Chapter 513 - 268: All Grown Up
Mei’s mother smiled after hearing what her husband said. "In that case, I’ll ask Mei later. If she makes up her mind, I’ll let Qingmu’s mother know. There’s no need to ask our sons. Isn’t it up to the two of us to decide anyway?"
Fatty Liu shook his head. "That’s not what I mean. They’re four brothers with only one sister. We should at least tell them. How can we just arrange Mei’s engagement without saying a word?"
Mei’s mother said, "Alright, we’ll tell them then."
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A few days later, the Liu Family sent word to Mrs. Yang, saying they thought very highly of Laixi. Mrs. Yang knew then that the match was all but settled. A huge smile spread across her face, and she began to chatter excitedly about returning to Liujiatang to have her elder brother find a matchmaker and formally propose the marriage.
Juhua and her brother were also delighted, but she was currently lounging listlessly on the bamboo bed, a thick mattress pad beneath her. She simply listened to Mrs. Yang’s chatter with a smile, occasionally chiming in. She didn’t have much energy because, in the early summer of her fifteenth year, her little body had finally blossomed into womanhood!
After all the fuss and preparation, she still felt quite unwell.
Mrs. Yang, for her part, was both happy and worried, and she forced Juhua to rest. Juhua herself had also quieted down considerably. She dutifully stewed and drank some red date and peanut congee and rested obediently. Mrs. Yang even did her laundry for her.
’I take my health very seriously—far more seriously than my looks. After all, the ordeal of childbirth is a life-or-death struggle with King Yama. It doesn’t matter how easily other women give birth. I know that with my build, it’ll probably be difficult. Of course, my poor constitution is also a factor.’
’So, when it’s time to focus on my health, I won’t be difficult about it. Our family is relatively well-off now, anyway. It’s just that my parents and brother are so hardworking and down-to-earth that they never show it off.’
Qingmu watched his sister with concern, completely baffled by what was wrong with her. If she was sick, why didn’t their mother seem worried? In fact, she was all smiles, and even their father looked pleased. But if she wasn’t sick, why wouldn’t their mother let his sister do any chores at all, not even wash the vegetables? The weather had grown so warm, yet his sister was still lying on a cotton-padded mat. Wasn’t she hot?
The boy didn’t yet understand the ways of women. He was just an innocent young lad; only after getting married would he realize how complicated a woman’s lot could be. For now, though he was puzzled, he didn’t press the issue. He had already asked once, and his mother had brushed him off with a few words, making it clear it was something she couldn’t discuss with him.
Just after dinner, Zheng Changhe was weaving straw sandals while Mrs. Yang washed the dishes. Qingmu fed the pigs, called the chickens and ducks back into their coop, and then joined his father, also weaving straw sandals.
Once she finished cleaning up, Mrs. Yang came and sat beside Juhua. Stroking her daughter’s back, she continued to chatter for a good while about Laixi’s engagement. Then she mentioned that Laifu was getting married at the end of the year, as was Qingmu. This year was going to be a busy one, right up until the New Year festival.
"Changhe, have you gone to check on Li the carpenter?" Mrs. Yang asked her husband after her long spiel. Li the carpenter was busy making the furniture for Qingmu’s new bridal chamber.
Juhua listened absently as her parents discussed the furniture and layout of Qingmu’s new room, her thoughts drifting far away. She gazed at the lush green bamboo in front of the courtyard and the vibrant, tender wild chrysanthemums growing at the base of the wall. Then, she turned her head to look at the peach trees, which were not yet very tall. Nestled among the dense, verdant leaves, the young peaches were already turning from green to a pale white, their tips blushing red.
This place felt both familiar and strange.
Familiar, because she had planted all of it with her own hands, watching everything grow and change. Strange, because she would often feel as if she were in a trance—that everything before her was a dream, and that when she woke up, she would be back in the countryside of her past life.
’How much longer will this dream last?’
’I’ll get married and have children here. In the future, a gaggle of kids will be running around this courtyard. By then, the peach trees will surely be tall and imposing, the little osmanthus tree will be lush with branches and leaves, and the jujube tree we just planted will have grown past the roof.’
"Juhua! Juhua! Take a look, will this work?" Zheng Changhe’s voice jolted her from her reverie.
Her father was holding up a woven straw flip-flop, smiling as he asked if this was what she had in mind.
Juhua took the sandal and felt it with her hand. It was soft. She then examined the weave, which was tight and intricate. Clearly, her father had put a lot of work into it.
It turned out that she had suggested to Zheng Changhe that he strip the outer layer from rice straw, scald it with boiling water, let it dry, and then weave it into flip-flops. That way, after bathing on a hot day, they wouldn’t have to wear cloth shoes. They could just slip on these sandals, which were soft, cheap, and convenient—and when they wore out, you could just toss them without a second thought.