After leaving the Wu residence, Lu Yang walked along the street and bought some liangfen to take home.
The liangfen was made of fine, long strips, each about the length of a finger, with a soft and chewy texture. The sauce mixed with it was spicy. Lu Yang served himself a small bowl to taste.
Li Feng had done a good thing, buying the bamboo bed—it was practical. The whole family could sit in the alley to enjoy the breeze, and the twins could be brought out to play. When they saw people, they didn’t misbehave, which saved the adults some effort.
Lu Liu brought a basin of water for Lu Yang, suggesting he wash his face and wipe off the sweat first. Lu Yang said he’d eat before washing, so Lu Liu could only watch impatiently. Lu Yang set down his bowl and utensils, washed his face, wiped off his sweat, changed into a fresh jacket, and only then came back to continue eating.
The household had already changed their bedding and dirty clothes, which had been handed to He Fulang for washing in the morning and were now drying in the yard.
Lu Yang changed into a clean jacket, and Lu Liu casually wrung out the wet clothes to hang them up. There was still sunlight in the afternoon, so they could take them down together at night.
Shun’ge was practicing the Three Character Classic, rocking on a stool as he recited it aloud for the twins.
Since their birth, Lu Liu had read to them daily—either at a fixed time when he was free or in the evening—so after more than half a year, the twins had gotten used to it and were now parroting along.
Lu Yang asked the two fathers, “Did you take a nap at noon? It’s hot and the days are long—you need to rest to have energy.”
They both said they had slept. Lu Yang said, “Then why aren’t there any marks from the mat on your face or hands?”
Both men felt embarrassed. Their home was poor; the beds were small, so the two of them had to sleep side by side, squeezed together. Over the years, they had grown accustomed to it. In summer, sleeping left marks on their faces and hands.
Being exposed by Lu Yang, they laughed awkwardly several times. As usual, it was the same old story.
With the wheat harvest approaching, they had gotten used to waking up extremely early in the morning. Half-asleep, they would step outside the door, realizing they were no longer in the village, so there was no need to worry about the fields. Afternoon naps were impossible.
Lu Yang served them another bowl of liangfen to eat their fill.
He had heard that it was made from pea starch. He had never eaten it in the county seat before; there, he had only bought sweet potato starch.
Since he hadn’t eaten it before, naturally the two fathers hadn’t either. It tasted pretty good, and he had bought enough for them to have seconds.
The dish also included thin cucumber strips and a small amount of peanuts.
Lu Yang ate one bowl and stopped, then went to the kitchen to shell peanuts, planning to, when picking up Xie Yan in the evening, buy more liangfen and mix in extra peanuts and cucumbers to make it more enjoyable.
He told them, “Rest when you need to. If you can’t sleep, just lie down—that counts as rest too. You still need to help Brother Liu make fish soup, so don’t tire yourselves.”
Lu Liu quickly added, “Exactly. If you’re tired, I won’t make you help with the fish soup.”
That wouldn’t do. Both fathers grew anxious.
They all had worked hard at the breakfast stall, happy and busy, and couldn’t be left out.
Wang Fengnian said, “Tomorrow you’ll nap. Today’s too late anyway, no sleeping now.”
Lu Yang agreed. Having been sick before, he knew that a good rest was restorative.
The two fathers were worn out from labor and needed prompting and supervision to catch up on rest.
While they were talking, He Fulang came by to visit.
There was still liangfen in the soup bowl, so Lu Yang served him a bowl to taste.
He Fulang was hesitant. Seeing the red-oil-coated liangfen and smelling its aroma, he realized it must be expensive. He politely refused several times, but Lu Yang pressed it into his hands, and he repeatedly thanked him.
He said, “I’ve never eaten this kind of thing before. My husband hasn’t bought it either.”
Lu Yang replied, “It’s our first time too. The taste isn’t bad.”
He Fulang was surprised. “You’ve never eaten it before either?”
Lu Yang smiled. “We all come from the countryside; how could we have?”
He Fulang nodded, holding the bowl, still embarrassed to eat. He picked up the chopsticks slowly, tried to lift the food, then put it down again.
Lu Yang saw how awkward he was and asked, “Don’t you eat spicy food?”
He Fulang began taking tiny bites. He clearly didn’t eat much spice; tears formed, and his face and lips flushed.
Lu Yang got to know him a little better. People who had stayed cooped up at home often weren’t noticed by anyone. When someone offered a small gesture of kindness and asked a simple question, they would chatter endlessly.
He Fulang’s husband was studying at the prefectural school, a classmate of Xie Yan’s. They were from Ning County, with several acres of farmland and a pond in front of their home for raising ducks. Before coming to the prefectural school, life was fairly comfortable, though tight, but not so hard. After arriving in the capital, He Fulang had hardly any good days.
Lu Liu poured him a cup of tea to help him relax.
After finishing, He Fulang looked at Lu Liu and Lu Yang, saying, “I can tell you apart. Brother’s face is slimmer; your face is rounder.”
Lu Liu told Lu Yang to listen carefully. “Brother, hear that? You’re thinner. Eat more, gain a few pounds.”
Lu Yang smiled and agreed.
After eating, He Fulang wanted to wash his bowl, but Lu Liu stopped him, taking the dishes to the kitchen and leaving him outside to sit.
Lu Yang asked and learned that He Fulang’s husband was named Liu Youli, who wouldn’t be taking the provincial exam this year, so he hadn’t left for the provincial capital.
Asked about last year’s county exam, He Fulang couldn’t give a clear answer.
“My husband doesn’t talk to me about his studies. I can’t understand the exam material,” he said.
Whenever he came, he would chatter endlessly, all sounding like complaints.
He and Liu Youli had married in the village. From the start, Liu Youli didn’t like to pay attention to him. After coming to the capital, it became even rarer for him to speak more than a few words a day.
Liu Youli didn’t even eat at home. If he had money, he would eat three meals outside. He Fulang would eat less, cooking one meal to last three times, saving firewood and copper coins to support Liu Youli.
Since Lu Yang and company moved in, Liu Youli left earlier and returned later.
He Fulang said, “He must be busy with studies.”
Lu Yang thought him silly.
Clearly, he just didn’t want to run into Xie Yan.
Lu Liu understood this too and didn’t know what to say.
After finishing the liangfen, the two fathers sat briefly and then left. Chen Guizhi said she needed to get shoe samples from Zhao Peilan, and the two went back together. Shun’ge continued reciting the Three Character Classic, very focused.
He Fulang looked around, realizing belatedly that he had interrupted the family, and said he should leave.
Lu Yang told him, “What’s the hurry? There’s nothing else to do this afternoon.”
He Fulang sighed, “There isn’t much laundry left; it’s just you taking care of me.”
Lu Liu asked, “Don’t you know other skills? You could go out and try something.”
He Fulang could only do some household chores. He had mentioned selling buns a few times, but Liu Youli would not allow it. After repeated refusals, he was too afraid to try again.
Lu Liu frowned. “You don’t have to make buns. Why are you so anxious? You’d sell buns, save up copper coins, and they’d still be for him to spend.”
He Fulang laughed bitterly. “He says my cooking and buns are terrible, that going out would be embarrassing.”
Lu Yang, shelling peanuts, turned his head and rolled his eyes.
Terrible cooking, embarrassing—he was just worried He Fulang would make him look bad.
Lu Liu got angry. “Then why doesn’t he cook and steam buns himself?”
He Fulang was startled. “How could he?”
Lu Liu huffed. “Why not? Your brother-in-law also studies, a scholarship student even. He can bring home silver for provisions, and it’s still to cook for my brother!”
Living in a single alley, even people not closely acquainted could see such obvious things. He Fulang got the point instantly.
He still insisted it wasn’t possible—his man was different.
He waved his hand and ran off, later bringing over a salted duck egg.
The salted egg was homemade. Their ducks laid eggs, which were then turned into salted eggs.
Liu Youli didn’t really eat these. He Fulang used them as a side dish; they rarely cooked. Occasionally, he would go to the market to pick some vegetable leaves to eat. He had to hide this from Liu Youli.
