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

Chapter 92 Xu Damao's Wedding

On May 1st, the pomegranate leaves in the courtyard were a deep green and glossy, with layers of oval leaves creating small patches of shade.

Steam rose from the kitchen, and He Yuzhu, wearing an apron, stood in front of the stove. Ma Hua squatted on the ground, cleaning two grass carp, scaling and gutting them, the fishy smell mingling with the aroma of scallions and ginger.

After peeling the garlic, Ma Qiang went to chop the scallions. He Yuzhu, while stirring the wok, directed, "Ma Hua, bring that braised pork knuckle over, I'll collect the sauce. Ma Qiang, keep an eye on the steamer, don't overcook it."

The braised pork belly was bubbling away in the pot, its color a glossy reddish-brown, the skin trembling slightly. The four-happiness meatballs, fried to a golden brown, were simmering in another pot, coated in a glistening, oily broth.

Ma Hua walked over from the cutting board carrying a braised pork knuckle, peeked into the pot, and swallowed hard: "Master, this braised pork looks really tempting."

"Getting hungry?" He Yuzhu scooped a piece of meat with a spoon and held it to Ma Hua's mouth. Ma Hua ate it and nodded vigorously, even slurping up the large spoonful of broth. Ma Qiang ran over from the cutting board, holding half a scallion in his hand: "Master! I want to try it too!" He Yuzhu scooped some more for him, and after Ma Qiang finished eating, he stared longingly at the pot.

"Alright, alright, there won't be any left if you eat any more. The bride and groom haven't even had a chance to eat yet, and you two are already full."

He Yuzhu shooed Ma Qiang back, "Hurry up and steam that pot of chicken, stuff the mushroom and scallion knots into the chicken's belly, make sure it's packed tightly."

Two tables were set up in the courtyard, covered with red cloth. The bride, Li Hongmei, wore a floral polyester shirt, her hair was styled in an updo with a red velvet flower pinned to it, and she had a round face with two dimples at the corners of her mouth when she smiled. Xu Damao wore a brand-new Zhongshan suit, but the red flower on his chest was a little crooked, so Zhao Shufen straightened it for him.

Yu Shui and Xu Ling suddenly appeared from the side, throwing pieces of red paper at Xu Damao's head. Xu Damao shook his collar and laughed, scolding, "Where did these two girls learn that from?"

The rain splashed on him as he stuck out his tongue: "My sister-in-law taught me that."

Li Huaide sat at the head of the table; he was the introducer and also Li Hongmei's distant cousin. He held a dual role today. After saying a few opening remarks, he sat down and chatted with He Yuzhu.

Xu Fugui sat next to his in-laws. Li Hongmei's father, his back ramrod straight, said, "Thank you for your trouble, in-laws." Xu Fugui quickly offered him a cigarette: "It's nothing. Hongmei is the apple of your eye; our Da Mao family has married into a wealthy family."

Li's mother's eyes were a little red as she said that Hongmei would be entrusted to her in-laws from now on. Zhao Shufen repeatedly assured her that she would not worry, that she treated Hongmei like her own daughter, and that Damao would treat Hongmei well as well.

Rainwater peeked over from the side and called out "Sister-in-law Hongmei" in a generous manner, to which Li Hongmei responded softly.

Xu Damao, holding Hongmei's hand, walked to both sets of parents, bowed to them, and called out "Dad, Mom," before offering them tea. After the parents drank the tea, they urged each other to live a good life.

The people in the courtyard invited Old Li's family. Lou Xiao'e held He Xiao and sat at the same table with them. Yu Shui sat next to Lou Xiao'e and would occasionally stand up to serve her sister-in-law some food.

Madam Jia stood outside the moon gate, peering through the crack. The aroma of braised pork mixed with the smells of chicken and sweet and sour fish wafted from the side courtyard. She sniffed hard twice, swallowed, and turned back to the west wing.

On the table at home were several bowls of cornmeal porridge, so thin you could see your reflection in it, and a dish of finely chopped pickled vegetables.

Banggeng picked up the bowl and slurped down his drink, then slammed it on the table. "Grandma, when can we eat meat? Is the He family stewing meat again? Smell this—braised pork, and chicken! Grandma, smell it, it's definitely chicken!"

Jia Zhangshi picked up her enamel mug and took a sip of water: "What are you sniffing for! Others eat their food, we drink ours." Bang Geng was still craning his neck and sniffing hard towards the other side of the courtyard. Jia Zhangshi gently slapped him on the back of the head: "Eat! Look at you, so pathetic. So what if it's chicken? You've even had roast duck."

Qin Huairu lifted Xiaodang onto her lap and fed her a mouthful of porridge. Xiaodang swallowed, tilted her head back, and asked her mother what the chicken tasted like. Qin Huairu lowered her head and softly said, "Eat."

In the courtyard, Xu Fugui stood up, holding a wine glass, his hand trembling slightly: "Zhuzi, I, Old Xu, would like to toast you. Da Mao's success today is all thanks to your support. My Xu family will remember this for the rest of our lives."

He Yuzhu stood up and clinked glasses with him: "Uncle Xu, you flatter me." He turned to Xu Damao and said, "Damao, treat your wife well from now on."

Xu Damao's eyes were a little red. He stood next to Hongmei, holding a wine glass, his voice trembling slightly: "Brother Zhuzi, this glass is for you. My dad was right, without you I wouldn't be where I am today. I, Xu Damao, will always consider you my brother, and that will never change."

He Yuzhu raised his glass and clinked it with his: "Don't bother with this on such a joyous occasion. Cheers." Xu Damao tilted his head back and downed it, bottom up, nodding heavily with red eyes.

After a few rounds of drinks, He Yuzhu beckoned to his apprentices at another table. Ma Hua quickly wiped his hands and ran over, standing properly. Ma Qiang also jogged over and stood on either side of He Yuzhu.

He Yuzhu patted Ma Hua on the shoulder: "Brother Li, these are the two apprentices I told you about. They've been learning from me for a year."

Li Huaide put down his chopsticks and carefully examined Ma Hua: "How old?"

Ma Hua straightened his back and said, "Director Li, I am fifteen years old this year."

Li Huaide then looked at Ma Qiang: "And you?"

Ma Qiang wasn't intimidated at all: "I'm thirteen. My master just started teaching me Fujian and Cantonese cuisine. He said that in two years, he would send me to the post office clerk's place to learn Sichuan, Hunan, and Huaiyang cuisine."

Li Huaide laughed heartily, raised his glass and clinked it against He Yuzhu's: "You've made this move early enough. Your two apprentices are not even twenty years old yet, and you've already arranged when and where they'll go. Don't worry, I'll take care of the two kids changing their ages; it's just a matter of giving them a heads-up. It's settled then, send Ma Hua over by the end of next year. I'll have plenty of practice opportunities there, and he'll definitely become the class monitor in six months."

He Yuzhu raised his glass to toast with him, while Ma Hua and Ma Qiang bowed and ran back to continue eating.

After the banquet, Hongmei helped Damao slowly out of the courtyard. Xu Fugui and his wife accompanied Li's parents as they walked out. Zhao Shufen and Li's mother were still holding hands, having arranged to go to the supply and marketing cooperative to buy cloth in a couple of days.

He Yuzhu had just sat down and lit a cigarette when Old Li, carrying an enamel mug, slowly walked over from the moon gate, sat down next to him, and lowered his voice: "Yuzhu, the old deaf man in the backyard hasn't come out begging for two days. Little Wang knocked on the door several times this morning, but no one answered. The sour smell coming from under the door is getting stronger and stronger, even stronger than after the last rainstorm. Little Wang just went to see Director Zhang from the neighborhood committee; he probably wants to break down the door to check on him."

He Yuzhu flicked his cigarette ash and looked up towards the back of the building.

"What a coincidence!" He glanced at the red ribbons on the pomegranate tree. "That kid Da Mao, he's getting married today, can he really be this unlucky? Come on, let's go check. If the old deaf man really is gone, then Da Mao and his wife will have to stay in the south room of the courtyard tonight. What bad luck!"