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Chapter 311: The Grand Feast

The fifteenth day of the eighth lunar month¹ arrived.

The people of Xiao’an Village all rose early.

Today, the village was hosting a grand feast. To be honest, they didn’t really know how to organize such an event.

They didn’t have enough tables and chairs, and they weren’t sure where to set up the pots, pans, bowls, and chopsticks.

In the end, it was the Yan family who set the example.

They set up simple sheds, much like the stalls at the Grand Market. Those who arrived early got a seat; those who arrived late squatted. Everyone brought their own bowls and served themselves directly from the pots.

For breakfast, the Yan family prepared jellied tofu and soy milk.

Yan Lao’er had simmered the savory gravy himself. He scooped out several slices of snow-white tofu and drizzled the sauce over them.

After slurping down a bowl, one felt completely refreshed and energized.

The soy milk didn’t have much sugar, just a hint of sweetness.

Yan Yu poured some into her small bamboo tube, drinking as she walked.

Before long, the center of the village was slowly filled with sheds from various families.

It felt like a small country fair.

Even better, you could take whatever you wanted to eat, and it didn’t cost a copper.

Yan Yu ate rice cakes, sticky pancakes, wontons, flour strips…

The number of families cooking porridge was beyond counting, and the varieties of small side pickles were endless.

Grandma Wang’s shrimp paste was particularly delicious. Dipping a steamed bun into it, Yan Yu managed to finish half a bun in one go.

As for why it was only half—she simply couldn’t fit any more.

She was the perfect example of having eyes bigger than her stomach.

The morning wave hadn’t even ended yet, and Yan Yu was already looking forward to lunch.

Village Chief Luo had given the word: today, the village was to do nothing except host this grand feast. Everyone was to gather and enjoy a lively festival together.

The young and old of the entire village gathered, greeting each other with smiles, tasting the cooking of other families, and huddling together to critique the flavors.

Besides the Tofu Lady, there were several women from other villages watching with envy.

They had come together just to see the excitement.

There wasn’t much entertainment in the countryside. Having heard at the Grand Market that Xiao’an Village was hosting a grand feast, they wanted to come and join the fun.

They were also curious to see how these outsiders from another prefecture, who had fled the famine, would host a banquet.

They hadn’t expected it to be so casual.

There was no professional chef, no fixed menu, and it didn’t even wait until noon to start. From early morning, Xiao’an Village had begun its festivities.

You could eat your way from one end to the other with just a single bowl.

It was truly a novel experience!

“That jellied tofu… I want to try some too,” one woman whispered.

She nudged the Tofu Lady. “Sister, you know how to make that too, right?”

“Every family has their own flavor. Even though my family sells tofu, we might not necessarily make it as well as they do,” the Tofu Lady said modestly.

Her eyes were fixed on Madam Cui. Seeing that Madam Cui’s food was all gone and she was starting to pack up, the Tofu Lady hurried over to help with practiced familiarity.

“Oh, Madam Cui, your village starts the feast in the morning? That’s really different from our customs here in Guanzhou.”

Madam Cui smiled and said, “Isn’t this the first big festival since we officially settled here? Even the New Year might not be as lively as today. Oh, why haven’t you left yet? Did the Yan family not settle the bill with you? That shouldn’t be.”

“They paid, they paid. I just saw how lively your village is and wanted to stand here a bit longer.” The Tofu Lady was quick with her hands and had a sharp eye for work, soon helping Madam Cui tidy up all her gear.

The other women also crowded around, chatting away with Madam Cui.

Madam Cui addressed them all as “sister” or “lady” without missing a beat, managing to recognize every one of them. “Are you all here for the excitement? Perfect, come to my house to rest your feet and see where I live.”

“You’re not taking down the shed?” one woman asked.

“Leaving it for now. We’ll need it for lunch and dinner,” Madam Cui said.

Once they entered the Cui residence, the women were puzzled when they saw Physician Cui. They looked at each other, confused.

Madam Cui wasn’t embarrassed at all. “This is the master of my house. Yes, he’s the physician who was taking my pulse at the Grand Market. Don’t laugh at me, sisters. We’re new here and unfamiliar with the place, so I wanted people to know what trade our family is in. In the future, if you have a headache, a fever, or any minor ailment, you can find my husband to take a look. As fellow villagers, we’ll only charge for the medicine to help supplement our household income.”

She spoke so honestly that the women’s favorable impression of her increased greatly.

“Sister, you’re a sincere person, someone worth befriending. When you have some free time, come visit my home.”

“Mine too! Our village isn’t far from here. It’s less than an hour’s walk to the west; you can see it right by the road.”

Madam Cui solemnly introduced her donkey to them. “Our family has a donkey cart, so it’s convenient to travel. Once the vegetables in the fields are ready for harvest, I’ll have my husband take me around the neighborhood. When I enter your villages then, I won’t be polite—I’ll definitely come to your doors to ask for a drink of water.”

“Why be so formal? Just come whenever you like!”

“How is your husband’s medical skill? Does he really only charge for medicine and not a consultation fee?”

“He can’t handle major illnesses, but feel free to come for small ones. Why would we need a consultation fee? We aren’t looking to make a fortune off this. It’s just that our fellow villagers work so hard gathering herbs, heading into the mountains every day—we can’t let them work for nothing. Furthermore, even if we don’t take a consultation fee, if the medicine is cheaper than what the Pharmacies charge, it might not be good. There are many unspoken rules in this trade, and we wouldn’t want to upset anyone.”

Madam Cui’s heart-to-heart approach, speaking deeply despite their brief acquaintance, instantly bridged the distance between her and the other women.

The more they talked, the warmer things got, until they were as close as sisters.

Madam Cui generously invited them to stay for a meal.

“Don’t leave today. You came for the excitement, so how could we let you go on an empty stomach? Just eat at my house. It’s fine, it’s on us.”

“Don’t worry about lunch yet. While we have some time, let me take you to see the vegetables our village planted. I’m telling you, they’re truly fresh and growing beautifully. If you’re short on any autumn vegetables, just say the word. Not today, though—the big, ripe ones have all been picked by us. Come back in a few days, and we’ll pick them fresh from the field and haul them away for you.”

Madam Cui smiled and patted her donkey. “Even if there’s a lot, it’s fine. We’ll deliver them to your homes.”

The women happily followed her to the fields to see the vegetables.

Madam Cui turned back and shouted, “Gouzi’s Dad, fill up the water vat! I’ll be back in a bit!”

Physician Cui gave a shout of acknowledgment and looked down for the water buckets.

One of the women laughed even more warmly. “Your kid is also called Gouzi? What a coincidence, mine is too!”

“I have two stinky boys, Da Gouzi and Xiao Gouzi². What about yours?”

“I only have one. The younger one is a girl.”

“A girl is good! They’re so considerate!”

…

News that outsiders had come to the village and were being led to the fields by Madam Cui spread through the village like the wind.

On Yan Yu’s side, it was Xiao Gouzi who came to report.

“My aunt is truly capable!” Yan Yu admired from the bottom of her heart. “She’s already making friends, and in a couple of days, she’ll be able to sell vegetables.”

Xiao Gouzi said, “They still have to eat. Won’t they need lunch and dinner? My dad sent me to ask—should we let them eat?”

Yan Yu: …

Her uncle-in-law’s focus was certainly practical.

“Why wouldn’t we let them eat? There are only a few of them; they won’t eat much. Guests are guests, and our Xiao’an Village welcomes them,” Yan Lao’er chimed in from the side.

Xiao Gouzi’s serious little face relaxed. His mother had invited them to stay for a meal; never mind his father, even he had been worried sick.

He was afraid his family hadn’t prepared enough, and if these women ate it all, the fellow villagers wouldn’t get to eat his family’s food.

If that happened, how could they have the face to go eat at other people’s houses?

Translator’s Notes