Chapter 103 - 101: The 100-Day Banquet
Li Xiu was tanner and thinner after finishing the spring plowing. Zhou Lian had done her best to make sure he ate and drank well, but farm work was exhausting. Even so, Zhou Lian made him stay home and rest for two days.
After two days of rest, Li Xiu was full of energy again. He snuck off to Daqing Mountain behind Zhou Lian’s back. It wasn’t that he didn’t want to tell her; he knew she would worry and forbid him from going. ’There are still two or three years until the land is distributed to individual households, and our son will be here in two years. I don’t want to touch our savings. I want to use that money as capital to build a future for our children where they’ll never have to worry about money.’
Late spring and early summer weren’t suitable for hunting, and Li Xiu respected the laws of nature. He didn’t want to disturb the animals, so he only hunted a single wild boar—a male one. When he returned home, he was naturally given an earful by Zhou Lian. Li Xiu didn’t dare to resist, meekly letting his wife vent her frustration. The matter was only dropped after he promised over and over again that he would never act so recklessly on his own again.
Soon it was time for Little Nono’s hundred-day celebration. Local custom dictated that the banquet be held on the 99th day. Grandma Li, Aunt Li, and the unmarried girls of the Li family all came early in the morning to help. Li Xiu’s small courtyard was bustling with activity before the sun was even high in the sky. Little Nono, wanting to be part of the excitement, woke up early and refused to go back to sleep, wanting only to be held by Zhou Lian. Li Xiu doted on his child, but he doted on his wife even more. He wouldn’t let her get off the kang bed, instead placing their daughter in the middle of it and having Zhou Lian sit beside her to play. The women of the Li family couldn’t help but laugh. ’We’ve never seen a man dote on his wife so much he’s worried she’ll get tired just from holding her own child!’
A short while later, Uncle Li arrived with Li Bo, and Third Uncle Li came with Li Bao and Li Guo. Just like at the one-month feast, everyone immediately got busy. More relatives came today than for the one-month celebration. After all, a child passing the hundred-day mark signified that they had found their footing in the world and would grow up safe and sound.
Guests began to arrive in a steady stream. Li Hua and Li Gui were among the first, followed by the Zhou family, Zhou Lan’s family, Li Xiu’s paternal aunts’ families, and his maternal uncles and aunts. Members of the main Li family line, villagers on good terms with Li Xiu, and even Zhou Lian’s maternal uncles and aunts came this time. Seeing that most of the guests had arrived, Uncle Li and Third Uncle Li quickly ushered the men to their seats. Li Xiu was hosting six tables today; it was a good thing they had prepared so thoroughly, otherwise there wouldn’t have been enough room for everyone.
Grandma Li and Aunt Li also accompanied the women to their tables, leaving the kitchen in the hands of the unmarried Li family girls. But no one dared to underestimate them. After helping with Li Xiu’s wedding, his child’s one-month feast, and the weddings of Li Hua and Li Gui, their skills were truly impressive.
As the banquet began, Li Xiu made the rounds to offer toasts. He held his daughter in one arm and wrapped the other around his wife, with Li Bao following behind carrying the wine. After visiting every table, Li Xiu escorted Zhou Lian to the table where Grandma Li and Aunt Li were sitting. Only then did he return to his own seat, still holding his daughter. Li Bao, trailing behind him, fought to suppress a smile as he lowered his head and sat down at the table with the Zhou brothers and the other Li family sons-in-law.
Second Brother Zhou nudged Li Bao. When Li Bao looked up, he said, "If you want to laugh, then laugh. Don’t hold it in!" ’This brother-in-law of mine is really one of a kind. The way he dotes on his wife is so intense it makes your teeth ache just from watching—even though the woman he’s doting on is my own little sister.’
Li Bao’s mouth twitched for a moment before he replied, "If I laugh now, my cousin will make me pay for it several times over later. I’ll just hold it in. If I hold it in enough, I’ll get used to it!"
Second Brother Zhou stared at him in disbelief. ’Is Li Xiu really that ruthless? He’s always been pretty polite to me. With me, he’s just a bit sharp-tongued.’
Li Bao understood his unspoken question and nodded gravely. ’Yes, his cousin really was that ruthless!’
Since the women didn’t drink, their banquet ended quickly. Everyone moved to the east wing to see what gifts the baby’s aunts had prepared. Li Hua and Li Gui had each made six pairs of shoes and six pairs of socks. These shoes and socks of various sizes would last Nuonuo until she was one or two. Among the unmarried Li family girls, Li Yun, Li Fen, and Li He had each made two pairs of shoes and six pairs of socks, while Li Cui, Li Yuan, and Li Miao had each made one pair of shoes and two pairs of socks.
Zhou Lan had made six little tops for the baby: padded winter jackets, long tunics, and short-sleeved shirts. Zhou Xiang, Zhou Cui, and Zhou Ying had each contributed two small shirts as well—some thick, some thin, and some short-sleeved.
The three aunts from the Zhou family had each made two pairs of small pants, including padded winter pants, long trousers, and shorts. The child now had a complete wardrobe for all four seasons.
Everyone marveled at the lavishness of the gifts. Usually, for a hundred-day celebration, a single item of clothing, one pair of shoes, or one pair of socks would suffice. This child was truly blessed to receive a complete wardrobe from head to toe.
Those who knew the family dynamics marveled inwardly. ’Li Xiu treats his female cousins well, and they clearly know how to return a kindness. Judging by the gifts from his wife’s side—her sisters and sisters-in-law—it’s obvious Li Xiu values his in-laws highly. Otherwise, they wouldn’t have been so generous to his child.’
Of course, there were also troublemakers who loved to watch a scene unfold, and they fixed their gazes on Ge Er Ya and Li Xin. As the baby was changed into the new clothes, socks, and shoes gifted by her many aunts, Li Xin gave no gift and showed no reaction, simply standing to the side and watching. If you didn’t know the inside story, you would never have guessed she was Li Xiu’s own sister—the baby’s direct paternal aunt.
The gossips exchanged glances, but none of them dared to speak up. Today was the hundred-day banquet for Li Xiu’s daughter, and Li Xiu was not an easy man to cross. If they started trouble, he would surely deal with them. ’Besides,’ they thought, ’there’s no need for us to say a word. Before nightfall, the whole village will have heard about this. Li Xin will probably have a hard time finding a decent family to marry into now. Who would want a wife who can’t tell right from wrong and doesn’t appreciate kindness?’
Grandma Li returned to the banquet holding Nuonuo, who was now dressed from head to toe in her new clothes and shoes. She handed the baby to Li Xiu. When Li Xiu took his daughter, he broke into a wide smile. It was clear a lot of thought had gone into her outfit. He laughed and said, "Look at my precious girl! How’s the little shirt from your maternal aunt, the pants from your aunt-in-law, and the socks and shoes from your paternal aunts? Are they comfy?"
The guests looked at the fair-skinned, chubby little girl, whose adorable features were the perfect blend of her parents’. Seeing her clothes and shoes, which were so obviously made with great care, everyone came to the same conclusion: Li Xiu was a man of considerable ability. ’Forget the special treatment he gets from relatives,’ they thought, ’just look at how well-fed this child is. She doesn’t look like she was raised in an ordinary farming family.’
And it was true. Li Xiu and his wife had the memories of a past life, setting them apart from everyone else. Nuonuo was the daughter they had longed for. Zhou Lian was a good mother with a plentiful milk supply, so the child was thriving. Her diapers were changed often, and she was bathed frequently. From a distance, you could smell nothing but a sweet, milky scent on Nuonuo. It was impossible not to adore such a child.
Second Brother Zhou suddenly snatched the baby into his arms. After studying her closely, he exclaimed, "My niece really picked up the best of the best from my sister and brother-in-law! Oh, she’s just the most precious thing. Hey, brother-in-law, let me take her home for a couple of days!"
Li Xiu stared at his second brother-in-law as if he were a complete idiot. The eldest Zhou brother took the baby from his arms, handed her back to Li Xiu, and then slapped Second Brother Zhou on the shoulder. "Brother-in-law," he said to Li Xiu, "don’t mind him. Your second brother here has had too much to drink. I’ll deal with him when we get home."
Second Brother Zhou started to protest, but Third Brother Zhou held him back. ’Did Second Brother leave his brain at home today?’ Third Brother Zhou thought frantically. ’Does he not know what our brother-in-law is like? That man can find a way to screw you over for no reason at all. Now he’s trying to take his daughter? Isn’t he afraid Li Xiu will trick him into an early grave?’