Sha Zhu's Rebirth in the Courtyard: Starting with Hitting Someone in the Head

Chapter 25 Eating Meat at the Wedding

The Jia family wedding was scheduled for the seventh day of the twelfth lunar month. This day happened to be the day before the Laba Festival, a day with a strong festive atmosphere and considered one of the auspicious days.

The Gregorian calendar date is January 3, 1952.

Jia Zhangshi went to buy vegetables a day in advance, but He Yuzhu did not set up his stall.

He told Old Li to rest for a day, and he followed Jia Zhangshi at a distance. Jia Zhangshi, carrying a willow basket, swayed her hips as she left the alley and headed towards the vegetable market.

When she arrived at the market, she walked slowly, stopping every few steps to haggle with the vendors. She thought cabbage was too expensive at three cents a pound, and radishes were too expensive at two cents a pound. In the end, she picked out a bunch of wilted cabbage leaves from a stall at the very back of the market and spent one and a half cents.

I bought two more blocks of tofu, a handful of vermicelli, and ten eggs. I couldn't bear to buy any meat.

He Yuzhu lit a cigarette outside the market. His spatial awareness spread out, and Jia Zhangshi wandered around the market for almost an hour before finally filling her basket.

She walked out carrying her basket, muttering something to herself, probably calculating how much she had spent. The market entrance was bustling with people, a jumble of vendors carrying loads and pushing carts. Jia Zhangshi squeezed her way out, her basket slung over her arm.

Following Jia Zhangshi into the alley, He Yuzhu had an idea.

Two pieces of meat appeared at Jia Zhangshi's feet. She stepped on them, slipped, and fell forward. The basket flew away, scattering cabbage, radishes, vermicelli, and eggs all over the ground. The tofu crumbled into mush. Five eggs broke.

Jia Zhangshi lay sprawled on the ground, her chin slamming into the bluestone slab, letting out a sharp cry of pain. It took her a while to grumble and get up, looking down to see what had tripped her: two large chunks of flesh, bright red, lying on the ground.

Jia Zhangshi's eyes lit up. Looking around to make sure no one was watching, she grabbed two pieces of meat, stuffed them into the bottom of her basket, and covered them with wilted cabbage. She ignored the broken eggs and tofu paste on the ground, picked up the basket, and left.

They walked twice as fast as they had come.

He Yuzhu threw the cigarette butt on the ground and stomped it out, then walked away down another road.

The day Jia Dongxu and Qin Huairu got married.

The courtyard was decorated with lanterns and colorful streamers. Red paper cutouts of the character for "happiness" were pasted on the Jia family's door, and two red lanterns hung at the entrance of the west wing.

Madam Jia Zhang wore a newly made blue cotton jacket, her hair was slicked back with oil, and her face beamed with a smile. Jia Dongxu borrowed a Zhongshan suit, the sleeves of which were a bit long; he rolled them up twice, revealing the hem of his cotton-padded jacket underneath.

Qin Huairu arrived in a mule cart, accompanied by her matchmaker. She wore a red cotton-padded jacket, black trousers, and a red veil over her head. The mule cart stopped at the courtyard gate, and Qin Huairu was helped down by the matchmaker. Everyone in the courtyard gathered around to see her.

Wang Caifeng smiled, a rare occurrence.

Yi Zhonghai's injuries had long since healed, but he was missing his teeth, and his lips were sunken, making him look like an old woman. He changed into a clean shirt and stood at the Jia family's door as the officiant at the wedding.

Jia Zhangshi originally didn't want him to take the position, finding his face disgraceful. But Yi Zhonghai took the initiative to come to her door, saying that Dongxu was his apprentice, and it would be unreasonable for him not to step forward.

After thinking it over, Madam Jia realized that inviting others would require more people to eat, so she decided to invite him instead.

Yi Zhonghai stood under the red "double happiness" character, speaking with a smirk. The air leaked out. "Dongxu, Huairu, today you two are married. From now on, you must respect and love each other, and be filial to your elders." He mispronounced "respect and love each other" as "celebrate and love each other," causing the people in the courtyard to stifle their laughter.

Xu Damao, standing at the back of the crowd, chuckled. Xu Fugui pinched him, and Xu Damao bit his lip, his shoulders trembling.

Yan Bugui held his teacup, his eyes behind his glasses fixed on the dishes on the table. There were four plates of peanuts, melon seeds, and candy. He reached in and grabbed a handful of peanuts into his pocket, then grabbed a handful of melon seeds.

Liu Haizhong stood in the courtyard, smoking and watching from afar. His wife, Wang Caifeng, stood beside him, her eyes fixed on Qin Huairu's red veil, lost in thought.

The old deaf man didn't come out.

"Bowing to Heaven and Earth." Yi Zhonghai shouted "Bowing to Heaven and Earth," but the words were so slurred that they sounded like "Bowing to a frog."

Xu Damao couldn't hold it in any longer, so he covered his mouth and squatted down. Jia Zhangshi glared at him, and Xu Damao simply ran away, laughing his fill in the backyard.

The banquet was set up on two tables. One table was in the Jia family's house, and the other was in Yi Zhonghai's house. The dishes were prepared by Jia Zhangshi herself: stewed cabbage, braised vermicelli, scrambled eggs, and tofu soup. The two pieces of meat were made into braised pork and served in two large bowls.

Everyone in the courtyard had their eyes fixed on the bowl of meat. Yan Bugui was the first to reach for his chopsticks, grab a piece, and stuff it into his mouth, chewing until juice spilled from the corners of his mouth. Before he could even swallow, he grabbed another piece.

Yang Ruihua quickly went up to pick up some meat, and Liu Haizhong also picked up a piece, chewed it a couple of times, and nodded.

Tan Xiulan picked up a piece of meat for Yi Zhonghai, but Yi Zhonghai, having no teeth, couldn't chew it and just held it in his mouth for a long time. Jia Zhangshi picked up the biggest piece for herself, took a bite, and the juice dripped down her chin. She wiped it with her sleeve and picked up another piece.

Yan Bugui also said that the meat tasted really good, but there was no fat in it.

Qin Huairu was seated inside and not invited to the main table; she was only allowed to leave when it was time for the final toasts. Jia Dongxu brought in a bowl of food, lifted her red veil, and placed a piece of meat on her plate. Qin Huairu ate happily, and Jia Dongxu said a few words before leaving.

Qianmen Railway Station. A queue forms at He Yuzhu's and Lao Li's stalls. Today's meat dishes are braised pork meatballs and braised mackerel, along with two vegetable dishes. Three mao per serving. He Yuzhu collects the money and gives change, while Lao Li hands out boxed lunches.

The queue stretched from the front of the tricycles to the edge of the station square. There were so many people that there wasn't enough room to sit; some squatted to eat, others stood. In less than two hours, all four hundred portions were sold out.

They packed up and packed up the stall. The tables and chairs were folded up and tied up, and the steamers were stacked neatly. He Yuzhu got on his bike, and Old Li rode his phoenix-head bicycle.

Back at the courtyard house, the banquet had just ended.

As Jia Zhangshi was carrying leftover food into the house, she saw He Yuzhu pushing a cart in and curled her lip. "Oh, Zhuzi's back? Dongxu's getting married today, and you, you didn't even show your face."

He Yuzhu ignored her and pushed the cart towards his room. Jia Zhangshi then said to Old Li, "Old Li, you've been corrupted by Zhuzi too."

Old Li glanced at her but didn't say anything.

He Yuzhu parked the tricycle and unloaded the goods. The courtyard was filled with the aroma of a banquet: stewed cabbage, braised vermicelli, and a bowl of braised pork.

Three days after Qin Huairu entered the household, Jia Zhangshi's attitude changed.

On the first day, Jia Zhangshi smiled and kept calling her Huairu. On the second day, Jia Zhangshi said, "Huairu, this is our family rule, let me make it clear to you."

At five o'clock on the morning of the third day, while it was still dark, Jia Zhangshi knocked on the door. "Huai Ru! Get up and cook!"

Qin Huairu came out wearing a cotton-padded coat, her eyes still closed. Jia Zhangshi stood at the door, carrying a tin bucket. "Go fetch some water. The vat is empty."

Qin Huairu carried buckets to the central courtyard to fetch water, the iron buckets clanging against the blue brick floor. After filling one bucket and carrying it back, Jia Zhangshi said, "Pour it into the vat. Go fetch another bucket." Qin Huairu fetched four buckets of water, her fingers turning bright red from the cold.

Sitting on the kang (heated brick bed) inside the house, Jia Zhangshi called out, "Finished? Knead the dough. Dongxu should be up soon."

Qin Huairu was kneading dough in the kitchen. Jia Zhangshi came out of the house and stood beside her watching. "A daughter-in-law has to be diligent. I had it much harder than you back then. My mother-in-law made me get up at midnight to grind tofu and at dawn to steam cornbread. What you're doing is nothing."

Qin Huairu kept her head down, stirring the dough in the basin. She didn't say anything.

The sun came out. People in the courtyard gradually got up. Tan Xiulan came out to pour water and saw Qin Huairu squatting at the door washing clothes with cold water. Jia Dongxu's jacket, Jia Zhangshi's trousers, and the bed sheet.

Soap suds clung to her hands, leaving the backs of her hands red and purple from the cold. Madam Jia sat in the doorway, basking in the sun, holding a teacup. "Huai Ru, scrub your collar more. Dongxu's collar turned black after just two days."

Qin Huairu rubbed vigorously, then rubbed the collar and then the cuffs.

Tan Xiulan glanced at it, shook her head, and walked away with the basin.