041 – House Warming
After sorting himself out, Qin Mian unhurriedly walked to the outside of the door. The sky was just touched by the first glimmer of light. In autumn, the song of cicadas and the croak of frogs were absent, which made the village rather quiet.
The sound of footsteps startled Lei Tie, who was practicing kung fu in the yard. He turned to look back.
The teenager was wearing a brand-new cyan cotton duanda[1]on the top, with a light brown vest and a light brown waistband around his waist, cyan slim-fit pants on the bottom and deerskin boots on his feet. This manner of dressing was both concise and nimble, just like a little gongzi of any family. His long hair was not tied into a top bun like other people, but rather into a high ponytail tied with a cyan headband. He looked full of youthful energy, stretching and looking up at the sky at the same time, and with a relaxed smile on the face that blossomed heroism, he appeared even more refresh and energetic.
Lei Tie also wore a new same outfit, but the duanda and pants were dark blue with also light brown vest and waistband. The vest was not worn on his body as he was practicing, but was hung on the clothing bamboo pole.
In fact, it was just because Qin Mian didn’t bother to draw more clothing design drawings, so they made the same style and added modern elements to the ancient conservative style.
Although Lei Tie’s face was scarred, it was almost nonexistent after looking at it for a long time. Then, with the help of such outfit, it perfectly outlined his wide shoulders and narrow hips. Moreover, his whole person was tall and upright with heroic posture that made him seemed stately and handsome.
“Morning.” Qin Mian looked up and down at Lei Tie with appreciative eyes and greeted him in high spirit.
Lei Tie pulled back his gaze as soon as he saw the other person and continued to practice. Every gesture and motion was powerful and forceful, vigorous and dynamic.
Might as well suffocate you to death! The smile on Qin Mian’s face froze as he looked down at the man. He glanced around and saw a small pebble on the ground. Seeing that Lei Tie didn’t notice him, he picked up the pebble and threw it towards the man’s back. His practice seemed exemplary, but who knew if it was just for show? He tested the man.
Lei Tie appeared as though he was not yet aware of it and still continued with practicing palm moves, but when the pebble was about to touch him, his right hand suddenly changed its movement and inclined to the back as if he had eyes at the back of his head and caught the pebble between his index finger and middle finger. Without turning back, he continued to practice the move just now.
Qin Mian raised up his eyebrows. It turned out, it was not for show. He wasn’t sure if he was wrong, but just now Lei Tie seemed to shoot a glance his way. Although it was a very mild one, it appeared as if the man belittled him.
He rolled his eyes and cackled. The yard hadn’t been cleaned up yet, so there were still many pebbles scattered on the ground. He bent down and picked up some more pebbles and threw them towards Lei Tie in succession.
Lei Tie was practicing ‘fishing for the moon in the sea’, suddenly leapt up and turned over in midair. His right palm was like a palm-leaf fan moving to and fro abruptly, and all the five pebbles were caught in his palm. At the same time, his body also fell on the ground steadily and noiselessly, and his gaze on Qin Mian.
So cool!
Qin Mian’s eyes lit up and rushed to him. “I’m old now. Can I learn to your level?”
Lei Tie’s corner of the lips rose. As he was not used to smile, it looked somewhat rigid but the smile in his eyes was undoubtable. Qin Mian noticed that and he was even in a better mood.
“You’re not old,” said Lei Tie.
Qin Mian didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. Of course he didn’t mean that. If he was old, wasn’t Lei Tie ‘older’? If other people said this, he would think that they were trying to make a difference with him, but it was kind of funny when it came out of Lei Tie’s mouth.
“I don’t mean that, of course. I heard that if you start training martial arts from a young age, you can progress quickly.”
“No matter, step by step. Teach self-defense first.” Lei Tie threw away the pebbles.
The few pebbles fell in the corner, next to each other. Qin Mian gave him a squint. “What a show off.”
Lei Tie patted his head and began to teach him.
One could never assume that only women needed self-defense, men did too, especially the underage. In ancient era, human traffickers were rampant. There were not a small number of teenagers who were abducted and sold by the traffickers in that business.
The so-called self-defensive techniques were generally short-range and close to the body attacks; simple, practical and fast. In other words, hit the opponent’s vital points, attacked the eyes, temples, jaws, throat, abdomen, between the legs, knees and other positions in the shortest time.
Lei Tie stood behind Qin Mian with one arm around his waist and the other arm around his neck, “If the opponent holds you from the back…”
The warm breath fanned on his ear made Qin Mian shrunk his neck.
Seeing the other person’s earlobe red, Lei Tie paused before he went on: “You can hit the opponent with your elbow, or kick the knee with your heel.”
He looked at the head of the person in his arms, paused and added, “If you are tall enough and in a quandary, you can ram the opponent’s head with your head.”
Qin Mian’s face turned gloom. What did he mean by the pause in the middle? He might not be tall now, but that didn’t mean he wouldn’t grow tall in the future.
He turned his head and stared at Lei Tie badly.
Lei Tie changed his position as if nothing were wrong, “I’ll teach another way…”
In this fashion of someone taught and somebody learnt, Qin Mian had mastered several basic skills of self-defense.
“I’ll run for a few laps and come back to prepare breakfast.” Qin Mian was very interested in practicing martial arts, so he was very concerned about daily exercise. If he wanted to have profound kung fu, he should first improve his physical fitness. He waved to Lei Tie and begun to run out.
Lei Tie locked the gate and went up the mountain with bow set on his back.
When Qin Mian came back from running, Lei Tie also returned. There were three Sichuan pepper trees in the yard.
“It’s a misjudgment.” Qin Mian stepped into the door, panting, sweating, and fanning himself with his hands, “I sweat all over. Forget to prepare a set of running clothes and shoes.”
“Buy it next time in town.” Lei Tie grabbed a shovel in his hand and asked, “Where to plant?”
Qin Mian poured a cup of water and drank in a big gulp. He glanced around the yard and went to the place not far from the gate, pointed it with his feet, “It doesn’t smell very good, plant it here.”
Lei Tie nodded and bent down to dig a hole.
Qin Mian stood by and watched for a while before he went to make breakfast.
At breakfast, the two decided on the house warming day — two days later.
After breakfast, Lei Tie went hunting. Qin Mian poured some spring water on the three Sichuan pepper trees and then went to invite the villagers to their house warming from door to door while meeting the villagers in passing.
Instead of going to the old house first, he went from the west to the east of the village.
When he arrived at the old house, Du Shi, who was drawing water at the well side, saw him enter the gate, her eyelids twitched. She asked impatiently, “What are you doing here?”
Since the other party didn’t like him, Qin Mian also didn’t allow himself to be snubbed despite showing good intentions and straightforwardly said: “Mother, the day of our house warming is fixed in the day after tomorrow, you guys should come earlier.”
Only then did Du Shi’s face eased up. “You’re thoughtful, we’ll go earlier.”
Qin Mian added: “We are going to make eight dishes; four meat and four vegetables. I’m afraid I’ll have to go to the garden to pick some vegetables then.”
Four meat and four vegetable dishes were a pretty good banquet. After thinking that her whole family would go to the banquet, it would be bad not to let him pick the vegetables. “Got it.”
Qin Mian didn’t want to talk more with her, “Mother, continue your work. I’ve to go to the next house.”
Du Shi waved her hand.
When Lei Tie returned home in the evening, he and Qin Mian decided on the menu. Eight dishes; four meat and four vegetables were diced chicken with pepper, simmer-fried fish, twice cooked pork, sweet and sour pork ribs, three delicacies stir-fried (potato, eggplant and green pepper), simmer-fried tofu, baked golden corn and stir-fried lettuce. There was no soup because most of the people from the peasant household preferred solid and few like watery soup.
The snacks and deserts for the guests were quite common, namely, fried melon seeds, fried peanuts and osmanthus cakes. They couldn’t prepare anything too good otherwise it would be too eye-catching.
There were three people in charge of the cooking, which included Aunt Wang, while the other two were the women that had done banquet with Aunt Wang. They were Aunt Liu from the same village and Sixth Sister Ma[2] from the neighboring village.
In the early morning on the day of the house warming, Qin Mian and Lei Tie drove the cart to town to buy vegetables, wines, snacks and cakes. Once home, Qin Mian cleaned the house and Lei Tie went to the village to borrow tables and stools.
Aunt Wang and the other two had come early and were busy in the kitchen. There were more than 70 families in the village, even if there were only two people from each family, there were going to be more than 100 people. Moreover, most of the villagers like to benefit at others’ expense, so those who had children would surely bring them along. One could imagine how many ingredients were needed to feed so many people.
Fortunately, Qian Shi and Lei Chuntao came here early to help wash the ingredients.
Qin Mian was quite surprised that Qian Shi would come and secretly asked Lei Chuntao, which let him know that Lei Xiangyi scolded her and forced her to come.
Nearly noon, the villagers came with gifts one after another, all of which were from their households. The gifts prepared were ordinary but practical. They gifted a few eggs, or vegetables, or a piece of cloth and if their conditions were good, they would gift a piece of bacon or a jar of wine. It was all the same in whichever village and no one would anything wrong with it.
Qin Mian happily accepted the gifts and courteously invited them to the table.
The meal was served turn by turn. Those who came early could eat first and those who came late didn’t have to worry as they could look around the new house, admire the new furniture, and then eat snacks while chatting and laughing.
Qin Mian had foresight and expected that there would be some confusion on this day. He came into agreement with Lei Xiangyi and Lei Xiangli in advance to ask them to help entertain the guests, and together with Lei Tie, there wasn’t any mishap throughout the event.
Even so, Qin Mian was very tired. When he sent the last wave of guests out, he sat on the settee, not wanting to move while his stomach growling with hunger.
The three chefs, Lei Xiangyi and Lei Xiangli hadn’t eaten the food either. Qin Mian didn’t sit for a long before Lei Tie and two others brought out the reserved table of dishes. The few of them wiped out the food completely. A jar of wine was also finished without a drop left.
When Sister Zhang, Lei Xiangyi and Lei Xiangli left, Qin Mian not only paid the three chefs high wages, but also packed a cake for each of them.
After everyone left, Qin Mian lay on the settee holding his full stomach and lazily bumped into Lei Tie’s back with his leg. “Wash the dishes.”
Also seated on the settee, Lei Tie who had drank a bit much wine, supported his head on one hand and patted Qin Mian’s leg with the other before he stood up, “Go to sleep.”
Qin Mian heard the sound of water and dishes colliding in the yard from time to time and his lips rose unconsciously before he fell asleep in a daze….
Note:
[1] An outfit specially made for hand-to-hand fight
[2] Sixth here denoted her husband is the 6th child in the Ma family
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