The Bride Kidnapping (Part 5)
Liu Yu smiled broadly: "Since we're already family, let's not stand on ceremony. I also wish Qing Niangzi a speedy success in finding a good husband."
I've been independent for many years and have encountered many marriage proposals. I've even had instances of forced marriage and wedding abductions, but this is the first time I've been pressured to get married, so it's quite a novel experience. I suppressed a laugh and said, "Thank you for your kind words. I'm looking for someone, I'm looking for someone."
Liu Yu said in a serious tone, "After you succeed, you have to treat me to a drink."
I burst out laughing: "I'll treat you to 'Chongbichun'!"
Liu Yu clapped his hands and laughed: "Qing Niangzi is so straightforward!"
Aunt Xu came over and said, "Remember to look for me when you take in a newborn."
Wang Yunhui patted Liu Xingjian on the shoulder and said with a smile, "Leave the children's studies to our old Liu."
"Definitely, definitely!" I was amused by them. "Qingcheng toasts you both."
Liu Yu said, "Prefect Wei, why are you standing there blankly again? Qing Niangzi's wine bowl is empty."
Amidst the laughter of the crowd, I held out my bowl to the wine jar, and Wei Ji added another ladle of rice wine for me.
I pointed at the group and laughed, "Judging from the situation, before I arrived, Lord Wei had already been thoroughly harassed by this group of four who are always urging him to get married and have children."
Liu Xingjian said gently, "Qingcheng, you don't know this. Prefect Wei is busy with government affairs all day long and has no time to attend to other matters. We are also worried that he will abandon private interests for public ones and miss out on marriage opportunities."
“That’s right,” Wang Yunhui chimed in. “Prefect Wei is always thinking about sheltering others from the wind and rain, but he himself has nowhere to shelter from the wind and rain.”
Wei Ji bowed to them and said earnestly, "You two are too kind. What I have done is all within my duty. We are all like-minded people here. It is an honor to come together. Let us not distinguish between each other."
I carried the rice wine to Wei Ji, who also picked up his bowl and stood up. His gaze was bright and warm as he looked at me: "Qing Niangzi, it's been a long time."
I asked with a smile, "Lord Wei, how have you been?"
"I am well, thank you for your concern, Madam Qing."
After toasting, I turned back and saw the group that had been dancing around the campfire all the way back to the table. They knelt head to head, scrambling for something. By the time I squeezed through the crowd, they had already dispersed, laughing, and the air was filled with the distinctive aroma of fried food.
I sniffed and asked Lin Zhong, "Fried cicadas?"
"Um."
Looking at the empty bamboo basket, I felt a pang of emotion: the Liao people are skilled at repelling insects and also enjoy eating them. Bees, scorpions, grasshoppers, centipedes—none of them are off-limits; they can be steamed, roasted, or fried in various ways.
When Huai Xu and I were each other's only family, we often went years without meat. We would dig up bamboo worms and cicadas, skewer them, roast them, and dip them in salt—they tasted quite good. After we brought Lin Zhong back, he wasn't afraid of insects, but he didn't eat them either; as for Feng Qiao, needless to say, he didn't either. Influenced by the two cooks, we gradually stopped eating these things altogether.
"Heartless! He didn't even leave me a few." I sighed softly, then suddenly noticed several golden-brown fried cicadas in Lin Zhong's bowl. I blurted out, "Don't you not eat these?"
Lin Zhong did not answer.
I chuckled: "Was it reserved especially for me?"
Lin Zhong sipped his oil tea and mumbled a "Yes."
My mood instantly improved, and I handed over the empty bowl: "Pour it for me."
Lin Zhong was turning over the cicadas when I asked, "Would you like to keep one to try?"
He paused slightly, then declined, "No need."
"Stubborn." I took the bowl, picked up a piece and put it in my mouth. I found the outer shell to be crispy and the inside chewy. Dipped in the sour and spicy sauce, it was truly a delicacy.
The sheng (a type of reed pipe instrument) played a cheerful tune, and young men and women were dancing in circles around the campfire. I searched for Huai Xu and the others among them, and suddenly spotted a handsome young man in a corner. He was short-sleeved, barefoot, and had a blue cloth wrapped around his head, with large tattoos covering his exposed skin. To the music, he stretched out his arms, like a peacock spreading its magnificent wings, and as he twirled and circled, his movements were as agile and elegant as a peacock's.
For some reason, some of the situations I encountered today were strikingly similar to that joyous gathering twelve years ago, except that I was part of it then, but now I am just an observer.
"Aunt Qing!" Luo Erying suddenly appeared behind me. "What are you looking at so intently?"
"Over there," I said with a smile, pointing to the gracefully dancing "male peacock," "Come on, sit down and watch with me!"
Luo Erying leaned closer and held my knee, saying, "Aunt Qing, my braid is loose. Can you help me re-tie it?"
I was just starting to unwrap her handkerchief when suddenly the girl let out a scream, grabbed me tightly, and said, "Aunt Qing, so you were watching him dance too! You think he dances well, don't you?!"
"Yes, her every move has the grace of a peacock."
Luo Erying was so excited her face turned red: "Aunt Qing, you have such good eyes! I think it looks like a peacock; Sister Huaixu insists it looks like an eagle that can't fly; Da Shuang and Xiao Shuang are even more outrageous, they say it looks like a free-range chicken foraging for food."
I laughed so hard I almost fell over: "It's not their fault. You rarely see peacocks in Nanguang, but there are many after you cross the Shimen Pass. The Mangyi people in Dali keep green peacocks in their homes and raise them like chickens."
"Aunt Qing, how do you know so much?"
"I've heard people mention it before."
"Oh!" Luo Erying suddenly realized, leaned close to my ear and whispered, "It's the one who's been missing for twelve years, right? Can he also dance the peacock dance?"
I nodded: "Yes, people of all ages in Dali know how to dance it. This kid, you're from Dali, right?"
“I don’t know,” Luo Erying said with a hint of embarrassment. “I heard he was a soldier in the Changning Army and was on leave today, coming over with friends.”
As soon as she finished braiding her hair, Luo Erying couldn't wait to head towards the "male peacock".
I chuckled as I cracked a cicada shell, “Looks like the Luo family girl has fallen in love at first sight with that dancing boy.”
Lin Zhong glanced at me: "It must have been the same twelve years ago."
Hmm, that's a bit harsh... but for the sake of the cicada, I won't stoop to his level.
I looked back at him, my tone languid: "You're right. I, for one, am prone to judging people by their appearance."
Lin Zhong lowered his eyelids: "That's not good."
“What’s wrong with that? Your appearance reflects your heart.” I took a sip of rice wine and said jokingly, “Eight years ago, I only picked you up because of your looks.”
Lin Zhong was silent for a while, then said with a hint of helplessness, "Boss, please drink less."
Although rice wine doesn't cause a headache, drinking it continuously does make one feel hot and bothered. I picked up a palm-leaf fan and gently waved it. Suddenly, a voice nearby said, "It's quite peaceful over here, Qing Niangzi."
I looked up and saw Wei Ji coming with a bowl, so I waved for him to sit down: "All the noisy ones have run away, how can it not be quiet! What wind blew Lord Wei here?"
"I am ashamed to say this," Wei Ji said, kneeling down to take his seat. "I know Liu Yu's drinking capacity, but I did not expect Mr. Liu to be such a drinker. I am no match for him and can only take my leave for now."
"What?" I said with a smile, fanning myself. "Does Lord Wei perhaps think that none of us at this banquet can drink?"
Wei Ji blushed slightly, glanced at Lin Zhong and me, and cupped his hands, saying, "I dare not."
“Don’t be afraid, Lord Wei.” I scooped half a ladle of rice wine for him. “Lin Zhong can drink, but he’s very picky about his drinks. He only drinks ‘Chongbichun’ from Junlian Town.” I glanced at Lin Zhong and added, “Also, he won’t drink when there are many people around. He’s the kind of person who only likes to drink alone.”
Wei Ji accepted the wine bowl and thanked him, took a small sip, and suddenly said, "Qing Niangzi, Lin Zhong, look over there."
I looked in the direction Wei Ji was pointing and saw Huai Xu and Luo Er Ying arguing with several other girls dressed as sheng liars. Feng Qiao probably couldn't understand what they were saying, so he stood aside, looking anxious and hesitant to speak.
I figured it was probably some girl who had taken a liking to Feng Qiao, and Huai Xu was just being possessive of him, so I said to Lin Zhong, "Go and take a look."
Lin Zhong rose and left his seat. Wei Ji asked me, "Has Qing Niangzi ever seen Shi Yu?"
"He was just back at the table grabbing food," I said with a smile. "Don't worry, Lord Wei. Shi Yu is with the granddaughter of Chief Ge of the Rao Gang. Those two sisters will take care of him, and nothing will go wrong."
"Stealing food?" Wei Ji looked apologetic. "Before he left, I told Shi Yu not to be too willful and mischievous, but I didn't expect him to still act like a child."
I waved my hand and laughed, "The Liao people don't have so many rules about banquets. As long as we're happy and having a good time, that's all that matters. 'Fried Cicadas' is the most popular dish among the mountain people. If you don't grab it, you won't get any."
"The 'fried cicadas' that Qing Niangzi mentioned, were they served in a bamboo basket?"
"Yes." I nudged the basket on the mat with the handle of my fan, then turned to look at Wei Ji. "Is no one touching your food?"
Wei Ji smiled sheepishly: "Qu Bu wasn't here at the time, and we guessed for a long time what kind of insect it was, but we didn't dare to put our chopsticks down."
"What a pity," I said, waving my fan. "I can't get any either. It's like some people are dying of thirst while others are drowning in floods."
Wei Ji picked up the basket and stood up: "Qing Niangzi, please wait a moment." In less than half a moment, he returned with a basket full of cicadas. Seeing my surprised expression, he explained, "I told them they were cicadas, but they still didn't dare to eat them. I heard that Huai Xu and Shi Yu like them, so they asked me to bring them all over."
"Thanks." I poured some into a bowl and pushed the bamboo basket toward him. "It smells delicious, you should eat some too."
"No need, you guys eat."
I chuckled: "Never tried it before?"
"Um."
I picked up a cicada, peeled off its shell, and tossed it to him: "Try it!"
Wei Ji let out a soft sigh, caught the cicada, hastily thanked him, and put the cicada meat into his mouth.
Seeing his slightly flustered look, I suppressed a laugh and asked, "Did you taste anything?"
Wei Ji hurriedly took a sip of rice wine and waved to me.
"Don't swallow it! It actually tastes quite like chicken." I peeled another one and tossed it to him. "Try dipping it in some sauce!"
Forced to finish the second cicada, Wei Ji nodded and said, "It is indeed very fragrant. The texture is somewhat similar to chicken, but the cicada meat is firmer and chewier."
"Lord Wei is truly fortunate to have such a delicious meal." I pretended to peel the remaining cicadas.
Wei Ji quickly stopped him, saying, "I'll do it myself."
I smiled and poured him half a bowl of rice wine: "Lord Wei, what have you been busy with lately?"
Wei Ji said, "This year, the trade volume in the southwestern border markets has increased dramatically. The Tea and Horse Bureau has limited manpower, so the officials of the prefecture have discussed transferring the fine horses collected from various border markets to local distribution. As a result, many affairs within the prefecture need to be handled."
Hmm, it seems this Bear Butcher has extraordinary energy; he not only torments the common people, but he's also quite adept at tormenting his colleagues...
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