The General's Delicious Wife Chapter 026: Tomb's sweeping blizzard
Going to the city in the afternoon to buy everything they need for paying respects to the dead, Xia Yue Chu has also took the opportunity to purchase what she wants to buy. The few of them have to rush their return to Seng Head Village before the sky darkens.
Madam Sheng who has received a whipping earlier on, is planning to fight for her own justification when Xue Liang Ping comes back. Who knows that he would come back after drinking alcohol, immediately she does not dare to make any ruckus.
Xue Liang Ping is a person absolutely humble in his nature when it comes to the usual times, only over this one point, if he is ever agitated while he is drunk, he will strike with the most detrimental manner.
Madam Sheng has suffered a few times in the past, so she has learnt to behave. Now that she sees Xue Liang Ping has had his alcohol, she dares not provoke him recklessly.
However, although she does not provoke, she cannot help herself grumbling and nagging about it.
"Once you go out, it is a whole day gone. Do you need to take such a long time just to buy a few stuff?"
Xue Liang Ping has long forgotten the distressing incident from this morning, laughs as he stuffs the bag he is holding over to Madam Sheng. "I went to visit Da Ping. This is what she had me take back for you along the way. There are some cloths for you and Qin and also a pair of shoes made for you."
These recent years, Xue Ping has been the pride of Madam Sheng. Upon hearing that it is from her, she instantly smiles like a flower in bloom.
"Aiyo, it is my eldest daughter who treasures me in the end. Still knows to make new shoes and buy cloths for me. I can't count on any single one of these at home!"
Xue Liang Ping has gotten used to her daily ramblings. He takes off his shoes and climbs onto his brick bed, continuing. "Da Ping also said that she will bring son-in-law back home to visit you the next few days!"
"Aiyo, that's great news!" Madam Sheng is measuring the length of the cloth against her own body, on her left and on her right, growing in her delight. "The last time they came back was the new year period, also don't know if Zhi Jun has grown taller now."
"Zhi Jun is not at home, he went back with his grandparents to their old home for Tomb's sweeping." Xue Liang Ping replies to her while pulling out his tobacco pouch.
"Aiya, in this cold weather, what do they bring the kid back for, especially when they are going to the cemetery!" Madam Sheng becomes irritated hearing this. "Furthermore, children have pure eyesight and weak bodies, if he goes to the cemetery and sees something he shouldn't see and gets frighten or if he gets tangled up with anything unclean, what to do then! You say, this in-laws are too much, the couple is young and don't know about these things, but that old couple is already at their age why do they still not know this logic…"
"That's enough, can't you say a few sentences less, going on non-stop since I'm back. Your naggings are giving me a headache." Xue Liang Ping gets annoyed in the end, yelling at her and throwing his tobacco pouch aside. Pulling the covers over, burying his head, and falling asleep soon after.
Because their lunch is far from satisfying, Xia Yue Chu cooks up a few more dishes specially for dinner.
But the strange thing is that Xue Zhuang and Qin Zheng both remain disinterested and moody. They even eat one less steamed maize cakes comparing to their usual consumption.
Xia Yue Chu initially thinks that they are too tired from the trip into the city, but they remain in that state over the next two days, which makes her puzzled.
She finds Qin Zheng privately to ask him.
Qin Zheng replies weakly. "Sister-in-law, there's nothing concerning, isn't it the Tomb's sweeping day soon, Big Brother must have been suffering in his heart from missing his mother. It will be fine after a few days."
This explanation sounds reasonable, but…
"Then what are you drooping your head everyday for?"
Qin Zheng lifts his hand to scratch the back of his head, getting a little embarrassed. "Sister-in-law, am I not just being impatient here, you promised to find a way to make a living for me. There hasn't been anything going on over these few days, I…"
"You this child, don't you know that there is a saying, you cannot eat hot tofu being impatient*. Making a living by yourself is incomparable to going out looking for a temporary job, it requires considerations in every aspect." Actually, Xia Yue Chu already has an idea, but she still needs a few more trial and error on the detailed flow of operations to know if it will work.
These days, Qin Zheng has built up a sense of admiration towards Xia Yue Chu. So hearing how confident she is now, most of his worries dissipates and he laughs. "That's good to hear, then I will be waiting for Sister-in-law's good news."
The next day is the Tomb's Sweeping Day. Everything that should be brought to the cemetery has been prepared in advance and placed neatly on the table in the central hall.
Who knows that the weather would change so drastically during the night. The wind blows loudly outside and the thin paper used on the windows are withstanding the violent force, as if the chilling wind would break the window and enter any moment.
Xia Yue Chu is disturbed from her sleep before daybreak, she vaguely hears Madam Sheng's voice coming from the outside.
"…such a terrible snow fall, the track up the mountain must be difficult to walk…"
Xia Yue Chu crawls up from her bed immediately, covering herself with her outer clothes and goes out for a look. The snowflakes falling are like goose feathers outside, the ground is already covered in a thick layer of snow.
"Cannot say for sure, it might stop in a while!" Xue Liang Ping is also fretting because of the snow outside that is ankle deep.
Though the days remain chilly and not warm enough for comfort, but to be snowing heavily on the day of Tomb's Sweeping is uncommon.
This snow keeps falling until the morning, instead of stopping, it has signs of becoming heavier. The freezing air is filled with goose feather sized snowflakes and the wind blowing onto their faces feels as painful as if they are being scored.
Even so, according to the village customs, regardless of raining or snowing or raining daggers, it is a must to go to the cemetery during the Tomb's Sweeping Day.
Whichever household who fails to go due to a bad weather, they will be jabbed in their backbone** by the entire village and be known for being unfilial.
Thus, after eating their breakfast, Xue Liang Ping goes out to loop up their ox cart. Xue Zhuang sits with the women and the kids on the cart, while he walks with his two sons.
Qin Zheng wants to follow them in the beginning but is stopped by Xue Zhuang. This is eventually an event to the family's tomb, it does not make sense to bring an outsider.
The ox pulls the cart through the uneven snow, it takes twice the usual time to drag up halfway through the mountain. Beyond this point is a forest area, they have to get down the cart and walk the rest of their way.
The accumulated snow in the forest is almost reaching to Xia Yue Chu's knees. She and Madam Sun piggyback a child each, Madam Sheng and Xue Yong supports Madam Zhou on her left and right, Xue Zhuang's legs are unusable so they can only let Xue Li carry him on his back up the mountain.
Xue Liang Ping is at the forefront leading the way, pushing through the accumulated snow and making a way for the rest. If not those at the back will have a harder time walking.
Xue Li finds it repulsive that he needs to carry Xue Zhuang, but he dares not sound out his objection at such a time as going the ancestor's graves.
Thankfully the Xue Family's cemetery plot is located around the outer perimeters, not deep within the old forest and mountain. They reach after passing through a portion of the woods then heading straight.
Xue Li is exhausted, panting heavily, upon reaching the destination, he throws Xue Zhuang down onto a pile of snow on the side.
Xia Yue Chu rushes over to support Xue Zhuang immediately after putting Second Ni Er on the ground from her back.
Xue Liang Ping flares up and kicks Xue Li on his butt, scolding him. "You rascal, throwing your brother like this, what if he gets injured by the rocks underneath the snow!"
Xue Li is kicked aside, the snow beneath him is soft and fluffy. It does not hurt at all when he falls, in fact it feels quite comfortable laying outside here, so he settles to not getting up.
"Da Li, still not coming over and get to work!" Xue Liang Ping gets even more frustrated. "He is such a glutton and a sloth from morning to night, no idea who he has inherited it from."
Madam Sheng is by the side, taking out the broom and wiping cloth, preparing to clean the tombstones and setting the offering. She replies upon hearing this remark. "Inherited from you, who else could he inherit it from!"
"Pei, everybody in our old Xue family are hardworking people." Xue Liang Ping grumbles while shoving the snow. "Who knows who he inherited from!"
Madam Sheng raises her voice instantly upon hearing that and yells. "He is your son, if he did not inherit from you who else could he inherit from! What do you mean by saying that! You better say it clearly before your old Xue family's ancestors!"
Xue Liang Ping is stunned in response. He is just following the conversation and remarking absentmindedly, after the words come out of his mouth, he too finds it inappropriate, who knows that Madam Sheng refuses to let it go at this point.
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Translator Notes:
*You cannot eat hot tofu if you are impatient, is a common Chinese saying, because you will burn your tongue. So essential saying, if you want something, you need to wait.
**Jabbed in the backbone, meaning to be criticised and condemned, constantly reminded of their shame and guilt that they will not be able to stand straight and proud.
Translated by Yellow. Sep 2022.