Chapter 123: Small Disagreements
Before the end of the year, Qiu Henian was busy finishing up the work in the shop and also collecting debts owed from outside.
Xiao Zhuang had changed a lot over the past year. He no longer had a body full of flabby fat; instead, he had grown taller and become thinner. His chest had widened, his arms had thickened, and he could finally swing a big hammer.
Sometimes when his master watched him, letting him handle some simple tasks himself, he looked quite capable now. If he were another apprentice with nimble hands, he would probably be ready to graduate.
Xiao Zhuang was a late bloomer, but his foundational skills were solid. He knew his limits and focused on learning steadily without rushing or being proud. It was estimated that he could start independently making things next year.
Qiu Henian was quite pleased with this. Before the New Year, besides buying pork and mutton for his family, he also gave Xiao Zhuang an additional red envelope, which made Xiao Zhuang happily take it home.
Before the New Year, Qingyan took the child to Fragrant Melody Pavillion for two days. They finished ordering all the goods before closing. Qingyan went and settled all the accounts for the whole year, paying what needed to be paid and collecting what was owed.
Feng Lao San made one last trip to the capital before the New Year. Qingyan had already prepared the goods for the 8th and 15th of the first lunar month. The shop was also decorated.
The dividends for the year were all settled, which Aunt Li and Qiuniang reviewed.
Shen Min received a substantial red envelope as a reward for his hard work during this period.
The New Year’s outlook was even better than last year. The past two years had been smooth sailing, stable and prosperous. Not only for them, but also for the other villagers in Liusi Village, life was getting better year by year.
As the New Year approached, Qiu Henian paid for San Yao to bring back a live pig from a neighboring village. The two of them slaughtered the pig together.
They set up an earthen stove in the courtyard, and the fire in the stove never went out. They heated several pots of hot water.
Aunt Li, Qiuniang, and Shen Min were there. The two men burned off the pig’s hair with torches, while the women cleaned the pig’s skin with knives and brushes, and prepared the butchered pork.
They collected two large basins of pig’s blood. Qiuniang turned the pig intestines inside out and washed them carefully, removing all the fat. After seasoning the pig’s blood, they stuffed several blood sausages and boiled them in a large pot.
Qiu Henian chopped the pork ribs with a hatchet, while San Yao dealt with the internal organs.
The pig’s head was cut off and frozen, to be eaten on the second day of the second lunar month.
The dinner that day was the fragrant and appetizing dishes from the slaughtered pig: hot and steaming sauerkraut with pork belly, blood sausages, and vermicelli stewed in a big pot. The rice planted by San Yao was plump and full, each grain of white rice shining with a layer of oil. When eaten together, it was incredibly delicious.
Because he had to watch over Jindou, Qingyan could only hold the child and watch on the side all day. Whenever Jindou fell asleep, Qingyan wanted to help, but Aunt Li chased him back, saying it was better to wait another two months before doing physical work.
Everyone was tired after the day, and they finished a large pot of pig dishes in one meal.
When they returned home, Qiu Henian had already divided the pork among the households, and each took their share home.
This year, they celebrated the New Year at Qiu Henian’s house again. They had agreed with Shen Min to come over, so the whole Wang family was together.
On the 29th, Qinlan and her family of three returned.
As usual, Qiu Henian and Qingyan went to Aunt Li’s house to have dinner together.
This year was different from last year. Nannan was a year older and had become a somewhat sensible little girl.
There was also Jindou in the family now. While the adults ate, drank, and talked, he lay on the bed occasionally making sounds as if he was chatting with them.
After Nannan finished eating, she jumped off her chair and ran to the bedside to see her little brother. She spoke softly to him and wanted to hold his little hand, but Jindou tightly gripped her finger and then let go.
Nannan turned back to Qingyan and asked, “Why won’t Jindou come down and play with me?”
Qingyan smiled and said to Jindou on the bed, “Qiu Xiaoqing, your sister Nannan is calling you to come down and play!”
Jindou moved his hands and feet, and it really seemed like he was talking to his father, making a couple of “ah ah” sounds.
Everyone laughed when they heard this. Qiu Henian and Ren Xiao had a cup of white wine. Just as they put down their cups, Qingyan subconsciously looked over and saw Qiu Henian’s eyes filled with joy, staring at him.
The two locked eyes for a moment before Sister Lan called Qingyan to talk, and then he withdrew his gaze.
However, after a while, Qingyan felt under the table that the hand resting on his knee had been held, gently pinched
Qingyan smiled and grasped the rough big hand back. Neither of them showed anything on their faces, but their fingers intertwined under the table, twisting like braided sesame twists.
That night, after carrying the child home and putting Jindou on the bed, Qiu Henian hugged Qingyan’s waist tightly and pressed him down onto the bedding.
Qiu Henian walked steadily on the way home tonight, but Qingyan knew from his eyes that he had drunk a little too much.
Qingyan obediently let himself be pressed down by the heavy body, raising his hand to touch the other’s brows, eyes, and nose bridge. Qiu Henian stared at him fixedly for a while, then his large hand slipped inside Qingyan’s robe.
Drunk and unrestrained, his hand went too far, causing Qingyan to wince in pain.
Qingyan grunted twice, grasping his wrist and saying, “It hurts.”
Qiu Henian looked at him and said, “Sorry.”
His strength waned, but his hand remained.
Qingyan raised his head and whispered a question in his ear, his voice very soft. Qiu Henian stared at him and nodded.
Qingyan glanced up at Jindou, placed the rattle in his small hand, and he grasped it tightly, occasionally causing it to jingle when he moved his little hand, which he found very fascinating.
With the child settled for the moment, Qingyan pushed against Qiu Henian’s chest and said, “Go to the next room.”
Qiu Henian made a sound of acknowledgment, but his hand refused to let go. Blushing, Qingyan pulled it out forcefully, and the two stumbled into the next room.
As soon as they entered, Qiu Henian pressed Qingyan against the wall from behind, lifted his robe, drew out the jade pestle, and entered.
It was too rushed, and Qingyan gritted his teeth uncomfortably. His waist was held tightly, and despite wanting to evade it, he had to endure it.
After a short while, familiar sobbing sounds came from the next room.
Qingyan stiffened and said, “Jindou might be hungry.”
The man whispered hoarsely in his ear, “Soon.”
Qingyan closed his eyes, clenched his fists, and endured it.
Seeing the sobbing sounds grow louder from next door, Qiu Henian found Qingyan’s lips and kissed him eagerly. Qingyan obediently parted his lips and tried his best to respond.
After kissing, Qiu Henian pressed his face against Qingyan’s neck, repeatedly calling his name as if urgently pleading for something.
Qingyan pounded the wall with some force, pushed him away, and leaned against the wall, then half-knelt on the ground…
After a while, Qingyan stepped back, wiped his mouth, hastily got up, straightened his robe, and went to the next room to feed the child.
After feeding little Jindou and putting him to sleep, Qiu Henian quietly entered the room, evidently much more sober.
Qingyan glanced at him, then turned his head away without responding.
Qiu Henian sat down beside him, reached for Qingyan’s hand on the bed, but Qingyan moved it away, not letting him touch.
After a while, Qingyan heard no movement beside him, so he turned his head to look and saw the man looking at him with deep apologies in his eyes.
Qingyan pursed his lips, got up, sat on Qiu Henian’s thigh, threw himself into his arms as they opened wide to receive him, both hands around his neck, burying his face in his neck, softly murmuring, “You hurt me.”
Qiu Henian hugged him tenderly, repeatedly apologizing.
Qingyan was very spoiled, but also had a good temper. After kneading where needed, kissing where needed, and saying nice things, he wasn’t angry anymore.
He hugged the man’s neck, squinting his eyes and enjoying the rough feel of his large hands rubbing the back of his neck.
Qiu Henian kissed his forehead gently, whispered, “Next time if I drink too much, just lock me out, don’t let me into your room.”
Qingyan looked up at him and earnestly nodded, “Hmm.”
Qiu Henian teased him, “What if I keep knocking on the door?”
Qingyan squinted and said, “Knock once, and I’ll punish you by not letting you into the room for a night. Knock as much as you like!”
Qiu Henian laughed, hugged him tightly, shook him a bit, and apologized again, “I’ll pay more attention next time, I won’t drink too much again!”
Spoiler for the Next Chapter:
But a few days later, a letter Qiu Henian received made Qingyan understand what his silence had meant at the time.
The letter was sent by Lao Huang from Fengyu Pass, who warned in the letter that the situation at Fengyu Pass was tense. If war broke out, the hastily mobilized Forbidden Army might not be sufficient, and they might have to conscript civilians who had served in the army before back into military service.
