The Wang Family had set up a wedding tent, with twelve tables set for the feast beneath it. The immediate relatives of the Wang Family were arranged to be seated at the head table, such as Wang Jiao’s uncles, Wang Fengqiao’s husband, the in-laws of the Wang Dachun brothers, Feng Qinglei and the like.
If Lu Jiang were at home, he would also have a place at this table.
It has been a tradition since ancient times to prioritize the guest, even Wang Zhengguo, a member of the Wang Family, would not be entitled to a seat at the table.
However, Wang Zhengjun brazenly took a seat at the table, and furthermore, he sat in the seat of honour.
The in-laws of the Wang Dachun brothers and Wang Fengqiao’s husband Chen Dazhuang were chatting nearby and hadn’t taken their seats yet. Upon seeing this, they exchanged glances, turned around, and sat down at the second table.
Wang Zhengguo respectfully clasped his hands together and remotely apologized to them.
"What is he here for? To ruin Jiaojiao’s happy day?" Wang Fengqiao, seeing this, wanted to rush out, but was immediately held back by Feng Qingxue.
Before Feng Qingxue could speak, Miao Fengqin walked in with a gloomy face. She was obviously not pleased, "Fengqiao, don’t go, you’re the bride, you can’t intervene. Your big brother knows what to do!"
"What is he here for on Jiaojiao’s good day? He hasn’t come back for so many years and now he’s back causing trouble! Acting so arrogantly!"
"I think, he wouldn’t be making this visit without a reason. A few glasses of alcohol down his throat and your big brother will surely figure something out." Miao Fengqin gently consoled her younger sister-in-law, "Don’t worry, in our Wanglou Brigade, can he really cause a commotion?" What kind of temperament each sister-in-law, brother-in-law, and uncle-in-law have is well known to her husband.
"Exactly, Auntie, Sun Wukong cannot lift the fingers of Tathagata Buddha."
The color on Wang Fengqiao’s face improved a bit, "The feast is starting, you should go sit down. It’s cold, it won’t taste good if the food gets cold."
"I was just about to tell the matron of honour, I’m not going to sit at the table." said Feng Qingxue.
Miao Fengqin and Wang Fengqiao heard, and hastened to ask what was going on.
"The wind blows from all sides of the wedding tent, the food gets cool as soon as it’s served. I’ll go home to eat, there are still a large family waiting at home."
Lu Jiang wasn’t home, Lu’s father minded his own social status and didn’t want to attend, Feng Qingxue didn’t like sharing a table with a bunch of older men, and she especially didn’t want to see Wang Zhengjun, who was passionately describing the wonderful life in the city to her brother. After much persuasion, she finally managed to excuse herself from Miao Fengqin’s entreaties and returned home before the feast began. The family enjoyed a meal that was no lesser than the feast at the banquet.
After the meal, the children went to wash the dishes. Feng Qingxue stood under the eaves, preparing to take a walk in the courtyard to aid digestion, when she saw Zhang Erya sneaking a peek at her and waving at her, "What’s the matter Erya? Come in and talk."
Zhang Erya shambled over with a limp and a sorrowful face, "Aunt Qingxue, I think I’m going to die soon."
Feng Qingxue was taken aback, "What happened? You just moved into the new house, and you have hoarded enough food. Your good days are ahead of you, how could you be dying? Silly Erya, don’t talk nonsense."
Wang Zhengguo kept his promise, after the autumn harvest and before the onset of winter, he called on the local villagers to build four adobe huts for the children. The boys lived in the west room, and the girls, being more in number, lived in the two rooms on the east side. Because the children didn’t have beds, he specially laid down a Kang, a traditional Chinese bed-stove which was only available in the north, and connected it to the kitchen stove outside, making the winter less harsh.
The few children didn’t earn enough work points to qualify for food. Feng Qingxue loaned them more than twenty Yuan to compensate for this..
Tears started to stream down Zhang Erya’s face as she choked out, " I’m really going to die, Aunt Qingxue. I’ve been bleeding for two days and it hasn’t stopped. When all the blood is gone, I will surely die."
A thought popped into Feng Qingxue’s mind. She quickly asked where Erya was bleeding from, and upon hearing the answer, she couldn’t help but laugh.
"Silly girl, you’re growing up, not dying. Come in, I’ll tell you!"