Reborn as a Landlord-Chapter 775 - 396 Mid-Autumn_2
The shop always needs an adult in charge, and since Lian Shouxin had to take the day laborers to do farm work, she had to stay behind in the shop. With the family’s current financial situation, they could completely afford the wages for hiring a few day laborers to help out, and she was willing to have her children take it easy for a change.
The Mid-Autumn Festival was just around the corner, on the fifteenth of August, and these tasks, Lian Shouxin planned to take care of after the festival was over.
Wu Jiaxing sent over the holiday gifts two days in advance.
This time, the first of Wu Family’s holiday gifts was a stack of top-grade mooncake gift boxes, including the Liaodong Prefecture’s specialty of mixed nuts, jujube paste, and green bean paste mooncakes, each weighing one catty, as well as lotus seed paste and ham-filled mooncakes purchased from the specialty shops, also one catty each, totaling five catties.
The second gift was still fabrics: one length each of autumn fragrance-colored prefecture silk, smoky pink cotton linen, water blue plain satin, and fine cotton with a blue base and red flowers.
Additionally, there were two jars of Shaoxing Yellow Wine, ten catties of japonica rice, and ten catties of high-grade white flour.
Lian Manman’s family then put aside the harvest work for a while, and the whole family began preparing for the Mid-Autumn Festival.
The Mid-Autumn Festival is a traditional family reunion holiday. This Mid-Autumn, it would be the first one Lian Manman’s family celebrated since they had separated, and it would be in such a bountiful autumn.
"This Mid-Autumn, we should really celebrate it well," Lady Zhang was the first to say.
Lian Shouxin smiled and nodded in agreement.
Speaking of celebrating properly, naturally, it meant a lot of delicious food and fun activities, and Lian Manman, Lian Zhizhi, Wu Lang, and Xiao Qi certainly had no objections.
However, before they could focus on their own food and fun, they had to prepare the holiday gifts first.
Lian Manman’s family currently had relations with, and should give holiday gifts to, only two households.
"What should we send to her grandfather’s for the festival?" Lian Shouxin brought it up first. Zhang Qingshan was an elder who particularly cared about their family, and Lian Shouxin was genuinely grateful to his father-in-law.
"For my grandfather’s house, let’s send something practical. How about rice and white flour?" Lian Manman suggested.
Tenant farmers usually exchanged practical gifts, a sign of genuine kinship.
"Then let’s go with ten catties of rice and ten catties of white flour," Lady Zhang suggested.
"Add two packs of tea leaves too, the same kind we got for Mr. Loo. I noticed her grandfather really enjoys it. And, let’s add two jars of wine, making it four items in total," Lian Shouxin said, "We are all busy, and it might not be feasible to go in person. Should we ask someone to deliver the gifts for us? How does that sound?"
"Sure, we’ll go with what you suggest," Lady Zhang smiled and said with pursed lips.
"Those are for my grandfather’s house, but what should we return to Brother Jiaxing’s family with?" Lian Manman, sitting at the table, recorded on paper while asking the question.
"The gifts from Brother Xing’s family this time are even more generous than those we got for the May festival... I already told Brother Xing’s mother last time that festival gifts are just a gesture, and since we are real relatives, the thought is what counts, stronger than anything," Lady Zhang said with a gentle sigh.
Although she sighed, both her manner and tone could not conceal her joy. It wasn’t about the gifts themselves, but the significance behind them, the Wu Family’s esteem for Lian Zhizhi and the marriage arrangement.
"Mother, the return gifts!" Seeing Lady Zhang get somewhat lost in thought, Lian Manman chuckled and reminded her.
"Right, the return gifts," Lady Zhang pondered for a while, "didn’t Zhizhi make two pairs of shoes and a set of clothes for Brother Jiaxing? That counts as one gift."
"Also, send over two pork knuckles," Lian Shouxin suggested.
"Hmm, that makes another one," Lian Manman noted on her paper, "I think the pomegranates that Shopkeeper Wu brought us from the county town were really nice, we can count that as a gift as well."
"Right, the pomegranates, they’re good," Lady Zhang nodded with a smile, "Besides, I’ll pick a basket of our preserved duck eggs. That child Jiaxing, he fancies the duck eggs we pickle here."
Lian Zhizhi had been silent all this time, but when Lady Zhang mentioned this, she lowered her head, her cheeks blushing slightly.
The main gifts for the two families were settled, and what remained was to decide on benefits for the shop assistants.
"Two jin of pork, one jin of mooncakes, two jin of distilled spirits," Lian Shouxin stated. 𝚏𝗿𝗲𝐞𝚠𝕖𝐛𝗻𝗼𝐯𝕖𝚕.𝚌𝗼𝗺
"Dad, only Old Wei is really fond of the distilled spirits. How about this: we’ll let them choose between the spirits and three feet of ’maoqing’ fabric," Lian Manman proposed.
’Maoqing’ fabric was extremely valuable for the tenant farmers. Three feet of it could make sturdy pants for a child or a pair of shoes for each member of the family.
"Alright then. Manman is more thoughtful than I am," Lian Shouxin remarked with a laugh.
Having discussed everything thoroughly, at last, it was time for the Lian Manman family’s own festival preparations.
"... We need to buy a carp, the biggest one since our family is large. We’ll need two jin of pork belly for braised pork, and spare ribs we’ll need..." The family members chimed in one after another, and the list that Lian Manman was making became longer and longer.
"Dad, Mom, Yeye’s family doesn’t have much since they’ve separated from us. It’s just the three of them. Why don’t we invite them to join us and spend the Mid-Autumn Festival together?" Lian Manman suggested while jotting down things to buy.
"Isn’t that obvious? I planned on it all along," Lady Zhang replied with a smile.
"Let’s spend this Mid-Autumn Festival at the old house," Lian Shouxin hesitated before making the suggestion.
Lady Zhang and the children were silent at first, then they all nodded in agreement. They all knew that this was likely to be the last festival they would celebrate at the old house.
Because it was the busy harvest season, the Mid-Autumn Festival for farmstead families was often simpler than other festivals. The reunion meal was still scheduled for noon.
Lady Zhao and Lian Yeye were bustling in the outer room with Lian Manman and the others, preparing dishes. Their footsteps were light, and bursts of laughter broke out from time to time.
Sweet and sour carp, mushroom braised pork... An entire table was laid out with plates and bowls of all sizes, and Lian Manman even took to the kitchen herself to make a dish of candied sweet potatoes.
The two families sat down at the table, with a little liquor cup in front of each person. Lian Manman held the jar of clear liquor, and Lian Yeye held the grape wine jug, pouring for everyone in turn.
"Today, all of us have to drink a cup," Lian Shouxin declared.
***......*****
This is the second update, asking for your support. (To be continued. If you like this work, feel free to vote for it on Qidian.com with recommendation tickets and monthly tickets. Your support is my greatest motivation.)
