Chapter 18: A Lavish Dinner

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Sun Shan watched the softshell turtle with curiosity—large and heavy, it would be perfect for making soup. Sure enough, the village chief pointed at the turtle and said, “Son-in-law, Chunlan, take this back to the He household; it’s ideal for soup.”

He, the son-in-law, quickly waved his hand in refusal. “No, this was caught with great effort by Brother Dalang. You all should keep it and eat it yourselves.”

The village chief’s wife smiled warmly. “We country folk don’t know much about cooking. If you ask me to prepare it, I wouldn’t know how. Giving it to us would be a waste.”

Her words were sincere—usually, when villagers caught softshell turtles, they sold them rather than eating them at home. Since Chunlan had returned, it was best to take the turtle back to the He household.

The son-in-law chuckled, “It’s actually quite simple. Add some angelica, longan, goji berries, and red dates, then stew it. Softshell turtle soup is delicious, nourishing to the yin and kidneys, mild and not heating. Village chief, you’ll enjoy it best.”

He didn’t dare take the turtle himself; it was clearly many years old, highly nutritious, and worth a good amount of silver.

The village chief waved his hand. “Adding this and that—I wouldn’t know how. You city folk are different, you know how to eat, how to cook. Enough talk, take it back to Madam He. Don’t be shy.”

The son-in-law and the village chief, among others, pushed back and forth, outnumbered but persistent. The son-in-law carried the bucket, Yu Ge’er bore the empty bamboo basket, and Sun Dagu pulled Sun Shan home.

Not far from the door, they met Sun Third Uncle, who hurried over, “Big sister, brother-in-law, I was just about to look for you. Dinner’s ready, waiting for you to come eat.”

Seeing the fish in brother-in-law’s bucket, he exclaimed dramatically, “Wow, such a big softshell turtle! Brother-in-law, where did you get it?”

Yu Ge’er was quick to answer, “Grandpa, the village chief, gave it to us. It’s the first time I’ve seen such a huge softshell turtle.”

Yu Ge’er wanted to keep it as a pet, neither to kill nor eat, but wasn’t sure if Father and Mother would allow it.

Sun Third Uncle took Yu Ge’er’s carrying pole and smiled, “They must have caught it at the big pond. Villagers have caught them before, but none this large.”

The group chatted and laughed all the way home.

Upon entering, the Sun family was curious about the turtle, and a few mischievous boys tried to play with it.

Madam Huang scolded, “Don’t play with it! It’s for your big aunt to take back to the city.” Children playing recklessly could easily harm it.

It was fortunate the village chief caught such a large turtle and brought it to the He household, as others might think Chunlan’s family had a respectable gift to present.

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After all these years, they had taken in more than they had given, which felt a bit embarrassing. Luckily, the son-in-law cared for Chunlan, and the He family was kind-hearted, so they didn’t mind the daughter-in-law moving things from her husband’s family back to her own.

The sky had not yet darkened; winter days were short and nights long, so the Sun family planned to eat dinner early.

Soon, dishes arrived one after another. The evening meal was far more sumptuous than lunch.

Perilla fried duck, red fermented bean curd stewed goose, braised local chicken, steamed pork belly with kudzu root, garlic stir-fried lettuce, and finally a large pot of pork rib lotus root soup. After serving the soup, they scooped out the lotus root and ribs for a quick stir-fry.

The food was set on two tables: one for the men, one for the women.

Madam Huang first picked a piece of lotus root, signaling the others to start eating.

Though there was a saying “Eat without speaking, sleep without talking,” the Sun family did not adhere to such strict rules; everyone chatted as they ate.

The temperament of the third house’s Dingde resembled Third Uncle’s—wolfing down meat while chuckling, “Wow, this is delicious! The goose smells wonderful. Father, I want fried chicken.”

Sun Third Uncle saw the little son’s mouth full of rice and glanced at his brother-in-law, who was thankfully mild-tempered and didn’t mind.

He tapped the boy’s hand with chopsticks, scolding, “Eat properly, stop making noise.”

Looking around, the youngest son was the messiest. While the older brothers ate neatly, he seemed like he was fighting for food, eating ravenously, which was quite irritating.

Then he glanced at Sun Shan at the next table. Unnoticed before, the contrast was even more vexing: though Shan was a year younger than Dege’er, his behavior was far more composed, sitting quietly beside his eldest sister, chewing slowly and carefully.

Though Dege’er was more handsome, the way they ate revealed who was truly well-bred.

After being scolded by Father, Dege’er looked wronged, his mouth full and eyes reddened.

On the opposite side, Uncle He quickly placed a small chicken leg into Dege’er’s bowl, soothing him, “Dege’er, be good, eat this chicken leg.”

Dege’er had wanted to reach for the chicken leg for a long time, but it was always near cousin Yu; he dared not take it. Father and mother had said that the He family was their stronghold, so their food and needs came first. If they were caught fighting Yu for food, they could expect a beating.

Though young, Dege’er understood that his eldest sister’s family was wealthy; even his clothes were made from fabric she brought back from the city.

Most importantly, the red envelopes she gave were the largest among their acquaintances. The treasured longevity lock and silver bracelet he kept were also gifts from her. Father and mother said to save these for the future—to sell and use when marrying off daughters.

Seeing his brother-in-law give him the chicken leg, Dege’er’s earlier displeasure vanished. He smiled foolishly and said, “Thank you, brother-in-law! I love chicken legs the most.”

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The boys at the same table looked envious. “We like chicken legs too!”

Sun Shan sat next to Sun Dagu, with his mother Su Shi beside him.

Sun Dagu had already given Shan a chicken leg and plenty of other meat and vegetables, smiling, “Shan eats slowly and little, no wonder he’s so thin.” Compared to the boys from the second and third brothers’ families, the only son in the eldest brother’s family was indeed slender and short.

Sun Shan’s mother, Su Shi, stammered, “Maybe he was born prematurely. No matter how much he eats, he just won’t gain weight.”

The local village doctor said that little ones had small stomachs and couldn’t eat much at once. It was best to feed them small meals often and gradually build them up. The doctor only dared say this because the Sun family was fairly well-off; for poorer families, just getting enough to eat was a blessing.

Second Aunt Jiang agreed, “Shan definitely eats less than his brothers. It probably is because he came early.”

Beside her, Third Aunt Zheng gave a forced smile, “Yes, Shan is unlike my boys—they only think about eating all day, and can eat anything.”

Seeing how much Sun Dagu doted on Sun Shan, Aunt Zheng was envious. When Shan was a month old, Sun Dagu gave him a gold bracelet and a longevity lock. Her own three got only silver; it was plainly unfair.

But envy or not, Aunt Zheng dared not complain; if she stirred up trouble, they might not even get silver gifts next time.

Madam Huang glanced at Yu Ge’er and smiled, “If only our kids were like Yu Ge’er, everything they eat looks delicious; it’s a joy to watch.”

Hearing his grandmother mention him, Yu Ge’er picked up a piece of pork belly from the men’s table and placed it in Madam Huang’s bowl, grinning, “Hehe, grandma, try this pork belly. It’s soft and sticky—just right for you.”

Madam Huang laughed heartily, “Oh, my Yu Ge’er is such a good boy, so filial.”

Sun Dagu happily remarked, “You’re just sweet-talking, the best at coaxing. Mother, when Yu Ge’er is home, he often cheers up his granny and even tricks her out of money.”

Yu Ge’er resembled He Erlang, who in turn looked like his mother. The three—Yu Ge’er, He Erlang, and his mother—when seen together, were clearly recognized as grandfather, son, and grandson.

That was why, besides the eldest grandson Jin Ge’er, He’s mother doted most on Yu Ge’er.

Sun Dagu’s words made Yu Ge’er embarrassed; his cheeks flushed as he shyly returned to his seat to eat.