Before, a situation like this would have sent Mrs. Yang into a fret, but now she wasn’t worried in the least. With so much pig offal, it was more than enough. She wasn’t afraid even if more people showed up.
So she smiled. "What’s the big deal? Building the wall is a special occasion, so let’s just invite Mr. Zhou for dinner too. We’ve troubled him so much with teaching our son, after all."
Zheng Changhe imdiately agreed. "Absolutely, we should! Third Brother, could you make a trip and have Qingmu invite Mr. Zhou to join us for dinner!" After a mont’s thought, he added, "And invite Doctor Qin, too. My leg has been a great deal of trouble for him."
Seeing the couple had no reservations, Zhao San relaxed. He agreed and went out to help with the invitations.
Mrs. Yang said to Aunt Zhao, "We have plenty of vegetables. It’s just that my daughter and I have been busy all day, and our backs are aching. My Juhua is so thin, I’m afraid she’s already worn out. Quick, co give a hand!"
Aunt Zhao readily agreed and followed Mrs. Yang into the kitchen.
Juhua had also heard the conversation. Knowing there would inevitably be a full table of guests tonight, she tossed two more pig tails and two trotters into the large pot. Then she added more firewood into the stove, hoping the offal would be ready by dinnerti.
She went back to the vegetable garden to pull up a handful of spinach and so garlic shoots, chop down a few heads of yellow-heart cabbage and one Big Cabbage, and pull up so radishes. Then she returned and sat at the kitchen doorway to rest, carefully sorting through the vegetables.
Mrs. Yang ca over, and seeing the weary look on her face, said, "You sit and rest for a bit. Let your Aunt Zhao help. She’s not a stranger!"
Aunt Zhao smiled. "Juhua, just tell how to cook everything, and I’ll handle it!" She had also noticed how tired Juhua looked.
Juhua smiled. "It’s nothing complicated. Auntie, if you could wash these vegetables, I can stir-fry them later. The pig offal is already simring in the pot!"
Aunt Zhao deftly gathered the vegetables into a basket. Grabbing two more colanders, she headed down to the river—she wasn’t used to drawing water from the well either.
anwhile, Mrs. Yang was consulting Juhua. "We only have the one big pot outside, but we need to cook both the rice and the other dishes. What should we do?"
Juhua explained, "We can light the wood stove. First, I’ll finish cooking the trotters and tails, then transfer them to a large clay pot to keep warm over the stove. After that, we can cook the rice. When it’s ti to eat, we’ll dish out the rice first, then use the pot to stir-fry the vegetables. Once the vegetables are done, we can put the rice back in to warm it up."
Her explanation made Mrs. Yang’s head spin, but there was no other choice. It was simply a matter of not having enough pots. ’I’ll just do whatever my daughter says,’ she thought.
******
Finally, all the dinner guests had arrived: Mr. Zhou from the village school, Qin Feng, Zhang Huai, Zhang Yang, Gou Dan, Li Changxing, and Zhao San’s entire family.
When Laixi hopped off Old Cheng’s ox cart, the bustling scene in his aunt’s courtyard gave him a start. For a mont, he thought he’d co to the wrong place. He didn’t realize he was right until he saw Qingmu approaching to greet him.
"Cousin, what’s going on here? Why are there so many people? Where’s my aunt?" Laixi asked, full of curiosity.
Qingmu told him, "We’re having guests. My mother’s in the kitchen cooking."
Laixi knew his cousin wasn’t a man of many words, so he didn’t mind and went to move the earthenware jars himself.
Old Cheng brought the cart to a steady halt and jumped down as well. Seeing the courtyard full of people of all ages, many of whom he recognized, he called out curiously to Qingmu, "What’s all this? Why is everyone here? Are you discussing sothing important?"
Qingmu smiled. "We’re having guests! Uncle Cheng, don’t leave tonight. Stay and eat with us. Uncle Zhao San is here too!"
Zhao San was just calling Li Changxing over to help move a large vat. Li Changxing had co to deliver fish and had been promptly convinced to stay. Hearing the exchange, Zhao San grinned at Old Cheng and said, "We’re discussing important business! You should stay too. We can talk it over right after we eat!"
Li Changxing chuckled at that.
Old Cheng laughed. "What a lively party! I’d love to stay, but I have guests at ho myself, so I really have to get back." After they finished unloading everything, Qingmu paid him four cents. Old Cheng then turned, climbed back onto his cart, and left with a flick of his whip.
The group carried the large vat into the courtyard and set it down under the eaves.
Little Shitou and Gou Dan rushed over, grabbing the rim of the vat. "It’s so big!" they exclaid. "Taking a bath in here would be amazing!"
Zhang Yang gave the two kids a look as if they were idiots. "How much water would you have to heat for that?" he said with disdain. "Just from that one comnt, I can tell you’re the type to waste your family’s money!"
The children imdiately fell into a squabble.
Laixi went inside first to greet his uncle, setting down a few boxes of pastries. Then he headed to the kitchen to find Mrs. Yang.
"Aunt, I’m here!" Laixi announced. The rich aroma wafting from the kitchen made him feel wonderful, and his smile was especially brilliant.
Mrs. Yang was bustling around the stove. She had just placed a platter of stir-fried yellow-heart cabbage on the counter. At the sa ti, she handed a small colander to Juhua, who was standing by the pot. It was filled with hand-torn cabbage—she always said it tasted better that way. "Brother Xi, are you hungry?" she asked Laixi. "We’re about to eat, so go rest for a bit!"
Laixi chuckled. "I’m fine, not too hungry! Cousin Juhua, you’re becoming more capable by the day—even my aunt is working as your assistant! Need any help with the fire?"
Juhua glanced at her cousin and said softly, "Soone’s already tending the fire. Brother Laixi, why don’t you help set out the bowls and chopsticks instead? We’re about to eat."
Laixi quickly agreed. He took the basket of clean bowls and chopsticks that Mrs. Yang handed him and carried it eagerly into the main hall. Mrs. Yang also began carrying dishes to the table, shuttling back and forth between the kitchen and the hall in a constant stream.
Aunt Zhao stood up from behind the stove, smiling. "My goodness! Thank goodness Juhua is in charge. If I had cooked all this, I can’t imagine what a ss it would be. Look at you, so professional, and the kitchen is still spotless and perfectly organized! Should this stove be brought out too?" she asked, pointing to the charcoal brazier where the red-braised pig tails were stewing.
Without turning her head, Juhua replied, "Just take the clay pot straight to the table—the red-braised pig tails are done. We’ll use the brazier to keep the pig offal stew warm. Offal is best eaten hot, and we’ll need to add more to the pot later!"
Aunt Zhao quickly wrapped a cloth around the pot of red-braised pig tails and carried it carefully to the main hall.
Juhua deftly dished out the sweet-and-sour Big Cabbage and set it on the counter. She added water to wash the pot, ladling the dirty water into the small wooden bucket used for pig feed. Only then did she pour the rice back into the pot and cover it, adding one last handful of wood to the fire. She pounded her lower back and let out a long sigh. The rush was finally over.
**********
A quiet question: any votes to spare?
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