Chapter 12: The Bustle of the Spring Plowing Festival

Time passed quickly.

Most of the items needed for the festival had already been purchased.

On the day of the Spring Plowing Festival, Liang Jin returned right on time.

The household was busy deep-frying food.

Country folk take the Spring Plowing Festival very seriously; after all, it is the birthday of the Earth God.

It is also a festival where country people pray for favorable weather and a good harvest.

When Liang Jin arrived, Old Madam Liang went to greet him happily.

The red bumps on Liang Qing’s face had also healed completely.

Seeing Liang Jin return, both mother and daughter were delighted. "Jin'er, you're back?"

Liang Jin smiled and bowed to her, "Yes, Mother, I am back. You’ve worked hard this month."

Seeing that her son was still so concerned about her, Old Madam Liang was moved. "It’s no trouble. For the sake of this family, no amount of hard work is too much."

Liang Qing also came over, "Second Brother~"

She had a shy temperament and a graceful smile, clearly well-taught by Old Madam Liang.

Seeing his third sister growing more and more elegant, Liang Jin felt very gratified.

"Have you been listening to Mother while I was away?"

Liang Qing nodded obediently, "Yes, I’ve been very well-behaved."

She had always been a good child; among the three siblings, she was the youngest but also the most obedient.

Seeing her as if she were his own daughter, Liang Jin patted her head with the affection of an elder.

Once they finished catching up, Madam Wu came over holding the baby.

"Husband~"

Liang Jin smiled, "Wife~"

The two exchanged a look, wishing they could embrace right then and there.

Ying-jie'er also stretched out her little hands and let out a "da~," as if to say, "Hi, Daddy."

Liang Jin noticed her and came over with a smile to pick her up.

"Come, let Daddy hold you and see if our little piggy has gained any weight."

Ying-jie'er was weighed in his arms and even received praise. "Hmm, not bad. Our daughter has been eating well."

Madam Wu added, "Indeed, she eats so heartily every day. If I feed her a little too slowly, she keeps 'ah-ah-ing' non-stop, as if she’s trying to argue with me. I don't know who she takes after, hahaha."

Liang Jin laughed upon hearing this. "Probably me. I used to get grumpy when I couldn't get my food as a child. She really is my daughter; she takes after me in everything."

Old Madam Liang scoffed inwardly, feeling disdain.

*Hmph, takes after you? You blockhead, this girl clearly looks exactly like her mother. She’s just a little troublemaker, sent specifically to torment us.*

But such words were clearly not suitable for the table, so Old Madam Liang hummed twice and told Nanny Xu to bring out the meat broth she had prepared for her son.

After Liang Jin finished his meal, he chatted for a while in Old Madam Liang’s room.

Madam Wu placed the baby in his arms and went to the kitchen to continue frying food.

There was a lot to fry today.

For festivals in the countryside, one must burn incense and pray to Buddha, so all the offerings had to be deep-fried.

In Ningxi Town, there are many types of food to fry for offerings.

Fried taro, fried small fish, fried meat skewers, fried eggplant boxes—there was everything.

Liang Jin loved meat, so Madam Wu had fried extra.

Besides the fried items, the cook was also making glutinous rice balls.

The glutinous rice balls here were all stuffed; some had savory fillings, others had red bean paste.

The red bean paste balls were used for sweet soup, while the meat-filled ones were steamed and eaten with sauce.

At this moment, chimneys in every household were puffing smoke, and the air was filled with the aroma of fried meat.

Not only was the town lively, but the festive atmosphere in the countryside was even stronger.

Whether it was a major or minor festival, the common folk would pray to Buddha, light incense, visit relatives, and return to their maiden homes.

After all, festivals meant time off.

The Wu family was also preparing various meat dishes, waiting for Madam Wu and her family to return on the second day of the festival to enjoy them.

Ying-jie'er smelled the scent of the fried skewers and was practically dying of hunger.

She had been drinking milk for two months and had long wanted to eat meat, but unfortunately, she couldn't.

The aroma of the meat was practically drilling into her nose.

Seeing her open her little mouth, looking as if she wanted to eat, Liang Jin laughed.

"Are you hungry?"

Old Madam Liang had spent some time with her recently and knew this look meant she was craving food, so she told Nanny Xu to take the child to Madam Wu.

Seeing that his mother understood the child so well, Liang Jin was pleasantly surprised. "Mother, have you been helping to look after Ying-jie'er this month?"

Old Madam Liang snorted. "Who would want to look after her? She’s a little troublemaker; I certainly wouldn't."

Liang Jin clicked his tongue, defending his daughter. "Our Ying-jie'er is so cute—white, chubby, and soft. Why do you call her a troublemaker?"

She was such an obedient child.

Old Madam Liang thought to herself, *Obedient my foot. She cries at the drop of a hat; she’s clearly here to torture me.*

But in front of her son, she still put on an act.

"Alright, alright, let's not talk about her. I’ve prepared two gifts for your academy teachers. Come take a look, and remember to deliver them."

In these times, teachers were highly respected; after all, whether a child succeeded or not depended on how diligently the teacher taught.

Old Madam Liang hoped her son would pass the scholar exam soon to bring honor to their ancestors, so naturally, she wanted to be on good terms with the academy teachers.

Liang Jin agreed with a smile, adding that once he passed the exam, he would give all his prize money to his mother.

Hearing her son say this, Old Madam Liang grinned from ear to ear.

Usually, she kept a stern face and didn't show anyone a pleasant expression, but she could only beam when she was with Liang Jin.

As Madam Wu carried the baby back to the kitchen, she could hear her mother-in-law’s laughter from the courtyard.

She whispered to Ying-jie'er, "I don't know what sweet words your father used to coax your grandmother, but she’s laughing so heartily—she sounds just like any other old lady in the countryside."

Ying-jie'er laughed upon hearing this, but her eyes were fixed on the fried meat skewers, blinking incessantly.

Seeing this, Madam Wu teased her, "Do you want to grab the meat?"

With that, she deliberately lowered Ying-jie'er, letting her get closer to the skewers.

Ying-jie'er’s eyes lit up with excitement, and she reached out to grab them.

But Madam Wu immediately lifted her up again.

She let out an "ah," and Madam Wu lowered her again, only to lift her up just as she was about to reach the meat.

This repeated several times, and Ying-jie'er let out two "ah-ah" sounds in protest.

Madam Wu was amused and remarked, "Now I finally understand why your grandmother and your father are so close. It must be that only one's own flesh and blood can be this close."

She was a mother herself now, and having a child made her happy every day. It was no wonder Old Madam Liang beamed the moment Liang Jin returned; blood was indeed thicker than water.

Unable to get the meat, Ying-jie'er yawned and fell asleep.

By evening, after the whole family had enjoyed a lively meal together, they returned to their respective rooms to sleep.

Liang Jin and Madam Wu lay in bed with the little baby between them, the couple chatting about many things.

"You’ve worked hard these days. Mother hasn't given you a hard time, has she?"

Madam Wu shook her head, "We’ve been getting along fine at home, don't you worry."

See, she knew how to save face for Old Madam Liang.

Liang Jin naively believed they hadn't been arguing and smiled.

"Ying-jie'er is getting cuter by the day. She kept grabbing my hand; I think she hasn't forgotten me."

Madam Wu agreed, "She just loves playing with people. She went to Mother’s place the day before yesterday and played with her for a long time."

That incident was purely accidental.

That day, the neighbor had sent over some persimmons, and Madam Wu had gone to chat with the neighbor's young wife, leaving the baby with Old Madam Liang.

Old Madam Liang didn't want to look after the child anymore; it was exhausting every time.

But Ying-jie'er loved to tease her. She would either grab her clothes or her fingers.

If Old Madam Liang scolded her, she would immediately cry—the kind of loud, wailing cry.

Every time, Old Madam Liang would be left with a buzzing head from the crying and would eventually have to give in to her.

Ying-jie'er would laugh for a long time whenever she succeeded. When Madam Wu returned, she saw the grandmother and granddaughter playing happily and smiled.

Poor Old Madam Liang couldn't voice her grievances, nor could she tell Madam Wu that this little girl was bullying her.

No one would believe her anyway, so she had to endure it herself.

It was so infuriating!

(End of chapter)