Chapter 40: Making Rice Cakes¹

A widow’s door is often the center of gossip². The fact that Widow He, such a small and thin woman, could raise her child alone was due to her fierce personality as much as the help from the villagers.

Back then, anyone who thought a widow and her orphan son were easy targets was chased out by Widow He wielding a broom.

However, as He Shuiqing grew into a man, Widow He worried about him finding a wife. Fearing that no girl would want a mother-in-law who was too aggressive, she had restrained herself lately.

Zhao Dasao had been cursing Zhao Mengcheng and Auntie Wang, but since they had all gone up the mountain together, any rumors would ruin everyone’s reputation.

Widow He grabbed Zhao Dasao by the hair and slapped her repeatedly with both hands. “Keep talking nonsense! I’ll beat you to death today, then I’ll go hang myself to pay for your life!”

At first, Zhao Dasao tried to fight back, but she was no match for Auntie Wang and the other women, who were clearly taking sides while pretending to break up the fight.

Finally, she lay on the ground, covering her face and wailing, “I wasn’t talking about you!”

“Talking about my nephew Mengcheng isn’t allowed either!”

Widow He gave her another slap. “We all went up the mountain together. In your mouth, it becomes something scandalous. If that’s the case, none of us should live! We should all go hang ourselves from your family’s chastity arch³!”

Auntie Wang chimed in from the side, “Zhao Dasao, even if you’ve severed ties with his family, you can’t just slander people. Since so many people are here today, let’s settle this properly.”

“Settle what? She doesn’t deserve the respect. She dared to bully us, so we should just beat her to death and drown her in a pig cage⁴!” Widow He gave her a hard pinch, making Zhao Dasao howl in pain.

Zhao Dasao was terrified and cried out repeatedly, “I won’t do it again! I’ll never talk nonsense again!”

Widow He still wouldn’t let her go. “You heartless wretch! If I hear another word from you in the future, I’ll assume it came from your mouth and dump manure in front of your house every single day!”

Zhao Mengcheng pulled back his foot, realizing there was no room for him to intervene in the scene before him.

After tearing out a handful of Zhao Dasao’s hair, Widow He finally stood up and spat on the ground. “Shut your filthy mouth and get lost!”

Zhao Dasao didn’t dare say another word. She scrambled to her feet and fled.

Widow He turned around and saw Zhao Mengcheng. She quickly hid the handful of hair she was holding and gave him a nervous smile. “Did I scare you?”

“Auntie… Auntie isn’t usually like this. It’s just that her mouth is too filthy. I had to teach her a lesson.”

Zhao Mengcheng smiled and praised her, “You did well, Auntie. I’m lucky you were here today, Auntie He. Otherwise, as a man, it wouldn’t be right for me to hit her, but I would have been fuming if I did nothing.”

Hearing this, Widow He relaxed and patted her chest. “It’s nothing! If she ever dares to spout nonsense again, just let me know. I’ll take care of her.”

She then said to Auntie Wang, “Your temper is just too good. With someone like her, you should just rush up and slap her, strip her clothes, and teach her a lesson. She won’t dare do it again after a few times.”

Auntie Wang clicked her tongue. “Last time I even threw a basin of water on her. Who knew she’d still dare to talk nonsense today?”

“It’s because the lesson was too light,” Widow He declared.

It wasn’t just Widow He who felt that way; all the women nearby thought so too. If Zhao Dasao’s baseless lies spread, how would they be able to face anyone in the future?

After that beating, everyone felt a sense of satisfaction.

With the matter resolved, Zhao Mengcheng led his children back home. Halfway there, Zhao Xin looked up and said, “Dad, I think Grandma He is amazing. I want to be like her when I grow up.”

Zhao Mengcheng looked at his daughter’s chubby cheeks and sparkling eyes, wondering if something had gone wrong with his parenting.

He didn’t want to raise his daughter to be timid, but would becoming like Widow He be a bit too fierce?

Zhao Mao was beside them, giving his sister advice. “You can learn from everyone’s strengths. Learn whatever moves are best, and then you’ll become the best at arguing in our village.”

Zhao Xin took it to heart, her little face looking very serious. “Second Brother is right. I’ll study hard.”

Daughter, what exactly are you planning to learn? Zhao Mengcheng’s expression stiffened.

Zhao Chun added, “Little Sister, once I learn martial arts, I’ll come back and teach you. Then you’ll be able to kick them away with one foot.”

Zhao Xin was rarely on such good terms with her eldest brother. She grabbed his hand and said, “Then it’s a deal. You have to keep your word, Big Brother.”

“Definitely!” Zhao Chun puffed out his little chest.

Zhao Mengcheng cleared his throat. “How about we just hurry home and eat?”

Zhao Chun rushed to carry the basket of persimmons. As soon as they got home, he asked, “Dad, should I just put them in the rice bucket?”

Zhao Mengcheng thought about it and stopped his son.

In the Qingshan Village area, the traditional way to ripen persimmons was to bury them in a grain pile or a rice bucket. They would be ready to eat after a while, but there was a risk that the persimmons might rot inside.

Persimmons ripened that way didn’t taste as good either.

“We’ll use white vinegar.”

There was no need to wash the persimmons. He just sprayed the stems with white vinegar and placed them in a clean, well-ventilated spot.

This method was convenient, clean, and fast. Usually, villagers couldn’t bear the cost of vinegar, but Zhao Mengcheng didn’t mind the expense.

The three little ones crouched next to the persimmons and asked curiously, “Dad, can we eat them now?”

“Wait three or four days,” Zhao Mengcheng said.

Zhao Chun started counting. “One, two… twelve. There are twelve in total. Dad gets one, I get one, Ah Mao gets one, Little Sister gets one, then I get another one, Ah Mao gets…”

Zhao Mao couldn’t stand his brother’s rambling. “That’s three each.”

Zhao Chun then said, “We can each eat three.”

“Wild persimmons still have a bit of an astringent taste even when ripe. I’ll go ask if there are any persimmon trees nearby later. We should plant one at home,” Zhao Mengcheng said.

Once he mentioned the persimmon tree, Zhao Mengcheng really took it to heart. He went to find Liu Bingkun to ask about it.

When Liu Bingkun heard he wanted a persimmon tree, he immediately said, “I know where to find some. They grow bright red fruit and have plenty of good saplings. I’ll bring some back for you later.”

Zhao Mengcheng didn’t just want persimmon trees; he wanted others as well. “Are there peaches, plums, grapes, or apricots? If there are, I want them all.”

“Brother, just how many are you planning to plant?” Liu Bingkun asked in surprise.

Zhao Mengcheng explained, “The backyard of the new house is large. I plan to plant a ring of trees around it so the children can have something sweet to eat.”

“Fruit trees aren’t easy to tend to. Some are very delicate, and even after half a year of work, the fruit might not be sweet.” Liu Bingkun knew he doted on his children, but he still offered a word of caution.

Zhao Mengcheng simply said, “We’ll plant them first and see. If the fruit is sour, we’ll turn it into preserves. It’s not like they cost anything anyway.”

“Alright then, I’ll look around for you,” Liu Bingkun agreed.

Finally, he asked, “I heard Zhao Dasao was spouting filth today and got taught a lesson by Auntie He?”

Zhao Mengcheng smiled. “So you heard about that too.”

“How could I not? Zhao Dasao is certainly bold. Everyone knows what Auntie He is like. She once chased someone for two miles. I can’t believe she dared to provoke her.”

Liu Bingkun said with a smile, “Don’t worry, Brother. Everyone in the village knows what kind of person you are and what kind of person she is. As long as they aren’t blind, they can see clearly. No one will believe her.”

Zhao Mengcheng understood that Liu Bingkun was telling him not to worry. “Thanks.”

“No need to thank me.” Liu Bingkun finished laughing and then sighed. “Earlier, I told everyone not to sell their grain, but no matter how many times I said it, they wouldn’t listen. On the day the grain was collected, I found out that several families had secretly sold some. It’s too late for regrets now.”

“The village has been very uneasy these past few days. Everyone is worried about this. Brother, do you think things will get better next year?”

Zhao Mengcheng sighed. “If I knew that, I’d be an immortal.”

“The White Dragon descended to save you, so you’re at least half an immortal yourself!” Liu Bingkun laughed heartily.

Zhao Mengcheng truly didn’t know. He didn’t have the power of foresight. The main plot of the novel didn’t take place in Qingshan Village, and the three Zhao children were just cannon fodder, so the story didn’t spend much time on this area.

If Zhao Xiaohua were still in the village, she might have been able to provide some warning, but unfortunately, she had already gone off to seek a better life.

Whether there would be more natural disasters was unknown, but there would certainly be plenty of man-made ones. “No matter what the heavens do, life must go on.”

“True,” Liu Bingkun sighed.

“Oh, right, Brother. My father said the end of the year is coming soon. We won’t be doing much this year since so much has happened, but we still need to make some rice cakes. If your family wants to make some, you should soak some glutinous rice in advance, otherwise it’ll be a hassle later.”

Making rice cakes. As soon as Zhao Mengcheng heard the words “rice cakes,” recipes for them flooded his mind.

Rice cake soup, fried rice cakes, rice cakes dipped in brown sugar, sliced rice cakes…

He immediately nodded. “We’ll make them. I’ll start preparing early.”

When he told them at home, the three little ones were immediately excited. “Dad, when are we making rice cakes? Can we help this year?”

“It should be in a couple of days,” Zhao Mengcheng replied.

Zhao Chun was impatient. “I really want to eat rice cakes. Last year I only had a few bites. They’re so delicious.”

Rice cakes required glutinous rice, which was more precious than other foods. Every year, the Zhao family only made a small amount for the sake of tradition, and they had to save it to serve to friends and relatives during the New Year.

So, in the eyes of the three little ones, rice cakes were a delicacy they could only enjoy a few bites of during the New Year.

Zhao Mengcheng waved his hand grandly. “We’ll make a lot more this year and keep them to eat slowly. You can eat until you’re tired of them.”

Zhao Chun didn’t think it was possible for him to get tired of them. Rice cakes were so delicious; he could eat them for a lifetime.

Knowing they were going to make rice cakes, the three little ones couldn’t sit still. They looked forward to that day every single day.

When the first frost fell, the village finally began making rice cakes.

Stoves were lit one by one. By the time Zhao Mengcheng arrived with the three little ones, the crowd making rice cakes was already in high spirits.

Washing the rice, grinding the flour, stoking the fires, steaming, turning the rice, and pounding the cakes – every step had someone assigned to it.

From a distance, the scene was full of the warmth of daily life. Steam rose from the pots of glutinous rice, filling the air with its sweet fragrance.

The most exhausting part was pounding the cakes. After the glutinous and non-glutinous rice were mixed and steamed, they were poured into a stone mortar as wide as two men’s embrace. Men on both sides raised heavy pestles high and slammed them down with force.

The pairs worked in perfect rhythm, alternating their strikes and cooperating to pound the rice flour until it became thick and chewy.

This was work for young, strong men. Otherwise, one’s back would be too stiff to straighten in no time.

As soon as the three little ones arrived, they cheered and rushed over to join the other children, huddling around the stone mortars and refusing to leave.

The Old Village Chief beckoned Zhao Mengcheng over and said with a smile, “Eating rice cakes means rising higher every year. We can’t miss out on such good luck.”

“It looks like everyone is here.” Zhao Mengcheng looked around and noticed that even Zhao Laoda had come, though the rice he brought was meager.

The Old Village Chief was beaming all day. “Everyone should make at least a little. Even if you don’t eat it yourself, the ancestors must have some.”

When Qingshan Village offered sacrifices to their ancestors during the New Year, rice cakes were an essential offering.

Pounding rice cakes was grueling labor. Even young men like Liu Bingkun couldn’t keep it up forever. They had to switch out frequently, with all the village’s able-bodied men taking turns.

Since his three children couldn’t help with the labor, Zhao Mengcheng offered, “I’ll take a turn pounding.”

Liu Bingkun hesitated. “Brother, can you handle it?”

It wasn’t that he looked down on Zhao Mengcheng, but the man looked so refined and scholarly. He had never done manual labor before and didn’t look like he possessed much physical strength.

Wang Ming added, “Brother, why don’t you help wash the rice? They need people over there too.”

The women nearby giggled and said, “Come help us. You’re a scholar, so it’s only natural you can’t pound the cakes. We won’t judge you.”

Zhao Mengcheng raised an eyebrow. “You’re underestimating me. You’ll see once I start.”

Liu Bingkun had no choice but to hand him the pestle.

Standing nearby with concern, he asked Wang Ming, “Can he really do it? How can a scholar handle this kind of work?”

Wang Ming simply said, “Just watch and you’ll see.”

A moment later, Zhao Mengcheng lifted the pestle and brought it down hard, striking with perfect precision.

Liu Bingkun nodded. “He’s smart, so he makes everything look easy. But pounding rice cakes takes endurance. He’s putting in so much effort that he’ll tire out soon. You should get ready to take over.”

Wang Ming didn’t bother to respond.

It wasn’t just Liu Bingkun who doubted him; most of the villagers thought the same. After all, he used to be an accountant and now sold tofu, having never performed manual labor.

To their utter shock, Zhao Mengcheng didn’t just do well – he did exceptionally well. The men working opposite him had already rotated three times, yet he was still going strong.

After pounding for a while, Zhao Mengcheng grew hot. He rolled up his sleeves and continued. The young man across from him was so warm he had already stripped off his shirt.

With his sleeves rolled up, the biceps on his arms were revealed, flexing prominently with every strike.

One woman couldn’t help but comment, “Oh my, I never realized Mengcheng was so well-built.”

“What, are you drooling? If you’re that hungry for it, go find your own man.” These older women were never shy about their words.

“I’m just complimenting him. He looked so thin and weak that I thought he wouldn’t be much use, but he’s got muscles like steel. No wonder his wife could have three children in a row, including twins.”

Seeing their talk becoming inappropriate, Auntie Wang stopped them. “That’s enough. Even rice cakes can’t keep your mouths shut.”

The women burst into laughter. While soaking rice and grinding flour, they continued to joke and tease. “I have a niece back home who isn’t married yet. She’s plain-looking but hardworking. She only asks for five taels of silver as a bride price. Maybe I should ask Mengcheng if he’s interested.”

“Five taels? Is your niece some kind of celestial beauty to ask for that much?”

“She said five taels is a bit high, but she’ll bring a dowry. Besides, the price is negotiable.”

Auntie Wang paused and sighed. “Yunniang hasn’t even been gone for a year.”

The woman replied, “It’s not like she’d marry in tomorrow. By the time the formal rites⁵ are finished, enough time will have passed.”

“I’m not his mother, so I can’t manage this. If you have an idea, go ask him yourself,” Auntie Wang quickly deflected.

The woman laughed. “Then I really will go ask.”

Glancing over, she saw Zhao Mengcheng was tired. He handed the pestle to Wang Ming and pinched off a piece of rice cake as he left. “Deduct this from my family’s share later.”

“This batch is mine! Eat as much as you want!” a young man shouted.

Zhao Mengcheng smiled and walked over to his three children. “Come taste this, it’s fresh out of the mortar.”

The warm rice cake was incredibly chewy. Every bite was filled with the fragrance of glutinous rice. The three little ones each took a small piece, savoring it dearly.

Zhao Mengcheng also pinched a piece and popped it into his mouth. Hand-pounded rice cake was much more resilient, with a rustic texture that tasted sweet even without any toppings.

The women watching this marveled. “Mengcheng really dotes on his children. He’s much better than those two blockheads in my house.”

“The elder Zhaos really knew how to raise a son. Mengcheng is capable and takes care of his family.”

Someone else pursed their lips. “There’s another one named Zhao over there. It just goes to show that some things are innate and can’t be taught by parents.”

Everyone knew exactly who she was talking about.

Zhao Laoda had only brought five pounds of rice. The people working when it was his turn all frowned.

“This is far too little. It won’t even fill the mortar.”

Zhao Laoda said with a dark expression, “The family has no money. Why don’t you give me some of yours?”

The person who asked was displeased. “I’m not the one who made you sell your grain, so don’t take your anger out on me. Why don’t you do the work then?”

Zhao Laoda kept a stiff face, looking as if everyone owed him eight hundred taels of silver. “We’re all from the same village. Why can everyone else make cakes but I can’t? Is my family supposed to suffer just because we’re poor?”

“Well, every other family came to help! Your family is a different story. Your wife won’t show her face, you just stand there doing nothing, and don’t even get me started on your son – he’s nowhere to be seen!” The man shouted back even louder.

Zhao Laoda was about to say more when the Old Village Chief shouted, “Enough! If you’re going to pound, stay. If not, leave now. Don’t bring bad luck to the village.”

He then turned to the others. “These rice cakes are for the ancestors. Everyone must be happy today. Don’t let me see any long faces.”

This finally ended the argument. Zhao Laoda’s leg still hadn’t healed, so someone eventually stepped in to help him finish pounding those five pounds of rice.

“What kind of person is he? That leg was injured months ago. Why isn’t it better yet? Is he faking it just to be lazy?”

This was actually an unfair accusation against Zhao Laoda. He hadn’t been able to rest properly after his injury. Later, he had exerted himself helping his son, and the pain became severe whenever he returned home.

Zhao Dasao was supposed to come today, but she felt she had lost too much face and refused to leave the house. Zhao Laoda had scolded and beaten her, but it did no good. In the end, he had to carry the grain here himself.

After walking all that way, Zhao Laoda felt his injured leg throbbing again, making his temper flare at the slightest provocation.

Before leaving, Zhao Laoda cast a dark look at his brother nearby, his eyes filled with jealousy and hatred.

Zhao Mengcheng saw him but didn’t give him a second thought.

The rice cakes were so delicious, fragrant, sweet, and chewy. His entire mind was focused on eating them.

The small piece of rice cake was gone in an instant. Zhao Chun licked his lips. “Second Brother, give me another bite.”

“No, this is mine.” Zhao Mao quickly stuffed it into his mouth to prevent it from being snatched away.

Zhao Xin followed suit, stuffing the cake into her mouth and chewing twice.

Zhao Chun’s head slumped. “It was gone before I could even taste it.”

“Like Zhu Bajie devouring the Ginseng Fruit⁶,” Zhao Mengcheng teased, tapping him on the head. He added, “It’ll be our family’s turn soon. Once they’re done, you can eat as much as you want.”

Zhao Chun immediately cheered up, no longer eyeing the bites in his siblings’ mouths. He scurried over to help, making the working women burst into laughter.

Zhao Mengcheng decided to make a large batch, preparing two hundred pounds all at once.

This prompted Wang Ming to ask, “Brother, is your family planning to live on rice cakes?”

“Rice cakes are easy to prepare. During the New Year, if we’re too lazy to cook, we can just boil some cakes. It saves trouble. Besides, rice cakes are just like grain; they’re all going into my stomach eventually,” Zhao Mengcheng explained.

The finished rice cakes couldn’t be stored immediately. They had to be spread out to cool and dry completely before they could be packed into baskets.

Zhao Mengcheng left the three children to watch over them. However, the three of them were like foxes guarding the henhouse, each sitting by a bamboo tray and helping themselves.

In a short while, Zhao Chun had already devoured three strips of rice cake. Zhao Mao and Zhao Xin were better, having only eaten one each.

Zhao Mengcheng was startled. “Chun, no more eating! You’ll give yourself a stomachache.”

Rice cakes contained glutinous rice, which could cause indigestion if eaten in excess.

Zhao Chun reluctantly put down his fifth strip, licking his lips. “Rice cakes are so good. Honestly, I could eat ten in one go.”

Wang Ming saw this and remarked, “No wonder your father wanted to make two hundred pounds. A growing boy can eat his father out of house and home⁷. Even two hundred pounds won’t be enough for you at this rate.”

“My dad says the more I eat, the stronger I’ll be. I’m going to become a strongman,” Zhao Chun said proudly.

Wang Ming patted his head and encouraged him, “That’s a fine ambition. Once you two become successful, your father won’t have to work so hard.”

Zhao Mengcheng also sat down to eat some rice cakes, saying with a smile, “As long as I have rice cakes to eat, I don’t mind the hard work.”

“Dad, can I have another bite?” Zhao Chun immediately squatted down beside him.

Zhao Mengcheng didn’t dare let him eat any more. “Rest for a while. If your stomach doesn’t hurt, we can keep eating tomorrow.”

Zhao Chun cheered and promised, “It definitely won’t hurt.”

However, not long after he said that, he began to whimper and groan.

Zhao Mengcheng felt quite helpless. “Come here.”

Zhao Chun walked over with a miserable little face, stammering, “Dad, don’t be mad. It’ll get better on its own very soon.”

“You just ate too much at once and have indigestion. I’ll rub your stomach for you, and it’ll be better in a moment.” Zhao Mengcheng shook his head and reached out to rub the boy’s stomach, using his Mental Power to aid digestion.

“Rice cakes are made of glutinous rice. If you eat too much at once, you won’t digest it properly. Will you remember that for next time?”

Zhao Chun nodded obediently, fearing his father would be as angry as last time. Fortunately, his father didn’t lose his temper this time.

After being rubbed for a while, Zhao Chun felt much better. He was still greedy, though, and his mouth watered as he stared at the rice cakes.

Zhao Mengcheng gave him a light kick on the rear. “Go over there and help out. If you’re busy working, you won’t be thinking about eating.”

Zhao Chun had no choice but to go and help.

Yet just as he left, Zhao Mao approached. “Dad, I’m also a little overstuffed.”

Zhao Mengcheng looked at his second son, and the boy lowered his head with a blushing face.

How could he not know what the child was thinking? He reached out and pulled him over. “Alright, I’ll rub your stomach too.”

After rubbing for a bit, he asked, “Feel better?”

Zhao Mao’s face turned even redder. “Much better.”

Zhao Xin walked over and nudged him aside. “Dad, I hurt too.”

The little girl clutched her chest. “It hurts so, so much. I need Daddy’s rubs too.”

Zhao Mengcheng didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. He rubbed her stomach and asked, “Is it better now?”

Zhao Xin nodded seriously. “Much better. Thank you, Daddy.”

Having sent the three children off, Wang Ming stifled a laugh. “Brother, you’ve raised three little rascals.”

“They’re my own, so what can I do? I just have to coax them,” Zhao Mengcheng said with a laugh.

The temperature was low, so the rice cakes cooled quickly. Zhao Mengcheng soon packed them up, hoisted his carrying pole, and headed straight for home.

The three little ones stopped playing and immediately followed him, chattering away.

“With so many rice cakes, we can eat them for a whole year,” Zhao Chun said, constantly standing on his tiptoes to try and see the cakes.

Zhao Mao countered, “Big Brother, you can eat four pieces in a single meal; that would only last three months.”

“I don’t eat that much every time,” Zhao Chun defended himself.

Zhao Xin chased after her father and asked, “Daddy, what’s the best way to cook rice cakes?”

“Why don’t we try them all, and Xin’er can tell us which way is the best?”

Zhao Mengcheng said cheerfully, “Tomorrow morning we’ll have vegetable and rice cake soup, the day after we’ll have them dipped in brown sugar, the day after that we’ll have fried rice cake slices, and the day after that, stir-fried rice cakes…”

Zhao Xin listened while salivating, nodding her head vigorously. “Daddy is the best!”

Even though the weather was cold, the rice cakes couldn’t just be left in a pile. In the humid south, they would either crack, grow mold, or both after a while.

Zhao Mengcheng had prepared a water vat early on. After stacking the rice cakes in rows inside, he poured in clean water. This way, the rice cakes would last until next spring.

After finishing this, Zhao Mengcheng looked back to see the three children crowding the doorway.

He was about to tease them when Zhao Xin suddenly let out a loud sneeze. The little girl rubbed her nose carelessly and continued to stare at the rice cakes.

“Xin’er, did you catch a cold?” Zhao Mengcheng asked.

Zhao Xin shook her head dismissively. “I’m not cold.”

Before the words had even left her mouth, several more sneezes followed. Zhao Mengcheng felt her small hands and found them warm, but when he felt her clothes, he frowned.

He finally remembered something he had forgotten. It was winter, and it was time to change into cotton-padded clothes⁸.

And he had forgotten to buy cotton.

---

Translator’s Notes

---

1. rice cakes: Known as “Niangao.” The name is a homophone for “Year High” (nian gao), creating a pun that symbolizes the wish to improve, grow taller, or achieve higher status in the coming year. ↩
2. A widow’s door is often the center of gossip: A translation of the proverb ‘guafu menqian shifei duo’. It reflects the traditional social stigma and intense scrutiny placed on widows, implying they are easy targets for rumors and scandal regardless of their behavior. ↩
3. chastity arch: Refers to a ‘paifang’ or memorial archway, traditionally erected by the government to honor widows who remained chaste and did not remarry after their husbands died. Widow He uses it sarcastically here to mock Zhao Dasao’s moral posturing. ↩
4. pig cage: Refers to ‘jin zhu long’, a brutal traditional punishment for adultery or moral corruption. The accused was trapped in a bamboo cage meant for transporting pigs and thrown into a river to drown. ↩
5. formal rites: Refers to the ‘Three Letters and Six Etiquettes’ (san-shu-liu-li), the traditional, multi-step process of arranging a marriage, which could take months to complete properly. ↩
6. Zhu Bajie devouring the Ginseng Fruit: A reference to the classic novel Journey to the West. The character Zhu Bajie (Pigsy) swallowed a rare, magical Ginseng Fruit whole without tasting it. The idiom describes someone eating too greedily or quickly to appreciate the flavor. ↩
7. A growing boy can eat his father out of house and home: Translates the Chinese folk saying “a half-grown lad eats his old man poor” (ban da xiaozi chi qiong laozi). It humorously highlights the voracious appetite of teenage boys in rural households. ↩
8. cotton-padded clothes: Traditional winter attire (‘mianyi’) consisting of fabric layers stuffed with raw cotton. In rural settings, households typically bought loose cotton to sew or refill these garments themselves rather than buying ready-made coats. ↩