Chapter 33: Celebrating overcoming yet another hurdle...
Du Min watched the Gu family's boat disappear around the bend in the river. He raised his hand with amusement, untied the veil over his head, and straightened his slightly bent back.
"Student, would you like to buy some bayberries?" A small boat slowly approached the ferry dock, and the boatman on board called out.
Du Min remained silent. He waved his hand, turned around, and walked into the gate of the prefectural school.
"Selling bayberries! Fresh bayberries, just picked from the tree, three coins a pound!"
"Go away, go away, stop hawking your wares outside the academy." The gatekeeper came out to chase them away.
As soon as the hawking stopped, the small boat sailed away from the ferry.
The small boat sailed away along the river, and the cries of vendors rose again.
"Selling bayberries, three coins a pound, fresh as they are."
“There are bayberries for sale. Go buy half a basin of bayberries,” Meng Qing told Du Li. “Choose bayberries that are bright in color and large in size. Taste them before you buy to see if they are sweet.”
“I’ll chop the vegetables, you go buy them,” Du Li said.
Meng Qing carried a wooden basin and ran out. As soon as she stepped outside, she saw several children carrying basins and running out. She immediately took big strides and rushed out of Jiayufang first.
"Wait, I want to buy some bayberries!" Meng Qing shouted as she ran.
The small boat was rowed to the riverbank, the boatman got off, and dragged the bamboo raft ashore. After securing the raft, he carried the flat basket ashore.
"Are the bayberries sweet? Can I try one first?" Meng Qing asked.
"They're sweet. There's been less rain this year, so the bayberries are sweeter than in previous years. Feel free to try as many as you like," the boatman said confidently.
Meng Qing picked a purplish-red bayberry and put it in her mouth. It tasted fragrant and the juice was sweet, not watery at all.
"Fill me a whole basin," Meng Qing said.
Upon hearing this, the boatman's face immediately lit up with a smile.
"Sister Meng, you run so fast!" The children who were a few steps behind also ran over.
"If you want to eat something delicious, you have to run fast. If you run slowly, you'll have to buy what I leave behind," Meng Qing said with a mischievous grin.
The children, sulking, crowded around, peering at her every move.
The boatman chuckled and said, "Don't push, don't push. It's not what she left over. She bought a whole basinful, and this whole basket is for her. There's nothing left."
The basin weighed eleven jin (approximately 4.5 kg), and Meng Qing paid thirty-three copper coins. She carried the heavy wooden basin home.
"I'll do it." Du Li met her halfway and quickly took the wooden basin from her. "You bought so much?"
“There are a lot of people. When you go to the paper horse shop this afternoon, bring some for Yuexiu and Wenjiao. Also, pack a bowl when you deliver food to Du Min.” Meng Qing waved his hand.
“If you like to eat them, I’ll buy a few bayberry trees and plant them this year, so you can go to the field to eat them next year and pick the freshest ones from the trees,” Du Li said.
“Okay, plant three or five trees, no need to plant too many. Waxberries don’t keep well, and you shouldn’t expect to sell them,” Meng Qing said.
When they got home, Meng's parents and Meng Chun were also back. Meng's mother was tending the fire in the kitchen when she saw the young couple return. She said, "Now that everyone is here, let's set the table for dinner."
"Meng Chun, go get some wine. Let's all have a drink today to celebrate overcoming another difficulty," said Meng's father.
Meng Chun was also a little excited. He said enthusiastically, "Okay, I'll have some too. Brother-in-law, do you want some?"
Du Li waved her hand in lingering fear: "I won't drink, you guys drink. I still have to deliver food later."
"Drink only a little, so you don't get drunk," Meng's father said. "Qingniang can't drink alcohol because she's feeding the child, otherwise it wouldn't be your turn. You drink in her place."
“Okay, have a drink with Dad. Don’t worry about getting drunk. I’ll go deliver food to Du Min.” Meng Qing encouraged him. “Everyone in our family can drink. You can practice your drinking capacity. When I’m no longer feeding the children, you can still have a few drinks with me.”
Hearing her say that, Du Li eagerly picked up the bowl to receive the wine.
"I'll have a drink too," Meng's mother said with a smile.
Meng's father looked at Meng Qing, who shook her head: "You guys drink, I won't drink. I'll drink after Wang Zhou is weaned."
“Alright, then watch us drink, but don’t get greedy.” Meng’s father picked up the bowl, cleared his throat, and said, “Let me say a few words.”
"Go on," Meng's mother said, very supportive.
"First of all, I want to commend everyone in our family, especially Meng Chun. Because of Du Min's matter, Meng Qing was implicated, which ultimately affected the paper horse shop's business. But I didn't hear a single complaint or blame in our family. Meng Chun did a particularly good job in this regard, and didn't succumb to the threats from the constables to drive away my sister and brother-in-law's family." Meng's father raised his wine bowl and toasted Meng Chun, "I'll toast you, so you can be a little smug."
Meng Chun grinned from ear to ear, held the bowl with both hands, tilted his head back, and drank it down.
Mr. Meng also took a big sip, picked up some food and ate it, and continued, "The second toast I want to offer is to Meng Qing. My daughter is really smart and quick-witted. She didn't spend a penny or use any favors, and she took care of the person who caused us trouble all by herself."
Meng Qing picked up a piece of fried egg and said, "Let's have a dish instead of wine, one of these."
Father Meng laughed heartily and said to Du Li, "Son-in-law, this is for your family, you should have a drink too."
Du Li was stunned; he had never seen anything like this before. But once he was given a ride, he obediently picked up the bowl and took a big gulp.
"Let's have a final drink, my wife and I. This daughter and this son, they are our children." Mr. Meng gestured with his hands, his face beaming. "Although our family came from a poor background, we live no worse than others. With this son and daughter, I am content with my life."
Meng's mother couldn't stop smiling. "You look like you've already had a few drinks?"
"Don't say such discouraging things." Meng's father toasted with her. "I'll drink first as a sign of respect. I'll finish mine, you can drink as you like."
Meng's mother finished her drink in one go, hissing from the spiciness, and said, "I won't spoil the fun. I'll drink with you. If we get drunk, we'll both sleep in the house. Meng Chun, take it easy. Don't get drunk. You go and watch the shop this afternoon."
“I’ll go watch the shop, you guys drink to your hearts’ content,” Meng Qing said, nudging Du Li. “This afternoon you won’t be watching the kids, you’ll be drinking with your parents, and if you get drunk you can just go to bed.”
Du Li awkwardly rolled up his sleeves.
"My brother-in-law is about to make a big splash," Meng Chun joked.
Du Li blushed and waved his hand shyly, "I can't drink, and I can't talk. I've never seen such a lively scene before. I feel like I'm not up to the task."
“That’s normal. We develop our thick skin and silver tongue through practice. In the first year your father and I ran our shop, when customers came in, we would stutter, our lips would tremble, and our faces would look even more miserable than customers buying paper money for their deceased fathers. That was truly embarrassing. It took us two or three years to get used to doing business, and five or six years to develop the ability to speak appropriately to different people.” Mencius’ mother said with a smile, “You spent the first twenty years of your life working in the fields. It would be strange if you suddenly became so shrewd.”
“We’re all family, no one will laugh at you. Even if you make mistakes or say the wrong thing, no one will look down on you. Just learn slowly,” Meng’s father said.
Du Li nodded in satisfaction. He picked up his wine bowl, stood up, and said, "I toast to you, Father. This is my apprenticeship ceremony. I want to learn from you. When I get old, I hope I can have the same courage as you and dare to raise my wine bowl to toast my children."
Meng Qing exclaimed "Wow!" and clapped her hands in approval. "Playing dumb to fool others! That's a great description!"
Du Li blushed deeply, his neck and ears turning red as well. He wanted to beg for forgiveness but couldn't say anything, so he could only sit down awkwardly.
The rest of the Meng family burst into laughter at his shy expression.
"Come on, have a drink," Meng's father said with a smile.
Du Li quickly picked up the bowl and stood up again.
"Sit down, sit down. We don't need these formalities at home," Meng's father said, gesturing for him to sit.
Du Li took a sip of the tasteless liquor and mustered his courage to glance at Meng Qing.
"You're a promising young man." Meng Qing placed a piece of food on his plate.
"My brother-in-law's mouth is practically stretched to his ears," Meng Chun chuckled.
“You’ll have this day sooner or later,” Meng’s father said, adding, “It’s your good fortune that you’re able to have this day.”
"I wish Brother Chun could marry a girl you like." Du Li picked up his wine bowl.
Meng Chun was a little shy. He scratched his head and said loudly, "Thank you, brother-in-law."
The two brothers-in-law happily shared a drink.
"In two more years, Mengchun will be able to get married. If he marries a wife with a generous and tolerant personality, our whole family can still live happily together," Meng's mother hinted.
"As long as the young couple is loving, that's enough," Meng Qing said, adding that she might not stay at her parents' house indefinitely.
“That won’t do,” Meng’s mother shook her head.
Meng Qing glanced at her and said, "According to you, you should understand my mother-in-law. After all, from her perspective, I can hardly be called a magnanimous and tolerant daughter-in-law."
Mencius' mother was speechless; she couldn't refute this.
"You two mustn't mention starting a fire," Meng's father warned.
"Mother, drink some wine." Du Li picked up the wine bowl and said, "With your understanding nature, you and your daughter-in-law will definitely get along well after your daughter-in-law enters the family."
Mencius' mother raised her bowl and touched it to his, saying, "How much wine is left in your bowl? Let's finish it together, then we'll eat."
"Okay." Du Li was overjoyed. His initial excitement had worn off, and he started to feel awkward again.
Meng Chun asked his father to drink, and the father and son finished the remaining wine in their bowls.
Meng Qing got up and took away the wine bowls. She rinsed the bowls with water to remove the smell of wine, then served four bowls of rice to them.
“I’m full, I’m going to bring food to Du Min,” she said.
"Wait for me a moment, I'll go with you." Du Li hurriedly ate her rice.
"You're not drunk?" Meng Qing asked.
Du Li shook his head, ate half a bowl of rice haphazardly, and said, "Alright, let's go."
Meng's mother wanted to laugh again, so she said, "Give me an extra bowl of rice, and add some vegetables to it. When we go to the academy, you two brothers can eat together."
Meng Qing did as she was told. Seeing that Du Li could still walk straight and didn't seem dizzy, she had him carry the heavy food box.
Once outside, Meng Qing asked, "Are you a little tipsy?"
“Don’t say such discouraging things,” Du Li imitated his father-in-law.
Meng Qing chuckled, then punched him lightly, warning, "It's fine if you drink at my house, but you can't drink outside, and you absolutely can't drink excessively."
"You're overthinking it. Once I step out of the Meng family's door, who would still be willing to give me wine?" Du Li scoffed. As they crossed the bridge, he quietly took her hand and whispered, "I've realized I'm also concerned about saving face. Is this a disease that all poor people get? Because of this concern, I can't let loose. Even though your family treats me so well, I'm still a bit reserved. I'm like a clay idol that can't eat incense. Am I embarrassing you?"
Meng Qing didn't have that thought. She gave a direct response: "You're not clumsy with words at all, and you're clear-headed too. You're no less capable than Du Min. You're just too insecure. Don't belittle yourself. Take good care of yourself. Once you've seen more of life, you'll realize that nobody cares about the little details you're struggling with right now."
Meng Qing waved for a boat and said, "Go to the prefectural school."
After a stick of incense had burned, Meng Qing and Du Li arrived at the ferry outside the prefectural school, where they encountered Du Min, who was waving to stop the boat to go out.
"Third brother, where are you going?" Meng Qing asked.
"Go to your house." Du Min said irritably, pointing to the sky, "What time is it? My second brother hasn't brought the food yet. I thought something had happened to you. I waited and waited, but I decided to go and check on you."
"Nothing happened, we just cooked dinner late today," Meng Qing explained. "Come on, let's go back to the academy, I have something to tell you."
Du Li lagged behind to pay the boat fare, then followed two steps behind his uncle and sister-in-law into the prefectural school.
Du Min smelled the alcohol and turned around to take a deep sniff. "Second Brother, have you been drinking?"
"Yeah, I had a few drinks with my father-in-law," Du Li said with a smile.
For no apparent reason, Du Min felt a little irritated.
"Third brother, I see the wound on your head has scabbed over. Does it not hurt anymore?" Meng Qing asked.
"It doesn't hurt much anymore, but you have to be careful when you sleep; you can only sleep lying upright," Du Min replied.
"Are your classmates still targeting you?" Meng Qing asked again.
Du Li had asked these questions, and Du Min had answered them. He knew that Meng Qing should also know, but he still patiently said, "They ignore me and try to exclude me in other ways. Fortunately, the teachers no longer ignore me because of them. When I have questions, I go to the teachers, and they are willing to answer them and lend me books. I am already satisfied with this situation."
"That's good. Work even harder and try to leave here and Wuxian as soon as possible, and make friends in a new place," Meng Qing said.
Du Min also used this idea to motivate himself.
The three of them went to the back house, and Du Li opened the food box and brought out all the food. "Your second sister-in-law bought some bayberries, they're fresh, here's a bowl for you."
“I also saw a boat selling bayberries today, but I didn’t buy any.” Du Min was starving. He picked up his chopsticks to eat and said, “Second sister-in-law, please sit wherever you like.”
Du Li handed another stool to Meng Qing, who ate standing up.
"Aren't you full yet?" Du Min asked.
"I didn't have time to eat, I only drank a bowl of wine."
"Did you have guests at home today?" Du Min inquired.
“No, it’s just a family celebration,” Meng Qing replied. “The good news I wanted to tell you is this: I met Gu Wuxia’s father, and the matter of Gu Wuxia causing trouble has been resolved.”
"You're drinking to celebrate this?" Du Min asked incredulously.
Meng Qing nodded, "I drank some because I was happy."
“My father-in-law and mother-in-law are easily satisfied. They think their daughter is capable and their son is magnanimous, so they happily celebrate,” Du Li said with a smile.
Du Min let out an "Oh," and the food in his mouth seemed to have lost its flavor. He didn't know what was wrong with him, and he couldn't figure out why he felt so lost and bitter.
"Can Gu Wuxia still enter the prefectural school?" Meng Qing asked.
"I don't know." Du Min shook his head. "He came to see me today, and I talked to him for a while. He calmed down a bit and probably won't cause you any more trouble in the future."
Meng Qing glanced at him twice. He apologized to Gu Wuxia on the surface, but stabbed her in the back. Du Min was really ruthless.
"I'm relieved to hear that." Meng Qing smiled knowingly and breathed a sigh of relief. "By the way, do you have enough money? I've saved up seven or eight strings of cash for you. I'll have your second brother bring it to you in several installments."
Du Min waved his hand, "Keep it in your hand. I'll ask my second brother for money when I need it. It's not safe in my dorm."
"Okay." After seeing that Du Li had finished eating, Meng Qing stood up and said, "Wang Zhou should be awake by now. I have to go back."
Du Li tidied up the food boxes.
Du Min put down his chopsticks and said, "I'll see you out."
“You eat your food, it’s not like we don’t know the way,” Du Li said.
Du Min insisted on delivering the food, but Du Li said sourly, "I've been delivering food to you for so many days, but you've never delivered any to me."
Du Min chuckled, and said half-jokingly, "I respect my second sister-in-law more; you don't receive that treatment."
As Meng Qing turned the corner and approached the academy gate, she heard a somewhat familiar voice, but it vanished in an instant and disappeared when she listened again.
As they walked out of the prefectural school, Meng Qing turned back and said, "We're leaving. You can go back now."
"Sister," Meng Chun called out, "my brother-in-law's eldest brother and sister-in-law are here."
Du Li and Du Min came out, and Du Ming and Li Hongguo's eyes fell on the black scabs on Du Min's forehead and temples.
"Why are you here?" Du Min asked unhappily.
Du Ming snapped out of his daze, but he ignored the ingrate. He looked at Du Li and said, "Second brother, it's time to plant rice at home. Dad wants you to go back. He was afraid that if he asked someone to tell you, they wouldn't be able to get you back, so your sister-in-law and I made a special trip."
Du Li knew this day would come, and he wasn't surprised at all that Du Ming would come. Fortunately, Du Min's injuries were exposed, so he didn't have to help him hide it or offend his family.
"I'll go back for two days and come back in a couple of days." Du Li handed the food box to Meng Qing, then turned his head and asked, "Third brother, are you going back?"
"I won't reply."
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