Huang Manjing brought a bowl of freshly brewed ginger soup into the room and placed it on the table. It was almost noon, yet the young man was still huddled weakly on the bed. She walked over and felt Peach Yu’s forehead.
“You caught a cold?”
Peach Yu shook his head, “My head only feels a little dizzy. I think I’m just sleepy.”
“I told you there’s nothing to see in bringing grain to the city. It happens every year. On such a cold day, you insisted on getting up early to watch. You must be frozen stiff.”
Huang Manjing turned back and brought the ginger soup over. “Drink the ginger soup to warm yourself up. You’ll feel better after a nap.”
Peach Yu was distracted. He knew he wasn’t feeling unwell and didn’t want to drink the ginger soup, but his mother had made it, so he climbed out of the covers.
“Has Father returned yet?”
“It’ll be a while before he’s back. Are you hungry?”
Peach Yu scooped some hot ginger soup into his mouth. Although sugar had been added, the brewed ginger juice was still a bit spicy. After a few sips, he felt warm all over and a little more energetic. “I’m not hungry.”
“You’re so listless. It’s because you didn’t eat much this morning.”
Huang Manjing took back the ginger soup bowl. “I’ll make shredded pork with scrambled eggs for lunch. I’ll give you extra.”
Peach Yu then said, “At this time of year, why haven’t I heard of anyone in the village having a banquet?”
Huang Manjing chuckled. “You’re not satisfied with stir-fried pork and are already thinking about banquets.”
“The taxes have increased again this year, and the autumn harvest wasn’t very abundant, so there are fewer families hosting events. Besides the incident with the You family, people are on edge. Villagers are afraid to leave the village for no reason, so where would they have the time to buy ingredients for a banquet?”
Peach Yu pursed his lips. “But the women and husbands in the village are still quite lively. Now that farming is done, they’re thinking about matchmaking.”
“I… I also heard some villagers say they wanted to arrange a match for Brother Huo.”
Huang Manjing’s brow twitched. “Huo Xu is a man who is cold on the outside but warm on the inside. He appears tough, but he’s upright. It’s natural for the villagers to think highly of him.”
“I think so too.”
Peach Yu coughed lightly. “Brother Huo has helped our family quite a bit. Why don’t you also help Brother Huo find a good match, Mother?”
“Didn’t you just say the villagers were arranging a match for him?”
“Don’t all unmarried people have people trying to arrange matches for them? Those matchmakers are mostly after the betrothal gifts. They can make black into white. Most of them are unreliable people.”
Peach Yu said, “You have a good relationship with people in the village, Mother. Aren’t you more trustworthy than others?”
Huang Manjing looked at Peach Yu, hiding the smile in the corners of her eyes, and followed his lead. “It’s not impossible. Then who do you think would be a good match? Do you think anyone is suitable?”
“I… I don’t understand these things.”
Peach Yu felt a bit guilty under her gaze. “This, this is something only Mother would know.”
“Then how about the Dong family’s young man? He’s seventeen this year. His parents are loyal and honest, and the Dong young man is also skillful and capable. He’s handsome and a suitable candidate to marry.”
Peach Yu quickly said, “No!”
“Why not?”
Peach Yu saw his mother staring at him intently. He blinked. “The Dong young man is, he’s good in every way, but he’s introverted and speaks little. Brother Huo is already a quiet person. If they were together, wouldn’t they barely be able to say three sentences a day?”
Huang Manjing pondered for a moment. “That’s true.”
“If you want someone talkative, then the Wu family’s fourth daughter and fifth brother are both good. They often go to the city to buy fabrics and sell them. They’re quite talkative.”
Peach Yu bit his lip. “If both of them do business, then…”
His eyes widened. “Then no one will take care of the household!”
“Then how about Master Qiao’s second daughter? Huo Xu is also learning a trade under Butcher Qiao. Your father said Butcher Qiao thinks highly of Huo Xu. He’s looking for a reliable son-in-law to inherit his craft and butcher shop. Huo Xu is the most suitable.”
Peach Yu opened his mouth, wanting to retort, but for the moment, he couldn’t find a suitable reason to object. Perhaps it was precisely because he knew this was a good match, with no obvious flaws, that he felt particularly disappointed.
Seeing this, Huang Manjing pointed out a potential issue. “However, Master Qiao’s second daughter has lived in the city since she was young and lives a prosperous life. If they were to get married, she certainly wouldn’t be used to living in the Zhao family’s old, humble house. To marry the second daughter, the Zhao family would either have to renovate the house or Huo Xu would have to live in the city.”
“But Huo Xu’s personality is such that he probably wouldn’t want to live with his in-laws, being subordinate to them. And he wouldn’t be at ease with Mother Yuan, a widow, living alone in the village, where it would be inconvenient for him to look after her.”
Huang Manjing finished and looked at Peach Yu. “Don’t you think so?”
Peach Yu clenched the corner of his clothes. “Mm.”
“Then, after all this talk, there’s no one perfectly suitable.”
Saying this, Huang Manjing suddenly looked at Peach Yu. “Our family has completely severed ties with the You family, and the Zhou family is unreliable. As soon as they heard some rumors, they ran far away. Your marriage is now on hold. Why not consider Huo Xu?”
Peach Yu’s face instantly turned red. He looked up in panic, not daring to meet Huang Manjing’s eyes. “Mother, what are you saying! I, I can’t!”
“Why not? Huo Xu has good character, and you know him better than others.”
Huang Manjing pressed. “Do you think he’s too much older than you?”
“I don’t.”
Peach Yu immediately denied it, then added, “Father, Father definitely won’t agree.”
“How do you know your father won’t agree?”
Peach Yu said softly, “Doesn’t Mother know Father? When he mentions any man, he always talks about acres of mountains and fields, the amount of property and savings; as well as clan surnames, crafts, and businesses…”
“Never mind what your father says. Do you care about these things?”
“Of course, I don’t mind these things!”
Peach Yu finished speaking, and seeing his mother staring at him, he knew he had answered too quickly. He quickly explained, “What I mean is, if someone has bad character and no life skills, even if they have these things, it’s only a matter of time before they’re ruined.”
“So, in the end, do you like Huo Xu?”
Peach Yu’s cheeks burned with this question. He had never thought about whether he liked or disliked someone. Ever since he could remember, his family had told him that You Lingxiao was his future husband. No one had ever asked him if he actually liked You Lingxiao. Faced with such a question now, Peach Yu didn’t know how to answer.
“You need to think it over quickly, otherwise, if someone else arranges a match for Huo Xu, it will be too late.”
Just as Peach Yu was about to speak, a cheerful shout came from outside.
“Little Peach!”
Peach Yu’s eyebrows lifted. “Father is back?”
As soon as he spoke, Ji Yangzong entered the room, dusty and travel-worn.
“Oh my, why are you still in bed? It’s already this late!”
Seeing his wife and son, with Peach Yu still looking sleepy, Ji Yangzong went straight to him. “How can you stay in the room all day? Even though you shouldn’t wander outside the village, you should still walk around within the village.”
“Come on, get up quickly, put on your clothes. The plum blossoms at the foot of the mountain have already bloomed.”
Ji Yangzong pulled Peach Yu to the dressing table. Peach Yu asked doubtfully, “Is it true or not?”
“You’ll know if you go and see.”
Ji Yangzong picked up a comb and ran it through Peach Yu’s hair a couple of times. “Look how messy your hair is. You’re so old, you should tidy yourself up at all times.”
Huang Manjing looked at her husband, who had returned acting mysteriously. Her important conversation had been interrupted, and she couldn’t help but scold him. “It’s so cold today. If you make him go out, he’ll catch a cold.”
“The sun is out, it’s not cold.”
Peach Yu asked, “Was today’s grain delivery smooth?”
“It was smooth. We delivered it directly to the prefectural yamen, and the procedures were handled quickly.”
Ji Yangzong said, “We can have a peaceful New Year this year.”
Peach Yu felt relieved by his father’s words. He put on his thick outer coat and saw the winter sun shining by the window. “Then I’ll go to the foot of the mountain to pick some early plum blossoms.”
“That’s right, go out for a walk.”
Ji Yangzong praised him and then looked at the young man in plain clothes. He then reached into the drawer of Peach Yu’s dressing table, rummaged around, and found a green jade hairpin.
“You buy a bunch of these things, but I don’t see you wearing them. Here, put this on.”
“Why would I wear this for no reason?”
Peach Yu frowned and refused.
“Oh, isn’t it said that tidying yourself up makes you look good and improves your mood? If you’re always frowning, how can your body get better?”
Ji Yangzong stood up. “Dad will put it on for you.”
“I’ll do it, I can do it myself.”
Seeing this, Peach Yu quickly took the hairpin.
Ji Yangzong smiled as he looked at the tidied-up young man. “That’s more like it.”
“It’s almost noon, why are you still going out?”
Huang Manjing frowned. “Let’s eat first.”
Ji Yangzong, however, said, “The early blossoms are the most beautiful. If you go late, won’t someone pick them? You go, we’ll wait for you to come back for dinner.”
Peach Yu responded, “Then I’m leaving.”
“What are you being crazy about now?”
Seeing Peach Yu leave, Huang Manjing glared at Ji Yangzong. From her understanding of her husband, it was definitely not for any good reason.
“I’m telling you, you’ve brought up another unsuitable family for Little Peach. I won’t speak well of you to Father anymore.”
“I’m making plans for Little Peach.”
“Planning?!”
Huang Manjing said, “Don’t you dare. I advise you not to mess around anymore. Look at the You family. That’s the good marriage you planned.”
“People don’t step into the same pit twice.”
Ji Yangzong’s brow furrowed when the You family was mentioned, but thinking of his plan, he became smug again. “I told Huo Xu to wait over there.”
Huang Manjing’s brow twitched. “What are you doing!”
“Good things are snatched up by buyers. Men with good looks are also sought after. If we don’t hurry, they’ll be gone. The villagers are all secretly trying to arrange matches for Huo Xu.”
Ji Yangzong said, “Huo Xu, that silent fellow, can’t even squeeze out a fart in half a day. I get anxious just watching him. They have so few opportunities to meet normally. If I don’t make a move, they won’t make any progress in a year or two.”
“I’m letting them meet more and talk more, and then it will happen naturally.”
Huang Manjing sighed. It was actually in line with what she was thinking. Whether it would work out still depended on them interacting with each other, but this was not a bad method.
“Don’t rush him too much. Little Peach doesn’t know anything.”
“I know. This is precisely why I’m thinking of ways for the young people to talk to each other.”
—
There aren’t many sunny days in the twelfth lunar month. Even though the sun was bright near noon, it felt like it had been fished out of snowmelt and didn’t provide much warmth when it shone on you.
However, having sunshine is better than having none; it certainly makes things more open.
Peach Yu strolled towards the foot of the mountain. Seeing that there wasn’t much wind, he took off the hood of his cloak. Just as he adjusted the brim of his hood, he saw a tall figure standing in front of him.
Peach Yu’s eyes widened. He turned his head and tried to call out, “Brother Huo?”
Seeing the person turn around, it really was him. “Why are you here?”
Huo Xu didn’t answer the question but handed over the chestnuts in his hand. “Want to eat?”
Peach Yu glanced at the oil paper bag in Huo Xu’s palm and carefully took it. He squeezed the bag and guessed it was candied chestnuts. It was the season for selling chestnuts, and he had been wanting to eat them for a long time, but with the bandit unrest outside, he couldn’t go to the city. Therefore, he hadn’t had chestnuts this year.
Holding the chestnuts, Peach Yu ran with light steps, his joy unconcealed, to a large pile of rocks and sat down. “Did you buy these when you delivered the grain to the city?”
As soon as he finished speaking, there was a crunch under Peach Yu’s feet. He looked down and saw that the ground was already piled with chestnut shells. Seeing this, he narrowed his eyes and looked at Huo Xu. “So you were secretly eating them here by yourself.”
Huo Xu said nothing and walked over to sit beside Peach Yu. Peach Yu opened the oil paper and saw a bag of golden kernels inside. He was slightly stunned and couldn’t help but turn to look at Huo Xu beside him.
Huo Xu said, “Eat.”
Peach Yu saw Huo Xu sitting closer to him than ever before, and for some reason, he felt a little nervous. His earlobes turned red. He took out a peeled chestnut and put it in his mouth. The candied chestnuts were soft and fragrant, but he couldn’t taste much.
Huo Xu quietly watched the young man, who was lowering his head and biting into a chestnut. “Does it taste good?”
“Mm.”
Huo Xu saw that Peach Yu seemed a bit strange today, speaking very little. He couldn’t help but ask, “Have you been well lately?”
Peach Yu was about to answer that You Lingxiao was too preoccupied to bother him anymore, so of course, he was doing well. But if he were to say he was doing well, it felt not quite right. He looked at his toes and didn’t answer directly. Instead, he said, “Brother Huo must be doing well.”
Huo Xu looked at the young man, confused. “En?”
Peach Yu, concealing his nervousness, spoke as if making small talk. “Master Qiao came to our house a few days ago. I heard him say he wanted you to be his son-in-law.”
“Not only that, but the villagers are also arranging matches for you. Isn’t that getting better and better?”
Peach Yu said sullenly, “It’s not in vain that you do so much. The villagers see it all.”
Huo Xu heard this and said, “If good or bad is judged by whether others want to arrange a match for you, then there must be many people seeking marriage from the Ji family. Then, are you doing well?”
Peach Yu was momentarily speechless. He hunched his body and rested his head on his knees, looking at the withered grass on the ground. “Our family’s affairs with the You family caused a great stir. Although it was You Lingxiao’s malicious act, and the matter was made public, it still damaged our reputation considerably.”
“Even though there was no impropriety with You Lingxiao, breaking off an engagement would naturally lead to suspicion. Moreover, the two families had such an ugly falling out. Others would inevitably think I’m troublesome and would have to consider what others say.”
Peach Yu’s voice became smaller as he spoke. He hadn’t thought about these things before, but for some reason, talking about them today made him feel increasingly wronged. He took a deep breath. “With me like this, I’m afraid I won’t be able to get married anymore.”
Huo Xu looked at the young man with his head lowered, his voice so weak it seemed to carry a hint of crying, such a pitiful sight. His brow furrowed. While waiting for someone here, he had rehearsed countless times what he wanted to say and do.
Ask him: “It’s been a while since we visited Zhao Pan. Do you want to go together and see how his calligraphy is coming along?” He couldn’t understand good or bad calligraphy, so he could only ask for his help.
Or, as Ji Yangzong suggested: “Xuanhu Tang in the city has a large batch of new medicinal herbs. Do you want to go and take a look?” But when he saw the person, a sense of contentment arose in his heart. Even if he didn’t say a word, just looking like this seemed enough. Those rehearsed words seemed too deliberate, like insincere coaxing.
Seeing Peach Yu like this, he had only one sentence to say amidst his many thoughts. Huo Xu’s thin lips parted and closed, and he uttered only three words: “I’ll marry you.”
