Top Scholar

Chapter 16 Chun-ge, Chun-ge, you are truly amazing!
At this moment, a series of thunderous drumbeats sounded, announcing the start of the Xiasha ceremony.

The boys quickly dispersed and stood at attention, holding their flags.

The invited village drum troupe played music and drums, summoning all the members of the Su clan into the courtyard of the winery.

Everyone arrived at 3:45 AM. Su Youpeng led the two elderly men onto the makeshift wooden platform.

The white-haired old man leaning on a cane is Su Daxiang, the patriarch of the Su clan, whom Su Lu should call Great-Grandpa. The round-faced old man with gray hair on one side is Su Daji, the head chef of the Su family's winery, whom Su Lu calls Seventh-Grandpa.

However, Su Lu's grandfather was nowhere to be seen at the distillery. Everyone knew the reason, and no one would say anything. After all, the old man had given up his official position for the sake of the clan...

Behind the two elderly men followed four young men wearing scholar's caps and white round-necked robes with black trim. They were the Su family's students studying at Taiping Academy—among them, the handsome, dashing, and youthful-looking man was Su Lu's elder brother, Su Man.

No wonder his aunt always talks about him; anyone who has such a good son would be proud.

Once the two elders had stopped, Su Youpeng announced loudly, "In the sixteenth year of the Hongzhi reign, the first event of the Double Ninth Festival in Xiasha is the worship of Heaven and ancestors!"

"Offer sacrifices to Heaven and Ancestors!" the flag bearers shouted in unison.

Then Chun-ge and his three classmates, each holding a fan in one hand and a sheng (a type of reed pipe instrument) in the other, danced the 'Zhai Yue Dance' to the accompaniment of a country band.

Whether it was due to their lack of skill or a problem with the dance itself, Su Lu saw that Chun Ge'er and the other three were repeating the same few movements over and over again: bowing with their hands clasped in front of them, raising their feet and letting their hands hang down. The movements were monotonous, stiff, and lacked any aesthetic appeal.

But this dance can only be performed by Confucian scholars, so it seems quite sacred.

Then I heard the four of them, including Chun Ge'er, sing:
"On the auspicious day of the Double Ninth Festival, we devoutly worship Heaven and Earth, pay homage to our ancestors, and pray for a sweet and delicious meal."

May this wine be blessed with good fortune, may our ancestral business prosper, and may it bring blessings upon our descendants.

"Please provide water!" Su Youpeng then shouted along with the extras.

Several burly men carried huge camphor wood buckets to the well at the distillery and began to turn the windlass to draw water.

The well had been emptied beforehand, and the water drawn up was crystal clear. But this well was not Langquan Well. Although it was also clear and sweet, the wine brewed from it was always inferior to that from Langquan Well.

But that's all we can do for now.

The burly men filled the pots with water, carried them to the front of the table, and poured them into six large iron pots one by one.

Once all six iron pots were filled, Su Youpeng sang loudly, "Offering sacrifices!"

Amidst the crackling of firecrackers, Su Lu saw his second brother and three other strong clansmen carrying a freshly slaughtered, fat pig on a door panel, as they shakily climbed onto the platform.

The clan chief and the workshop owner burned incense and prayed, leading the people to kneel and worship heaven, earth, and ancestors, asking for blessings for everything to go smoothly and for good wine to be brewed.

After the sacrifice was completed, Su Youpeng announced loudly, "Light the fire and boil the water!"

Chun Ge'er and others sang again:

"The red dragon breathes out the mysterious pearl into the abyss, while the earth chariot carries the soul and contains the essence of the lake."

The men of the Su family then lit the firewood piled up at the bottom of the pot, and a roaring fire began to boil the water in the pot.

"Moisten the grain!" At this moment, Su Daji, the foreman, gave the order, and the workers carried this year's new sorghum in single file to the threshing ground, where they poured it onto the bluestone slabs. Behind them followed the experienced workers, who used wooden rakes to gather the sorghum into piles.

After the sorghum was piled up, the water in the iron pot boiled. The master craftsman then used a large wooden ladle to scoop up the boiling water and poured it onto the sorghum pile, spoonful by spoonful.

As soon as boiling water was poured on, the workers quickly stirred the sorghum with wooden shovels to ensure it absorbed the water evenly. The experienced workers even poured last year's mash into the new grain using wooden buckets…

The moistened material, having absorbed enough moisture, will be piled up for five hours before being steamed overnight. After that, it will be spread out to cool, piled up again, and put into a cellar for fermentation... It is not something that can be accomplished overnight.

So after the grain soaking, this year's grain harvesting ceremony came to a successful conclusion.

Not only did the clansmen return home, but the workers at the distillery also went home to eat and rest, and would return in the evening to steam the grain.

~~
When Su Lu was waiting for Su Tai to come out, he saw his uncle fully armed, standing at the entrance of the winery with several men.

"What are you doing, Uncle?" Su Lu asked curiously, seeing his tense expression.

"It's to keep things in check." The uncle straightened his helmet with the hilt of his sword and said seriously, "The Cheng family is also holding a ceremony in Xiasha. Every year on this day, the two families are always competing with each other, and it's easy for a conflict to break out."

"Oh." Su Lu nodded, somewhat puzzled, "Didn't you see the Cheng family trying to compete with us?"

"Yes, that's right." The uncle also wondered, "In previous years they would parade through the streets and set off firecrackers, why are they so well-behaved this year?"

"Isn't that great? What's the point of fighting with each other all day long when we're all neighbors?" Chun Ge'er, dressed in a white robe, walked out of the wine shop with his head held high. Xia Ge'er followed behind him, carrying a knife of meat in his hand, looking exactly like a young master and his bodyguard.

"Oh dear, son. You can't say things like that, or the elders will be angry." The uncle quickly pressed his finger to his lips.

"Yes." Chun Ge'er sneered, but did not say anything more.

"Go home quickly, your mother has been waiting for you for days." The uncle said to his son with a kind smile, "I'll go to the police station to take off this clothes and then go home for the holiday."

"Yes, Father." Chun Ge watched his father leave before walking home with his head held high.

Xia Ge'er quickly followed, not forgetting to pull Qiu Ge'er along as well.

Well, now the young master has another page...

This was Chun Ge'er's first time home in two months, so Su Lu hadn't had any contact with him before. Seeing his cold demeanor and aloof attitude, Su Lu didn't want to make a fool of himself.

Su Tai was a taciturn man who never spoke up. The three brothers walked half a street without uttering a single word.

Su Lu felt a little awkward, thinking to himself that if his older brother felt awkward, he would naturally speak up. If he didn't feel awkward, it would only make things more awkward for him to speak up…

So he held back from saying a word, and the three of them remained silent all the way home, it was incredibly awkward... Luckily, there was Xiao Jinbao, who rushed down the stairs and cheered, "Guoguo is back!"

Chun Ge'er, who had always been as cold and ruthless as a killer, finally broke into a smile and reached out to take Xiao Jinbao with both hands.

Unexpectedly, Jinbao slipped under his arm and skillfully nestled into Su Lu's arms.

Su Man's smile remained unchanged, and she stretched her hands, which had been hanging in mid-air, upwards to defuse the awkwardness.

The eldest aunt also came out to greet them, and upon seeing the situation, she angrily said, "You brat, didn't you see your eldest brother is back?"

"Mother, it's alright. Jinbao has a bad memory. She forgets me every time her son comes back," Su Man said calmly. "She'll remember in a little while."

After saying this, he first bowed to his mother and greeted her, then magically produced a string of candied hawthorns and waved them in front of Jinbao.

"A big pot of candied hawthorns!" Jinbao recognized him immediately. Because there were no candied hawthorns for sale in Erlangtan, only in Taiping Town where the academy was located.

Jinbao reached for the candied hawthorn, and Su Man pulled her into his arms, glancing at Su Lu and saying quietly, "You haven't called me yet."

"Big brother," Su Lu quickly said with a smile, "You look so serious, I don't dare to speak."

"The rule is everywhere—when you see your elder brother, you should greet him first. How can I greet him if you don't?" Su Man said, ignoring him, and went upstairs with Jinbao in her arms.

"..." Su Lu stared dumbfounded at Chun Ge'er's back, never expecting it to be for this reason.

Su Tai patted his shoulder reassuringly and whispered, "Big brother has always been serious and strong-willed since he was a child, don't take it to heart."

"How could that be? I'll know later." Su Lu smiled, and the two brothers went upstairs side by side.

~~
Today is still the Double Ninth Festival. Chrysanthemums are displayed in the courtyard, and everyone wears dogwood in their hair.

My aunt cooked a delicious meal for the first time ever. The braised river catfish with red yeast rice simmered with an enticing aroma; the stir-fried eggs with wild scallions gleamed with a glossy golden color; the mushroom and tofu soup was refreshing; and the lotus root and water bamboo shoot stew was crisp and tender.

The pork belly that Su Man brought back today has also been transformed into a plate of Dongpo pork, lying glistening with oil in a large bowl.

Finally, a plate of honey-roasted chestnuts was served, which was perfect as a dessert after the meal... Although the Su family had declined, Aunt's cooking skills had not diminished in the slightest.

Even though every dish was one that Chun-ge'er had loved since childhood, she would never admit that she made this meal because her son was coming back.

"It's a festival, so of course we should have a more lavish meal," the aunt insisted. She explained that the meal was for everyone, but once the meal began, she couldn't help but serve food to her son.
"Chun-ge'er, eat this."

"Son, try that."

Looking at the mountain of food piled up in front of him, Su Man felt quite embarrassed. He wasn't a child anymore...

But he didn't say anything. He just subtly pushed the rice bowl towards Jinbao, assuring him that his little sister would take care of everything.

The old man was also very happy. For the first time ever, he didn't leave early. He sat cross-legged in the main seat, sipping his wine and asking his eldest grandson all sorts of questions.

Su Man was very patient, answering each question carefully even to her hard-of-hearing grandmother, perfectly embodying the filial piety expected of a scholar.

After the family members had all put down their chopsticks, Su Man ended her "filial piety time" and asked, "Have you all eaten enough?"

"I can still eat!" Little Jinbao insisted.

"You'll stuff yourself to death." Her aunt quickly forced her to leave the table and took her out for a walk. Otherwise, the child would definitely get indigestion.

At this moment, Su Man poured a glass of wine for the old man, picked it up and said in a deep voice, "Grandpa, I have something important to report."

"Good news or bad news?" The old man didn't answer, but said warily, "Grandpa doesn't want to hear bad news. Grandpa is getting old and can't take it."

Su Man was silent for a moment before saying, "It's a good thing."

"Go ahead and tell me." The old man then took the wine cup, but he still felt that things weren't that simple.

"Grandpa, congratulations on becoming a grandfather again!" Su Manshi exclaimed in surprise.

"What? Boss, your wife's pregnant again?" The old man exclaimed in surprise, "That's impressive! Although she's still not as good as mine!"

"Pfft..." The uncle blushed with embarrassment and spat out a mouthful of wine on the ground, saying, "Don't worry, old man, nothing like that! Even if it were true, I wouldn't let Chun-ge tell you!"

"Then who else could it be?" the old man asked curiously.

"Uncle." Su Man didn't keep them in suspense and revealed the answer directly.

"Pfft..." The whole family couldn't hold back anymore and stared at their uncle in disbelief.

The younger uncle looked shocked and stammered, "What? Even something this small has reached the academy?"

This is tantamount to admitting it...

*Slap! Slap! Slap!* Uncle, Su Youcai, and Aunt all slapped their thighs together: "So that's how it is!"

"Is she the Cheng family's daughter?" Su Youcai asked the third brother in surprise.

"Yes..." The uncle panicked like a mouse that had encountered a cat, wishing he could find a hole to crawl into.

"No wonder they beat you up! If you ask me, they didn't hit you hard enough!" the uncle said angrily. "There are so many women in the world, why did you have to mess with the Cheng family's daughter?"

"When fate comes, you can't stop it..." The uncle mumbled a couple of times, but ultimately didn't dare to utter those two annoying words.

"Can't stop me? I'll make you suffer today! You get down on your knees!" the old man roared, his murderous aura bursting forth.

(End of this chapter)