Embroider Maiden glanced up at Wu Wei, confirming a suspicion that had lingered in her heart for many days.
Bursts of firecrackers echoed in her ears.
Embroider Maiden turned her gaze toward the head table. Through the crowd, she couldn’t see clearly, but it seemed there wasn’t a trace of joy on the faces of her own family members.
Eldest Sister held Liu Dahu close, her hands pressed over his ears, her face etched with an indescribable coldness. Their mother leaned sideways, whispering something to Old Lady Zhang beside her. Eldest Brother-in-Law’s expression was hidden from view, while Liu Dahu… well, he seemed impatient, eager to dig in.
Embroider Maiden’s eyes shifted back to Wu Wei. Wu Wei added, “Second Sister is pregnant. No matter what happens, you must protect her, understand?”
Embroider Maiden nodded. Hand in hand, the two returned quietly to their seats amid the cheerful laughter filling the air. Even the neighbors they’d only met a few times wore more vibrant expressions than the Liu family.
Wu Wei and Embroider Maiden swapped seats. Now the arrangement was Old Man Zhang, Old Lady Zhang, with Old Lady Liu to Old Lady Zhang’s right, then Liu Cuicui and her son Liu Dahu. Next came Wu Wei and Embroider Maiden, with Second Lady Liu to Embroider Maiden’s right, Zhang Shuisheng beside her. Because of the drinking, Li Tieniu sat next to Zhang Shuisheng. This table was the most spacious at the banquet—as the host table, the aunts who prepared the food had specially placed a whole pork knuckle here, making it the finest spread.
As soon as Embroider Maiden and Wu Wei sat down, Wu Wei glanced at her. Embroider Maiden picked up her chopsticks, and only then did Wu Wei take hers, turning to Zhang Shuisheng. Zhang Shuisheng stood and announced loudly, “The host has words: Let the feast begin!”
The atmosphere on the hillside reached a fever pitch. People grabbed chopsticks, passed dishes, poured wine, and called out in celebration—all brimming with festivity.
Over here, Liu Dahu broke free from Liu Cuicui’s grasp like a beast unleashed from its pen and scurried to his seat… or rather, squatted down at it. One hand clutched his chopsticks, the other reached out to spear the massive pork knuckle smack in the center of the table!
That knuckle embodied the aunts’ wisdom and culinary skill: fried in lard the day before until nearly done, about seventy percent cooked, then simmered on the big day with secret spices. The crispy skin glistened under a glaze of ruby-red sauce, utterly tempting. With a “squish,” Liu Dahu’s chopsticks pierced straight through. He lifted them, slicing a gash across the surface as it wobbled free from the plate. Quick as a flash, Liu Dahu grabbed the bone with his other hand. But the meat was fall-off-the-bone tender, separating in an instant. After all, he was just a child with little strength and no experience. With a “plop,” the knuckle tumbled into a bowl of crystal-clear fish slices in spicy sour broth, ruining it entirely.
Liu Dahu panicked, nearly climbing onto the table as he plunged his greasy little paw into the soup to fish it out.
Seeing this, Old Man Zhang and Old Lady Zhang exchanged a knowing glance. They were elders who had weathered many storms, keeping their thoughts well hidden without a flicker of reaction. Zhang Shuisheng, in the middle of pouring wine for Li Tieniu, paused, took in the scene, and let out a cold snort without a word.
Second Lady Liu flushed crimson. One hand on her waist, the other gripping her chopsticks, she shot Liu Dahu several glares before snapping at Liu Cuicui, “Eldest Sister, aren’t you going to do something? What a spectacle! Has he never seen meat in eight lifetimes?”
Wu Wei gently patted Embroider Maiden’s leg, signaling her to stay silent. Liu Cuicui grumbled back, “What does a five-year-old know? Mind your own business!” Even so, she yanked Liu Dahu hard, pinning him to his seat.
Li Tieniu chuckled awkwardly and chimed in, “Things were tough at home last year—the crops in the fields suffered, and the harvest was poor. Liu Dahu hasn’t had meat in a while. Sorry about that. Liu Dahu… listen to your mother.”
Wu Wei narrowed her eyes. She picked a piece of braised pork for Embroider Maiden’s bowl, then split a steaming flower roll from the center and shared it with her.
This Li Tieniu, the honest son-in-law by marriage, certainly had a way with words. By his reckoning, the “crops suffering” lined up exactly with the time Embroider Maiden’s wedding fell through, her fiancé died, and Old Man Liu passed away shortly after.
Wu Wei glanced at Embroider Maiden. Thankfully, she was no longer the timid girl who’d endured it all silently. She’d caught Li Tieniu’s implication but showed no fear, merely pursing her lips.
Liu Cuicui whipped her chopsticks around, fished out the pork knuckle, and returned it to the plate. She carved off a large chunk for Liu Dahu. The greedy boy quieted down with his treat, but aside from the Liu family, no one touched the knuckle or the ruined fish soup.
Old Lady Zhang poured a cup of homemade rice wine for Old Lady Liu. “How have you been, old sister?”
Old Lady Liu took a sip from her bowl. “I’m managing.” It was clear Old Lady Liu wasn’t much for talk. She seemed to strain for words but ended up merely clinking glasses with Old Lady Zhang, saying nothing more.
…
After three rounds of wine and five flavors of dishes, Zhang Shuisheng—as one of the most popular folks from Zhang Family Village—was dragged off by the young villagers to drink.
The villagers from Zhang Family Village looked down on the Liu family, so naturally no one invited Li Tieniu. Zhang Shuisheng had grasped Wu Wei’s intent and deliberately left Li Tieniu no out, stranding him right there.
Now the table held only elders and women. Li Tieniu had no one to toast with and nursed two cups in sullen silence before fixing his gaze on Wu Wei. “Miss Wu, you’ve got real skills. That new house is so grand—must have cost a pretty penny, right?”
Wu Wei curved her lips. “Not counting today’s feast, about a dozen taels of silver. Good luck, too—I even bought a few mu of hillside fields.”
Li Tieniu nodded without a word.
But Wu Wei’s casual remark stabbed deep into Liu Cuicui’s heart and brushed against Old Lady Liu as well.
A dozen taels without the feast? What a breezy way to say it…
Look at this spread! Fish and meat at every table, unlimited wine… You couldn’t pull that off without ten or eight taels at least.
Even if Liu Cuicui was slow on the uptake and out of the loop, she’d pieced it together over these days. Wu Wei was just an orphaned outsider like Third Sister—a doom bringer, a broom star who’d killed her parents, begged on the streets, then scraped by a few days as a coroner. What did a coroner earn? A few hundred copper coins per case at most—enough to send her packing. How could she afford two tiled houses like this? With a cellar dug and a shed in the back, like she planned to raise cattle?
It had to be Third Sister!
Maybe Third Sister and Second Niang had gone behind her back, hooked up with Wu Wei, used Zhang Shuisheng’s connections to sell embroidery patterns. That gleaming silver should have been hers!
They hadn’t split the family yet!
Embroider Maiden wanted out of the Liu house? Over her dead body!
That day, she’d been muddleheaded listening to Father. Thank heavens, though—she’d let the girl go for half a year, but the household register was still at home. That meant no official split!
Liu Cuicui increasingly felt she’d been an idiot back then, her mind clouded like grease on a frying pan. Li Tieniu was right: Father wasn’t in charge anymore. This family had birthed and raised her—she owed it her life!
Either marry into another home, but no dowry less than a hundred taels; no one was taking this money tree away cheap.
Or stay a Liu daughter, living at home forever!
What kind of precedent was a woman splitting from the family?
She’d hesitated before out of respect for their mother. But seeing Embroider Maiden thriving like this, Liu Cuicui knew Li Tieniu was spot on. Their Liu Dahu would need silver to head to the capital for exams, become a big official, marry a wife, buy fields in the city. Just the two of them farming? They’d drop dead before succeeding!
With that resolved, Liu Cuicui took a deep breath. She was set: today, she’d confront Third Sister, that ungrateful traitor. Too many people around, and they weren’t from Zhang Family Village—it wasn’t worth making a scene just yet.
Once the banquet ended, she’d drag Third Sister back by force if needed. Then they’d reclaim the houses and fields in her name!
Liu Cuicui shot Wu Wei a venomous sidelong glare, already plotting how she’d yank out her hair and give this outsider a proper lesson—what grease had she skimmed off Third Sister? How much could she cough back up?
The more she thought, the more Liu Cuicui found Wu Wei ill-omened. Raising her voice hoarsely, she barked, “Liu Dahu, go sit by your father. Take your Second Uncle’s seat!”
Liu Dahu glanced at the table. Spotting some dishes on the far side that he hadn’t tried yet, he grabbed a plate and headed over with gusto.
…
Dusk had fallen by the time the banquet wound down. Liu Cuicui winced again at the sight—nothing good remained, and there was no point taking home mere scraps.
Earlier, Wu Wei had slipped away from the table for a bit. Now, seeing that everyone was finishing up, she leaned in to whisper a few words to the Embroider Maiden before stepping away once more. She made her way to Zhang Shuisheng’s side and murmured something to him. He promptly took charge, signaling the end of the feast. The drunkards were hauled off by friends, and Zhang Shuisheng distributed the leftover wine as he saw fit. The aunts who had prepared the meal stayed behind with their female kin to help tidy up.
Liu Cuicui steadied Li Tieniu with an arm around him. Turning to the Embroider Maiden, she declared, “This is your big day, and this new house feels way too empty. Your eldest brother-in-law’s had a bit too much, so we’ll crash here tonight—it’ll liven up the place a bit!” With that, she guided him toward the east wing.
Wu Wei gave the Embroider Maiden’s hand a discreet squeeze, urging her to stay calm. Only after Liu Cuicui had helped Li Tieniu across the east wing’s threshold did Wu Wei raise her voice. “Big Sis, what kind of custom is it for guests to bunk down in the east wing on the very first night of a new house? If you and your husband take the east wing, how’s an unmarried girl like me supposed to manage?”
Her words rang out, and every eye in the room turned toward the pair, sharp as arrows nocked to a bow.
