Manbao returned the bone that had been sucked clean of marrow and meat to the kitchen, where Junior Ms. Qian was coordinating everything. Zhou Liulang and Datou were both following by her side.
With their experience from running a restaurant, they worked very well together and were responsible for most of the main dishes.
Junior Ms. Qian watched Zhou Liulang seasoning with salt, instructed him to add a bit more, and when she turned around and spotted Manbao, she took a moment to scoop some pig brain into a small bowl from a pot, placing it on a small tray for her, "Here, this is pig brain. They say that you get smarter eating what’s smart, so take it and eat up."
Manbao was hesitant to accept the offering, mainly because she felt as if she wasn’t lacking in ’pig brains’, but after sniffing the enticing aroma, she swallowed saliva and asked with a sniff, "Sister-in-law, what did you add to it?"
"I didn’t add much, just some ginger, salt, and oil. Try it and see if it’s good. I tasted it myself, and it’s even softer than tofu, and delicious."
Manbao then reached out and took the bowl.
Upon leaving the kitchen, she saw Bai Shan and the others arrive. Manbao grabbed two additional bowls and spoons, and called them over to join her in her room.
Manbao’s room was divided into an inner and outer area by a screen.
All the doors were locked today due to the number of guests, so Manbao handed the tray to Bai Shan, unlocked the door with her key, and then generously split one bowl of pig brain into three servings, "This is made by my sister-in-law. It’s especially delicious. Try it, you’ll see."
Bai Shan and Bai Erlang both knew about Junior Ms. Qian’s culinary skills and had enjoyed her food for many years. Upon hearing Manbao’s invitation, they immediately scooped a spoonful and took a bite, their eyes lighting up.
Manbao placed her hands on the table and eagerly watched them ask, "How is it? Good, isn’t it?"
The two nodded vigorously, "Delicious! It just melts in your mouth, the salty fragrance permeates, it’s very tasty. What is this?"
Bai Shan carefully savored it and said, "It tastes somewhat like tofu pudding, yet it’s more fragrant than that and has a springy texture."
Upon hearing this, Manbao immediately took a spoonful and tasted it carefully, nodding repeatedly, "Yeah, yeah, it really is tasty."
Bai Erlang was already immersed in eating, but Bai Shan couldn’t help but look up at her and ask, "You’ve never had this before?"
Manbao bit her spoon and winked at him.
Bai Shan was at a loss for a moment then asked, "What is this?"
Manbao thought for a moment and said, "Well, let’s call it ’brain tofu’." Since it resembles tofu pudding, it might as well be called ’brain tofu’."
Bai Shan frowned, "Brain tofu? What’s that? I’ve never heard of it before."
Manbao chuckled at them and said, "It’s pig brain. Don’t you think ’brain tofu’ sounds nicer?"
Bai Erlang, who had been eating, stopped and looked up to ask, "You can eat pig brain?"
Manbao replied while taking another bite, "If pig feet can be eaten, why not pig brain?"
Bai Erlang thought about it and found the logic sound, so he bent his head down and continued eating.
Bai Shan didn’t see how pig feet and pig brain were related, but since the ’brain tofu’ was indeed delicious, he decided not to dwell on it.
When Sanya came looking for them, they had just finished eating the ’brain tofu’. "Young mistress, grandmother wants you to lead the young masters to sit down for the feast," she said.
Manbao replied affirmatively and led the two men to the front to dine.
To spare themselves discomfort, the three of them joined the Qian Family at their table.
Eldest Uncle Qian and the others were a bit reserved, but fortunately, Bai Shan and his companions weren’t very hungry, so they soon felt full. Manbao didn’t need to mention, as she hadn’t felt hungry at all that day, so she only sampled a few dishes with her chopsticks.
When the crackling sound of firecrackers came from outside, the three promptly put down their chopsticks and rushed out.
A commotion had already started outside, "The groom has arrived, the groom is here..."
"My heavens, the groom has ridden in on a horse. Where did that horse come from?"
"Guan Xin is a soldier; must be borrowed from the barracks, right?"
"A horse, huh? Qili Village has never seen the likes of it."
"That’s nothing; Manbao has ridden in a horse-drawn carriage before."
"Is that the same, though? Manbao is a scholar; Daji is getting married. Out of the entire Qili Village, which family’s daughter gets picked up by a horse for her wedding? It’s already good enough to have an ox-cart; most are taken away on a donkey, aren’t they?"
Manbao wasn’t the least interested in horses; she was more curious about the groom. She rushed out the door to catch a glimpse of Guan Xin, promptly called over her nephews and nieces to line up orderly, and positioned herself at the forefront, "Brother-in-law, I know you’re not learned, and I won’t make you compose a poem or anything. Just hop over us, and as long as you can make it over, we won’t even ask for red envelopes. We’ll open the door and let you in right away."
Guan Xin had just dismounted from his horse and was about to smile in excitement when his face suddenly froze.
In front of him, Manbao was leading a row of nephews and nieces lined up in two rows, with the smallest, the fifth and the sixth, at the very front, followed by the fourth and Sanya, arranged by age and height all the way to the back.
Datou and Daya stood at the back-end, looking up at Guan Xin and chuckling.
Guan Xin assessed their height and the length of the queue they formed, fell silent for a moment, and then asked, "Can I give out red packets instead?"
Manbao eyed him skeptically, "You really can’t jump over?"
Of course, she wouldn’t set her future brother-in-law up for failure without reason; she had specifically asked Daji before, and Daji said even if they were lined up in a single file, he could still jump over...
Even if Guan Xin was somewhat inferior, he was an old soldier, after all, so it should be no problem, right?
Considering his future nephews and nieces, Guan Xin thought to himself: It’s possible, but today is an extraordinary situation. What if he actually slipped?
Oh, no, what if he actually fell? Would he still want to get married then?
Guan Xin pulled a handful of red envelopes from his sleeve, squatted down in front of the youngest, and coaxed with a smile, "How about this, fifth and sixth, would you like red envelopes from your great uncle?"
The fifth and sixth had already learned how to grab red envelopes, and as soon as they saw them, they rushed forward and clung to Guan Xin’s arm.
The other nephews and nieces looked towards Manbao who sighed softly and gave them a slight nod.
Everyone then surged forward to grab the red packets, playfully pretending to stop Guan Xin for a moment, and only let him enter the courtyard when the adults spoke up.
Guan Xin made his way laboriously to his in-laws, where Junior Ms. Qian, supporting Zhou Xi, came out, and both of them paid their respects to Old Zhou and Ms. Qian. After a basketful of instructions, Zhou Dalang stepped forward to carry Zhou Xi away.
Being a soldier, Guan Xin had brought his own horse, and a bridal sedan had been arranged separately. Zhou Dalang had seen bridal sedans before but had never watched his own sister ride in one.
He carefully placed his sister inside the sedan, and then turned back to wave at his brothers. Zhou Erlang stepped forward leading the third, fourth, fifth, and sixth, guarding the sedan on its way.
Manbao wanted to follow, but Junior Ms. Qian caught hold of her, "This is your second brother and the others’ task. Why are you meddling in this celebration?"
The comrades who came with Guan Xin to fetch the bride whispered to him secretly, "Why did you pick such a family? With six brothers, you’ll have to play the grandchild from now on."
Guan Xin shot them a glance and retorted, "What do you know? My father-in-law’s family is reasonable."
"The father-in-law’s family may be reasonable, but that’s no guarantee about the women," said a comrade with the experience of marriage, "When domestic disorder starts, will your in-laws side with their daughter or their son-in-law?"