He spoke up, and there was a brief silence inside the room.
The three immediately shut up, quietly waiting to be caught.
But the conversation inside soon heated up again, discussing how to take care of their husbands.
Wang Meng, confident in his experience, said, “I say two—who dares to say one?”
Li Feng had plenty to say: “I wash the clothes and cook. What do you do?”
Wang Meng: ???
“Isn’t that just what happens on the kang?”
Right.
On the kang.
Big Qiang laughed at Li Feng, shaking the roof with his booming “ha ha ha.”
Li Feng stayed calm. “Do I really need to tell you about what happens on the kang? Everything’s taken care of, and the baby’s on the way.”
Big Qiang immediately switched sides. “Right! We admit it! Step aside!”
Li Feng, having mocked Wang Meng, turned to Big Qiang: “You’re no first place. My husband’s expecting, I do the washing, cooking, and everything else—on the kang and off—what have you done?”
Big Qiang went quiet for a moment, then shouted, “I follow his orders! He says east, I don’t go west. Wants meat, I don’t dare cook fish. One complaint about appetite, and ten dishes appear. Tell me, who can compete?”
Li Feng winked at Wang Meng and pulled him over to scold Big Qiang: “If you’re so capable, why are you here drinking at midnight? Whose orders do you follow, your husband’s or your little Yuan Yuan’s? Dare to answer!”
Big Qiang stomped and shouted, defending his husband wholeheartedly: “My husband’s orders!”
Outside, Yao sat on the ground, holding his belly and laughing.
Chen Jiu picked up a stone and tossed it into the house.
Another brief silence followed.
With the three husbands’ personalities, it was obvious who had thrown it.
Wang Meng steered the topic back to the previous round, saying to Big Qiang, “Let’s compare!”
Li Feng quickly claimed the home advantage to avoid getting caught in the crossfire. “I’m the witness!”
Big Qiang: …
Such sneaky people.
They started comparing, and Lu Liu couldn’t stay put.
Seeing that Chen Jiu could throw stones and talk without trouble, he quietly called out, “An Ge’er, Jiu Ge’er, want some tea? Let’s come inside and sit.”
Chen Jiu refused. “Tea at this hour? Why not just sleep?”
Yao said bluntly, “Sleep? Your Da Meng still has to take care of you on the kang!”
Lu Liu chuckled softly. In the sudden quiet, his laughter became a small beacon in the night.
Trying not to laugh, he asked, “Want some mahua? My brother brought me some—fried, delicious, with sesame on top!”
Yao exclaimed, “Ah, having a brother is great!”
Inside, Big Qiang immediately claimed, “I can buy mahua for my husband!”
Wang Meng wouldn’t be outdone: “I’ll buy two jin!”
Big Qiang: “I’ll buy four!”
Wang Meng: “I’ll buy eight!”
…
Though the argument was trivial, it was fun to listen to.
Lu Liu waited a while, and not hearing Da Feng’s voice, peeked around the door.
Li Feng was sitting by the front gate. Seeing Lu Liu, he said, “I’m cooking chicken for my husband.”
Lu Liu blushed, realizing he’d been spotted but still hoping the wall would shield him.
Yao was a little restless, wanting some mahua. He couldn’t stand yet, so Chen Jiu helped him up. The three of them went inside together to eat.
In the main room, a quiet corner hid Shun, eavesdropping.
The three husbands laughed and invited him in for mahua too.
Mahua was expensive, fried dough measured by weight, so there wasn’t much. Each had one, and Lu Liu offered more, but they declined.
Lu Liu also had some sour plums and offered them a small plate to try.
Yao said, “You’re really generous, always sharing the good food and drink.”
Lu Liu’s eyes curved into a smile. “I used to always be hungry. Walking outside, seeing others eat, I would be so tempted. I always wished someone would invite me, but no one ever did.”
When there was no food at home, he couldn’t have been this generous. Now, with enough to eat, he liked sharing.
Being hungry while craving food is miserable. Especially when starving—the stomach churns, acid rises, and every bite is bitter if nothing fills it.
Chen Jiu asked, “Was it the same in the county—did people not have enough to eat?”
By now, Lu Liu was familiar with the Chen family. Many things his brothers hadn’t said, he pieced together himself. Those past hardships? He could guess. Surely, they went hungry; his brother had it rough.
He nodded. “They didn’t have enough to eat. After all, I’m not a Chen, not one of the sons.”
Yao patted his hand. “It’s okay. Your brother cares about you, right? That’s good enough.”
He had recently told Big Qiang that when Lu’s husband was expecting, no Chen patriarch had come to check. Only a brother came with his husband—clearly someone married.
Lu Liu nodded. “My brother cares about me and is capable, just overworked. Once I establish a family business, I can be with him in the county.”
Yao asked, “You want to open a shop in the county too?”
Lu Liu said, “That’s the plan—if I can save enough silver. I even have the name: ‘Eat Your Fill.’”
The name made everyone laugh.
Chen thought about Lu’s past hunger and the name, and couldn’t help smiling.
Yao was curious: “Why was your Da Meng out tonight?”
Chen Jiu stayed quiet.
Lu Liu explained, “He came to buy a book. Da Feng fetched one, and somehow they ended up drinking.”
Yao laughed heartily.
Chen Jiu’s face burned red; he couldn’t sit still and left.
Lu Liu chuckled dryly. “I think I made him mad again.”
Yao waved him off. “Ignore him—he’s just enjoying himself talking. The more you tease, the more he realizes what words sting. And he wasn’t mad, just shy. Married this long, no one teases him—his skin’s thin. Unlike us, we can say whatever and stay calm.”
Lu Liu’s expression could change, so Yao teased him again.
Shun, sitting quietly at the table, was also lightly teased before Yao left.
The night ended late. Chen Jiu first called Wang Meng home.
Yao shouted as he left, and Big Qiang hurried to help him—both couples departed.
Lu Liu and Shun helped in the little shop, clearing bowls and jars, sweeping peanut shells, wiping tables, rinsing mouths, and finally could return to sleep.
Li Feng still wanted to enjoy his little husband, but the little husband refused.
“You’ve had enough wine; eat another day.”
Li Feng asked, “Aren’t you hungry? You can eat with me too.”
Lu Liu nibbled his chest, grinning, “I’m full too!”
Li Feng sighed.
All because of Wang Meng—he’d missed the birthday feast!
After this lively night, the families’ relationships were visibly closer.
Wang Meng, somehow explaining to Chen Jiu, took the chance to bring his dog over to Big Qiang’s to play with Hua Niu.
Wang Meng’s hunting dog was called Wolfhead, a fierce name. It had previously bitten off a wolf’s head on the mountain, hence the name.
The dog and Hua Niu played well, tumbling and roughhousing. Yao had to watch out, and Chen Jiu couldn’t call him back. Each day, when leaving their yard, they were dusty and muddied.
Yao, pregnant, realized that if the two dogs were ever to be “married,” Hua Niu would have to live in Chen Jiu’s yard.
