Chapter 113: Special Delicacies
Chapter 113: Special Delicacies
"Ai Hua, I’ve already talked to my father-in-law about you and Ai Yuan. He mentioned that Ai Yuan’s family is currently facing a housing shortage. If we were to arrange a match now, your parents might look down on Ai Yuan. It would be best to wait until Ai Yuan’s family builds a new house before we consider the matter."
On the way back from the mountain, Zhang Xiuping chatted with her friends about her marriage issues. "Of course, my father-in-law also said he will discuss this with Ai Yuan’s parents and try to have the new house built by next year. It won’t take too long, so you don’t need to worry."
Ou Guohua replied, "Sister Ping, you make it sound like I’m in a rush. I’m not worried at all."
Zhang Xiuping laughed, "Alright, if you’re not worried, then it’s just me who’s anxious for you."
Ou Guofang, who was walking on the left, chimed in, "Sister Ping, Ai Hua really isn’t in a rush, but I am. After I returned from your wedding, my parents mentioned finding a husband for me. Although I managed to put the idea off for now, you should start looking for a good match for me as soon as possible."
Zhang Xiuping nodded, "I understand. Once I get back, I’ll talk to my father-in-law and ask him to help find a suitable match for you."
After discussing the important matters, the three women began to chat about more personal topics.
The Ou sisters were very curious about the intricacies of married life and naturally wanted to ask their childhood friend for details.
...
In the region of Baise, a newlywed bride returns to her parents' home three days after the wedding and stays for three days. During this time, her family prepares a special basket of food to send her back to her husband’s home.
This basket, known as a "he," typically contains "fa he" (steamed rice cakes) and "fanxin he" (rice heart cakes).
It’s worth noting that the people of Baise are quite knowledgeable about food. Just the variety of "he" alone is astounding, including "pashuigui," "fa he," "fanxin he," "huishui he" (sticky rice cakes), "tian he" (also known as "dah he"), "yimatao he," "guzong he" (zongzi), "gai he" (basket steamed rice), "xiagong he," "helian he," "yougu he," and "jiwo he," each with its unique characteristics.
Each type of "he" has its specific purpose. For example, "fa he" is essential for most happy occasions and is the most common gift when visiting relatives.
For women who got married this year, bringing "fa he" is a must when they return to their parents' home with their new husbands on the second day of the first lunar month.
"Pashuigui" is a must for the Winter Solstice and the birthday of Guanyin.
"Huishui he" and "tian he" are essential for the New Year.
"Guzong he" is a must for the Dragon Boat Festival.
Each type of "he" has its own significance.
Tomorrow, Zhang Xiuping would be sent back to her husband’s home, so today the Zhang family was busy preparing "fa he" and "fanxin he."
...
The next day.
After breakfast, Zhang Xiuping, accompanied by her mother, aunts, uncles, and siblings, set off to return to her husband’s home.
When they reached Longtan Street, the brothers Zhang Shouguo and Zhang Shoumin went to the local business administration office to inquire about applying for an individual business license. The response they received was positive.
Leaving the office, Zhang Shoumin, without being asked, happily announced to the group, "The leader said we can apply for an individual business license. With this license, our business will be legal, and we won’t have to worry about any issues."
"That’s great news!"
Hearing this, Zhang Xiuping’s mother and her two daughters-in-law all showed expressions of surprise and joy. The ability to obtain a legal business license meant they could operate their store without any worries, which was indeed a piece of good news.
Zhang Xiuping was also very pleased. This confirmed that her father-in-law’s foresight was indeed remarkable, and the path he had pointed out for her two brothers was practical and feasible.
At this moment, her fourth uncle, Zhang Zhenfei, and her fifth uncle, Zhang Zhenyu, had also learned about Zhang Shouguo and Zhang Shoumin’s plans to open a store. However, they were not in favor of the idea. In their opinion, it would be more stable for the two nephews to work at the pottery factory, earning a steady monthly wage.
Starting a business is always a risk. Who can predict whether it will be profitable or not? It’s just too adventurous.
However, the suggestion came from their niece, Zhang Xiuping. Although they weren’t entirely convinced, they didn’t want to say too much against it.
On the other hand, Aunt Zhang Si and Aunt Zhang Xiao showed some interest in their nephews’ business plans and asked a lot of questions.
...
After a three-hour walk, the group finally arrived at the entrance of Naye Village.
This was the first time Zhang Zhenfei and Zhang Zhenyu had visited, but they had heard a lot about their niece’s husband’s family. Their wives had visited twice and couldn’t stop raving about it, making their ears almost grow calluses from the constant praise.
Now, they were finally going to see it for themselves, and both Zhang Zhenfei and Zhang Zhenyu were quite excited.
Soon, the group reached the river, and from that spot, they could see the impressive row of blue-brick houses to the right.
At that moment, Zhang Zhenfei and Zhang Zhenyu couldn’t help but be amazed. No wonder their wives had been so full of praise; the houses were indeed grand and beautiful!
...
Deng Yuntao had only been married for three days, and he had already been separated from his wife for three whole days. Knowing she was coming back today, he had already made several trips to the village entrance, eager to catch a glimpse of her as soon as possible.
Now, finally seeing his beautiful wife again, Deng Yuntao couldn’t take his eyes off her.
Zhang Xiuping missed her husband just as much. Seeing the passionate look in his eyes, she immediately understood and gave him a playful glance before introducing him to the others, “Brother Tai, let me introduce you. This is my Uncle Si, and this is Uncle Man.”
Following her introduction, Deng Yuntao greeted them, “Uncle Si! Uncle Man!”
He then greeted the others one by one.
Deng Shirong also came out from the kitchen and, after exchanging pleasantries, said, “Mother-in-law, Uncle Si, Aunt Si, Uncle Man, Aunt Man, please have a cup of tea. I’ll finish cooking a few more dishes, and we can start eating soon!”
“Thank you, father-in-law!”
“No trouble at all!”
Seeing Deng Shirong head back into the kitchen, Zhang Zhenfei looked at his niece and said, “Xiuping, why don’t you show us around?”
Zhang Xiuping nodded and turned to her husband, “Brother Tai, you take care of Mother and Aunts Si and Man. I’ll show Uncles Si and Man around.”
After Deng Yuntao agreed, Zhang Xiuping led the two uncles from house to house.
Although Zhang Zhenfei and Zhang Zhenyu had heard a lot about the houses from their wives, seeing them in person still left them in awe and filled with longing. Such clean and beautiful homes were something they had only ever dreamed of owning.
After the tour, Zhang Zhenfei said with a sigh, “Xiuping, in the old days, you would have been a young lady of the manor!”
Zhang Zhenyu added, “To marry into such a family, Xiuping, you are truly blessed!”
Zhang Xiuping nodded, “That’s true. Being able to marry into this family is indeed my good fortune.”
After the tour, it was time for lunch. Zhang Zhenfei and Zhang Zhenyu were also looking forward to trying the cooking of their niece’s father-in-law. They had heard so much praise from their wives and were eager to see if the food lived up to the hype!
(End of Chapter)
Chapter end
Report
