Farming for Three Meals a Day [Farming Life] 98

Chapter 98: Daily Life Raising Children 4

When the wind blew through summer and embraced autumn, the ginkgo trees in Shanxiu Village turned a golden yellow, their leaves swaying in waves.

Firecrackers crackled one after another, echoing through the village.

“Are you ladies also going to offer congratulations?” Mrs. Zhang called out to a few women ahead of her, carrying a basket.

The women stopped, turned around, and smiled. “Yes, we’re going early to get a good seat, chat with everyone, and enjoy some tea and snacks.”

Mrs. Zhang joined them, carrying her basket. “Let’s go together, I just collected ten eggs from the chicken coop, I was delayed.”

“My chickens aren’t laying eggs yet, so I’m just giving ten wen.”

“I’m bringing a bottle of sesame oil, freshly pressed, very fragrant.”

They chatted as they walked towards the Ye family’s house.

Today was Lin Yuli’s first birthday celebration. It was originally planned to be held at Lin Jiangshan and Ye Xi’s courtyard, but it wasn’t as spacious as the Ye family’s, so they decided to hold it there. Liu Xiufeng and Father Ye doted on their youngest grandson and were busy preparing a grand feast.

The Ye family had renovated their house and courtyard earlier this year, paving the ground with bluestone slabs and expanding the courtyard, even building a brick wall. Now, at a glance, everyone knew they were a wealthy family.

Tables and chairs were set up in the courtyard, and Liu Xiufeng and Father Ye greeted the guests at the door. Everyone in Shanxiu Village came to offer congratulations, the more guests, the more prestigious the occasion.

Ye Xi held Little Li’er in the main room, and the guests all came to see the baby. Lin Yuli wore a red cotton-padded jacket with rabbit fur trim and a colorful tiger hat, his face round and rosy, his eyes bright and his nose straight.

“This baby is so handsome and healthy, he’ll be a good worker in the future.”

“The Ye family has a lot of land, Little Li’er can help his grandpa farm later, and they might even acquire more land.”

“Xi-ge’er is so blessed, with both sons and ge’ers, they’ll all be filial to you in the future.”

The women gathered in the main room, showering them with compliments.

Little Yuli, only a year old, couldn’t understand them, but seeing everyone surrounding him, he smiled, his cuteness making everyone laugh.

During the feast, the adults were busy and didn’t have time to watch the children, so Yu-ge’er, Little Lei Zi, and Fuge’er had the most fun, running around the courtyard and sneaking food from the kitchen, like little fish in water.

As the feast began, and the guests were seated, the women who helped with the cooking started serving the dishes.

Little Lei Zi and Fuge’er almost bumped into one of them. “You little rascals, watch where you’re going, this is hot oil and soup, be careful not to get burned!”

Ye Shan, seeing this, scolded them and told them to sit down and eat.

Yu-ge’er had disappeared, nowhere to be found, so Little Lei Zi and Fuge’er sat at a table in the courtyard with a group of women.

One of the women, married into another village, looked at them and smiled. “This is Lei-xiaozi from the Ye family, right? And who is this beside him?”

“He’s from Li-ge’er’s family, called Fuge’er, a cute and well-behaved child,” the woman beside her replied.

The woman smiled. “He’s adorable. This is my first time seeing Lei-xiaozi from the Ye family, his dark eyes and eyebrows, so handsome.”

The women at the table said, “His father, Ye Shan, is handsome, and his mother is beautiful, of course, their child is handsome. Besides, he was raised on goat milk, healthier than other children.”

Another woman chuckled. “Don’t be fooled by their cuteness, they’re little rascals. A few days ago, they set off firecrackers in my vegetable patch.”

The others laughed. “Well, children will be children.”

The woman from the other village looked at Little Lei Zi with increasing fondness, and one of the women at the table noticed and teased, “Don’t you have a daughter? Although they’re still young, a good meal is worth fighting for.”

The woman from the other village rolled her eyes. “Don’t talk nonsense, they’re still children.”

Someone chimed in, “Arranged marriages since childhood are common, if you find a good family, you have to act quickly.”

“Indeed, the Ye family is wealthy and respectable now, with good character and family values, such a family is hard to find.”

“If you don’t want him, I’ll take him, your daughter is also beautiful, I think they’re a good match, we’ll see if it works out.”

The woman being teased blushed and didn’t say anything.

One of the women, wanting to tease Little Lei Zi, asked, “Lei-xiaozi, you’re almost a grown-up now, do you want a wife?”

Little Lei Zi glanced at her and didn’t answer, turning to give Fuge’er a chicken leg.

“Fuge’er, you eat.”

Fuge’er ate slowly, and Little Lei Zi picked out the best pieces for him.

“If you marry her, she’ll wash your clothes and cook for you.”

Little Lei Zi, polite and well-mannered, looked at the woman. “I do, but I’m still young now, Auntie, we’ll talk about this later.”

The woman chuckled. “You’re shy. I’ll ask your parents later, we’ll have her as your wife, how about that?”

Fuge’er, his mouth full of chicken, looked up, confused. “What’s a wife?”

“It’s bringing a girl home to live with you, like your daddy and mommy, eating and living together.”

Hearing this, Fuge’er put down his chopsticks, pouted, and left.

Little Lei Zi quickly chased after him and found him sulking in the corner.

He was good at fighting but not at comforting people, and he awkwardly wiped Fuge’er’s tears with his sleeve.

“Fuge’er, what’s wrong? Is the chicken leg not good?” There was only one chicken leg on the plate, he had snatched it from the other women, he was even reluctant to eat it himself.

Fuge’er shook his head, silent.

Little Lei Zi paced around him anxiously. “Tell me, who upset you? I’ll beat them up for you, don’t cry.”

Fuge’er finally sniffed and said with grievance, “That auntie said you’re going to marry a wife, Lei-ge’er.”

Little Lei Zi scratched his head. “That’s still a long way off, I’m not marrying anyone now.”

Fuge’er burst into tears. “You’re going to marry a wife!”

Little Lei Zi sighed, feeling conflicted. “I will have to marry someday, I can’t be a bachelor forever.” He had heard the village women say that if he didn’t marry a wife, like that old bachelor in the village, no one would wash his clothes, cook for him, or mend his clothes. He would be alone and dressed in rags, and he wouldn’t have any sons, and no one would perform the burial rituals for him after he died.

Although he didn’t fully understand, it sounded terrible.

Fuge’er sobbed, “Then you won’t play with me every day anymore, and you’ll give all the good food to her, not me, and if someone bullies me, you won’t help me anymore, I’ll be all alone.”

Little Lei Zi quickly patted his chest, reassuring him, “No, Fuge’er, I’ll still play with you every day, give you all the good food, and protect you from bullies.”

They had been inseparable since birth, like two peas in a pod.

Fuge’er stopped crying. “But what about your wife? She’ll be alone.”

Little Lei Zi paused, that was true, their bed was small, three people would be crowded.

Fuge’er thought for a moment. His little daddy said he would have to marry someday, and Lei-ge’er would also marry a wife, so he could just marry Lei-ge’er, that way, he would be married, and Lei-ge’er would have a wife.

“Marry me, Lei-ge’er.”

Little Lei Zi’s eyes lit up. “That’s right! You’re so smart, Fuge’er, that solves everything.” His bed was big enough for the two of them.

His unhappiness vanished instantly.

In the main room, the zhua zhou ceremony (a traditional Chinese first birthday custom where the baby chooses objects to predict his future) was taking place.

Various objects were placed on a red cloth on the floor: an abacus, copper coins, a hoe, a writing brush…

The onlookers gathered around, and Ye Xi held Little Li’er and let him crawl towards the red cloth.

Liu Xiufeng, Father Ye, and the others watched with anticipation.

Lin Yuli first reached for the writing brush.

“A writing brush, good, a scholar, you’ll be a high-ranking official!”

“Yes, become a Xiucai and go to the county town to study.”

But Lin Yuli threw it away and touched the hoe.

Lin Jiangshan smiled. “Farming is also good, you can farm with me, we won’t go hungry.”

Ye Xi laughed.

Finally, under everyone’s gaze, Lin Yuli grabbed a small bow and arrow, happily hugging it and chewing on it, his baby teeth showing.

Ye Shan smiled. “Being a hunter is also good, your daddy is skilled at hunting, we won’t be short of rabbits and pheasants!”

Li-ge’er and Li Xi watched with smiles, and Li-ge’er said, “My Fuge’er didn’t grab anything during his zhua zhou, he just grabbed the red cloth.”

Li Ran teased him, “Red cloth is good, festive, a sign of happy occasions.”

Li-ge’er laughed. “What happy occasion? It’s not even a festival.”

Just as he finished speaking, Little Lei Zi and Fuge’er ran in.

Fuge’er ran to Li-ge’er and said, “Daddy, I want to marry Lei-ge’er.”

Li-ge’er: “………”

Little Lei Zi, his little face held high, declared seriously, “Fuge’er will be my wife from now on!”

Li Ran’s lips twitched, what happy occasion? This was it.