Upon hearing the word ’deer’, Lu Qiubo’s eyes sparkled.
She was old and had never seen a deer in her life despite her age. Even though the deer was supposed to be coming to her house the next day, nothing stopped her from going to see it right away. She eagerly pulled along her granddaughter to go take a look.
"Molian, did you catch these?"
Looking at the two deer penned in the thatched shelter, happiness filled Lu Qiubo’s heart.
"Yes, Grandma Qiubo."
Ya Molian nodded. In public, he still referred to Lu Qiubo as Grandma Qiubo. It would only be after they formalized the engagement that he could call her Grandma. He was fully aware of these social protocols.
"Deer are seen as auspicious animals. Keeping them in the house is a good thing too, Grandma Qiubo. Plus, these are a pair of deer, so they would be able to have fawns in the future."
Lu Qiubo nodded in agreement.
"Molian, you are indeed capable. Our Sangsang is lucky to be able to marry you."
She raised her hand, patting Ya Molian’s shoulder as she said this.
"Grandma Qiubo, I must disagree. I’m the lucky one to be able to marry Sang’er."
Ya Molian glanced at Lin Caisang, then sincerely told Lu Qiubo that he was the one who was fortunate to have met such a good wife.
"Sang’er, let’s accompany your Grandma and sit in the main hall. The courtyard is too noisy."
"We can’t do that, we came here to help." Lin Caisang said in a half-joking tone.
If she allowed everyone to see her and her Grandma sitting in the hall, it would soon become the laughing stock of the village. She would be rumored to be a lazy girl who only ate and drank.
Was she supposed to throw away her reputation over this?
"There isn’t much left to do, they’re just some menial tasks." Ya Molian glanced around the courtyard.
"The only thing left is a wild boar that needs to be taken care of. But that’s man’s work. You and your Grandma can just watch."
"There’s a wild boar too? Didn’t you prepare some meat?" Lin Caisang asked him.
With all the meat already prepared, why would they need to hunt a wild boar? Was he bored after eating, or did he catch it while hunting the deer?
"The prepared meat is for the banquet tomorrow. This wild boar meat, I’m planning to use as a gift." Ya Molian said.
Ya Molian, who uses pork as a gift? Aren’t you afraid of losing out?
Moreover, this is an engagement, not a wedding. Who’s returning gifts now? Has anyone sent you any gifts? Has anyone done so yet? Everyone knows they haven’t, right?
"Brother Molian, has anyone sent gifts yet?" she asked.
He blinked, looking at Lin Caisang, not quite understanding what she was saying.
Then, he turned to look at Lu Qiubo.
"Molian, Sangsang doesn’t understand these matters. It’s okay, as long as Grandma Qiubo knows, it’s enough." Lu Qiubo quickly chimed in.
"I don’t understand?"
Lin Caisang pointed to herself, looking puzzled.
Lu Qiubo shook her head, laughing at her granddaughter.
"This gift isn’t from Molian’s family, it’s from our family. The pork needs to be prepared for the engagement and taken to the bride’s side. After it’s cut up, it’s given to friends and relatives to inform them of the good news, and to invite them to the wedding banquet."
"So that’s what it is."
Lin Caisang suddenly realized. That’s part of the betrothal gifts for the engagement, why didn’t anyone tell her?
"I thought we could just prepare anything. Didn’t Qing’er prepare candies for her engagement? Why are our situations different?"