The students asked Wei Rong with disdain, "I heard your mother treats your sister badly? So do you bully her too... You're so fat, while your sister is still starving."
The others also voiced their support, making Wei Rong feel ashamed. From then on, he stopped going to school and spent his days idly at home.
Cui Niang had just gotten into a fight with someone, and when she came back and saw him acting like a big shot, she was even more annoyed. Plus, she knew that Wei Rong was reading a storybook, which made her even angrier.
To her surprise, Wei Rong also lost his temper with her: "Isn't it all your fault? You made me lose face at school!"
After saying that, he went into the bedroom, and the door slammed shut with a bang, shaking off the dust on the door.
Cui Niang was stunned and collapsed to the ground, crying out, "What sins have we committed... They are all wicked and unfilial children!"
Wei Rong couldn't find peace in the house either. Cui Niang's crying was too penetrating; even if he plugged his ears, it wouldn't help. So he simply ran out into the yard.
When Cui Niang saw the door being pushed open, she thought Wei Rong couldn't bear to see her sitting on the ground. Just as she was about to get up, she saw Wei Rong quickly walk past her without even giving her a glance.
Cui Niang didn't get up either, collapsing completely on the ground, staring blankly at the empty courtyard.
As Wei Rong walked alone through the alleys of the neighborhood, he would often meet the gazes of his neighbors. In his haste, he would trip over a pebble and stumble, when suddenly a burst of laughter came from behind him.
He walked even faster.
...
Lu Qiong served the diners a plate of green rice dumplings and a bowl of wheat porridge, and chatted for a while. The main topic was the ancestral worship ceremony tomorrow, and how rain would cause many inconveniences.
After the person left, she went to tidy up the table, only to find that the tea in the teacup was still full, perhaps because the customer didn't like tea.
Lu Qiong sighed, another good tea wasted.
"But that swing is a bit too low." Lu Xuan also returned from the Bian River, holding a few willow branches in her hand, chatting non-stop with Wei Pan beside her.
Wei Pan was wearing a willow wreath in her hair, and she nodded after listening to what she said.
Seeing that both of them were sweating lightly, Lu Qiong brought over two glasses of water with some citron juice, making a simple version of citron drink.
Lu Xuan was also extremely thirsty, so she picked up the cup and gulped it down, leaving not a drop.
"The pear orchard is really blooming quite a bit, and some people have even hung up swings, but there are so many people that there aren't enough seats..."
Wei Pan also looked regretful.
Seeing their disappointment, Lu Qiong remembered the jujube tree in the yard, which was of a decent height and had a thick trunk. She decided to make a decision: "We can also hang a swing on the tree. When we come back for Qingming Festival, we'll find someone to build one."
Lu Xuan was immediately delighted, her joy barely concealed: "Then I'll sit on the swing all day long!"
Lu Qiong sighed helplessly, "Fine, you can hang it on the tree if you want."
Who got stuck in the tree?
Jinniang's voice came from not far away, with Shuangjie'er and Pang Qiaoniang still following behind her. The three of them were truly inseparable.
But why is Shuang'er's forehead red? And her eyes are swollen, she must have been crying.
Jinniang waved her hand, telling Shuangjie to sit down in a chair. She touched Shuangjie's forehead, and Shuangjie hissed and leaned back.
"She just tried to play Cuju (ancient Chinese football) and everyone else was taller than her. The ball just happened to hit her forehead, and she didn't dodge it, so it hit her forehead."
Lu Qiong felt a pang of pain upon hearing this, and patted Shuang Jie'er's head: "Does it hurt? I'll cook you some glutinous rice balls later."
Anyway, she was afraid of pain when she was a child. It seemed like her cerebellum wasn't fully developed, and she often fell on flat ground, wearing out her pants one after another and scraping her knees. She couldn't move them easily, as they would burn with pain if she did.
Shuangjie shook her head, but her voice was soft and sweet: "I'm all grown up now, I'm not afraid of pain."
Jinniang couldn't stand it anymore and insisted on exposing her: "I wonder who's crying so loudly that it can be heard for miles around..."
Seeing Shuangjie'er's anger and embarrassment, everyone found it amusing, and Jinniang, knowing she had offended someone, began to coax Shuangjie'er.
Taking advantage of this moment, Sister Yang handed over the green rice dumplings. One plate was filled with red bean paste, and the other with sesame paste, but they looked no different. She smiled and said, "These beans have been soaked for several hours and ground for a long time, which is why the red bean paste is so smooth."
Jinniang and Yang Jie'er praised each other again, praising each other for their skillful hands, meticulous hearts, and patience.
The skin of the qingtuan was of moderate thickness, and the red bean paste was extra sweet after adding sugar, at least for Lu Qiong. However, the skin of the qingtuan neutralized the sweetness quite a bit, and she didn't feel greasy after eating two.
Needless to say, Shuangjie is someone who eats so much glutinous rice that her stomach hurts, with red bean paste on one side and sesame on the other.
The qingtuan was soft and chewy. After chewing it a few times, the aroma of mugwort gradually spread. She even squinted her eyes as she ate, and finally couldn't help but exclaim, "It tastes much better than what my mother makes."
Jinniang rolled her eyes at her and quickly swallowed the milk cake in her mouth: "You're such an ungrateful little devil..."
Upon hearing the word "ungrateful wretch," Lu Qiong also looked up and glanced at Wei Pan, but fortunately, she didn't react much.
By the end, only red bean paste filling remained on the plate, which was normal, as sesame filling was also the most popular in the shop.
Lu Qiong also kept this in mind.
Just as she was about to clear the plate away, Jinniang exclaimed "Ouch!" and slapped her thigh: "I remember there was something I wanted to tell you..."
She had completely forgotten, and couldn't remember at all; her memory had been getting worse and worse lately.
Pang Qiaoniang then spoke up at the opportune moment, her voice gentle: "It seems there's a shop for sale in the alley next to the embroidery workshop."
Jinniang only remembered after being reminded by her. However, the shop was a clothing store, and since it was just hearsay, she didn't know if it was reliable.
Lu Qiong nodded thoughtfully. She did want to move to a slightly larger shop, but there weren't many restaurants near the embroidery shop, and she didn't know how business would be.
After thinking for a moment, she looked up and said, "Let's talk about it after Qingming Festival. If they're still here, then it's fate."
This matter was not of much concern to Jinniang, and since she had her own plans, she didn't bother with it.
...
Even if the weather is fine before the festival, it will still rain on Qingming Festival, which adds a sad and desolate atmosphere to Bianjing.
The rainwater was not visible under the eaves, and the water droplets on the floor tiles were very small. Looking out, all that could be seen was a thin layer of mist, making the view somewhat hazy.
The seeds in the ground sprouted and took root firmly in the soil, enduring the baptism of rain.
Wei Pan stretched out one hand upwards, and raindrops pattered down, quickly soaking her palm. Seeing that the rain showed no signs of letting up, she frowned and said, "What should we do?"
Lu Xuan held the bowl of meat porridge in both hands, blew on it to cool it down, and took a sip. The salty and fragrant meat porridge, along with the spiciness of pepper, warmed her stomach.
"Don't worry, if you can't go back, my sister and I will stay and keep you company."
Wei Pan was amused by her, but she also knew that she was just trying to comfort her. If they really couldn't go back, how sad would their ancestors be?
Perhaps hearing their expectations, the rain stopped quickly. Lu Qiong also took the luggage she had prepared in advance and got into the carriage with Lu Xuan to go back.
Wei Pan stayed at home, which also allowed her to look after Xue'er. After they left, Wei Pan even cooked a bowl of sweet fermented rice balls, enjoying the peace and quiet.
The air along the road was humid, carrying the scent of earth and a faint fragrance of flowers.
Unlike the bustling city of Bianjing, this place has a more idyllic, rural feel. The wheels of a cart rolled over a puddle, splashing water and making the surrounding land even wetter.
Back in the courtyard, weeds still grew rampant, and everything was damp. Lu Qiong didn't care and quickly went to check the firewood in the kitchen. Fortunately, it was dry and hadn't gotten damp.
This time, I brought back not only offerings, but also some meat, noodles, and seasonings, since I couldn't go to other people's houses to freeload like last time.
They had endured a lot of hardship along the way, and the rain made the roads difficult to travel, so the carriage was slower than usual. Moreover, they had run out of porridge for breakfast and were now starving.
Seeing that there was a lot of dust in the room, Lu Qiong looked around and had an idea. She asked Lu Xuan to fetch some water: "Let's clean the kitchen and the main room first, and then we can eat lunch."
Lu Xuan had been listless for a while, but when she heard about food, she suddenly raised her head and her eyes lit up: "I want to eat spring rolls!"
Driven by a strong will to get food, she rushed to the well. Seeing that a lot of things had fallen to the surface, Lu Xuan first used a wooden bucket with a rope to scoop out the floating debris. Once it was clean, she painstakingly drew water up.
In the kitchen, Lu Qiong was also clearing the flue. After all, it hadn't been used for almost half a year, so there must have been a lot of ash inside. With the recent spring rains, lighting a fire directly would likely produce smoke.
Actually, the kitchen doesn't need much cleaning; wiping it a few times with water is enough to keep it clean. Only the boiler needs to be thoroughly cleaned, and small items should be moved to the yard to wash with water, and finally scalded with boiling water.
The rest of the main room was left to Lu Xuan, who swept, mopped, wiped the tables and chairs, and that was about it.
Lu Qiong spread out the ingredients she brought back from Bianjing and divided them into several portions. The spring rolls she often made required flour, eggs, carrots, mushrooms, and cabbage, all of which were washed, shredded, and placed in a bowl.
Lu Xuan also happened to arrive from the main room, along with some helpers.
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Author's Note: I can only post this during the Qingming Festival because I was a bit busy before the holiday and missed some updates. I'll make up for it later today with another chapter. [shrug]
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