Shui Qing, Fan Jin, and Wan Xia were on their way to Fan Qian's house with congratulatory gifts.
The gift was simple: a piece of cloth, twenty eggs, and ten catties of rice, which was considered quite generous in the village.
If you are not holding a wedding banquet or inviting guests, you don't need to send congratulatory gifts. However, if you are hosting a banquet, according to tradition, those who come to the banquet will not arrive empty-handed.
When Fan Dazhu came over with his cane to invite his uncle Fan Jin, he made it clear, both openly and subtly, that there were only two tables available, and that his uncle and aunt could take Wanxia there.
Shui Qing didn't care to bring the children over, but she couldn't let Wan Xia go alone, so she thought it would be better for her and Fan Jin to accompany her for a meal.
As we descended the slope and merged into the village's main road, we saw Uncle Fan Qi arriving, leaning on his cane and trembling. Beside him, Fan Xiang carried a basket of eggs in her left hand and an old hen in her right.
Shuiqing sighed, noting that people in the village, especially those with the same surname, still value relationships a lot. Even if they don't get along well on weekdays, they will still treat each other with great respect when someone invites them to a wedding or funeral!
"Aunt Shuiqing!" Fan Xiang's eyes lit up when she saw Shuiqing, and she jogged over.
Then he called out to Fan Jin, who was standing next to him, "Second Uncle."
Fan Jin nodded gently in agreement, took two steps back, walked to Fan Qiye's side, and reached out to support her, allowing the two women to have a private conversation.
Fan Xiang glanced over there and muttered softly, "Grandpa said that Uncle Fan is the head of this family, and we have to come to Brother Dazhu's wedding, otherwise it will be embarrassing."
If you ask me, what's so shameful about it? They've done so many shameful things in the past, and they never thought they were shameful!
They were concerned about Fan Dazhu's feelings, but Fan Dazhu was only after their congratulatory gifts.
In the past, twenty eggs would have been enough as a wedding gift for the villagers, but the grandfather insisted on adding an old hen and sent his two sisters-in-law over to help with the wedding banquet, hoping that the midday feast would be worthy of this gift.
Shui Qing smiled and said softly, "The old man values rules."
Perhaps the old man was thinking of his brother, since he was getting old and didn't know when he would pass away, and he was afraid he wouldn't be able to talk to his brother about it when he got to the afterlife.
Also, we no longer live in the days when we were starving and had to count our food every day. Eggs and old hens are readily available and don't affect the quality of our meals at home, so we can add more.
Fan Xiang wasn't really reluctant to part with them; she was just reluctant to leave Fan Dazhu's family!
The more she thought about it, the angrier she became. Just as she was about to continue speaking, she caught a glimpse of Wanxia out of the corner of her eye. She was stunned for a moment before realizing what she had done and pursed her lips, changing her words to, "I wonder what delicious food will be served later?"
Speaking of her relationship with Fan Dazhu's family, Aunt Shuiqing's relationship with them was even worse!
But Aunt Shuiqing not only attended the wedding banquet in person, but also gave a piece of cloth as a gift. This was entirely out of respect for Second Uncle and Wanxia. Compared to Aunt Shuiqing's grievances, what was this?
Shui Qing didn't feel wronged. She just gave them an extra piece of cloth. Firstly, she didn't care, and secondly, Fan Jin and Wan Xia were both very kind, so she was willing to accompany them.
Hearing Fan Xiang's concern about the food, he thought for a moment and replied, "Don't have too high hopes."
When it comes to food, Fan Xiang is clearly more enthusiastic, her eyebrows dancing as she says, "They invited two of my sisters-in-law to come and cook. With only two people cooking for two tables, it certainly won't be too bad!"
Wanxia pressed her lips down and exhaled.
My cousin still doesn't understand her older brother. He hired two people just because he didn't want to lift a finger. He wanted people to not only cook delicious food but also wash the dishes, scrub the pots, and clean the main room and kitchen spotless.
She then looked at her poised and generous aunt, who accompanied her to places she didn't like, without any dissatisfaction or resentment, as if it were a normal visit to relatives.
But deep down she knew her aunt was doing it for her. Others had different standards for her than for Yan Qiuxing; her aunt didn't want her to be gossiped about by some people in the village, and she also wanted to prevent her from getting a bad reputation...
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