Chapter 9: Eating Dumplings
, sweet tofu pudding
The new year arrived, and suddenly the wind and snow ceased.
Golden sunlight finally broke through the clouds, bathing Shenmu Town in its warmth. As ice and snow melted away, everyone declared this would be a prosperous year. Early that morning, Aunt Dou arrived as promised, bringing fresh douhua to the Jiang household.
It was Yuan Yao who opened the door. She had changed into new clothes today and, for the first time, applied light makeup. Looking both beautiful and spirited, she left Aunt Dou momentarily stunned before she regained her composure.
“Oh my goodness! Sister-in-law! You look absolutely stunning!” Such was Aunt Dou’s nature; treat her kindly once, and she would immediately become warm and familiar.
Yuan Yao couldn’t help but laugh at her words: “Thank you, Aunt Dou. You look lovely today too.”
That smile left Aunt Dou momentarily stunned. Come to think of it, she was also wearing red today—the very same shade of pomegranate red as Yuan Yao’s dress. This was simply marvelous! Yuan Yao was no longer just her sister-in-law; she might as well be her own flesh and blood! Her tone grew even more affectionate: “Oh, dear sister, that meat you had yesterday was truly delicious! My husband said there was no need to stir-fry it; just slicing and steaming it made it taste wonderful! How could it be so tasty?”
“I’m glad you liked it. The meat was still a bit rushed in its preparation. If it had been hung to cure a little longer, it could indeed be steamed directly without needing any seasoning at all.”
Auntie Dou chuckled, “I know that! With such a large piece of meat, how could I bear to finish it all at once? But sister-in-law, after thinking it over, I still feel it’s too abrupt. Those few bowls of tofu are certainly not enough. If you don’t mind, I’ll cover your tofu needs for the entire remaining month!”
Yuan Yao didn’t want to take advantage of her, but tofu was indeed a wonderful thing. After a moment’s thought, she said, “Auntie, I won’t hide anything from you. We can’t finish all the tofu either, and a month’s worth is quite valuable. Soy milk would be fine; my three younger sisters are growing, and it would do them good to drink more soy milk.”
Auntie Dou readily agreed. Making soy milk only required grinding the beans; there was no need even for gypsum. How could she refuse? That was premium hind leg meat, after all!
They chatted a few more words, as if they had been close friends for years. When Yuan Yao finally saw her guest off and carried the douhua to the kitchen, smiles lingered on her lips and brows. Jiang Song’an had left early in the morning, and upon returning, he found her demeanor somewhat puzzling.
“Did Aunt Dou stop by?”
Yuan Yao was busy in the kitchen; she smiled and nodded. Seeing her so cheerful, Jiang Song’an smiled too.
“Where have you been? You were gone since early morning.” Yuan Yao stepped outside and found Jiang Song’an carrying back a large load of firewood. As soon as he set it down, he turned to fetch his woodworking tools, saying while walking, “Didn’t I tell you I’d make a bathtub for you? The weather’s clear today, so let’s get started.”
Yuan Yao paused, nearly having forgotten about this. A bathtub… what a wonderful thing! Back in Chang’an City, she had loved taking baths; she never expected to enjoy such comfort again so soon.
“Alright, I’ll get the dumplings ready; let’s eat before we continue.”
It was the first day of the Lunar New Year, and as soon as Yuan Yao mentioned dumplings, Yuan Shuang, Yuan Qi, and Yuan Li all rushed into the kitchen!
“Dumplings are ready!”
“Brother-in-law! After we finish the dumplings, can we go buy the chicks?” Yuan Li could think of nothing but the chicks; now that the sky had cleared, she couldn’t wait to bring them home.
Jiang Song’an smiled. “Today is the first day of the lunar month; there aren’t many vendors on the streets. We’ll have to wait until the fifth. In these next couple of days, we need to build feeding troughs for the chicken and duck coops and spread some dry straw inside to keep them warm.”
Yuan Li nodded obediently. “Alright!”
Yuan Yao thought for a moment and said, “Then while you’re home, let’s also till the vegetable plot in the backyard. We can go to the market on the fifth and buy some seeds.”
Behind the Jiang family’s small courtyard lay a modest vegetable patch. Before the New Year, they had planted radishes, cabbages, and green onions. But now Yuan Yao wanted to clear it out completely. She planned to sow shepherd’s purse, chives, amaranth, and lettuce for spring, and by summer, they would have pumpkins, eggplants, rapeseed, and chili peppers as well.
Jiang Song’an felt a warmth spread through his heart as well. “Alright!”
It was just turning over the soil; he could finish it within the time it took to burn one stick of incense.
This morning’s dumplings came in three flavors: pork with scallions, pork with cabbage, and chives with eggs. Not only could they enjoy dumplings, but they could also savor different tastes—something the three sisters wouldn’t have dared to imagine last year.
Noticing her family’s delight, Yuan Yao felt happy too, but she wouldn’t pretend to be wealthier than she was. Instead, she stated plainly, “Fresh meat is only for this once; after today, we’ll have to wait until the second lunar month.”
It wasn’t that she was stingy; Jiang Song’an didn’t earn money easily. This half-pig, once cured into preserved meat, could last a whole year, so there was no need to buy fresh meat often—otherwise, it would be far too extravagant.
How else could they save money? 8 Yi 4 Ba Yi 6 Jiu Liu San
The three sisters understood this well, so they cherished every bite. Jiang Song’an, however, spoke casually, “It’s not that bad. Next time I return, I’ll bring back some pheasants from the mountains, and we can eat chicken.”
Upon hearing this, the three sisters’ eyes lit up again!
“Brother-in-law is so amazing!”
Yuan Yao shook her head helplessly. “Have it your way then. But Aunt Dou dropped off some tofu pudding today; we’ll have sweet tofu pudding for lunch.”
Sweet tofu pudding, as the name suggests, involves pouring maltose syrup over smooth, delicate tofu curds. The curds themselves are refreshingly slippery and delicious, and when paired with the sweet syrup, they become the children’s favorite treat all year round. The three sisters were overjoyed; this Chinese New Year was turning out perfectly—they would have meat, dumplings, and now sweet tofu pudding too!
It’s been so long since I’ve had any sweets!
–
On the first day of the Lunar New Year, they stayed indoors all day. Jiang Song’an had already roughly completed the bathtub, while Yuan Yao took stock of all the household belongings.
As night fell, Yuan Yao unexpectedly invited Jiang Song’an back to their room. Though they had been married for three months, this was the first time Yuan Yao formally discussed their future plans with him.
“We currently have a total of six taels and seven qian of silver at home. Do you have any more on your person?”
Jiang Song’an was momentarily stunned before realizing her intention, and promptly handed over his money pouch: “I still have five qian here.”
“We also spent some for the New Year; lanterns, firecrackers, and couplets cost about five qian, and that half side of pork was given to the Zhang family as a supplement…”
Perhaps feeling the amount was too small, Jiang Song’an appeared somewhat ashamed, but Yuan Yao paid it no mind: “Spending money during the New Year is only proper. Keep these five qian; I’ll give you my five qian as well, so you’ll have one liang on your person.”
“I don’t need it,” Jiang Song’an immediately replied.
“I can’t possibly spend this much money; I’ll be bringing home my wages next month.”
Yet Yuan Yao insisted, “How can you go out without any silver on you? Keep it for emergencies. We won’t need much at home. I plan to save these five taels untouched, keeping just two qian for my own incidental expenses. We can discuss buying major items or starting a business later.”
Buying major items.
Starting a business.
She still wants to start a business?
Jiang Song’an gazed deeply at her.
Perhaps sensing his gaze, Yuan Yao cleared her throat softly. “Since we’re on the subject, I’d like to discuss something with you. I’m thinking of starting a small business. What do you think?”
Jiang Song’an was indeed somewhat surprised: “What kind of business?”
Yuan Yao felt embarrassed. In her previous life, while in the county town, she had accidentally come into contact with a spice merchant and learned the craft of incense making. Later, she went to Yangzhou Prefecture to study it formally, and only then did she accumulate some wealth. But now she had nothing at all; suddenly proposing to start an incense business was no different than talking nonsense to a fool. Moreover, Shenmu Town was tiny, and everyone was currently struggling just to have enough to eat—who would have money to buy incense? After thinking for a moment, Yuan Yao said, “Let’s start a food business instead. My cooking skills are decent anyway, and our family still has a few old recipes. Besides, A-Shuang enjoys learning needlework; I’ll let her practice her skills.”
Unexpectedly, Jiang Song’an remained silent.
Yuan Yao was somewhat surprised: “Do you disagree?”
Jiang Song’an replied, “The times are still chaotic. Though the south is slightly better, I’ve heard that heavy snow in the north has frozen many people to death. I expect another wave of refugees will arrive soon, making the outside world potentially unsafe.”
Yuan Yao said, “I’m not renting a shop; I just want to start with a street stall. I’ll apply to the village head for a stall permit and pay the residence tax, won’t that suffice? I don’t plan to go every day—there’s a market every five days, so I’ll go once every five days. If your return coincides with one of those days, you can help me then.”
Jiang Song’an still hesitated.
Yuan Yao sighed, “Marrying you already brought so many burdens; just let me try. If we can earn a little and save up, life will become easier…”
Jiang Song’an, moved by some unspoken words, his gaze growing ever deeper, finally said, “The town currently doesn’t levy a residence tax; only the county seat does.”
That was as good as agreement.
Yuan Yao breathed a sigh of relief. “Good, then it’s settled. On the fifth day when you go to the market, take me with you. I want to see for myself.”
Jiang Song’an gave a soft hum in response.
..
On the night of the first day of the Lunar New Year, there were still a few households in Shenmu Town who enjoyed setting off firecrackers to celebrate. Occasional bursts of fireworks could be heard from outside the Jiang family’s small courtyard, masking some of the flushed and breathless sounds coming from within the main room.
Yuan Yao lay flat on her back, breathing softly in short gasps. The creaking of the wooden bed finally ceased. Jiang Song’an leaned close to her ear, his voice rough and heavy: “This bed truly won’t do. I’ll reinforce it once spring arrives.”
His words made Yuan Yao so embarrassed that she didn’t respond, merely reaching out to push him away. Jiang Song’an propped himself up and gazed at her for a moment longer. At this moment, she appeared most beautiful in his eyes—her small face flushed crimson, her skin damp with sweat yet emitting a sweet fragrance. He genuinely wanted to take a bite out of her cheeks every time he saw her like this. But such an intense gaze directly made Yuan Yao feel utterly flustered.
“Get down.” Yuan Yao’s words were blunt and unkind.
Although her tone was still far from gentle, Jiang Song’an felt that she wasn’t as repulsed by him as before.
Now that their marital bond had grown closer, he dared to speak more freely. Without rising, he shifted his hips slightly instead. “Is it still once every ten days?”
Yuan Yao froze, staring at him in disbelief.
At this moment, Jiang Song’an shed two parts of his solemnity and gained two parts of roguish charm: “I can tell you quite like it too. Have you finally realized the benefits of this?”
Yuan Yao: “…………”
Her upbringing compelled her to endure again and again, but in the end, she could hold back no longer.
For the first time, Yuan Yao spat at him. “Shut up!”