Chapter 12
Usually, if you don’t sweep the floor thoroughly, the stains remain. Things like feces or blood are never a good omen. Lu Yang used an iron shovel to scrape off the top layer of soil and filled the small vegetable garden by the wall with it.
All the chickens had been sold, and since there wasn’t much left to tidy up around the house, he dismantled the chicken coop to clean it out.
The Chen family also raised chickens, so he was familiar with the task.
As soon as he finished taking apart the chicken coop, he used the iron shovel to scrape the ground clean. Then, he brought out a basket of wood ash from the kitchen to sprinkle over the ground and suppress the odor.
Lu Erbao returned from inviting the neighbors to the wedding and saw him working on the chicken coop. He tried to take over, but Lu Yang refused.
The coop was low, and the accumulated grime made cleaning it hard on the back. Since Lu Yang was home, he might as well do it himself.
Lu Erbao couldn’t persuade him, so he stayed to help.
Working together, they finished the cleanup quickly.
Lu Yang then checked the firewood supply. With only three people in the household and limited labor, they were all conscious about storing firewood to avoid a mad rush in winter. The supply was enough for daily use but insufficient for heating water and washing clothes.
Lu Yang made a mental note to buy coal before the snow came so his father wouldn’t have to struggle as much with the laundry.
Inside and out, the hardest thing to prepare was the dowry.
There wasn’t much. The family managed to make one new quilt; they truly couldn’t afford more.
The rest consisted of his usual belongings: a few sets of clothes, shoes, and socks.
He packed and repacked the scattered items until they fit into two small bamboo trunks.
Wang Fengnian wiped away tears as he watched.
Eighteen years of raising a child, and this was all he could take with him.
But Lu Yang didn’t mind. In these hard times, few people could afford many clothes. He was already lucky.
Earlier, Lu Erbao had bought some red paper, and Wang Fengnian cut festive characters and window decorations. They worried someone might tear them down as a prank, so they decided to put them up early on the wedding day.
Lu Yang had no objections.
With these preparations done, all that was left was the modest wedding garment.
The material was coarse and unevenly dyed, with a rough texture that made it a bargain even at the fabric shop.
Wang Fengnian bought six feet of fabric and used a cloak from the tailor’s shop as a pattern. He didn’t really know what he was doing but studied it for a long time before figuring out how to adapt a jacket pattern into a long coat. The design allowed it to be worn over padded winter clothes, keeping Lu Yang warm and practical.
Lu Yang tried it on.
The wedding garment reached his ankles and enveloped him completely.
His fathers had never seen him in such a formal long coat before. They both said he looked handsome.
“It makes you look taller and highlights your figure and complexion.”
Lu Yang scratched his face, embarrassed.
Sensing his discomfort, Wang Fengnian signaled Lu Erbao to leave the room. Once alone, he sat Lu Yang down for a talk.
“After you marry, you’ll be considered an adult. No longer a young boy, but a husband.”
Lu Yang already knew this. Growing up in town, he’d overheard street curses and learned their meanings long ago. His brothers sometimes brought home risqué illustrated books, so it was impossible to stay innocent.
What worried him was that he might give himself away. His skin was thicker than his brother’s, and what if he showed no reaction to the kind of talk that should make someone blush?
Fortunately, he still had some sense of shame.
Having his father explain these things made him squirm at first, then moved him deeply.
Wang Fengnian was thorough, questioning him to make sure he truly understood. He kept at it until Lu Yang’s face turned scarlet.
That night, Lu Yang lay in bed, restless and unable to sleep. His heart was filled with emotions he couldn’t quite grasp, and he worried about how his brother was doing.
Far away in Chenjiawan, Lu Liu was miserably drinking herbal medicine on the kang bed.
Chen Sanfeng scolded him as a money-wasting burden while keeping a sharp eye on him to ensure he finished every drop.
With the wedding approaching, the Chen family, despite their stinginess, had hired a doctor and spent an ounce of silver on his medicine. The brew was so diluted it filled several bowls, leaving Lu Liu’s belly bloated. With no food to chase away the bitterness, he drank plain water.
Thankfully, the meat jerky left by Li Feng still lingered in a bamboo tube. Once Chen Sanfeng left, Lu Liu would break off a tiny piece to suck on and mask the bitterness.
Being sick was awful, and being scolded daily even worse. Thinking about how his brother had endured this life for years made Lu Liu’s heart ache.
Soon, though, he would marry.
After the wedding, he hoped to raise chickens or other livestock, save some money with Li Feng’s help, and support his brother in gaining a foothold with the Xie family.
This life was simply too hard.
To his dismay, the medicine and water increased his need for the latrine, earning him more scolding from his younger brothers.
Unlike the county town, the village had no night-soil collectors. Each household kept a composting toilet to fertilize their fields. The Lu family, with its small size, already struggled to gather enough manure. Someone even stole their compost once, and his father had argued fiercely with the thief.
The Chen family, however, was different.
They found collecting manure beneath them.
Lu Liu rubbed his belly, too afraid to visit the latrine.
He timed his trips for when visitors came, sneaking away while everyone was distracted, then scurrying back to his bed.
Two days passed like this, and finally, it was the night before the wedding.
Originally, Chen Laoye planned a wedding feast, but the doctor’s bill consumed the funds, so the banquet was canceled.
“The marriage is set,” he said. “The Li family can’t back out now.”
The grand plans to show off ended there.
The dowry consisted mostly of clothes and shoes. The new clothes originally meant for Lu Yang were taken back; Lu Liu was allowed to keep only the set he wore.
There was no wedding robe, but there was a veil.
It was surprisingly beautiful, adorned with intricate embroidery on a muted red fabric that avoided garishness.
“Your father bought this when he married me,” Chen Sanfeng said. “The wedding robe was pawned long ago, but I kept this veil. Bring it back after your return visit, so we can reuse it for your brothers’ weddings.”
Lu Liu agreed.
His eyes, puffy from days of crying, only made him look more pitiful.
Seeing this, Chen Laoye softened.
After all, they’d raised him for eighteen years.
“If you like it, you can keep it,” he said. “I can’t give you more for your dowry. Once you’re with the Li family, whether you have a good life or not will depend on you.”
Lu Liu was stunned.
Chen Laoye’s expression quickly hardened again.
“Don’t forget to send money back to your family. Favoring your husband won’t get you anywhere.”
Lu Liu glanced at Chen Sanfeng.
Her eyes blazed with anger, but she said nothing.
She’d just told him to return the veil; now her husband had contradicted her in front of the boy.
“See?” she snapped. “That’s what happens when you side with a man.”
But Lu Liu wasn’t Lu Yang.
He hadn’t grown up in such an environment. His fathers supported each other as equals.
He said nothing, just nodded.
That night, after everyone else went to bed, Chen Sanfeng stayed behind to explain what to do on the wedding night.
Lu Liu listened, confused about the specifics of “serving a husband.” He only grasped that getting pregnant quickly was crucial, which matched what his father had said.
“How do I get pregnant quickly?” he asked.
The question stunned Chen Sanfeng.
“Didn’t you listen to anything I just said?”
“I did,” Lu Liu insisted.
“Then explain it to me.”
Lu Liu hesitated and then faltered under her glare.
