Chapter 404: Chapter 209: The New Bride_2
The Lian Family wasn’t wealthy; the red envelope was merely a formality.
"Old Fourth and his wife still haven’t arrived. When I passed by their shop just now, I told them to hurry over," Lian Shouyi said.
"It would be good for the members of the same generation to see each other, Manman, go and urge your father and mother," Old Master Lian instructed.
The members of the same generation all greeted each other with equal courtesy, and there was no need for red envelopes as a token for addressing each other differently.
Lian Manman went to call for Lian Shouxin and Lady Zhang. She had only reached the gate when she met them coming in, and they returned together.
"Mother, did father and grandmother, as well as Auntie and Third Aunt, get their address-changing fees? Did we prepare any?" Lian Manman asked.
"It’s already been prepared. Your grandfather and grandmother reminded us yesterday," Lady Zhang took out a red envelope to show Lian Manman.
"That’s good," Lian Manman felt reassured.
When Lian Shouxin and Lady Zhang came into the room, Zhao Xiue was already seated by the kang edge. Upon seeing them enter, she did not get up right away.
"This is your Uncle Four, and Auntie Four," Lady He said, laughing merrily.
Zhao Xiue quickly stood up and along with Erlang, kowtowed to Lian Shouxin and Lady Zhang, who helped Zhao Xiue up and slipped a red envelope into her hand.
Everyone in the room found a spot to sit, with Zhao Xiue sitting next to Lady Zhou, and they began chatting. Most of the conversation revolved around inquiries regarding Zhao Xiue’s well-being. Zhao Xiue seemed to not talk much, perhaps because she was a new bride with tender skin, her face remained flush with shyness. Erlang was sitting not far off, his face carrying a silly grin.
Lian Manman heard the sounds of firecrackers outside and left the Upper Room. Xiao Qi was playing with Liulang in the courtyard.
"Second Sister, step back a bit. We’re going to light some small crackers," Xiao Qi told Lian Manman.
Many firecrackers had been set off during yesterday’s feast. Among them, some remained unlit and fell to the ground. After the firecrackers finished, waiting children would rush over, picking up the unexploded ones from among the litter of paper scraps and firecracker debris.
Xiao Qi had picked some up and had lit a few yesterday. Reluctant to use them all at once, he had stored the rest away, now taking them out to light.
They were called small crackers because these firecrackers were tiny. To Lian Manman, they were no more than two centimeters long and very thin. There was a scant amount of powder inside, and once lit, the explosion was brief and not very loud. However, to the children from the tenant farmers’ families, they were a rare and precious toy.
Xiao Qi held a small cracker in one hand and a lit kindling stick in the other. Using the stick, he ignited the small cracker’s fuse. As soon as the fuse was nearly burnt out, he threw the cracker, and with a pop, it exploded in the air, prompting giggles from Xiao Qi.
"Second Sister, want to try?" After lighting two, Xiao Qi offered to let Lian Manman have a go.
Lian Manman was feeling bored, so she took the kindling stick and a small cracker from Xiao Qi’s hand, blew on the smoldering stick until it went from gray to red, and then, imitating Xiao Qi, she lit the small cracker and threw it up into the air.
After setting off a few, Lian Manman still wasn’t satisfied.
"For New Year’s, let’s buy some bigger firecrackers to set off," Lian Manman handed the kindling stick back to Xiao Qi.
"Mm-hmm, mm-hmm," Xiao Qi’s eyes sparkled, "Second Sister, if father and mother don’t give us money, we can use my wages."
Lian Manman returned to the West Wing Room. Lian Zhizhi had come back earlier and was already doing needlework on the kang. Lian Manman climbed up and sat down, taking a piece of coarse cloth to practice the most basic running stitch.
"Looks a bit more like it now, in a couple of days when we sew the quilt linings, you’ll be able to help too," Lian Zhizhi remarked after a look.
As the sisters were talking, they heard soft footsteps outside. Lian Yaya lifted the door curtain, and Zhao Xiue walked in with her.
"Sister-in-law Xiu E, please take a seat on the Kang," Lian Zhizhi hurriedly invited.
Lian Manman took a tray out of the Kang cabinet. Half of the plate contained fragrant garlic peanuts, and the other half was filled with fried sunflower seeds. In their region, this snack was called ’mao ke’. It was said to have come from a barbarous kingdom far to the north, where people were as hairy as monkeys and were called ’Old Hairy’. The name ’mao ke’ came from these Old Hairies who ate such snacks—(this was something people joked about, and it had not been verified).
Zhao Xiue sat down on the edge of the Kang and looked around the room.
"This room of Uncle and Aunt Four is really clean," perhaps because she was in the company of younger girls who were her peers, Zhao Xiue was not as shy as she was in the Upper Room and spoke quite eloquently.
Inside the Upper Room, several generations of the Lian Family were still talking; the men smoking, leaving the room thick with stifling smoke. Zhao Xiue had found an excuse to look around and had stepped out. She had just been to the East Wing Room, which was dirty and messy, with a bad smell. Unable to sit there, she stood up and headed toward the West Wing Room.
Lady He had been called away by Lady Zhou for some matters, leaving Lian Yaya to keep her company. This room only had Lian Zhizhi and her sister Lian Manman; it was clean, which suited Zhao Xiue’s taste very well.
"As long as we tidy up when there’s nothing else to do, it’s passable. Just don’t laugh at us, Sister-in-law Xiu E," said Lian Zhizhi.
"Sister-in-law Xiu E, have some peanuts," seeing that Zhao Xiue hadn’t touched anything on the tray, Lian Manman handed her a handful of peanuts.
Zhao Xiue accepted them and munched away while chatting with Lian Zhizhi and Lian Manman about household matters.
"Did I pass by that shop earlier? It belongs to your family, doesn’t it?" Zhao Xiue asked.
"Mhm," Lian Manman responded.
"I heard about it in town; it’s quite profitable, right?" Zhao Xiue smiled and prodded further.
"You’d have to ask my mother about that," Lian Manman, speaking before Lian Zhizhi could, said with a smile, "She always treats us like children and doesn’t tell us anything."
"...Making money is just earning a few hard-earned coins," Lian Zhizhi said.
"I just heard Yaya mention that you’ve split from the main house?" Zhao Xiue paused, seeming to ask casually.
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Third update, desperately seeking pink power. Let’s strive for four updates!!!!
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Recommendation for Ruoyan’s completed book: "The Brocade Screen Chronicles," a light house struggle and farmland tale, full of family disputes and entanglements within a large household.
Book number: 1771214
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