Chapter 23: The Housewarming Banquet

The rumors regarding what Old Mrs. Tong had done to Xu Jinniang and Tong Chuxue had long been circulating in the village. Though the villagers said little on the surface, they had their own judgments about who was right and who was wrong.

"Did I say something wrong, you old hag? If not for you, my eldest grandson wouldn't have been barred from the academy. I must have been too soft-hearted; if I had kicked you two jinxes out sooner, the Tong family’s life would be much better." The more Old Mrs. Tong spoke, the more agitated she became, appearing ready to strike them at any moment.

Her blatant accusations drew a few women over to watch the spectacle, though they dared not approach, standing far off by the wall to observe.

Tong Chuxue found it amusing. What did Tong Zhifei’s failure to enter the academy have to do with her? "Grandmother, you are accusing me wrongfully. It is a good thing the family wanted to send Xiaofei to school. As for the master of the academy refusing to accept him, what does that have to do with me?"

The onlookers nodded in agreement. Indeed, it was no secret that Tong Zhifei had once run to Tong Chuxue’s home and set fire to it, nearly burning the house down. Everyone in the village knew it; it was only natural for the master to refuse him. If such a student were admitted, wouldn't he ruin the entire academy?

However, in Old Mrs. Tong’s mind, her grandson was a literary star incarnate. It was impossible for any teacher to reject him; it must have been the work of that little vixen, Tong Chuxue.

As more people gathered, Old Mrs. Tong, not wanting to harm her grandson’s reputation, avoided the core issue and said, "Our Tong family raised you two for over a decade, and now you scheme against your own brother and sister. It is the Tong family’s misfortune to be saddled with two such unlucky wretches."

The cursing did not satisfy her, but considering the crowd, she knew she could not handle so many people at once. She turned to leave, still hurling insults, "I’m telling you, stay as far away as you can from now on, or I won't let this rest!"

With that, Old Mrs. Tong scurried off.

Tong Chuxue stood there, feeling neither anger nor laughter. Old Mrs. Tong had cursed them on the road for no reason, likely just to humiliate them. Tong Zhifei’s problems were entirely of his own making; instead of properly educating her grandson, she chose to cause them trouble. It was clear her mind was addled, or her entire family wouldn't be such a bunch of eccentrics.

She had to make a trip to the Luo family today, so she didn't bother chasing after the old woman.

Lin Chunyan was delighted to hear they were moving into a new house soon. She held Xu Jinniang’s hand and said, "With a house and land, you can finally make a life for yourselves. It’s good that you’ve set up your own household; you can make your own decisions now. You’re much better off than me."

"What’s good about it? Just one acre of land, barely enough for the two of us to eat and drink. We can’t save anything all year round. You’re the lucky one. Everyone knows the Luo family is well-off. Old Mrs. Luo may be a bit calculating, but she isn't hard to get along with." Xu Jinniang was clearly not as optimistic as Lin Chunyan.

"Sigh, I’m just getting by," Lin Chunyan said, seeming to disagree, but since she was in the Luo household, she couldn't say much. She expressed her envy vaguely, "Your daughter is capable; things will surely get better and better."

Indeed, Xu Jinniang also felt that Tong Chuxue had changed in many ways, as if she had matured overnight.

"I have only this one daughter, unlike you, who has both a son and a daughter. With two sons by your side, you will have someone to look after you when you grow old," Xu Jinniang remarked with envy.

At the mention of her sons, Lin Chunyan sighed, looking melancholic. "Huifeng is still young, but I worry about Huian. His health is so inconsistent; he hasn't even settled on a marriage yet. Look at the other boys his age in the village—some are already fathers."

"I wanted to ask you last time—how is Huian’s health, really?" Xu Jinniang leaned in, lowering her voice.

"It’s just like that. He’s better in the summer, but once the weather turns cold, he struggles. We’ve seen doctors for years without a clear answer. They just say he needs to recuperate, but after all these years, I’ve seen no improvement." Lin Chunyan was deeply worried.

Xu Jinniang couldn't say much, so she offered a few words of comfort and changed the subject.

By the time they left the Luo house, it was already dark.

Tong Chuxue calculated that with the village head’s family and the Luo family, two tables for the housewarming feast would be more than enough.

"Mother, I’ll go to town tomorrow to buy some meat, and I’ll get some vegetables from the village head’s place. That should be enough. Oh, and I need to buy two jars of wine." Tong Chuxue planned everything clearly. Xu Jinniang, who usually had no plans of her own, naturally followed her lead.

Since there were not many guests, they could make the meal a bit more substantial. For a major event like a housewarming, one shouldn't skimp on the expenses.

"Mother," Tong Chuxue hugged her, "the days ahead will surely be better."

Recalling everything that had happened recently, Xu Jinniang felt tears welling up in her eyes. She fought to hold them back and nodded firmly. "Yes."

Three days later.

At the break of dawn, as the sun rose and smoke curled from the chimneys of every household, Tong Chuxue and Xu Jinniang rose early to prepare for the feast.

The two of them were hardly enough labor, but fortunately, the guest list was short.

The new house lacked tables and chairs, so Tong Chuxue borrowed some from the neighbors.

In the countryside, no matter how frugal one was, one could not be stingy when hosting guests.

According to Tong Chuxue’s plan, there would be ten dishes per table: braised fish and braised pork as the main courses, followed by stir-fried vegetables with shredded meat, a few purely vegetable dishes, and a large pot of old hen soup simmering on the stove.

Of course, she had bought the chicken herself, not using the one from the Tong family—that one had to be kept for laying eggs.

Knowing the two women needed time to prepare, the invited village head and the Luo family’s third branch arrived just in time for the meal.

Tong Chuxue’s cooking skills were mediocre at best, so she greeted guests at the door while Xu Jinniang handled the cooking.

Tong Chuxue knew most of the guests, but this was her first real meeting with Luo Changhua, the third son of the Luo family, as he was usually busy in the fields.

Tong Chuxue had a good impression of him; he looked honest and simple, and she heard he was diligent and steady.

It was also Luo Changhua’s first time speaking properly to Tong Chuxue. He smiled with some restraint, "Girl Xue, you’ve been busy all day. Thank you for your hard work."

Tong Chuxue smiled, "It’s no trouble, Uncle Luo. Please, sit."

Luo Huifeng was thrilled to see Tong Chuxue and circled around her, "Big Sister, when are we going up the mountain again?"

Luo Changhua frowned, saying sternly, "Xiaofeng, don't disturb people while they are working."

Tong Chuxue chuckled inwardly; the way Luo Changhua looked when he was serious was so like Luo Huian. They were truly father and son.

Wu Zhenzhen was also very happy to see Tong Chuxue, "Chuxue, I wanted to visit you every day, but my grandfather said you were busy, so I had to hold back. Now that you’ve moved into your new home, will you have time later? I heard you go up the mountain—can I join you?"

"Of course, I’ll be sure to call you next time," Tong Chuxue promised.

"Don't worry, I won't hold you back. I run up the mountain often at home," Wu Zhenzhen promised, patting her chest.

The village head, however, couldn't listen anymore, "You have the nerve to say that. A girl running up the mountain every day—aren't you afraid of getting into trouble?"

Wu Zhenzhen wasn't afraid of her grandfather, retorting defiantly, "I’m very capable! Next time I go up, I’ll catch a snake for you to soak in wine."

Catching snakes? It seemed this Wu Zhenzhen was quite something. Tong Chuxue covered her mouth to hide a giggle, while Tong Shan sighed helplessly, clearly unable to do anything about her.

The atmosphere was warm and harmonious, until it was suddenly interrupted by a strange voice.

"Apologies, I’m late."